Photo A Day for May

Hello there cuties! Do you like taking pictures or are interested in dabbling in photographing? Some wonderful person has come up with a "schedule" so to speak of taking a picture everyday for a month. When I visited A Creative Cookie's blog (great blog by the way!), she had up the schedule for the month of May. I forgot to do it last month so I'm going to try to participate in May.

The pictures you take don't have to be on a professional level. This is just to encourage everyone to get comfortable with a camera and have fun while taking pictures. There's a category for each day so everyday will be a different picture. I'll try to post my picture that I take each day. If you want to share your pictures also, please do! Let's encourage each other to do it. Below is the schedule for May along with a link to A Creative Cookie where I found it. Can't wait to get started and see your pictures. Later cuties :)

http://acreativecookie.blogspot.com/2012/04/photo-day-may.html#comment-form
 

Yukata Night at Wasabi!

I look like I'm in Japan!

Hello cuties! Hope everyone's weekend is coming to a safe and relaxing end before the hectic week begins. Yesterday, my husband and I met some of our dear friends at a local Japanese restaurant for fun and sushi. Of course if you're going to eat Japanese, you just have to wear a beautiful yukata! When we arrived we got a couple of  smiles and stares from fellow customers but the owners loved it! They loved it so much, they took pictures of us after we finished our meal. It was a lot of fun!


Here's our group picture. My husband and I are in the back near the pink parasol

The food was incredibly delicious! I didn't get a chance to snap a picture of what I ate (because I was too busy stuffing my face LOL!), but my husband took a picture of a unique roll. Two friends of our's, they're sisters, ordered the Dragon Roll. It truly was the show-stopper at the dinner table. 


The beautiful Dragon Roll. It tasted as good as it looked!

The presentation of the Dragon Roll was so unique, that our friends hesitated a little before digging in. So much detail was put into the design of this one roll. If you look closely at the dragon's mouth, it looks like it is breathing fire where they placed the ginger slices at. Very neat! No wonder sushi is called "edible art".

A close up of the "dragon's" head

Once we were finished with our meal, we went outside and took some pictures. It was a great way to end such a fun night. Besides family, there's nothing better than having true friends. They are the one's that you can just be yourself around and have the greatest of times with. This was our second time dressing in our yukata's to go eat at Wasabi. Something tells me that it won't be the last either! Later cuties!

Jacob and I in our yukata's. I had to put both of our's on and it wasn't easy :(


Us at the dinner table. Yes...I'm wearing a wig. I wanted to be in character.

Giveaways!

Good evening cuties! As promised, here I am again for another edition of "Promotions and Giveaways".

Has anyone won one of the giveaways that were featured on my blog? Just curious...I found out yesterday that I won the giveaway that Sister Batik hosted that offered the Hot Pink Boho Makeup Bag as the prize. I was super excited!



So never think that you can't or won't win the awesome prizes that are offered in these giveaways. Everyone loves free stuff, right? And even if you don't win, chances are you'll find a really cool and interesting blog that you would've never known about unless you entered their giveaway. So let me know if you've won and what you won. Later cuties :)


MODCLOTH $50 GIFT VOUCHER - MY MODERN VINTAGE

http://www.mymodernvintage.com/2012/04/modcloth-gift-voucher-giveaway.html?showComment=1335489525974#c3303122549287632770 - This a picture from the blog hosting the giveaway to give you an idea as to the type of clothes Modcloth offers. This giveaway was super easy to enter. Ends on May 7

YOUR CHOICE OF NECKLACE - REMAKE VINTAGE

http://remakingmemories.com/blog/announcing-mondays-with-mom-and-a-mothers-day-giveaway#comment-2902 - The winner gets to choose which pendant they want and also if they want it on the ribbon of ball chain. This giveaway is also super easy to enter. Ends May 8 @ 5:00 Eastern time

