BookWormz EVERYWHERE!

Oh my gosh, I'm so excited. I made the FRONT PAGE on http://www.byhand.me/!!! Click HERE to check out my interview with Rebecca of Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen!

I've also been featured on a fellow Book Blogger's blog! Click HERE to check out {Insert Book Title Here}'s very cool blog. I love that it focuses on Young Adult literature - great site for all you Mom's out there to check out!

Also wanted to announce that last night I reached a milestone. 50 SALES! In less than two months! I'm really proud of myself. Thanks to all of you who've supported me along the way! Oh yeah - that's me clapping for myself. And those are my man hands. hahahaha

Confuzzled Shannon Custom piece

As you (should) know (by now - haha), I love to read. I follow many book blogs - ever in the quest for my next favorite book. One of my most-read book bloggers is Confuzzled Books. Shannon asked me to make a bookworm incorporating "fairies" (check out her blog's banner - you'll understand) and "lavender". Here's what I've come up with - what do you think?

I actually don't think this photo accurately represents the color of the ribbon. The button is pretty spot-on. It's also hand-painted! The ribbon is more like the color of the elastic - I'm still kind of new to photography, so I'm not really sure how to fix this. Off to do some photo-googling! ;)

Phase two of Total Body Makeover Revealed!!!

New packaging!!! Ahhh - I love it so much!!! What do you think? Etsy seller, and owner of UWIB, Erin Keys just purchased this adorable Cosmo BookWorm, and she'll be the first to see the change in packaging (from no packaging to THIS - in one day!) Erin, this lil beauty will be arriving at your house soon! :)

Sooooo..... whadda ya think of the new BANNER??

I LOVE it!! Designed by an awesome Etsy Seller: McPrincessMaree! You must check her out. You're gonna love her. :) More changes to come! Stay tuned! Oh yeah, and don't forget to sign up for the BookWorm giveaway two posts down! :)

Total Body Makeover Coming Soon!

Stay tuned!!! :) xoxoxoxo

Having Trouble Entering the Contest Below?

A couple people have mentioned that they're having trouble entering comments for the BookWorm giveaway below. If you are having trouble entering the contest, please feel free to log on to my ETSY site and convo me your entry. Or feel free to email me at rachelswormz @ gmail . com. Thanks for playing! :)

Your Chance to Win a BookWorm!

I love love love the vibrancy and sheen of this silk fabric. The only problem is that I think the silk may be a little too fragile and might fray over time. Thus, I don't want to sell it for fear that it won't hold up like my other BookWormz. Thus - a giveaway was born! So you feelin lucky, punk? This BookWorm was actually going to be introduced into my Couture Collection, because the ribbon is made of silk, I won't be able to get these buttons again, and the components are very expensive. It's called "Your Dad's Tie BookWorm", for obvious reasons. :)
Ok, so here's the deal. Winner will be drawn Monday, March 2nd. You have to leave a comment below with two parts:
1. What was the last book that you read and what did you think on a scale of 1 - 10?
2. Stop by my SHOP and let me know which BookWorm would best fit the plot of the last book that you read.

You can also earn extra entries by:
1. Tweeting about this giveaway
2. Blogging about this giveaway
3. Buying a BookWormz
Also, I'm having a sale until St. Patrick's Day! Buy two or more BookWormz, write "Indie" in the comments to seller, and I'll ship for free! Thanks for playing, and LUCK O' THE IRISH to ya!

Also, I've been told some people are having some trouble leaving comments on my blog. If this is the case, please feel free to convo me at my ETSY shop or email me at rachelswormz @ gmail . com for your entry! Thanks!

The Bag Meme

Ironic, isn't it, that just after I posted my "I'm not so materialistic" post earlier today, I post a Meme about bags! haha! But you'll see I paid almost nothing for it, and I didn't buy it recently. So there. :)

Here are the rules:

1.Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No you can't go into your closet and pull out your favorite purse. We want to know what you carried today or the last time you left the house.
2.List how much it cost. And this is not to judge. this is for entertainment purposes only. So spill it. And if there is a story o go along with how you obtained it,we'd love to hear it.
3. Tag some chicks and link to this page so people know why the heck you're showing everyone your bag or just tag yourself!

