Product Reviews

Here is where I will share my favorite products with you!

Amazing Way to Design Your Home, Fashion, and Art Like a Pro!

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Before I begin… let me warn you… the following information could be VERY dangerous! Please continue at your own risk!


Actually, what I mean is… you’re going to love this website & the service that they provide so much, that it could become extremely addicting if you’re not careful 😉

It’s called: Polyvore

Let me try to sum up the service that they provide their members… they give you the technology to digitally arrange all of your favorite items into one beautiful collage.

It’s very simple to get started. You just enter a few bits of information to become a member (free), and then you are able to start creating right away!

After you log in, you will see a few examples of the completed collages that other members have made. I like looking through these, as they are great for ideas! Then, you can begin pulling all of your bits & bobs together to form your own new little pieces of art 😉

You can choose from the huge selection of images already at the site, or you can use their “clipper” tool to snip bits from around the web. If you do choose to snip something, the item is always linked to it’s original location, so it also helps bring the original owner some great publicity. For example, say you make beautiful jewelry and you list your items on Etsy. If someone where to clip your item & add it to their collages, not only would they be able to use it, but now it would be available to all the other Polyvore members as well. Now think about what might happen if several members used your item to build their collages… 100s – 1000s of people will start seeing your pieces & want to click the link to see where they can buy one!

* I’m thinking of all of my wonderfully talented friends (Madai 😉 out there who make such beautiful pieces! Now… I have some more ideas to help “spread the word” about their products!!!

I can think of several uses for this wonderful service without even giving it much thought, so I thought I’d share a few over the next few days to help get you started on your creative way!

I’m sure that you will be able to come up with many other great uses for this service… so be sure to share them with us in the comment section below!

Today, I want to share some ideas about planning out your wardrobe.

Now, you can pull all of the pieces together, and see how they look before you buy! And, since the links are all in tact for each item, you could simply purchase online & have them shipped to you – instead of having to actually go shopping 😉

Look at some of these examples found at Polyvore.

















































Next up? How about planning your wedding, special party, or room deocr using this tool?

Victoria Magazine – Active Again!

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I wanted to share a letter that Leslie just sent over to me. She was so excited about what she found, that I had to pass on the excitement 🙂

OH Pearl,
I’m so excited! I just discovered that my favorite magazine of all time, Victoria (by Hearst Publishing) is going to be published again!

It was first published in 1987, I believe, and they stopped publishing it in 2003. People buy the old copies on eBay, as well as hardcover books that range from decorating to poetry to Christmas to recipes to…well, there’s lots more.

What they all have in common are the wonderful photographs! I don’t know if you were already aware of Victoria magazine, but I wanted to spread the word! I figured what better place than a blog, that also has photographs. I know I read a blog & like a picture & click on it & get taken to another blog sometimes & one thing leads to another, and hours have gone by!

There’s almost nothing more relaxing, than to sit back one evening & find that your Victoria magazine has arrived, so you can thumb through it at your leisure! I went to the Hearst publishing site to see if there was a list of the various “Victoria” books, and lo and behold, there was a message that they were going to start publishing it again!

I’ve already entered my subscription, which will begin with the Nov/Dec issue, to be mailed out in October 2007. I had to stop and think of who I know that might enjoy this magazine (my effort to help “up” the interest in the magazine!) I thought of you, so here I am!

I hope you enjoy it!
Leslie

Victoria Magazine




* I want to thank Leslie for letting us all know about this new update. I LOVED Victoria Magazine, and I am very excited about it’s return!







Humming Bird Feeder – Vintage Glass Look

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Red Hummingbird Feeder

I wanted to show you this great new humming bird feeder that I picked up at my local Walmart for $9.95!

The reason it caught my eye (besides the fact that it was deep red – my favorite color… for now ;), was because I thought that it was a thick red wine bottle that had been made into a humming bird feeder. It reminded me of some of the other thick bubble glass that some of my other garden features are made out of.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was actually plastic!

It has the look of a vintage wine bottle with a cork. At first, you might think about how hard it would be to keep the feeder filled after you take out the cork, but you actually unscrew the bottom of the feeder, turn it upside down, fill it, then turn it right side up – (after you put the bottom back on of course :).

Both the hanger & the bottom of the feeder are made out of metal, both of which help add to that vintage feel.

Peach Begonia

I purchased this feeder a week or so ago, but while I was working in the office today, I saw a little humming bird come up to the window. He was trying to get to the beautiful begonia flowers that a friend had given me (he must have been spying on me through the window :). So… I figured it was finally time to share the pretty red “vintage looking” feeder with him – and not just keep it all to myself 😉

If you get a chance, go check out the garden center at your local Walmart… maybe you can find one for your cottage garden!

Make Your Home Always Smell it’s Best

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The only thing better than having a clean home, is having your home smell clean! There are so many air fresheners on the market that simply overpower your room with the heavy scent of flowers & perfumes, but I have found a great product that leaves everything smelling like freshly peeled oranges!

I know that we each have different scents that are more pleasing to us, but for some reason, I have never been able to enjoy the overpowering floral scents in our home. I think my favorite room scents of all time are a mixture of cloves, oranges, cinnamon, & apple – which is what I have simmering right now on my desk. I also love to put a pot of simmering bits such as; cloves, cinnamon sticks, whole anise, orange peels, and vanilla, on the stove during the fall & winter months. But sometimes, you just need a quick bit of help to freshen up a room, and you really want a nice pleasing scent.

I have tried many different types of air fresheners, but the one that I picked up recently is one is a clear winner! It is called Pure Citrus – it’s 100% natural, a non-aerosol, and it fills the house with the refreshing scent of freshly peeled oranges! I’ve also noticed that the scent lasts for quite a while, and it covers quite an area within my home when sprayed. I love this product!

* You can pick up a bottle at your local Walmart. Prices average approx. $3 per can.