The Eclectic Element

Aloha Friday #58

2012-05-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

"In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer."

I'm going to follow her lead, kick back, relax and see what you all have to say on this lovely Friday!

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Today's question is:

Is there anything I can help you with today?

Exposure for a contest? Voting for you? Making a button? Don't hesitate to ask if I can possibly help with anything; I just like helping people :)

Have a wonderful {long} weekend!

Jake² Thursday(5/24)

2012-05-24T16:00:00.000-05:00

I have not 1, but 2 Jakes in my life-Jake the Dog and Jake the Boyfriend (and yes, that IS how they are identified in real life). They bring me so much joy in my life daily, that I thought to myself one day, "Why not share them with everyone?!"

Hence, Jake² Thursday came to be :)

Each week, I'll share a new picture of both of my Jakes doing what they do best: bringing me joy!

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Thumbs up!

My seepy boy

Past the First, onto the Second!

2012-05-24T12:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks to your help and votes, Case In Point made it through to the next round!

For those of you who have been continually voting, the band and I want to thank you for helping make their musical dreams a reality!

Good Karma always comes back around because guess what I just found out? Those who have been voting have a chance to WIN things. By things, I mean an all expense paid trip to Summerfest 2012, General Admission tickets and VIP Deck passes to Summerfest 2012, and just a little brand new 2012 Hyundai Veloster!

Now that they're through to the next round, voting continues as normal (up to 5 times daily) and runs through June 3, 2012 at 11:59:59 PM ET.

After voting closes, 3 finalists will be picked with the highest votes and the finalist will each perform at Summerfest on July 4, 2012 for approximately thirty minutes. Judges will then choose the first, second, and third place winners.

If you haven't already, head over HERE and register to vote-registration is really easy; if you've ever registered to win a sweepstakes, it's just like that!

After that, just vote for CIP's video up to 5 times a day ^.^

If you don't want to register but still want to help, you can send out a quick tweet:

RT: Please help Case In Point win a spot to play at Summerfest 2012! You could win by voting, too! bit.ly/JyNJh4 #Summerfest2012

Let's help make CIP 1st place shall we!?

Health Update Thursday(5/24)

2012-05-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Before I divulge how I've been doing these past couple of weeks, I would like you to meet the newest member of the household whom was recently acquired on a VERY lucky garage sale trip.

I'd normally have a name for you all, but I'm at a loss as to what to name her/him-My other walker was lovingly named Johnny Walker Blue (he had hints of blue swirls on him) and even though this guy or gal is blue, I'm not going to go for J.W. again.

Any suggestions?

Now, onto what you're probably waiting for. Things have been rough, plain and simple, and I really am not seeing much difference (good or bad) since the last update I did. I'm still mobile most days, but with the help of ol' no-name up there and I haven't really been out of the house since we acquired him/her either except for when I sit on our front porch to enjoy the weather.

I've been having some really wonky sleeping schedules, too; Three nights in a row I was up till all hours of the morning because my mind was too 'full' to sleep and due to just that, I'm dead tired all the time now.

I made the mistake of eating more sugar then I was supposed to the other day and I had an extremely BAD reaction to that. We're going to go with no excessive sugar from now on! Before you ask, it wasn't even the good stuff either >.<

Tuesday night into Wednesday morning was not the greatest either because, due to whatever reason (probably the burrito I had eaten from Chipotle earlier or the sugar overload), I was having chest pain and heart issues where I was getting very dizzy and it felt like it was hard to breath from the constant palpitations I was experiencing.

Wednesday was spent in bed with a microwavable heat pack on my chest all day.

The good news about everything is I am starting to muscle test more and more and I'm becoming very good at doing it without a second person. If you're unaware of what muscle testing is, here is a link where you can go and check it out: http://www.healing-with-eft.com/self-muscle-testing.html

I do the standing forward-backward approach.

Here's to hoping this week brings better things for me! As per request, next week (hopefully) I'll show you the footbath I do 2 to 3 times a day.

