Soft, Sweet and OH SO Freakin' Good

I say let the gourmet marshmallow wars begin! I've posted before on gourmet marshmallows that I bought from Have It Sweet Confections. Having tried and loved them (and am now sickened if I eat those white store bought things), I decided to give another Etsian purveyor or soft things a try.

I ordered from Softly Sweetly and was very very happy with what I got. I ordered a trio of flavors (which you can order yourself and try 3 different flavors or even the dozen variety where you get 12 different flavors) and got Triple Chocolate, Vanilla and Toasted Coconut drizzled with chocolate. There's like 20 or so flavors to choose from so you won't be bored. I'm on my second trio of flavors right now: Toasted Coconut with chocolate (again cause they were that good), Amaretto and Mexican Chocolate (think chocolate marshmallow coated in a mix of sugar, cocoa and cinnamon). These are huge squares of marshmallows and the flavor is just that good. They are so soft, the texture is great that they practically melt in your mouth! The trio of flavors will run you $10.99 for one dozen plus about $5 shipping.

A dozen marshmallows range in price (depending on the flavor I think) between $9.99 and $10.99. You can also get a half dozen for less than $6.

I must say the Triple Chocolate and the coconut ones are my favorite but I've only tried 5 flavors as of yet. There's also these Caramallows that are marshmallows coated in caramel..must try those soon.

All in all, these are huge, great tasting marshmallows for the price. And, turn around time is really quick so you won't be left waiting. I highly recommend, if you even like marshmallows, to give any of the gourmet marshmallows a try, you won't be disappointed.

Beauty and the Book

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a avid book reader. None of the insane people in my house seem to understand that I'd rather read a good book than have their company (just kidding of course). Since I love books so much it's simple to figure out why I am a fan of Latherati Soap. Julie, the (I want to say "Librarian") owner of Latherati Soap combines the love of bath with the love of a good book. Every item she sells is inspired by a good book.



Since Latherati Soap is a fairly new shop, the line is still growing. Soaps dominate the selection but there are also lip balms as well as perfumes and sugar scrubs. I love the book connection, I think it's one of the cleverest ideas I've seen on Etsy in awhile (in the Bath & Body category). The labels remind me of those old book plates my parents used to use, you know the ones that announce that this book is part of the Library of.... If you have no idea what I'm talking about then you're too young, don't worry about it. Just understand that the packaging is cool ok.




I had gotten a soap called "Orchard", which (as it says on the site and label) is inspired by "Cider House Rules." There are other clever names like "Golden Ticket" and "Kimono" (if you don't know what books inspired these then you need to go to the library stat). It's obvious that alot of thought went into the creation of Latherati.





"Orchard" as you can see from the photo, reminds you of a fall apple orchard in its coloration. It smells like clean crisp apples but not overbearing and not perfumey like some can be. This is just straight good old apple. This soap lathers up quickly and very well. I've tried some soaps that don't seem to lather much as all but not Latherati soaps. It lathers well and rinses very clean. No sticky or dull residue on the skin. We like that in our soaps people. $5 per bar.









I also have one of the lip balms (called Lip Lusters here) called "Matchmaker", inspired by "Emma.". It's a strawberry flavor which is very true to what you expect in a strawberry. Not overly sweet but just right on the money. The balm holds up very well in either warm or cold temperatures. I like it when it doesn't get all melted in my pocket. And, I like it when it doesn't get all hard or gritty from being outside in the cold. All in all a very good lip balm. $3.50 per tube and comes in plenty of other flavors.


So, all in all, I like Latherati Soap. ! The prices are on par with most other beauty makers I've seen. I love the themes and hope to see much more in the future. Come on Julie, you need some stuff inspired by "Tales From Margaritaville" and "Interview with the Vampire." :-)

A Little More Salt Please

You all know that I can't deal with bubble bath and basically use bath salts exclusively. I found another great bath and body shop on Etsy and just love the bath salts she sells.

