Hello Dear Readers/Friends!

We have been spreading sunshine everyday now for nearly 2 years (oh, how time flies!).  The project started as a reaction to everything negative that was around me– my business partner’s husband was laid off, I had my salary cut by nearly half (and my work load increased exponentially), every time I turned on the news it was all bad.  I felt that I needed to do something thus The Bright Side Project was born. I was able to convince a fantastic writer and best friend to help me navigate this ship and she did so with glee for many moons.

What you don’t see behind the scenes is how much hard work and money is needed to make the Bright Side Project shine.  Miss K had to move on and follow her dream and in entered Miss Lindsey to save the day.  Miss Krista a young mom and fab writer has been volunteering her time to write all our weekend posts and we definitely have had a lot of welcome assistance from other kind folk (thanks Brooke + Cathe!)

Miss Lindsey recently lost her job and my job search has not amounted to much (I am thinking positive thoughts though!) We decided that we needed to do a few things differently around here at The BSP as we are a bit overwhelmed and can not justify the extra time and expense the project takes to run while we are trying to make sure we maintain a roof over our heads, food in the bellies of our family and to pursue our dreams. We have come up with the following plan:

For now we will be taking the project down to 3 prizes per week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Tuesday and Thursday we hope to introduce two new categories but we are still flushing those brilliant ideas out.  Starting August 2, 2010, prizes will be M,W,F, we will announce winners on Thursdays. We will be introducing a monthly tip jar to cover the expense to run the project, feel free to pass on it, it’s optional but we need to do this if we want to keep the site running (and we really, really do).  We are also going to give up SWOOP, it’s too much work and no one seems to be able to figure it out. We think giving a winner a week to claim their prize is plenty of time, if they can’t check in within the given 7 days that prize will be forfeited.  We wish we could email winners but we can’t, the project takes up too much time as it is and we can’t  add ‘chasing down someone for their prize’ on our overflowing to-do lists.

We hope you all will understand and will continue to visit us. Once we get settled in our new dream jobs (fingers crossed) perhaps we can re-visit the prior format but we do think with the new additions we have planned that you may not even miss the old BSP.

xx,

Miss B.

It’s a new dawn. There used to be a time when we didn’t question where our products came from, the impact our choices as consumers had on our environment and we made decisions based on want rather than need, albeit unintentionally. We didn’t used to care so much. We didn’t used to question. It’s a new day.

Here at The Bright Side Project, we pride ourselves on bringing daily doses of sunshine to each of you without bringing any type of agenda to the table, aside from happiness and warm cheer. That being said, surely it’s not presumptuous to assume that each of you feel good about a smaller carbon footprint, cruelty-free products and safe, non-toxic ingredients. We thought so.

Susie Wang, the Chief Creative Ambassador behind 100% Pure, not only has the best job title around but she also is the genius behind a new way of looking at beauty. Her mission is to “bring to the world 100% Pure health food for the skin without any harsh, unsafe chemicals that can pollute our bodies or our planet.” Wang’s (patent pending) Fruit Pigmented Color Cosmetics are created sans synthetic dyes or minerals, using the natural antioxidants found in fruit and vegetable pigments as a source of color. Every product 100% Pure creates is cruelty-free (absolutely no animal testing!) and sustainability infuses every detail, from source to package. Portions of their proceeds are donated directly to help animals, from rescue to medical attention and this attention to mindful living lends us a product we can feel good about standing behind while it sits right in front of (and even on) our eyes. As Nina Simone sang, “It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day. It’s a new life for me. And I’m feeling good.”

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Miss Krista, our Weekend Editor, is a mother, a lover and a big believer in the power of a cupcake. She loves double entendres but is not a fan of the high-five. She blogs about the corners of her heart at my life as i see it.

100% Pure is giving away a Sampler Set of three mascaras (Blackberry, Blueberry and Black Tea) to THREE lucky winners! To enter to win, please answer the following question by Friday, August 6,2010:

What is the most inspirational color you’ve ever experienced in the natural world?

Good luck!  Please check the winners box on Thursday, August 12, 2010 to see if you won.

{please visit little roura here}

We’ve featured alchemists, dermatologists and gemologists but never an invitologist, well today that will all change as we introduce Nicole Roura of Little Roura. As a specialist in the art of ‘invitology’, Roura has one goal,  “To take your vision and bring it to life.”

Roura can’t pinpoint exactly when her inner invitolgist was awoken but believes it could have been somewhere between creating all those college party fliers and her sister’s wedding suite that she found her true calling.  If your current invites are suffering from a case of the blasé or in need of a little cosmetic work may I suggest  Little Roura?  They have been known to heal even the most lethargic of  paper products.

