Paper? Really?

I have a shopping problem. I tend to buy everything my eyes see- even though I have absolutely no money to do it. Most of my purchases end up thrown in my closet never to be seen again. I even think I still have a pair of "sneaker heels" from around 2003 still in there in perfect condition. Even though most of my purchases end with me saying "what the hell was I thinking" some of them stay with me for years and years.

Little Orange Kitchen is in the "keep" category. This shop is full of paper items which are AMAZING. I purchase a large wallet and a card holder case about 2years ago. They are still going strong and I use them constantly. Don't mind my crappy pictures below- I was supposed to take these photos last night and I passed out instead. Since I still have my sleepy face on right now while snapping these pictures I know they aren't looking fantastic haha. But don't worry- I also included some pictures from Little Orange Kitchen's etsy site.




So there are my pictures of the items I purchase. I use that card holder EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. It has gone through a lot, lemme tell you. And after all this time- it still looks great.

These pieces area all made out of paper. Isn't that so fun? I couldn't get over it when I received these items. They feel so silky smooth I couldn't stop touching them and saying, "paper? really?". Along with the pieces you receive, you also get a little card in them showing how to care for your paper wallet. Which I think is just the smartest thing.

Now that I talked about my purchases from this great shop.. look at some professional pictures taken straight from her etsy site....




She even carries passport covers! Along with her etsy site, please check out her blog as well. Remember.. Little Orange Kitchen= awesome, great quality products.

Bliss really is the only way to describe this!

It's official. We're in! Bliss Bridal in Connecticut is amazing. Jessica, the owner, is the sweetest person! It was such a long day- I am so happy it went smoothly! Look at the lovely photos of the Jewels for Hope stand along with some great pics of the bridal shop! (I know I promised a great pic of me "now" since I am starting to blog again.. but I was just too excited I forgot haha Next time- you'll see the new and improved writer behind Jewels for Hope; The Blog)






Ahhh!! Bliss was so nice to let us set up a section! We also have a look book on the front table where the brides will review the jewelry and contact us if they want us to design something. Omg, I'm thrilled. I am so sorry to keep rambling on about this- but I am just doing everything I could because my mom deserves the world. I know- that sounds really sappy- but I can't help it!! After the past 10 years of my mother taking care of the elderly, she really deserves greatness. My goal is to get her featured in a magazine. Think I could do it? We'll see. haha I am doing the best I can. Fingers crossed!!!

We get into stores today!!!!

AHHHHH. TODAY IS THE DAY!!!!!
In my earlier post this past week, I mentioned that Jewels for Hope is now going to be into TWO DIFFERENT BOUTIQUES! yes, I am thrilled and I still can't believe it. I have been working around the clock to make a look book for Bliss Bridal Boutique and I am now exhausted. I feel like all my mother and I have been doing for the past 72 hours is working on this book and all of the specific pieces we want to bring. Well, TODAY'S THE BIG DAY! I have to go get ready in a little bit then head over there with all of our stuff. I'm so excited I may pee my pants.

I will have a post later on today with pictures of the place... because we all know, I HAVE TO TAKE PICTURES. I'm like a little kid- I'm so happy about this I have to show it off haha. I hope the owner doesn't think I'm too strange snapping shots all over the place. Technically it is for my blog- so I could get away with saying that, right? I'm using that anyway. I just want pretty pictures of Jewels for Hope in a shiny new store.

Wish us luck today! Check back for the "real" post later on tonight :) You'll get to see some snazzy new pics of me with my natural hair color rather then the bright blonde you've seen all over this blog hahaa.

Jerseylicious made me love Animal Print.

As much as I hate to admit it, I'm addicted to Jerseylicious. For all of you who don't know what this is, it is a show almost like Jersey Shore, but it is all about a hair salon in Jersey. I can't believe I'm even admitting this to you all.. but THEY MADE ME LOVE ANIMAL PRINT. Don't get me wrong, I loved zebra print and leopard print well before Jerseylicious- but now... IT'S EVERYWHERE. I have a sick obsession. My sisters are also on that bandwagon. They even went so far as to redo their whole rooms to add zebra print everywhere they could. One has pink and one has purple. I refuse to do my room- because once that happens I am officially like my 17 year old sister. That won't be happening.

