Tuesday's Feature-Absolutely Kismet

Welcome Kirsten of Absolutely Kistmet!

You can find Kirsten creating her lovely jewelry and living her everyday life in South Dakota. She hasn't always called South Dakota home, however; some of the other places she's inhabited are Alabama, Montana, and Washington State.

As a full time high school teacher, Etsy and her jewelry design are considered a side job for now, but she doesn't mind!

"I’ve been making jewelry for a few years," Kirsten tells me. "I thought it would make a fun hobby for when I had extra time on my hands, and quickly realized it would be much more then that!"

Actually, her love of crafting goes all the way back to her Girl Scout days! That and just being inspired at home. Despite the assumption that other crafters usually have several things that they like to jump between, Kirsten's jewelry is her main craft. That being said, though, Kirsten likes to do many things herself. For example, she colored in and then hand stamped roses onto her wedding program when she was planning her wedding. Her motto: "If I ever see anything in a store I think I can make myself instead of buy, I generally do."

Inspiration for Kirsten comes in many forms. Seeing a need and trying to fill it. Specific people, places, and or things. Functionality, practicality, and attractiveness. Certain material she works with. You name it, I bet she's inspired by it! :)

Advice from Kirsten:: "If I feel that something I’m working on just isn’t working and I’m stumped, I start something new to “cleanse the palate,” as it were. That way, I can give the original project a few days alone (sometimes even weeks alone) and let it just fester in the back of my mind. I can usually come back and find a solution to the problem."

Things to know about Kirsten and her jewelry:

*Like what she has to offer, and have something specific in mind? Good news: Kirsten does custom orders!

*Make sure to check out {and maybe even Like} her on Facebook :)

*Not only does she do custom orders, but you can order her products in bulk for parties, weddings, etc!

*Check Kirsten out on her blog, Absolutely Kismet on Blogspot.

*For payment, shipping, and other information, check out her Shop Policies Page.

Thank you to Kirsten for stopping by and giving us a great interview! Stop by Absolutely Kismet on Etsy {by the way, I ADORE the name!} and check out what Kirsten has to offer :)

Items in Post:

Set of 6 Bow Tie Wine Charms with .22 Shell Casing Dangles


Blue and Black Stripped Heart Pendant on Braided Hemp Necklace

Violet Bead Dangle Earrings

Tuesday Blog Hops

So, I'm hoping on the linky-love train and joining in on the fabulous memes I've seen circulating around the blogosphere lately...

Follow Me Back Tuesday!

Thanks goes to our hostesses for putting on such a lovely meme::

Survey Junkie
Little Yaya's
Boobies, Babies and a Blog



To-the-TOP Tuesday Blog Hop!


Give it up to the hostesses with the mostesses::

One Little Mister
Frugal Plus



Blog It Forward Tuesday!



Give a round of applause for these Blog Hop hostesses:

Sweep Tight
Just Married With Coupons



Follow Me Chickadee Tuesdays!



Last but certainly not least, this hop is hosted by::

The Life of a Sippy Cup Mom!
Stash Mama
Lilac City Momma
Dandy Giveaway
One+One=Four


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New to The Eclectic Element?

Pop a squat, grab some refreshments or nosh a little {I'd offer you a wide variety of somethin-somethins, but I'm not sure where ya'll live}, and say Hi xD

I'll be sure to visit and follow you as well!

Inspirational Tuesday(5/31)

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"We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey."

--Stephen Covey

I saw this the other day, and then stumbled upon it again yesterday, and knew it had to be this week's inspirational quote :)

What inspires you today?

Happy Memorial Day!

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I'd like to take a moment to wish all my friends and their families a happy and safe Memorial Day holiday!

I hope everyone has some fun plans for today {maybe a family get together or a barbeque perhaps!?}. I'm not sure what we're doing in the way of plans, but I'm sure you'll hear about it eventually if it's anything fun :)

In the mean time, I can't wait to do my blog hopping tomorrow and see what YOU all were up to!

