Hello! Happy Giveaway Day!!!

One of our darling Sweetheart Sponsors and dear friends Jo Packham of Where Women Create, Where Women Cook, and Where Women Create: Business magazines has an incredibly beautiful new book out. She has sent me a couple of copies to give away to incredibly beautiful YOU!

This book; the Book of Organization - The Art of Creating Order, which I have been lucky enough, as a contributor, to have had on my coffee table for a few months now, is cover to cover visual eye candy. It is like having personal tours of all the best creative studios and getting a private peek at how people 'stack their stuff'!  You will be impressed, intrigued and inspired to go find clever drawers to put things in!

You will even get to see a really old photo of me in 'Little Marmalade" with a really bad haircut! Wins all around!

I can't wait to send two of you this lovely. So! To enter, just leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite tip or trick for organization! I love to hear this stuff! You had better hurry though, my Mom is trying to stick a copy in her suitcase as we speak!

Winners will be chosen Friday March 1st at 12noon EST.

Good Luck!!

xo

Hi Guys! Happy Friday! I am SO excited to introduce you to one of our newest Sweetheart Sponsors, Susabelle Boutique. Christine Willard is not only a long-time Curly Girl fan, she is also one of our fine customers! She has put together a gorgeous web-based retail experience and has a mission to support American artisans. Her well-trained eye and loads of retail experience are on display at her beautiful e-boutique and isn't that lucky for us! Be sure to check out her site, and "Like" her shop on Facebook for a fabulous Curly Girl Give Away!

I asked Christine to tell me a little bit more about what she and her shop are about and here is what she said:

Susabelleboutique.com is a lifestyle e-boutique with a twist:  all of the product on our site is made in the USA. 

After owning a brick and mortar store for ten years, I wanted to come back to retail, but this time, it was time to “start something that matters”; there are a million websites out there, so,  I wanted this one to be one that stands out by helping others.  It’s my chance to help bring America back—even if this is my small way,  it’s still very important to me. I want to make buying made in the USA “tantalizingly chic”.  It’s become my mission!

The site is a spin-off of what I had created in my brick and mortar store.  Most of my inspiration for my creative process comes from my buying trips and travels.  I have always had a knack for picking up on trends—especially the next “what’s hot” or the next color trend.  When I am buying, I always try to put myself in my customer's shoes: “would this be something I would spend my hard earned money on?”

My work is unique in that I have managed to bring together an entire boutique—one that you would love to frequent on a regular basis—of products that are all made in the US. There was discussion on major networks that intimated that made in the USA was just too hard to find.  I took that as a challenge; after ten years of going to markets around the country, I knew it was out there; someone just had to make it all readily accessible.  I think that more folks would buy products made in the USA if they were more accessible.

Interestingly, I started my career in nursing! After a wonderful, long career with Johnson and Johnson, I let my creative side be expressed through my award-winning brick and mortar store, La Belle Maison.  After just under ten years as a brick and mortar store, a series of unfortunate events and circumstances led to its closing.  In very short order, I decided to move the store online.  But, as I mentioned, I wanted it to be more than just a store for my personal gain.  I wanted it to be something that was more about “economical consciousness” rather than just being another store.  Just think, even if we can create 5, 10, or 20 jobs by increasing business for American manufacturers, wouldn’t that be worth it?

Please check out our blog on www.susabelleboutique.com for more insight from our first blog entry.

Please take a minute to check out the fabulous stuff Susabelle's is doing! Check out the shop and stop by their Facebook Page , and mention this post for an exciting Curly Girl Give Away!!

Thanks for supporting those that support this blog!!

xoxo

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Think you have something the Curly Girl World needs to know all about!? Would you like to become a Sponsor? We are growing fast and have some spots left at introductory rates. Contact: emily@curlygirldesign.com to learn more.

