After Sunset Jewels + A Huge Giveaway!

Boy, do I have some fun things in store for you today! First off, I am beyond excited to finally and officially share the launch of my new Spring designs for my Etsy shop, After Sunset! Making the big move to San Diego and being constantly surrounded by the beautiful sunsets, the gorgeous colors of the palms and the sea, and all the natural textures of the sand and the rocks along the coast - I have been super inspired to say the least.

My new designs use mainly stone and glass and seed beads along with funky gold touches [my favorite] to create colorful and fun jewelry to add to your outfits! I'm currently focusing mainly on bracelets because, let's be honest, you can never have enough arm candy, right?

Here are some of my designs using stone:

+ Multi-colored turquoise, mint, purple, and pink Wrap Bracelet

+ Turquoise and Mint Elastic Bracelet

+ Purple and Pink Elastic Bracelet

+ Circular Turquoise and Gold Geo Bead Elastic Bracelet

The bracelets with mint are limited addition so get them while they're hot!

+ Turquoise & Royal Blue Magnesite Stone with Gold Geo Bead Wrap Bracelet.

I'm obsessed with with the tribal/Aztec look right now so I pretty much wear that bracelet all the time :)

Now, let's talk about my love for Czech seed beads. They're so colorful and beachy!

Again, you can buy these seed bead + gold tube bracelets individually like this gorgeous Neon Yellow Luster Bracelet

OR

as an arm party combination like the Purple Ombre set below!

I'm also loving Czech glass beads and... chain. Obviously. I mean, I couldn't NOT have chain in some of my designs ;)

The Mint & Champagne Wrap Bracelet is an example of some of the Czech glass & chain wraps that are in the store! And yes, I wear multiples of these bracelets at the same time :)

And the Aqua, Mint and Matte Gold Elastic Bracelets are another one of our arm party sets you can buy!

Be sure to check out the shop for all of the bracelets & new ones will continue to be added!  As always, let me know if you want a custom order :) I am so excited, you guys. Creating jewelry has always been a passion of mine and it means the world to be able to share it with you all. I would LOVE it if you help me spread the word about my shop!

After Sunset

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And because I love my readers so much, I am offering you FREE SHIPPING for the next two weeks on all U.S. orders! Use coupon code BLOGGERLOVE at checkout through April 4th :)

Now, for the GIVEAWAY! 

I have teamed up with these amazing bloggers below to offer you not one... not two... but THREE $100 Visa gift cards that you can use for whatever your little heart desires. Amaze, right?! Enter using the Rafflecopter below and good luck to you all! 

Henning Love // Heart of Aloha // Love, The Skinnys

Home Sweet Auburn // Alisha & Brandon // Perfectly Imperfect

Life is a Sunset // and here's to you, Mrs. Robinson // Classic & Bubbly

Big Mario Life // Sparkles and Shoes // The Egg

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Blue Bird Bride Giveaway

I have an awesome treat for you today! If you know me, you know that I am a sucker for Etsy. I could spend all day perusing the shops on there, whether it be for home decor, eclectic vintage clothing, or jewelry... ohhh, jewelry. Etsy makes my day.

Then, I "met" Diane and was introduced to her shop, Blue Bird Bride. Take my love for jewelry and love for weddings and combine them and you get one happy Chelsea! Blue Bird Bride has all the cute, trendy, couture jewelry you and I both love! You can wear it yourself, buy it as a gift, or... give it to your bridesmaids if you're a bride-to-be. [Okay, or even if you're like me and plan your wedding in advance. Far in advance!]

Here's a peak at what Blue Bird Bride has to offer:

And today, Life is a Sunset readers can win a $20 shop credit to Blue Bird Bride! Which means your options are unlimited! You can use that shop credit to shop for your bridal party, buy a gift for your mom for the holidays, or, hey... treat yourself to something nice! ;)

If you can't wait and want to buy something now, Diane has been sweet enough to offer my readers a 15% off discount by entering FALL2012 at checkout!

She has a couple great deals going on right now - like the Buy Three Get One Free deal as well as  a Buy Two Get One Free deal and several clearance items!

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RoseRags Poncho Giveaway!

I have a special little treat in store for you today! A few months ago, I "met" a sweet girl living in San Diego. We pretty much instantly became friends and chatted via Twitter/email. I loved her right away not only because she was living in my dream city and was sweet as can be, but because she was extremely [and I mean extremely] good at what she does.

Her name is Jessica and she owns her own little fashion line known as RoseRags! RoseRags started off as an eco-friendly line of hand-stamped scarves and has recently expanded into other amazing items of clothing, like the gorgeous poncho I ended up buying!

Jessica describes RoseRags as "chic, sophisticated, and distinctive." And here's the best part: all fabric scraps are recycled and placed directly into children’s art programs. So, not only are you buying a beautiful, carefully handmade item but you're giving back to the community as well.

As a handmade business owner myself, I strongly support small businesses who take the time, effort, and heart to create meaningful, unique items and I assure you RoseRags is not one you will want to miss out on.

Jessica has been kind and gracious enough to offer my lovely readers the Leopard Poncho - [my personal favorite that I bought from her as soon as she announced it!] The giveaway ends next Wednesday, October 10th! So, good luck and feel free to stop by the RoseRags Facebook page or send Jessica a tweet and let her know I sent ya! :)

Just another note: The Leopard Poncho is one-size fits all! The sides are open so you can wear it normal or belted! Either way looks great :)

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Happy 1st B-day Blog + Giveaway

Wow, where has the year gone? Happy first birthday to this little blog of mine! When I started this blog last June, I had absolutely no idea that it would quickly become such a big part of my life. I realized early on how kind, supportive, and loving the blogging community is and can’t imagine my life without this as such an integral part.

