Miss Pretty Pretty

Sometimes I wish my babies were babies again. Unfortunately I have one that that's most likely going to be 6' 6" so there's no way I'd be able to buy something fun from Miss Pretty Pretty.

At Miss Pretty Pretty you can purchase these crazy cool play houses for toddlers and small children. They come in all sorts of different themes depending on your child's surroundings or interests.

Being that it's almost Halloween and we're doing a theme month I think it'd only be fitting for all this boos and ghouls to have a "Not So Spooky Haunted House" playhouse. All of the monsters are friendly, and the bats and spiders have come out to play. These houses fit over your own card table. It can also be customized to fit any size table. t's great for girls AND boys, and is a memorable gift. The felt it is made with is very eco-friendly, manufactured from post consumer plastic bottles.

I love this!

Spirit Sea Bath Products is in the Box!

There were a lot of great goodies in the September TLBB (last day to buy!), but I was immediately drawn to Spirit Sea Bath Products’ sample. I have seen tarts in a shot style, but never soap. Now, I do not see Soap Shots on their website, but they do have a ton of other great sounding soaps, especially their new Kailani Collection. I just might be ordering candles in Rainflowers and Pacific Waters.

Fabulously Fierce

Tomorrow, is October 1st, which means we're officially on the downhill slope to Halloween goodness. It's not too late to start picking up pieces for your home that show your spirit in this time of year.

At Fabulously Fierce you'll find a large variety of door wreaths that just scream spooky! This Hand That Feeds Halloween door wreath is the ultimate of scary. People coming to your home will be wowed and trick or treaters will automatically know that you're a fun household that most likely gives out the best treats.

Be a kid again and get into the mood!

Friendly Creations

I've been wracking my brains trying to figure out what I can do for the twins for their Halloween/Fall party at school this year. Some teachers don't want to call it a Halloween party so often it's a "Harvest Celebration."

I saw these really cute popcorn hands for sale at Friendly Creations. This is such a clever idea that I would have never been able to come up with. On problem is that I would need 60 of them! You get a dozen for $20 and that's a bit more then I'd personally like to spend so I might have to some up with something like this on my own.

The kids would totally get a kick out these popcorn hands and they'd be a more healthy treat too!

3 Things I Would Buy From: Lily Bay Soap

I believe I have mentioned before how much I love bath products. I do have a ton of products already, but I still like to Windows shop. When I saw these Cupcake Soaps from Lily Bay Soap, I totally began to salivate, and then I saw their other cute stuff, too:

Lemon Zinger Cupcake Soap

Large Bath Bomb - Rose Petals

Mocha Latte Flavored Beeswax Lip Balm

Jewelry For A Cure

My girl over at Strawberry Hedgehog isn't exactly helping my desire to save money. I'm sitting here racing the clock knowing that I've fallen behind and should have already taken the time to write to my dear readers when out of the blue Miss Tracy directs me towards true beauty.

At Jewelry For A Cure the most desirable Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater necklace I've never seen! This lampwork bead necklace measures 22 inches long and has a 4 inch extender chain if you want to wear it longer. I love the longer type necklaces and wear them year round so this would totally be something I add to my collection.

Since I'm on such a Fall kick right now and will only be writing about Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving themed items over the next fee weeks, I thought you might really enjoy this necklace.

Oh! Most importantly is that 100% of the proceeds go to charity!

I Want: Penguins Decal

I love penguins! I have penguins in almost every form, but I do not have any penguin wall decals (actually, I have no wall decals at all). These three roly-poly Penguins Decal from Grey Wolf Graphics would brighten up any room in my house and make me smile everything time I see them. Now, I just have to figure out if I do indeed have a place put them. (Luckily, my husband likes penguins, too!)

Blends Only for Whiff and Sniff Candles

I'm been trying to figure out for a long time what I need to do with Whiff and Sniff Candles in order to bring more repeat business in. The answer is custom blends.

When Kreations by Kathie and I joined forces this past week the 1st thing I said in our meeting is that I refuse to keep ordering the basic oils and selling them like all the other hundreds of candles businesses are doing. I want to stand out. I want to be unique.

We've been creating blends all week long and are having an absolute blast doing so. Check out our new Custom Blends page frequently to see what's being added and join our mailing list. That's the quickest way at discovering what's new and improved on the site.

Black Box Clearance

Because September Little Black Boxes are moving so slow I'm forced to clearance them out in order to make room for the insane amount of stuff that's about to arrive for October. LOTS of new businesses are doing their holiday advertising with us.

