The Bug

I think I am getting the digital Scrapbooking bug. I always admired the beautiful scrapbooks some of my friends made but I did not like all of the glue and cutting and tools they used. It all seemed too much of a mess to me. But now I am looking at digital scrapbooking and I like what I see.

Have you visited SmileBox.com? If not, be careful because the bug might bite you. It is a digital scrapbooking site with hundreds of free layouts for you to use. There are beautiful designs from top designers in the scrapbooking field. I could spend all day just browsing through them all.

I have tons of digital photos that need organizing. I think making digital scrapbooks out of them will be fun. I can do one just for the dogs. After all, they are my babies. And maybe I can do one for my purses, we all know how I feel about my purses.

Besides scrapbooking you can make your own holiday greeting using their layouts and templates and adding your personal photos. It all sounds simple. And one you are done you can email it to your family and friends. It's even eco friendly because there is no paper involved, everyone is into being green these days.

It's Over

Christmas is over and it's time for the mad rush to return gifts and hit the sales. Fortunately I don't have anything to return today but I am tempted to go out. I am wondering what the Coach outlet has today! LOL Sometimes I am glad that there is a Coach outlet so close to my house and sometimes I wish it was not so close!

Meeting People

It seems like everyone meets on line these days. It's fun to connect with like minded people. There is an abundance of chat rooms and forums but it is nice to be able to visit one where you know you will meet people who have the same interests. You can visit ChristianChatCity.com if you would like to participate in a Christian Chat Room.

Before It Gets Too Crazy

Before it gets too crazy with all of the holiday fun I wanted to say Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope you and your family have a safe and happy holiday. Things may seem tough with the economy the way it is but we all have things in our lives to be thankful for. Enjoy your family and friends and Merry Christmas!

Paris and Tyra Aren't the Only Ones

Among other things, Paris Hilton is know for her large feet. But she isn't the only woman around who wears a large size these days. Women have grown taller and larger over the years and their feet have grown in proportion to their size. It is nothing to be ashamed of. They would look pretty funny being six feet tall with size five feet. The sad part is that the shoe industry has not been offering pretty, fashionable shoes for them.

I found a great website that specializes in stylish large size shoes for women called SamanthaShoes.com. They have traditional sizes but what is great is that they have sizes eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen and they are expanding into wide width shoes. These are not the ugly larger size shoes of the past, these are styles that any woman would want to wear. They are the latest trends and they are made to be comfortable.

Their shoes are worn by celebs like Tyra Banks, Debra Messing, Queen Latifa, and others. There have been write ups about the company and their shoes in major publications like Oprah Magazine. All of the positive attention is well deserved in my opinion. If a woman who wears Size 12 Womens Shoes wants to look hot she should be able to.

No More

The shopping is done. Even if I find something that I have forgotten, I'm not going back out there. LOL As much as I love shopping, I don't care for it at this time of year. Last minute shopping is too crowded, the selections are pitiful and the whole experience is no fun in my opinion. At least it is over and I can sit back and enjoy the holiday. Merry Christmas!

Last Minute Watch Shopping

I am doing some last minute watch shopping at TheWatchery.com. This year I like the idea of giving something useful, that will last. I don't think anyone is in the mood for frivious gifts with things like they are. Not only are they having a great sale with up to 90% off in the clearance department they will still ship it to me in time for Christmas. And the shipping is free from TheWatchery. I adore free shipping. How could I resist an offer like that?

Even without the sale, they have wonderful prices on designer watches all of the time. They have fine watches priced at up to 80% off the suggested retail price. Since accessories and jewelery are my thing can you guess that shopping and looking around the site is one of my favorite pass times. LOL

I always have to look at the Chopard watches when I am there. I love all of the Chopard happy watches. Since I live at the beach, I keep saying that some day I am going to have one of the happy fish watches. Unfortunately with the way our investments have gone it's not going to happen any time soon. At least I can visit them often on the website. LOL Happy holidays everyone!

I Made a Christmas Pinata

I was trying to think of something different to entertain the children at our family get together this weekend. They will be so hyped up on sugar they need an outlet for all that energy. Since my dogs don't appreciate being chased I decided to make a Christmas pinata.

