Tag Archives: shopping

Polymer Clay Accessories Are Bringing Back A Funky Trend

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Polymer Clay Accessories Are Bringing Back A Funky Trend

The growth of the online shopping industry has encouraged budding entrepreneurs to get creative in making their products as unique as possible. Trends in accessorizing have leaned toward asymmetrical looks, like mismatching earrings to highlight each one as an individual work of art. More than ever, photo editing for jewelry eCommerce shops has become necessary if the entrepreneur wants their campaign to be successful.

Recently, polymer clay came into prominence due to the unlimited designs that accessory makers can shape and bake. Aside from the available colors of the clay, artists have the option of creating new ones similar to how you might form a new color from mixing paint. The shapes can also have iterations without limiting makers due to how easy it is to mold clay.

It is also more durable once baked compared to cheaper materials that are mass produced. The assurance that the accessory will be long-lasting, unique, and personalized encourages the market to prefer it as an addition to their collection. These are just a few of the reasons why these accessories are so special:

Durability Of The Material:

So long as the accessory is baked and shaped properly, it cannot be broken by hand. This curing process allows it to be stronger while imprinting on the mold or the shape formed. If it is not performed according to the curing instructions for your clay, it will become brittle and easy to break. Due to its durability, it is easier for shop owners to ship to their customers without the possibility of them breaking.

These accessories might be a bit more expensive than the normal off the rack accessories, but they allow you to style yourself without the worry of glued on objects falling off. They will also be cheaper than the more luxurious kinds of accessories while allowing you to be more expressive about your personality.

Personalized Accessories:

Polymer accessories are often used to make tourist key chains because they can be easily personalized. The clay acts as a sandbox for the customer, allowing them to request any design they prefer. Names, phrases, and even likeness can be imprinted on the clay depending on the method used by the artist.

This medium is similar to having commissioned artwork, wherein the client can have a say in what is produced. The items can be personalized for a particular event like a wedding, anniversary, or the perfect gift for a friend.

Each Is Unique:

Early in the 2010s, IKEA released vases that would have hand prints on each one from the potter. The argument for this design was to make them unique and to have an imprint of the human touch. Each polymer clay accessory made are likely to be handcrafted and pressed with the artist’s fingers. Although they might avoid leaving unintentional prints on their designs, the uniqueness of each item cannot be avoided because humans cannot perfectly replicate one design.

There will always be a small adjustment or a faint hint of the attempt to duplicate the original. Even though the customer might not notice the difference, the artist can likely identify their experience when presented with an accessory, even if it is one of two in a set of earrings.

Polymer clay is yet another platform for creativity to enter the fashion world. It encourages vibrant and one of a kind designs to entice the public with the chance for a unique addition to their look!

Featured Image By: ArtHouse Studio from Pexels

Black Friday Shopping Tips

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Black Friday Shopping Tips

Hello! Yesterday we discussed some tips and tricks to help get you prepared for Thanksgiving, which means that it’s time to talk about Black Friday shopping today. Black Friday is going to look different this year with COVID-19 still being so prevalent so it’s important to have a game plan to safely and successfully complete your shopping. Let’s get to it:

Do Your Research:

Lots of major retailers are no longer going to be open on Thanksgiving evening which I think is great. Or, some of the shops might not be open period due to COVID. When you’re planning your shopping route, make sure you consult the websites of your favorite stores to see when they are open, if at all, so you don’t end up at a store that’s closed.

Don’t forget to look into the COVID precautions of where you’re going too. They might be limiting the amount of people allowed in the store and masks could be needed for entry. Pack a couple of extra masks with you and dress in warm layers in case you have to wait outside of the store until you can go in.

Sign Up For Rewards Programs:

So many different stores have rewards programs that you can sign up for to save money and this is something that you can usually do online. If the stores you’re going to offers a rewards program, it never hurts to sign up for it. Some stores might be offering special Black Friday deals specifically for those who are part of their rewards club. This might include early or prolonged access to Black Friday deals and an extra percentage off of your purchase.

Check Out Cyber Monday:

In many cases, you don’t have to step foot in a store to get great post Thanksgiving deals. Due to COVID, many retailers are probably going to be offering the same deals online as they are in store. If you prefer to stay home and aren’t seeing any sales online on Black Friday, hold off until Cyber Monday. Monday is, traditionally, the day when you can save a bundle with your online shopping so don’t fret if you aren’t seeing what you would like to buy on promotion immediately.