Adventures with Polymer Clay - Part 2

Hello cuties! I've missed y'all so much (my Southern is coming out!). Sorry I've been M.I.A. lately. In case you were wondering if everything is ok, everything is fine. I've just been preoccupied with my new found love. Last week, I posted about how I've always wanted to work with polymer clay and finally had the opportunity to. Well, since then I've been creating like a mad scientist making teapots, cupcakes, onigiri, and anything else that I can think of. I'm starting to post some of the items on Etsy, so I'll be busy with that today as well. I'm curious to see how well of a reception they will receive in my shop. As an Etsy seller, I've had to learn that just because I think what I made is cute and adorable doesn't mean that everyone else thinks the same thing. I'll let you guys know how it goes. Below are pictures of some of the items I made with polymer clay. I'll post more if you guys want to see all of my creations. I'll post later today for the Promotions and Giveaways feature. Till then, later cuties ;)

This teapot is inspired from Alice in Wonderland. I thought the colors matched her dress perfectly.

YUMMY! Milk chocolate bar earrings with adorable purple bows on them.

Doughnuts with icing and sprinkles. These were fun to make. I'll probably sell these as a set since they're so small.

I love this necklace! I wanted to make a butterfly, but ended up making a dragonfly instead. Either way, I still think it came out pretty :)

This little dude was a BLAST to make! I had a moment of inspiration to make a mouse pendant with Swiss cheese earrings. This is probably my favorite jewelry set right now.

MOCHIS!!! These were so easy and fun to make. Like the doughnuts, I'll probably sell these as a set as well due to the size.

AND THE WINNER IS...

AND THE WINNER IS...

#100

...RAINBOW CASTLE!

Out of 337 entries, random.org picked #100 as our winner! Ms. Rainbow Castle, you will receive all the prizes that were offered in the giveaway! I will get in touch with you soon to get all the details of where to ship your lovely gifts to. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Thanks to everyone who entered and to all the sponsors who hosted this giveaway! Look forward to more giveaways in the future...Later cuties :)

Adventures with Polymer Clay!

***DON'T FORGET - THE GIVEAWAY ENDS TOMORROW***

Good evening cuties! Hope your day ended on a happy note. Today I was able to create with a art medium I've been wanting to get my hands on for years - polymer clay!

An Etsy seller I follow mentioned on Facebook that Michael's has their polymer clay on sale for .99! That's a steal since the kind I got usually sales for almost $3.00. I picked up 11 colors, clay tools, and glaze for under $20. I couldn't wait to get home to "play". Here are some pictures of what I made tonight. For a first-timer, I must say that the clay was pretty easy to work with. I did have to bake it a little longer than recommended, but all in all it worked out great.

If you're interested in working with polymer clay as well, YouTube is your best friend. There are tons of videos that teach you the basics to making wonderful things. Also, make sure to swing by Michael's for your clay while it's only .99! Have fun creating! Later cuties :)

This is a marble pendant that I made using brown and pink polymer clay. I call this piece "Chocolate and Strawberries"

My husband said this looked like a sunflower, so I painted a happy face on it to make it a happy sunflower. 

I love these beads! They were so much fun to make.  I call these "Watermelon Swirl" beads.

5 Great Etsy Gifts for Owl Lovers!

Hello cuties! Welcom to another Tuesday edition of "5 Great Etsy Gifts for..."!
I was going through my favorites list on Etsy trying to figure out what "lover" to feature this week. Then I saw it! The cutest little owl cookies I've ever set my eyes on! Who can resist a cookie that looks like an adorable little owl? I can't and that's why I decided to dedicate this feature to owl lovers. From jewelry to cookies, you'll find a huge assortment of owl-themed gifts on Etsy. Just type owl in the search bar and you'll get over 250 pages worth of results. It was hard to narrow them all down to 5, but I think you'll get a nice selection of what's in store over at Etsy. As always, show the sellers some love by visiting and favoriting their shop or an item. Happy shopping cuties :)

5 Great Etsy Gifts for Owl Lovers!

Colorful Owl Cookies- 2 Dozen - $25.95

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92216717/colorful-owl-cookies-2-dozen

Bronze Owl Locket Charm Bracelet - $22.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/97723527/bronze-owl-locket-charm-bracelet

Scrabble Tile Pendant Owl Necklace With Silver Ball Chain - $6.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87165366/scrabble-tile-pendant-owl-pendant-owl

Whimsical Owl Toy Plush Rattle - $15.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92472875/whimsical-owl-soft-stuffed-animal-toy