Anyway, being the great sister that I am... I bought one of my sisters the cutest F'N sign from etsy...Nikki's Secret Closet to be exact. This shop has the girliest, funkiest signs. They make me smile. For all you zebra print lovers out there- you have got to check her site out!

Here are some gorgeous pieces below..





I bought the Born to Shop sign and the I'm a Luxury sign- both as gifts- and both gifts went over extremely well. My sisters LOVED LOVED LOVED it. And, let me tell you about my sister- SHE HATES EVERYTHING. She is the pickiest person IN THE WORLD. So the fact that she loved this, really is something else! haha

While looking over Nikki's Secret Closet for this post, I realized she has cute throw pillows!!! AH!!! I have a shopping addiction. I shouldn't be writing about cute stuff like this because I'm just going to want to buy everything... Here.. LOOK AT THIS PILLOW!




I am trying to pass my shopping addiction along to all of you fabulous readers so I don't spend any more of my money... I like to live vicariously through people. So if you decide to purchase from any of the stores I mention on my blog, please feel free to let me know about it! :)

Have a great day everyone!

Who doesn't love Legos???

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I had a fantastic time at the wedding yesterday. It was actually just a reception brunch thing- which was so much fun. So much yummy food! And I got to meet all of my fiance's other side of the family. It was really cute :)

Onward towards the post now!

I absolutely HAD to write about this creator because of the purchase I made last year for xmas. This was I think the best gift I gave to anyone. My boss at the time, whom I love, is OBSESSED with legos. Every year he gives people a lego made ornament (adorable) and he always asks santa for legos every year. Well, I searched etsy and found these AWESOME LEGO EARRINGS AND CASE! The etsy shop is called Bits and Badges.

When I gave my boss the gift, I thought he was going to start crying. He screamed. I got him a pair of black studs along with a cute little lego box holder to put them in. You have to see how awesome this stuff is...




When I purchased these, I was able to buy one get one free. So, you KNOW I had to go for the cute pastel pink ones. They are perfect to just add to any funky outfit. I love them.

Now, depending on where you are ordering these from- they are coming from the UK, so give them a little time to arrive. But trust me, they are SO worth the wait. Bits and Badges has the best stuff.

Now that I have told you about this amazing little find... I have to give props out to a couple of bloggers...they are so sweet, and doing a giveaway for Jewels for Hope. My mother is a loud mouth and she told them that I started my blog back up- so they mentioned me or put my button on their wall. I thought that was just the SWEETEST THING EVER!

So, Girly Girl Moments Blog. Please check out her blog and add her. She is the nicest girl! And I have to say- I love her style. I was browsing through her posts the other day and she has the funkiest haircut and I LOVED her post about bridal gear! READ HER! haha.

Next,Newly Crunchy Mama of 3. She also is doing a giveaway of Jewels for Hope products! She is extremely nice!!! My mother has been emailing her pretty much our life stories and she is still talking to us haha. READ HER TOO!!!

Now that I am finished screaming at my readers to read these lovely ladies' blogs, I think that is it for now haha. Happy Monday!!!!!

Sweeet!

Since I already stated earlier today that I won't be around tomorrow, I decided to write a 2nd post today- EXCITED? I am! I am thrilled to mention "Design Your Own Cake" by Rita.

My mother and I met Rita a couple months ago at a craft fair we did in the area. Along with her fabulous creations, she is the sweetest woman! Normally during craft fairs I try and stay away from anyone selling food- because I know by the end of the day I will spend all my money there. Well, her baked goods kicked my willpower in the ass that day.I must have went to her stand 3 or 4 times. I got my valentines day cookies for the fiance there, along with a handful of yummyness for myself!

She recently just opened up her own etsy shop.





I LOVE THE BUTTERFLY COOKIES! Her stuff is so cute and absolutely PERFECT for Easter, mothers day... oh hell- perfect for any holiday or any regular day for that matter!

She sells tons of cookies and cupcake toppers so far. At the fair she also had these amazing cookie lollipop things- hopefully she'll bring those onto the site too! You'll never know unless you continue to check up on her. I know I will be!

Oh, and one last picture from Design Your Own Cake...


YUM!!!!!

Got Wood?

Before I start the actual post about Barrys Boxes, I would love to give some Blog Lovin to 3Yesh's Illusion. She has posted me on her blog today and I am forever grateful! Check out her blog, it always has great things on it to look through!

