I'm a Julep Maven!

Have you heard about Julep yet? It's a monthly service along the lines of Birchbox, but it is all nail polish! Upon joining, you take a quiz to determine which type of maven you are, and then each month, you get a box of nail polishes perfect for you! 

After taking the quiz, it was determined that I am Classic with a Twist, which describes me pretty well, I'd say. My intro box was wrapped so nicely! 

Two colors, a cuticle cream, and some fun little pots of nail sparkle, for fun nights out!

Then my January box arrived, and I received three more colors (on the right), a spectacular hand and cuticle stick, and some fun hair bands. 

On the left are two other polishes, I bought them to send to my sister. 

I haven't mailed them yet...hope she isn't reading this right now  ;) 

This color is called Jodie. 

They're all girls names...I'm just waiting for them to have one called Lexi  ;)

I love this hand creme, it is just fabulous. It has a wonderful light scent, and is not thick and sticky, like some hand cremes can be. I keep it next to my bed, as part of my nightly routine! 

If you're a nail polish fan, I suggest you consider joining Julep and becoming a maven! I just got an email saying that my February box has shipped, so I can't wait to see what they have in store for me this month! They do all sorts of specials, sales and such. Another friend who has been a maven for several months mentioned that sometimes they have little packages where you can buy a necklace and a polish together, something like that! So, so fun.  

So, join! You'll love it!

Are you a fan of painting your nails?

eeek! a Bellevue Newport giveaway!!!

 

 

Good morning Sunshine! I have a giveaway for you today!

 

 

Have you heard about Bellevue Newport yet? It's a fashion jewelry flashsale via facebook auctions! Monday and Wednesday evenings, beginning at 8pm, EST.

It's so much fun- they will post the picture, description, quantity and price of the item. To bid on the item, you comment on the picture with "SOLD" and your email address.

 

They send an invoice via paypal and payment is due within 24 hours.

Payment is done via paypal only. Shipping is ALWAYS free! 

 

 

These are a few of the goodies I've picked up, all under $20!

Glam earrings (they also come in green!).

Both bracelets, though two different times!

 



Starfish bangle (center) in turquoise with the bow bracelet, also in turquoise.

 

On the far right is a hair tie from Scarlet Threads new Wired {He}arts collection ;)

 

 

Serpeant bracelet!

 

My sister has this one too, so she and I are twinsies!

 

Sometimes there are even crazy sales!

 

 

How to buy:

Bellevue Newport was so kind to offer us a giveaway! These new monogram necklaces come in your choice of navy blue or hot pink, and also a choice of script or block.

 

 

Aren't they terrific?!

 

 

Here's how to enter:

 

 

 

 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

stationary giveaway with English Tea Paperie and Scarlet Threads!

 

This was posted to Scarlet Threads blog this week, but wanted to share it here too, as I know many of you love stationary and all things monogrammed- we're having a giveaway featuring Chloe of English Tea Paperie, and she does the most gorgeous designs. Please have a look!

 

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Several years ago, I discovered the most delightful company and today I am sharing it with you! Chloe of English Tea Paperie is such a doll to work with. Chloe, her husband Joe, and their darling daughter Emma live nearby Richmond, VA, though Chloe is originally from England! That is actually how her company began!

In her own words, from her website-

English Tea Paperie is run by me, Chloe  - a modern day mommy entrepreneur with a love of paper products and all things pretty. Living the ultimate American dream, I moved to the US from England in 2006, having just married my wonderful husband Joe. Waiting for my green card to arrive in the mail, I sat at home with a million ideas and a pot of color pencils. 2 years of sketching, creating and planning and English Tea Paperie was born! I am a Christian and believe in spreading the positive message of God's word in a modern, chic and pretty way. 10% of my business income will go to my local church in Midlothian, VA.

I just love this story, don't you?  Women creating their own business is just the sort of thing Scarlet Threads loves so much, and supporting small business owners is such an important part of our mission. Chloe has the most adorable designs you've ever seen.

Just look at some of my favorites from her site-

Luke 2:11 Christmas Tree cards

Teacups (I have these, and adore them!)

Whales! 

Pineapples (I have these too!)



Sand Dollars

Don't you just love them? I know I do. Also, Chloe will do customized designs for you, and you can also suggest designs for her site! If you decide on a design from her site, you can customize it to your liking. You can use your full name, your initial, your full monogram or whatever you like best. You can also choose the colors for the printing as well. Chloe is so much fun to work with!

Chloe can be found online, on facebook and on twitter. 

Along with being fun to work with, Chloe is extraordinarily generous. She sent me a set of note cards to share with one of our readers! Yes, a little giveaway!

This set of notecards has a lovely scripture-

The Lord bless you and keep you

The Lord make His face shine on you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn His face toward you

and give you peace

-Numbers 6:24-26

Seriously, Chloe is the sweetest, eh? Each package is wrapped up like this, with a bow. Bows make everything better, don't they? 

Please see below, to enter the giveaway. We'd love you to leave a comment on this post with your favorite item from Chloe's shop. Also, a tweet would be terrific. Use both handles @ScarletThreadFT and @ETPaperie in your tweet! 

If you enter, go HERE to leave a comment and enter please!

In addition to this, Chloe is offering you all a discount at her site! Use the code STBLOG15 for 15% off your order. Also, there is free shipping the entire month of December, and the code will work on top of that! If you order by December 17 (next Monday!), you will have your order in time for Christmas!

The winner will be announced next week!

A big, big thank you to Chloe for her kindness and generosity in sending along these marvelous notecards to share with one of you.

Bellevue Newport jewelry!

Are you familiar with Bellevue Newport jewelry? I've just recently found it (thanks to Miss Whale Flip Flops!), and her jewelry is just so much fun! She has flash sales on facebook every Monday and Wednesday evening at 8pm, and I have bought a gorgeous pair of earrings, and a bracelet, both under $20. Also? Shipping is always free! 

Today she is doing a fun giveaway on instagram...I know many of you are instagrammers too, so go over and check it out, and you could be the lucky winner of this gorgeous necklace! It would be so fun for holiday parties, or, give it to someone else as a gift!

Here's what you must do- 

Go to instgram and follow Sarah at @bellevuenewport and comment on this picture saying that I (@lexilooo) sent you over. Then, tell your friends too! 

Here's my current instagram post-  

;) 

gorgeous necklace and today's giveaway from @bellevuenewport - go over to her instagram page (@bellevuenewport) and say that I (@lexilooo) sent you there! ps. she also does amazing flash sales Monday and Wednesday nights on facebook!

Happy Monday, y'all! 

hand-stamped, monogrammed jewelry!

 

 

I posted this to Scarlet Threads blog this morning, but wanted to share this with you all as well! With the holidays coming, perhaps you are already thinking about holiday gifts, and this hand-stamped jewelry is customized, and would be a lovely choice!

 

 

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Today's Monday Montage is a lovely shop called The Rusted Chain. Beki, the owner and designer, began making custom jewelry in 2003, and has also been featured in several magazines! She is also a photographer and writer. She does speaking engagements, and in addition to this, she and her family coordinate the Kansas Barn Sale each year, which is a craft and antique festival - the first of its kind in the state! She's been featured on several tv shoes, including The Pioneer Woman! Whew!


Beki has a blog, she's on facebook, she tweets, and she's on pinterest! Most of all though, please look at these amazing pieces in her shop.

You can choose from necklaces, cuff bracelets, earrings, and other fun items. Everything can be customized to your liking, you can have your monogram, your childrens names, a quote, and more! I have a hard time not wanting everything....

 

 

Here are a few of my favorites:

 

My Chains are Gone necklace

For This Child I Prayed necklace

Save the Spot bookmark

Heart of the Family necklace

 



Family Monogram necklace

My most favorite! I just need to find a few perfect words to use for this---

 



 

LONG message cuff bracelet

 

 

 

A few words, in their own words, about The Rusted Chain:


We are about simply inspiring jewelry.
We are about supporting local businesses.
We are about honoring God.
We are about living simply and sweet tea.
We are about fresh cut flowers.
We are about thrift stores, yard sales, and antiques.
We are about bare toes in green grass.
We are about big red barns and mason jars.
We are about savoring small moments in life.
We are about daisies, peonies and fields of sunflowers.
We are about supporting an underdog and giving to charities.
We are about friends, family and fun.

*******


To me, this is perfect.

Just perfect.


Beki is so incredibly generous, and has offered our readers a discount for use in her shop. Use the code SCARLET20 for 20% off your purchase.


Go have a look at her products, I know you'll love them as much as I do!
 



Stella & Dot party!

 

 

I held a Stella and Dot party over the weekend! I kept hearing about their jewelry all over twitter/facebook/blogs, and I decided that I wanted to see for myself what it was all about! I looked at the site, fell in love with almost everything on it, and promptly requested that a nearby stylist contact me, so that we could arrange a party!

 

 

When Kelly arrived, she had so many gorgeous pieces with her. I want about everything, really. Really! She set everything up and I arranged a few snacks. Nothing crazy- she said to keep it simple. I set out some cheese and crackers, and then I made the pumpkin dip that is all over pinterest. Also, Perrier in lemon and lime (Heidi is pregnant!), and then some wine.

 

 

 

 

 

Perfect!

 

 

Stella and Dot has some really lovely jewelry. Look at these charms!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bracelet stacking! I've been so into bracelets lately, and had so much fun playing with them all. Here, I am wearing (from left to right), the Clover Double Wrap Leather bracelet, the Chimera bangle, the Renegade Cluster bracelet in gold, and then the Lindsay Bangle in turquoise.  I know that the Lindsay bangle doesn't really "go" with the others, but I just love that one so much, so added it for the photo!

That one also comes in white, though I didn't see that one.

 

This is my most favorite necklace, the Isadora Pearl Bib necklace.

 

 

I LOVE IT!!! It's just so gorgeous.

I also really want this bracelet, the Lakra Bangle. 

 

 

These are all self-taken, hence the odd angles on the photo! Ha!

 

The Medina Bib Necklace. So pretty.

 

 

The Indira Necklace. Not something I'd normally go for it, but I felt fierce wearing it  ;)

 

The Geneve Lace Pendant necklace. 

 

Close up of the pumpkin dip! So easy. Mix together a can of pumpkin pie filling, a block of cream cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, two cups of confectioners sugar. Mix well, sprinkle with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. I also added in a few swirls of caramel! I served mine with 'Nilla Wafers, which I love, but so rarely buy. They bring me back to childhood!

 

 

Everyone loved it. 



 

 

 

Stella and Dot has some really marvelous pieces. I wish I could buy it all...but of course, cannot just yet ;)  Maybe I should become a consultant, so that I can have one of each piece, and wear them whenever I want to?! That might be fun! Ha!

 

 

They have several new items for the holidays, along with items for breast cancer awareness month, where the proceeds go to research. Love that. If you're interested, and want to buy anything, feel free to shop my party- it's open for another week, and I'd love it!

 

 

Have you ever had a Stella and Dot party? What are your favorite pieces?

 

 

 

 

 

 

to longchamp or not to longchamp?

Is it just me, or are Longchamp bags just everywhere all of a sudden? I don't think they are terribly new, though I had never noticed them until somewhat recently. I wasn't sure I liked them all that much, to be honest, but then I saw this one, and it is growing on me...

Patch Toile!

Kind of pretty, eh?

I may need her. Is it too late to add her to my Christmas list?

Do you have a Longchamp bag? Which one?

take note!

My friend Rebecca has the most lovely blog, and each Tuesday, she has a weekly feature called Take Note Tuesday (linked to most recent post!). When I saw this darling agenda, the Always on Tea Time Planner, I immediately loved it and thought I'd take note from Rebecca and post it here, and then, hopefully remember to purchase it when the new year arrives!

I'm sure you're aware of my love of tea and afternoon tea, and crumpets with tea (hello, blog title!), I think this agenda was made for me personally!

Finished with a plastic cover to maintain its appearance over the full twelve months, this quaint companion also arrives with a set of stickers with adorable illustrations and miniature messages in English and Korean. It’s time to get a taste of the organized life!

Stickers! Korean messages! Tea pots! Love.

{no, I do not speak Korean, for the record!}

One minor detail, from the description- - Measures 4.75 inches in length, 3.5 inches in width. Hmmmm. Not sure about that, I like my agendas a bit bigger than that, I think. My handwriting is bigger and loopier than that.....

It is quaint and pocket-sized! Cute.

At least it's smaller than the giant Erin Condron agendas that everyone and their mother is raving about.

Maybe I will buy it. Maybe I will cave in and get an Erin C. agenda.

What about you? What sort of agenda do you use? More importantly, am I the only one who doesn't get the big deal that has become the E.C. agendas?

plate: like or dislike?

I've been on the hunt for some fun plates for a crafty project that I found and am dying to try (more on that later!). I saw these at TJ Maxx tonight for $2 on the clearance shelf, and I bought the last two they had. I thought that they were perfect for the project, but then I was thinking that they are really cute and I might want to just keep them and use them! They aren't dinner plates, more desert sized- they're about 6" in diameter. They remind me of the blue English countryside plates. What are they called? Do you know which ones I mean?!

What do you think? Like? Dislike? Keep for use? Or use for crafty project? Be honest!!!

(if you hate them, I won't be hurt!!!)

(mostly) wordless wednesday

I love fresh flowers to brighten up a room.

{pretty pink ranunculas- one of my favorite flowers}

(did you link up?)

crafty fun!

It's been a while since I've posted any of the quilty things I've made recently, so I thought I'd post a few pictures of some things I've finished!

This is a baby quilt for a high school friend who had a baby girl this summer. Yes, I should have sent it months ago, but didn't! I am awful. The fabric line is called Hushabye by Tula Pink and I just love it. I will mail it this week.

It seems that there is something in the water, because I have several friends expecting babies this year...guess I best get working on baby quilts!

I took part in the Pillow Talk Swap on flickr, where I was to make a pillow covering for someone, and someone else would make one for me. Mine was a bit late, as I was having technical difficulties with my machine, so I made her two coverings. Hope she likes them!

This is the pillow I received, along with a piece of babushka fabric and a small babushka iron-on! Love them all.


I'm also taking part in a quilting bee on flickr, which has been lots of fun. It is called the Stitch Six bee. There are twelve members and it takes place over six months. When it is your month, you pick the fabric you want to use, and decide what sort of block you want. You send the fabric to the other 11 people and they make a block for you. My month is April, so I have plenty of time to decide what I'll want, but for now, I've been making blocks for others!

This is a wonky star...the right side came out a bit wonkier than it was supposed to...in fact, I have no idea how I did that!

This is for the block owner's new baby!

I still have two more blocks for the month of January to finish, but I am in good shape at the moment! I have joined other flickr groups, and I love seeing some of the amazing things that people have made. So much talent!

The DC Modern Quilt Guild met this past weekend for a mini retreat, which was great. We met at a nearby library and sewed for six hours! It was a small group, I think there was about a dozen of us, but that is perfect, I think. The guild has a lot of exciting plans for this year, I am really looking forward to it!

Now, just to decide what fabric and designs to use for baby quilts...

Have you been crafting anything lately?

meet me in Moscow

Confession: I am a bad Christmas shopper, because I can't seem to leave the stores without picking up a little something for me. Just something little, and something that nobody would ever to think to get me for Christmas...just a little treat.

I know, I am bad.

Saturday night, I met the lovely Heidi and Liz in Georgetown for a date. We first went to LuluLemon, where we took some hilariously fun pictures in their photobooth, complete with reindeer antlers and Santa hats. I'll post them another time.

We poked around the shops, I reclaimed my foursquare mayorship of Anthropologie (yes!!!) and had a cocktail or two. Afterwards, we found ourselves in Sephora (DANGER AHEAD) and I picked up this little doll-

Stila's Make An Impression In Moscow Travel Palette!!!

What it is:A travel palette containing four ravishing Eye Shadows and a Convertible Color dual lip and cheek cream in a collectible mirrored palette.

What it does:The fourth in a five-part series of collectible palettes, the Make an Impression in Moscow palette features Stila's award-winning Eye Shadows in four trend-setting shades: Matruschka (beige), Chill (pale blue), Nadia (orange copper), and Mink (brown). The wintery palette also includes Convertible Color in Lily, a sheer, hydrating pink shade that's ideal for creating a naturally flushed, cold-weather glow.

It was a five-part series?! I missed the other four?!

Okay, the website lists two others...Aspen and Tokyo, but where were the other two?! Maybe Luxembourg and Krakow? :)

(must order and find)

I know I didn't need this, but the best part, it was only $10 and I just couldn't resist the pretty.

Tip- don't ever let me go to Sephora.

Are you victim of treating yourself when shopping for others?

books and tea, nothing better

How much do you love this print? I know I do, and I want it to be mine!

The lovely Meg blogged about it, and of course, I had to as well.

{from etsy shop, and we all know how much I adore etsy}

Reading anything good today?

tea time!

How gorgeous is this?!

The tea time chandelier from Anthropologie (of course).

It is totally on my Christmas list.

LOVE!

the dress! the dress!

Remember this post, where I mentioned my love for this dress?

The dress is now mine!!! One of my best friends from high school was visiting this weekend and we met in Georgetown for dinner. Of course, there was time to pop into Anthropologie! This amazing dress has long been sold out on the website. It was originally $168, then marked down to $80, but Saturday night? It was marked to $39.99!!!!!

So, what shoes would you wear with it???

anthropologie does it again!

I know I am not the only fan of Anthropologie...yet again, I am lusting for their things!

How cute are these ladies-in-waiting dinner plates!?

I am pretty sure that I need them for happiness.

I just emailed them to Steve. He has not replied, but I am pretty sure that he will disagree with me about these :)

What are you lusting for today?