Night Owls Club Singing Make Up Bag - $5.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/95388253/night-owls-club-singing-make-up-bag

Goodwill Mud Run 2012

Hello cuties! Yesterday I witnessed something completely amazing! My husband and 3 of his friends competed in the Goodwill Mud Run that was held in Greenville, SC. For those who don't know what it is, like I didn't, it is a 35 obstacle course that is based on military drills. They had to crawl under barbed wire, climb walls, run for miles, trek through a creek that was waist-deep and other tough obstacles. There was even a smaller one for the kids to run through. My husband and his team finished in 48 minutes. I was so very proud of them!

The guys before the Mud Run. My hubby is the cute blonde in the back with the shades on  :)

What really impressed me though was the turn out that was there yesterday. Teams were lining up to endure this grueling obstacle course all for charity. It was amazing and I'm sure the money that was collected was incredible!   I was so moved that I'm planning on running it next year. Guess I better start training for it now. Here are a few pictures of my husband and his team before the Mud Run and after. Oh yeah...they are completely covered in mud from head to toe. I'll also post a link to the Goodwill Mud Run website in case anyone wants to learn more about it. Later cuties :)

Goodwill Mud Run - http://greenvillemudrun.org/ there are links at the bottom of the page to look at photos and information

Jacob, my husband, showing off his team number 281

This is the last "clean" picture I took of him before the Mud Run

This is another team that we knew doing the first obstacle of the Mud Run

...and here are the guys afterwards in all their muddy glory!

"Who's That Seller?" - April 13, 2012

Good morning cuties! Are you ready for the weekend? I know I am! Well to start your weekend off, here is this week's "Who's That Seller?". Today, I'll be featuring the very creative Etsy shop TragicStitches and it's talented mastermind Erina.

There are so many awesome shops on Etsy that it's hard to find the really unique ones sometimes. Thankfully I follow a lot of blogs and that's how I stumbled upon TragicStitches, today's feature shop. There is cute jewelry galore in this shop! Bright colors, interesting pendants, and unique necklace settings. What makes Erina's shop really unique is that she uses toys as pendants on her necklaces. I love it! And as if that wasn't enough, she "cutes it up" with colorful beads, bows, and flowers. One of my favorites is her Hello Kitty necklace (pictured below).

 If you're looking for unique and cute jewelry, this is the place! Erina has even lovingly given my readers a coupon code to receive 15% off! Just use "sweetdeal" during checkout. After you finish reading Erina's interview, go shop around her Etsy shop TragicStitches. I'm sure you'll find something that you'll absolutely fall in love with. Later cuties :)

TragicStitches shop link - http://www.etsy.com/shop/TragicStitches

Hello Kitty Kawaii Necklace - $30.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/93445430/hello-kitty-kawaii-necklace-happy?ga_search_query=hello%2Bkitty&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5188612

Cuppa Green rose Ring - $9.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/97011635/cuppa-green-rose-ring-so-kawaii-tea-cup

Punk Rock Caterpillar Necklace - $20.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83161054/punk-rock-caterpillar-with-a-bow

MEET ERINA!

1. What is your favorite art medium?

 I love working with toys, not a traditional art medium but I love to make things out of toys. I make jewelry, dioramas, even other toys out of toys. I think because toys are super important to me and I have always not only played with them but collected them. 

2. What motivates your creativity?

This is a tough one, I think that for me making things is just something I HAVE to do. I get ideas all the time, but sometimes I get these bigger ideas and I just have to make whatever it is right then. I get loads of inspiration from Japanese fashion and culture and of course other etsy sellers.

3. How long have you been a seller on Etsy and/or a crafter?

Well I started selling on etsy in 2007, back then I only made plush, I have certainly gone in a very different direction the last few years, although I have kept my name, Tragic Stitches... kinda because I feel like that is how I started just trying to make something out of fabric and thread... and at first everything was pretty Tragic looking. As far as crafting goes gosh I've always crafted. I was partially raised by my Gram who is a quilter and primitive artist  and she taught me to sew when I was very little. Of course because she makes art that is very primitive looking I had to learn a lot on my own. 