Music Moves Me Monday(5/30)

Welcome to Music Moves Me Monday!

This meme is hosted by a group of seriously great people-Dolly of XmasDolly, Lorie of The Shewbridges of Central Florida, Larrie of CakeBlast, and last but certainly not least, Callie of JAmericanSpice!

Here are the rules if you wanted to participate::

First step: Run over to You Tube, (or wherever), and lock & load! Get your pick for the theme of the week.

Second Step: Grab our "Monday's Music Moves Me" button::




Third step: SIGN THE LINKY - Dance (follow) your host/hostesses, and grab their buttons.

Final step: Start lookin' for a partner and boogie on down to her blog, and say hello, and tag (follow) her/him, and leave a nice comment. If you've been tagged (followed) be hip, and get on over there, and tag (follow) her back and leave a comment.

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I do believe this week is Summer and or weather themed!

Let me think....

This one reminds me of Gilmore Girls-Good luck trying to keep this one out of your head ;)

Enjoy!

Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer by Nat King Cole

Have a musical week everyone!

Mailbox Monday(5/30)

Mailbox Monday divulges into the inner workings of my mailbox throughout the week. From books to jewelry to free samples to random magazines and letters-You never know what will be in the mail this week... 

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 Thanks again to Magazines.com and their many a $5 coupons and gift codes, I was able to get a few issues of National Geographic Traveler!

Those of you who know me know that my absolute dream of dreams is to be able to travel the world, so now I can do so vicariously in the comfort of my own home :)

Let's hope I'll be able to do it for real some day!

What did you get in the mail this week?

Health Update Thursday(5/26)

Where, oh where, should I start?

Well, I'll start with the good news:: I've been doing pretty good lately! 

*quickly knocks on wood*

I've been walking regularly for 3 to 4 days now without incident. I've been waking up earlier the usual {I don't like sleeping until noon even if I didn't get to sleep until 2 or 3 in the morning} and doing more productive things with my newfound time. I'm taking and doing the things I need to on a daily basis and it seems to be going very well.

Even though I still have high-ish pain level depending on the minute, I'm ALWAYS suffering from that fatigue, and a few other quarks from day to day, it's something that I force myself to work through.

I've noticed that everything is worse in the mornings and late at night, but once I force myself to get up, start doing my necessary things, and go out to visit the family, by around noon or 1:00, I'm sailing :)

Yesterday, I even made cupcakes {recipe and pictures to come}!

And now since I forgot to send an email to my intuitive, I must bid you all adieu and go do that. Well, that and the fact that I can barely keep my eyes open, so sleep is imminent. Lol

Something Borrowed *Movie Review*

• Directed By: Luke Greenfield
• Writers: Jennie Snyder, and Emily Giffin
• Runtime: 112 minutes
• Rated: PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue, and some drug material
• Language: English
• Company: 2S Films, Alcon Entertainment, and Wild Ocean Films

 Movie Synopsis:

Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Dex (Colin Egglesfield) met in Law school and quickly became good friends-The geeky girl with too many pens, and the all American guy who happened to sit next to her.

Fast forward through Law school to a bar, where Dex asked Rachel to dinner after a grueling final exam.They obviously have feelings for one another, but Rachel doesn't think a guy like Dex would want her!

It all has the makings for a date night, but then enters Darcy (Kate Hudson), Rachel's best friend-A very opinionated popular girl type who takes what she wants, when she wants it, who crashes the two's dinner, and who meets Dex for the first time.

Her future fiance.

Fast forward again to the present. Rachel's surprise birthday party, where not only did she turn the big 3-0, but where her whole life did a complete 180. Due to certain events, now she KNOWS Dex had feelings for her back then, and he most definitely has feelings for her now. But with him getting married to her best friend, what is she to do!?

At least she has her quarky and oh-so-adorable guy best friend, Ethan (John Krasinski), to talk to!

