Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of my lovely readers! I hope you had a fabulous holiday. :)

My Pretty Pink Box- December

Hello all! I've been doing a horrible job keeping up with the blog, I know, but life gets so busy sometimes! I hope you'll forgive me and that you enjoy reading the few things that I do post on occasion. :)

This time, I'm reviewing December's My Pretty Pink Box. My Pretty Pink Box is a company started by my fellow Mark representative, Linda Granillo. Linda, like many of you reading this (myself included), loves beauty products and makeup. She asks people to send beauty samples to her, packs "pretty pink boxes" full of their great products, and sells them to other ladies (like you!) who love beauty products. I've bought two of her boxes in the past year or so and I get so excited to see what goodies are in my box! While there are about 10 participants each month, not all boxes include all products so it's a surprise to see what you'll get!

Here's a review of the items in my box!

I received two full size eye shadows from Everyday Naturals. The shades were Pic Nic (a buttery yellow) and Beach Towel (a navy blue). The containers are large and hold lots of eye shadow, which is great. At $6 a piece, they are a good buy too! While I haven't tried Beach Towel (I don't like dark shadows, though I may make it into a liquid eyeliner), I did try Pic Nic. It would make a great base or brow highlighter because of the pale color. My only complaint is that it's messy and gets all over your cheek bones when you apply it.

Next, I received a sample of Skin Nutrition's Dynamic Wrinkle Reducer. Since I'm only in my 20s, I didn't see much need for this one, so I didn't even try it. I'm somewhat skeptical of products like this because I know too much about biology to think they'll work. You see, your skin's pores are small so large molecules like those that tend to be in products of this type don't absorbe into your skin. If you are interested in trying Skin Nutrition's products, click the banner above to visit their website.

I also received a full size eye shadow from Sassy Minerals. Fashionista is a shimmery shade of "rich copper with silver sparkle". I am surprised by this product because I didn't think I would like it at all. It looks extremely sparkly which is just too much for me; however, when you apply it, it's a much more muted tone with a more subtle sparkle. I like the look of this shadow and I'm sure I'll use it frequently, especially since it's only $4.25!

In addition to the makeup, I received a Swarovski crystal cell phone charm from He Qi Crystal Design. As a jewelry maker myself, I can say that it is very well made, but very overpriced (in my opinion) at $9.50. He Qi has lots of pretty designs all made with Swarovski crystals on her website that you can see by clicking the banner above.

Another makeup item that I received was Abbey St. Clare's full size Glimmer Dust. To me, the product was a disappointment. It didn't have much color and I couldn't see any "glimmer" even after I applied several layers. It might work better on ladies with a darker skintone than my super-fair one.

Lastly, I received a sample of The All Natural Face's mineral eye shadow in Brandied Peach. I LOVE this eye shadow. I'm always skeptical about powder eye shadows because they are often so messy but this one is just the opposite. It stays just where you put it and provides a good pigment payoff with just a little shadow. Honestly, I loved it so much, that I went to their website (click the banner above) and ordered about $25 worth of products just because of how great the eye shadow was! If you order before Dec. 17th, you can receive 15% off your entire purchase. The All Natural Face also has an Etsy shop for those of you who enjoy shopping there (note that the sale is not valid there).


Well, that's what was in my box and what I thought of it, ladies. There are four other participating companies that you might receive products from, too! If you want to buy your own My Pretty Pink Box for just $10.49 + S&H, click the banner at the top of this post. Hurry, this box is only available through Dec. 31 or until sold out!

Visit My Pretty Pink Box to learn more about the process, participating in next month's box, December's participants, and more!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ♥

Halloween Scrabble Pendants

I just wanted to let everyone know that tomorrow, Oct 24, is the last day to order Scrabble pendants and guarantee that they arrive by Halloween!

There are tons of adorable Halloween kitties, pumpkins, and witches who want a home! Don't forget that all Scrabble pendants are Buy 3, Get 1 FREE, too! ♥

Twilight Locker Magnets

I'm excited to announce that I've just launched my new line of locker magnets. Right now, all of my designs are revolving around the upcoming New Moon movie premiere, but I have lots more ideas to come.