You can pick one up now for $17 and that includes priority mail shipping all over the US only. Support handmade and pick one up today. There's 120 boxes left!

Advertising Space for sale!

The holiday advertising season is upon us!

My 5th spot down is now up for grabs. It cost's $10 and lasts for one month. On October 1st my 2nd spot becomes available and costs $20 for one month. Snag your spots now before it's too late! I'd love to work with some new businesses that are looking for some easy low cost advertising.

You must have a 125px by 125px in order to advertise. Contact kim@thelittleblackboxes.com for more details!

The Glass Menagerie

I'm a big stained glass type of girl. I was given my first stained glass in the shape of a butterfly for Christmas my freshman year at Western Washington University from the woman I worked for in the financial aid office. It was beautiful and ever since then I've had an enormous appreciation for the beauty of unique stained glass art.

At The Glass Menagerie you'll find a stained glass maple leaf that is totally fitting for our newest season. Especially if you live in an area where Maple trees are abundant. I think it'd be fun to have a couple of these hanging in a window or on a porch for guests to see. When the light catches them just right people would be amazed by the beautiful colors projected through the warm orange glass.

Fall is SO the best time of year.

A Flair For Paper

Am I the only one around here totally stoked for Halloween? It's on a Saturday this year and with my new found singledom I plan on going big. Not sure yet what I'm going to be but it's go to be amazing. If I know my friend Toni right she'll be having something fabulous at her place and if it's not at her place it'll be somewhere local for sure.

I found this awesome invite cards that are just perfect for the perfect Halloween celebration from A Flair for Paper. Each invite set includes 10 cards so you might want to double or triple up if you're having a big party. Couples would obviously only need 1 card so you're saving cards doing it that way.

So jealous! I want a Halloween party of my own! Thankfully I have the best friends that will invite me to their own.

Ricki’s Pick of the Week: Body Cream from Chunky Butt

Chunky Butt Candle & Bath Co. is one of my favorite B&B etailers. They started off with wickless candles and adorable melts shaped like butts in a pair of jeans. All of CB’s fragrances are custom now and are named for workout terms. My favorite fragrances of theirs are Thunder Thighs, Bubble Butt, and the new fall scent, Sweatin’ to the Oldies (I actually won a contest by coming up with that one). Anyone, I meant to talk about their Body Creams. I use lotion, but I am not a lotion lover, but I love this one. It is a little thicker, but goes on smooth and soaks in quickly, leaving you soft and scented.

Orange1

I was just talking to my mom last night about what we're going to do for the twins for Halloween. I'm the type of mom that likes to be actively involved in the class parties and all good stuff so we've been trying to figure out what type of goodies we want to make. Right now we're torn between attempting our own copy cat version of the candy corn sugar cookies or some utterly amazing cupcakes.

If we do the cupcakes we'll most likely purchase from a business like Orange1 and use their totally cool cupcake wrappers. They are Halloween themed and the kids would just adore them. Each set comes with 12 different wrappers so I'd need quite a few of these - most like 60 but it'd be SO much fun!

I love handmade. Keep supporting it!

Ruffled

I'm always looking for a simple clutch to bring with me when I head out on girls nights. It's way too much to be hauling around a purse so something little just suits me fine.

I found a nifty black and white striped frame clutch at Ruffled that I think totally fits the bill. I think it's pretty sweet that the side of this clutch is lined with sweet baby pink satin too. It really gives it that girly girl feel that so many of us women are looking for. It measures 8x9x5 and is just perfect for your cell phone, id card, cash card, and lip gloss on your night out.

There's so many other styles to pick from so if black and white isn't your style you'll be sure to find one that is.

Theme: Birthdays

My birthday was yesterday. I am now 29, which is fine by me. I thought I would try looking to see if there were any 29 items on Etsy, but no; however, There is lots of birthday cake goodness:

Cake Chic Commercial use for Cards, Stationary and Paper Products Whimsical to Modern by Designs by Cupcake Cuties

Notecard-Happy Birthday by Birkz Workz

Slice Of Birthday Cake Adjustable Ring by CuteAbility

Birthday Cake Stamp by Studio Mo

MAY ALL YOUR WISHES COME TRUE- Greyhound Dog Print by Almost an Angel 66

Brin & Nohl

While I was still in Arizona Connor called me on his first day from school and was so excited because his teacher brought the whole class apples from her apple tree. You would be amazed at just how excited this kid was. He was literally jumping for joy. It's funny how the littlest things excite a child.