Faith In Angels Giveaway & Special Offer

2012-05-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

Are you interested in receiving a full Angelic reading through email courtesy of Advanced Angel Messenger Jennifer Shackford of FaithandAngels.com?

The giveaway ends tomorrow night, May 24th, at 11:01pm CST if you haven't entered yet!

So, what are you waiting for?

Click Here

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If you're too impatient to see if you're the lucky winner or want to take advantage of Jennifer's continued generosity, she is offering a FREE single question reading-Just email faithinangels222@gmail.com with your question and Jennifer is happy to help :)

NOTE:: Due to increased business, please give her up to 7 days to get back to you with her response.

Win It Wednesday(5/23)

2012-05-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

Win It Wednesday is a day for showcasing, browsing, entering, and linking up contests-Have a contest that needs a little extra exposure? Feel free to link it up!

NOTE:: Linking up your contests on my Win It Wednesday linky below automatically puts then on my Ongoing Contest Linky.

DOUBLE NOTE:: You only have to submit your contest link ONCE because I manage the ongoing list myself, deleting contests as they expire.

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Win Chicago Cutlery Landmark 14-pc Knife Block Set and Bamboo Cutting Board!!

Ends May 27, 2012

Enter Here

Win One Citronella Cream Solid Lotion Repellant from MilkandHoneyNaturals on Etsy!!

Ends May 31, 2012

Enter Here

Win The Complete Idiot's Guide to Couponing!!

Ends June 7, 2012

Enter Here

Have giveaways you want to advertise?

Link them below!!

Oh-So-Plushie-ToyBoxflameOfsilver

2012-05-22T16:00:00.000-05:00

This Feature Artist Tuesday, welcome Korinne of ToyBoxflameOfsilver!

Located just above me state-wise, Korinne and her cute plush friends are visiting us today from Augusta, Wisconsin!

Her shop name is quite unique, so of course I had to inquire about how she chose it; "I can’t remember how I came up with flameofsilver, but it was my Etsy username when I was just a buyer and used it when I was branding everything," she explained. "Then someone pointed out in a shop critique that my username is now my shop name and it didn’t match what was in my banner (at the time Cottage Industries)."

That username was already taken, however, and she mainly has toys as her products, so the decision to be Toy Box by flameofsilver came about!

Her crafting journey started out like any other crafter's journey-family reared; "My grandma taught me how to crochet when I was 9 and I used to just adore Make and Take It day at school for Christmas."

Korinne's full time job consists of keeping house and raising kids so that her husband can work. As for Etsy, she says it's a hobby that she loves to do and if she happens to get paid for it, that's just a welcomed added bonus.

Currently, her main craft is crocheting, but she also enjoys knitting and sewing. You will only find knitted and crocheted items in Korinne's store, however, for one very good reason--"I do not have any sewn items in my store yet because our 2 year old is too mischievous."

I'm sure once their little one grows out of the terrible-twos, you'll be able to enjoy more of her sewn goodies :)

Dealing with mainly knitting and crocheting now, Korinne loves her yarn! "I love to work with bright colors, soft yarn, and fun fabrics and textures."

Advice from Korinne: "Always enjoy what you do! Doing something just because it will sell, but you hate it isn’t worth it."

Here are a few other things to keep in mind about Korinne and her plush toys:

*Korinne is currently set up for crochet, loom knitting, sewing, cross stitch, and knitting projects, so custom orders for any of those are more then welcome!

*Other social media sites she can be found on: Facebook, Twitter @flameofsilver, and Pinterest.

*For payment, shipping, and other need-to-know information, check out her Shop Policies Page.

I wanted to thank Korinne of ToyBoxflameOfsilver for this wonderful interview and sharing her oh-so-adorable plush toys with us all!