I made them with business card-sized magnets, my own PhotoShop creations, and coated them with a photo protectant to prevent fading. Check them out and keep them in mind when looking for the perfect gift for your Twilight-loving loved ones!

*~* Buy 1 for $3 or 2 for $5! *~*

Essence of Twilihgt Body Products

Have you heard about Essence of Twilight and their great products? They created their line of lotion, body splash, and lip balm because they wanted to experience Edward's scent. From there, they created fragrances for Alice, Bella, Reneeseme, Jacob, and The Wedding.

I love their lotions especially. I have eczema and very sensitive skin so I can rarely use scented products, but these lotions keep my skin soft and itch-free! While I've tried the scents Alice, Bella, Nessie, Edward, and Wedding, Alice is by far my favorite! I've gone through two bottles of body splash and one of the lotion!

The body splashes are wonderful, too. My only complaint is that they don't last long unless you layer them with the lotions, too. I've tried the lip balms in the Alice and Edward fragrances and I LOVE the Edward one. It's minty and tingly and it hydrates my lips so well!

I just wanted to share this great company with you all. I got my order today and I'm so impressed with them that I couldn't resist telling you all! Check out their Etsy shop to purchase products now or visit their blog to learn more about them.

To find out what others think about these great products, check out this YouTube video and read all of the great feedback on Etsy.

Halloween Scrabble Pendant

Check out my newest Scrabble pendants, a Halloween inspired line! I have thirteen new images, plus a few more to come! I've also got other designs I'm in the process of listing, so please check them out, too! :)

Check them out- they're Buy 3, Get 1 FREE!

Halloween Goodies on Etsy + Giveaway

I just LOVE Halloween! While I'm not a big fan of the scary aspects of it, I love the decorations and the wonderful Autumn accents that come with the season. Here are five of my favorite Halloween finds on Etsy. Comment back with your favorite Halloween item on Etsy for a chance to win a Halloween pendant from my shop!

"HOOT Lurks There?" Check out this spooky wreath. I just love the owl.

"Our Little Spook" This would be so cute for a child's first Trick-or-Treat photos!

"Pumpkin, Fall, Halloween Hairbow" I LOVE this hairbow! I want to buy one for my 3 year old cousin!

"Ghost Halloween BOO Box" I love the trinket boxes that this seller has to offer!Check her out! She's my aunt. ;)

"Halloween Gift Tags" I love this seller! She has the coolest vintage images to use in all of your crafts!

What is your favorite handmade Halloween item on Etsy? Post back here with you favorite for a chance to win a Halloween pendant from my shop! (Giveaway ends Sept. 23rd)

Happy haunting!

Twitter?

Anyone else use Twitter? I like to use it to market my websites, Bisou Bisou Beads and Bisou Two. Follow me, if you like, for updates about my Etsy shops. Special deals, sales, and other cool info is updated there first!


PS Anyone having issues with Twitter lately? It keeps on giving me an error. "503 Service Temporarily Unavailable" What's the deal with that??

Collage Sets for Scrabble Images

Check out my newly formatted Scrabble image collage sets at Bisou Bisou Beads! I've changed the size to be .82 x .75 inches, the exact size of a Scrabble tile. Of course, the old sizes are still available at special request. I've got all sorts of cool pictures including Twilight, Wizard of Oz, and Harry Potter images.

What kind of images would you like to see? Let me know and I may send them to you for free!

Not sure what to do with these images? Leave me a comment with your email address and I'll send you a free tutorial about making Scrabble pendants and more!

Looking Forward to FALL!

Autumn is my favorite season but we rarely see it living in the Deep South. This year, I've decided to fill my life with autumn colors to supplement the actual weather.

I started with a beautiful rust color sweater from Target (gotta love Target!). Next, I'm hanging the colorful wreath that I made last year. Gotta get that thing up in time to enjoy it! Lastly, I ordered an adorable squirrel ring that should be arriving today. I'm an Alpha Gam and a squirrel is our mascot but who wouldn't like a little woodland creature to remind us of our favorite time of year? Now, if only I could control the weather....

What are you doing to welcome autumn?

