Custom Family Tree Necklace Review: An Aura of Allure Handmade Wire Jewelry- #HolidayGiftGuide2013

The holidays are right around the corner, I can’t believe it, but it is! It doesn’t seem like this year should be almost gone… but <sigh> it is! So, that means Holidays back to back. In no time it will be Christmas—have you thought about what you’re going to be getting those people on your list?



It doesn’t matter if it’s your sister, best friend, mom, grandma, aunt, or someone you know from work. They would ALL love something from An Aura of Allure Handmade Jewelry. She pre-makes some of her items, and others you can custom order.



All of her items are absolutely beautiful, eye-catching, and stunning. You can find matching pieces to complete an entire look! She makes earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces, and more!



I really love everything she makes! She is dedicated to her work and offers a variety of items!! I love that she makes autism awareness necklace pieces! They are amazing!



Since it’s October and Breast Cancer Awareness month, she has been making these Breast Cancer awareness ribbons. These ribbons can be attached to necklaces or key chains! She even customizes them and can make them for Brain cancer, autism, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer, If you would like to honor someone you are close to that has fought, is fighting, or lost their fight to breast cancer.. these are beautiful!



I stopped abruptly at these necklaces! They are beautiful! They are called Tree of Life or Family Tree Necklaces. My mom ended up buying herself a Mother’s Day Ring with her 3 kids birthstones in it this year. SOMEONE broke in and stole it, so when I seen this I KNEW that she would love it. I knew it in my heart! I couldn’t replace what had been stolen from her, but I could do my best to make her feel better!



The necklace arrived within just a couple of days and was packaged nicely AND carefully! I opened it up and was amazed at the beauty that this necklace contained! It NOT only has MY birthstone along with my brother and sister, but my son, daughter, and niece! I was SO excited I was jittery, waiting for her to get off work so I could surprise her!



She is going to kill me for posting these pictures because she had just got off work. She had tears in her eyes when she seen what it was. She was definitely heartbroken when she noticed that her ring was missing, so having a necklace with her KIDS and GRANDKIDS birthstones in it meant a lot!



She wears it everywhere, even to work! She loves showing it off and supporting her “family” where ever she may roam . The necklaces are only $15! Get yours! You’ll brighten up the face of someone you love THIS Christmas!



When you use the code Stylish2013 you’ll get 10% off your order until December 31, 2013!
Shop handmade, shop small business this Holiday!


-Jessica

Perfect Party Dresses: 12 Superb Dresses to Smock and Sew edited by Susan O’Connor; Interweave Publishing

With beautiful photographs to inspire you, Perfect Party Dresses will be your guide to making party dresses dreams come true.

The easy to follow instructions for 12 glorious smocked dresses and 3 petticoats include more than 180 step-by-step photographs, full colour smocking graphs, detailed construction diagrams and multi-size liftout patterns.

Learn how to expertly tie a perfect sash bow, and discover helpful hints and tips for finishing touches and care of smocked and embroidered garments. Full-color smocking graphs, detailed construction diagrams and multi-size lift-out patterns.

Learn how to expertly tie a perfect sash bow and discover helpful hints and tips for finishing touches and taking care of smocked and embroidered garments. From birthdays to weddings, this beautiful collection of stunning smocking designs in sizes 2-10 years is sure to provide something spectacular for every special occasion in a young lady's life.

There is absolutely no better way to celebrate a party than with a new party dress. Every girl MUST know this right? The book Perfect Party Dresses is a beautiful collection of 12 really gorgeous dresses for little girls. Most of them have a very vintage feel to the look, which are all striking!

These dresses are beautiful, but they aren’t for beginners. The patterns are advanced, so you’ll need some experience with dress making before tackling any of the projects in this book! The instructions are very detailed and easy to follow along with. Each dress has at least 3-4 really amazing pictures of the dresses on girls so you can get a grasp of the flow of the material and how it looks once it’s completed.

Each dress has the ages that the dress is targeted to (ex. 6-8 years old) so that you know before you have to take measurements. It shows the fabric, notions, AND thread needed to complete each dress. I really appreciate this because I’ve started projects before and had to stop mid-way through because the book or instruction didn’t list a certain notion or a type of thread that I didn’t have and was essential to making it.

The full pattern to every dress is on a huge pullout sheet at the back of the book. This makes it 10x easier for me. I would rather trace patterns from a full pattern. I dislike scanning the smaller patterns and having to zoom and piece the pattern together with paper! That way there are NO creases or pieces running off printer paper. :/

Some of the dresses include embroidery (usually on the bib or sleeves of the dress). Even if you aren’t sure how to embroider the instructions take you step by step (picture and written word).

I love that the back of the book has instructions on how to make sleeve puffs, how to finish a bodice with lace, and how to care for/clean the dresses after they are made. It also gives detailed instructions on French seams, neckline piping, sashes, and so much more!