Now, onto getting wood. Barrys Boxes shop on etsy is FANTASTIC! I bought a wood box from him for a Christmas gift and it was gorgeous. I got a Virgo box to give to one of my best friends. The inside had this gorgeous purple velvety felt in it. I was able to put a gift card in there along with some rocks. Not to be weird, they weren't technically rocks... it was those stones that have words and chinese symbols on them like "friendship" and "strength". Anyway, the box was perfect to keep little things in. I was thrilled when I got it in the mail.






Isn't his work gorgeous? This is the perfect extra gift that has real meaning to it. I know when I gave it to my bestie, he absolutely LOVED it. He is all about the Virgo stuff so he thought it was a very thoughtful gift. I got bonus points for that one since normally I buy funny gifts rather then sentimental ones. I was so on point for that one.

As I was looking back on Barrys Boxes for today's post- he has a TON more items that are new. Or at least new since x-mas... He has jewelry boxes, remote stands, cigar boxes, OH MY! And his prices are really afforable. The keepsake boxes are $15. And for the quality you get with them, that is the best price ever!! Check them out!

Hooked on Crochet!

I am absolutely Hooked on Crocheted items... GET IT? HOOKED! ha ha... I know, I'm not really funny, but I make myself smile which really is all that counts, right? Anyway, I do love crocheted items.

Hooked on Yarn CT has the cutest crocheted items. And I'm not just saying that because she's my aunt hahahaha. I love her stuff. I have tons of hats and she has made a ton of my friends stuff.

Most of the time when we are doing craft fairs- my aunt is always working away the whole time. She'll usually whip up 4 or 5 more hats within a 5 hours craft fair. I wish I could do something like that! Instead, I sit and eat throughout the whole fair... but that's a completely different story!

Anyway.. I want to show you some of her work. It's the perfect gift for someone!! And I know a lot of you are saying "well, winter should be over- why do I need any hats?". SHE HAS MORE THEN HATS! I just personally LOVE the hats the best because when I take the time to straighten my hair- I have a perfect hat head.

So. What does she have you ask? She has wine cozies, fingerless gloves (perfect for the cold office where your typing a lot), beach bags, hanging kitchen towels, and much much more!

Here's some snazzy photos of her work...






Isn't her stuff adorable? My favorite is the black and red hat. Even though I'm actually not a huge red person- I really like it. Maybe I'll have her whip me up one.

Now, my favorite picture of all time....



Look at the great pet bed she made for our dogs! Featured here on this fabulous bed is my little man Leroy. He is so handsome! Lori, the creator of Hooked on Yarn CT, created this bed for my baby a ridiculously long time ago (my mind is shot, so I can't remember exactly when). But this bed has gone through A LOT. One of my dogs, Ava, has a tendency to throw up allll the time. These beds can be thrown right in the wash then they are good as new! Now, I don't know if she made this special for my family or not since I currently don't see it in our website... but I bet you can message her and she'll give you more info on it.

So if you get the chance, check out her site! It's full of really cute stuff!

Now that I am revamping my blog up a bit.. I figured the first post of handmade items will of course be about Jewels for Hope! Like you couldn't have guessed that one, right?

In case you are new to the blog- here is the backstory. For about a decade my mother was the caregiver for my grandfather (her step father) and her mother. My grandfather passed away many years ago- so when that happened, my grandmother moved in with us. In order for that to actually work, we had to move since she couldn't handle the stairs in our current condo.

My mother took care of my grandmother for 7 years. During that time, she couldn't work. My grandmother suffered from Parkinson's Disease and couldn't do normal everyday tasks. Since my mother decided she would not just sit around the house and stuff her face with food- she started creating jewelry to pass the time. Towards the end of my grandmother's life, Hospice was at our house every day. They went above and beyond for my grandmother and did the things my mother physically couldn't do without getting sick to her stomach. Jewels for Hope was created and that is why we give a portion of the proceeds to CT Hospice.

Now that I told you the depressing backstory of how we were created... now we can get on to the fun stuff- THE JEWELRY!













Don't you love it, right? I think it is so weird and funky. I spice up most of my outfits with Jewels for Hope gear ha ha. Then again, I am the one marketing it so OF COURSE I'm going to be wearing it!!

