Spotlights On...

Kisses of Kahlua

2009-06-23T20:04:00.005-04:00

They are not joking. So, the story goes like this… my old roommate is a bartender in one of the hottest restaurants in Northwest Arkansas. He is one of those who makes friends with ALL of the customers. One of his favorites, Pam Forester, started an at home cake business and before long he started bringing these cakes home as “tips”. It was amazing the first time; this cake lasted for over a week in our house and was moist down to the last crumb. So, these cakes kept coming to our house and to my surprise the consistency of this cake was the most impressive aspect of the company, and the cakes are equally delicious every time!

You haven’t lived until you have had a “Kiss of Kahlua,” it is a simple Bundt cake with no icing. A very homemade touch of the south wrapped and tied with a precious ribbon. The company “Kisses of Kahlua” offers shipping, for a small charge, and this is something I just had to spread the word about. And trust me; this cake is just a delicious coming out of the oven as it is a week and a half later.

Feel free to contact Pam her website is http://kissesofkahlua.com/ she takes orders via phone or email.

Enjoy this and other posts by Brooke, the newest Spotlights On... contributor. She can be reached at brooke@spotlightson.com.

Fast Moving Art: Expression Of Joy

2009-05-19T16:03:00.006-04:00

In a savvy new marketing campaign, BMW commissioned renowned artist Robin Rhode to produce the piece above. The materials? How about paint, a BMW Z4 Roadster and a 100 by 200 foot canvas. Here is a video about the project:

As you can see, the results are pretty amazing! It only goes to show that art comes in a variety of mediums....some very fast moving! To see more about this project go to ExpressionOfJoy.com.

My "Dirty Secret"

2009-04-21T21:04:00.004-04:00

For some this is life changing. Dry Shampoo. This is a product that has been around for a few generations now, but has been revamped and is now 2009 compatible. TIGI has a new line out called Rockaholic. For the most part the line is geared toward its name, including “Molding Gunk” and “Hardcore spray gel” for the rocker in all of us, but the gem of the line is Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo.

For as long as I can remember every hair stylist I have had has told me not to wash my hair everyday, something about it drying out your natural oil glands, and it actually making the glands produce too much oil. Yet, my hair looks like a grease monkey on day two, and I can not enter into the world looking a hot mess. Enter… my Dirty Secret. It saves my hair an extra day of shampooing, or allows me to shampoo at night and spray this product in the morning and I am good to go! Most recently I attend an engagement party for my best friend, and after dancing (sweating) the night away this little beauty saved me from many disastrous greasy haired pictures.

All you do is spray toward your roots just like you would a hair spray. Then finger comb or brush through and your hair will smell and look fresh. Target carries most TIGI brands, otherwise ask your local stylists and they should be able to either get it for you or point you in the right direction.

Disclaimer: For those of you who have heard of the orginal dry shampoo PSSSSSST Instant Spray Shampoo, this product has been completely revamped from smell to texture. So, if PSSSSSST messed up your hair in 1970 do not be alarmed!

A New Way of Shopping: Private Designer Sales

2009-03-13T11:26:00.005-04:00

In my ongoing quest to never pay retail prices, I have come across a interesting breed of online bargains. There are multiple sites that offer members-only designer sales which have truly fabulous discounts (think on average of 65% off). Which designers? How about Tory Burch, Escada, Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabanna. A little out of your price range? They also offer brands such as Free People, Michael Kors Home and Elie Tahari. The offerings can range from the latest collection to accessories to home goods. The sites also offer womens, mens and even children's items. The sales run anywhere from 24-72 hours (depending on the site) and once the sale is over, the merchandise is no longer available. However, the real problem is trying to snag that fabulous item before it sells out!

Interested in which sites to join? Try Ideeli or Gilt Groupe which have referral sites in order to join. Other sites such as Hautelook or Rue La La require an invitation from a member (you can request an invitation here). Each site has incentives to recruit other members, usually with a $25 credit per friend when he or she makes the first purchase. Some sites even give you an initial credit good towards your purchases. Besides the sales, most sites offer great giveaways and sweepstakes for items such as a 7-day vacation or a designer accessory.

Want an example of offerings? Here are the sales going on next week, for noteable sales in the future, follow the twitter postings.

