Girls' Night Out Designs

OMG. I knew it.

2006-07-26T22:00:00.000-04:00

You Are Trinity

"Touch me and that hand will never touch anything again."

Christmas in July

2006-07-24T23:22:00.000-04:00

When I found out a bunch of fellow indie designers were getting ready for a Christmas in July gift swap, I just had to get in on it. I received my awesome gift today from Amber of Punkin' Pie Productions. (Go check out her cool stuff: www.punkinpieproductions.com.)

I got a package of handmade "Hello" notecards. This is so perfect since I just had two of my favorite friends move away. I'd love to send one to each of them. (Note: If you are one of said friends and you are reading this, I can't send you a card without your new address ...)
I also got this crazy clutch - Crazy Cupcake clutch, that is. The tag says it is handknit polyester fabric, and it includes an Earthenwood Studios ceramic (cupcake!)button. So cool!
Here's a pic of the loot. Don't mind my mess in the back ...
Thanks so much, Amber! How about Christmas in August, too? :)

More mentions for Girls' Night ...

2006-07-24T23:13:00.000-04:00

Girls' Night is getting mentions all over the place! Just in the past month, we've been in the Blend Creations blog and Indie Quarter. Plus, we recently got featured by IndieShopping.com, with a gorgeous freshwater pearl watch being given away in a contest. Go sign up for their newsletter for your chance to win!

In other great news, I've been busy making new stuff to post on the site! So far I'm up to 6 pairs of earrings, 4 necklaces, 3 purses and 2 watches. I'll be getting those up soon, so get ready to shop!

Good Times

2006-07-03T23:50:00.000-04:00

It's been a crazy couple of weeks, but all good stuff!

First of all, make sure you check out the Fourth of July update on Wickedly Chic, featuring a drink selection from Girls' Night Out Designs! Fun. WC's Kim got in touch with me last week looking for some festive drink ideas for the holiday. Stop by the site to see which one I sent over!

Also, Girls' Night Out Designs is now carried through Unique Boutique in Stamford, Conn. This is such a cool idea. Cheryl runs a "mobile" boutique, so the shop comes to you. Amazing! It's been a blast so far, and we've got lots of ideas for future products.

And on a more personal note, some of you may know that I am a newspaper editor during the day. Well, one thing that has kept me busy is interviewing and writing about "American Idol" finalist Ace Young. The "Idols" kick off their tour here in Manchester on Wednesday and Thursday, and I was lucky enough to talk to Ace about what to expect from him at the show and beyond.

He was great to talk to and one of the most genuine people you'll find out there making a name for himself. Expect big things from Ace in the future.

There! That's my 2 cents.

What Gemstone Are You?

2006-07-01T21:21:00.000-04:00

Your Gemstone is Orange Sapphire

Courageous, optimistic, and successful.
Your confidence helps you handle the ups and downs of life

What Gemstone Are You?

Phew

2006-06-18T00:59:00.000-04:00

Finally, the big update is done. There's tons of new items up on the site, plus free shipping!! Don't hang around here - go check it out!

It's been a while ...

2006-06-07T23:18:00.000-04:00

So I've been a little busy. Day jobs will do that to you! So will adorable puppies who just turned 1 year old. But some cool stuff has happened, and I've got a lot of stuff in the works.

First, Girls' Night got some great mentions. Check them out at Funky Finds and Modish. Good stuff!! I've also taken some time to update links here and on the site. Take charge of your shopping habit and support indie business whenever you can. You won't be disappointed.

On the Girls' Night front: I've got a bunch of new items in the works. I'm hoping to update the site real soon. Hopefully no later than this weekend! Also, I'll soon be cutting those shipping costs to send out your goods free of charge all summer long! Check back here for up-to-date information on the site and shipping updates!

I'm out. Time to go sulk somewhere and try to remember what the sun looks like.

Brand New Bag

2006-04-15T21:17:00.000-04:00

Check out my new bag!!

Look at that interior silk. Isn't it gorgeous?!? I'm so envious of all you girls who can sew. I've tried and tried, but I never could get the hang of it. That's why I'm glad there's people like Jen, the owner/craftess of Sweet Pea Handcrafts. This bag is her "mini messenger." When I couldn't find exactly the combination of fabrics I was looking for, she was more than happy to work with me to create exactly what I wanted. In a day. Without breaking the bank. Yes, customer service does still exist. You'll find it at any indie shop on the Web. Please support them.

Speaking of shops, I'll be posting some new items soon. Don't forget the spring sale ... 15% off your total! This counts on all pieces - even the new stuff!! Hope you're enjoying the warm weather!

Have a nice Easter!

Think Spring Sale!

