Charm of the Week! Semi Precious Fossil Stone Earrings

Natural, semi precious rectangular fossil stones hang from antiqued brass metal. These earthy earrings are versatile enough to wear with just about anything. The creamy brown earrings dangle 1 1/4 inches and measure 1 inch tall and 3/4 inch wide. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=43906509

Will ship international, please contact me.

See more jewelry at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/findingcharm

Facebook: Making Life Awkward, One Friend Request at a Time

I briefly touched upon this topic the day after my bachelorette party. Danny's ex-wife. I usually don't talk about it here, because it's something that doesn't generally effect our everyday life. I know  I can't erase his past, or the fact that he has a son, nor would I want to. But this girl....seriously. RELENTLESS.

Last summer she called me an "alcoholic" and apparently I "look like a man." I admit, I do like the occassional drink or two, but I am in no way, shape or form an alcoholic. And a man? Ok, in that picture my hair was awful, but not even man-boobs would explain these two things on my chest!

Anyway, that was the only "interaction" we had until the night of my bachelorette party. Dummy me, a photo album on Facebook wasn't "friends only," so it's my thought that she was checking that out. Then she sent me a message with HORRIBLE grammar mistakes, which is why I responded..I was egging her on. Mostly, her concern was that we didn't ask her if Kaleb could be in the wedding. Not true, we had a plan, it didn't work out. And even if we asked her, she would have said no.

Last week she sent me another message, basically saying the same thing, and that I was lucky she "has respect" because she has "so much to say." Whatever, I ignored it. She's just trying to get under my skin.

To end this lovely story, and to sum up the title, today she asked to be my friend. Accept? Deny? Even better..Facebook Limbo! Just let her suffer, knowing she can't ask me again until I obviously deny her. The little devil on my shoulder is telling me to accept her, but to make everything private after.

What would you do?

I Want It Wednesday

This week is a no brainer. I want a puppy. I have the puppy picked out (she is on the far left in the picture) and have been talking to her owner. Now, to just make up my mind about this! She is free. But can we actually afford her? Food, leash, collar, snacks, crate, food dishes, toys, and everything else. Not to mention the family puggle averages $290 at her annual appointment and $60 every six months for her heartworm pills. Seriously? Could we do it. I want to do it.

Super Sale Items Left in XXS or 00P

**Wednesday is the last day to enter my Spring giveaway! Details here**

Was going to do part II of petite suiting reviews today, but there are so many online sales going on that I had to share instead. I love double dipping with coupon codes on top of sales, so needless to say I was excited that LOFT's "SAVE25" works in addition to their current 30% off all dresses sale (just tested this in my shopping cart)! Narrowed it down to these picks for sharing:

LOFT Pleated Dress with Floral Applique, PXXS left in purple only. Love this easy breezy self-belted dress, and wish I saw it when gray was still in stock!

Final Price: $36.48

LOFT Rosette Jersey Dress in 00P, $36.48. I was so surprised that this is offered in numerical sizing instead of XS, S ... esp. considering it's made of stretch jersey! That just means better chance for a snug little fit!

LOFT Linen Dress with Ribbon Waist Tie in 00P, $41.74. I love linen for warm months, and I'm also drawn to the cute side pockets and front pleats. Size 00P remains in two colors.

In other news, J.Crew is having EXTRA30 off sale items with just a few XXS's remaining. Found this adorable Ruffled Henley Tank left in XXS with choice of four colors! The price - a bargain at just $17.50 w/ EXTRA30.

And remember this? The J.Crew Grand Ruffle Shell that I tried on in this post (note - I have on an XS) has gone on sale for just $22.75 with EXTRA 30! Size XXS is still left in every color. And a bonus - this is not final sale, so it should be returnable in the event that it doesn't fit.

In the world of work, Banana Republic is having EXTRA20 off sale items until March 31st. Sadly, I'm not interested in much from there. *However* I had to share this Taupe Sheath Dress that my friend Petite Polish Girl wore to work today. It's on sale (but by no means "super sale" so it doesn't really belong in this post) and still available in 00P online! The model photo looks mediocre, and the one online review is bad, but I thought it looked great on my friend - very classic and fitted in a lovely neutral color. Gonna post a pic of her tomorrow.

**As promised, photos of my friend in the above dress (for ref. she is 5'2" and 120lbs). Sorry it's a little wrinkly but this was taken after a long day of sitting - maybe that's a bad sign!