Hello All!! I am thrilled to introduce you to one of our newest Sweetheart Sponsors, Lettie McArthur from For Giving Works. Her breathtakingly soulful handmade jewelry speaks right to my gypsy soul and I just know you are going to love it! Please take a moment to visit her shop and blog and tell her I sent you. You will not be sorry! I asked Lettie to tell me a little bit about her company  and here is what she had to say:

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I make one of a kind jewelry - each piece is inspired by a vintage pendant or an artists charm.  The name For Giving Works was inspired by a story of forgiveness between two friends but it has evolved into a story centered around forgiving myself.  Too many years were wasted dwelling on what I believed to be my shortcomings - when I chose to forgive myself for what I considered to be my faults I found that they began to work for me instead of against me.  Forgiveness is magical....
 
I work out of my home in Vidalia, GA.  Most of my work is created while I sit on my porch.  I live in the woods in a small town and have learned to live globally by connecting with other artists from around the world.  I love that I can live beyond the city limits - so to say.
I have met many artists in other mediums and enjoy connections with them.  We share ideas and promote each other in a variety of ways.  Many have become close friends and I love them though I may never get to share a hug with any.....
 
I was inspired to find a business that I could do from my home  - I needed to bloom where I am planted.  I found that I had all of the "seeds in my packet" to do it - once I let go of the negative stuff that I had allowed to creep in.
 
My background is in Interior Design.  I started my career in Atlanta doing commercial design with a specilization in hospitality  - resorts and hotels, etc.   While working in Atlanta I met my husband Reid - a veterinarian - and we moved to Vidalia.  Reid grew up on a farm and we live in the city that is closest to it.  I grew up in Texas.
 
For Giving Works Jewelry has been in existence for about 2 yrs.  I work with anything thing that inspires me.  All necklaces are hand knotted using silk cord which gives them a wonderful movement unlike jewelry that is strung on plastic coated wire.  A friend of mine has called it "jewelry with intention" - I love that.  Most pieces find a home through a remarkable story or coincidence - many of these "god winks" I have shared in my blog.

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Visit Lettie's Shop and her Blog or stop by and say hello on Facebook! Thanks for supporting these amazing sponsors!

Think you have something the Curly Girl World needs to know all about!? Would you like to become a Sponsor? We are growing fast and have some spots left at introductory rates. Contact: emily@curlygirldesign.com to learn more.

Hello there! Many apologies for leaving you for so long! This Blog-i-versary thing is turning out to be a month-long celebration (but who's complaining?not me!) I had to step out to head down to the Southern Women's Show to hang out with the girls from Where Women Create and get a little crafty with some southern women!

Today I want to say thank you to all of the Sweetheart Sponsors of this blog. You all took a chance on this blog from the very beginning and I couldn't be more grateful. You know that there is a whole community of fabulous, intelligent, creative, caring, clever women (and a few guys...I think) out there that stop by this little corner of the world to check in and want to see what's going on here. You believed, from the get-go that what I had to say here was relevant and you wanted to be part of it.

Ok, some of you are my friends and didn't have a choice.

But still, you all offer something beautiful and clever and intelligent and brave and I am so glad that folks can connect to you here. Thank you for being part of the beginning... I hope we can grow together for many years to come.

So here is the deal! I want these guys to feeeeeeeel the love this week!!

Today's give-away is courtesy of Santa Barbara Design Studio. You may know them as the fine producers of Curly Girl mugs, candles, wineglasses and other fabulous things. They have created some FABULOUS holiday products for me this year (so fabulous in fact, they are almost all sold out!) and have squirreled a few away for me to give to fabulous you!

The winner of today's give-away will get two holiday wine glasses, a holiday doo-dad jar and a set of the holiday mini-votives! What a haul!

All you have to do is take a gander over to the right hand side of my blog...see all those cute sponsor ads?? Click on them! Visit them! Tell them you stopped by and read a little about what they do and who they are. Heck! Shop with them if you can. Make sure they feel the Curly Girl love. Then, post a comment here and link to a comment or post or other proof that you were there and get entered. Each visit counts as a separate entry so get busy!! One link per comment please.