 My Thoughts:

This looked like such an amazing movie from the trailers that I've been DYING to see it ever since it came out!

I had a chance to watch it the other day, and I must say, did not meet the high expectations I placed on it the moment I saw that trailer.

The actors were pretty great {especially that yummy John Krasinski ;) }, and the story was somewhat enjoyable, but other then that, it mostly annoyed me. Why you ask? Well, it annoyed me because of several things:

1.) It's SO predictable.
2.)Even though the story was somewhat enjoyable, it's still a bit boring and drags.
3.) I HATE the way the main character is portrayed as a clueless girl {he's going to leave her. He loves me. He's going to leave her. Blah, blah, blah}.

The only thing that had me cheering was John's character, Ethan. He told it like it was, funny sometimes, sweet other times, and harsh when needed. I found myself cheering HIM on through the whole movie! Lol

All in all, in my opinion, it's good for a watch, but nothing more.

 

**This is an opinion solely based on my thoughts and opinions of the movie in question and no one elses. I was not influenced one way or another to write the subject matter in this review, so if you don't like it or don't agree with it, that is your choice and I fully respect it so please extend me the same curtsy**

 

 

 

 

 

Helloooo Graphic Design Career?

I've been putzing around with the thought of getting into graphic design for awhile now, especially since I really can't do much other then blog, run my business, and sweepstakes-it-up for money and/or any form of compensation.

I know graphic designers, depending on how good they are, can make a good sum of money-I mean, computers and blogging ARE the up and coming thing as of late, so everyone wants a website that they can call their own, which is where the custom requests come into play.

I've seen quite a few blog redesigns lately, too, on several of the blogs I frequent!

The thing is, I always thought you needed to go to school and have the big fancy computer program like Adobe Photoshop to get into the whole graphic design market. If you are a graphic designer, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but that's always been my line of thinking.

The other day, I was doing what I do best and searching the web due to a nasty case of boredom when I came across an article on free photo editing software downloads, and through some research, fact checking, and a few positive reviews, the one that I chose to download was said to be pretty great. I decided to put this to the test and spent a few hours watching tutorials and playing around with it. This is what I created thus far::

So what do you think? Good start to a "career"? LOL

Win It Wednesday(5/25)

~*!*~Win It Wednesday~*!*~

Win a $50 GC to Nike.com!!

Ends May 31, 2011

Enter Here

Win a Sample Of Villeroy and Boch Gourmet Wiskey Glasses!

Ends June 7, 2011

Enter Here

Win a Trio of Nailpolish {your color choice} from Scotch Naturals!!

Ends June 10, 2011

Enter Here

Have giveaways you want to advertise?

Link them below!!

Tuesday Blog Hops

So, I'm hoping on the linky-love train and joining in on the fabulous memes I've seen circulating around the blogosphere lately...

Follow Me Back Tuesday!

Thanks goes to our hostesses for putting on such a lovely meme::

Survey Junkie
Little Yaya's
Boobies, Babies and a Blog



To-the-TOP Tuesday Blog Hop!


Give it up to the hostesses with the mostesses::

One Little Mister
Frugal Plus



Blog It Forward Tuesday!






Give a round of applause for these Blog Hop hostesses:

Sweep Tight
Just Married With Coupons



Follow Me Chickadee Tuesdays!





Last but certainly not least, this hop is hosted by::

The Life of a Sippy Cup Mom!
Stash Mama
Lilac City Momma
Dandy Giveaway
One+One=Four


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New to The Eclectic Element?

Pop a squat, grab some refreshments or nosh a little {I'd offer you a wide variety of somethin-somethins, but I'm not sure where ya'll live}, and say Hi xD

I'll be sure to visit and follow you as well!

Inspirational Tuesday(5/24)

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"You grow up the day you have your first real laugh--At yourself."

--Ethel Berrymore

Oh boy, I must have grown up at a very early age! I've been laughing at myself and my antics for YEARS now xD

What inspires you today?

Calling all Thriller Fans-This is for YOU!