4. Optional: You decide if you want to display the contents!

My bag was from the Gap, and I got it on super sale. It was originally something like $90, but I got it for $14. :) I actually remembered loving it when it first came out and being shocked by the price, so I was ecstatic to find it at such a bargain!

So inside my bag are: gift cards to the Olive Garden, several random receipts, my checkbook, a lipstick and a lip gloss, a very yummy flavor of Orbit gum, one earring, a pen, $10, my drivers license and last - a bunch of business cards from my last tradeshow... phew.

Your turn! Wanna play? Make sure you leave a link to your blog in my comments so I can check it out!

Feeling the Lurrrve!

One of my favorite bloggers, Angela from Random Musings just posted the nicest review today! It is "random" (haha - told you I'm a sucker for puns) acts of kindness like this that can really brighten your day, isn't it? Thank you so much, Angela! What an excellent surprise! :) Go check out her Etsy shop, Clock Rocks, too - she's got some magnets I am lusting after! :)

Recession = Reprioritize

You know, I'm definitely not proud of this, but I used to be a little obsessed with "wants". I want a new pair of jeans, I want those hot boots, I want I want I want. Since the recession, I really feel like the focus on material possessions has shifted. I no longer waste time and energy on thinking about the things that I don't have. For the first time in my adult life, I don't feel that pressure to buy buy buy and have have have. You know what? It's a great feeling. Very liberating! I have almost completely stopped reading the fashion magazines that come every month, because they just aren't as interesting. Do you think it is a shift in my priorities? Or do you think I am finally, truly growing up?

I went wedding dress shopping with a good friend last week (we think she found her dress and it is AMAZING!). The dress shops that we went to were in a very upscale neighborhood in Chicago - took some pics to share with my blog-friends. I was really surprised, though, because most of the time I end up looking longingly in the window at these shops, and this time - I just wanted to get some good pics! I really wasn't even interested in the products for sale!

This represents a seismic shift in priorities for me, and I have to say, I'm really proud of myself. Tell me, how do you feel? Are you experiencing a similar transformation, or are you still addicted to retail? Don't feel bad if you are - I pass no judgements - and I'm definitely not ready to say I'll never get the retail itch again. I'm just enjoying this brief reprieve... :)

Rice Crispy Treat gets sweeter!

My husband and I got a LEEETLE crazy last night with the Rice Crispy Treats! I know - it sure was a wild Friday night! ;) We used the recipe on the inside of the Rice Crispy box, but instead of the usual 6 cups of Rice Crispy's we only used two. Then we added two cups of Cocoa Puffs and two cups of Golden Grahams. Closest thing to a s'more that you can get in a snowstorm! I highly recommend. Now go nuts - you're gonna love 'em.

Chicago Handmade Honeys

Hi all! Created this spotlight of talented Chicago artists on http://www.byhand.me/! You can check it out HERE !

I'm in the Indie Gift Guide!

Check me out on The Indie Gift Guide ! Be sure to take advantage of the promotional offer, too! ;)

Virtual Book Club?

Thinking of starting one... anyone interested? Click here for details.

http://bookblogs.ning.com/forum/topics/virtual-book-club

Give the gift of CASH!! ;)

So for those of us who are too lazy to think up a more personal gift than money - here is a great way to make your gift stand out!!! I just stumbled upon this Etsy seller, PaperAffection in the forums today - check out her super-cool Money Rose!! Next time I go to a wedding, I'm definitely hittin her up for one of these - the sweetest smelling rose I've ever seen! :)

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Free genealogy - Old pictures

So these are the celebs I "supposedly" look like... I WISH!!! :)

Custom Project for my Mother In Law Completed!

My Mother-In-Law is an Interior Decorator, so I put this lil number together for her. I LOVE this ribbon (it's pricy, but SO fun). What do you think?

ahahahahahahaha

Why do I think funny subtitles are so great???

by the way - I discovered this video from Twitter b/c I follow the actor, Rainn Wilson (Dwight Shrute anyone?). Thats right, I'm a twitter-stalker.

What was your favorite childhood book?

Mine was Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. I had the hardback book, and I probably read it somewhere between 150 and 900 times. I loved getting lost in Toad Hollow, and following the shenanigans of Toad, Mole, Rat and Badger. My Mom and Dad built me a window seat in my little bedroom when I was a kid - it had a cute little cushion and curtains that I could pull across the opening for privacy (all lovingly sewn by my Mom). I loved that window seat! :)

So what was your favorite childhood book? What did you love about it? Have you read it to YOUR kids?