You KNOW I've got my eye on that Owl ;)

Items in Post:

Made to Order Plush Hedgehog Toy

Baby Owl Plush Toy

Stuffed Crab Sea Creature Plushie

T.E.E Memorial Day Sale 2/21-2/28

2012-05-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

I haven't done a sale in my two Etsy shops yet, so I figure what better time then with the impending Memorial Day holiday!

From 5/21 to 5/28, use the code MEMDAY12 to receive 20% off your total purchase!

Not only that, but spend $25 or more in either of my shops and receive a FREE The Eclectic Element pen.

Spend $50 or more in either of my shops and get FREE shipping to be refunded through Paypal (US and Canadian residents only).

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Some of the items I have in The Eclectic Element: Handcrafted Jewelry:

{Listing Link}

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Some of the items I have in The Eclectic Element: Vintage Jewelry:

{Listing Link}

Inspirational Tuesday(5/22)

2012-05-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

{Image Credit}

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.

Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.

Walk beside me and be my friend."

--Albert Camus

This is dedicated to all my amazing friends who love, support, and encourage me regardless of whether you're real life, lymie, or blog buddies.

What inspires you today?

Bakery on Main Truebar Review & Giveaway

2012-05-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

I'm back and I come bearing a review (and giveaway) to add to the ever growing list of gluten-free companies here on The Eclectic Element; this time, I'm spotlighting Bakery on Main after a complete accidental run in with one of their products on a local shopping trip.

As they say in their company logo, "Good things come from small batches!" I must attest to this statement, especially now that I've been able to enjoy some oh-so-deliciously-gluten-free goodies from Bakery on Main.

The only bad thing about those 'small batches' is they leave you wanting more once you've eaten the very last bite! Although, I must admit, that's the evil genius behind their must-have goodies ;)

Before I dive into the good stuff (quite literally), here is a little background on Bakery on Main:

"Bakery on Main was founded in 2003 with a simple philosophy: food that's good for you should taste good too. It all started in a small bakery of a natural foods market on Main Street in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Founder Michael Smulders listened to his Celiac customers complain about the taste of many of the gluten free options available to them. He thought that no one should have to suffer because of a food allergy or other special dietary needs, and made it his mission to create products that were good for them but taste like they aren't."

While Bakery on Main offers a variety of different natural, gluten free products such as granola, soft and chewy granola bars, instant oatmeal and even fiber enriched granola, I was able to try out their newest product, the Truebar.

Being the bar with 'nothing to hide,' Truebar is an all natural gluten free fruit and nut based bar that comes in 6 delicious flavors; Hazelnut Chocolate Cherry, Walnut Cappuccino, Fruit and Nut, Raspberry Chocolate Almond, Coconut Cashew, and Apricot Almond Chai.

I was sent all 6 flavors to try and so far, even though I've tried 4 out of the 6 (2 more to go) I'm incredibly blown away and impressed by these seemingly small bars.

Each one I broke open had a smell that assaulted my senses and immediately had me salivating. One bite and I was lost in the incredible flavors; the best part of each bar was that each of their multitude of flavors, textures, and sensations meshed in your mouth as you are snacking, leaving you with all your taste buds rejoicing at the same time.

My favorite so far has to be the Raspberry Chocolate Almond bar, not just because I'm a hopeless chocoholic, but because the chocolate complimented the raspberry flavoring while the combination of almonds, granola, and other nuts gave me the boost of energy I needed.

If you're interested in learning more about Bakery on Main or their products, you can visit their Website, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, or even subscribe to their YouTube page.

They even have a Blog you can read to keep up with their latest news and goings-on!

Don't forget to subscribe to join their Eat Better Live Better Club to receive $1.50 coupon good towards to purchase of their products ^.^

{Giveaway}

Container of 12 Trubars {Winner's Flavor Choice}--ARV $24

{The Rules}

1. You MUST include a way to reach you whether it be an email or blogger URL.
2. US residents only-sorry everyone else!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That's 1 mandatory entry + 32 possible extra entries which = 33 entries total!

Good Luck!