I found these really great coffee sack baskets at Brin and Nohl that are absolute musts. These coffee sack baskets are right in season. They are perfect for Fall gatherings and even Halloween. A teacher might even use one for a tote during the the week of Halloween to get their students in the mood.

Most importantly, they are eco friendly. Everyone should take more care in noticing what's reused or reclaimed. Environmentally cute items are all around us.

A Breath of French Air

Ahh, Fall has arrived. It's graced us with it's lovely presence. This season is quite possibly my most favorite. I love it when the weather changes and people bring out their coats. I love when the leaves on the trees change colors and the kids run through the pumpkin patches for the perfect pumpkin. Yes, Fall! Finally!

A Breath of French Air is featuring an Autumn Candle Set that is perfect for above your fireplace or coffee table. When I saw it, I immediately wanted to have it but alas I'm broke as a joke! It'll have to go on my wishlist until money comes rolling in again.

Each candle is scented with Red Currant and Thyme Tea. This scent is a rich floral blend of wine-like fruity tea aroma, with a touch of musk and bit of tartness. The containers that the candles come in are monogrammed with the letters F A L L. They are all hand poured and made from 100% pure soy wax. Perfection!

Colorado Catnip Toys is in the Box!

I do not have a cat (I'm a dog person myself), but I always love seeing the cute toys from Colorado Catnip Toys. I always pass these on to my friends and relatives who have cats, and they never fail to delight. I love the new designs with kitties on them – especially the Yipe Stripes toy (but she also has a new pirate one which is great, too).

Day Dreem Designs

As you know we're a candle burning household. The more that's burning the merrier. Although we are usually burning the wickless kind there are other varieties we will burn for the right occasion.

I found these cute hand engraved web glass candle holders at Day Dreem Designs. They hold the small votive candles and would be a perfect addition to your Halloween decor collection. What's really cool about these particular glass holders is that they cast shadows onto walls when they are burning. The shop owner even suggests using just tealights in the holders, and that makes sense because they are easier to change out and stay clear then a votive when it is melted.

Great spooky Halloween idea!

Crickets!

Cricket necklace from Jewelry by Courtney Fischer

I have no idea what happened this month but The Little Black Box website has literally been crickets since Friday. Where is everyone?! The box contributors put so much time and effort into their promos and I spends hours upon hours packing boxes and we've only sold 20! I'm starting to think that the population must have been cut in 1/2 over the weekend because this is so not typical.

I offered tons of new incentives thinking it would drive new traffic and people would be encouraged to participate more because of them but it doesn't appear to be working either. Give me some ideas! What do you think needs to change in order for The Little Black Box to continue to succeed?

If you're a box buyer or a box participant I need your feedback!

3 Things I Would Buy From: Diffraction Fiber

Diffraction Fiber mainly specializes in throw pillows. But these are not your grandma’s typical loveseat decorations – these are whimsical works of art that will brighten any room. They also have some cute T-shirts, mouse pads, and accessories:

Blue Plate Special Pillow Set

Rainy Day Blue T-Shirt

Blue Bird Pillow

White Dove Crafts

Many of us are already starting to plan our holiday get togethers. I can't believe we're already almost all the way through September. Before you know it Halloween and Thanksgiving will be creeping right up on us. Some of us have probably already started Christmas shopping!

I discovered White Dove Crafts and their pumpkin pie plate cover and dish and I just had to share it with you. The plate measures 16"and will do a pretty good job of covering your favorite baked pie. You'll probably get more compliments on the pie plate then the pie because this is just that cute!

Alla-mano Creations

I know that many of you are big time owl fans so I figure that this morning I'd take a little time to feature some owl goodness from Alla-mano Creations.

These little owls earrings are truly adorable. I think they'd go with most anything you wear. I wish the designer had included the size that they are because I'm not sure if they are large or tiny. These are little things that businesses should always include in their product descriptions because if I was going to go purchase these I would have to take the time to email for more info and by then I may have changed my mind.

Major props to the artist for being from Seattle. Love my hometown peeps!

I Want: Shh Coasters

I love to drink tea (and sometimes yummy flavored coffee with lots of chocolate milk), so these Shh Coasters made out of industrial felt from Studio Wonjun immediately jumped out at me. With the right mug or tea cup, they have the fun look of shadows. With any beverage container, they will protect your table, desk, or other flat surface and make great conversational pieces.

Dog Dazzle

My brother has this beautiful pitbull named Sabbath that he had to leave with my mother when he moved to Arizona earlier this year. Yeah, we've all had the Arizona bug at one point in our life.