Currently reading, and thoughts about:

So I'm going to start a weekly feature to encourage myself to talk about BOOKS more! Because I LOVE them, and I want to make sure I'm thinking them through, rather than just devouring them! :)
1. Pillars of the Earth - still reading it (weeeeell, listening to it, anyway), and I'm on the final segment of the book. It's honestly starting to get a little long (I don't know what I expected from a 40 hour listen). I think it's been a fascinating tale, and very easy to follow. I'm not really able to draw many parallels between the story and my life, however, since it is all so very fantastic in their world.

2. In the Woods - AMAZING. I love how complex the characters are and how the story is unfolding inch by inch. The main character, Detective Ryan, is someone who is relatable, loveable, flawed, and rapidly spiraling out of control. Circumstances in his life are circling around each other like wolves, just waiting to pounce all at one time. Also, a new twist has just been revealed, which literally made me stay up until 12:30 last night, heart pounding, unable to put the book down. I then had to Etsy for 10 minutes so I wasn't afraid to go to bed. :)

3. Spin - this book is great so far. Its Sci-Fi, but is truly relatable. Interestingly, I find myself thinking about our present state of uncertainty relating to the economy. I'm just at the beginning of the book at this point, and the characters are in suspense, waiting to find out what recent changes in the world mean to them. The line that truly struck me so far was this: "So how do you build a life under the threat of extinction? The Question defined our generation.". I know, heavy stuff for a rainy Wed. Tawk amongst yourselves. ;)

Real Housewives of....

Doesn't really matter - I'm addicted to all of em. I love watching these crazy women, and I'm really glad the NY ladies are back! Don't you think blogging is kind of like reality tv? It's kind of a teeny tiny peek into people's lives.

Shoulda Put a Ring on it!

This guy's got it goin on! :)

Unique Women in Business

"Unique Women in Business - Rainbow connection" - my first Spotlight on http://www.byhand.me/! What do you think? :)

I was featured in a blog! yessssssss!

*pumping fist in the air running around the condo*
Please click HERE for a peek at Etsy Seller Shine Your Hiney Soap's very cool blog! ;)

Crazy Lady Misses Plane

OMG - sooo funny. This is too hysterical. I think the funniest part is when they spell out her screaming... Wow. **takes a break**

Looking for some new music

Gotta load up that new ipod! :) Any suggestions? New artists/songs that you can't stop listening to?

My first attempt at a video...

How to use a bookmark and a brief explaination of sizing... hope it isn't too awful. ;)

My New Carrie Necklace!

Please ignore the raggedy looking model, but I looove my new necklace by ETSY seller Erin Keys ! Please click over to her website - she's part of an awesome group of women called Unique Women In Business - basically a networking group that allows the members to bounce ideas off of each other, offer and receive support, and show off our products! If you'd be interested in joining, please let me know and I'll send you more info! Aaaaanyway - here's a pic of my beeeautiful necklace!

My first meme

Never done one of these before, but courtesy of Tales From the Reading Room, I'm going to try my first. Ahem, I do confess I had to google "meme", so for those of you who don't know, according to The Daily Meme: "In the context of web logs / 'blogs / blogging and other kinds of personal web sites it's some kind of list of questions that you saw somewhere else and you decided to answer the questions. ".



Ok, so here goes:

The book that’s been on your shelves the longest. Easy. The Little Lame Prince by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik. Phew - they don't make names like that anymore! :) This has always been one of my favorite childhood stories. Other favorites include: The Wind in the Willows, anything Brothers Grimm, The Secret Garden... I could go on forever.

A book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time). Hmmmm, this one is a little more difficult due to my 9 moves and tendancy to give away books that I love to read. I suppose it would be Killing Mister Watson by Peter Matthiesen. I read it in college, and I loved my course of study and my professor. The book is rooted in ecology, and my professor really took the time to immerse us in the message. It was a great time in my education - I felt I was truly learning.