Dress: BR Taupe Sheath Dress in sz 2 (regular!)
Cardigan and belt; J.Crew size Small

Here's Why Today is a Good Day!

Three different mail carriers were at my house. We are so popular and the reason mail should continue to run 6 days a week.

First, the regular mailman brought me my mail, and a package from the Easter Bunny, with gigantic letters saying "do not open until Easter." It will be torture, but we will wait! And in the same delivery, we got a letter from the Marriott giving us a free night on our one year anniversary..breakfast included.

Second, another guy brought my Stonewall Kitchen stuff. This guy was not pleasant, but since he had my yummy self-purchased-gift I was nice to him. I am now the proud owner of 12 sauces, dips, spreads and jams. And one pretty cool zester!

Third, a surprise mailman came bringing flowers. I was like 'who the heck is sending me flowers?!' Mom of course, should have known. Pretty Easter flowers, they even replaced the bowl on my dining room table. I seriously think I have the best Mom ever!

Crafty ADD Weeks 21 - 30

I've had so much fun doing my Crafty ADD posts! And one of my favorite posts of all is when I get to the end of a 10 week (approx) stretch and look back with a slide show on all I've done. It's a lot of fun to revisit my projects, frustrations, and triumphs. I hope you have fun looking at the slide show as well :)

NEW! Delicate Lavender Swarovski Crystal Necklace and Pendant

This delicate lavender crystal necklace is designed with a pattern of two shades of purple. A filigree pendant is adorned with lavender crystals. The pendant measures 1 1/4 inches wide and long. The silver plated necklace measures 20 1/2 inches and a barrel clasp is used.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=43768685

Will ship international, please contact me.

See more jewelry at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/findingcharm

Crafty ADD #30

I know - I went two weeks with out an update, but life's been such that I wasn't getting too much done so it's not too much of a loss :P

Crocheting

I'm never doing this blanket again! I figured it out, the squares are so small that I'm having to tie in twice as many ends as I did when I did the first baby blanket. I do NOT like tying in ends! LOL Oh well. It's going to be pretty - so that's something at least :)

Cross Stitch

Book mark's finished! Well, ok, so in that photo it hasn't be cut out and backed yet, but Mom does that part for me (interfacing hates me) so I took a snap shot before I sent it her way :)

I'm making something for me this time! Can you tell what that is in the center? I'll give you a hint, it's an animal :P
I finished my "no thought" necklace - but not my butterfly! Hoping to finish that tonight :) I've got a lot of projects I need to get going on - so I really need to finish it up!

Here's a snap shot of my first paper beads! This is after they've been rolled, and coated with one coat of glue. They still need to have a finishing spray put on them, but it's been raining and I need to have the hubby do that outside. Once their completely done I'll start listing them online and do a post all about how I made them!

And Now: The Living Room!

You guys are probably getting sick of my boring posts, but I'm just really proud of our apartment and how much time (and love) we have put into everything. I promise..regular postings will be happening again soon!

Danny picked out our couches (I think it's because he wanted a comfy "gaming chair." Yes ladies, my husband is a nerd!) We both picked out the curtains, but he spent HOURS hanging (and re-hanging) three curtain rods before we decided on one we like. I also love the small touches in the room (pictures, books, lots of art, and inspirtational quotes like "God makes happy endings. So if it's not happy, then it's not the end.")

Painting by Kenny Glenn who even signed the back for Danny!

Playing a silly game in "his" chair

Oh, and like I said before..there's always something going wrong at the apartment. Today while changing my candles I broke glass all over the place and cut my hand. And our brand new microwave doesn't work. I threw away the box without testing it first because, well..how often does something like this happen?! Someday, hopefully soon, everything will be perfect!

Kitchen: COMPLETE!

After almost a week of being in the apartment, our kitchen is done! We got the most important part of the kitchen today...the table! I've been dying to cook a real meal, but since we had nothing to eat it on..I've been holding off. Finally, tonight I was able to roast a chicken for the hubby! We were so hungry I didn't even get to take a picture of the deliciousness! But of course, I snapped a few (off-centered and lopsided) pictures of the kitchen.

 The kitchen was just a little part of my great weekend. Friday night I had my first Jacksonville girls night. It was great getting the girls together and having a few good laughs. I can't wait for our next night out! Male Revue on May 1st? WHO'S IN?! Saturday night was date night..burgers and wine on the living room floor..how romantic!