My Creekside Creations

My aunt has opened a new Etsy shop, My Creekside Creations, and I'm helping her market her wonderful ideas through my blog. She is so creative- if you can think it up, she can make it! In the past, she's worked with scrapbooking, furniture refinishing, and, now that she's retired, papier mache.

Her newest papier mache creations are trinket boxes with vintage-style figurine heads attached to them. She has two of the cutest Halloween trinket boxes listed now and she has several other wonderful creations to come. Check out her site and considering getting one of her beautiful designs for the little ghost in your life!

The blog is back!

The blog is back! I tried deleting it for a while and I realized I actually wanted it back! That said, I've restored my blog and I'm going to try to update it a little more often. I know, I know, I've said that before! We'll see how it goes this time!

Tax-Free Weekend Sale!

Hi everyone!! While I don't charge tax at Bisou Bisou Beads, this weekend is tax-free school shopping weekend in Alabama so I'm having a sale! Receive an 8.5% refund on all purchases at Bisou Bisou Beads and Bisou Two this weekend only, through Sunday!

Yvonne Totes Giveaway

Win a cool coupon organizer from Yvonne Totes by visiting Simply Stacie and entering the giveaway.

So cool I just might have to buy one if I don't win! ;)

Photography Tips

Hello all! I am so not doing a good job of keeping up with the blog as promised so I thought I'd do a quicky today about photographing jewelry (or other small things).

If you're anything like me, you HATE taking pictures. I don't get things listed on Etsy because I hate to take the time to photograph them. It can be such a hassle and so time consuming, sometimes I feel like it isn't worth it.

Aside from getting a super awesome camera like a Canon Rebel xs or something similar (I got so fed up with my old camera that I splurged and got this baby as a happy-birthday-to-myself gift!), you need to know how to take a good photo with what you've got. I always tried to make them artistic like other Etsy users I see. I tried to add flowers or drape the jewelry across cut glass, etc and it never worked. I tried a light tent, which worked pretty well, but now I'm just using 4 sheets of white printer paper and two desk lamps.



As you can see, I taped two pieces of paper to the monitor and layed two pieces (stacked on top of one another) on the desk. I positioned the desk lamps so that light comes from both sides and doesn't create shadows. The white background also doesn't distract the potential customer, either. Play with your camera and the settings to see what works best for you. I use an extra flash and the high-detail setting on my camera to get the best results.

Need more tips? I have a tutorial for sale at my shop that you might be interested in.

Thanks for looking and I hope you learned something! ♥

Check out these before and after shots. (Twilight Inspired Apple Earrings)

Twilight Bracelet Giveaway!

Vanessa from Ohio Girl Talks has ever so kindly offered to host a giveaway from my shop. She was a winner in one of the prior giveaways that my shop held so she can attest to my greatness! (Just kidding! lol!) Anyways, visit the giveaway to read the interview she conducted with me and to enter to win a Bella Inspired Twilight Bracelet from Bisou Bisou Beads! The contest ends July 27th so enter now and tell your friends about it, too!!

Good luck! ♥

BeadStyle Magazine Offer

BeadStyle Magazine (THE BEST beading mag, in my opinion) is having a promo right now where you can get 6 issues for $26.99 rather than $33.47 (regular price).

With your subscription, you can also get really awesome online supplements, too. I'm browsing them right now and they're so cool! :)

Go to their site at http://www.BeadStyleMag.com/promo and enter the code IK97U to get the discount!

Swarovski Crystal Colors

Good evening all! Starting now, I'm going to try to update the blog more frequently. Life can get so busy sometimes that it's hard to remember to do it and sometimes, I just have nothing to say! I know that I have almost 100 followers so I guess I should give y'all something to read now and again! lol

This one is for the beady people in the crowd.

Have you ever wondered just what color the Swarovski crystal in your inventory is? I found a great chart on their website with all the colors they make for bicones, pearls, and flat backs. It's a fabulous resource for anyone who uses the products regularly. I printed a copy and will keep it in my "look book" of designs.

Check out the PDF here. The chart is on pages 16-19. (Pages 20-23 also have a great bracelet tutorial to try out!) Enjoy. :)

Winner of Pearl Earring Giveaway

I'm running a little late announcing the winner for the Pearl Earring Giveaway from Bisou Bisou Beads but the winner has now been selected.

