January 2014 Love With Food Box Unboxing

Check out what I got in the first Love With Food Box of the year. I thought it was a really good box and was excited to try almost everything.
Join Love With Food HERE for $10/mo - $2.95 for shipping.

January 2014 @Birchbox Unboxing

Here's my first Birchbox of the year! Check out what I got. And it was starting to get a little dark, so please excuse the lighting. Please watch in HD.

Join Birchbox HERE!

From l to r clockwise

Nail Rock Nail Velvet (Full Size ) $7.00 value 

Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Cream (1.6 oz) full size retails for $19.99

Juicy Couture Couture La La (.05 oz sample vial) Full size retails from $70-90

Inika Mineral Eyeshadow - eternal marine  (Full size .04oz) $20 value

Burt Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion (0.25oz) full size retails approx. 17.99

Featured On Etsy Finds!

Yesterday, I woke up to a few Etsy sales. Then I looked on the Esty app and noticed an unusual amount of views for my shop and a couple items. Way more than I usually get in a day, week even. Then I got an email from  Etsy that said one of my items (Small Brass Hoops) was popular because it was getting so many views. The email mentioned that maybe my earrings were featured on Etsy or somewhere else. So I did some research.

Checked the front page - nothing there. Did some searches online, twitter, instagram, pinterest, and there was nothing. Analytics only led me to Etsy's homepage. I had no idea where the traffic was coming from. So, I asked a few of the customers how they found me.  Two people responded and told me I was in the Etsy Finds email. OMG. WHAT?

Yep! I was featured in a daily email that Etsy sends out to it's gazillion subscribers. And guess what? I wasn't a subscriber so I missed it *womp*. I couldn't find a link or anything that would lead me to this feature. I thought maybe they had archives but there were none. So today, I asked around on social media and someone came through with a link. YAY. I got to see it and was so excited. Here it is and my earrings are under the title 'May The Circle Be Unbroken.' Woot! Now off to do some hammering!
And below is just a screen shot I did a lil tinkering to.

December 2013 Birchbox Unboxing

Hi all! Hope your new year is getting off to a great start. Here's my Birchbox from December 2013. I wanted to upload it sooner but I my internet was down.  So here it is now because I don't like wasting a video.  FYI, my hair was styled using Curls products. Review coming soon!
Join Birchbox HERE.


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$15 for 3 month Bulu Box Subscription via Living Social

I'm a big fan of subscription boxes and though I'm  subscribed to a couple, I always want to try more. And since I'm on a budget, I try to find deals on boxes. Well, I came across this deal on Living Social and it's for  Bulu Box. You can get a 3 month subscription for only $15 (normally $30). I am definitely getting this one. FYI, Bulu box offers 4-5 samples for health, fitness, and weight loss. I just purchased mine and can wait to try it out. I'll also definitely do unboxing videos too. Check HERE if you're interested in Bulu Box.

Happy 2014!

Hi all! Popping in to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I wanted to make this post sooner but the last few weeks of  December, through today, were like a whirlwind. I had temp work, jewelry orders, holiday stuff, etc...And then my internet went out for a little over a week. . So, I'm just now kind of winding down from all the holiday hoopla and getting settled into the new year. I haven't even really set any resolutions, goals, intentions for this year yet. And I want to do some sort of vision board and/or list. I just haven't had to time to sit and focus. Hopefully I'll be able to some writing and planning within the next week. Anyway, just wanted to say Happy New Year. I wish you all the best and I'll leave you with a couple of highlights from December 2013.

                                                  Afrobella.com Sun-Times Splash Feature

Patrice Grell Yursik of Afrobella.com included my jewelry ( Brass Hoop Earrings) in her Suntimes Splash Feature! EEK! I had no idea she was doing this it so was an awesome surprise. When I first learned of the feature, I thought it was only online. It wasn't until later that day when I found out this feature was also in the actual Sunday Suntimes Newspaper. Can you say geeked? So I had to run out and grab the paper. 

I was and will always be grateful to Patrice for her support. She's been so kind and sweet since I first met her. She has such major influence and celebrity ties but is still always down to earth and always looking out for the small businesses, artists, and brands. 

I Got Engaged!

The beau proposed to me on , New Year's Eve, December 31, 2013 and it came at a total shock to me.

There was no fancy dinner or night out. He wasn't acting weird. It was just another normal day. We'd just got in from working out. He took a shower first then I took mine. I came out of the bathroom - all the lights were off and two candles were burning. I asked him what he was doing and he just smiled. I smiled, laughed and asked him what was going on. See, I thought he was being silly  as we both can be sometimes. I still didn't suspect a proposal. I then sat on the couch, laughed, and asked, once more,  what was he doing. Then he held out a box and asked me to marry him. I said yes! And I totally did the OMG, fanning, cry thing. We plan to get married this year. And we want something simple and ...ahem...budget friendly. We're both not real physched about the planning.  We'd totally do city hall but the fam would never, ever, ever,  forgive us. And my dad's excited about walking me down the aisle. So a small simple ceremony it shall be. I'll keep you posted and I'm accepting any and all suggestions.