I've said this before...

Sometimes things just do NOT work out as planned. So, my 200th post was supposed to be the announcement of a winner in my give a way. Instead, I am apologizing cause apparently Rafflecopter ended the entries early. So...

I am still giving people through the end of today. You can enter by commenting on the give a way blog post or this post (only one entry no matter which post you comment on), or by following me on Pinterest, or by liking my new Facebook page. If you do any of those things before Midnight tonight (11/30/2012) CT, you will get entered in the give a way.

Again, I am SOOOOO sorry for all of the issues with Rafflecopter.

Thanksgiving Give-a-way!

Ok, it is time for my big Thanksgiving Give-a-way! Yeah, I know it was last week, I am still thankful! So, on to the prizes! Yep, I decided to do more than one.

First up is a collection of findings. Featuring a LOT of chandelier components, as well as some earring findings, and some head pins (including some with crystals at the end!) and two cha cha bracelet bases. Metals are plated base metal.



Prize pack number two is a collections of various beads. Some faux pearls, some glass beads, some mother of pearl, some metal leaves, some polymer earrings, and some other random stuff.



Prize pack number three is slightly smaller, but has some awesome funky/vintage pieces, and a couple of pendants I made.



You can enter using the Rafflecopter widget below Ok, Rafflecopter ended early by mistake. I AM still taking entries - Please see this post for details. Please only enter if you are in the US, as I just can't shipped international at this time. Note: I have had some reports of the Rafflecopter widget not working. This seems to be related to using the IE browser. Please try using another browser such as Chrome or Firefox. Thank you. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanksgiving is over

The meal may be done (except for the leftovers) but the spirit lives on! In the spirit of giving thanks to those who have stuck with me for another year, I will be having a HUGE give-a-way starting Monday. It will be open to US residents only (sorry, but this is gonna be a lot of stuff, and shipping outside the US is out of my budget at the moment!). The prize( or prizes - haven't quite decided yet) will include some wonderful items from the stash I got earlier this fall and will be HUGE!

So, enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend, and come back Monday to check it out and enter!

Game Review: Just Dance 4 for Wii - Updated!

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. #UbiChamps

So, my second game review. This time I got a copy of Just Dance 4 for the Wii. Due to problems with my knees caused by the stupid spider bite, the act of actually playing the game fell to my niece and her best friend. Both are 8 and in third grade.

Miss M (her parents don't want her actual name or face on the internet) and her friend play Just Dance 4 every morning before school and they LOVE it. The mix of current and classic music was apparently a very big hit - Miss M has been constantly singing Rick Aston, highly amusing! They really liked the chance to move and wake up in the mornings. It is apparenly a wonderful way to start the day!

I managed to get some video of Miss M dancing and asked her some questions about the game.


After I stopped rolling, Miss M told me that one of her favorite songs in the game is Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Aston. Why? Because the avatar is dressed as a lame super hero and there are dinosuars and giant robots in the background! She is also having fun with more recent hits like Call Me Maybe and Moves Like Jagger. She and her friend are able to compete head to head to see who gets the higher score, or they can work together on a duet! Miss M's mom also had a go at the Just Sweat mode (a workout mode) and said it was a pretty good routine. She was definitely sweating!

So, there you have it, Just Dance 4 is "pretty awesome" and a good work out!If you want to try it for yourself, you can pick up a copy on Amazon. Oh, and the "reading disc" error in the video just means we need to clean the lens on our Wii, it is not the fault of the game!

UPDATE! So Thanksgiving has come and gone and I had to share how much this game added to mine. Like everyone else, I spend Thanksgiving with my family gorging on food and remembering why I only see these people three times a year. At least, that is what I do in the afternoon.

Once evening rolls around, myself and several like minded friends always get together and do something fun to shake off the stress of a day with family. This year, I brought along Just Dance 4. Big Hit. Big. We spent the whole evening dancing, laughing, and having fun! Found out that even with bad knees, so long as I do the arm movements the game still counts it! (Woo! for accessibility!) Also explored the store and found my new favorite thing EVER! You can download.... wait for it.... Gangnam Style! Horsey dance the night away! This group of friends has just found their new go to party game. Woo!



All opinions in this post are mine (or Miss M's). We recieved a review copy of the game, but no other compensation. Thank you.

Have I mentioned I like shrink plastic?

Cause I really, really do! I won some shrink plastic and a copy of the awesome book Shrink, Shrank, Shrunk!.

So, the shrink plastic I won was made to be printed on in an ink jet printer. So, I printed some sheet music on it, and I liked it, but... there was something about the edges that just wasn't... finished. So, I added some beadwork and I am really happy with the result!



I love being able to combine differing mediums. So, what do we think?

Bedtime woes...

Do you sit on the edge of your bed and lay back, or do you climb into bed on your knees and flip over?

I was always the climb in type. Probably because I am short and have a fairly tall bed, so sitting on the side is awkward at best. And climbing in is just more fun!

I haven't mentioned it, but I was bitten by a spider this summer. A fun result of the spider bite is some really bad arthritis in my knees. My doctor calls it "reactive arthritis" and says it can last about 6 months. I hate it. I hate it hate it hate it hate it HATE IT! Did I mention, I hate it?

I am a heavy girl and I have asthma, so I have never been the most active person in the world, but to have to struggle to stand or just walk across a room is really really frustrating. Part of my job is walking around and helping people, and I can't do that right now. Shopping is a major issue. Waiting in a line is nearly unbearable. I had to fly earlier this week and that was... horrendous is the word that comes to mind. I am on the verge of buying a shower chair... and I'm only 38 (or will be in a month).

But the worst of the restrictions this temporary (oh god let it be temporary!) condition has put on me, is that I can no longer climb into bed. Can't put the pressure on my knees. I forget and try, it gets ugly. So, I am learning to sit sedately on the edge of the bed, and lay back. It's dignified, and mature, and I hate it.

I once heard it said that you know you are old when people stop telling you that you will break your neck and start telling you that you will break a hip... I think I am there.

She LIVES!

More than that, she creates!

Earrings made from some silver plated disks and dyed mother of pearl heishi beads.



Experimenting with Super Duo beads for the first time... made a beaded bead!



Gotta catch a plane in the morning, so off to bed!

No More Wooden Pallet Projects!

I read a lot of craft blogs (a lot of craft blogs!). I also love the DIY & Crafts section of Pinterest. Both of these love to feature projects "reusing" wooden pallets. Dumbest. Idea. Ever.

Couple of things you should know about wooden pallets (and I used to work in a metal shop where we loaded and unloaded lots of things from pallets, so I speak from experience here):

1) Wooden pallets are made from the cheapest wood possible. The slats are cut with regards to strength, not beauty. They will be bowed, warped, have knots, and have sections missing. All of these things, not pick one.
2) Wooden pallets are one of the best built things in the world! The are fastened together with the intention that they STAY fastened together. You can pick them up, slam them down, run into things, drop them, tip them, bang them together... almost anything, EXCEPT easily take them apart.
3) The reason pallets are so well built, is that they are intended to be used over and over and over and over and over... until they fall apart through sheer wear and tear. There is no need to "recycle" or "reuse" a pallet in your craft project. You are not saving the Earth. You are in fact destroying a pallet that would otherwise keep serving it's pallet-y purpose for years to come. Because of you, another pallet had to be made. You.

So, to all you crafters and would be DIYers out there, I say, "STOP USING PALLETS!!!" If you want to make a wood craft, buy some wood. Or use old barn wood from an architectural salvage company. Or use cardboard (they are doing some amazing things with it!