I have the pinata all made. I used the paper bag pinata method. No messy glue or paper mache for me. LOL To make it Christmas looking, I used Christmas greenery and red bows to decorate it. I then hug some mistletoe on a ribbon from the bottom for a little before hand smooching. We'll have it pulled up high to begin with. It looks pretty!

Take Care of Your Handbags

Now ya'll know that purses are my thing. So it shouldn't surprise you that I cannot stand to see a good handbag mistreated! Am I the only woman in the world who thinks it is outrageous to misuse an $800 handbag? Heck, I don't even want to see $50 handbags abused. LOL I've got some fifty dollar bags that I cherish.

I am continually amazed by the condition of some of the purses I see walking around. Since I am a pretty good judge of what's what in handbags I am pretty sure of what brands I am looking at. A good bag is an investment. Treat it well and take care of it and it will last you for years. It's not hard to care for one. If you don't now how here's a good article called How To Care for A Coach Handbag. It specifies Coach but the same techniques apply to all good leather purses.

Need To Get Busy

I just realized that Christmas is ten days away. I know where I will be going after we drop the Honda off this morning, the grocery store. If I don't get started on my baking for the holiday it's not going to get done. My husband would probably divorce me if I didn't make his chocolate chip cookies. I make two batches just for him. He freezes them and doles them out for months. Sometimes I think that I should make them for him more often, but then they wouldn't be special. Besides being incredibly fattening!

Uh oh, car repair

Maybe I am up visiting with my friend insomnia this morning because I spent the day looking on the web at auto repair shops. I need to find someone around here who is good at Honda Accord Repair. You guessed it, my car is acting wonky and making strange noises. And do not try to tell me that is not a technical term for what is wrong. As far as I'm concerned it is and it should be included in the Auto repair encyclopedia.

My main concern is how much this is going to cost me. I was hoping to get one more visit in to the Coach outlet store before Christmas, but I guess that is not going to happen. With car repair prices what they are I am really hoping that this is not something serious.

My Friend Is Back

If you are wondering what the heck I am doing posting at 2:30 AM, I am too. I guess my old friend insomnia is back for a visit. Hopefully it is just a quick overnight stay and not a long term one. I have to admit it's been a long time since I've seen him so I don't have much to complain about. If he wants to hang out tomorrow night (or is it tonight?) I have Ambien now that should take care of the problem. As far as tonight goes, at least I'll get some writing done.

The Fan Died

On top of everything else, by that I mean the holiday rush, the ceiling fan in the family room died. Perfect timing right? We use ours all year. I have found that it really cuts down on the heating bills if I use the reverse mode in the winter to bring the warm air down to our level.

I was looking at ceiling fans online. Of course, where do I do all of my shopping? LOL I want something casual to fit in with the room. I found a couple of Casablanca ceiling fans that look really nice when I was on the Farreys.com website. The selection there is awesome, they have fans to fit any decor. I'm liking some of the Fanimation ceiling fans as well. Hmmm

Two Weeks!!

I can't believe that Christmas is two weeks from today! I am so not ready for this. I had planned on being ahead of the game with all the shopping done and plans made ahead of time. That did not quiet work out. I am in the usual last minute panic mode. LOL I still have gifts to buy and ship. I have no idea what is on the menu for Christmas day and I haven't even decided on what I am baking this year. I am known as the family baker so I have to get busy!

More Coupon Information

If there is a site with good coupon information I am on it! More coupons means I save more money and can buy more handbags. My newest place to look for coupons is Savings.com.

Savings.com has information on coupons, promo codes, discounts, and more on major brands from major retailers. There are Diamond.com promo codes as well as Ice.com coupon codes. You do remember how much I like jewelry, don't you? LOL

I clicked on the clothing and accessories tab and hit a bonanza. I found Lucky Jeans at 40% off and $25 off designer handbags and free shipping from another merchant. I also noticed that Ulta is giving away a pajama set with a thirty dollar purchase. I can always use another pajama set. I'm off to look for some more bargains. Check it out if you haven't finished your Christmas shopping yet.

