Pinterest for Inspiration

Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up and you're feeling blah and uninspired? I think we all do. And on those days I try to pull myself out of  "blahdom" by thinking on good and positive things.  Here are a few favorite pins from my inspiration board on Pinterest to reflect on.

Please check them out on Pinterest to see original pinners and sources.

Hump Day Special! 20% off My Entire Shop!

Happy Hump Day! Due to the holiday this past Monday (Memorial day) the work week is a little shorter for some. And the "hump" might not be as hard to get over. But I'm still offering a little special to make hump day better. Use coupon code HUMPDAYSPECIAL20 to get 20% off of any item in my shop Jazjewelz.etsy.com. Happy Shopping!

Using Pinterest To Promote? Yep!

I've been on Pinterest since last year and a few days ago I created a pin board solely for the purpose of promoting/featuring my jewelry. Why am I so late to the party, you ask? Well, in the early days of Pinterest, self-promoting was discouraged. In fact, it was mentioned in their Pin Etiquette (which has since changed) that promotion should not be the intention. So I held off on pinning my jewels en masse.

That was then though. Nowadays, plenty of businesses (large and small) are using Pinterest as a promotional tool as well as a way to engage fans/potential customers. And besides, as I mentioned earlier, their 'Pin Etiquette' has changed and there is no mention of promotion. So I decided to join in and start pushing my jewelry more. I'll be subtle though and maybe I'll pin one or two items a day; three at the max. I'm Jazjewelz on there if you'd like to follow me. See ya there.        



Are you on Pinterest?
If you are a business owner or crafter, do you use Pinterest to promote?

Youtube Video and Coupon Code

Here's a quick Youtube with a coupon code. Feel free to share, rate, comment, and subscribe. Thanks!

My Newest on Etsy!

I  added a bunch of new items to my Etsy site. I hope you like them.


Malachite and Hammered Brass Ring - Adjustable

Hammered Brass And Chain Earrings 

Turquoise And Orange Brass Beaded Hoop 







Sterling Silver and Amber Hoop Dangle Earrings 

Oxidized Copper and Brass Disc Ring Ring

Black Gold And Blue Beaded Hoop

Brass Wire Earrings Abstract Form 

Apple Green Howlite Teardrop Earrings

Pyrite and Brass Triangle Chain Necklace

Hammered Silver Triangle Earrings (Aluminum)





Oxidized Copper Triangle Earrings 

Dark Gray Recycled Glass and Chain Earrings

Indian Aventurine Wire wrapped Silver Chain Necklace Multi Color

Dentalium and Gold Necklace

Black And Gold Ring - wirewrapped

Black Rose Ring - Wire wrapped

Copper Rose Ring - Wire wrapped

Black And Aqua Recycled Glass Ring - wirewrapped

Black And Dark Gray Recycled Glass Ring - wirewrapped

Brass Pantina Leaf Earrings

Hammered Silver Leaf Earrings (Aluminum) 

Large Brass Earrings with Pantina

Brass Wire Earrings Free Form

The Spice Lab Giveaway on Pink Dandy Chatter

Fancy salt anyone? Well head on over to Pink Dandy Chatter and you could win a 4 tube sea salt collection by The Spice Lab. This collection contains one tube each of Himalayan Crystal Pink No 40, Carolina Hickory Smoked 08, Cyprus White Flake 3, and Hawaiian Black Lava No 13.  Click HERE for more information and the entry form.











photo source: pinkdandychatter.com

Gossip Girl Birchbox May 2012

Guess what showed up on my doorstep today? The Gossip Girl Birchbox! I usually get my Birchbox on or around the 14th of each month. So I really wasn't expecting this. Although I did get a shipping notification  email and tracking information; I never check those because I like to be surprised.
As I looked through the box, I realized it came early to coincide with the upcoming Gossip Girl episode. I'll tell you more about it below.
Here's my box:

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream (0.5 oz tube)
Nice, smooth, and not greasy. The scent reminds of orange Starburst candy.  Full size retails for $19

FusionBeauty Lipfusion Balm (full size)
This plumping formula glides on and tingles a tiny bit. My lips are already full so I didn't really notice any plumping action. Full size retails for $22