4. What is your favorite item in your shop right now and why?

 This: http://www.etsy.com/listing/76365310/sale-kawaii-cutie-custom-pink-moxi-girl  I love to make toys as I said with more toys so I do these like arty collage pieces with toys and sparkles and pile all kinds of fun stuff on their. This is the second really big one I have done and I love love working on them. 

5. What are some of your favorite Etsy shops?

 Oh gosh their are so many that I love here are just a few of my faves:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/snew  http://www.etsy.com/shop/littledear   http://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageFunland  

6. A random, fun fact about yourself. 

 Okay... I love making colorful and plastic jewelry and I never wear jewelry. Hahaha. Well almost never I think that is why I make it so that I can play with and try and so many necklaces!!! 

Giveaways - April 12, 2012

Good evening cuties! I found 3 great giveaways for you to enter. The prizes up for grabs are a dainty gold bracelet, adorable "Love" inspired stamp set, and a wild hot pink zebra cosmetic bag. I entered all of these and the entries are very easy. As a bonus, I also included a link to the giveaway being hosted on this blog by me and the featured Etsy sellers from last month. If you haven't entered yet, you have until midnight April 19th. Have fun entering for free swag! Later cuties :)


GIVEAWAYS:

Gold Bracelet with Initial Letter and Freshwater Pearl - Sweet Fix
http://www.sweet-fix.net/2012/04/gold-bracelet-with-mini-letter-charm.html?showComment=1334275824496#c5196523885942663327


Martha Stuart Clear Stamp Set and Acrylic Block - Unify Handmade
http://unifyhandmade.blogspot.com/2012/04/giveawaythe-first-of-many.html?showComment=1334276611887#c5248060271783808693 - I love this giveaway because it's her first one and she shows you what you can do with these stamps. Great ideas!


Hot Pink Zebra Hobo Bag for Cosmetics - SisterBatik
http://sisterbatik.blogspot.com/2012/04/giveaway-hot-pink-zebra-boho-bag-for.html?showComment=1334277217114#c7832164679441935071 - Although there are two bags shown here, only the hot pink one is up for grabs.


Featured "Who's That Seller?" Giveaway - Chibi Lolita's All Kinds of Cute
http://chibilolitascute.blogspot.com/2012/04/march-whos-that-seller-giveaway.html - Don't forget to enter the giveaway that is featured on this blog! It ends on April 19th at midnight. ONE cutie will win ALL of the prizes!

Dressing Appropriately

Good afternoon cuties! I decided to work with the hubby today, so I'm outside washing windows at various businesses. Let me tell you, the windows are painted yellow due to the pollen. Yuck! So despite the pollen, I'm also fighting the heat. Speaking of heat, I have a question...why are people wearing SWEATERS in 72 degree weather? Yes, you read right - sweaters. I'm not talking about the cute, light sweaters. I mean thick, wool, "it's 40 below outside" sweaters. Come on people! You're making me hot and tired just looking at you. Lol! Let me know how people are dressing wear you are - weather appropriate or not? If not, please share why. Just curious if I'm missing out on the latest Spring fashion trend. Later cuties :)

5 Great Etsy Gifts for Pink and Green Lovers!

Hello cuties! I hope your day is going beautifully well and the pollen is not defeating you. This week's great gifts features two of my favorite colors together - pink and green! If you couldn't tell by my blog background, I LOVE these two colors together. I not a pink person, but when it's with any shade of green, I melt. These colors are just blooming all over Etsy in jewelry, clothes, bags, and everything else. I've collected 5 of my favorites that I found, but I'm sure there's a lot more. As always, show these shops some love by visiting and favoriting their shop, an item, and following them on either Twitter or Facebook. Trust me, it will mean the world to them :) Happy shopping cuties!

5 GREAT ETSY GIFTS FOR PINK AND GREEN LOVERS!

Modern Chic Half Apron - $26.75

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92172257/modern-chic-half-apron-retro-design-in

Pink Takochu kawaii Necklace - $25.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/95897715/pink-takochu-kawaii-necklace-pink-green

Shoulder Rainbow Bag - $35.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48674009/new-shoulder-rainbow-double-straps-bag

Cherry Blossom Pocket Mirror - $4.50

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62603570/35-inch-green-and-pink-bird-and-cherry

Pink Daisy Keychain - $10.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88628474/beaded-keychain-pink-daisy-colour-fest

Please Forgive Me for My Absence...