Ideeli is featuring Amrita Singh (jewelry) and giveaways from YSL, Burberry and Balenciaga
Gilt Groupe is featuring Trina Turk, Delman Shoes, and Perricone MD Cosmeceuticals
Hautelook is featuring Lauren Conrad, Stila, Three Dots, Via Spiga, Michael Kors and Ernest Sewn
Rue La La is featuring Besty Johnson Outerwear, Dolce & Gabbana and Elie Tahari

Enjoy your shopping and let me know your favorite purchase!

Go Green through Reuse: Freecycle™

2009-03-06T12:38:00.007-05:00

As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. This is certainly true for an environmental nonprofit organization that started in Tucson, AZ. Freecycle is that perfect place between your trash bin and Craigslist or Ebay. This nonprofit gifting movement enables individuals to gift items in their local communities rather than to throw them away, thus keeping over 600 tons out of landfills daily.

When I moved to the DC metro area last year, my husband and I brought what we could fit into a U haul trailer and nothing more. Well, when you pack that light, you eventually need some things. Thankfully I read about Freecycle in a magazine blurb. I joined online (membership is free) and started receiving emails containing local offers, wants and what was already taken. The first week I picked up an old but solid wood bookcase, some photography items and gave away my moving boxes to another member in need. It was great! Since then my husband has been able to acquire some furniture for his office and give away some electronics we no longer need.

Freecycle is globally local -- Each city has volunteer moderators and a unique email group. Anyone living in that city is then welcome to post items to be given away or to seek items which they might be able to use. What began as only 30 members just over five years ago has now
developed into many millions of members worldwide.

Visit freecycle.org to find the Freecycle community in your area.

(sections of post taken from press release)

Beauty Crave: Origins Precipitation™ Extra

2009-03-03T16:02:00.000-05:00

Have you ever tried a friend's beauty product or sample and enjoyed the product so much that you crave it? Well, this weekend that is exactly what happened to me. I was staying at a friend's place in NYC and she offered me some of this wonderful Origins body cream. Unlike other moisturizers for very dry skin, this cream was very light and silky and not at all greasy. It absorbs into the skin quickly but and still kept my skin deeply moisturized all night. Origins Precipitation™ Extra is made with Shea and Coco butter and a combination of essential oils. It has a very pleasant light scent that smells light and clean. I was with a group of girls and we could not get enough of this wonderful product; hence why it is my latest beauty crave. For anyone looking for a great all-over moisturizer or even just something for your hands at work, try Origins Precipitation™ Extra: Continuous moisture recovery for very dry skin. At just $25.00 a jar, you won't be disappointed!

Want more? My savvy friend also had the Precipitation™ Extra body wash and Checks and Balances™ frothy face wash which were also wonderful! You can find Origins at your local store or online at origins.com.

Fabulous Prints: Mpix.com

2009-02-17T16:58:00.005-05:00

"Daisy Under Lights" © Weatherly Designs

As a photographer I am often asked where to get photographs printed. While Costco and Walmart might have great deals and decent machines, for top-notch printing, I use Mpix.com. Mpix is a division of Miller's Professional Imaging, the largest professional lab in the country.

So why do I use Mpix.com?

Mpix offers three different types of photography paper: E-surface color in a matte finish (what you are used to but better), true black and white, and my favorite, metallic. They are all great types of paper with amazing colors, detail and professional finishing. I think the metallic paper really stands out in that I've never seen anything quite like it. From the front it looks like normal color paper, but slightly tilted to the side, the colors really glow. Best of all, before you decide which kind of paper you want to use for your own photographs, Mpix will send you a sample kit so that you can compare them all first-hand.

Mpix offers great prices, especially on large prints. In my particular realm of photography, I often do not print photographs smaller than as 8x10, so it can get pricey. Mpix offers very competitive prices on all sizes and types of paper. Plus, there is a flat shipping charge no matter the number of prints I order.

Mpix offers unique sizes of photographs and an amazing array of consumer and professional products. As to sizing, most labs only offer traditional paper sizes, but with Mpix I was able to order a 8x12 or a 10x10, still at great prices. When it comes to products, Mpix offers more consumer products than I could ever need from playing cards to wall-clings. For the professional, Mpix offers everything from proof portfolios and boutique packaging to zenfolio, a way to organize and sell photographs online.