Even before my mother started this company, I always liked handmade items. I personally like different items. And when I spend money on something, I HATE when it breaks within the first 2-3 days of wearing it. Which tends to happen whenever I buy jewelry from a department store. I don't know if it's just my bad luck that they break on me immediately, or if it is because it is mass produced and not good quality. Who knows? Either way, over the years I have bought less and less jewelry from department stores.

I like to think that a lot of people would rather have handmade items. I know it's scary to buy from a "no name" shop sometimes- but isn't it scary buying from a department store? I have more faith in a handmade item not breaking within 24 hours then I ever would with a department store item. Am I alone here? I'm not sure. But handmade items are getting more and more popular today which I love!


You know what else is getting popular? Can you guess? JEWELS FOR HOPE! For all of you amazing readers who have gotten through this post... please check out the sites below... they are currently hosting a Jewels for Hope giveaway!!!


Girly Girl Moments Blog

Newly Crunchy Mama of 3


and... a SOON to be giveaway- The Fashionable Housewife. Even though she is not doing the giveaway right now- her site is definitely one to look through!

Let's see if I remember how...

It has been SO long since I have blogged. I can't believe it. There has been so much going on and I just didn't even think about blogging. That is, until recently.

The last time I posted I think it was about being sick. I was sick for 8 months out of last year. I was vomiting 20 times a day during that time. Turns out, it was my gal bladder. After going to dozens of doctors, after trying an all natural doctor, after everyone telling me it was all in my head and I was MAKING myself do it- my mother is the one who figured it out.

Originally, we had my gal bladder checked- just a standard ultra sound test. I had no gal stones, and no sludge (whatever that is). So the doctors didn't think anything of it. FINALLY after 8 months, my mother who had been searching frantically to help me- saw an article in the New York Times about a girl who went through the same thing. My mother made one of the many doctors do a specific test to see if it is my gal bladder. The test was horrible and the whole 3 hours I was sitting in the machine I kept praying it was my gal bladder- just because if it wasn't I would have been heated if I went through all of that for nothing. Turns out, my gal bladder was only functioning 14%. I then was able to scream from the top of the world that I was not FORCING myself to throw up 20 times a day. I was not crazy like almost everyone thought. I finally had an answer.

I had surgery the end of last year. Since then- no more vomiting!!!!! Thank god!! So you would think I can get back to my normal life....

Well, of course the new year brings new issues. I had found a great job the end of last year that paid way more then my current job. I gave my two weeks notice and started my new job. Well.... that DID NOT turn out as expected. I don't want to get into full details- but I was only there for 4 days. Yea, 4 DAYS. Now, I am not a person to just up and quit a job. I NEED to be working because it is just too boring without a job. Not to mention the many thousands of dollars in student loans I have to pay. It was so bad, I quit without having another job. I couldn't take it. I had just gotten over a very rough year of sickness and I told myself- I can't be at a job that physically made me feel sick again. So I left.

Still unemployed now. It's been about 3 months now. I have had interviews at least.. but nothing as of yet. My mother and I actually believe it is a sign tho..

Over the past 3 months- I have been doing everything in my power to get my mother's jewelry out there. I have been making press kit after press kit and sending pieces to every publication I can think of. For all of you who can't remember about my mother's company since it has been so long since I have written... Jewels for Hope. She creates handmade jewelry and donates a portion of the proceeds to Connecticut Hospice. She was recently featured in Wire Jewelry Magazine and has also been mentioned on Art Beads blog- as well as dozens of other blogs. I have also been going door to door to different boutiques in the area trying to get them to carry my mothers items. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. I think me getting unemployed is helping Jewels for Hope. I would have never had the time or energy to do all of this if I had a full time job that I was just starting. This is my calling for now.

So I am now re-vamping my page. I am going in a completely different direction. Granted, I will still be ranting and raving about whatever gets me angry certain days- but I also want this blog to be a place for handmade vendors to post there work. I know I have been scouring the internet always looking for new blogs to post my mothers work on. I want this blog to help out all of the handmade vendors out there. Let's see if I can try and change this around to do what I want lol. But don't worry everyone, I will still be throwing my fashion sense in here and there. I talk way too much to have this blog only show pictures and work of other handmade vendors ha ha. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing! Hahaha.

So, if anyone is still reading this- thank you.