The bad part of the weekend...losing a $70 Target gift card AT Target. And someone obviously swiping it within MINUTES of us dropping it/placing it down. Yes, it's true..people suck.

Saturday Shopping Roundup - Petite Friendly Finds

***Reminder: Giveaway ends Wednesday, March 31st! Details here**

Went Spring casualwear shopping at the mall this weekend and found several petite-friendly options. I avoided my typical pit stops (Ann Taylor, H&M, BR and Theory) in an effort to diversify my wardrobe. Here are a few items that I did not end up getting, but they fit pretty well so I wanted to share with fellow petite shoppers:

1. Zara Woman navy striped grosgrain skirt with elastic waist, sz XS ($39)
I've never shopped in the Zara Women section because their smallest size is a US 4 - one size up from H&M's 2. I remember trying on a pair of pants and a jacket in 34 and they were humongous. This time, however, I found several skirts in size XS that fit great! This one was decently made and fully lined (work-appropriate too), but I ended up passing on it for another blue and white skirt.

2. Zara TRF (juniors line) chiffon skirt dress in sz Small ($39)
I almost didn't even bother trying on this dress because it did not come in XS, but the sales associate told me that the TRF juniors line runs small. Was very surprised at how snugly this fit. The bf really liked it, but I couldn't think of any occasion where I would wear this.

3. Forever 21 Zip Linen Dress in sz Small (sold here)
Ah, F21. How I dread that store. I like how they have online shopping, however you really can't trust what you see in the photos. I ordered several items that looked decent online that turned out to be quite shoddy in person. 

This dress in a size Small was very snug, due to the ruched middle. Forgive the shoes...I am sure this would look much nicer with the proper heels. I was a fan of the lightweight linen fabric and side pockets, but not so much of the emerald color against my skin tone.

4. Forever 21 Linen Skirt w/ Ribbon Tie in size Small (sold here)
Linen again! This skirt in sz Small was so tiny that I could barely zip it up. It has a slightly ruched waist underneath the grosgrain ribbon tie, and two side pockets.

5. Forever21 (Heritage 1981) vintage print knot back dress in sz Small ($19.99)
Can't find this online anymore, but they had tons of this dress in store. Again, forgive the shoes here - I thought this would look great on a warm casual day with strappy cognac colored sandals. This was my favorite out of all the F21 items tried on, but I ended up getting something else in a very similar print.

Featured Crafter: TJB Designs

Tommye's craft is something that reminds me of my childhood. My mom went through a time where she did a lot of cross stitch and I even took a class as well and helped organize the rainbow of DNC floss in my mom's collection.

Something I learned from TJB Designs is what a fob was. I saw that in one of her tweets and wondered what the heck is a fob? As soon as I clicked and browsed her shop, I knew exactly what it was, just never knew those were called fobs! I must have missed that day in crafting 101.  She makes very pretty scissor fobs and stitch counters with lovely glass and porcelain beads. Many of her fobs have coordinating stitch markers and pins as well. Who better to know what hardware in stitching that needs bling than a stitcher herself. You'll be a stylin' stitcher with any of her creations.

If you are a stitcher, you must follow Tommye's blog. She regularly posts about her projects she's working on.  I think it would be a great place to watch and share in a fellow stitcher in her craft.  Be sure to become a Facebook Fan of TJB Designs. You'll learn about promotions and sales.

PS...don't feel limited to use one of TJB's fobs for scissors. They would be fabulous on your purse, crafting bags, gym bag or even hanging on a knob.

Nickel and Lead Free Earrings!

Lead and Nickel Free Antique Gold Brass Heart Earrings

The antique gold earrings are swirl etched. Lead and nickel free. They dangle just over 1 inch. Lightweight. The heart is 1 1/4 inch wide and 1 inch tall.  http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35303449

Will ship international, please contact me so I can get you an accurate quote.

See more jewelry at http://www.etsy.com/shop/FindingCharm

Busy Busy Bumble Bee!

I have been busy making jewellery today for the first time in ages.
I have just got myself a new stockist who has taken a lot of my stock and I have a party coming up so thought i'd better get cracking!

Well this is one of the things ive done, its my favourite of the day. It's made from pretty white Freshwater Pearls, Swarovski Crystals and has a Sterling Silver Heart toggle clasp.