Michelle Obama's Style

I am so excited to have a first lady coming into the White House with some style. I think it is going to be fun watching her choices in clothing and accessories. Laura Bush was such a bore, her style had no originality at all. She's a nice lady but she still looks like a school teacher.

I think Michelle Obama is going to take some chances with what she wears. In fact, I know she is because she already has. I found a great slide show on the Today Show website of her that focuses on her style. You can watch it here. I'm looking forward to the inauguration, I'm sure she will look fabulous.

Expectant Mom's Are So Lucky Now

I love all of the fashions they have for pregnant moms now. In my day it was stretch pants and mu mu tops. Ugh. We all looked like walking tents.

I know the economy is tough and it is hard to spend money on maternity clothes but I have a solution. KikisFashion.com has the cutest maternity clothes and the prices are super reasonable. To make it even better they have free shipping on orders over $75 with the code "FREESHIP" and 20% off of your order with "HOLIDAY08". Now go buy something adorable before the offer ends December 26!

Tree Is Done!

There was a lot of glitter and tinsel involved, but the tree is up. I always dread doing it but once I get into it I enjoy it. It's fun to see the ornaments that have been packed away since last year. So many of them bring back memories. I think about who gave it to us or where I bought them or what Christmas it was.

I'm an over the top, loaded to the gills, dripping with ornaments kinds of tree decorator. If there is any green showing I cover it with an ornament. I also like everything sparkly, hence all of the hand blown glass ornaments with glitter that sheds. LOL I wonder what my tree decorating style says about me. I'm sure it means something. To me it just mean Merry Christmas!

Lingerie Shopping

I love it when you can buy a gift that is for both of you. A good example is sexy lingerie. You get something very flirty and pretty to wear and feel sexy in and he gets to look at you in it. LOL My husband has never complained about any of my sexy lingerie purchases. He even encourages me to buy more.

My new favorite site for lingerie and sexy shopping is called FlirtyLingerie.com. It is like a fantasy world of sexy things. The categories are amazing. You can find just about anything there including things from high heels to sexy costumes to latex body paint.

With the holidays and especially New Years fast approaching I may need to place an order. They have the sexiest club wear imaginable. I could get one of their sexy dresses and a pair of heels and be the hottest one there. And I can't forget something sexy to go under it too. There is always the after party to think about!

Coupons Are Hot

I guess it should not be surprising since everyone is trying to economize these days, but talk about coupons is everywhere. It seems that I am in vogue now with my love out coupons and bargains.

I was watching the Today show this morning and there was a segment on coupons. They were even giving instructions on coupon stacking. If you don't know stacking it is using multiple discounts for one item. For example you find something on sale then use a manufacturer's coupon and a store coupon and keep stacking up the discounts. That sounds like my kind of deal! LOL

Rearranging Things

Sometimes as an almost professional shopper (I wish) I have to reconsider the credit cards that I use most often. If I am going to give them so much business I should get the best deal that I can from a credit card company. With the economy in the shape it is in, I don't plan on spending anything on credit card fees or interest that I do not have to spend. I need that money for more accessories!

I was looking around at balance transfer offers and came across a site called ZeroRate.net. Specifically I was looking for 0% balance transfers. Why should I pay a company to allow me to set up an account and give them business? Anyway, ZeroRate.net has some great features for helping you wade through all of the offers in the market place. They are a balance transfer comparison site and as such they provide news, information about balance transfers and a thorough list of offers.

I love having information on offers from a wide variety of companies on one site. With their tools you can compare offers from companies side by side. I also love that you can find out exactly how much you will be saving with each offer versus your present card.

The beauty of switching cards and transfering the balance is that your balance will often be interest free for a specified period of time. Instead of paying the interest each month you can use that extra cash to pay down your balance. By the time the interest does kick in you will be paying it on a lower amount. It sounds good to me.

Bloomies Promo

I was just on the Bloomindale's site. Yes, I know, a big surprise. LOL What I wanted to tell you is that they have a drawing you can enter to win a $3000 shopping spree. Who could pass up a shopping spree like that at Bloomies? Just think how many handbags and shoes you could purchase with that. Scratch that, think about the fabulous bag and matching shoes you could buy. Some of that stuff we covet is expensive, right gals?