Finally, I use Mpix because other photographers I trust love the quality of the work and Mpix has received top honors from sites like Popular Photography. Mpix.com is offering a 25% off on their large prints with code largeprint09 which is good until 2/25/09.

Sexy, Sensual or Sweet: Valentine's Day Scents

2009-02-11T12:50:00.009-05:00

J'adore le parfum! When I was in middle school, I stole my mother's perfume samples just because I decided that I needed a "signature scent" (I must have read something in a magazine). I tried her various samples and decided my favorite was Coco Chanel. Thankfully, I had some friends who taught me how to pronounce the name correctly, but only after laughing at me for a number of years. So when the other girls my age were wearing brands of perfume that you could pick up at the drug store, my poor mother was at the Chanel boutique buying my "signature scent" for my birthday.

Well, the "signature" part did not last for long as I started to smell other tantalizing fragrances and just had to wear them. In college, I made my boyfriend (now husband) pick me out a new scent- 24 Foubourg by Hermes. Then living in NYC, I picked up some Jean Paul Gaultier Classique on the streets in Chinatown. I was fortunate enough to tour a perfume factory in France and I recently fell in love with Givenchy Very Irresistible Sensual and Jo Malone Orange Blossom. However, my most recent obsession is Beige by Chanel, but only because it's nearly impossible to find. I'm dying to try it!

Out of all the cheesy traditional Valentine's Day gifts, a fabulous bottle of perfume is by far my favorite, because I would be happy to receive it as a gift any day of the week! Perfume is inherently personal because it smells so different from person to person (case-in-point: Issey Miyake smells like chalk on me, but wonderful in the bottle). Scents are also emotional and can make you feel sexy and sensual or upbeat and sweet. With so many wonderful choices, it's my preferred gift this Valentine's Day, especially while the discounts are great!

Try Perfume Worldwide, Inc. which is discounting all perfume 15% off with coupon code Is15off until 2/15!

Want more suggestions or particular reviews on the newest scents? These are just some of the amazing blogs that are purely dedicated to your olfactory senses: Perfume-Smellin' Things, Now Smell This, Scentzilla, and Pefume Shrine.

Reality Bites: Eat This, Not That!

2009-02-04T19:36:00.005-05:00

So sometimes I come across the most random blogs and/or websites and just have to share! I, like most people, have the new years resolution to loose weight. All things considered it's actually been going well and I have lost 8 pounds since the first of January. While cooking at home is fine, restaurants can trip me up as I am completely appalled at how many calories and grams of fat can fit into a single bite!

So in ordering some takeout, I came across this handy web site that makes suggestions of what to eat and what not to eat. I am pretty surprised at the choices- who would have thought a smoked turkey sandwich was so bad! Upon doing some more research I found out that David Zinczenko, the editor of Men's Health, put together his Eat This, Not That! program through a series of books and an online subscription. He not only covers restaurants, but also what to buy at the grocery store and which drinks (hmmm, I don't think I want to know about Starbucks) are best. Want some examples? Watch the clip from when David was on the Ellen Show. The online links are a sampling of the program, but for the full listing of restaurants and grocery store items, a 6-month subscription costs $9.95. Not too bad for knowing what is really in my food!

Don't Forget Your Gloves and Socks

2009-02-03T12:21:00.012-05:00

A long time ago, I moved to NYC and worked as a marketing intern for Womens Wear Daily (the fashion bible). It was all about the Oscars and the gift bags that were going to the celebrities. I distinctively remember Bliss Spa gloves and socks because I tried my hardest to get a pair of socks for my mother for Christmas. Thankfully I succeeded and have been recommending the product ever since. So for all of you whose hands and feet are suffering from this crazy cold weather, just remember to wear you gloves and socks!

Both the "glamour gloves" and "softening socks" can be worn with moisturizers or by themselves. They each have a gel lining that softens and smooths with olive oil, grapeseed oil and vitamin E. They last for 50 uses and work wonders on your dry hands or cracked heels. Wear them for 20 minutes for a quick fix or over-night for some serious damage control. A great gift for Valentine's Day or for anyone living in a cold climate! Plus, Bliss World is giving away a FREE bottle of "love handler" (usually $36) with any purchase in February.

Want to see other Bliss World beauty steals? Check out their blog!