Don’t Forget Small Business Saturday:

It is always important to support your local businesses, especially now more than ever. Your favorite local boutiques, eateries, and storefronts are sure to be offering great deals on Small Business Saturday. This is an amazing way to pick out unique gifts for those on your shopping list (Or yourself!) and give back to the small business owners in your area.

Safety First:

We have already discussed looking into the COVID precautions for Black Friday and now we will be talking about a different kind of safety. No matter how good the deal, nothing is worth getting into a fight over! If this should happen to you, just let it go for your safety’s sake. And, please, if you see anyone hurt or who has fallen: HELP THEM.

Whether you’re shopping Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday, use the tips above for maximum efficiency and maximum savings!

Do you participate in any of the mentioned shopping days? What is the best deal you have gotten if so? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Spooky Spectacular OOTD

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Spooky Spectacular OOTD

Hi! Today, we are going to take a look at my Spooky Spectacular OOTD for Halloween. I’ll be the first to admit that I threw this costume together and hoped for the best and I am incredibly pleased with how it turned out. Although I couldn’t find a vampire costume to match Johnny’s, that’s okay, because I was able to come up with a costume that no one else would have. Take a look:

Who? What? Wear?

During our search for Halloween costumes, Johnny and I went to three different stores and I couldn’t find NOTHIN minus a couple of super cool accessories. This included the claw rings that I am obsessed with even though they are way too big and crazy cheap lol. Johnny was able to find a vampire costume that I thought he looked dashing in while I had to resort to online shopping after our rounds at the stores.

I scoured Amazon for over a half hour and was still coming up empty. I just couldn’t find anything that spoke to me and I had all but given up when I stumbled upon the skeleton bodysuit by Tipsy Elves. It was definitely more expensive than what I was comfortable with, however, it was one of the few things I saw that I could actually work with so I gave it a shot. It conveniently arrived with free one day shipping and it was a huge relief that it fit well when I tried it on. The last thing I needed was to find another costume in a sea of not so muches.

Despite having the bodysuit, my costume was not complete because I felt too exposed in just the bodysuit and fishnets. I decided that a black tutu skirt was a necessity so Johnny and I made our way back to Spirit Halloween the Thursday before the big weekend. The store was so picked over and entire shelves were completely bare with no black tutu skirt in sight. All that was left was red and purple skirts, so red it was. At the time, I wasn’t thrilled about it but after putting on the completed costume, I should have been looking for a red skirt all along – it’s so cute!

To finish the look, I went with my wedding heels that worked perfectly with the skeleton bodysuit. I also was really happy to be able to wear them again after mine and Johnny’s June nuptials. After my OOTD was ready to go, it was time to apply makeup and that went as well as to be expected with a palette from Spirit Halloween lol. Needless to say, it didn’t apply very well but I was pleased with how my attempt at skeleton makeup turned out even though I didn’t have the best tools to work with.

My Spooky Spectacular costume is one that I am really proud of and it turned out even better than I expected. Thrown together? Yes. So cute it’s scary? Yes times a million! Be sure to tune in tomorrow for bonus pictures! 😀

What did you do for Halloween? What did you dress up as? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Sephora Haul

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Sephora Haul

Hi! I was running low on my Better Than Sex mascara, which meant that it was time to put an online order in with Sephora. I love shopping on Sephora’s website because of all of the amazing freebies that are offered with your purchase. You can’t beat free shipping, two samples, a mini product, and cashing in your Beauty Insider points for a haul worth writing home about… Or posting on your blog about, I should say! Check it out:

The Haul:

  • 2 Too Faced Better Than Sex mascaras
  • Clinique Moisture Surge moisturizer: FREE with Beauty Insider points
  • Summer Fridays Jet Lag face mask: FREE with twenty-five dollar purchase
  • Lancome Advanced Genifique serum sample: FREE with purchase
  • Fenty Skin starter set sample: FREE with purchase

The Better Than Sex mascara by Too Faced is the most expensive makeup product that I use. While I cringe a bit at the twenty-seven dollar price tag, I can justify it by all of the goodies that I get to test out from my purchase. Sephora always offers an assortment of free mini products with twenty-five dollar orders and if you shop with Sephora, then you know that that isn’t hard to do!