Hey there cuties! It has been a LONG time since I've posted anything on my blog. I apologize for that. Although I love Spring, I always seem to forget what it brings - pollen! I have been sick these past few days in bed due to allergies. I've been in bed all day today fighting with a migraine that I'm pretty sure the allergies aren't helping with.

Tomorrow I will do my feature of "5 Great Etsy Gifts for...". I'm not too sure on what yet, but I'll find a topic that will be worth your interest and "shopping around". Also, last Friday's "Who's That Seller?" feature was cancelled due to poor planning on my part. The seller was busy with an art fair I believe and didn't have time to answer the interview questions. I could have still did the feature without her answers, but a lot of you have commented on how you like getting to know the featured sellers of the shops. So look forward to that being posted later on this week...maybe even before Friday.

I hope your weekends were filled with fun and sweet memories that will last a lifetime. Make sure to enter the giveaway! I've changed it so that there will be ONE winner to win ALL THE PRIZES! It's going on until midnight April 19th. What are you waiting for? Go ahead and enter already! LOL! Later cuties!

GIVEAWAY IS OPEN!

Good evening cuties! If this post comes out funky, I apologize. I'm doing this from my phone, so let's hope it turns out. Lol! Just a reminder - the giveaway is open! Enter for your chance to win 1 of the fabulously cute prizes! Just click on the link below to go to the giveaway page. Have fun cuties!
http://chibilolitascute.blogspot.com/2012/04/march-whos-that-seller-giveaway.html#more

"Who's That Seller?" GIVEAWAY!!!

Hello Cuties! Here is the moment you've all been waiting for. Here's a giveaway that you'll probably flip your cute little lids for. Remember those Etsy shops and sellers that I featured during the month of March? Well, we've come together to do a group giveaway! Each seller has graciously donated an item (or more!) from their Etsy shop just for you to win! One special cutie out there will win ALL OF THE PRIZES! In order to participate you must be a resident of U.S. or Canada. Below are all the "yummies" that are up for grabs. Have fun Cuties!

KISSMECRAFTY - KRISTEN & SERINA
Pink and Blue Cupcake Ring

















ABSTRACT AVERUN - ERIN
Red Beaded Dangle Earrings



TEEKIP - MEGAN

Handmade - 1 envelope, 2 jar shaped tags, 3 bookmarks, and 10 small tags

IT'S A GOOD DAY FOR CLAY - KAYLEE AND PHIL

Two Tone Resin Earrings - Winner gets to choose any pair!
Metallic Pearl Cake Necklace

CHIBILOLITA - ME :)

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not Necklace

So there you have it ladies! Just follow the entry steps down below. This giveaway will begin at midnight TONIGHT and end at midnight on April 19th, so you'll have plenty of time to enter and enter again! Have fun Cuties!

5 Great Etsy Gifts for Turquoise Jewelry Lovers!

Hey cuties! Now that Spring is finally upon us, although it feels more like Summer, it's time to break out those cute tank tops. One of my all time favorite Spring/Summer combinations is a basic white tank top accessorized with turquoise jewelry. You can wear dressed up or down and still look fresh and cute. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself...and the jewelry listed below would be a great place to start. As always, remember to show these shops some love as you browse through. Happy Shopping cuties!

5 Great Etsy Gifts for Turquoise Jewelry Lovers

Turquoise blue ring, any size - $10.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/54040759/turquoise-blue-ring-any-size-wire

Turquoise and Green Bead Necklace - $16.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81909770/turquoise-and-green-bead-necklace

Metallic Turquoise Chandelier Earrings - $7.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92861203/metallic-turquoisegreen-heart-chandelier

Blue,Turquoise Bracelet - $7.50

http://www.etsy.com/listing/94867639/blue-turquoise-seafoam-green-white

Felt Hair pins Set of 3 bobby pins - $10.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83987949/felt-hair-pins-light-turquoise-turquoise