This book isn’t for beginners, you’ll need sewing experience before whipping anything up out of this book. If you do have the experience, this book is definitely a book you’ll want to add to your collection! If you KNOW someone who enjoys sewing, this book would make an amazing holiday present for them!

Get it: Perfect Party Dresses $22.73

Interweave, Barnes & Noble, & Amazon

About the Author

Susan O'Connor is a world-renowned designer, teacher and the former editor of Australian Smocking & Embroidery (AS&E), and her magnificent smocked garments have been published for 20 years.

 

 

-Jessica

Beauty Review: got2b Oil-licious Styling Oil

Transform your tresses from frizzy and frazzled to smooth, calm and shiny with got2b! Triple Oil Complex absorbs quickly into hair, imparting incredible gloss without the feeling of residue. Simply apply to dry or damp hair and style as usual.

The Got2B Oilicious is absolutely awe-inspiring in every way! I’ve always been a big fan of the got2b hair care line, so I was excited to be able to work with them on this!

Normally I can’t use something “oil based” in my hair is already naturally oily. I really wanted to give this a try because it says “triple oil” and contains argan, marula, and grape seed oils in it. I usually have to steer clear of anything with the name “oil” in my hair will leave it weighed down and make it look unwashed. Even though my hair is “oily” it is also a bit damaged and dry at the end because I heat style it on a daily basis and dye it quite often.

This styling oil is NOTHING at all like the rest. This stands out from the rest because it adds shine, calms frizz, and makes my hair look naturally healthy. I love that I can put this in my hair when it’s wet OR dry. If I did use a styling oil before, it HAD to be wet and I could only use a tiny needle point size amount.

It is no longer dry at the ends or lacks the healthy shine it once had. Now my hair looks so lustrous and healthy! I had to take my son to the doctor for his medicine and both the nurse and doctor (a lady) asked me how I kept my hair so healthy! This is the only thing that has managed to keep my hair FRIZZ free all day even when the humidity is high. The smell of this is delicious! It smells like grapes, watermelon, and clean hair! I love it! I love putting this in my damp hair, blow drying it and then using my flat iron! I don’t even HAVE to blow dry it though. I can just put the got2b styling oil in it and let it air dry and I still get absolute perfection!

• Triple oil--argan, white grape seed and marula
• For de-volumed style
• Calm frazzles
• Flatten and shine
• Instantly absorbs

Get YOURS: Got2B Oilicious is only $4.22 at Wal-Mart!

 

-Jessica Renee

Beauty Review: Eight Skincare Lavender Hand Crème

Eight Skincare makes high quality bath & body products rich in natural ingredients as well as history. I was given the opportunity to review the Lavender Hand Crème. It comes in a flip top bottle that easily fits inside my purse for on-the-go hand moisture anytime!

It is a very rich, luxurious white cream of a lotion. It helps to nourish, heal, and condition the skin because of it’s natural ingredient Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract. Heals the damaged part of the skin with the Sea Buckthorn Oil, and has Kiwi Fruit Extract to prevent the damaging effects of pollutants.

Licorice Root Extract to improve the skin tone and increase luminosity, Plumeria Acutifolia Flower Extract to smooth irritated skin, and Elderberry Extract to firm and tone. All these ingredients together make an amazing hand crème that truly makes my hands so much softer, healthier, and moisturized.

I have a VERY bad problem with freaking out if my skin gets to feeling dry. It makes anything I touch seem gritty and grimy. This is an instant relief to dry skin. As soon as you put it on you can feel the moisture seep in and feel the thick, rich crème doing it’s job!

The scent of Lavender is what makes this top notch! The lavender scent is just so relaxing, calming, and instantly soothes the senses. No matter how hard your day has been, it’s nice to be able to reach into your bag and grab an instant healer!

I was definitely amazed at how long the moisture and scent last! I like having soft, moisturized hands but I dislike having to put on lotion all the time. The ingredients make this hand crème absolutely lavish and magnificent!

I am going to definitely get some of this for my mom for Christmas. She loves the scent of Lavender and has been suffering from dry skin on her hands for awhile. She works at a factory, so not only is it stressful, it dries her hands out doing repetitive work all day! She truly loves this, I’ve let her use it a couple times!

Ingredients

Aloe Vera Leaf Extract
Glycerin
Witch Hazel
Sea-buckthorn Oil
Kiwi Fruit Extract
Licorice Root Extract
Elderberry Flower Extract
Pagoda Tree Flower Extract
Vitamin E
Sea Salt
Vitamin B12

Get Yours: Lavender Hand Crème $18

They have an entire line of Lavender Skincare products! Oh how amazing it would be to make a gift basket for someone for Christmas!