**Disclaimer: I was provided the line of Truebars from Bakery on Main at no cost to me in order to facilitate this review and giveaway. All opinions expressed in the above post are 100% mine and mine alone unless otherwise stated. This contest is open to US residents only and will run from Monday, May 21st, 2012 11:01pm central standard time until Monday, June 4th, 2012 11:01 pm central standard time. The winner will be chosen through Rafflecopter.com and be contacted within 24 hours of the drawing. You'll then have 48 hours (2 days) to claim your prize and send me all applicable information-If I haven't heard from you within that time frame, I will be forced to choose another winner.**

No Weapons on the Table!

2012-05-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

The newest sneak peak video to be released from Pixar's upcoming movie Brave; each sneak peak makes me want to see it more and more :)

Don't forget, Brave hits theaters June 22nd!

Like the movie on Facebook to catch more sneak peaks, fun facts, and the latest information so you're not missing a thing.

Music Moves Me Monday(5/21)

2012-05-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Music Moves Me Monday!

This meme is hosted by a group of seriously great people-Dolly of XmasDolly, Lorie of The Shewbridges of Central Florida, Stacie of Stacie Uncorked, and last but certainly not least, Callie of JAmericanSpice!

Here are the rules if you wanted to participate::

First step: Run over to You Tube, (or wherever), and lock & load! Get your pick for the theme of the week.

Second Step: Grab our "Monday's Music Moves Me" button::

Third step: SIGN THE LINKY - Dance (follow) your host/hostesses, and grab their buttons.

Final step: Start lookin' for a partner and boogie on down to her blog, and say hello, and tag (follow) her/him, and leave a nice comment. If you've been tagged (followed) be hip, and get on over there, and tag (follow) her back and leave a comment.

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This is quite an interesting theme for this week: Theme songs from movies.

I'm going to have to go totally old school on this one and pick one of THE most classic movies of the 80's.

Enjoy :)

Don't You Forget About Me--Simple Minds (The Breakfast Club)

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This just in!

Special announcement from our lead conductor, miss Dolly:

ATTENTION! TO OUR FOLLOWERS FOR MONDAY'S MUSIC MOVES ME! GREAT NEWS!
COMING IN 10 WEEKS WE'LL BE CELEBRATING 100 WKS OF ROCK & ROLL AND MUSICAL FRIENDSHIP, AND FOR THIS OCCASION I HAVE PUT TOGETHER A GIVE-AWAY.

YOU MUST BE A FOLLOWER/PARTICIPATOR of 4M's. Whether you have been since the beginning, for weeks, or you start now, it doesn't matter, but you must follow the hosts.
I'm still working on more prizes, but so far this is what I have to offer: GRAND PRIZE: (pending) 1. $25 Gift Certificate Eden Fantasys; 2. Plus Size Costume Center - $25 Gift Certificate; 3. Pending; 4. JUST ADDED: Designated Riders CD (Dave Moody's band - Marie's hubby, which he graciously donated).

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN BY RANDOM.ORG! WOO HOO!!!
This give-away will be for ONLY followers/participants of Monday's Music!! All others WILL BE DISQUALIFIED!

You must play on the 100th week, but also must have played at least five weeks prior to the 100th!
So put on your music thinking caps, share your songs with us and spread the word, we love your music!

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Have a musical week everyone!

Mailbox Monday(5/21)

2012-05-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Mailbox Monday divulges into the inner workings of my mailbox throughout the week. From books to jewelry to free samples to random magazines and letters-You never know what will be in the mail this week...

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This extremely fun-filled (and I do mean filled) package was a win of mine, courtesy of Laura of (un)paint.

I honestly can't resist a good mystery giveaway :)

All I can say about this delicious Mailbox Monday goodie is...

Review.

And.

Giveaway.

*Wink Wink*

This was a very nice surprise win thanks to Kimberly of She Scribes!

BBC's Planet Earth series, Frozen Planet, and The Blue Planet all on DVD.

