Feature Friday -- Little Miss Creations -- Autumn Apple Pie Gel Candle Review

As many of you know, I like to hunt down handmade products, including soaps and candles, and especially love it when the creator is another mom.  Well, today I wanted to share Little Miss Creations with you, which is run by Holly, a single mother of 2.  She creates her wonderful product line, which consists of candles (soy, gel and pillar), bar soaps, body scrubs, bath salts and hand and body lotions, with the help of her children.  She cherishes this time together with them, as she is also a full-time student, so finding quality time as a family is limited.  Together, they can enjoy a hobby that they fell in love with a few years ago, all while providing customers like you and I with exceptional handmade goods.  Every item in Holly's online store would make a great gift for a family member or friend, or why not treat yourself to lovely smelling candle or pamper yourself with some of her bath products.     I had the opportunity to try out her 4 oz. Autumn Apple Pie candle (which retails for only $4.25) over the weekend and have been loving the fresh apple scent it has left behind.  Shortly after burning this gel candle for an hour, my husband came home from the local park with our daughter, and thought that I had baked an apple pie with the apples we had picked the day before.  Boy was he devastated when he realized it was just a candle.  Since then, I ended up baking a pie to satisfy his (and my) sweet tooth, and have continued to burn this gel candle each day.  I can't get over how long the candle life is on a gel candle compared to wax and other candles.  And, each and every time I burn the candle, it still lets off the sweet smelling aroma of a fresh baked apple pie.  I wish there was a scratch and sniff widget that I could add to this post so you could see how wonderful this candle actually smells.  But, no one has invented such technology yet, so you just have to head on over to Little Miss Creations today and pick up this or another scented candle today to smell for yourself.   --BUY NOW--     Click here to access Holly's, Little Miss Creations online store and begin shopping for her handmade goods today. Disclosure:  I was sent a sample from Little Miss Creations in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.

Read more »

Feature Friday -- Studio 9:05 (Review and Giveaway)

CLOSED.  Congrats to Donna!!!

This past Monday I had the opportunity to spotlight Mary Katherine "MK" Alderman, creator of Studio 9:05.  If you missed my interview with MK, click here to read it now.  Today I wanted to share more about this great online store for fun and creative digital printed gifts. If you are a fan of indie crafters, then you must check out MK's store.  I just love the vintage spin she puts on prints and creates handmade gifts like coozies, blnak notecards, sunshades, stickers, coasters, fill-in-the-blank invitations and much more.  Every item in MK's store is playful and fun.  You can't help but think of all your dear friends who would love to receive a special message from you with MK's vintage print notecards.  I have a few friends who are always hard to shop for, but not anymore.  They like handmade products from indie artisans and unique items, and Studio 9:05 is right up their alley. 

Just look at some of the products that are available for purchase (all at reasonable prices).

And, if coasters are your thing, check out these three coaster sets that will be released this month, each set for only $20.00.  These would make great gifts for your girlfriends, as a housewarming gift, or just to add fun to your next girl's night.

And, take a look at these cute baby party invitations that MK recently added to her online store.  I would have loved to have sent these out for Savannah's first birthday this past July.  Guests would have got a kick out of the baby on the invitation.

Don't forget to sign up for MK's newsletter to stay informed on new products, news and promos.

---Buy Now---

Click here to visit Studio 9:05 and begin shopping now.   With the holidays right around the corner, why not begin your holiday shopping now for those hard to shop for friends and family by picking up a few notecard sets and coasters.  Each notecard set comes in a nice box seen below, so you can  simply put into a gift bag with some tissue paper and your gift is ready to go!

--GIVEAWAY--

One lucky Inspired by Savannah reader will win a BFF notecard set for themselves, or to give as a gift. To enter, please head on over to Studio 9:05 and tell me another product you like.  Make sure you leave your email address with your comment, so that I can contact you if you win.

Open to US residents only. Giveaway ends on October 7, 2011 at 11:59PM EST. I will then use Random.org to choose a winner. Winner will have 48 hrs. to respond to my email to claim prize. If I don't hear back from selected winner, I will draw another winner.

 
 

Read more »

Feature Friday -- Jewel of the Lion -- Fudge Review

WARNING:  DON'T READ THIS REVIEW ON AN EMPTY STOMACH!!!!!!

Well, it’s Friday! The weekend is upon us, and you know what that means – the diet is out the window for 2 days.  So, I thought it only fitting to share with you the Jewel of the Lion Etsy shop.  I stumbled upon this shop over the holidays, and was sold just by the photos alone of the sweets Julie has to offer.  Just take a look at some of the treats she is selling.

Julie graciously filled a box full of fudge and sent it my way, for me to taste and review, and then share my thoughts with you all.  As you can imagine it was hard not to say "No" to this offer.  So, I patiently waited for the mailman to deliver my box of goodies.  I felt like a kid in a candy store when it finally arrived.  You should have seen how I tore open the box, like I was looking for the golden ticket.  After laying the fudge samples out on the table, I sat back and looked, with my mouth watering.  I had a hard decision – which one do I sample first?  I ended up doing eenie, meenie, miney, moe in order to decide.  Acting lady-like, I cut a small piece from each and then began the daunting task of trying to rate my favorite, while jotting down notes on the taste, texture and appearance of each flavor.  This didn't last long, and when my husband got home, we looked like contestants on Survivor, enjoying a rewards buffet.  By the weekend, we had finished off the fudge, so need to worry about it going bad or spoiling.  I could spend a whole post describing the fudge (which, in my mind would be cruel), so, instead, I am attaching pictures for you to see and IMAGINE for yourself what each mouth-watering piece tastes like.  ENJOY!!!!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to choose just 1 favorite.  They all tasted SOOOO good!!!!  You could tell they were homemade, and they were so smooth and had just the right amount of flavor.  I knew right away the flavors (even without looking at the labels).  Take a look at the samples Julie sent me.  Could you choose a favorite?  I am not so sure….

In addition to fudge, Julie also sells banana bread/muffins, pumpkin bread/muffins, scones, cookies, goody gift tins and weekly/monthly treat plans.  She is also offering Valentine’s treats.  And, best of all, her prices are really reasonable for the quality and quantity that you get.  Take for instance the fudge.  You can buy ½ lb (6 pieces) for $8.00, or a full lb. (12 pieces) for $15.00.  Or, if homemade breads are your thing, you can buy 2 loaves of banana nut bread for $18.00.

So, if you are looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, why not stop by Julie’s site, the Jewel of the Lion today, and order some mouth-watering treats for yourself.  You will not be disappointed!  But, don’t blame me for an expanded waistline. Julie is kindly offering a 10% discount to my readers.  All you have to do is use the coupon code: FEATURE10 at checkout, for 10% off.  What are you waiting for?  Click here to view her Etsy store.  You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter and her personal blog site.

Julie has just opened another Etsy store, where she is offering crafts, fine art, jewelry, cards, beading supplies and more.  Check it out here.

Don’t forget to stop back here and post a comment letting me know what goodies you have tried from Julie’s shop.  Did you find a favorite?  I am definitely going to try her banana nut bread.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Disclosure: I received product samples to review in order to write this post.  But, in no way was I compensated or swayed in the writing of this post.  The views/comments in the above post are mine and mine alone.

Read more »