The lucky girl is: Number 26, Emily. She said "Some gorgeous work in that shop - I really love the Antiqued Chandelier Necklace!"

The winner has been contacted and has 48 hours to respond and claim her prize before another winner is selected.

Thanks to all those who participated and be sure to check back frequently for furture giveaways! :)

Pearl Earring Giveaway

With the creation of my newest line which is inspired by Jane Austen, I have decided to have another jewelry giveaway.

These beautiful earrings were handcrafted with faux pearls elegantly wrapped with sterling silver wire. They are on sterling plated French hooks. Visit my Etsy listing for more photos and color options.

The Giveaway: One lucky reader will receive a pair of hand twisted wire and pearl earrings in the color of her choice. (Available in dark green [as seen here], light green, cream [Swarovski pearl], chocolate [Swarovski pearl], beige, and dark rose.)

To Enter:
Visit my Etsy shop, Bisou Bisou Beads, and comment here on your favorite item. (REQUIRED) Please leave your email address so I may contact you if you are the winner.

Additional Entries:
1) Follow my blog.
2) Add my button to your blog or website.
3) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the giveaway.
4) Blog about my giveaway and leave me the link.
5) Make a purchase from my shop (5 extra entries). Use the code BLOG10 to receive an extra 10% off of your order.

*Additional entries should be in individual comments- only one entry per comment will be counted. Please include your contact info in all comments. If I can't get in touch with you, you can't win!*

Other Detals:
The giveaway will end Sunday, July 28th at midnight CST. The winner will be contacted on the 29th and will be given 48 hours to respond with their mailing information before a second winner is chosen.

Good luck!

Exciting New Happenings at Bisou Bisou Beads

Hello all! I've made some great renovations to my Etsy shop, Bisou Bisou Beads (aka Bisou Two) and I wanted to share it with all of you wonderful followers.

• FREE shipping to all countries
• Now accepting money orders
• Rings have been discounted by $2-$3 each
• 10% off sale for *new* customers
• 15% off for *returning* customers
• Special disounts for Twitter followers. DM me for details! ;)

Check out the new stuff and I promise there are many more great designs to come! Thanks for following me and supporting my dreams. :)

Social Networking: Sell Your Jewelry Online the New Way

Are you a jewelry designer who wants to grow your online business? I definately fit into that category so I purchased Social Networking: Sell Your Jewelry Online the New Way. While I've only read about 50 pages, this book has some GREAT tips that I'd never thought of! It's the best $40 I've spent!

So, check it out if you need some new ideas- it's great! ♥

Pick your own sale!

What item would you like to see 10-25% off at Bisou Bisou Beads? Visit my site and let me know which item you want to be on sale and I'll make it happen for you! ♥

26 G Sterling Wire for Sale

I have some wire that I really need to sell and I wanted to let everyone know about it. I purchased it for $27.99. It's perfectly good wire, it just doesn't work for me.

Sterling silver
26 guage
half hard
round
approximately 69 feet
$19.99, $2 shipping (feel free to make offers)
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25022580

I'd like to clear this out quickly so I can get some cash to buy more wire with. Please send this link to anyone you know who might be interested! Thanks!!

New at Bisou Bisou Beads!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I've just completed a shop makeover at Bisou Two and I've added lots of new products at Bisou Bisou Beads! Don't forget that 10% of all orders in May is going to help save rainforest frogs!

Laundry for $.02 per Load?!

Trying to save money? Trying to be good to the environment? Tired of harsh chemicals ruining your clothes? Try making your own laundry detergent!

I received a sample of homemade laundry detergent in a purchase I made a while back and I was skeptical about it. I didn't think it would get my clohtes clean, particularly since the label said to only use 1 tablespoon per full load of clothes! I liked that it was environmentall friendly (no harsh chemicals!) and it smelled wonderful so I gave it a try.

BEST DECISION I'VE MADE IN A LONG TIME! Not only does homemade laundry detergent smell great (you pick the scent!) and get your clothing clean, it doesn't bother my sensitive skin or aggrivate my family's asthma. Plus, your towels and sheets smell great for a long time!