Now to get a new television to watch these stunning videos on since mine is on its last leg ^.^

I actually bought myself something that's very near and dear to my heart; I saw this absolutely stunning angel pin in The Rusty Chicken on Etsy and snatched it up without a second thought!

It was a rough day for me and I needed a little somethin'-somethin' and this was perfect.

This...Well, this is a mystery.

I've been entering to win My Blog Spark sponsored Cherios prize packs around the blogosphere and imagine my surprise when one actually APPEARED without any announcement!

Still not quite sure where they came from...

What did you get in the mail this week?

Enhance your Musical Experience with Lenovo

2012-05-16T05:49:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Lenovo for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was somewhat interested in music before I met my boyfriend, but since he's a musician and his life basically IS music, it has become more of a staple in my life. One of our favorite things to do together is listen to the music we have in common whether it be in the car through his stereo, on my laptop lounging in bed, or on our iPods.

Lenovo has come up with something that will make our music-listening experience even better with their Lenovo speaker M0620! This particular external 2.0 speaker system which includes a main speaker with built-in amplifiers and a sub-speaker can be attached to your laptop or desk top computer, as well as any portable music device such as a smartphone or an MP3 player.

It has some pretty awesome features, too:

*4 watts of power for a high quality full sound

*A convenient USB-powered connection with an energy saving function for those green people out there

*Wire spools for easy storage when not in use

*A very sleek and modern body

Don't let their compact size fool you; they may be small but their sound is mighty!

Anybody who loves music and owns a computer, smartphone or portable music playing device can benefit from these speakers-This would DEFINITELY enhance my boyfriend and I's musical bonding experience when we listen to music together wherever we go :)

If you happen to be interested in the Lenovo speaker M0620 for yourself or some other music lover in your life, between May 15th and May 21st, these are on sale for $11.99!

Inspirational Tuesday(5/15)

2012-05-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

{Image Credit}

"Sometimes you need to press pause and let everything sink in."

--Sebastian Vettel

As the picture and quote suggest, I'm creating my own pause button today and stepping back from blogging for a little while-Never fear, not too long. I'm growing overwhelmed with some things I need to do and my health has really tanked, so I have to focus on that right now.

What inspires you today?

Music Moves Me Monday(5/14)

2012-05-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Music Moves Me Monday!

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This week's theme is freebie and guess what? I've been chosen as a spotlight dancer!

**does a little apropos dance**

Now to bring the celebration down a little notch or two, this is a song chosen from the heart that I just had to use for this week's freebie.

Enjoy!

Calling All Angels--Train

Have a musical week everyone!

Mailbox Monday(5/14)

2012-05-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

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This beautiful, beautiful ring was a trade with the shop owner of Vrendon through Etsy.

I swear, I don't think I've had this emotional of reaction to a piece of jewelry in my life! When I got it in the mail, I actually started to tear up a little o.O

Personally, I think it was mine in a past life or something :)

I got not one, but TWO magazines in the mail this week that I have no clue about-Newsweek and W magazine.

Seriously, I think I'm going to have to really find out how the heck I'm getting signed up for these!

Hey, at least it's something to read ^.^

I was contacted to do a book review for Dr. Henry Grayson's newest book, Use Your Body to Heal Your Mind.

I'm really quite excited about this one guys!

Hopefully I'll be able to get through it without any issues o.O

What did you get in the mail this week?

Share-A-Post Sunday(5/13)

2012-05-13T16:00:00.000-05:00

Share-a-Post Sunday is all about you guys-Please share your favorite weekly posts, whether they be written by you, or someone else. Maybe you have a particular interesting meme you want people to read about or a fun giveaway you need to advertise. Of course daily life, features, reviews, and shout outs are welcome too-The Sky is the limit :)

I do ask you keep it to a maximum of 1 to 2 posts to give others a chance to share!