Sabbath is truly the coolest most loving dog but he needs some bling. My cat Coco was spoiled with all the kitty stuff that I would purchase for her so I think it's only polite to get Sabbath some spiffy new stuff too!

At Dog Dazzle you'll find high quality, strong, handcrafted dog collars. Sabbath is all boy so I think it's only right for him to own The Tailgater, don't you? It's made from sturdy, heavy weight nylon webbing covered with football print grosgrain ribbon. It is 1" wide and expands from 14" to 20.5".

Great shop!

Givin' Me Lip

Most recently I decided that when I'm doing my reviews here I need to do honest, ethical reviews because that's what I would want done for me. When I try a product that I've either purchased or been sent for review I don't want to sugar coat it any longer because I need to be able to stand by what I mean and who I am.

A couple of weeks ago I was suggested to try Givin' Me Lip over on Etsy. I hopped right on over there and it was almost love at first sight. I instantly wanted all of these two layer lip balms. I just didn't want them a little bit I wanted them a lot! Yeah, money is tight but it cost me a grand total of like $4.50 w/ shipping to get the cute balm to me. Expensive? Sure, but it's handmade and worth it! With my move I had it sent to Washington and thank goodness I did. When it arrive the entire center of the balm had liquidized and was in the lid of the balm. I was crushed! Now now, I went immediately to the business and let them know what had happened because that's the polite and proper way to handle things. Correct? I don't know why the balm did this. It wasn't the heat. It wasn't the packaging. The packaging was amazing. It just did. It was a fluke I'm sure but the response from the company was that they don't have control over what happens when their products leave their hands and offered their apology then left it at that.

I was pretty taken back by this. Here I am sitting here with a broken lip balm. Yeah, they didn't do anything wrong but neither did I. It was a fluke and I would have wished that a replacement balm was offered instead. I'm still wowing as I read the response over and over to make sure that I'm explaining the situation carefully and correctly.

I'm not sure why I feel bad writing this. I feel bad for writing the truth? It's one of those sticky subjects where I can't be sunshine and rainbows every single day. I need to let my faithful readers know about all my experiences bad or good.

The good part of this entry is that the chapstick was packaged beautifully and it smelled incredible, but darn it. I want one that's not broken!

Soaperhero!

One of my most favorite candies when I was a kid were those Bit O' Honey bite size pieces. Those things were the bomb. I haven't had one of them in forever and I was pretty stoked when I found some soaps at Soaperhero that is supposed to smell just like my favorite candy!

These Bit O Honey soaps are described as being 4.5 oz. They are huge! Also, the contain real honey and peanut butter for a nice natural quality and scent. I bet they small terrific!

I love the honey comb effect on the top of each bar. It's really adds that unique extra added punch and makes the soap look that much cooler. Great work Soaperhero!

Sidewalk Sensations

There's a new business geared towards children that absolutely intrigues me in every single way. My twin boys would love to get their hands on most everything that Sidewalk Sensations has to offer.

Would it be messy? Perhaps? Would they most likely come inside covered in chalk dust? Probably! It's outside play stuff though! They the kids go crazy! Sidewalk Sensations Sidewalk Paint is a paint powder made from their own "recipe." It is mixed with water and painted on concrete sidewalks and driveways. It's non-toxic and washes away with rain or water right out of your hose.

There's all sorts of different color combination's so if there is something particular that you're looking for just shoot them a line and it sounds like they'd be more then willing to hook you up.

Wise Impressions Giveaway

The cutest business contacted me early last week wanting to know if I'd take a peek and suggest a cool giveaway item. Of course I couldn't say no when I saw all the cute stuff they had for sale.

Wise Impressions has graciously given us one of their Love Birds personalized ring bearer dishes. This is just perfect for anyone planning a wedding and it's handmade which gives it that extra added touch. It's actually made with love! That's amazing karma! Once the winner has been picked it takes 5 days to create and personalize so get to entering!

This is valued at $8!

To Enter: Visit the Wise Impressions website then come back here and leave a comment telling us which product you like best or even which product you've tried before.

Additional Entries: Earn an additional entry for doing any or all of the following, leave a separate comment for each.

*Follow this Blog.
*Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/littleblackbox
* Blog or tweet about this giveaway, with a link back to the Handmade Guru blog. Make sure you post the link in your comment so we can view it!
*Subscribe to the Little Black Box newsletter through our website.
*Add the Handmade Guru or Little Black Box link to your site.

Contest is open to both US and CDN residents and winner will be pulled next Wednesday, September 23, 2009!

SBS Teas Giveaway Winner!

The giveaway contest for SBS Teas has now closed!