 

Connect with Eight Skincare online:

Facebook and Twitter

 

♥Jessica

Kohl’s: One Stop Halloween Shopping! (Deluxe Ladybug & X-Ray Skeleton Costumes Reviews)

My kids love to play dress up, and so they especially love Halloween. Don’t get me wrong, the kids dress up around here when it ISN’T Halloween. Doctors, super hero's, ninja’s,  princesses, mermaids, cowboys.. you name it.. So when I got a chance to work with Kohl’s and their amazing selection of costumes, I was ecstatic.

They have a wide selection of costumes for the entire family. I had tons of fun just browsing the different costumes in each section; baby, toddler, kids, and even adult. I especially loved that they offered “group” costumes. That way the whole family could dress in a “theme”. We went as the Flintstones & My best friend, her husband and their son went as the Rubbles one year and it was SO fun.

I was searching through the girls’ costumes and it was hard for me because there were so many! So many unique costumes that would be so adorable on my daughter. There was the punk skeleton, mermaid, Monster High, and Mad Hatter that caught my eye at first. There just aren’t many costumes like that around!

I called my daughter over to the computer and asked her what she wanted to be for Halloween, and she chose the Deluxe Ladybug Costume. It’s a polka-dot ladybug costume that comes with a long-sleeved leotard that is connected to the tutu, headpiece, wand, wings, and the red shoe puffs.

Of course as soon as it came in the mail, she wanted to put it on! She was SO happy, jumping up and down. (Oh, and asking me every 5 seconds if it was Halloween yet.) I was amazed at how well the costume fit her. Usually I have to get a size up because she is thick for her age.

She was cracking me up running through the house buzzing like a bee. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know that ladybugs don’t make any noise. Either way it was pretty funny and cute! She was shaking her butt and buzzing for a good 15 minutes! Kids, got to love em’!

She really loves that it came with a tutu and a wand! She wanted to wear this ALL day and the day after! I’m pretty sure she’d live in this if I let her! The quality of the costume is amazing! The wings are very big, and they add the extra element by adding glitter to the polka dots! The headpiece and wand have already been through hades and back, so I know that they are exceptional quality!

I hadn’t had the chance to get her any tights or black boots yet, but that’s all we need to complete her outfit! I love that she LOVES the costume. The costume is just too cute, she’s already gotten a ton of compliments on it (because she bounded up to everyone telling that she WAS a ladybug and to look, look, look at her costume).

The leotard is made out of Polyester, so it’s quite warm itself. We are going to add another black long sleeve shirt underneath that way we don’t have to cover the costume with a jacket later on in the evening on Halloween when the temperatures drop. The tutu is made from a tulle fabric, and looks SO gorgeous and shiny! I love the added black trim at the bottom, that brings the entire costume together.

The only thing I wish they hadn’t included was the red feather boa around the neck/wrist of the leotard. She says it itches her. So hopefully me adding another shirt underneath will prevent that.

The Deluxe Ladybug Costume is on sale for only $26.24

Or if your daughter would like a short sleeve ladybug costume, they also have the Lady Bug Cutie Costume for $27.99

I love that they had such a variety of costumes at cheap prices! My son is getting older now, so he didn’t want what he called a “baby costume.” When I say older, I mean 7 (yeah, we are already going through this at 7 lol).

So, as I was scrolling through the boys’ costumes, I was sure to keep an eye out for something “NOT-babyish)! There were a ton of really cool costumes. They had a ton of superhero costumes ranging from Spiderman to Ironman. I thought it was awesome they brought back the Ninja Turtles! There was Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of Caribbean, Dracula, Darth Vader and so much more.

As I was scrolling through, my site landed on the X-ray Skeleton Costume. I just kept thinking that it was simple yet something he would really like. It’s just a black jumpsuit with white skeleton graphic and the Skeleton face mask completes the costume!

Aidan really liked it. He kept going up to the people that were coming over and saying “Am I scary?” That’s the reason he wanted an “older kid” costume because he wanted to be scary. I’m glad that I chose right for him! He really likes the costume and can’t wait for trick-or-treating!

The jumpsuit and mask are easy to put on over top of clothes and easy to get off as well. I like costumes like this because most of the time it can get really cool here on Halloween, I hate taking them door-to-door thinking about whether or not they are cold. Even if they were freezing their toes off, they’d tell me no! I usually pack a jacket with us, but it hides the costumes! So I try and layer them up under their costumes. That way they stay warm, but the costumes can still be seen!

X-ray Skeleton Costume is on sale for $18.74

Kohl’s is definitely a GO-TO place for everything including costumes! We will definitely be shopping online for our costumes next year. It’s just SO much easier than trying to get into the stores around here the third week of September because everything good is gone before October even hits!

So, do YOUR Halloween shopping online! It’s amazing what you can accomplish!

Connect with Kohl’s online:

Facebook, twitter,  & YouTube

 

Jessica Renee