Okay, maybe not ALL thriller fans, but those who are in the NYC area, those who are close to the NYC area, and/or those who just love thrillers so much that they're willing to travel to the NYC area!

I don't normally do a lot of book and event related reviews because of several reasons, some of which being my illness, not enough time in the day, the events aren't even remotely close to where I live, etc. etc. etc. Of course there are certain things I make an exception for, and when I was contacted to blog post about an upcoming event in New York, I jumped all over it!

Why did I jump you may ask; I don't even live anywhere close to New York!

Well, one word baby:: ThrillerFest.

Those of you who know me may or may not know that I'm a HUGE thriller fan-I'm known for reading anything that has words on it, but when it comes to the fav of the fav, thrillers are right at the tippy top of the list :)

So, that being elaborately said, those of you in the audience who are thriller fans, listen up:

“ThrillerFest VI is breaking records again this year!” says ThrillerFest Chair Kathleen Antrim. “It’s the only event of its kind on the planet.  A summer camp for thriller fans and writers.  We’re especially excited to have international best seller Ken Follett teaching the craft of writing.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” 

Thrillerfest VI is being held as stated above in the Big Apple, gathering some of the greatest thriller masterminds of all time, some of which include Robert Crais, Diana Gabaldon, John Lescroart, and one of my childhood favorites and total icon, R.L. Stine!

Mark it on your calendars ladies and gents, July 6-9, 2011 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, Thrillerfest VI will not fail to get your heart racing with everything they have to offer this year-For more information or to register, just visit www.thrillerfest.com.

For now, I just sit here and daydream about walking among the greats. *sigh*

Mailbox Monday(5/23)

Mailbox Monday divulges into the inner workings of my mailbox throughout the week. From books to jewelry to free samples to random magazines and letters-You never know what will be in the mail this week... 

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Thanks to my lovely friend Jana a.k.a Boobies of Boobies, Babies, and a Blog, I won something I've been after for a loooong time.....

A bathing suit from Voda Swim!

Oh people, let me tell you how EXCITED I was when I got the email xD Not only did I get to choose the suit that I wanted{see left-hand side}, but my sister turned a lovely shade of envious green, which, let's face it, doesn't hurt anything.

{If you have a sister, you know what I mean}

The only snafoo is this: I should have opted for an extra large in the top instead if picking the large >.<

I'm hoping I can exchange it!

What did you get in the mail this week?

Saturday's Picks(5/21)-Apocalypse!

Since today IS the end of the world, I figured what better inspiration for today's Saturday's picks then an apocalyptic theme!?

I'd say enjoy, but I'm not sure if that's the right word. Lol

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Giant Retired Tank 8x10 Photograph from charies

$15.00

Steampunk Nautical Cyber Goggles from jadedminx

$39.50

May 21st Apocalypse End of the World Resin Bracelet from BuyMyCrap

$27.00

Apple Green Gas Mask Tee from CausticThreads

$18.00

Dummy Pineapple Grenade from EarthSeaWarrior

$30.00

The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling!

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Seriously though, the end of the world is tomorrow, May 21, 2011.

Or so people are saying.

Believe it or not, I JUST learned about this particular prophecy yesterday when a pregnant woman rang our doorbell and handed us a pamphlet on Facts Concerning May 21, 2011.

Being handed a pamphlet proclaiming, 'The great amount of biblical signs and proofs absolutely guarantee judgement day is May 21, 2011', you all know I had to do some checking on this whole thing. The funny thing was before I had a chance to plug May 21st into a search engine, Yahoo already had a feature on it's front page all about it!

The feature was all about how this pro-apocalyptic group's PR campaign is actually working to capture people's attention-Search engines have seen a spike in apocalyptic phrases such as, 'May 21st doomsday,' 'Judgement day,' and 'May 21st End of the World.'