The winner of the tea for one gift set is comment number 2! That's SiSi! Please contact me to redeem your prize info at kim@thelittleblackboxes.com

Thank you SBS Teas for the giveaway opportunity. I would like to regularly hold giveaways on both Monday and Friday. If you'd like to host a giveaway with your business just get in touch with me for details!

Wylde Ivy

I've been a fan of Wylde Ivy for many years. I've been following their growth through Makeupalley and was thrilled to see that they have a perfume division right on Etsy that seems to be doing pretty well for themselves.

I think when you're a self professed scent addict, like the owner claims to be, you can't help but dabble in the world of creating unique custom blends. I have my eye on Sticky Perfume. I adore the scent description!

If you loved brightly colored sugar candy, giant swirled lollipops, and sticky cotton candy as a child, this is the scent for you. A blending of spun sugar, candied fruits, and a hint of sweet vanilla.

I want everything that Wylde Ivy has to offer!

Dark House Arts and Gifts

Finally, I'm back in the land of seasons. What a joyous thing to be! Leaves are already changing which means that Halloween is right around the corner.

I found this well crafted pumpkin candy dish at Dark Horse Arts and Gifts. It'd be the perfect addition to my Halloween decorations. I tend to go all out no matter the holiday and I have quite the collection of unique things that I put out. I love that you don't have to purchase from a store these days either. There's tons of cool spooky items right on Etsy.

This candy dish is, of course, food safe and dishwasher safe. Only, I'm not sure I'd allow something so precious to be put in the dishwasher. This is something you hang onto for your whole life.

Alive!

I made it to Washington state alive and well. Things have been insane as I'm sure you can imagine. We left Phoenix around 1ish on Saturday and drove until 10 p.m. stopping in Bakersfield, CA. Then we made a full run for it and ended up in town around 11:30 at night. We drove 17+ hours on Sunday. It was intense.

I'm happy and SO thrilled to see the kids. We've unpacked mostly but it's taking a lot to get used to. I'm going out today to find an ethernet card and some sort of wireless system so that I can have internet in my office.

Now, for the good news - I've heard rumors of a certain two businesses joining forces and combining for the ultimate new bath/body and candle business. Hmmmmmmmm.

I'll be back full steam ahead tomorrow with a new giveaway - once I can access my email, and also the winner of the SBS Tea giveaway.

Yo!

I've been walking around an empty house all morning making sure that all the last minute stuff is packed. The moving truck will be here at 5 p.m. tonight and the movers at 9 a.m. I leave 1st thing Sunday morning and should be arriving in Washington State Monday evening. No blog updates today unfortunately. I have a million and and a half things to do. I'll be back Tuesday!

Stay tuned Monday for a new giveaway and don't forget to enter the current one going on now from SBS Teas.

Now, most importantly I want to give a big huge shout out to my right hand gal Ricki who's getting married this weekend! Congrats sweetie! May everything be amazing and full of love for the rest of your life time.

Ricki’s Pick of the Week: Damage Remedy Conditioner from Heaven and Earth Essentials

I actually discovered Heaven and Earth Essentials a few years ago in The Little Black Box. They are still one of my favorite finds. While I usually have to wait for a sale to order their products, they are well worth the price. My absolute favorite product of theirs is the Damage Remedy Conditioner. Once a week, I use a stronger conditioner on my hair, and this one really keeps my hair looking fresh. The one I am currently using is in Citrus Splash, but I highly suggest trying a variety of their scents – each one is truly amazing and unique.

Cake Box Cookies

I'm getting a late start this morning and I'm awfully hungry. My house is all packed up and I already cleaned my fridge out so I'm hoping that food will arrive soon before I starve to death. Of course it doesn't help that I'm on Etsy browsing all the food items.

Look at these larger than life candy corn looking cookies from Cake Box Cookies! I need a few of these stat! Each cookie comes individually wrapped in cellophane and tied with a quality satin ribbon, making them perfect little gifts for all the special people in your life. They'd also make a great item to bring into your office Halloween morning. Adults like sweets on Halloween too!

This whole shop is full of unbelievably gorgeous cookies. I wish I was creative enough to make something like these candy corn ones. Super neat!

Theme: Weddings

I’m getting married this weekend! Although I am eager for all this stress to be over with, I still couldn’t resist seeing what I could find on Etsy pertaining to weddings:

Swirls - Wedding Invitations by Designed by Mere

Wedding Penguins by The Pink Koala

La mariee by Sibylle D

Sweet Lil' Birdie Place Card by Little Retreats

Vivien Hair Clip by EM Bridal