Update on me!

Guess how many packages I got yesterday??!?? I was expecting 2 - they were ordered Oct 26 and should be here any day. However, neither one of those were among the 8 that were stuffed into my tiny mailbox. 8!!!!! I was so excited!! Once again, I can't post about all of them since they are destined to be Christmas gifts, but here are some of the things I got. I also had a tag for yet another package, but I have to wait until 1 today to go get it.

First off, isn't that pendant gorgeous!?? The lighting really doesn't do it justice! This is the pendant I won for the CGGE (creative glass guild of Etsy) Halloween /October contest! It was handcrafted by dyzart and it sooooo beautiful. I tried it on a shorter 18" chain, but it wasn't as nice as this 30" one. I find it looks craftier / edgier hanging so low. It's unfortunate I have to wear a nametag at work ~ it's going to cover this slightly. I'll just have to take it off. So what you can't see in the pictures is the lovely depth to the body of this goddess ~ under the silvery leaves is sparkly silver glass, but it's underneath some clear glass, giving it lots of depth. It's gorgeous!!! Thank you CGGE and dyzart!!

Next, I got some Christmas cards. The first ones were from moopf and are so cute! One features some caroling worms (great card for my brother's family, where there are 3 kids under the age of 10) and the other a really neat Christmas tree. See how the decorations on the tree are placed in cut-outs? It's really funky ~ I wish I could send this one to myself! The packaging was very professional and I even got a free button / pin. You can't really see it in the picture because of the glare, but there's a cute little fish on it. I'll use it as a bow of sorts for my 10yo nephews birthday. Do check out this shop ~ Gareth, who runs it, is a really great and caring seller. He has excellent communication and followed up with me to make sure I got them.

The other card was from BeeDazzlesGifts and I received a complimentary card with my purchase!! I bought the cute blue jay one and got a thank you card for free. How great is that? I'm still awaiting a set of snowman cards, and then I can send them out... How early is too early for Christmas cards?

Then I opened this purchase of mine from crescentmooncreation ~ a truly lovely shop. Stocked full of awesome beads and supplies, a huge amount of the inventory is $1.50. How could I resist?? I bought 4 lots: some gorgeous green and blue confetti beads, small frosted green beads, 10 stunning silvery blue faceted beads and a large baby blue hemimorphite focal bead. And look, I received a free moon charm!! The shipping was super fast too ~ I will definitely be back for more ... when I have the money.

Then I opened some of my trades ~ and what great trades they were!! This stash of vintage buttons is from nakedtile ~ I even got one extra button. They are all really pretty ~ but then, I can't resist a good mix of buttons! I received feedback from her on one of my bracelets ~ she seemed to really like it! I'm so glad!

I also traded for a lot of green buttons from merchantofkismet ~ and to even out the trade a bit, she sent me way, way more than she had to! What an awesome trade!! Just look at those lovely buttons ~ I specifically needed some green ones for Christmas and got a great selection. You can barely see it in the picture, but I also got a bag each of rose quartz and adventurine chips and another bag of tan buttons. I really lucked out!! :) And it came wrapped in twine and that large red button! All in all, a great trade ~ thanks merchantofkismet!

Finally, the package I actually opened first, was my trade from PrettyPetalsSoap. When I first opened my mailbox, all I could smell was black licorice. I was confused, seeing as I hadn't ordered anything remotely scented that way. Surprise!! Another little extra: a piece of black licorice soap. I tried it out this morning, and it lathered quite nicely without leaving an overpowering smell on my hands. That flower soap also smell amazing! A very clean scent, this soap is such a fun vibrant colour! I want to try it out badly, but I'm unsure if I'll add it into someone's Christmas package... Also included in this great trade was a beeswax lip balm. I have trouble with store bought lip balm ~ it tends to give me a rash on my lips. Not so hot... Naturally, I've only had this a day, but it seems to be perfectly fine (I think I would know by now, usually the reaction is pretty fast). It's scent and taste are subtle and it leaves a nice tingle while moisturizing for hours. Another great trade (and more positive feedback on my bracelet!)!!

So I started this post at home and now I'm at work. I stopped at the post office to mail some packages (some are really late... I'm so sorry ~ I've been quite busy with this thesis and poster) and I picked up my other package that was waiting for me. It was this photo from Pix4Kix. Very, very pretty!! I obviously haven't taken a picture of it, but it looks just like the one Pix4Kix has posted!! Imagine that! Once I get all my photos that I traded for and hang them in my bedroom, I'll take a picture to show you. I can't wait!!

Ok, that's it for now. Why don't you hop on over to my shop and check out the newly posted bracelets? I'd love a bit of feedback on the chain bracelet, seeing as it's my first. I think it's gorgeous, but the lighting isn't great... I'll have to retake a couple of pictures. I should have another post up shortly to show you my poster :P ~ I leave tomorrow around noonish for Rhode Island!! I'm so excited! I will also be posting shortly on my next 90 day challenge feature! Keep an eye out!!