Ojon damage reverse Restorative Conditioner (1 fl.oz. tube)
i tested this on a small section of my hair. It felt nice going on and seemed to smooth my hair. I'll try it on my whole head soon. Full size retails for $25
Arquiste Flor y Canto (sample vial)
I didn't love or hate this fragrance. And it reminds me of a fragrance that was around in my high school days but I can't recall the name. Full size retails for $165

Notecards (1 blank card and envelope)
I didn't see a brand name for these cards. Retail at $10 for set of 12

When I saw this, I realized why the box was early. And to be honest, I've never seen an episode of Gossip Girls in my life. I think I'll watch for this sweepstakes though.

Sign up for Birchbox HERE

Check out my other boxes:
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011

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Out and About: Chicago Natural Beauty Expo and Green Festival 2012

This past Sunday I attended two events. The first was the Chicago Natural Beauty Expo which was hosted by Rachel Odem and sponsored by Miss Jessie's. The first hour and a half was pretty much mixing, mingling and shopping with the vendors. I saw a few things I was interested in but I'm on the tightest budget ever so I didn't make any purchases.

Next,  there was a fashion show which featured designs from the Double Stitch Twins and selections from the Essential Elements  boutique. There were some really nice pieces in the show.  And the models were all shapes and sizes which the audience really appreciated. One full-figured model in particular received a round of applause every time she hit the stage; she "worked" every outfit she had on.

 I had to leave shortly after the fashion show to head to the next event. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the free goodie bag which contained two full size Miss Jessie's products (Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo, Curly Meringue) and a deluxe size sample of Curls Unleashed Set It Off Curl Boosting Jelly. I don't know much about the Curls Unleashed line but I tried Miss Jessie's when I first went natural and didn't care for it much.  Also, I tend to gravitate toward more natural products these days but I will test these out and see what the results are.

Free Canvas Bag

The second event I attended was the Green Festival which took place at Navy Pier. I went with the beau and we got there about 2 hours before closing. This was a good thing because most of the crowd had cleared by then. So no long lines and no crowding around tables (especially those with free samples).

We walked around to check out all of the exhibitors (there seemed to be fewer than in previous years) grabbed some free samples, pamphlets, got a couple of snacks, and bought some items to take home.


Here are some of the things that we bought and sampled:

Dr. Bronners Soaps (free sample)
I have used these soaps in the past and have always liked them. There were tons of samples and the exhibitors let us take as many samples as we wanted. I'm sure they didn't want to take anything back with them.

Wholesome Sweetners-Stevia and Raw Cane Sugar (free samples)

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts (free sample)
These are raw shelled hemp seed hearts which is the very center of the seed.
I have used these in my smoothies before and I like them.

TGIN Ginger Peach Soap ($5)
This soap is from Thank God I'm Natural (TGIN) and it smells really good. I also had the chance to chat with Chris-Tia Donaldson who is the owner of TGIN.

PowBab Superfruit Chews ($8 for 15 chews)
The beau bought these chews and gave me a few. They are quite tasty.  They're made from a superfruit called baobab.These are not available in many stores but they are hoping for people to request at their local Whole Foods and other health food stores. For now you can buy them on Amazon.

RAAW fruit and vegetable juice ($1each)
These were really delicious. I bought two Pineapple Cucumber and got a Better Beets for free. They were $1 at the show but I am sure they are more expensive in the store.


















We also tried fresh coconut for the first time from Peeled and mac and cheese from Soul Vegetarian. And that pretty much wrapped things up. Overall we had a good time and though there appeared to be fewer exhibitors this year, there seemed to be more small local businesses which is a good thing. And we met some very nice vendors/exhibitors with great products and/or information.  Though there was one vendor who I had to side-eye because he looked at my hair with a disapproving look and said, "Looks like your hair could use some moisture." I said, "Pardon?"  He repeated himself and he proceeded to hand me some moisturizing spray. No thanks and sir, you need to go back to salesman school. I didn't say that but that's how I felt. And I was feeling pretty good about my hair that day too; I was getting compliments all day.

Anyway that was my Sunday. How was your weekend?  Do anything fun?