**This Linky goes ALL week so feel free to link up any time*

Happy Mother's Day from Pixar's Brave

2012-05-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

Today being Mother's Day, I thought it very appropriate to share with all my readers this really beautiful Mother's Day spot from Pixar's newest upcoming animated film, Brave.

No matter what kind of mother you are, animated or real, today is YOUR day :)

Enjoy!

Don't forget, Brave hit's theaters June 22nd!

Saturday's Picks(5/12)-Mother's Day

2012-05-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

As you all know, Sunday (or tomorrow) is Mother's Day, so what better inspiration then that for today's Saturday's Picks?!

Enjoy :)

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Mother's Day I'll Love You Forever Poem from JackandJillyDesigns

$12.30

Mother's Day Personalized Cuff Bracelet from WyomingCreative

$24.00

Happy Mother's Day Air Plant Urchin Garden from peacocktaco

$12.95

Mother's Day Greeting Card from RowHouse14

$4.25

Mom Since Mother's Day Personalized Tote Bag from PamelaFugateDesigns

$34.95

Faith In Angels Angelic Reading Giveaway

2012-05-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not a very religious person in particular; both of my parents grew up Catholic, so when they had my sister and I, we also were introduced to Catholicism growing up. We were both baptized and later on when we were older, we had our first holy communion.

After we moved away from Kentucky when I was about nine, we kind of lost touch with our Catholic roots. My mom and dad both looked for a church they liked that we could all join, but didn't really find anything that called to them, so since then, I guess you can say we're classified as non-practicing.

I can't say that I'm sorry about that, however, because since I got sick, I've been connecting to more of my spiritual and metaphysical side; everything about the metaphysical world fascinates me from the different practiced religions, beliefs and rituals to crystals and what they do for healing and everyday life to communing with your higher self and I honestly believe if we had continued with our church going, I wouldn't have ~~discovered~~ fallen into these things on my own.

I have numerous books, am always on the lookout for new websites to read, and subscribe to several different newsletters; I just can't seem to learn enough!

One particular newsletter I subscribe to is from Ms. Jennifer Shackford, a trained Advanced Angel Messenger, as well as soul couch, author, a fellow Reiki master and many (many) other things! Here is a short little bio on Jennifer from her About Me page:

"Hi! I am Jennifer and my mission, is to connect all to their Angels, Guides and Loved Ones In Spirit for healing through love! Angels are a gift from God and are here to help us and guide us. Watch the MIRACLES in your life unfold as you invoke the Angels in your everyday life. My time connecting with Angels has been life changing. Through me, let the angels heal your life and become whole again."

I've had some readings done in the past and when I came across an offer from Jennifer in her latest newsletter for a free one question Angelic reading, I had my email drafted before you could blink an eye!

So, the question I asked:

"How do I go about helping myself on my healing journey?"

After a few days, I received this answer from Jennifer:

"It is an honor to connect to you and your Angels today....

Wow!! You have an amazing aura!! You are a strong healer. To help yourself more on your healing journey I am hearing you need to own your talents! Own that you ARE a healer. You do channel spirit, energy through you and through your clients. YOU are making a difference. Also, enhance our confidence in yourself and your abilities,talents, through morning affirmations. Look at yourself everyday in the mirror and proclaim, "I love you! I love that you are open to channeling healing energy onto mother earth, the universe and all inhabitants. You are an amazing healer! I am proud of who you are and what you have created and become. You are surrounded by love and light, embrace it." Even if you don't believe it yet, you will after about a week of proclaiming this to yourself in the mirror. Don't get discouraged if it is difficult to look at yourself in the mirror without looking away, it will come into place. Most importantly ASK the Angels of healing, especially Archangel Raphael who is very strong with you, to be by your side everyday and guide you down that path of healing to another level when you are ready.

Much light, love and many blessings,
Jennifer"

The greatest part about this is, what Jennifer told me, I've been told so many times by so many different people through the past! I've been told that I'm a powerful individual, if only I would believe in myself and she only reiterated that fact for me.