Little Roura is giving away 40 custom invitations to one reader with the best concept (she will create the winning answer!) An idea that reflects your personality, or the theme of your party. In order to enter to win please answer the following question by, Thursday, August 2, 2010:

What creative ideas do you have for your perfect (for you) invitation?

Good luck!  Please start checking the winners box on Wednesday, August 8, 2010.

{please visit raramodo here}

Raramodo. Sorry I just had to say that out loud, try it, you’ll like it. The name just rolls off the tongue. Raramodo isn’t just for tongue tickling, no sirree,  it is a serious design studio in Poland where each handbag is hand assembled and sewn. The details on the Raramodo line of bags are elegantly subtle–feminine pleats, ticking stripe lining, streamlined hardware. The bags themselves are supple yet sturdy following a more updated classic style than going for the latest trend. I feel like the Simple Leather Tote should have been part of my wardrobe months ago, it is so perfectly me. In fact I would be hard pressed to choose a bag I wouldn’t be happy with from their collection and of course it would give me great pleasure when asked who designed my bag that I would get to utter the word Raramodo again. Try it, you’ll like it.

Raramodo is giving away to one winner one Essi Tote in vanilla. The tote is made of the highest quality faux leather with beautiful pleating and cotton striped lining. In order to enter to win please answer the following question by Wednesday, August 04, 2010:

If you were given your own fully stocked studio (and perhaps even design abilities), what product would you design/produce?

Good luck! Please start checking the winners box on Wednesday, August 11, 2010 to see if you won.

{ please visit bluhour here }

Every day there is a little pocket of time where the world seems so perfect.  A glorious glow is cast from the golden sun and for about an hour, time seems to pass a bit slower. The trials of the day are behind you and the few hours before slumber lie opportunely before you. This most splendid time draws the fine line between afternoon and evening as the sun and moon tango in the sky.  Deemed the “Blu Hour” by Brooke Scott these brief moments inspire the jewelry in her shop by the same name.

Whisper thin silver chains dance delicately with hammered bows forming an ideal balance between precious and bold. Simple silver hoops are brushed to offer a rugged elegance. Sweetheart earrings are romantic without being hokey. Each piece she crafts seems to dance along the border of styles for a completely unique and beautiful look. This leaves me to believe that when wearing one of said lovelies you are carrying a bit of of that perfection with you…extending the Blu Hour beyond its usual sixty minutes. And if that is truly the case, I may start wearing a necklace or set of earrings of Scott’s 24/7!

One lucky winner will receive a pair of simple hoops and silver bow necklace from Blu Hour. For your chance to win, answer the following question by August 3, 2010.

Brooke gets some of her best ideas while traveling. Where would you like to travel for inspiration?

Please begin checking the winners box on August 11, 2010 to see if you’ve won. Good luck!

{ please vist ira grant eco here }

As much as I’d like to be the ultimate eco-friendly, earth-saving type of person, I’m not. I recycle, try to reuse things when possible and conserve as much energy as I can but at the end of the day I’m not going to win any awards. Ira Grante also understands the need to make small, maintainable changes that will help Mother Earth.

Scraps of fabrics from her projects don’t go in the trash–what a waste that would be! Instead she gives them life as fashionable handbags and totes and saves them from the landfill. All of the items in her new line are made with natural fibers, organic materials and/or remnants. Using these materials does not mean she compromises in style. Each of her bags is as beautiful as it is responsible. Shopping with independent crafters like Grante makes living a bit greener that much easier!

One lucky winner will receive a $70 gift certificate from Ira Grant . For your chance to win, answer the following question by August 2, 2010.

Ira has a cheeky question for you.. if you could only have one bag, what kind of bag would you keep and why?

Please begin checking the winners box on August 4, 2010 to see if you’ve won.  Good luck!

Any life worth living gets your hands dirty, yes? To be connected, to create something authentic and to make an indelible mark requires a bit of working the earth with bare fingers and fistfuls of intention. Tina Gasperson likes to get her hands dirty. Gasperson is the artist behind tinahdee beautiful jewelry and beautiful is just the beginning. Each piece is handmade from start to finish, including clasps and jump rings. Gasperson believes that each element (from metal to stone) and the interaction between herself and them is as much a part of the process as the finished process.

“Jewelry making seems to be particularly fulfilling in that way. Maybe it’s because we wear our favorite jewelry on our body and keep it close to us, we lock it up at night, we pass it on to our children. It makes an impression in a unique way.”

The ‘Stacking Gold Initial Ring’ is particularly charming. I want to take the initials of every person I love and stack them on fingers as I work my hardest to end each day with dirty hands and a full heart. Ours is a life worth living and a life worth decorating. Find the piece that speaks to you.