Cell Phone Savings: LetsTalk.com

2009-02-01T18:18:00.010-05:00

So a couple of years ago when my husband and I moved from Dallas to Jacksonville, we decided we wanted new cell phones and new numbers. I'm pretty sure our contract was up so we were free to look around. We found a great website called LetsTalk.com and placed orders for two cell phones and a new contract. I was skeptical at first with it being an online cell phone store, but just as promised, our brand new, hard-to-find phones arrived and we got a fabulous deal.

Just this last week we went through the same thing. My contract is up and I needed to switch to a better carrier with the crazy cell phone congestion in DC. I left it up to my husband to hit up the local stores to "wheel and deal" but alas, we're not so sure cell phone stores are allowed or are even willing to negotiate. Again, we searched online and found GREAT deals through LetsTalk.com. My $450 smart phone ended up costing $55 dollars total with a discounted online price, an instant rebate, an online coupon we found, a $20 mail-in rebate and free 2-day FedEx shipping. The best offer the stores could make us? $200 and only if I bought it through their website. So overall, I saved just under $150 by shopping through LetsTalk.com. It was easy, they kept my existing number and all the plans were at the exact same rate as I would find in stores.

LetsTalk.com offers an extensive collection of cell phones and plans from all the big carriers and you do not need to be out of your contract to get a great rate. The site has great comparison tools, cell phone reviews, excellent customer feed-back and a money-back guarantee. I would highly recommend them over a local store or even a carrier's own online site. Now that I have used them twice, I have sworn off ever paying retail prices for cell phones again. Here is the online coupon I found: $25 off on cell phones with new service plans 25RAFPCVER1, but shop around for other online coupons for upgrading your phone if you are not out of contract.

ScanCafe Update

2009-01-30T12:26:00.006-05:00

So awhile back, Spotlights On... did a feature on ScanCafe, the highly rated company that converts your negatives into digital images for great prices. Well, ScanCafe, is having a Super Bowl sale! Use the code SP09VPCCHU to get 10% off your order and win an additional 20% off if you guess the Super Bowl winner and score correctly. Look for the Optional Scanning Instructions box on the order form, and enter your prediction there (prior to the start of the game). Whether or not you wager on the Super Bowl, 10% off code is still good until February 8th, 2009.

Professional Self-Publishing: Lulu.com

2009-01-15T19:02:00.010-05:00

For my father-in-law's Christmas present, my husband and I were having a hard time trying to decide what to give him. I am a photographer and we thought he would appreciate a couple of my prints, but we did not know which ones to choose. Finally we came to the conclusion to put together a photo book of pictures of orchids we had both taken at the U.S. Botanical Gardens. After receiving a copy of the photobook, I am happy for the most part, but I could improve due to it being my first-time.

However, it was lots of fun to assemble the book together! So much so, that I thought how great would it be to put something like this together at a professional level in order to sell it at places like Amazon.com and Borders. In my random internet wanderings, I found just that: Lulu.com. It is a company that professionally publishes all kinds of media including books, music, videos, software, calendars, etc. They have a plethora of services including editing, cover design, marketing, ISBNs, and press releases so that you can pick and choose your specific needs. So whether you have the next greatest coffee table book, that novel you have just completed or a personal memoir, you can have it professionally published and collect the royalties.

Also, in case one of your New Year's resolutions was to support more mom-n-pop businesses, consider the Lulu.com global marketplace where you can buy from other self-published authors.

The Perfect Pairing: Weatherly's World-Famous Guacamole

2009-01-06T15:52:00.002-05:00

So growing up in Dallas (fondly known as the Big D), one cannot serve margaritas without serving other Tex-Mex staples such as my world-famous guacamole. Why is it world-famous? Well, world-famous sounds much better after Weatherly that nationally. Plus, since this blog gets enough international traffic, I think I am validated in my title. Without further ado, here is the recipe, first taught to me by my grandmother and then perfected by my friend's reviews and my husband's taste buds:

Weatherly's World-Famous Guacamole (serves 4-6)

2-3 ripe avocados (or if an emergency, use fresh-packed avocado)
2 cups salsa (use which ever you like, but I prefer chunky salsa)
1 tbs lime juice
1 tbs dried or fresh cilantro
1-2 slices red onion, chopped
1 large tomato chopped
2 tbs (or to taste) garlic salt
fresh jalapeno to taste (optional)

Mash avocados. Stir to combine all ingredients. Taste and add more garlic salt if required (I use quite a bit). Serve fresh with Tostitos 'Hint of Lime' or organic blue corn chips. Also, my grandmother taught me to always put the the avocado seeds back into the guacamole to keep it fresh! Enjoy!

