BLOG LAUNCH GIVEAWAY!!

http://www.boutiquebybonnie.etsy.com/

For the official launch of my blog, I'm giving away these gorgeous earrings! They're made of 14mm glass flower beads in a natural green with light brown etching. The small beads underneath are 5mm Agates. The total length of these earrings is about 57mm (2 1/4 inches). Thanks goes to my sister for letting me drag her to a bead shop when I was visiting over the holidays!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

1. To enter, just leave a comment on this post about the earrings or any item in my Etsy shop! I hope you'll choose to follow my blog, but it's not required. Be sure I can contact you through your blog, Etsy store, or leave your email.

2. For a BONUS entry, post about this giveaway on your blog, then come back and leave another comment with the link to your post. No more than two entries allowed, even if you get comment crazy!

3. Open to U.S. and Canada residents only. Winner will not be eligible to win another giveaway for six months, to give everyone a fair shot.

The deadline to enter is Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 12:00 midnight Pacific Standard Time. The winner will be chosen by random number and posted on Sunday, January 18th sometime between Noon and 2:00 pm MST. In the mean time, thank you for looking!

My email is bmails@comcast.net in case you have trouble with Comments.

Birth of the Boutique

Click here for more bracelet photos!

My sister-in-law originally taught me to make beaded jewelry, and before long the necklaces and bracelets started stacking up. What to to? I decided to throw a jewelry party for my co-workers in my home and it was a huge success! It felt so good to see my jewelry bringing pleasure to others instead of sitting in my spare room.

The idea of selling online began to appeal to me so I'd have a permanent way of displaying and selling my jewelry. My motive is not profit - I'm happy just to make back the cost of new supplies and listing fees. I enjoy seeing others take pleasure in what I create.

I started my Etsy store almost a year ago and it's been a lot of fun! I love seeing what the other Etsians are creating. Handmade items display a level of craftsmanship, artistry, creativity and fun I never knew existed in the world of retail! And that, in the end, is the real payoff of being part of the Etsy community.

A New Week Begins

In the wee, wee hours of the morning my alarm goes off and I know, somewhere in the sleeping recesses of my foggy mind, that this is Monday. You see, I have a “day job,” and this is the first full week back after the holidays. Whoever invented this 5-day 40-hour work week deserves a swift kick in the head. I hit snooze over and over in answer to nature’s cry of “Sleep! Sleep! Sleep!” Finally, against all that is good and right and natural, I pull myself out of bed in the near darkness and manage to find the shower.

A new week begins.

My days will be spent toiling away for the company that pays my bills and provides my health insurance. My nights will be spent mostly in front of the TV with my laptop open while I do my own special version of multi-tasking. Some things will have to be put off until the weekend – making those pearl earrings for my manager – processing the photos I took at Christmas. Already, time is putting its foot down, and it’s only January 5th! Who will be the master this year? Me or Time?