A book you acquired in some interesting way. Although I am a newleywed, my family is very excited for us to start having kids. My Nana bought us a children's book called Listen to the Raindrops by Kirk Lignell. It's intended for my future bambino (or bambina), and it's the only one we have for the future little one. :)

The most recent addition to your shelves. In the Woods by Tana French.

Your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next. Current read: see above. Last read: Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson. Not sure what's next!!



If any other book lovers want to try this on your blog, please do, and let me know in the comments so I can read your entry! :)

Would you like to come to our Valentine's Day dinner?

Rather than fight the masses of humanity at a restaurant in Chicago last night, I decided to cook a delicious meal for my husband. I sent him to the casino for the day (you can give me my wife of the year award any time now) so that I could cook and clean, and then when he got home, the table looked like this!

Since we're newleyweds we (ok, by "we" I mostly mean "I") still love to bust out our china and crystal, and I take every opportunity to do so! :) The menu included Filet Mignon with a Cognac Sauce, Cauliflower with Lemon Mustard Butter glaze, and Herbed Roasted Potatoes. We ended our meal with a delicious Mixed Berry Cobbler. Aren't those roses beautiful?

After dinner, we exchanged gifts and guess what I got! A PINK I-POD!!! The best part? Its super technical, compared to my last one (which I lost). You can twist it around and the picture moves so you can still see the screen, it's got really cool games, and I can download and watch tv shows or movies! Very excited.

Anyway, it was a lovely evening, and just reminds me again about how lucky we are in so many ways. :)

Win a Book!

Just stop by Fashion Piranha's BLOG and leave a comment! Looks like a steamy one... ;) Perfect for Valentine's Day!

Introducing the new Couture Collection by BookWormz

The Couture Collection features the most luxurious designer ribbons and buttons for the descriminating reader.

This beautiful Fluer De Lis ribbon is the first to be introduced in this new designer series. Please check back often for new additions! So tell me, what do you think of my first attempt? xoxo!

If you'd like to see the description, or if you'd like to purchase this beauty, click

HERE

SO FUNNY! Stoned kid leaving the dentist!

Ok, most of this is really funny (who hasn't been here? haha), but at the very very end, I feel kinda bad for this cute lil guy. :)

The Button Shop!

I looove the button shop. I have had some success with my BookWormz, but unfortunately I keep "investing" in new buttons, so I'm not turning any profit... haha! So we've established that I haven't thought through my business plan well enough, but I thought you'd still enjoy seeing where I get my unique buttons! Here's a little glimpse of Fishman's in Chicago. They also sell a ton of fabric. Yep - they're pretty awesome.

Reasons why ETSY is like a secret lover...

1. I obsess about my ETSY shop. Really, really obsess about it.
2. I check for messages every chance I get, even when I'm supposed to be spending time with friends and family.
3. I feel a rush of happiness every time I am convo'd or an order comes through.
4. My husband suffers from malnutrition because I just don't have time to cook, clean AND ETSY.
5. I feel a little guilty when I ETSY all night, since it really is taking me away from time with friends and family.
6. I get butterflies in my stomach during that moment right before I sign in to ETSY at night.
7. I make out with my computer screen (KIDDING!!! That would be really creepy).

Anyone else in a similar predicament? ;)

Perhaps the funniest Letterman interview ever

Normally, I prefer Leno - but I have to admit that Letterman scored big time with this hysterical interview. I'd highly recommend that you watch until the very end. SO funny.

Another Lucky BookWorm Winner!

Please congratulate the winner with me at Bookish Kitty's blog! http://www.literaryfeline.com/2009/02/and-bookworm-winner-is.html

Business is booming this week!

Just sold 4 more Bookworms, have a custom order for 4 more pending approval, and a friend of mine just ordered 4 MORE to give away as Valentine's Day gifts! Here's a virtual hug and KISS for all of my customers and readers! Thank you!

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

Sooo, our Carbon Monoxide detector keeps going off at random times. Not sure how to deal with it, other than opening the windows...

Chopping Block - "Sharpening" my Knife Skillzzzz

Sorry - couldn't resist. I'm a total geek who loves puns. :) So I took a "Knife Skills" class at the Chopping Block in Chicago, and since then, I haven't been able to stop chopping! I made a delicious and nutritious soup last night, and today I've got an amazing smelling pot roast going in the crock pot aaaallllll day! I work from home on Mondays, and I have to tell you - this is the true meaning of torture.