Pro and Cons

Whenever you have a big decision to make it's a good idea to look at the Pro's vs the Con's. Right now, my big decision is what I'm going to do with my Artfire account. Will I keep my pro account? Or will I go basic?

The reason I'm even asking this question is that I haven't made very many sales on Artfire. It's been great when I have a commission from a friend, but other than that, there have been very few sales. Here are my thoughts...

Pros: (for staying Pro)

- No additional costs for listing or check out fees

- I'm locked in at a certain monthly fee. That won't change as long as I'm pro.

- I can issue gift certs and coupons

- I have studio categories

- My work is in more than one on-line venue

- Teams (I'll write more about that later)

- No extraneous advertising

Cons: (for staying Pro)

- A monthly fee that I'm often not earning enough to cover (from this site at least) IE - the site isn't really paying for itself as of right now.

Pros: (for going Basic)

- I'll still have no additional costs for listing or check out fees

- No monthly fee to worry about paying

- I'll still have my work in more than one online venue

Cons: (for going Basic)

- If I ever want to go Pro again I'll have to pay more per month

- No gift certs or coupons available

- No studio categories

- No teams (negligible)

- Advertising in my shop that I didn't place there.

Can you see why I'm having a hard time deciding what I want to do? There are some pretty important factors on each Pros list and each Cons list! My biggest concern is the monthly fee. Since I've signed up there have been some months I've more than covered the monthly fee with my sales, but there have been many more where the monthly fee is coming out of my sales from other locations.

However - I'm headed into the busy season with a full summer of Saturday Markets (I'm signed up for 12 weeks), so I can probably afford to keep paying the fee for awhile to give me more time to work on the shop.

I'm also concerned about losing the studio categories if I go basic. I know as a shopper I like being able to click on a category to narrow my search and I'd hate to take that away from my shop. I also don't know how I feel about them placing advertising in my shop if it's a basic account. If you have a basic Artfire account I'd love to know how that part of it is working out for you!

Teams...I listed it on the pros and cons but it's not a very big factor. I really don't like the way Artfire has the communication set up for teams and there's only one team I'd really miss....and I think I'd manage to still be a part of them any way if I wanted to :P

Right now I'm leaning towards staying Pro - but if sales don't pick up in that store soon (by the end of summer maybe?) I'll go Basic.

Thoughts?

Farmhouse Giveaway!

I'm so glad I found this blog! Great country kitchen giveaway..cookbook, breakfast set and more.  Click the image.

Charm of the Week: Black and White Swarovski Crystal Charm Bracelet

This charm of a bracelet is simple and fun. Clear and black crystals dangle from pewter. The crystals are beveled. Bracelet measures 6 3/4 inches. This bracelet can be made larger. Toggle clasp is used.  http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35232710

Will ship international, please contact me so I can get you an accurate quote.

See more jewelry at http://www.etsy.com/shop/FindingCharm

Flashback Friday

(Is it too much to do "I Want it Wednesday" AND "Flashback Friday?")

This is going to be fun for me...because not only do I have a blog, but I've also had a Livejournal for SIX years! So every Friday, I plan to go through my Livejournal to the exact date (to the most interesting story on that date in the past 6 years.) 

March 26, 2006

After watching months of RENT on dvd, having my roommates singing "Seasons of Love" (in a line, of course,) it was finallyyyy time for me to see RENT in New York City! I LOVED it on stage. My only problem was, if I didn't see the movie I would have had no idea what was going on! I sat next to two older women who were clueless, I had to explain the whole show to them during intermission! The highlight of the trip for me was going to Maxies for dinner! NYC prices are SO expensive, for example Maxies has a $22 tuna melt. I will never forget how it took 5 minutes to be served our hamburger...and 20 minutes to get our cheesecake. After a long, freezing day..we got back on the bus and headed back to Massachusetts! I miss being so close to the city!

Dinner as a Married Couple

You know how everyone has that one horror story about cooking your first married meal? Add me to the list. Which is weird because I'm a seasoned cook! I can whip up a homemade from scratch cake without even thinking about!

With a gas stove.

Tonight I tried to make pizza. How elementary is that?!?

First, smoke was coming out of the top of the range. Then I opened it (big mistake) and I was smoked out!

After a long day at work, Danny is now cleaning our oven. Someday he will come home and I won't have things for him to fix. I promise!

Teaser

Entertainment Center (and yes, sometimes I watch Oprah!)

 Party at our place!

I Want It Wednesday!