When I started this blog one year ago:

+I was looking for something new and fresh; a place where I could write and share little tid-bits of my life.

Now, for a trip down memory lane over the past year:

Here I am, one year later – a twenty-something back to being single on the East Coast! I had no idea one year ago that my life would be changing so drastically so soon. But you know what? So many GREAT and POSITIVE changes have also occurred. Losing my Mom in February has pushed me to work as hard as I can to make my dreams a reality. Life is far too short to settle. I’ve started my own Etsy jewelry business and recently signed myself up for classes to start training again in the Arts (my passion.) Two things that I probably would have otherwise put off.

I have gained some of the best friends I ever could have asked for through blogging. These friends were there through the loss of my Mom. So many of YOU were there for me. Helping me stay strong, helping me see the light to get through to the next day.

So, as a huge “thank you” to every one of you, my readers – I’m giving away one of my bracelets from After Sunset. The winner gets to pick any bracelet their little heart desires :) If you see one you like and want to swap out the gold chain for silver or vice versa [if there isn’t already one in the shop] just let me know!

Here are just a few of the jewels you could snatch up! For more, check out the store.

Now, let’s get started, shall we?

To enter:

[Mandatory. Leave ONE comment]

+Follow Life is a Sunset via Google Friend Connect

+Visit After Sunset on Etsy and decide which bracelet you’d most want to rock if you win! Then, let me know in your comment which one you'd choose!

[Please be sure to include your email address if it’s not already on your Blogger profile]

Extra Entries:

[Each represented by a separate comment]

+Pin up to 3 separate items from my shop onto one of your Pinterest boards [leave a separate comment for each pin]

+Follow me on Pinterest

+Tweet about this giveaway

+Follow me on Twitter [@LifeisaSunset]

That’s 7 possible entries!

You have until next Wednesday, June 13th to enter! A winner will be chosen via random.org and announced next Thursday!

Best of luck to you all and thanks again for being so wonderful! I appreciate you all more than you know :)

Also, today is an extra special day because I am guest posting over at my good friend Shayna's blog. I just love her! She has truly been such a gem for me throughout the past few difficult months and I'm so grateful to have her as a friend!

Be sure to go say "hi" to Shayna! You won't be disappointed... she is SUPER sweet!

Thanks again, everyone for making this whole blogging experience so wonderful and good luck to those who enter! :)

Shabby Apple Giveaway

I'm sure by now many of you have heard of Shabby Apple!  They describe themselves as "a fashion company by women, for women, and of women." Personally, I've been a fan for a few years now. I love their variety of dresses, skirts, accessories, etc.

Lucky for you [even IF today is Friday the 13th] Shabby Apple has offered Life is a Sunset readers a $50 gift card! That's right - $50 toward anything in their store! I could spend hours on their website but if I had the chance to win the gift card, here are some things I'd consider getting:

They're awesome, right?

To Enter: 

[Mandatory. Leave ONE comment]

+ Follow Life is a Sunset via Google Friend Connect
+"Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook

Please be sure to include your email address if it’s not already on your Blogger profile.

Extra Entries:

[Each represented by separate comments please!]

+ Visit Shabby Apple's online store and leave a comment here with which item you'd love to get if you win!
+Follow me on Pinterest

+ Follow @LifeisaSunset on Twitter

+ Tweet about this giveaway. Super simple. Here's a tweet you can even use:
I just entered to win a $50 Shabby Apple gift card on @LifeisaSunset http://lifeisasunset.blogspot.com Check it out!

That's 5 possible entries!

Shabby Apple has also been kind enough to offer my readers a sweet 10% discount off any purchase in their store! Just enter in the coupon code: lifeisasunset10ff

Yay! Best of luck to you all! This giveaway will close at 11:59PM EST on Thursday, April 19th and one winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on Friday the 20th!

You Could Win Something

...but not yet. Exactly one week from today (Friday the 13th, oh yes) I will be hosting a stellar giveaway! I figured since we're closing in on almost 500 readers (wow, you guys are awesome!) it was time to thank you all for being so wonderful :)

So, what do ya say? Are you as excited as I am? (You better be because I don't even get a chance at winning this giveaway!)

The closer I get to 500 followers, the more hints I'll give out regarding what it could possibly be! 

Now, for the fun part. What do you think I'll be giving away?
A. Beauty Product
B. Food
C. Clothing
D. Jewelry

Perhaps it's NONE of the above OR it could be ALL of the above! Hmmm... ;)

Moving on. I'm also starting a new feature that I'll post every so often. I LOVE jewelry. Love is an understatement. I feel like we've already touched on this topic so I'll just leave it at that. Because of my love for jewelry and Etsy, this new feature will highlight a different shop that I've come to love recently! I figured it would be a fun way to spread the Etsy love and share with you some new places to buy from!

If you're into big, chunky jewelry like I am, you're going to love Wasabihot on Etsy. She has tons of fun necklaces in her shop with many different colors and textures. By using many different chains, beads, pearls, and charms the looks she creates are all one-of-a-kind. AND the majority of her pieces are under $50! Here are some example of her work:

1 | 2 | 3 

Be sure to check out her shop for more fun, unique, and colorful jewelry!

Are you an Etsy lover too?

Don't forget - be here or be square next Friday for your chance to WIN :) Wishing you all a happy, safe, and beautiful Easter weekend!

Follow along with me this weekend:

via Twitter @LifeisaSunset

via Instagram @chelseasunset