by MissMalaprop on March 18, 2010
I’ve been hinting at it for what feels like months now, and the time has finally arrived: my new Shop Miss Malaprop online store is now live!
Here are just a few of the things you’ll find inside:
Hackberry iSockit Deluxe Cell Phone or MP3 Case Hackberry iSockit Deluxe Cell Phone or MP3 Case by Blythe King
Kamakura Zen Pouch of 5 Reusable Grocery or Shopping Bags by b.b.begonia
NOLA Love Unisex Organic Crew T-shirt
All Natural Absinthe Soap, handmade by Sweet Olive Soap Works of New Orleans
Happy Vegetable Reusable Veggie Bags in Green by Wonder Thunder
Consider this a “soft launch”. I’m still adding products (the jewelry category is currently empty, but that will change very soon!), but I tested the shopping cart the other night and as far as I can tell everything works, so I invite you to check it out! I’ll be doing a big media push in the next few weeks, but if you like what you see, please feel free to pass it along!
You can use the coupon code open4biz at checkout for 10% off! Limit 1 per customer; coupon expires June 30, 2010.
If you notice any glitches or errors anywhere, PLEASE let me know. I’d also love any suggestions or general feedback! I’ll be adding more artists and products to the site, so if you have an idea of something you think would be a good fit, let me know that too!
by MissMalaprop on March 17, 2010
It’s time for another giveaway, this time from Melvita’s organic skin care products line. They’ve offered up one of their Ultra-Nourishing Fondant Body Balms and their Naturalift Anti-wrinkle Cream to one lucky reader! (That’s a $70 retail value!)
Melvita specializes in natural cosmetics and organic skin care products that meet the strict standards of ECOCERT, the organic certification organization founded in France in 1991. Melvita uses the finest ingredients from organically farmed and responsibly harvested sources, and is committed to keeping harmful chemicals such as parabens and phthalates out of their products. (No nasty stuff here!)
I love that the company founder, Bernard Chevilliat, is both a beekeeper and biologist. (If you’ve been a long-time reader, you might remember that I’m slightly obsessed with the plight of the bees — the idea of bees dying, and scientists being unable to figure out why, totally freaks me out.) Bernard felt the same way when he founded Melvita in 1983, and says of his concern for the bees: “This was why, from the outset, I wanted to place ‘nature at heart’ of our approach and of our ecological and humanistic concerns.”
Melvita offers a variety of organic and natural products for skin and body, including floral waters to naturally help cleanse skin and remove makeup, and plant oils, which offer time honored benefits for your skin, hair, nails and eyelashes. The Naturalift Anti-wrinkle Cream is made from the moisturizing extract of wild beech buds, hibiscus seeds, which help reduce the appearance of fine lines, and buddleia, which works to eliminate free radicals in your skin. Melvita’s Ultra-Nourishing Fondant Body Balm hydrates skin with cocoa and shea butters, while the oils of safflower and sunflower add additional moisturizing. One user noted that it’s “the most decadent body balm I have ever tried”. A pretty stellar review, don’t you think?
This giveaway is open to residents of the continental U.S. only. (Sorry to Alaska, Hawaii, and international readers, I’ll try to have something for you soon…) To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post by midnight on Friday, April 2, 2010 (Central Standard Time – go here to figure out what time that is where you are). Limit 1 entry per person. Please use a valid email address, as that’s how I’ll be contacting the winner. If you are chosen as the winner, you must respond to my email within 1 week from the date I send it to let me know your mailing address, or an alternate winner will be chosen.
Let me know – is natural and organic important to you in skin care and cosmetics? I know I definitely try to avoid the harmful chemicals wherever possible and always try to take the time to read ingredient labels before I buy body care and cosmetics products.
by MissMalaprop on March 2, 2010
Johnny Concert is a new handmade cosmetics line that has both an edgy punk rock look and a heart of gold. CEO Joanna Gatto told me that she wanted to create an edgy line of cosmetics, similar to MAC and Urban Decay, that was green and beneficial, and free of the harmful chemicals found in leading mass produced make up brands.
The Johnny Concert eyeliners, mineral eye pigments, lip & cheek tints and blush are all 100% cruelty free. These products feature the highest quality natural and organic ingredients, and and each order is hand and custom made in the U.S.A. to eliminate waste.
I love seeing more and more companies moving towards this ethic. I try to buy handmade, chemical free cosmetics as much possible (I’m also a big fan of Orglamix!), and Johnny Concert sounds like a great new brand to try out.
by MissMalaprop on February 22, 2010
The folks at L’Occitane recently contacted me about hosting a giveaway of one of their beauty products, like their luxurious shower gels and French soaps. L’Occitane is a company I had heard of before in passing, but wasn’t really too familiar with. I was pleased to learn that this company has been committed to socially responsibility since their beginning in 1976.
L’Occitane strives to use high quality, natural ingredients in their products, and they are working diligently to eliminate any potentially harmful ingredients from their products (they don’t use phthalates in their fragrances and as of now, 78% of their products are paraben-free). In 1989, L’Occitane created a sustainable development program in Burkina Faso around the production of shea butter. They work to eliminate excessive packaging and strive to use recycled and recyclable materials in their packaging where ever possible. L’Occitane has also been recognized as cruelty-free by PETA.
L’Occitane has offered up one of their Verbena Shower Gel & Body Lotion Duos to a lucky reader. This set includes a luxurious Verbena shower gel and a revitalizing Verbena body lotion, and has a retail value of $44.
This particular giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only. To enter, all you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post by midnight on Friday, March 12, 2010 (Central Standard Time – go here to figure out what time that is where you are). Please make sure to use a valid email address, as that’s how I’ll be contacting the winner to let you know you’ve won. Also, if you are chosen as the winner, you must respond to my email within 1 week from the date I send it to let me know your mailing address, or an alternate winner will be chosen.
Don’t forget, I’ve still got another giveaway going on which ends this Friday! Be sure to check out the giveaway for a copy of the new book Add More ~Ing to Your Life – A Hip Guide to Happiness!
by MissMalaprop on November 18, 2009
I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, so I’m bringing you a guest post tutorial on how to make bath bombs. The author, Rain Matthews shares plenty of other great homemade gift ideas at 100homemadegiftideas.com.
3 Pack Pink Sugar (Aqualina Type) Nourish Bath Bombs by PurpleDaffodils
Such an unfortunate but catchy name, bath bombs or bath fizzies make a great homemade gift idea because they are one of those luxurious indulgences that people often do not buy for themselves, but love to receive as a gift. They will certainly appreciate them when they realize that they are homemade gifts. You have probably seen them at bath boutiques, but basically bath bombs are balls of baking soda and citric acid that when dropped in water dissolve, effervesce, and releases the scents or other ingredients you put in them. Its kind of like bathing in bathtub full of seltzer water. It can be a soothing and therapeutic experience.
There are a couple of ways to make them. Here is the method based off a tutorial from teachsoap.com:
Ingredients:
Citric Acid… A powder that you can find here at brambleberry.com. You also might be able to find it at a local winemaking/brewing shop.
Baking Soda… Should be easy enough to find, check in your cupboard or refrigerator.
Witch Hazel… You can find this at here at brambleberry.com, otherwise you might find it at your local health food store or pharmacy.
Fragrance or Essential Oil… You can find this at, yep, you guessed it, brambleberry.com, or your local heath food store..
Clear Spherical Molds… There is quite a selection at soapequipment.com. They have molds and bath bomb kits at brambleberry.com but no plain spherical ones. I have also heard of people using ice cube trays.
You can tint them with food coloring, but I think they look fine as is. It’s a matter of preference. If you do use food coloring make sure you only use a few drops per batch, otherwise it might stain someone’s tub.
One 5 Ounce Calabrian Bergamot and Violet Bath Bomb by layla
The process:
It is a bit tricky at first. You might have a bad batch or two in the beginning, or a have few bath bombs that fall apart, but don’t get discouraged, you will get the hang of it..
- Thoroughly mix 1 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of the citric acid. Make sure it is mixed well and there are no lumps.
- Add your fragrance and color. Fragrances are your preference, but I enjoy essential oils like lavender or peppermint. If you are using food coloring, make sure to only use a few drops.
- Lightly spray on the witch hazel while mixing. You want to spray enough on so the mixture just starts to stick together. Too much and the mixture will start bubbling and reacting.
- Just after the mixture starts to stick together, press into the molds. Make sure you squeeze the mold halves together hard.
- Wait a few minutes, then tap them out of the molds.
- Let sit a few hours or overnight, and then they’ll be ready for wrapping.
YOU CHOOSE half dozen baths-not-bombs by katevw
I have also seen some recipes that include epsom salt in the dry mixture, and almond oil to help keep the ball together. Some recipes also include cornstarch, which I personally would advise against, as it has been mentioned that it might irritate a rash or make it worse. There are conflicting views on this, but I leave it out to be safe.
I used clear colored wrapping and raffia ribbon for the presentation of the gift.
They make a great addition to other homemade bath products in a gift basket.
This tutorial was originally published at 100homemadegiftideas and Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/crafts-articles/homemade-gift-idea-bath-bombs-or-bath-fizzies-1457212.html
About the Author: Counting down 100 homemade gift ideas at http://100homemadegiftideas.com
by MissMalaprop on October 2, 2009
A couple of weeks ago, the team at 1000 Markets offered to send me a press kit to show me a little more about all of the amazing things that can be found on their site. That initial email sparked my curiosity and I’ve fallen in love with 1000 Markets since then! You may have noticed me picking more items from there in recent weeks, and I also started my own shop on 1000 Markets.
The thing I love most about 1000 Markets is what they refer to as “The Artisan Experience”. Everything feels hand-picked and the quality is top-notch. When the press kit arrived at my door earlier this week, the quality of items I found inside was no exception. The wrapping was absolute perfection — it was absolutely one of my favorite packages ever to open up and see what was inside. It was like Christmas came early!
First I opened up a beautiful origami photo album made by Pins + Paper that was filled with postcards describing some of the unique markets and items found at 1000 Markets.
I received a gorgeous notecard & gift tag set from Vanity Claire (check out her shop — her greeting cards and stationery are amazing!), some delicious smelling “Lime in da coconut” soap by Intentions, a lovely scented sachet from Anna’s Trunk (I’m thinking about keeping it in my car to keep things smelling good!), some gourmet handcrafted jam by Lemonbird Handmade Jams, and a stunning pair of enameled copper and sterling earrings by Sue M. Designs (these are possibly my personal favorite out of the bunch!).
1000 Markets really is pretty amazing… I could spend hours browsing that site and never fail to find beautiful handmade things to lust after. I really do think that it’s going to emerge as one of the leaders in handmade shopping portals online, because they ensure the quality of products and they make it really easy to navigate the site. If you haven’t already taken a peek at 1000 Markets, I definitely recommend it!