I was also told once in a different reading that my main Archangel is Raphael and that he is a very significant feature in my life, too.

Everything about Jennifer's answer just made my heart sing and filled me with such courage and awe-Now all I need to do is follower her advice! I plan on printing her message out to me and framing it so I can put it somewhere I will see everyday as a reminder I AM powerful and I AM making a difference.

If you're interested in learning more about Jennifer and what she does, visit her website, Faith In Angels or follow her on her Facebook Fanpage.

Thanks to Jennifer's generosity, she has offered one of my readers a full Angel reading!

{Giveaway}

A full Angel reading from Jennifer of Faith In Angels!

{The Rules}

1. You MUST include a way to reach you whether it be an email or blogger URL.
2. This contest is open to everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That's 1 mandatory entry + 29 possible extra entries which = 30 entries total!

Good Luck!

**Disclaimer:: Through Jennifer's offer, I received one free question Angel reading. The choice to do this review was my own and Jennifer generously offered the full Angel reading. All opinions expressed in the above post are 100% mine and mine alone unless otherwise stated. This contest is open to Worldwide and will run from Friday, May 10th, 2012 11:01pm central standard time until Thursday, May 24th, 2012 11:01 pm central standard time. The winner will be chosen through Rafflecopter.com and be contacted within 24 hours of the drawing. You have 48 hours (2 days) to claim your prize and send me your shipping information-If I haven't heard from you within that time frame, I will choose another winner.**

Aloha Friday #57

2012-05-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

From Kailani of An Island Life:

I'm going to follow her lead, kick back, relax and see what you all have to say on this lovely Friday!

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Today's question is:

What did you get for your mom this Mother's Day?

Unfortunately my plan for winning the iPad she's wanted hasn't panned out (yet), so that's a no go, but I'm going to have to wait until I get a little better to be able to do something nice for my mom.

Take her out to lunch or clean the house maybe?

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Rafflecopter or Bust

2012-05-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have an admission.

I hated Rafflecopter. Noticed the past tense of that short sentence; hatED.

When Rafflecopter first came out, everyone seemed to switch over without hesitation. Me being the stubborn and 'traditional' person that I am (you can definitely ask my boyfriend about the stubborn part, too), I refused to switch over.

It was the principle of the matter! I didn't see how putting this big honkin' thing on your giveaway posts was going to do anything except make them look ugly.

That didn't stop me from entering people's Rafflecopter giveaways, though. In fact, I quite enjoyed the ease of the entries. But don't get me wrong, I still love doing those 'traditional' blog giveaways because there is a certain challenge and satisfaction in them.

Once I started getting more giveaways on my blog, I decided why not give Rafflecopter a try? It couldn't hurt anything and if you don't give something a chance, you're just being judgmental and if there is one thing I can't stand, it's judgement.

So I created an account and put together my first giveaway. Through the process, I was still iffy and even when the giveaway went live, I will admit I was waiting for it to crash and burn so I could say, "Hey, I gave it a try. Back to traditional!"

Low and behold though, I started getting entries.

And those entries grew.

Until I well surpassed the number of entries of any traditional giveaway I've ever held!

Not only that, but the entry tracking system of Rafflecopter is AMAZING! When I saw how you tracked and moderated the entries, I was thoroughly impressed.

So what does this all mean?

It means that I went from hating Rafflecopter to being in love with it and quite honestly, I don't know if I'd want to go back :)

The only downfall (if you can call it that) is no more individual winner posts; I'm going to take some other bloggers examples and create a monthly winner's page where people can go and check to see who won what.

Moral of this story: Don't knock something until you try it out for yourself!

Featured Blogger Friday-PrettyRiot Personal

2012-05-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello all my dear readers. It's been a long time; have you been well?

I finally wrangled myself a blogger for today's Featured Blogger Friday and to say she proverbially 'fell in my lap' would definitely be appropriate!