Why so attention capturing? Well, not only did these believers rent over 2,000 billboards all across the U.S., Canada, and other countries to display their end-of-the-world warning, they also are driving RVs and caravans around the country with advertisements as well, and going around to people's houses and businesses handing out pamphlets {like the woman who rang our doorbell inspiring this post} all about the end of the world, it's facts and figures, etc.

According to the pamphlet we were handed, everytime we hear about the world ending on the 21st, we must "cry out to God for mercy and fully recognize we are sinners."

I'm really not sure what to think of this whole thing; of course there is always talk of 2012 and the world ending then, but that's according to the Aztec's, their beliefs, and their calender. May 21st is according to the Christian's beliefs and what the Bible declares as interpreted by Harold Camping.

Honestly, and no offense intended to those who believe and support this prophecy, but I think it's nothing but scare tactics. Of course I don't believe a word of this May-21st-end-of-the-world thing, but it still kind of angers me how the believers are trying to scare people into repenting just on the word of a man who foretold the same thing in 1994 and nothing happened. This is not to say that May 21st could have a significant meaning in the universal scheme of things, but to claim for absolute certainty that there is going to be an earthquake and the believers will go to heaven and the non-believers will go to hell is not right in my opinion.

Now, if the world really DOES end tomorrow, I'll be the first to admit that I'm 100% wrong, but I'm not holding my breath.

So what are your thoughts? How are you going to spend your last day?

Aloha Friday #39

From Kailani of An Island Life:

"In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer."

I'm going to follow her lead, kick back, relax and see what you all have to say on this lovely Friday!

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Today's question is:

What are your thoughts on the world ending tomorrow{May 21st}?

First of all....WHAT!?

I only heard about this yesterday. 

I honestly have NO idea what to think.

Have a great weekend everyone-Or at least a great day and a half if the prophecy is true O.o

Win It Wednesday(5/18)

~*!*~Win It Wednesday~*!*~

Win an Amy Kathryn Wyland Tote of your choice!!

Ends May 20, 2011

Enter Here

Win a Care Package from Gourmet Gift Baskets!!

Ends May 30, 2011

Enter Here

Win a Costume of your choice from HalloweenCostumes.org!!

Ends May 30, 2011

Enter Here

Have giveaways you want to advertise?

Link them below!!

Inspirational Tuesday(5/17)

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“Dreams are like stars...you may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead you to your destiny.”

--Unknown

What inspires you today?

Mailbox Monday(5/16)

Mailbox Monday divulges into the inner workings of my mailbox throughout the week. From books to jewelry to free samples to random magazines and letters-You never know what will be in the mail this week...

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My Aunt Susie is at it again!

This time, it's an Easter package complete with big chocolate Wonka egg, a Vanilla and Cream diffuser, a cute card and some stickers :)

Thank you Aunt Susie!

Now THIS delicious mailbox find was 

courtesy of Musings of The Mom Jen and The Swiss Colony-Of course one of my many won giveaways :)

I must say the saltwater taffy from there was beyond any I've ever tasted in the past and the chocolate.....Well, it's chocolate so what more do I have to say!?

This was definitely a delicious week for me!

This mailbox find is a combination of a review AND a giveaway win-Let me explain:

I won a giveaway for a $25 gift card to Apothica.com courtesy of Terra of Heck of a Bunch, and while conversing with the representative to get my gift card, I was invited to do a review...So vola!

I'm very excited to be able to do this review; You didn't hear this from me, but there might just be a giveaway too ;)

You just have to come back to find out!

 As you know, I started listing things in my vintage shop just these last 
few weeks, and recently, I was contacted to do a trade!

{my first trade to be exact}

I must say if you are into vintage jewelry or any jewelry at all, you H.A.V.E to check out Lanter Vintage Valuables on Etsy-Seriously, she has many, many gorgeous little treasures that are so reasonably priced!

I had a hard time choosing, but I finally settled upon this unique modern onyx ring :)

 

 Another one of my freebies...

I got a coupon for a free Suave product!

Gotta love free coupons xD

What did you get in the mail this week?