I always see this post on everyone's blog...so I'm jumping on the bandwagon.

I saw these Jessica Simpson sandals at Belk the other day. I fell in love. This picture does not do them justice. Beach? Yes. Dress? Yes. Skinny jeans? HELL YES. I do not want them...I need  them. Only problem? I hate spending money! Payless needs a knockoff of these, and I'll be the happiest girl ever!                    

                                            

A Well Needed Break

Moving in is not fun. I repeat NOT FUN! I'm a pack-rat with no skills for putting together furniture. Night one, putting together our monstrosity of a TV stand...I ended up just handing things to Danny so he could put it together. An hour and a half later..it was together, with the TV on top of it. Thank God that's over! Today, putting together my baker's rack...it's not level and not steady..I pushed it to the side for Danny to take care of tonight. Another annoyance..trying to set up wireless internet, I'm apparently retarded and can't read simple directions. Someone help me!

We have no couch and no dining room table. We found a table we like..but oh, guess what..no longer in stock! We will be very busy getting everything for the next few days!

The good news, everything is basically in it's spot (or is ready for the baker's rack to be set up!) Now, I just have to clean up the mess of boxes!

Moving: Day One

And I think it was the day Danny realized his wife is a nerd and will document everything..from my door not being closed all the way to showing off our new GPS. The picture of my door didn't come out..but here's our new GPS!

We knew where we were going..we just wanted to play with the new toy!

When I moved from Carrboro into Danny's Mom's house, I put everything in storage. While planning the wedding, we got tons of gifts, my room at his Mom's QUICKLY became my second storage unit. Now, I have a corner at Katie's house with everything from Kohls, and a room full of things I didn't want to put in storage. 

Yesterday, his Mom got her room back...today Katie will get hers back!

We filled up a 17 foot Uhaul by ourselves (ok with a little help from his step-dad) and today Katie will help us unload into our own place!

Uhaul has tons of signage in their trucks, probably not to provide entertainment...but they obviously don't know me! Two hours of reading these ridiculous signs made me laugh..including the one that reminded passengers "only one person per seat belt!"

   

And finally, a shot of us..after a hour at the Uhaul shop, two hours driving, too much food at his Moms..and two hours of moving things into the truck. Oh and no makeup..I look HOT!

Hyori Lee Inspired Makeup Look

I thought about entering Pop Champagne's contest a while back, but was apprehensive since it is a makeup contest. Although I love reading beauty blogs, I am a total makeup novice - I've never worn eyeshadow, and I've been toying with lipstick starting just last month.

This morning (last day of the contest) I woke up feeling strangely motivated, and ran to CVS for some goods. I picked up a Maybeline eyeshadow quad in Sparkling Sapphire, a tube of NYC black liquid liner, and Revlon lipstick in Nude Attitude. The shadow and lipstick were not the shades I wanted, but all 3 came to $12 total so I can't really complain.

I chose Hyori because I think her look really stands out from other Asian pop stars. I love her tanned glow and tousled black hair in this shoot. I also like that she's not wearing falsies here (or so it seems?) because I have little patience for those.

The Inspiration: Hyori Lee 

(photo from Hyori.net)

 The attempt:

My boyfriend's cam skills have improved so much since I started blogging. He was a total newbie just a few months ago, and then I dragged him into becoming my photographer : ) Two other pics for the contest (total of 3 to enter) :

Products used: my daily routine (left) and new haul from CVS (right)

Quick review of the drugstore products: 

1. The Maybelline shadow quad in Sapphire was not bad at $6 (on sale for $4), although they are my first shadows so I have nothing to compare them to. Good spectrum of colors for this smokey look, with brow highlighter too. I definitely need to buy an eye brush, though - the foamy applicators were uneven and messy.  

2. The NYC liquid liner was $1.99 and very easy to apply, but unfortunately, very hard to remove ... I used several swipes of Lancome eye makeup remover and the liner still remains as I type! My eyes are red from trying to rub it off.

3. Revlon Matte Lipstick in Nude Attitude ($6) - Bad. I would not use this again. My lips are not smooth and this lipstick didn't do them any favors. The matte color applied unevenly, settled into the creases and made the flakes more evident. I had to smooth it out with some vaseline for the photos. I've only used Clinique lippies before this, and there is a very visible difference - the Clinique ones moisturize and glide on, versus glop on.

And another pic of Hyori in the same look, makeup shown in broad daylight: