Cynthia Jones Fine Handmade Jewelry Review: Holiday Event

In the last couple of years, following my oldest daughter’s lead, I’ve really started enjoying jewelry more. I like finding pieces that are unique, and if they’re handmade even better! That’s how I found Cynthia Jones Jewelry. I was looking for a necklace for my second daughter, something that would be meaningful to her.

Not only did I find one piece that would fit her perfectly, I fell in love with the entire collection. The one that I chose for my daughter is the Trinity necklace. Now, I’m not sure of the meaning behind the name of it, but because of our faith, and the mission field that Smooch wants to go into, I thought this one was absolutely fitting for her.

She’s not much of a jewelry wearer and because of it’s subtlety, I thought it would be one she’d wear on a regular basis. It would also be a great conversation starter. Perfect for someone going into the mission field, wouldn’t you say?

I also liked it for her, because like with many of Cynthia’s other pieces, you can choose a finish of oxidized or sterling. Know that my daughter isn’t into anything shiny, the Oxidized/Brushed Sterling was right up her alley.

If you were to ask my oldest daughter what she loved, she’d probably chose one of Cynthia’s larger pieces whether a necklace, ring, bracelet, or earrings and they’d probably all be shiny. =)

And I’m with her. Aren’t those gorgeous? I’ve actually started purchasing shirts with the idea in mind, how will I be able to accessorize with my jewelry. I know, I’m a bit late to the game, and most women already do this, but it finally happened and I’d probably plan my wardrobe around Cynthia’s line!

You have got to watch this video of Cynthia working on her craft. To see a piece in the process of being made is so amazing. For me, it adds to each piece knowing that she took the time to create each design. She’s been designing since 2006.

I think my next big treat for myself will be her Siren Cuff in Polished Sterling. It’s got something “strong” to it that says it’s feminine yet bold. Exactly what I’m looking for. You’ll have to head to her site to see what I’m talking about.

Be sure to follow her on Facebook and her blog on her site! She gives discounts and even had a giveaway recently! Dang that I missed guessing how many rings were in a jar!

Snorgtees “What Does The Fox Say” Sweatshirt: Holiday Giveaway

My family is into some quirky things, and if we can get those things on a t-shirt or sweatshirt, all the better. =) That’s where SnorgTees comes in to the mix. One of my favorite shirts that I wear at least weekly is my unicorn/pegasus shirt. It cracks me up that some people just don’t get it at first glance!

As we all know, the break out “song” of the year has been “What Does The Fox Say”. I saw the guys sing it on the Today Show and it was so hysterical! Even Kelly & Michael did a spoof of it for their Halloween show.

One day I was filtering through my Twitter stream and I saw someone say they had just ordered this shirt from SnorgTees! I couldn’t believe it! She and I tweeted back and forth a couple of times and I headed to their site to see if what she said could be possible.

The back story on this song for us is that I saw someone share it on Facebook right when it came out and I then shared it on my page. My next “mistake” was to share it with my boys. At this point, I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve heard that song. If it wasn’t being streamed on YouTube over and over by them, they were singing it themselves or Doodle was playing it on his iPod! I couldn’t escape it. So what does someone do who’s in that position? Why, they order a sweatshirt to perpetuate the insanity!

While I was on their site, I also found a shirt that I asked grandma to get Buddy! He has become a crazy Batman fan. Well, super heroes in general, but lately it’s been Batman and the kid lives in hoodies!

There’s seriously something for everyone. I found one for my daughter (and it would work for me) because neither of us are fans of spiders. If anyone saw this on Baby, they would absolutely die laughing!

And I swear, I can never leave SnorgTees without realizing I need one more shirt for one more person. I found one for Fred and I’m now emailing my mom to change one of the other gifts she was going to give him. It was too generic, but this shirt will fit my guy to a tee (hardy har har)…

He is constantly “meh”-ing me! Of course, I “meh” him back so maybe we should have matching ones. I could seriously go broke finding shirts that have me in stitches!

Now, if you live in the US/Canada, you would win a hoodie of your choice! Please be aware, that if you win this prize, there are NO guarantees you’ll receive the product before Christmas.
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Wordless Wednesday: Inner Harbor Baltimore

We went to Baltimore last Saturday and had some great family time. It was the boys’ first time there. I’m excited to write about Ripley’s and the Aquarium!
This is from the World Trade Center in NYC in front of the World Trade Center Baltimore. It’s an emotional experience to see it!
The Constitution is so cool up close!

Be sure to check out Alesha at Full Time Mama!

FROZEN For The Holidays #FrozenFun #shop

This week, two things are happening that I can barely contain myself about. First, we’ll be getting together with cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and a grandma. Second, we’re all going to do the traditional Thanksgiving outing and we’re going to see FROZEN the movie!

We haven’t done a large multi-family Thanksgiving in years. We used to go to Chicago every year for Thanksgiving and then every other year we would go there for Christmas. Now that we’re in Maryland we are close enough to spend any holiday with either my parents and brothers or heading down to the boys’ aunt & uncle in Virginia!

We found out at the beginning of fall that two families were coming to Virginia for Thanksgiving and that’s when the snowball effect happened. One aunt asked to fly my oldest daughter out, we decided if she was coming, we were heading down, plans were made to see FROZEN, and we were going to exchange Christmas presents!

I figured since I have 4 nieces under 8 getting them something with Elsa or Anna would be perfect timing with the movie coming out on November 27th. I had the boys go shopping with me because they don’t have a lot of opportunity to shop for holiday gifts. When we got to Walmart, I remembered WHY they don’t go shopping with me a lot. *insert eye roll* They drove me crazy; who got to push the cart, one needed a drink, when will they eat dinner, etc.

Now, they might drive me crazy, but, my boys are extremely good in stores. They’re older, at 14 and 10 and will look at toys, but not misbehave with them. Well, while I was deciding for sure which FROZEN toys to get, they went into the next aisle to look at LEGOs. A lady who worked at Walmart started talking very rudely to them about how she’s not going to have kids messing up her aisles and taking toys all over the place. I had to go to the aisle to see if she was indeed talking to my boys and if so, what were they doing to get that kind of talk.

As I went around the corner, my youngest was holding a box of LEGOs and my older son was standing behind him. I explained to her that they’re my children, and my kids don’t behave that way in a store. I was extremely offended by her speaking to my boys how she did when they hadn’t even done anything aside from stand and look at a box of LEGOs. It’s a shame when adults expect kids to behave poorly just for the fact they’re kids. Anywho, that’s a soapbox for a different day.

There were some really cute toys, but I was hoping to get 4 similar gifts so the girls could all play together. I had hoped to get 4 dolls, but they only had 3 at the max of anything. The gal who had spoken to my children explained to me that they’d had a crazy day of people buying up FROZEN toys and were pretty much bare bones!

We’d had the toys we wanted and decided it was time for us to move to the grocery department because it had been a long stinkin’ day for us and we were almost an hour away from home.

Since we got home so late, we decided to wrap the girls’ gifts after church on Sunday. We’ve got a lot of kids to give gifts to and since this is a busy work week as well as a holiday week, I need to make sure we got as much ready to go for our road trip as possible.

My boys are still honing their skills with present wrapping. And yes, we found FROZEN wrapping paper, too! It’s so much fun for them to cut and tape! lol Their gifts might not come out looking the greatest, but no one cares about that! They’ve moved from just taping to doing it all themselves. =)

We’re pretty excited to see everyone in just a few days and to have some great family time!

Do you celebrate Christmas early with family on Thanksgiving?

ToiletTree Water-Resistant Professional Skin Care Face and Body Brush System ~ Holiday Giveaway

Ok, ok, so I know that I’m supposed to take care of my skin, and never actually do much more than wash it with water. I’ve always had sensitive skin so back in my early 20s I stopped putting all products on it.

Now, my daughters, I think, have learned to take much better care of their skin. When I went to the ToiletTree website to check them out, I had actually thought I’d see if I could use one of the most popular blogging items I’ve seen around the web, the Fogless Mirror.
While I was there, though, I found so many cool products I didn’t even realize they carry! The one I asked them to review was the Professional Skin Care System in Purple.
• System includes 4 interchangeable brush heads: 2 face brushes (1 soft for sensitive skin, 1 medium for normal skin); 1 large body brush; 1 pumice sphere for tough foot skin
• Battery operated (4 AA batteries included with purchase)
• Water-resistant design allows for use in the shower
• Water-resistant strap for convenient hanging and storage
• Available in 6 colors: Pink, Purple, Green, Blue, Gray, and Black

For my sensitive skin, I’d probably start off with the soft exfoliator because it’s amazingly gentle. I did try it on my face just to get the feel for it, and wow, it’s amazing! All of the heads are easy to change over and the batteries go in at the bottom of the handle.

I love the idea of the body exfoliator. It’s got a large head so you can cover good ground! I’m not a user of wash cloths, but a body scrubber and this would be so much nicer to use than the scrubber!
One of my favorite pieces is the pumice sphere. My heels aren’t bad, but I like keeping them as smooth as possible. And yea, that’s not the greatest view of my calf and heel, but hey, the pumice is awesome. =)

One of the things I wish it came with was a bag to hold everything. I’ve kept the packaging it came with otherwise they’d just be scattered on a shelf. Not a big deal, just an idea to add to it. Anything that can help me with organization is a help.

