Great Ways to Do Nothing

With winter on it's way out the door, here is another great way to relax:

Spend an hour in the sunshine to boost your brain's "happiness" chemistry.

You could read a book, lay listening to music, or just sit and watch nature happen!

Blog Tip for the Day

Interlink your posts! Spend one hour going through your posts and adding links to other posts (you will probably need a couple internet windows open). This will help readers redirect themselves around your blog, they will stay captivated (more than just reading the one post they may have come to visit), and they will most likely become returning readers:)

Happy blogging!

Add an Hour to your Outfit - Week of 3/17/08

This week I have chosen a pair of earrings from the etsy seller dharmadesigns.

I love the color of the earrings and I think they would be perfect for the spring season! I think paired with an airy summer dress would be perfect. Or maybe even a chunky knit sweater when there is still a chill in the air!

The earrings are titled Himalayan morning and are made of teal blue turquoise nuggets and Tibetan silver beads. They are listed at $15.00 -- what a perfectly inexpensive way to add an hour to your outfit!

To read more about the earrings and dharmadesigns, please click here

Use a Seperate E-mail Address

The blog tip for today is to use a seperate e-mail address for all things blog related. That way your personal e-mail does not get clouded with spam! You can set your blog settings to receive e-mail notifications (such as when someone adds a comment to your post, etc). If you do not want to check up on your blog, don't check your e-mail.

Happy Tuesday!

Blog Tip for the Day

I am going to to add a new feature to my blog: Blog Tip of the Day

These will be helpful tips to help enhance and improve your blogging experiences!

Today's tip: Make sure you know where to view comments made to posts on your blog. Then, e-mail a new comment maker everyday!

It does not have to be a lengthy, drawn-out e-mail, just a simple "Thanks for the nice comment, I look forward to future interactions" is all that is needed. Just make sure to have your blog's website either in the body of your e-mail or your signature. This blog reader will most likely become an avid reader and can add views to your blog. You may also be able to build relationships by exchanging links, etc. You never know!

So get out there and e-mail those Thank-yous!

Avoid Slanted Lines

I read a really neat tip today:

To avoid uneven lines when writing on blank paper, place a lined sheet of paper underneath to use as a guide!

Hobby Lobby Fan!

I am a HUGE Hobby Lobby fan. I would say that on average, I visit the store three times a week. If you have a Hobby Lobby in your area, and you are a crafter, you MUST sign up to receive their weekly ad. This, of course, costs you nothing, but you will then know in advance what is on sale every week. They also have a weekly coupon and most of the time it is 40% off any one item (receiving this coupon was the main reason I signed up for the e-mail mailing)!

Hobby Lobby is open Monday through Saturday, so you will always receive the e-mail with the specials on Sunday (it is one of the best parts of my Sunday, going through what the specials will be and making my Hobby Lobby list!).

One tip: Print off multiple copies of the coupon and slip them into your purse. If you are close enough to a Hobby Lobby (as I am) where you may just be passing it as you run other errands, if you realize you could really use a new stamp, vase, picture frame, etc., you will be armed with your coupon to be able to take advantage of the discount!

You can also always view the specials online! Here is the link to Hobby Lobby's weekly specials page: http://www.hobbylobby.com/site3/weekly/weekly.cfm

You can sign up for the weekly e-mail in the upper right hand corner and by navigating through a couple of pages, you can see if a Hobby Lobby is close to where you live.

Great Ways to Do Nothing #2

Do Nothing Challenge #2:

Brew a pot of tea or coffee and invite your neigbor over for a taste..

Meet a new neighbor or visit with one you haven't seen in a while! I bet you will share some laughter and that will also help you relax.....

Newest Candle Scent

This month's newest scent:

Rainforest- This recent blend is mysterious, with intriguing fragrances reminiscent of a lush rainforest.

If you would like a sample of this scent mailed to you, please visit my website here: http://www.purlboutique.com/SamplePacket.html and send your request!

Add an Hour to Your Outfit - Week of 3/10/2008

This week I have chosen this pair of earrings from TilleyJewels:

Very cute pink checkerboard earrings -- perfect for a date night!

The list price for the earrings is $12.00 in TilleyJewel's Etsy Shop.You can read more about the earrings and TilleyJewels by clicking here.

Remember: Take five minutes to add jewelry and add an hour to your outfit!

Great Ways to Do Nothing #1

Take some time out of your busy schedule! "To do what?" you may ask. Well, to do nothing, to relax!

My first challenge to do nothing is this:

Make a date with nature this week

It does not mean you have to go outside. Do anything you want that pertains to nature. Learn about spruce trees, go for a hike, collect rocks, make a snow angel, whatever you want! It's time to relax! There is never a right way or a wrong way to relax except to not do it:)

Add an Hour to Your Outfit - Week of 2/25/08

I have found a wonderful artist on Etsy to be featured in my very first "Add an Hour to Your Outfit" spot!

This week I have chosen this necklace from Periwinkle Studio:

I can picture this necklace paired with a crisp white collared shirt and black tailored pants, making the necklace the focal point.

The list price for this necklace is $34.00 in Periwinkle Studio's Etsy Shop.
You can read more about the necklace and Periwinkle Studio by clicking here.

Remember: Take five minutes to add jewelry and add an hour to your outfit!

Add an Hour to Your Outfit Day Is Set to Start!

Purl Boutique loves jewelry! My motto is that by taking five minutes to put on jewelry, you are adding an hour to your outfit. Therefore, each week I will be showcasing a piece of jewelry I feel would add that hour to your outfit. Most of the jewelry will come from Etsy.com which means it will be handmade and one-of-a-kind!

If you are a jewelry artist, and would like to see your jewelry showcased on "Add an Hour to Your Outfit Day" then please e-mail me at candles@purlboutique.com

Newest Candle Scent

This month's newest scent:

Liquorice and Grapeseed - distinctly fruity liquorice accord, reminiscent of childhood treats, intermeshed with notes of raspberry, green grape and smooth caramel.


If you would like a sample of this scent mailed to you, please visit my website here: http://www.purlboutique.com/SamplePacket.html and send your request!

Purl Boutique is the Newest Distributor of Mia Bella Candles!

"Nationwide, everyone is saying that Mia Bella Gourmet Candles are

The BEST smelling candles ever made!"

I would have to agree with this! These are truely "gourmet" candles. They are soy/veggie based, so they are the cleanest burning candles for your home. No more messy black soot inside the jar! They are also triple scented, so you can enjoy the candles even when not lit.

Check out my Scent-Sational Site where you will find an array of over 100 true-to-life aromas in Bella Blasted scents that till tease and tantalize your senses. We have something for everyone with baked goods, fruits, florals and more. Click here to start shopping now!

A Candle Lover's Dream Business!!

Do you love scented candles? Do you have the desire to earn an income working from the comfort of your own home? Read more about becoming a distributor here.

In 2004 we only had about 65 aromas - we now have over 100 - as an exciting new fragrance is released each month. Sometimes bakery aromas, sometimes florals, sometimes herbs and spices, sometimes something totally new and unheard of! You can join the Candle Of The Month Club and have the newest fragrance shipped ot your door each month too!

Play, Earn, Shop!!

You can play to win and enter my weekly candle drawing, you can join the candle of the month to have a rainbow of colors and amazing aromas delivered to your home of office each month, and you can shop right now and enjoy our bath & body, candles, melts and more delivered right to your door.

Purl Boutique's Favorite Book

I believe all knitters should have this book: At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Only knitters would understand the humor and truth behind what Ms. McPhee talks to in her book. Just read how yarnmarket.com summarizes her book (just the summary will make you laugh!):

"Do you ever experience palpitations when passing a yarn shop? Sneak new yarn purchases into the house? Utter the words "just one more row"? Plan your vacation around yarn store locations? Secretly scope out new spots to store your stash? If you answered "yes" to one or more of these, you are at risk of becoming an obsessive knitter. This totally incurable condition is sure to be helped by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's humorous and heartfelt "meditations." Her tangled reflections on the knitter's life will keep you in stitches and unravel your tensions for many warm and woolly moments to come."

I found the book for $9.80 online, but why not go check it out at your public library for free?

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Accepting Credit Cards

Alright, so Purl Boutique is headed to a craft fair on June 9th. With new products, including the designer's products, I had to come up with a good way to display it all. I do not necessarily have a "theme", but more of a color scheme: pink, black, and white. So my fiance found an old door and shutters that he is painting pink and using crackle paint on. These will become backdrops for the purses and jewelry that I am bringing. But there were so many other things to consider than just the display......one of them being, what payments do I accept?

I signed up at Propay.com to allow me to accept credit cards. It works a little differently than you would expect however. I do not have a credit card machine, I just call the card number and other info in and it accepts/denies the card and then applies the charges. Another alternative would be to write the info down and then when I am back home to enter it on the internet. I do not know how I feel about entering info on the internet, so I am going to call the cards in.

For my website, I use CCNow.com This allows me to have inventory.........meaning, I can say I have only one of a certain item available and it allows it to be sold only one time. This is very important as all the items are handmade and most are one of a kind! I have been very happy with this service.

Breakfast anyone?

Well, maybe not a knitted plate of eggs and bacon!!! Yeah for Wordless Wednesday

MeMe Monday

It's MeMe Monday on Link and Blog Challenge, so here's all about Purl Boutique. For this MeMe Monday you will learn about Purl Boutique's crocheting....

1. I like to crochet in the car when I am riding with my fiance. He is definitely not a bad driver, I'm just a paranoid passenger. Just recently I made these washcloths during a car ride.

2. My favorite yarn to crochet with is cotton -- specifically sugar 'n cream. Some may think this is boring, but I am a simple girl!

3. My favorite thing to make are washcloths (very much related to #2). I like the fact that what I am making is practical and has a million things that it can be used for.

A Fun Way to Build Links to your Blog!

One of the best ways to get your blog noticed by the search engines and to bring in more traffic is to have other sites linking to you. Trying to find sites to do this is usually not a fun task unless you are doing link and blog challenges. Not only are they fun and toggle your brain for fresh new topics, it is 100% completely and truly free to register and become a challenger.

Basically, you participate in what are called challenges. The challenge is to use a keyword in a post on your blog and then link that keyword back to the challenger’s post. In return, the next challenger will link to your site. The great part about this is that the links are one-way links which search engines value higher than reciprocal links. To read more about the Link and Blog Challenge, just go to this page. Purl Boutique would love to be your first challenger!

Tetris + Bike = Fun

My fiance and I just bought a stationary bike and the main reason: it has Tetris! It is such a fun workout, I can't help but ride........on the days I do ride, I go for about 7 miles, go me! My goal is to be up to 10 by the end of next week.

Hold onto your Wedding Dress if off to Spain!

I frequent the "Odd News" section on Yahoo! and came across an article about lost luggage in Spain. Apparently if you lose your luggage in Spain, their law states it can be sold at auction such as a wedding dress and another choice item as the article explains! Check it out for yourself and be warned if off to Spain!

I'm a sucker for sweets....

I am notorious for collecting change in a cup at work so that I can visit the vending machine. My favorite candy choice: peanut M&Ms! For some reason, eating the M&Ms with peanuts makes me feel somewhat better than just eating the plain chocolate ones!

Take the Link & Blog Challenge and write about your favorite candy!

New York Yarn......Better than Wisconsin Yarn?

I went to New York City about a year ago. When I was there I stopped at a yarn shop (of course, why wouldn't I go there). I was actually walking around Central Park and trying to find a show that I would like to see when I stumbled upon this shop. It was on the second floor of a building in a quaint little studio. People were knitting and laughing, which made me smile.

However, I felt as if I absolutely needed to buy yarn. I was in New York City, of course this is going to be original, stylish yarn I would not be able to find anywhere else. I had never heard of Manos del Uruguay yarn (fairly expensive too). That is what I decided to purchase. But behold, upon returning to the Midwest, I discovered a yarn shop about an hour away carries this same yarn in a million colors. This is a good thing too as it has become my favorite yarn:)

There are many reasons why this has become my favorite yarn. Not only does it come in beautiful hues and is amazingly soft, by purchasing it, I am helping women in need. Manos del Uruguay yarn is dyed by a cooperative of women in the rural villages of Uruguay. This cooperative provides much needed income to approximately 350 women working in 17 locations. The yarn is made from soft Corriedale and Merino wools. If you would like something made in this yarn (a scarf, hat, afghan, etc), please contact me for a custom order!

My Fabric Lovin' Cat

I have a cat named Algebra who loves fabric. Wherever fabric is, he is there. It has come to the point where I have to isolate him in one room while I work so that he does not get on the fabric I am using. Watching my cat the other day made me wonder........why do cat's tails always stick up? So I did some research and came across the following information......

A tail swishing from side to side indicates anger, discomfort, and frustration. A tail held high up means it is happy. A puffed up tail is a sign of fear or that the cat is trying to scare someone.

Luckily when I was pondering this thought, Algebra's tail was raised up high. Now, whenever I see his tail sticking up, it makes me smile knowing he is happy.

So you think you can crochet?

I have been crocheting/knitting for years now. I have even become arrogant with it (but more so just in my head than out loud). I think that I can do a pattern from memory once I have already completed the project one time. Take for instance a simple washcloth. I did two of a particular washcloth (with a repeating pattern mind you) and I thought, "what do I need the pattern for, I should be able to remember this...."

Boy was I wrong. However, I hate having a million piles of paper with patterns on them laying around with crumpled up corners. So I have a trick to my madness so that I do not attempt to crochet a pattern from memory. I copy patterns onto index cards and store them in index card boxes. Then I only need to have one card out while I am working on a project and I do not have to rely on my memory!

A Pink Door to the Boutique

My fiance is helping build a display for my shows. I wanted it to be unique and boy will it ever be! He found a door that he is painting pink and white, then sanding to appear "rustic", and it will be a backdrop for my jewelry table. He is really excited about it and so am I! He also found old shutters that he is going to make into a folding/stand-alone wall to hand purses on. I also think that is going to be really neat.

Speaking of shows, Purl Boutique will be doing her first show of the season on June 9th in Sun Prairie. Come and check it out if you can!

Purl Boutique is published!

I have a published article! It is about the benefits of using lavender in aromatherapy. One of the upcoming products I will offer is eye pillows and the first essential oil I used was lavender. All of my articles are located as links on the side for easy viewing!

Welcome to the New Blog for Purl Boutique

Welcome! Please go ahead and bookmark this page and come back often. I will be posting all the things about Purl Boutique that you need to know -- show dates, new and upcoming products, and much more! I will also have other useful articles and reviews, the day-to-day in the world of Purl Boutique..........