I've been buying all my bath salts lately from KimberQuinn on Etsy. Not only are they top quality, but the price is very nice too! There are many pleasing fragrances to choose from in her store and I favor the Pink Romance and the Amber, Vanilla Sandalwood scents. The salts themselves are all the good kinds you expect from a top quality products (like those expensive ones in Target) like Dead Sea Salts and Mineral Salts. Even though they are pretty chunky, the salts dissolve very quickly in the bath. There is coloring in these, but not enough to color your water which is just what I like.

Remember, bath salts help your body let loose some of those toxins and helps to relax your muscles. I thoroughly enjoy a good soak in a good warm bath with my bath salts. KimberQuinn's are some of the best I've come across, on Etsy or even in the retail stores. I don't know if she plans on continuing the sale, but right now , like today, you can get a 4 oz. bag for $2.95..regularly $4.95. I just bought 3 bags the other day..I think I've already used 2 lol. You know me, quality is number one and price is number 2. These salts are very good quality and I think you will agree.

Oh, if you are curious as to why I can handle bubble bath anymore, feel free to email me or comment here.

Give Me the Eye

Awhile back, I won a lil scavenger hunt type contest from the Muddy Muse on Etsy. The prize was $10 to spend in their shop. They make all kinds of clay goodies from magnets to dishes. They have a kind of rustic style that still brings a modern flair with it. I probably shopped the store every day looking at all the items $10 and under. But, I always came back to one particular item that was more than $10. So, I asked if I could use my prize towards the cost and they said ok.

Now, I have my beautiful Eyeball mug! This is a huge mug by the way..it holds like 18-20 ounces of beverage..my beverage of choice is, of course, tea. This is the mug I use when I really need the caffeine, when I use 2-3 tea bags to make my morning brew. My eye watches over me! Eye need my tea!

Ok, I'm starting to get kooky. Anyway, the mugs are extremely well crafted. They are, according to the shop, microwave and dishwasher safe but I still hand wash mine. You can get your Eyeball in any color you choose. Mine is blue. The best thing is your Eye never needs Visine!

I recently featured my Eyeball Mug on Rare Bird Finds as well. I like the craftsmanship and the quality of their work. This is a very strong and durable piece of pottery. Plus, you get a nice little Java magnet with your purchase, I just love the lil extras :-). You can get your custom Eyeball mug for $25 at the Muddy Muse.

Serrelynda

Finding unique and orignal jewelry designs can be hard or it can be easy. Etsy, as you know, is my top top choice for finding one of a kind or at the least, very original pieces. Sometimes, I find a shop that has designs that really do stand out from the crowd. Serrelynda is such a shop.

Serrelynda's designs incorporate unique antique and vintage findings with bronze, oxidized brass and oxidized silver. Most of these pieces are things I have never seen before. The bracelets and necklaces are extremely unique and no two are the same. To me, it's the vintage bits and pieces she uses that make all the difference. Plus, her profile says shes a stay-at-home-mom with a 4 year old...just like yours truly...except I can't come up with jewelry like this :-)

This bracelet is perhaps one of my favorites from her shop. This Cloisonne (I love Cloisonne) Moon and Star Filligree bracelet, has really antique Cloisonne from Baghdad marked with the year 1937. I have alot of Chinese cloisonne in my home (from my mother) but this is not your run of the mill/dime a dozen type of enamel work. The oxidized brass works so well with the cloisonne pieces, it's like they were two lost souls who finally found each other...ok I'm being sappy but this is just a beautiful piece! This bracelet runs for $28, not a bad price considering the antique cloisonne.