Want to know how to make it? Here's the recipe I use:

3/4 C Borax

.5 C Washing Soda

.5 C Baking Soda

1 4 oz bar of scented soap

Grate your bar soap and mix in with the other ingredients; store in a snap top container. This makes 1.75 cups or (if you use only 1 TBSP per load) will wash 28 loads of laundry. You can find all ingredients in your local supermarket (I know Publix carries them all). I approximated the costs for each item:

Washing Soda: $2.29/ 55 oz box ($.042 per ounce)

Baking Soda: $.69/ 16 oz box ($.043 per ounce)

Borax: $3.79/ 76 oz box ($.050 per ounce)

After calculating some more math that I won't burden your brain with, I found out that 1 tablespoon costs $0.02. Remember you only need 1 TBSP per load!

To give you something to compare this to (as if it's not already clearly a money saver!), Arm and Hammer laundry detergent costs about $.14 per load and Tide costs about $.16 per load. (Keep in mind these are rough estimates based on online shopping prices and quick math.)

If this sounds like something you'd like to try, feel free to comment with any questions you may have. It's a quick and pretty fun project with great results. You can do a Google search for liquid detergent recepies that are made similarly if you prefer that type of detergent.

By the way, I got my all-natural, essential oil-filled soap from BeautifulSoaps on Etsy. Heather has a great selection!

Mark/ Avon products for sale- CHEAP!

I've been selling Avon and Mark for about two years now and I have a good bit of stuff I'd like to sell. It's all new in the box unless otherwise stated. There are makeup products as well as sales tools which are intended for Rep use, not customers. Visit the Avon and Mark sites to see the makeup products I'm selling. All of these items are SUPER cheap because I really need to get rid of them ASAP!

Shipping will be determined based on weight to your ZIP code. Photos available upon request. Paypal only. Email me at mark_girl1010@yahoo.com.

MARK
(9) white 10 lb Mark bags- $.90 for all
(1) Good Glowing, Cameo- $1.25 (WRONG box)
(1) Kiss Therapy, Sheer Peach- $1.25 (tested once)
(1) Dew Drenched, Wave-$1.25 (tested once on back of hand)

AVON
(32) 10 lb white Avon bags- $2 for all, $.10 each
(7) Avon holiday bags w/ handles- $.50 for all
(20) 2 lb white Avon bags- $1 for all, $.10 each
(9) Order booklets- JUST PAY SHIPPING

(1) AVON Anew Clinical 2009 Rep Pack- $25 (unopened, more included but I can't tell exactly what since it's not open) $50 value, HUGE sales opportunity! (Going to Ebay on May 13 so grab it quickly if you want it!)
-10 brochures
-samples (10 Spotlight and several Anew)
- Derma-Full x3 serum (full size)
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=awajdg&s=5
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=i4pljn&s=5
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=6sdshi&s=5

FREE with purchase, one set per person, please (tell me which you want)
(1 pack of 10) Sassy fragrance samples
(1) "Make money with Mark" banner from welcome kit
(2) Credit card forms (AVON)
(1 of each) Candid and Odyssey fragrances (AVON)

Paypal only. Email me at mark_girl1010@yahoo.com.

Classic Literature

For the past 2 hours, I've been skimming "100 greatest books in literature" lists trying to decide what I should read this summer. I have some time off and I'm looking forward to reading some good books. Here's what I've come up with so far:

-A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
-The Best Short Stories of Stephen Crane by Stephen Crane (I've read "The Open Boat" and I enjoyed it a lot.)
-Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (I've read an excerpt of this text.)
-Light in August by William Falukner (I've read a couple other works by him and this one was suggested to be by my lit professor.)
-Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway. (I've read one of his stories and enjoyed it.)
-The Woman Warrior by Maxine Kingston (I've read an excerpt from this text.)
-Sula by Toni Morrison (I've read another of her works and enjoyed it a lot.)
-Sophie's Choice by William Styron
-The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
-House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

I'm going to get it from Bookmooch so it really depends on what I can get my hands on as to what I read. Have any of you read any of these? Thoughts on which I sould pick? I'm sort of leaning towards Woman Warrior or Sula....