During my online shopping, I usually like to cash in my Beauty Insider points and when I saw that the Clinique Moisture Surge moisturizer was available, it went into my bag immediately. I do love my Garnier SkinActive moisturizers but the Moisture Surge by Clinique is SO nice. It is ultra hydrating, so lightweight, and absorbs like a dream. Although I have a ton of my Garnier moisturizers in my stock pile, the Clinique one will be much appreciated during the winter to help combat dry skin.

For my next freebie, I chose the Jet Lag face mask by Summer Fridays because it has been a while since we have had a Face Mask Festivities post. Testing out new face masks is one of my favorite things to do to relax and you can’t beat trying one out free of charge. I’m excited! 😀

Finally, for my samples I went with a serum by Lancome and the Fenty Skin starter set. I could take or leave the serum because I am most looking forward to trying out the Fenty products – I have always wanted to! The starter set came with the Total Cleans’r, Fat Water, and Hydra Vizor. How can you turn down testing out a product named Fat Water?! The answer is that you don’t lol.

For under sixty dollars, I was able to get my must have mascara and a whole lot of freebies along with it. I can’t wait to try out all of the new to me products in my haul so keep it posted for reviews!

Have you used any of these products before? What do you think of them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

Accessory Story: Halloween Haul Pt. 2

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Accessory Story: Halloween Haul Pt. 2

Hello! After acquiring our Halloween costumes, Johnny and I realized that we didn’t have everything that we needed. So, we made our way back to Spirit Halloween to pick up some odds and ends to complete our costumes. Makeup was an absolute must but I also needed to grab some type of skirt for my bodysuit style costume, which I can’t wait to show you all! Now, take a look at this part two Halloween Haul:

Despite getting everything that we needed for our costumes, I will be the first to admit that Johnny and I should have done this a lot earlier. When we hit the store last Thursday, Spirit Halloween was so picked over with entire displays completely bare and a check out line longer than waiting for a ride at an amusement part. I think if we waited even an hour longer to go, we wouldn’t have gotten the last few essentials for our costumes!

Originally, I wanted a black tulle skirt to compliment my bodysuit but there was none to be found. All that was left was purple and red skirts so red it was! Because the red was going to be such an abrupt pop of color, I decided to go with the glitter top hat headband to tie the look together. It might work or it might not but, on the bright side, I could use it if I celebrate Halloween as a sexy Mad Hatter next year lol.

With the costume accessories taken care of, it was onto makeup and Johnny purchased us a palette with red, black, and white cream based makeup. While he selected our face palette, I needed eyelash glue in a bad way because all of mine was no longer usable. I won’t be wearing the bow fake eyelashes with my costume but it gave me all of the Hello Kitty vibes and I couldn’t pass them up. So cute!

And, finally, the hair glitter was not really a costume purchase either but something fun to have. I used to love using gold and silver spray glitter in my hair for some fairy sparkle so I just had to buy a can for myself. I was a bit disappointed that there was no gold glitter but beggars can’t be choosers when the entire store’s supply was almost entirely gone.

Partially for costumes and partially for fun, Spirit Halloween provided me with another successful accessory haul. I can’t wait for all of you to see mine and Johnny’s Halloween OOTDs so keep it posted!

What is your favorite holiday? What did you dress up as for Halloween? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Accessory Story: Halloween Haul Edition

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Accessory Story: Halloween Haul Edition

Hi! Halloween is mine and Johnny’s favorite time of the year. We love the style, the decorations, and all of the other spooky treats that come with the season. Last week, we ventured out to three different stores to search for vampire costumes for Halloween weekend and while Johnny found a great costume, I had no such luck. I had to resort to purchasing a costume off of Amazon (Which you will all see soon!) but I didn’t walk away from our shopping empty handed. Check out my Halloween Accessory Haul:

While I normally prefer accessory shopping at TJMaxx, you can’t beat places like Spirit Halloween to find odds and ends that add a touch of the macabre to all of your OOTDS. I have always wanted finger rings despite my pointy acrylics and just couldn’t pass up on the ones that I bought. And, yes, I had to buy them both because I couldn’t decide between the Vampire and Skeleton pack! Can you imagine typing at the keyboard with those babies on? 😀

Several years ago, I bought a pair of my favorite bloody knife earrings from Spirit Halloween and was looking forward to scoping out their earring selection. It definitely didn’t disappoint and I love the Day Of The Dead inspired dangly pair that I picked out. The real piece de resistance, however, is the feather collar for all of the Black Swan vibes. I recently rewatched that movie for the millionth time and when I saw only one collar left on the shelf, it had to come home with me.