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Miss Krista, our Weekend Editor, is a mother, a lover and a big believer in the power of a cupcake. She loves double entendres but is not a fan of the high-five. She blogs about the corners of her heart at my life as i see it.

tinahdee beautiful jewelry is giving away to one lucky reader a $40 gift certificate. To enter to win, please answer the following question by Sunday, August 1, 2010:

Creating special one of a kind jewelry for her customers brings Tina great joy, as does spending time with her family and watching her kids grow into amazing adults. What simple activities bring you the most joy in your life, and why?

Good luck! Please start checking the winners box on Wednesday, August 4, 2010.

**tinahdee beautiful jewelry is offering a 15% discount to all readers of The Bright Side Project until August 15^th, excluding one of a kind and solid gold items. Just convo her before your purchase and tell her The Bright Side Project sent you!**

I have a confession to make. My house is full of far too many spices for any home cook to ever utilize properly. Between my better half and his addiction to the spice aisle and my enabling we could easily flavor the neighborhood, twice a week. Where others quote Shakespeare, we discuss dry rubs and marinades. We have everything we need, or so I thought. Enter Spice Station.

Bronwen Tawse, the owner of Spice Station Silver Lake and Spice Station Santa Monica, offers over 250 different spices, herbs, salts, peppers, chiles and blends hand selected directly from importers around the world as well as over 80 loose leaf teas. The shelves are brimming with hard to find, unique items purchased in small qualities to ensure the highest quality product and each item is ground upon purchase to maintain freshness. This attention to detail has not gone unnoticed. Food and Wine Magazine named Spice Station “Best New Shop” in May 2010. It has become THE foodie destination in Los Angeles.

With offerings such as annatto seed, beet powder, harissa, lime juice powder, black cumin, honey powder, I already know where my next date night is going to be. Don’t worry if you’re not local, Tawse has created an Etsy shop so that foodies all over the globe can reap the benefits. If variety is the spice of life, Spice Station is the cake topper.

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Miss Krista, our Weekend Editor, is a mother, a lover and a big believer in the power of a cupcake. She loves double entendres but is not a fan of the high-five. She blogs about the corners of her heart at my life as i see it.

Spice Station is giving away to one lucky reader the Salt and Pepper Set which includes 5 salts and 4 peppercorns. To enter to win, please answer the following question by Saturday, July 31, 2010:

What spice can you not live without?

Good luck! Please start checking the winners box on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 10 see if you won.

Jewelry tells a story. From pieces handed down between generations to coveted designs that elicit a visceral response, the way in which we decorate ourselves speaks to something more than just accessorizing. I firmly believe that the type of jewelry that sustains a lifetime begins with craftsmanship and ends with heart.

Elizabeth Rosas, of Elizabeth Rosas Jewelry, began her silversmith training in San Miguel de Allende and I have to be honest and tell you that she stole my heart with that tidbit right there. She interned with a goldsmith in Brooklyn and most recently studied Kuem-Bo, an ancient Korean technique of fusing 24k gold leaf to sterling silver. Rosas has some pretty serious technique up her sleeve but she also pours love into each and every design. She may have had me at San Miguel de Allende, but she has etched herself into my heart with the “Flower Fragments Sterling Silver Necklace”, the “Sterling Dahlia in the Garden Ring” and, without question, the “Locket of Memories.” I find myself drawn to these pieces in a way that words don’t do justice. Take a look for yourself and see what part of your heart you find.

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Miss Krista, our Weekend Editor, is a mother, a lover and a big believer in the power of a cupcake. She loves double entendres but is not a fan of the high-five. She blogs about the corners of her heart at my life as i see it.

Elizabeth Rosas Jewelry is giving away to one lucky reader the “Wise Little Owl Sterling Silver Necklace.” To enter to win, please answer the following question by Saturday, July 31, 2010:

What pearls of wisdom do you live by?

Good luck!  Please start checking in the winner’s box on Wednesday, to see if you won.

{ please visit autumnart here }

I have professed my love for statement accessories before and today I present to you my latest addiction, ahem addition. Autumn Davidson of AutumnArt creates fabric jewelry that can turn even the simplest outfits into a chic look. A mixed-media painter, Davidson developed a love of fashion and uses her jewelry making as an excuse to hoard fabric.

With her stash of fabric (which is mostly salvaged) she assembles one-of-a-kind pieces that truly are unique.Each and every last scrap of fabric gets used, nothing is thrown away. My favorite design, her boyfriend necklace utilizes men’s ties but looks anything but masculine, after all Davidson loves all things girly. Another feminine fave is the Natural Cotton Flower Necklace that is simple but bold all at once. AutumnArt is proof positive that not all hoarding is a bad!

One lucky winner will receive their choice of a Boyfriend Necklace or Natural Cotton Necklace. For your chance to win, please answer the following question by July 26, 2010.

When do you like to wear statement jewelry?

Please begin checking the winners box on August 1, 2010 to see if you’ve won.  Good luck!