Well, fell in my email is more like it.

Jessica of PrettyRiot Personal emailed me asking if she could feature ME on her blog-little did she know I'm always on the lookout for bloggers to feature as well, so I'm sure it was a nice surprise when I asked her on T.E.E :)

Enjoy her interview!

Q. What’s your name and blog? What other information would you like to share?

I'm Jessica and my blog is PrettyRiot Personal. Other info...hmmm..... I tend to crave ice cream frequently.

Q. Why did you choose that name for your blog?

Well PrettyRiot dot com exists and it is my Houston based blog where I write about local music and artistic things of the like. I have been longing for a way to incorporate more personal things into that blog but it just didn't seem to fit so PrettyRiot Personal was born and here we are :)

Q. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging about 4 years ago when I was newly single, entering the corporate world, still partying a lot but struggling with becoming a young adult haha. I chronicled some of my dating and a few dark times while I was writing that blog. It was anonymous and it was a great outlet. My life has changed and there are new things to write about!

Q. What kind of stuff do you cover with your blog? Is there a specific genre you write about or is the sky the limit?

For now, it's kind of a sky is the limit approach. I want to be able to blog about whatever has inspired me to write. That is the difference with the personal blog, I couldn't do that type of thing at the parent site so now I get to have much more freedom and I am looking forward to it!

Q. What is one must read post that you have written {Include Link}?

Well, this blog is kind of new so I don't think this can apply yet...but I'm sure it will come soon and naturally :)

Q. Name one thing you love about your blogging job.

I love that blogging can be done anywhere! If you want to blog at a coffee shop then do it. If you want to blog on your couch then you can. If you wanna blog at a mexican restaurant and eat queso for three hours, that's possible too (as long as they offer wifi). I don't recommend eating chips and queso for three hours though...your skinny jeans won't fit long after.

Q. Name one thing you’re not quite fond of about your blogging job.

Well the personal site is freedom so on the parent site I kind of dislike that I have parameters to stay within. It makes total sense and I get it, I mean, I can't write about how cute my dogs are when I'm supposed to be writing about the band of the week! (I did anyway) But I prefer to be free and to write only about what genuinely inspires me. I don't like to be limited.

Q. What’s one random fact about you?

I will take off my shoes at any given moment. Sometimes I do it without even realizing that it's happening. I slide them off and I will sit with my legs folded up in a chair Indian style. Weird and totally random habit. I like to be comfortable, sue me. lol

Q. Inspiration comes in many forms for different people. What inspires you?

Good music, fashion, life, things that are funny, making money, entrepreneurs. I love a good rags to riches story. They make me feel like if that person can overcome whatever crazy thing tried to hold them back, then there's no reason why I can't be a billionaire. The fatboy slim sample in that one Kanye West song,"Harder, better, faster, stronger." Gets me every time.

Q. Where else can we find you(Personal Website, Etsy Shop, Twitter, Facebook, Etc.)?

Blog: http://prettyriothou.blogspot.com/

Website: PrettyRiot.com

Instagram: Jess4PrettyRiot
Twitter: PrettyRiotHou

Mother's Day BAKEOVER Sweepstakes

2012-05-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day is this Sunday!

It seems like just yesterday was the beginning of May and now it's nearly Mother's Day. Have you been taking advantage of all the Mother's Day contests going around the web lately?

Regardless of if you have or haven't, here is just one more contest you may be interested in:

"In celebration of moms everywhere, Chicago MetallicTM is hosting the “Mother’s Day BAKEOVER Sweepstakes” for a chance to win a deluxe bakeware prize pack valued at $200! To enter, just click on the link below, “LIKE” the Chicago Metallic page and fill out the sweepstakes form!"

If you're interested in entering this contest, just head over HERE.

Good luck :)

**Disclaimer: I was in no way compensated for the above post. All opinions expressed above are 100% mine and mine alone unless otherwise stated. I was passed this contest information strictly for the benefit of my readers**

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