My New Favorite Recipe: The Margarita Perfected

2008-12-30T14:12:00.012-05:00

So a couple of months ago, my husband and I went with friends to a fabulous restaurant, Rosa Mexicano. Instead of ordering me the signature Pomegranate Margarita, he ordered "the Cadillac of Margaritas," La Unica. It's a $12 margarita served on the rocks, salted, in a double old fashioned and I do my best to only order two of them!

Yes, I know this is not a holiday or traditional winter drink, but after trying one you may be craving them all year long! Anyway, after copying down the ingredients, I set out to make my own version since the price tag was killing me. After lots of taste tests, here are the results: (serves 1, but I suggest making a double)

1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
2 oz. 1800 Reposado 100% blue agave tequila (or try Patron Reposado 100% blue agave for an even smoother drink)
1 oz. Grand Marnier or Cointreau
3/4 oz. agave nectar (I used this)

Shake all ingredients vigorously in a martini shaker filled with ice and serve as suggested above. Enjoy!

The World of Scent Layering: Jo Malone

2008-12-23T12:27:00.009-05:00

The other day I was shopping with a friend at Neiman-Marcus. She had to buy some nice family gifts and kept going back to one place- Jo Malone. Now, I was familiar with this London-based perfumer, but had never really explored their product line. Wow, I was in for a treat!

This amazing collection of natural scents is divine! Not your typical blend of scents (try the Lime Basil & Mandarin), each particular note is meant to be worn by itself or layered with other notes to create unique scents. I have personally been experimenting with the signature scents of Orange Blossom, Grapefruit and White Jasmine & Mint. Each of them is wonderful in their own right, but urged by "The Art of Fragrance Combining," I love the layering as well.

The Jo Malone line also includes scented body lotions which are another way to layer and beautiful home scents as well. The prices are reflect a very well made product, and are sold in the U.S. at fine retailers such as Neimans, Saks, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom. Want to try them? With the holidays here, order online and get 25% off Holiday Gift Sets, such as my favorite, The Cologne Collection (as shown above). And if you are my Secret Santa, please note all of the above!

Creamy and Rich: Bialetti Espresso Sets

2008-12-22T17:12:00.007-05:00

So I had meant to post a gift guide as this time of year is one of my favorites and I love finding the perfect gift! My family is so large that we draw names using a very chic online tool called Elfster which is perfect for Secret Santa. Unfortunately, the name I drew happens to be the hardest person in my family for which to shop!

Thankfully, I have other presents to buy and recently I found this little set, perfect for my sister to give my brother-in-law (I don't think he reads blogs so I'm good). It's the Italian made Bialetti Milk and Coffee Set. For those of us who would like to own a $100-$5000 espresso machine, this is a great affordable alternative. It's a stovetop espresso maker and milk frother.
Besides not having a huge machine permanently displayed on your kitchen counter, it's nice to do things the old fashioned way. My husband and I found this out via our coffee maker. We bought a nice machine, recommended by Consumer Reports, of course, and it was great for about a year or two. After that, the clock started counting down infinitely and it started spitting out hot water on us. So I researched again, but instead of buying a fancy machine, I went with a french press from Bodium and a cheap grinder. Yes, I don't have the luxury of setting a timer, but the coffee, especially the Organic Ethiopian Fair-Trade Medium Roast, tastes wonderful and honestly, it's more fun to do it yourself.

Cards and Gifts from Above: Heavenly Press

2008-11-14T15:33:00.012-05:00

Heavenly Press is an online stationery and invitation store run by three stay-at-home moms specializing in personalized products. With the Christmas season soon approaching, now is the time to order your Christmas cards and one-of-a-kind gifts. Heavenly Press offers stylish Christmas cards, personalized stamps, vinyl labels, bag tags and more! Some of their most popular designers include Cross My Heart, San Lori Designs, Picture Perfect, Sweet Pea Designs, Noteworthy, Notably Inviting, Putnam House, Paper So Pretty and Stacy Claire Boyd.