The deadline for entry is the 10th of December, so don't heistate or you will be too late. Oh wait, scratch that too. Don't enter and maybe there is a better chance for me! I guess I am in the mood to be a greedy gut this morning. I think I need more coffee.

And if you aren't shopping for purses, I found some good information on shopping for netbooks. They are all the rage now, they are like tiny little laptops. To learn more check out this article on buy a netbook.

Oh! Coupons!

If you have been reading this blog then you know how I like to shop. Of course, since I am a shopper, I love to find bargains, promotions, sales, BOGO's and coupons! It is my main form of entertainment, it is what I live for. LOL

I now have a new favorite website. It is called 1-Coupons.com. They have gone to extreme measures to list all of the latest coupon codes, instant discounts, bargains, sales and out and out deals from hundreds of online merchants. It is all listed in one place for us. I looked and there is a listing of coupons for Zappos, eBags and other places that I shop all the time. I found deals on both the Lucky Brand Medium Patchwork Mailbag that I have been wanting and the Elliott Lucca women's large satchel. I think I am in love. My credit card may not be but I am.

If you are looking for furniture then they can point you to the dramatic deals in the furniture holiday event spectacular. If you are shopping for a Dell Inspiron 530 with 20" widescreen monitor they can help you in that area as well. This website can hook you up with deals for anything that you are shopping for.

This site is going to be my first stop from now on when it comes to shopping at any time of the year. I wish I had known about them for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But I will use them next year for sure. If you like to shop like me it is definitely worth checking out.

A Breakfast Recipe

This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes for the holidays. It comes out in the shape of wreath. What could be more festive with a nice cup of coffee? It looks like you slaved in the kitchen all morning when in fact it was very simple. But you don't have to tell them that! LOL

Breakfast Wreath

Preheat oven to 400

2 cans of crescent rolls
1/2 can almond paste (store the rest in the fridge)
1/2 c. raspberry jam or strawberry
1/2 c. powdered confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
water
sliced almonds for sprinkling

Unroll, separate and flatten the crescent rolls. On a cookie sheet or pizza pan, arrange the rolls from one can in a circle, overlapping to make it continuous and letting the points fall unevenly around the edge. Place small dollops of the almond paste on top of the rolls, top with the jam. Cover with the next layer of rolls, do not line them up with the bottom layer. You want the edges uneven and to see some of the color of the jam. Bake according to the crescent roll package directions or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Add almond extract and just enough water into the powdered sugar to make it the consistency of heavy cream. Drizzle over wreath. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Enjoy!

Shopping For Something Different

I seem to be spending the day shopping for things other than accessories! LOL At least I am shopping in some form. It is amazing what you can shop for from the comfort of your own easy chair and where you can shop.

Right now I am looking at first aid kits from a site called PhysioRoom.com. They have some great first aid kits for many applications including sports. You can get everything from a basic kit all the way up to one suitable for up to fifty people. Take a look at this one specifically designed for a childcare emergency.

The PhysioRoom site itself offers a variety of physio equipment as well as rehabilitation equipment. There is also a great archive of information on physical injuries listed either alphabetically or by sport. There is a provision to allow you to ask questions of a physio expert.

Cleaning a Handbag

I spend good money on my purses and I like to keep them looking good. If I take good care of them I know that I can carry them for years to come. Here is how I take care of my handbags.

Most of my bags are leather but I do have some canvas Dooney and Bourke ones. For the leather ones I use baby wipes to gently wipe away surface dirt. If you do it regularly it is a quick job. Don't rub hard, just gently wipe. If it is soiled more deeply, there are commercial leather wipes available. Some manufacturers like Coach put out their own line of leather cleaner.

For canvas bags all you need is Ivory soap and a soft tooth brush. Wet the soap, run the brush over it lightly, and hit the spot. Do not rub hard and do not get the leather trim wet. Blot with a clean white dampened towel to remove the soap.