This, in any of the colors, is a perfect gift for any of the ladies on your list who love pampering themselves at home! If you’re looking to purchase it, you can find it on Amazon.com, Brookstone.com and Frontgate.com.

Now you have the opportunity to win the ToiletTree Professional Skin Care System in your choice of color!
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The Gaither Homecoming Bible & Gloria Gaither Interview ~ Holiday Giveaway

A couple of weeks ago I was watching the Dove Awards and they had a tribute to Bill Gaither. Shortly after I received an email from Bozeman media offering to let me review the Gaither Homecoming Bible! I was also going to have the opportunity to speak with Gloria, Bill’s wife! I knew that the boys’ great grandma would be so happy about this.

As soon as I received the Bible, I knew it was going to be a gift the boys would give to their Grandma Baker. I received the hard cover edition and it’s absolutely beautiful! It’s the NKJV.

The beginning of the Homecoming Bible has small pictures and bios of all the contributors. I like the pictures because it’s always nice to put a face with a name. I also appreciate Gloria’s introduction about Hymns and Gospels: Why We Need Them. I think we’ve gone far away from them with the recent generations and we lose the beauty of that style of worship.

I love Bibles that are visually beautiful and that’s one of the questions I asked Gloria because I had a feeling she had some input as to the design. I wasn’t wrong in my thinking. Here’s what “extras” are included in the Bible, published by Thomas Nelson:

• 230 devotionals written by Homecoming artists
• 89 articles written by Gloria Gaither       
• 75 in-depth looks at some of the most beloved hymns and gospel songs, including many written by Bill & Gloria Gaither
• 20 poems written by Gloria Gaither
• 5 features discussing the importance of music
• A custom Gaither Homecoming Bible Reading Plan

The following is my interview with the lovely Gloria Gaither…

How did you compile your list of contributors?
First, the Gaither Homecoming Bible has been out 6-9 months. The response has been phenomenal. You know how hard it can be to have the artists respond, but not this time. There were a lot of immediate responses saying the word of God is really important to them on a daily, personal, regular basis. Some several different pieces. The assignment was to tell of real life instances where the Word of God tire hit the pavement. And the other thing her view of this, she and Bill talked about this a lot, this generation in between…gens between old people of God who taught hymns, read out of bible story books, instilled word of God in us…are scared to death their kids aren’t going to have like they did. Gloria made sure to put in 20 or so of the Great hymns, Gaither songs, 20 great gospels for this bible. They also updated hymns in present day language.

How long have you been writing poetry? Do you find it to be the same process to write poetry as to write music?
She’s been writing poetry all of her life. Gloria writes it quite often. That’s the interchange between her family, they send poems to each other. At first she said “no” to them adding her poems to the Bible. because they’re not all gospel bent. For example Renascence on page 791, people we work with in Christian ministry you feel like you’re talking Swahili when you’re talking about the Lord. I was so blessed because Gloria read this poem to me!!!!! When everything comes together, it prompts them to seek the Lord. Basically an appeal to people who think they’re Christians.

How did you decide to use the NKJV?
Thomas Nelson had already decided on the version and the NKJV is by far biggest selling translation, and seems most beautiful. She’s been a Christian since 4yrs old after a while you think you know a verse and it slides off you like water off a duck’s back, but you sometimes you don’t realize what it’s really saying. Reading one of the newer translations, gives her the reason to go back to the NKJV.

Saw the tribute to Bill on the Dove Awards and it was really amazing. What did you guys think of the tribute?
It was a tribute to He Touched Me. It propelled them into visibility, into a bigger circle! That was written 50 years ago. They had no idea it would be like way back when they first did the song!

Did you help with the design inside the Bible? It’s such a “warm” Bible. It seems like a bible you want to cuddle up with on a cold night and dive into or to start your morning diving into the word.
She said this will be beautiful and the Word of God is beautiful. Gloria new exactly which designer she wanted to use because she’s worked with him before. It was intentional.

How long was the editing process for the Homecoming Bible?
The editing was a long process. Gloria’s staff worked on all of it. Choice of songs involved a lot of people and pouring over the list seeing who said the same songs several times. They were able to have it done In less than a year, but altogether it was a 3 yr. process. visual medium, thought many of the people would be known better by their faces and their names.
Highlighted singing and music throughout the bible. The role it has throughout the bible was a shocker to Gloria. In green highlights. In gold highlights, see what great writers said about music and their journey. You find many treasures as you thumb through this Bible!