Need gift ideas? Try a personalized stamp or embosser! Three Designing Women and Noteworthy give you hundred of options to choose from. Throwing a holiday party? Check out the darling invitations and personalized party cups! What about gifts for the newest addition? Heavenly Press sells personalized vinyl labels that can be attached to a bottle or sippy cup that do not come off in the dishwasher. Don't see what you are looking for? Contact Heavenly Press through their website and they will get you exactly what you need!

Not that you need any other reasons to check out the site, but just in case, Heavenly Press is offering Spotlights On... readers a 10% discount to anyone who spends $30 or more by entering the code SPOTLIGHT at checkout. The offer ends 12/15/08 so get your order in early!

Organic Beauty: MOI (Modern Organics International)

2008-11-11T18:09:00.006-05:00

Ever wondered what is in the skin care and makeup that you put on your face everyday? Ok, so maybe you haven’t but the girls at MOI (Modern Organics International) have. And lucky for you that they have. When you visit the newly re-designed e-boutique, you will find 16 different lines of nothing but the best in organic, all natural skin care, cosmetics, pregnancy and baby care. MOI offers safe, non-toxic, cruelty free products without sacrificing the integrity of the product. That means that you get real, honest-to-God professional beauty products, not the tree bark and berries that you think of when you think organic (Melania Knauss, Donald Trump’s wife, and supermodel Karolina Kurkovaboth use the Luzern Force De Vie crème offered at their store).

Not only are the products good for you, but they are cruelty free (no animal testing) and many of the suppliers buy from fair-trade suppliers, bio-dynamic farms and use eco-friendly packaging (Pangea Organics put seeds right in their packaging so you can plant the box!). Not to mention the new “Choose a Charity” feature at checkout. Once you choose your products, you can actually select from a list of charities to have a portion of your sale donated to! See? Shopping is good for you! Visit MOI to get going on your new healthy glow!

My New Favorite Candle: WoodWick

2008-10-08T21:07:00.003-04:00

I went to visit one of my sisters and she had this amazing candle that I am now obsessed with- a WoodWick candle. As the name implies, the wick is not made of normal cotton, but instead is an organic piece of wood that crackles as the candle burns. She went on the tell me that her WoodWick candle is by far her longest lasting candle. The candle looked good (a must), came with a wooden lid and smelled great (she had the Almond Orange scent)!

Ths time of year is a perfect time to bring in new scents to your home. Where I live, the temperatures are already starting to fall. That means out with my coconut-lime and linen candles, now to be replaced by pumpkin, gingerbread and clove scents. After doing a little research online I found out more about WoodWick candles. They are made by Virginia Candle Company and are sold around the country, but mainly online. They come in a variety of scents, including versions of my favorites listed above. They also come in two sizes, 10oz. and 22oz. (the larger of which I will be purchasing). As a self-professed lover of candles, I literally cannot wait until my own WoodWick candle is lit and making my home smell and sound great!

The PINK List: Cosmetics

2008-10-06T23:32:00.007-04:00

One of the many great things about October is how many companies do their best to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Here is a sampling of cosmetic companies I have found that are doing their part to help fight this disease by allocating a portion of their best selling products to breast cancer research.

Bliss
Sonicare® will donate part of the proceeds of every pink clarisonic skin care brush sold towards the fight against breast cancer.

Origins
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. By purchasing Peace of Mind® On-the-spot relief, you are helping Origins donate $35,000 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®. This very important contribution supports the research dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime.

Clinique
Buy a limited-edition Dramatically Different™ Moisturizing Lotion and help The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® find a way to prevent and cure breast cancer. Comes with a FREE key chain complete with two silver-tone charms: a Clinique "C" and Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon. $10.00 from your purchase helps support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Prescriptives
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. By purchasing either Super Line Preventor Xtreme or Super Line Preventor Xtreme Lifting Concentrate, you are helping Prescriptives donate $30,000 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® to fund innovative clinical and translational research in North America.

Want more? Click here to see more cosmetic companies who are contributing to breast cancer research!