Don't neglect the inside of your handbags. Once emptied vacuum the interior with the soft brush attachment for your machine. I also do this on the outside of canvas bags to remove surface dirt.

Need A Host?

As much as I like blogging about and buying accessories, I sometimes have to think about serious things. Right now I am looking at getting a new webhosting service for a couple of the sites I own. Not my favorite thing to do but it has got to be done. I keep telling myself it is a form of shopping. As long as it is some form of shopping I am there!

I found a site called WebHostingGeeks.com that takes a lot of the headaches out of searching for a new provider. They have a list of the top ten web hosting providers and they are all priced under ten dollars a month. That is affordable in my book. It also tells you the services that each one offers. Having them side by side makes it very easy to compare the different offers.

Some of them have some very good marketing bonuses going on right now. If you get a service that costs ten dollars a months and get a $100 marketing bonus you practically paid nothing for the hosting the first year.

The best part for me is the independent reviews. It is very helpful to be able to read what other people who have used a provider have to say about it. That is where you get the best and most honest information. I would rather read a review from a user than an article writer any day.

If you are thinking about switching hosts or looking for new hosting you should check this site out. It is always good to be well informed. This may not take as long as I had feared.

Switching Purses Quickly

Many of my handbags were rarely used in the past because it was a headache to switch all of my things from one purse to another. What is the use of having all of those pretties if they are never seen outside of the closet?

I finally settled on a method for changing bags in less than a minute. It takes some dedication to stick to the plan but it works like a charm. I began by cleaning out the bag I was carrying and sorting in into two categories, cosmetics and miscellaneous. You can divide further if you need to. I then put each category into a separate makeup bag.

Now I only have 5 things in my purse, wallet, keys, cell phone and two makeup bags. It is a snap to switch purses. I use the pockets in my bags for the phone and keys and I can find anything in a heartbeat.

The only rule here is to always put things back into their proper bag and do not add anything to your purse unless it goes into a bag. The exception is something you are just transporting and will be removing or throwing away.

Shopping On The Web

If you are anything like me you love to shop but do not have time for it. As a result I have started doing most of my shopping on the web. I remember when everyone warned against it and it was a big deal to shop online. Now it is my favorite thing.

The most difficult part of shopping on the internet is finding what you want. Take shopping for womens clothing as an example. If you want to find a great pair of jeans many shopping sites will only take you to retailers who have paid to be on their site. That means that you are probably missing out on some great jeans and deals from shops that didn't pay to be on that site.

ShopWikki.com has solved that problem. It works more like Google and searches every site, not just ones that paid them to be included. If you use it for your shopping you will know that you are finding every option out there. Being the accessory lover that I am, I entered Coach handbags in the search box and it brought up 663 results. I may be busy looking for a while!

My New Favorite Store

I rarely hit discount stores. I have such a good designer outlet mall down the street from me I haven't seen the point in visiting stores like Marshall's or TJ Maxx.

We were in Gainesville this week and I had time to kill. There was a TJ Maxx store across the street so I decided to stop in. I am so happy I did! I bought a beautiful beige large lock sac by Dooney and Bourke and a Cole Haan medium hobo village soft in estate blue. This has definitely been my month for purses! The D&B retails for $325 and I paid $139. The CH retails for $295 and I paid $149. I also scored a darling little CH cosmetic bag for $26.

Diamonds For Michelle

We may be in a recession, but diamonds are always an appropriate gift. LOL I heard that Barack Obama is looking at a thirty thousand dollar rhodium and diamond ring. He wants it to give to his wife Michelle as a thank you gift for her support through out his campaign.

The ring is made by Giovanni Bosco, an Italian design house, and is called the Harmony ring. They are making the ring to order for Barak Obama. He wants to present it to Michelle Obama at the inaugeration festivities.

I know a lot of people will trash him for buying her a gift when we are in a recession. I for one will not. She has supported him and given up a lot to help him achieve the presidency. I think any time that a husband wants to buy his wife a lasting gift like a piece of jewelry he should be applauded. As long as they can afford it the gift is not hurting anyone else and is entirely appropriate.