Random Musings

Well, the semester is almost over and I'm so thankful! It's become a huge burden and I haven't been very successful at anything lately- I'm getting spread to thin, I think. This summer, I'm transfering to an new school, one that is closer to home, and I'm moving back in with Mom. I think it will help me get things back in order and that it will be good for me.

I've been trying to live two lives it seems; one here at school and one at home with friends and family. By transfering, I'll have it all in one place and won't have to spend 3 hours a week driving back and forth.

Somethings I've been putting off that I'm looking forward to doing at home:
1) Make environmentally friendly laundry detergent!
2) Make lots of jewelry that I've bought materials for but haven't had time to create.
3) Get motivated about school again. I've changed my major recently so a new school is the right place to get started, I think.

Somethings I'm not looking forward to between now and then:
1) Finals! One tomorrow, one Monday, one Tuesday, and a paper due Wednesday. I can do it!
2) Packing! I've accumulated so much stuff in the last two years- I don't know where it's all going once I move home!

Well, that's all of my musings for now. I need to go study for my Art History final. It's tomorrow but I'm not feeling too bad about it. I just need to keep studying! Wish me luck! ♥

Excited about my Mark order!

As you know, I'm a Mark makeup representative. Well, yesterday was the debut of Magalog 5 and, for reps, Sneek Preview 6. I'm super excited about my new items; they should arrive by Saturday or so. Check out what I bought!

NEW- Waterproof LashSplash Mascara in black. Scandalash is the best mascara I've tried in a long time- now it's even better since it's waterproof! Perfect for summer!

NEW- Get in Line Liquid Eyeliner in black. To "hookup" with my mascara, I got the newest waterproof eyeliner. The brush is so thin, application is a breeze! Don't forget that you get a free hookup connector when you purchase any two hookups for only $5.50 each!

I love, love, love iMark eyeshadow! I think I own almost every shade! I bought some neutral favorites: Latte and Espresso. Right now, get a free Mini Snap to It case when you purchase two iMarks. That's a $4 value for free!

NEW- Tropical Blossom Scarf. My hair is too short to wear it on my head but I'm going to use it as a belt and also tie it to my bag. This super cute accessory is regular price $12 but it can be yours for $6 when you purchase any other item from Magalog 5!

NEW- Island Retreat Dress. This is my favorite item in this Sneek Preview! I can't wait to try it on. It comes in sizes 3-17 so almost anyone can wear it!

Let me know if you're interested in ordering, if you have any questions, or if you'd like to become a Mark rep! You can visit my e-Boutique to purchase many of the items you see here (Sneek Preview items are available in Mag 6). http://crouze.mymarkstore.com/ ♥

Lovely Necklace Giveaway

Visit If I Had a Hammer for a chance to win this lovely necklace. (I really hope I win- I love it!)

Giveaway ends 5/4

Feeling Froggy

I've been feeling a little froggy lately and I don't mean sick! :) I love, love, love frogs and tonight, I've decided to make a "treasury" of my favorite frogs on Etsy!

I just purchased this little beauty from thefrogbox. She has lots of adorable frog desigsn as well as other animals. Plus, she donates 20% of her profit to save animals!

This little frog is too cute, too. If I had a baby, I'd definately buy it for him or her! Visit Danielleorama to see all of her great items.

If I were a frog, I'd want to look like this little guy. :) Check out mllamb47's other paintings, too.

Again with the kids items! If I had a little girl, there would be no way she'd be afraid of frogs! Check out their other cute bows, too.

Finally, I LOVE these whimsical frogs! I'm going to try to make a pair for myself! Check out the deisgner and see their other great items too.

Do you love frogs too? Let me know what you think of my selections! Share your own favorite frog items! ♥

Chainmaille Bracelet, Part 2

Okay, as promised, I made a chainmaille bracelet this weekend! It was super hard but once I got the hang of it, it wasn't so bad. I had to try different size loops, different shaped beads, etc but finally I got a finished bracelet I'm proud of!

What'cha think? I'm thinking of making some more similar ones and having a new line at Bisou Bisou Beads. Opinions?

Also, if you'd like to purchase this bracelet or to put in an order for one, visit my shop. ♥