Now you have the opportunity to win this very Bible! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bridgewater Candle Company Inspirations For LIfe ~ Holiday Giveaway

One of the things I love most about this time of the year is finding gifts and working with companies who find it important to give back. I’ve worked with Bridgewater Candle Company before and love that they give back with their jar candles. Bridgewater Candle Company will feed a child for a day with each jar candle that’s bought!

They also have a line called Inspirations for Life. There are 5 designs:

• Blessed beyond measure
• Joy to the world
• Peace begins with a smile
• Live by faith, Grow in Grace, walk in love
• Sew seeds of Hope…scatter them abundantly

In the line, you can choose a Tall candle, a TinCandle, a Tall Sachet, and an Auto Vent Clip. I received from the Hope line all of the products but the Auto Vent Clip to try out. I went with this style because sometimes we just need to be reminded of the Hope we have! I also love fresh linen scents and that was the fragrance for this one.

I appreciate how the message is clear with each item. When you open the TinCandle, the inside of the lid has the message for the Hope style. It’s the little touches. =)

The Tall Candle lid suctions onto the top of the jar. The side of the candle encourages us to be an inspiration. I love that it subtly reminds us to give back. I like the Sachet and can’t decide if I’d put it in my closet, leave it on my dresser for the room to smell fresh, or put it in one of my drawers. Linens smelling like fresh linens…good idea to me!

Now you have the opportunity to win the same selection that I was given!
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Something I’m Thankful For…My Son’s Thankful Leaf

Yesterday I went to Doodle’s school. It was ok. So strange walking into a school or a classroom and not knowing a single person. Our transition here hasn’t been easy and sometimes, well, quite often I have a hard time finding things to be thankful for. As I was leaving his class, I asked him if he had anything up somewhere that I could see. He took me outside of his classroom and showed me his leaf. I could barely hold my composure! This is what my 10 yr old wrote. I have so much to learn from him and his heart.

“I am thankful for everything that God has given to me. I'm thankful for him putting me on this planet, giving me a wonderful family and lots of great friends. I'm also thankful for him creating heaven and earth and everything in the universe. I am thankful for him sending his one and only son to die for us so we can someday be with him. I say that is true love. He gave his one and only son to die on the cross for our sins.”

I am thankful my children are making the choice to follow the Lord. Can you imagine anything to be thankful for more than this?

Writing Prompts:

1.) An old school song that makes you happy.
2.) Something you’re thankful for.
3.) An outfit you love(d). (inspired by NaBloPoMo)
4.) A new favorite something.
5.) List 8 books you’ve read that you think everyone should read in their lifetime. (I actually did this one, and right before I hit “Publish” remembered my son’s leaf from yesterday morning and HAD to share it instead)

Wordless Wednesday: Attended a Wedding

About 18 yrs ago, my brother’s best friend lived with my parents for a couple of years. I never really knew him until the past couple of years when my kids and I would see him during Christmas. Alan is extremely close to my family and I consider him a pseudo brother.

He married this weekend and it was a wonderful night! So wonderful to be able to share this time with my parents, brothers and Fred!

Literally dragged my little brother onto the dance floor! It was AWEsome!

Some of the best speeches ever! These people are serious about their VA Tech football!

Be sure to visit Full Time Mama for her WW post, too!

MyNameNecklace.com

I am really on a kick about personalized gifts. Not only do I love receiving them, I love giving them. They have more meaning to me and it feels like someone thought a bit extra about me if I receive something personalized.

When I came across MyNameNecklace.com I was pretty giddy to find something cute to personalize. What mom, grandma, daughter, girlfriend, etc doesn’t love something with a personal touch? As a mom, oh my goodness, anything that like that melted my heart!

This year, I have a boyfriend and I thought it would be really nice to have a necklace with our names on it. My girls are in college and don’t have a budget to really get gifts so I like to try to help out where I can. Getting gifts for them to give me is one way I try to do that.

I went looking around MyNameNecklace.com and came across a necklace that really fit the bill! The Personalized Nameplate Necklace for Mom was the one I thought our names would look sweet together on. I’ve never had a necklace where I was supposed to choose the length of my necklace. I went with the 20” and it was longer than I would’ve wanted. The 16” would’ve probably been more to my length. Unlike me, I’d suggest measuring the length you think you’d like before you order just to be on the safe side. Learn from experience, right? =)

My new necklace is 18ct Yellow Gold plating over Sterling Silver and hangs on a Gold Plated Box Chain. It’s really light and I love how it shines so beautifully! I’m going to have to buffer it every time I wear it so that it stays shiny! lol Yes, I’m that goofy!

MyNameNecklace.com has more than just necklaces to personalize! They also have bracelets, rings, and earrings.

You have the opportunity to get 10% off your order until 2/17/13 using WOVEN at checkout!