Beautiful Handmade Journals: Express Yourself! Creations

2008-09-30T23:28:00.014-04:00

Jill Garcia of Express Yourself! Creations is the next featured person in the Creative Women in Business series. Jill started making beautiful journals and day planners and had a passion to share her artistic gifts and talents with others. In March of 2007, Express Yourself! Creations started as a word of mouth business and moved quickly to the internet. Since then, Jill has expanded her line of journals, day planners and recipe binders to include handmade cards, baby memory items, picture frames and many more products. You can also find Jill's creations at Crickett’s Answer for Cancer, a breast cancer foundation.

Jill is expecting this January and looks forward to leaving the corporate world to devote her time to her little one and to her business, including more amazing handmade products at Express Yourself! Creations. Shop her Etsy site today!

Also, mark your calendars this next month as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Throughout the normal series and features will be the PINK list, a list of fabulous finds and products which give a portions of their earnings to Breast Cancer Research.

The Most Darling Owls: Tigerflight

2008-09-26T13:23:00.008-04:00

The next person to be featured in the Creative Women in Business series is Beth Baldwin of Tigerflight. I fell in love with her plush Owls at a DC art show and had to share! Beth is originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia. Beth moved to DC to pursue an internship for the Shakespeare Theatre, where she worked for 9 years.

Some of the fabrics Beth uses in her plush owls came from the Shakespeare Theatre where she was left with scraps too beautiful to throw away but too small to be of much use. Beth remembers when she threw a pile of fabric scraps on her bed along with an old wool sweater she felted, originally intending to create a bag, when she thought "hey, this would make a cute owl!" Beth started making plush owls last Christmas and they have been popular ever since!

Right now, Beth is madly preparing for Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair (in DC this Sunday), but after that, she intends to get her Etsy shop up and running. Beth's beautiful creations are now being featured in Pyramid Atlantic Community Arts Store, located in Silver Springs, MD where they are crazy about her owls, yetis and acorns. Beth has prepared a special coupon just for Spotlights On... readers. Here is the coupon below. When ordering, mention Spotlights On... to receive your discount.

Online Find: Manhattanite

2008-09-25T13:39:00.009-04:00

While surfing the internet I came upon the cutest web boutique: Manhattanite. They offer a selection of women's apparel, jewelry, maternity, baby clothes, accessories and even a collection of home goods. Some of my favorite finds were the Voom Chic Dress in Black, these Vita Snakeskin Bangles, and The Landress line of Signature Laundry Detergents...which are amazing! With such a fashionably edited collection, you are sure to find something you love as well as pick up that birthday gift you've been meaning to give!

As if the darling merchandise was not enough, EVERYTHING is 20% off in celebration of Season 2 of Lipstick Jungle (I want to be Wendy, really, I do). Just enter the code LipstickJungle at the checkout and receive 20% off, but only until September 30th (expires midnight).

The Perfect Baby Blanket: Cosset Child

2008-09-22T17:53:00.017-04:00

Today I am finally launching the Creative Women in Business series that will run intermittently with other recommendations! The first person to be featured is Ivey Carroll of Cosset Child who hand makes beautiful baby blankets. Ivey started making some baby blankets for some friends who were pregnant. She decided to personalize them with the child's name and a Bible verse as she knew first hand how much time parents put into a name and how every child is truly a miracle.

After numerous baby blanket requests, Cosset Child was born. Cosset means to pamper or is another name for a lamb, which she thought was fitting since the fabric is of such high quality and is so incredibly soft. Ivey uses the highest quality Minky material on the market. You can feel the quality from the weight of the fabric, the softness and the durability through countless times of being washed and dried.

Photo courtesy of Andrea Young of Georgia Lane Photography

Each blanket gets to be created by the customer as they have options to what colors and patterns of fabric they want, which Bible verses or custom sayings, and even an options of fonts. This insures that each Cosset Child blanket is truly one of a kind. All of the options are easily decided at the Cosset Child website. After the order is entered, Ivey personally cuts the fabric, sews it and embroiders it so each blanket is a little bit different and yet all of them have the same wonderful quality.

Photo courtesy of Amanda Barnes

Ivey's baby blankets get nothing but high reviews from her customers and gift recipients. One customer loved her childrens' blankets so much, that she had Ivey make her the blanket for her own bed size.

Best of all, Ivey is offering free priority shipping to Spotlights On... readers. Just type in SpotlightFS when you check out. Order your own, or your friend's favorite baby blanket today from Cosset Child.