Winner will be chosen Thursday 10/20/11 at 10am EST

Thanks all for being such a wonderful part of this. If you would like to learn more about becoming a sponsor of this blog, email: emily@curlygirldesign.com

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Also! We have a winner of the 'Local Love' give away!
You guys posted so many wonderful locations! Thanks for shopping with them and thanks to those shops for carrying Curly Girl!!!

Sexy-random number generator picked:

Comment #126 from Amelie, who shops at Zola Craft Gallery in Durham, NC!!

Congratulations Amelie and Zola!! Emily will be in touch soon to get you your prizes!!

xoxo

Amy Peters has been designing and making jewelry since she was 8 years old.

After taking an after-school program on jewelry making in her native San Louis Obispo, she fell in love and never, ever looked back. Though, that doesn't mean she didn't make some pit-stops along the way. Before she was a professional jewelry maker and metal smith she worked various jobs to earn a living. Everything from Retail sales to Kidney Transplant coordinator at Stanford Hospital's blood center. She credits her many business skills to everything she learned at these jobs. "Every learning experience is worthwhile," Peters often says.

After moving back to California's central coast, she took a job at a local art gallery. Here, she had a wake up call.

During a conversation with a prominent artist, he told her: "if you haven't used your art to make a living within 5 years of graduating art school, you probably never will" It had been 4 1/2 years, so she leapt. After renting a 9-foot by 15-foot Victorian carriage shed with a dirt floor and no running water, she filled out her business papers and Amy Peters' Studio was born in 1995.

Working in primarily silver and pewter, Amy's jewelry is inspirational, heart-warming, affordable and totally wearable. She makes pieces that whisper things to the person you are inside.

It is important to Peters' that her inspirational jewelry be affordable and accessible to everyone. "I want the designs to be inspirational and to be keepsakes and talismans for everyday life" states Peters. "I especially love the time in a girl's life when she is just finding her voice, My hope is that my designs can help them along their voyage"

Young and old, we all could use a little help along our voyage don't you think!?

Please check out her website and her newly revised blog and tell her we said 'hello'! You will also be able to see her work in person at "big" Marmalade once we re-open in April!

Think you have something the Curly Girl World needs to know all about!? Would you like to become a Sponsor? We are growing fast and have some spots left at introductory rates. Contact: emily@curlygirldesign.com to learn more.

Lucy Ingels is a mixed media artist and aspiring author whose work celebrates inspirational words. Her journey into the art world began as a child with a love for gluing things…sequins, beads, yarn, glitter or gravel onto other things; wood, cardboard, boxes, cloth and felt.  Lucy’s second love was reading…books, billboards, magazines and cereal boxes…anything with words.

She has spent many years collecting inspirational words like a literary magpie and developing her own style of art infused with whimsy. Lucy has used her talents to create two inspirational gift books, Tell Me, Please! and Whimsical Wisdoms, that contain a treasure trove of sayings, proverbs and/or quotations.  Both are awaiting their soulmate publisher.

Her charming Etsy shop is filled with handmade originals that tell a story.  All art incorporates a saying or proverb that conveys a jewel of wisdom. Whimsical embellishments and doo-dads are added to make each one of a kind piece made with love and joy.

Please check out her website and her shop and tell her Curly Girl sent you!

Think you have something the Curly Girl World needs to know all about!? Would you like to become a Sponsor? We are growing fast and have some spots left at introductory rates. Contact: emily@curlygirldesign.com to learn more.

Our dear friend Lizzy over at Pieces of a Girl has a special offer for the next few days! Check it out!

Think you have something the Curly Girl World needs to know all about!? Would you like to become a Sponsor? We are growing fast and have some spots left at introductory rates. Contact: emily@curlygirldesign.com to learn more. Special pricing deadline extended!! Sign up by 2/1/11 for a sweetheart of a deal!