Another piece that I love is this necklace with the two opposing Griffins. It's so medieval and it just seems to be a show stopper.....as well as a major conversation piece. Who wouldn't ask you about this if you were wearing it? Serrelynda oxidized the brass herself (which I wouldn't have a clue how to do) and to me that just says I put my blood, sweat and tears into my work. $42 for this original necklace and I guarantee you'll be the talk of the party wearing this one :-)

Serrelynda does make earrings too. They are beautiful but not as intricate as her necklaces and bracelets. However, you don't want to overdo your jewelry ensamble. The earrings are simple in design and will go well with they other pieces she sells. If you're wearing an over the top necklace or bracelet, you want to go easy on your earrings. Not every piece of jewelry should make a huge statement. Simple earrings go well with intricate necklaces. I like these Bronze Moonglow earrings. The warm colored beads against the bronze are just striking. $12 for these earrings.

Serrelynda has many many other pieces, this is just the tip of the iceberg. So if you're looking for something out of the ordinary, Serrelynda has pieces that range in price from $10-$42. I would be shocked if you didn't end up either buying something or just hearting alot of pieces and hearting her shop!

Keeping My Coffee, Well More Like My Tea, Cozy.

There's been a huge "environmentally friendly" kick recently and your coffee cups are becoming part of it. We all know how Starbucks and other coffee joints give us those cardboard wraps to keep us from burning our lil fingers. Well, trees must die for those convieniences and there are more ways out there to keep trees alive.

I've gotten a couple of Cozies recently and wanted to elaborate a bit. Remember, these can be reused over and over and over, saving tons of wasted paper.

First up is this crocheted lime green one from Pritchke on Etsy. Very simple, easy going style. This will fit your basic coffee cup or styrofoam cup. It has some stretch but you want to stick to the smaller sized cups. Your plastic or metal travel cups will not work. These are only $5 on Pritchke and she has other colors, patterns (all crocheted) available. If you're looking for one for your coffee/tea/hot cocoa mug at home, Pritchke also has these cute ones with stand out buttons that will work with your handled mug. This one also sells for $5 and I have not seen or come across anyone else with mug cozies so this is rare.

The other cozy I have is from Bagel Creations on Etsy. This one I actually got during SNS Secrets (alas they have stopped it). These cozies are made of cloth and are adjustable by means of elastic and buttons. They also fold up and have a clip on them so you can attach it to your purse, key chain etc for on the go. You'll find a variety of patterns and colors and these cozies will run you $8.

I'm sure there are lots of other cozy makers out there but these two are ones that I own and can personally vouch for. They both do their jobs amazingly well and I recommend either one. So, help out the earth just a little bit and get yourself a "reusable" cozy :-)

Is There an Election Coming Up or something?

Ok, I know that there's an election coming up! I have been perusing Etsy and have come across a ton of Obama and McCain items. Sorry, but I am for Obama and most of the McCain items I'm finding are jokes on McCain. I want to be neutral on my post so I will have some items that are serious and funny on both candidates.

This first one is from One Plaid Aunt and it's a set of Michelle & Barack Obama ponytail holders. Now you can get this set or there's other sets of just Michelle and just Barack. There's also Barack & Michelle barrettes too. Whether you want the elastics or the barrettes, they will both run you $10. But, think about it, it's a unique way of making your choice clear.

Of course, there are tons of Palin jokes running amok, but I just love this button from Psychedelic Tara's Groovy Gift Emporium and it's only $2.99! The other button that is just cracking me up is this one of Barack and McCain as Mac and PC. There are tons of funny ones here for the taking.

Ok, ok...McCain supporters...don't shoot me..I did find a couple of Pro-McCain/Palin items so here they are.

Here's some cute McCain & Palin magnets made from Polymer clay by Itty Bitties for You

(You can also get Obama & Biden ones too). Itty Bitties has alot of cute things, I especially love her robots! The magnet set will run you about $18.




Then there's the Palin buttons from Button Diva. The Button Diva has plenty of Palin power buttons and McCain Victory buttons for $3 each. There's also some Palin Power earrings for $5.5o and Pendants for $5.95.