I seriously cannot wait to create a look with the collar as the centerpiece so keep your eyes peeled for that as well as my Halloween costume OOTD very soon. It may be November first but that’s no matter when every day is Halloween in my household! ❤

What did you dress up as for Halloween? How would you style my feather collar? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bath & Body Works Haul

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Bath & Body Works Haul

Hello! When it comes to my beauty hoard, I like to keep it very well stocked. This means having at least two backups of my most used products on hand at all times. Johnny and I are both extremely partial to the hand soaps from Bath & Body Works so when I saw that we only had one left, a restock was definitely in order! Check it out:

Would I Buy Again?

  • Island Papaya: YES
  • Ghoul Friend: YES
  • Afternoon Apple Picking: YES
  • Blueberry Maple Pancakes: NO
  • Peach Bellini: YES
  • Let’s Get Nuts: MAYBE
  • Spooky Hand Sanitizers: YES!

Despite a couple of misses during this B&BW haul, I am still pleased with it. The Island Papaya was a huge success with Johnny who loves all things tropical and I am always happy to get another Peach Bellini hand soap – it’s my favorite! Afternoon Apple Picking was also a scent that we both really liked because it smelled strictly like apples without a touch of cinnamon, which we both hate lol. Now, let’s move on to the not so liked buys:

When I saw the Blueberry Maple Pancakes soap, I thought that it would smell amazing and was looking forward to its arrival in the mail. Unfortunately, it missed the mark big time. Instead of a delicious blueberry bakery scent, it just smells like straight up syrup and is almost sickeningly sweet.

Let’s Get Nuts is another scent that I could probably do without. It is your basic vanilla and, don’t get me wrong, I am a huge vanilla fan. However, vanilla can be kind of boring when there are so many other fun hand soap scents to explore. I actually didn’t plan on buying the soap but almost all of the Halloween scents were sold out so I added it to the shopping cart to make the most of the six soaps for twenty-four dollars deal.

The biggest success of this haul was not the soaps but the hand sanitizers! Last month, I got a coupon for a free sani and I absolutely loved it. The scent was nice and light and it made my hands feel clean without drying them out. Since we couldn’t get many Halloween scented soaps, we settled for the five for eight dollars spooky sani pack which is a great deal. Johnny and I are both currently using Vampire Blood and the only thing that would make it perfect is if we had the hand soap too – it smells SO good!

Hit or miss, you can never go wrong with the foaming hand soaps from Bath & Body Works. I am already looking forward to the next restock! 😀

What is your favorite B&BW scent? What is in your beauty stock pile? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Shake The Holiday Time Stress – Plan Ahead!

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Shake The Holiday Time Stress – Plan Ahead!

Hi! While the holiday season can be the most wonderful time of the year, it can also be the most stressful. All you have to do is visit a store in October to know that the countdown to the holidays are fast approaching because Christmas decorations have taken over. Some people may thrive on leaving holiday preparations to the last minute and that is okay! But it is so not me and if that doesn’t work for you, either, try the tips below to sail smoothly into the holiday season:

Start Shopping Now:

One of the best ways to shake the holiday stress is, of course, starting your shopping early. In fact, I know some people who start shopping for the next Christmas with the end of season sales in January! You don’t need to be this extreme but shopping a few months in advance is a must. This will eliminate any anxiety about if your packages will arrive before your celebrated holiday. It also provides for extra time to return damaged or not as good as you thought presents.

Shopping in advance doesn’t just ensure that all of your prezzies will get to their designated giftee in a timely manner – it is better on your wallet too. Breaking up your buying between several months will also get rid of the stress of a huge credit card bill come January first!

Sort Out The Spread:

Maybe your holiday stress stems from having to prepare a big meal for the family and your guests. Although you can’t buy your food way in advance, there are some things that you can do now. How about sending invites to your holiday dinner that people have to RSVP to? Don’t forget to ask about any allergies! This way, you will know who all will be in attendance so you don’t end up cooking way too much or too little.

Once you have a firm idea of who is joining your holiday dinner and their food preferences, you can plan out your spread accordingly. It might not hurt to have some back up recipes in place just in case you can’t get your hands on a ham or turkey at the grocery store.

