Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Love Giveaways?!

The holiday season is upon us, many businesses are offering giveways!  I found this site, as a great place to post your giveaway that you are sponsoring, and to search for giveaways to enter!  Check out
Giveaway Scout and have fun!

Spotlight on AWEsome! Pixe's Treasure Chest

Welcome to Spotlight on AWEsome!  This time around we meet Michele, of Pixe'sTreasureChest! Michele designs and creates jewelry using a palette of sterling silver, copper, and semi precious gemstones!  Many pieces are one of a kind, most are limited edition!



The Beginning...
Like most of those involved in arts and crafts, my start came at an early age.  My Grammy taught me to hand sew at a very young age, and I made very crude clothing for my Barbie Dolls.  She later taught me how to crochet.  My mother taught me to embroider, and I do counted cross stitch as well.  My jewelry endeavors began when I had difficulty finding earrings that I liked...I couldn't find anything unique enough to suit me.  One day I was shopping at a discount store, found a book on jewelry making, and the adventure began!  I have since then ventured beyond earrings, though I admit to creating a lot of those, as earrings are my favorite jewelry to wear! 



The Inspiration...
Inspiration for me comes mainly from the natural world around me...The colors and objects in nature often inspire a new jewelry piece.  Sometimes inspiration comes by chance...Tidying up my workspace I may find beads that I think look great together, and make something...Needless to say, my workspace is generally not well organized!  I have found handcrafting jewelry to be a great creative outlet and stress relief from my work as a Critical Care Nurse.


Where to find Pixe...
Online, you can find me in my Jewelry Shop on Etsy, PixesTreasureChest
I also have a destash/supply shop on Etsy;  PixesBeads
In person, if you are in the Reading, PA area, I can be found every Weds. at the Leesport Farmer's Market in Building #1.
I also try to do a show once a month and those are posted on my profile page in my Etsy shop!

Three little know facts about Michele...
~~ I collected rocks as a kid, and still have most of that collection.
~~ I love to read.  I read my first college textbook when I was 8 or 9 yrs old...It was a geology textbook my uncle had given me!  I still have it!
~~ When I'm feeling "Out of sorts", my favorite way to reconnect and destress is grab my camera, and take a walk through my local state park. Alone. I've always felt as thought the  forest was my sanctuary!



Turquoise Button Drop Earrings
The Giveaway...
Michele is giving away, to one lucky winner, a pair of her favorite earrings, Turquoise Button Drop Earrings! 

Entries are open worldwide!  Aweteam members are invited to enter, as well.

To enter:
Visit PixesTreasureChest, and leave a comment on the blog telling us your favorite piece of jewelry.  This is mandatory.  Please be sure to leave your contact info so you can be notified if you're a winner!  Good Luck!!  Entries will be accepted until Thurs. Dec. 2, 2010.  The winner will be drawn Friday, Dec. 3, 2010!





For extra entries:
Each earns one additional entry, except when noted otherwise.   Comments should be left on the blog!
~~  Follow Pixe on Facebook and leave a comment letting us know you are a new follower!
~~  Make a purchase from Pixe's Treasure Chest, and get 3 additional entries for each purchase!       Leave a comment telling us what you've bought!
~~ Sign up for Pixe's Newsletter!  Receive 2 additional entries! 
~~  Follow the AWEteam on Facebook.  Leave a comment letting us know you are a follower.

Thank you in advance for stopping by and entering our giveaway!

THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

Wishing you an AWEsome day!
                                                                                    

Friday, November 19, 2010

Thanksgiving in the United States

This morning a friend of mine sent me an email containing a Proclamation from a United States President declaring Thanksgiving a National Holiday.  So that got me thinking...What is the real history of Thanksgiving, as we celebrate today?  My google quest began...Here is the annotated version...


When we think of the holiday Thanksgiving, we think the holiday was first celebrated by the pilgrims in 1621 in Massachusetts.  This day was not a holiday for them, however, it was a gathering thanking God for their harvest...it was a religious day.  Their gathering lasted 3 days,  and did include the Native Americans that helped them survive their first, very difficult,  year here.  They did not repeat the celebration the following year.



The next Thanksgiving celebration was held June 29, 1629, as proclaimed by the governing council of Charleston Massachusetts in recognition of the colonists' recent victory over the "heathen natives".   

In October of 1777,   all 13 colonies joined in a  Thanksgiving celebration, celebrating the victory over the British at Saratoga.

In 1789,  George Washington proclaimed A National Day of Thanksgiving, which Thomas Jefferson later opposed.



It was the efforts of a magazine editor, Sarah Josepha Hale,  that promted President Abraham Lincoln to proclaim the last Thursday of November as a National Day of Thanksgiving.  Every year since then, each President has maintained that proclamation.

In 1941, Franklin Roosevelt changed the day Thanksgiving was celebrated in order to provide more time for shopping before Christmas.  This is when we now celebrate Thanksgiving...The fourth Thursday of every Novermber.

I didn't know that...did you?
So how do you celebrate Thanksgiving, and what is you are thankful for?

Source:  The Thanksgiving Story  You can read the full version of Thanksgiving here, along with The Proclamations of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Wishing you all an AWEsome Day, and a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Treasuries: Gift Guides presented by the AWEteam!

Happy Friday Everyone!  We have some lovely collections to share with you this week!  Take a peek at our Treasuries on Etsy...They offer some great ideas for your  holiday shopping!


featuring

by

by

And these are links to treasuries which feature our members:

featuring

featuring

Thanks for dropping by!  We hope you enjoyed your stay!
Wishing you all an AWEsome day!

Friday, November 5, 2010

November giveaway winner!

Thank you to all those who entered our November giveaway!  We have had 22 comments, and 16 entries!  One lucky winner was drawn this morning to receive the Recycled Pillowcase Shopping Bag from Ponderosaquilter!

The lucky winner is......



minishoes1 !!  I've sent an email, and she has 3 days to respond back to me!  If no response within that time, another name will be drawn!

Congratulations!!!

Wishing you all an AWEsome day!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

November First Friday Art Walk on Etsy!

Happy Thursday everyone!  The team is gearing up for this month's First Friday Art Walk on Etsy to be held November 5, 2010!  Come take a virtual stroll through a variety of shops from art to zafu cushions!  If you are searching for it, we've got you covered!  You'll even find some great deals along the way!  To find First Friday deals, just use the search term "firstfridayartwalk".

To get you in the mood, here are some Treasuries curated by our members showcasing the talent of the Art Walk Etsy Team!






And some more AWEsome Treasuries curated by our members, or featuring our members...

 featuring jscstong

featuring jcstrong



featuring  eclecticarmadillo

Wishing everyone a fabulous First Friday, and an AWEsome day!
The AWEteam!