So, whatever your political preference, there seems to be a

plethora of items out there. These are just a small, and I mean small, sampling of what I found on Etsy and I'm sure there are tons of other sites out there with this kind of stuff. So, make your statement in a different way...a unique way :-)

Something Somewhere for Everybody

Jewelry is always a very personal choice. In my travels across the net, I've usually found something I like in just about every online Indie jewelry site. Whether it's earrings on one site or pendants on another..there's something somewhere for everybody. Here's some of my recent discoveries that I wouldn't mind having for myself (ahem..my birthday is coming and if any of my teachers are reading..so it volunteer appreciation week :-) )

Silver Dot Jewelry on Etsy is soo lucky..Judy Kaplan, the artist at Silver Dot was just recently featured on Good Morning America. I doubt that I can give her as good as publicity as GMA, but I can try. If you want to see the video, here's the link:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4402853

It features several of her pieces..but you won't see the same ones here on my blog. I want to show you some of my favorites from her site.


This necklace features Amethyst (one of my favorite stones) and Smokey Quartz briolettes on a Sterling Silver Chain. I've been becoming fond of the briolette stones and I like the trio of stones. $28.50 is all this one costs. I like how the purple of the Amethyst plays off against the darkness of that Smokey Quartz.




The other piece that I like from Judy's site is this pair of Rose Gold Vermeil earrings with the Smokey Quartz stones.


The pink of the rose gold vermeil is striking against the quartz. Alas, these are reserved for a specific buyer so you can't buy them for me. $17.50 for these lil beauties.

Don't forget, we have our own special code at Silver Dot. Check out the new Coupon Code section in the right hand sidebar. Thanks Judy!

Another Etsy store that caught my eye recently is Kimberly Monaco Designs. I periodically peruse the forums, especially the Promotions forum. Every Saturday evening there are the Saturday Night Specials. And this Man in the Moon Necklace was pictured and I just love it. It's simple yet it just makes a statement.

Just $28!

Another piece I found via perusing the Etsy forums is this glass pendant (limited edition) from Laura at Talisman. There was a post on the forum that she was having a sale because of the evil insurance companies (regarding her daughter) and I wanted to help out. I'm like you though, I can't afford to buy too much at one time..but I really liked her work and the "LOVE" series. I've gotton so many compliments from my teacher friends over at my school. I bought this one on sale so I cannot guarantee you will find one like this at the same price. She was just at a craft show recently so alot of listings were pulled so she could bring them to the show. I'm just fascinated by her work. The uniques melding of colors in the glass is just beautiful. The photo really doesn't do it justice.


The one thing I can recommend is that you do a search thru the jewelry categories at Etsy. You can basically find anything and everything there. I love the unique designs that I find there. If I was only rich!!!!

I Had an Indie Christmas

My husband has never been the greatest gift giver. I have to be very very specific or else...well you know :-)
So I basically did all the shopping for him. I wanted a Messenger Bag, an Apron and some bath and body stuff. I went shopping on Etsy and gave him several choices for the Bag and the Apron..that way I would be sure to get what I want but still be surprised on what he picked out.


Here's the apron he bought me. It's a full apron from Total Table Envy. It's called Tea Time. The front is this polka dot fabric with a blue background with white dots. The reverse side, the ties, the pocket and the really nice pleating at the bottom are all in this blue/white tea pot pattern. I love it. It's so feminine and so very well designed and sewn. The price was $29 plus $3 shipping. There's a pretty good selection from polka dots to paisley to flowers. It's a good quality apron that I wouldn't find in the local Target. Plus the fabrics just work so well together.