Know When To Excuse Yourself:

If you have a strained relationship with a family member or guest at your Christmas gathering, this can be a HUGE stressor. Develop a plan now for what you can do to protect your mental health if this is the case for you and practice it. This could be sticking with the cool cousins for the gathering, arriving after a triggering person has left, or simply knowing when to step away to compose yourself. You have every right to an enjoyable time and having a plan thought out prior to the big day will add a sense of security since you won’t have to wing responses or reactions on the spot.

The holiday season is a joyous time but can it be stressful? Big time. Plan ahead now to eliminate the mad dash feel. Then, when everything is in place: Sit back and relax – you have earned it! ❤

What are your holiday season stressors? How do you prepare for a family gathering? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Zempertoopa Skeleton Sweater

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Zempertoopa Skeleton Sweater

Hello! From band Ts to straight up silly ones, Johnny and I have a decent amount of matching T-shirts. I always joke that our matching tops will prevent us from getting lost when we are out and about! And, now, we can be twinsies in sweaters too during the cold weather because he bought a skeleton one off of Amazon that didn’t fit and had to order a size up. It was no harm no foul though because it’s mine now! Haha check it out:

For most people, the winter holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. For me and Johnny, however, it is the entire month of October – AKA spooky season! We live for Halloween and prefer to stay in the spooky spirit all year round. Our new sweaters will definitely help the cause of living every day like it’s Halloween. 😀

Johnny has wanted a skeleton style sweater for forever so he was very disappointed when this one didn’t fit. Myself, on the other hand, was more disappointed that he didn’t order me one too so I guess things all worked out in the end lol. This will be the perfect sweater for snuggling up and watching scary movies or going out and about to do fall activities with.

The next outing on our agenda is to hit the pumpkin patch but it won’t be to pick out the perfect Jack-o-lantern pumpkin. We have literally no room in our apartment to carve pumpkins so our plan is to purchase some anyways and go to a wooded area to break them open for all of our animal friends. Pumpkins are a delicious treat for woodland animals and I encourage all of you to do the same when you’re clearing out your Halloween decor. 🙂

Skeletons, pumpkins, and apple orchards – oh my! Your favorite resident emo couple is living their best life right now and I hope the same is true for you too. ❤

Do you like carving pumpkins? What are you going to dress up as for Halloween? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Vacation Souvenirs

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Vacation Souvenirs

Hello!! My family vacation in the Poconos was the absolute best and I am definitely ready for another one lol. It is so hard to go back to work after all of the fun, family time, amazing food, and relaxation! No vacation is complete without plenty of souvenirs and Johnny and I got several to enjoy in our kitchen and on our knick knack shelf. Check it out:

The favorite vacation purchase for me and Johnny is, easily, our Frankenstein and Skeleton Man plushies from the small store at Heckman Orchards. They are SO cute and we love snuggling up with them while we watch ten episodes of Criminal Minds in a row. 😀

The earrings (Which I’m obsessed with!) and the Grow Your Own Bigfoot were bought at a couple of shops in Jim Thorpe. The rest of our souvenirs came from Country Junction, which is the world’s largest general store. And, let me tell you, if you are ever in the area you just have to check it out.

Country Junction was a mishmash of a billion different things and it was like being in a carnival fun house. The actual general store was HUGE and it was the size of at least three Walmarts all put together. There was a section for everything from children’s toys to grilling supplies, pet care, and old fashioned candy. In almost every corner, there were gigantic statues that could move and talk including scenes from the Wizard Of Oz and a Jurassic Park-esque velociraptor. Oh, and did I mention that there was a full arcade with bumper cars too?! 😮

The madness wasn’t limited to the inside, no siree bob. Outdoors, there was a petting zoo, hay rides, playgrounds, and a small carnival complete with old school rides, fun houses, and food vendors. It was absolutely nuts lol. I so wish that I took pictures of this madness but the weather was rainy and Johnny and I were carrying all of our shopping bags by the time we caught up with the rest of the family.

Our purchases were pretty heavy because we bought a ton! I did some early Christmas shopping, got prezzies for my niece, nephew, and sister, as well as lots of treats for me and Johnny. I am particularly fond of the items that I bought by Our Own Candle Company. The Hot Chocolate candle smells delicious and I can’t wait to use the bar soap – the Peach scent is to die for!

If you have the time, definitely check out Country Junction online because you will be just as blown away/dumbfounded as I think everyone is that steps foot on the property!

Do you have anything like Country Junction in your area? What is your favorite one stop shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah