All That Jazz

I was contacted by Kari at Crafts and All That Jazz to write a review on her unique necklace. I said "sure, i can do that for you!"

Got it in the mail a few days ago.. not really what I was expecting.
No metal wires, no clasp in the back, no beads.. nothing fancy schmancy.. but still.. beautiful!
I've never seen a necklace made like this :) And i'm impressed!

It's very lightweight, just long enough to go over your head.. it doesn't get stretched out..

At one point, I actually forgot I was wearing it. I wore it all weekend.. working at Kohls, doing some housework, taking a nap, going to church, taking another nap (i'm fighting a cold), playing with my kids..

It didn't snag on anything, it's keeping it's shape BEAUTifully.

And I LOVE the material it's made of.

It reminds me of embroidery floss.. but the way it's woven.. it's just gorgeous and intricate.
The colors that she chose for me are spot on. I love neutrals, but I also love jewel tones. And this necklace captures all of that.

Fantastic job, mama!

I highly recommend her store. Fantastic product, and great customer service! Make sure you hop over and say "hi" and mention Reviewed by CC. Think of her for those ladies on your list, at Christmas, birthdays, or just a reason to show your thinking of someone. :)

Cleaning Creations

I got ahold of the shop owner behind KBJ Creations a little while back, and we decided that a good product to review for their store would be.. a reusable swiffer pad!

.. which i HAVE seen before.. and I actually make myself in my store. BUT hers is different than mine.. which makes it unique! :)

"These measure 6 x 12 and have two strips of velcro that secure it to the bottom of your mop head".

Mine are a tad smaller, and have the strips of velcro also.. but i do like that hers have two FULL strips of velcro, whereas mine are not. (I may have to rethink that.. lol)

"It is a 3 layer design comprised of white flannel, terrycloth and an inner layer of microfiber terry."

Mine are 2 layers, the flannel and microfiber.. which I find works just fine for smaller kitchens, etc. In using the one from KBJ Creations, I was able to do my small kitchen and short hallway with the one pad.. and it still looked like it could do the floors of my 1.5 baths just fine. It did take a while to dry, but that's because of the 3 layers being more absorbent. I did a 40 minute drying cycle along with my other towels, and then I laid it out to finish with air-drying.

I did notice another thing about the velcro. It does take some OOMPH to get it off.. it's a very strong velcro.. not a bad thing.. just a heads up. :)

It is serged all the way around, like mine also.. but the fun thing about her stitching is you can customize your thread color. :)
CC Bums: colored material, natural thread.. KBJ Creations: natural colored material, colored thread.. just another observation. :)
You can purchase any that are ready to ship, or ask for a custom color, and she'll whip up right up for you. :)

Price wise, they are both compatible; smaller one (2 layers) $4, larger one (3 layers) $8 each or 3/$20.. so really, about the same.
pros: size, absorbency, strong velcro
cons: velcro, dry time

So I would say, all in all.. if you need something for a smaller area, CC Bums is fine. But you if prefer or NEED something for a larger area, KBJ Creations Swiffer pads are just what you need! :)

Bare Hearts

I found this mama's work through Facebook.. and after a while of chatting back and forth, she decided to send me this beautiful hat! Lovingly named the flower beanie, it's one of her first creations, and a best seller!

.. and I can see why.
This hat is beautifully made.
The flower is exquisite.. VERY well made. It is SEWN onto the hat body (i've noticed some other boutiques making them removable.. and personally, I like them to be solid).
There was a little string hanging from the middle inside, but that was easily remedied. :) Also the rows of crochet in the hat were very even and not loose, with just the right amount of stretch.

And my 5 year old loved it!
She wants to wear it around the house. :)
I'm letting her wear it anywhere but school.. for fear of losing it. :) LOL.

But yes, all in all, this is a wonderful product!

And my conversations with the owner, Rene, were great as well. She's very easy to talk to, and seems like she would be very thorough with custom orders as well, to make sure you get exactly what you're looking for.


Please check out Bare Hearts Creations, and let her know I sent you. :)
on Facebook
and Etsy
and email bareheartscreations@yahoo.com if you like.

Shiny Masterpieces

The name of this store is LightShine Designs Jewelry and Photography.
After conversing with the owner for a bit, she decided the best item for a review on my blog would be this beautiful bracelet.
I agree!

She sent me a photo of it first, to make sure it was something I could properly promote.

Let me tell you.. when it came in the mail.. the real product v. the photo.. it doesn't compare.

Her pieces are SO much more awesome in person!
If you like a PHOTO on her site, you will not be disappointed!
It's a fantastic product.. whether you are intrigued by her jewelry or by her photography.. local mamas can take advantage of her camera service.. and ANYONE can take advantage of her jewelry designs!

About the bracelet..
I myself am not huge on bracelets. I have a couple. I don't wear them much (because i'm at home a lot and don't want to ruin them).. but I do like to have them for those few times where I do enjoy dressing up a bit. :)

A couple things I like about this product are:
1. The closure.
I have tiny wrists, and more often than not, bracelets are just too big for me.
The way she makes hers is a chain with a lobster claw.. so no matter what the size of the wrist, it will fit perfect! :) I have to use the smallest setting.. but that's fine with me! The chain was tickling my wrist.. lol. But I would rather have to deal with that, then not be able to wear pretty things.

2. I love that she uses multiple mediums in her work. The clear colorful beads on wire, in combination with the leather wrap.. and the chain with the lobster claw.. it just really all pulls together and everything compliments each other, making a very unique piece to don.

3. The packaging. It was very well packaged.. lots of foam, a bubble mailer, and the little bag it came it is SO beautiful. :) The cool thing about this little bag (besides the beautiful pattern it) is that it's a special  bag just for jewelry! It's an Anti-tarnish Jewelry Protection Bag. I've never seen something like that before. And that shows me that she really takes pride in her work, and goes above and beyond to make sure her customers get a great product.. safe and sound.

The ONLY thing that I didn't like was that the bracelet seemed a little stiff, so I couldn't turn it around my wrist really easy. But that's probably because of the high quality wire being used. It is supposed to keep the shape of the bracelet.. and i'm sure most people don't sit there and try to twirl it around their wrist. lol.

Check out her page at http://www.facebook.com/LightShineDesigns, and also at http://LightShineDesigns.yolasite.com

like royalty

I wrote a review on this store when the blog first started, about some products she was making (mainly sewing items). The difference about it now is that the sewing has diminished, and she is now taking awesome furniture finds, restoring them, and reselling them. 

From the photos and being in contact with her, I am seeing some AWESOME pieces of work.

Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina.. she's been intrigued by old wood pieces for a while now. There are a few homemade items still available (on her Facebook account, and i believe on Etsy.com as well). They are clearanced for a quick sale! If you want a great deal, check it out!

If you are local and in need some of some great pieces to complete your home, I would jump on it!

So far, it looks like her specialty is shabby chic.. but that is by far not the only thing she does!

And i'm sure, if you have a piece that needs redone as well, you could probably talk her into redoing it for you! :) 

Decent prices for great products.. I highly recommend this mama's work.

more little blessings!

I have written a review for this store in the past.. and it was a wonderful experience. :)
Working with this mama is ALWAYS a pleasure.

This time, as we were conversing, we decided to do a SET! A matching mother/daughter set!
I was completely surprised that she was going to purchase material just for us.. and let me choose the print.

When I saw the photos of the finished products on their way to me, I was totally geeked. :)
A skort set for my 6 yr old, a dress for my 3.5 yr old, a pair of overalls for my 4 year old.. and a beautiful shirt for me. :)

As you can see, the fabric has AMAZING coloring to it! The fabric is high quality.. there is no fraying, no missed stitches..

These pieces of clothing are timeless!! And with my VERY active children.. I have no fear that they will hold up well! POSSIBLY passing them along to my sister for her daughter afterwards!

Thank you Vickie at 3 Tiny Blessings for your handiwork!
I have nothing bad to say. :)

Enjoy perusing this shop on Facebook.. and let her know what you're looking for! You will not be disappointed!

Zoe.. 3.5 (wearing a size 4t)

Alivia.. age 5.

Me wearing the top she made me to my 6 year old (Jazmine's) baptism! :) Which, afterwards, she wore the skort set.

Undie Time!

After talking with the mom behind Violet Sky for a bit.. we figured out what would work best to showcase her shop.

COTTON UNDIES! :)

This is the first pair of homemade undies i've seen (at least in person) and I have to say.. they are CUTE! They are FUNTIONAL! And the price is decent too! :)

And it ALWAYS helps me to know that i'm supporting a family, and not just some commercial store.

The product itself..
We were sent 1 for each child. Zoe (as you can see) loved hers, and they fit VERY well.
Alivia (5 years old) likes hers also, she says "they're cute". :) She's a big animal lover, so the monkeys fit her personality quite well.

The larger pair for Jazmine (6) were loose.. so for now she'll be wearing them as bloomers under a dress (or, if she's not ok with that, we'll save them for next year).
So the sizing is a tad off on the bigger ones.. but being a WAHM myself, i know that larger sizing can be tricky.. because no child is exactly the same as another.. and she's super skinny.
We'll pull them back out this fall when we open the bags of bigger clothes. :)

A big thank you to the store for letting me check out your product.. for producing something that's usable for any child (not just geared toward babies or big kids).. and a product that won't break the bank.

Check out Violet Sky Shop on Facebook.com for MORE than just undies!