I've been dying for a messenger bag for awhile. So I did alot of looking on Etsy to find a really interesting pattern and what looked like solid quality craftsmanship. Cause you know I'm all about good quality stuff. My husband chose this one from the Ophelia Miller shop on Etsy. He got this one because the colors matched the Old Navy Peacoat I always wear in the winter. I don't know how I got along without this Messenger Bag. All these years of fumbling for my purse on my shoulder or having it fall off when I'm trying to put the kids in the car. This gives me complete freedome for my hands, plus I don't have to go unzipping things. There's 3 good sized pockets inside for little stuff like your cell phone etc. The Main compartment I use for my wallet but when I have to go out with my little one, it will also hold a couple of diapers and a small package of wipes with no problems. It also has a zippered compartment on the outside/front that I put my gum, receipts etc in. With all that stuff in there, it still lies flat. I just love the colors and the patterns and it has a nice adjustable shoulder strap. This bag is put together really strong, no worries about this one coming apart. Excellent work! This bag cost $38.50 plus $6.50 shipping. This has already paid for itself in my opinion, just in the last week or so.


It's nice to get exactly what you wanted for Christmas isn't it? I love my new things and am thankful that my husband followed my directions lol.I hope your Christmas was just as nice!

Inside Indie: Ophelia's Jewels

This week's Inside Indie interview is with Sabrina of Ophelia's Jewels. As you may have seen in recent posts, I love Sabrina's work..bought something as a gift for my mother in law and ended up buying myself a necklace as well. I love her designs and I hope you do too.

Tell me a little bit about the mind behind Ophelia's Jewels and how did you create the name?

I’ve always loved the arts, especially drawing and dancing. I started making jewelry about five years ago, and it’s been a really great creative outlet and de-stresser during college and graduate school. People had been suggesting that I sell my jewelry, so I finally started! Etsy has been the perfect forum for me because I can set my own prices without having it marked up to full retail price, but still make it worth my time. Jewelry prices are often enormously inflated, which is something that always bothered me. Everyone should be able to buy a pretty piece of handmade jewelry without being rich!As for the name...Ophelia has been my computer nickname for as long as I’ve been using computers. I was always intrigued by the character of Ophelia in Hamlet...to me she invokes a sense of mystery, love, ambiguity, and especially passion. It just seemed natural to use it for my new business!

What inspires you when you create your jewelry?

Before I started selling jewelry, I used to just make things for my friends and family. I loved experimenting, seeing what worked and what didn’t, and at the same time trying to make something that fit the personality of the person I was making it for. Mostly now I just experiment and make everything from whimsical and feminine to (occasionally) bold and chunky. Sometimes a particular color, shape, or stone combination just “works”, and then I get really excited! It’s also fun to work with a theme...one that I’ve been doing on and off is the ocean and sea life. I’ll have an image of something “typical” that you might see within that theme, such as an ocean wave or a half-buried seashell, and try to make it stand out in a piece of jewelry. It’s the idea of taking something that is ordinary and everyday and making it beautiful.

What's your favorite piece that you've made and why?

Hmm, that’s a hard question...I don’t think I have one particular favorite. But I love making things with labradorite, which is a stone that looks kind of boring and gray until you turn it just the right way. Then there are sudden flashes of bright blue and green and gold. It adds so much depth to the stone and is just beautiful to look at and work with.

Tell me about the very first piece of jewelry you made.

The first piece I made was a very simple bracelet using basic wire-wrapping with Czech glass beads. I was visiting a friend in LA about five years ago, and she had to run an errand for a few hours. To keep me busy while she was away, she taught me how to do a wire-wrap that I could use to make the bracelet. I was done by the time she came back, and it’s been love ever since!

What does the future hold for Ophelia's Jewels?

I’m pretty new to selling jewelry, so right now I’m still feeling out the business. But it’s been a lot of fun and a great way (or excuse? :-) ) to buy new beads and play with them, and I’ve already had the opportunity to interact with a lot of great people. So I hope I can continue to do this for a long time -- either on Etsy or (if I have the time and enough business) on my own website.

What is your can't live without product?

Another hard question! I would say either my tool set (everyone is always amazed at my array of strange-looking jewelry tools) or Swarovski crystals, which are always gorgeous, versatile, and incredibly photogenic!