For anyone who isn't familiar with the Chopping Block, it's a great way to bond with girlfriends and learn a few tricks in the kitchen along the way! The knife skills class is hands-on, which means we actually participated in the class, but they have demonstration classes too. The great thing about the demo classes is that you sit back, sippin on your wine, while someone else cooks and cleans for you and tells you all about how to make the recipes they're workin on! Yummy and fun! At the end of the class, you get to browse their selection of cooking utensils and gourmet foods, and you get a discount on their fabulous store!

Ok, so this totally sounds like a Chopping Block ad, but I swear it isn't - it was just a lot of fun, so I thought I'd share. Here are some pics of the hands-on room. It's really cool. First pic is a close up of after the massacre... haha

Must be my lucky day!!!

I sold 6 BookWormz today! Woo hoo! *doin' the happy dance*

My Very First Treasury! The Power of the Written Word

This is the link - I hope you enjoy! http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=38655

Why is Safety Always So Geeky???

Its a beautiful day in Chicago - 56 degrees and sunny! I'm taking full advantage and going biking with the new bike my dear husband got me for Christmas! Here's a picture of me on our balcony, wearing my new helmet. Please refer to my title for my feelings on this picture...

Another BookWorm Giveaway, and a great review to boot!

As you know, I looooooove to read! So I've been subscribing to a few blogs that feature book reviews - one of which is Musings of a Bookish Kitty (how cool is that name??). I've been really enjoying reading her reviews - so check her out if you're looking for a good blog. Bookish Kitty also was kind enough to purchase one of my BookWormz for herself! She had this to say: "I received the BookWorm in the mail yesterday. It's perfect, and I know I'm going to get a lot of good use out of it. Thank you so much!" which was a really great way to start my day! :)

So since she was sooo kind and has such an awesome website, I also offered to give away one of my BookWormz as a thank you to her readers! Click HERE to enter! :) Good luck!

Also, please check out the latest review for my BookWormz at one of my favorite blogs: Polka Dot Candle

Cute new package!

I had the honor of being the very first customer of Etsy seller Happy Place Design last week! Wanna see what I got? :) So cute - and already being put to very good use!

OOOPS BookWorm Winner!

Is AmandaSue! Congrats! I'll mail your BookWorm out tomorrow! :) Hope you enjoy!

My heart is much more full this morning!

Sooo, last night kind of sucked. I was summarily rejected from 1000 Markets, which left me looking around, bewildered and hurt. You know what's funny? I actually never even considered the posibility that I might be rejected! My fellow etsiers had left me such positive feedback on my shop and my creativity that I was pretty much walking around with my head in the clouds! :)

Well, following my deep and painful depression last night, I went on to the Etsy chatrooms and posted about my experience. My goal was to understand why I might have been rejected, but instead there was an outpouring of praise, love and strength from my fellow Etsiers! I even got 35 new hearts!!! (I hope those weren't just sympathy hearts!) ;) Thanks to that post, I was able to go to bed with a smile on my face instead of that rather sick feeling in my tummy that I had earlier that night.

That's why Etsy is such a great website. It's inclusive, it's original, and it's up to you to get noticed. Everyone is given an equal opportunity to succeed. I hope that all of my readers get that opportunity this week, and I hope that you are all given the opportunity to feel the kind of support that I felt last night! If you're interested in checking out the thread, here it is!

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6026834

BookWormz now on ArtFire!

Please check out my shop! Does anyone use ArtFire now? Any luck? Thanks! http://bookwormz.artfire.com/

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

I have no idea what that means, but my husband says it all the time. :) I think it has something to do with Poker?

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I chose a logo! The winner is the first logo pictured below! By way of explaination - I did not choose the winner of the popular vote for two reasons:

1. I originally said that #4 was my favorite, so I may have skewed the vote unfairly towards #4. Which really ticked numbers 1, 2 and 3 off.

2. After getting some opinions from marketing friends of mine, #1 is the better choice because it is cleaner and more pleasing to the eye.

What do you think?

1000 Markets

Just opened my 1000 Markets shop! It is currently in line for approval - so I should know within a day or so if I've been approved to sell. Wish me luck! Anyone have a 1000Markets shop? How has your success been? Any words of wisdom? Thanks!