My friend Jo is the woman behind Where Women Create Magazine, which many of you are familiar with I am sure, she is also one of the founders of The Creative Connection Event, a great travel companion and one of this blog's Sweetheart Sponsors. Today, she adds one more incredible thing to this list as she launches a new publication called Where Women Cook. The launch will be at the Chelsea Market in New York City from 2-5pm today. I am so sad to not be able to be there to celebrate with her, but if you are in the area...GO! There will, I'm sure be 'fabulous' on every inch of that event if I know her at all! Plus! Ree Drummond the Pioneer Woman  will be there! I have become something of a super-fan of hers since seeing her speak at the Creative Connection this year. If you have not checked out her blog, it's worth a daily moment of your time!

So, if all this linking is making your head spin, forgive me, but it's worth it!! Today, on the Where Women Cook Blog they are giving away this:

and this (as a canvas!!):

Yes. Seriously! So scoot on over to the blog and get yourself entered!! Let them know that I sent you too! Not that I have any pull, I just want them to feel super loved today. This magazine is a life's work all rolled up into a quarterly publication. And, by the way, it is BEAUTIFUL.

Happy Friday! And get your commenting fingers all warmed up because I am condensing the 12 days of Christmas into 6 next week, and doing 6 days of Curly Girl Give-Aways right here! (no one really needed 8 ladies milking anyway....)

Ho Ho Ho!!!

xoxoo

Emma Thomas is totally, madly, deeply in love with seed beads. That's how it begins, usually. With love.

Three years or so ago, Emma decided to take her love and turn it into treasured and gorgeous pieces of jewelry which she now sells in her shop on Etsy. Her work savors the hand-made and celebrates the color and light and texture that are inherent to the materials she works with. She loves how by stitching seed beads together she can create a whole new bead and the possibilities, she says, are endless. Creating wearable art that is totally unique.

Emma is inspired primarily by nature, having grown up by the sea and living in Portsmouth, RI, this stay-at-home mother of two finds her creativity during walks on the beach or jogs along the cliffs. She says the sounds, the smells, the freshness and the wildness of the waves allow her mind to wonder and the ideas to flow.

Creating out of a "nook" in her home, she crafts her work from sterling silver, copper wire, artisan beads, pride and attention to detail. She says the love of tiny beads and the whole process of creating inspires her but there is nothing more satisfying than finishing a design that is a reflection of those inspirations.

With unique and beautiful necklaces, bracelets and earrings (I'm hoping for those turquoise peyote earrings in my stocking this year) available in her shop, there is certainly something for every clever lady on your list! Please take time to check her out!! Her adorable website and Etsy shop are well worth a visit!

Think you have something the Curly Girl World needs to know all about!? Would you like to become a Sponsor? We are growing fast and have some spots left at introductory rates. Contact: emily@curlygirldesign.com to learn more. Sign up before 12/1/10 for a sweetheart of a deal!

Beth Quinn's love of words, glitter and all things vintage shines through in her gorgeous and inspiring line of jewelry for women and little girls. With a background in Social Work, Beth feels that words are a powerful force for inspiring women to follow their dreams, and with inspiration from her creative family and the inheritance of her father's metalsmithing tools she set out to create jewels that did just that!

In the three years she has been in buisness, her line has grown to include her signature glittering text necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, charms and pressed paper pieces as well as custom work. Working out of her 2-car garage-turned-studio Beth loves the freedom of being her own boss and being able to work at home to take care of her children and create everyday. Her work has been featured in publications like; Sommerset Home, Belle Armoire, Haute Handbags and Sew Somerset. And is sold in boutiques worldwide. 

We are so honored to have a talent like Beth as one of our Sweetheart Sponsors! Please do stop by her website and her blog and tell her we sent you with love!

Think you have something the Curly Girl World needs to know all about!? Would you like to become a Sponsor? We are growing fast and have some spots left at introductory rates. Contact: emily@curlygirldesign.com to learn more. Sign up before 12/1/10 for a sweetheart of a deal!