And, Sabrina is a student so help her pay for school ok. I'm sure if you take a look around her Etsy shop you will find something you will like. I found two things..trust me if I could steal back that necklace I bought for my MIL I would in a heartbeat lol. Go ahead and take a look at Opehlia's Jewels...You know you wanna!

Jewelry as Unique as Her Name: Ophelia's Jewels

All you married women out there know how hard it is to find a nice gift for your Mother In Law. Oh yeah, you know what I'm talking about. It's hard. Most of the time I find a few things and let my husband pick out the final choice..it seems to always be more wonderful if he picked it out..go figure.

Anyway, mine lives in a beach community and I thought I'd just search on Etsy for "sea", "ocean" and "beach" and see what I could find. I thought jewelry would be a good idea so I searched those terms under the jewelry category.

My search yielded this beautiful seashell necklace from Opehlia's Jewels on Etsy. It's called "Seashell in the Sand" and you can see that it's made to look just like that a silver seashell surrounded by sand colored crystals. But this picture doesn't do it justice. It's just such a beautiful piece and up at the clasp there's a tiny silver dolphin and a couple of pearls near the clasp.

Once I got it in the mail..I really didn't want to give it to my MIL. Even the packaging was so cute..the little jewelry box was tied up with a green ribbon and the bow had a small silver charm attached. What a really nice touch. The price for this beauty was only $26, quite a deal for a sterling silver necklace with Swarovski crystals.

I've said it before..I love the imaginations of these Indie jewelry artists. They are so beautiful and the variety of fantastic pieces is amazing.

Here's a couple more pictures of some of the other jewelry offered at Ophelia' Jewels:

The prices ranges from $16 (for some earrings) to $52 with most pieces falling in the $20-$28 range. Very very nice pieces and very reasonable prices to boot. I really like Opehlia's style and I'm saving some of my money for one of the necklaces I've had my eye on for some time. Enjoy.

Pottery with Flare and Service that Can't Compare

I have a wedding to go to this weekend. The last of my husband's college friends is FINALLY getting married. And, hopefully he won't decide to click on my email link to my blog before Saturday or he's going to find out what they're getting lol.

Anyway, I looked at their registries and thought that I wanted to get them something different. I checked out all their colors and items they had listed and made my mental notes. Then, I went shopping on Etsy. Etsy has so many fantastic things, all handmade. I knew I'd have to find something there. So, I browsed through just about every pottery listing Etsy has and found OlaDesign.

Once I saw her wares on her Etsy store I knew I had found what I was looking for. Olga, the woman behind OlaDesign, uses such bright beautiful colors and handpaints each piece. She offers a variety of pieces from teapots to bowls to vases and more. Each piece is painted by hand and then she fires them so the design is permanent.

Here's the set I bought for our friends. It comes with the large green bowl, smaller white bowl, the two smaller green bowls and the 2 red cups. The design is simple but oh so elegant. I was really pleased by what I saw and what I eventually got in hand. And, Olga is so nice. She will custom make a set for you if you ask. The original listing was a four piece set but I asked if she could do two of the smallest green bowls and two of the red cups for the bride and groom. It wasn't even an issue. The price for all 6 pieces and shipping came to $58. Some of the other pieces I had been considering from other sellers were about $125 just for one piece.

I got the package after about a week, week and a half (she's in Canada so that's why) and unfortunately, the largest bowl (the big green one) was in pieces...it didn't make it. I immediately contacted Olga (I took pictures because I know there's alot of scammers out there) and let her know what happened. She got on it right away and made a new bowl for me. I even offered to ship the broken one back to her and she refused. Not long after that I got the new package from Olga and everything was in great condition. She even sent me a handpainted glass bowl for me to keep at no additional charge. How wonderful is that. Her customer service skills just blew me away.

I highly recommend OlaDesign for your pottery needs. There are many different styles and designs to choose from and they are all very reasonably priced. Great for gifts or just for yourself and the customer service cannot be beat!