2006-04-06T10:32:00.000-04:00

I am so ready for the warm weather. Bring on the sun! In an effort to coax spring to come on in, I'm holding a Think Spring 15% Off Sale. That's right. 15%. No codes. No minimum purchases. Head on over: Girls' Night Out Designs.

Want to be the first to know about the next sale?
Sign up for our newsletter! Walter says so.

New stuff on the way!

2006-03-29T00:31:00.000-05:00

All right, all right. It's coming. The new stuff, that is. I'm getting ready to post some fun new jewelry: necklaces, earrings, a watch ...
I'm working on the pics now. Check out this watch. It's got the coolest beads in it. They are amber-colored glass jellybeans with what looks like paint splatters on them. Very different.

So, BTW, did anyone watch "Idol" tonight? Is it just me, or was everyone really terrible ... really. Well, I think Elliott sounded OK, he usually does. But everyone else just seemed really off their game. Such a switch from last week, when all the "Idols" seemed to be "on."

Who will go ... hmm ... wow, it could be any of them. I really wouldn't mind seeing Lisa go this week. There's just nothing really striking about her, and her performances are borderline boring. We shall see!

Approved!

2006-03-26T17:45:00.000-05:00

Yessss! Girls' Night was just added to IndieFriendly.com. This is a great site (courtesy of The Craft Revolution) that aims give shoppers the best places on the Web to shop indie. (Your site is actually reviewed by a real person who rates it on specific guidelines!) Check it out.

You're Kidding ...

2006-03-23T00:29:00.000-05:00

Can someone please tell me how Bucky is staying alive in this season of "Idol"? I really don't know. I'm sure he's a great guy and all, but Bucky=Sucky. Now we're going to have to sit through another one of his bad performances next week, too. Same with Lisa. I've never seen anyone with such a good voice be soooo boring. Sigh.

Yeah, I can't help myself. I'm still hopelessly devoted to this show. I've been watching since the beginning, and I just can't give it up. (Although, I have to admit, I FINALLY gave up "Survivor" this season. Enough is enough.) I actually think this season of "Idol" is one of the best. There are so many interesting people who are so freakin' talented. I don't have one favorite, I have about five. Yikes! Should get interesting.

On a separate note, has anyone been checking out GoogleIdol.com? I just went for the first time the other day. It's insane. I keep going back. OK, my favorites? How can you not love Pomme and Kelly? I laughed so hard I went to their site and watched most (OK, all) of their videos. I also can't get enough of The Back Dormitory Boys. And this is just the lip sync. Go check out the video competition as well. Anthony & Katy get my vote with their rendition of Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone." Classic.

Buy cool stuff! Help animals in need!

2006-03-20T23:02:00.000-05:00

Please please please visit www.CraftersforCritters.com. It's such a cool site! You can shop from a selection of items donated by independent designers with all proceeds going to animal rescue groups. The update this week included my donation of three new pairs of earrings. Go check 'em out!

Black Hole That is E!

2006-03-19T23:05:00.000-05:00

So do you have the same problem I do? Do you get sucked into the vacuum of the E! channel??? It was pretty bad today. They were doing that "101 Celebrity Slimdowns" or something like that. I couldn't help it. I came in around 30 or so and had to watch till the end.

I was a little irritated that the big O. was #1. I mean, Oprah's great and all, but her weight loss is up and down, up and down ... oh well. It was good TV. I find that more and more I could turn on E! and just watch whatever is on. Ah, such a sad day!

If it weren't for the fatty celebrities, I probably would have posted a lot sooner! Yeah, everyone has excuses for why they don't post as often as they should. I have one, too. Well, I have two! Our two puppies, Bella and Walter. They are 10-month-old German Shorthair Pointers. They definitely keep us busy.

Here's how freakin' cute they were when we brought them home:

That's Bella in the back, and Walter is lounging in front.

They are still the cutest dogs on earth, but they are now up to about 70 pounds each. Too bad they prance around like they weigh 20! Here's a more recent pic:

I took this just the other day. See how Miss Bella is sitting like a good girl and Walter's like, "I'm outta here!" You definitely can't tell that she's the psycho. Not from this pic anyway! I'm actually surprised I got them together in the same photo. They don't slow down too often. So, needless to say, neither do I.

As for Girls' Night ... there's lots of news on the way ... not the least of which is that I'm back at my workbench - finally! - and making tons of new stuff. Just tonight I finished off a butterfly necklace and some cool earrings. Plus, I've got another necklace - this one with a gorgeous flower pendant - and a new watch all laid out. I should be ready to make some updates this week.

Much more coming soon!

Oscars Redux

2006-03-06T22:27:00.000-05:00

In my previous career incarnation, I was an entertainment editor for a local newspaper. I loved when award shows came around. It always gave me something to write about.

This year was a little different, though. I didn't have to write about the awards. While it was a bit of a relief, I still couldn't tear myself completely away. Instead of watching the show, which was always my least favorite part, I was glued to the pre-parties, the red carpet and the post-award interviews and gossip. That's the best part anyway!

My favorites:
Keira Knightly - Loved the cranberry dress and vintage jewelry
Reese Witherspoon - She looked like a doll in her vintage gown
Salma - Va-va-voom
Others getting it right: Uma, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Garner, Rachel Weisz

What were they thinking:
Helena Bonham Carter - She WAS "The Corpse Bride."
Charlize - Just because you already won an Oscar doesn't mean you can wear a big-ass bow and expect us to love it.
Naomi Watts - Watts the hell was she thinking with that "used tissue" look?

Jury still out:
Michelle Williams - I can't decide if I loved her mustardy Vera Wang or thought it was a serious faux pas. I think it was just her horribly red, trashy lipstick that threw me off.
Nicole Kidman - When you are a porcelain China doll, please don't wear a white dress and expect us to be able to see you.
Felicity Huffman - I love how real she is. I loved her hair. But really, the deep plunging neckline was a little too much for my taste.

Check It Out

2006-03-05T01:21:00.000-05:00

Browsing at Girls' Night just got a little easier! Now all drink recipes link to their corresponding item.

If you don't find what you're looking for on the site, don't forget about custom orders. I'm working on another one right now. I'll work with you to create exactly what you want - without breaking the bank. You won't be charged extra for your special piece, just the cost of the piece itself.

Keep checking in for more updates!

Bust-Approved!

2006-03-01T15:37:00.000-05:00

Girls' Night Out Designs is now a member of the Girl Wide Web!

MissEvilKitty.org Interview!

2006-02-28T10:05:00.000-05:00

We just got featured on MissEvilKitty.org!! Check out the Q&A ...

Weekend Revisted

2006-02-27T16:46:00.000-05:00

I had such a nice relaxing - and filling - weekend. On Saturday, my boyfriend and I met his family at a Brazilian steakhouse in town. Honestly, have you been to one of these places? They come out with meat on swords and just keep on coming until you tell them to stop. It was fantastic.

We had been there before a few years ago, but since then they've moved to a new location - much bigger - and a bit more upscale. I am always amazed when we go there. Every time is like the first. My favorites: filet mignon wrapped in bacon (OK, anything wrapped in bacon), prime rib, the fried yucca and those damn addictive cheese balls. Check it out: Gauchos Brazilian Steakhouse.

BF and I stayed out of the cold for the rest of the weekend and caught up on some of our Netflix watching:

Doom: I smelled what the Rock was cookin' - and it wasn't that bad. I actually really enjoyed this movie. It was 10 times better than I thought it would be. It didn't hurt that Eomer (any other "Rings" geeks out there?) had a big role in it. I was addicted to the original "Doom" game in college, but haven't played since. Hmmm, maybe it's time to start shooting again ...

The Exorcism of Emily Rose: I didn't know a thing about this movie before we watched, but by the end I was googling the "real" Emily Rose to seek out some info about the story behind the film. I liked the movie a lot. Not overdone. Genuinely a little creepy, even more creepy since I read that actress Jennifer Carpenter's (Emily) performance was not at all enhanced - the visuals or the audio.

Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit: I've been a big "Wallace and Grommit" fan for a long time, so I was really excited to hear about this movie. I loved it. It had everything I loved about the older shorts and more - cute, fuzzy bunnies. It was really hard not to think the bunnies squealing as they got sucked up in the big bunny vacuum wasn't the cutest thing ever. A definite must-see for W&G fans.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

2006-02-24T22:48:00.000-05:00

Well, in honor of finally getting the drink recipes up on the site, I thought this was fitting. Give it a try and let me know what you get ...

You Are a Mai Tai

You aren't a big drinker, but you'll drink if the atmosphere is festive.
And when you're drunk, watch out! You're easily carried away.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

Updates done!

2006-02-23T16:47:00.000-05:00

I was finally able to make all the updates I wanted, and now you can browse through the drink recipes and get to this blog from the Web site. It was great getting into all this Web site stuff; I definitely learned a lot, but I'm glad the bulk of it is done for now.

Can't Wait

2006-02-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

It feels like I've been superglued to my computer lately. I wanted a lot of changes done to the site. The problem was that I didn't know a thing about the Web. Well, that was a few weeks ago ...

I've been tackling a little bit each day, figuring out how to make the changes I was looking for. It's been quite an experience, but I'd really like to get back to my work bench. I have a few projects laid out that are just waiting to be strung. One is a cute stretch bracelet of blackish-gray vintage Lucite with a flower centerpiece. The other is a watch with a pink face and tiny peacock dancing pearls for the band.

Shouldn't be long now!

New Stuff

2006-02-19T23:05:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm almost ready to post a bunch of new things. First up is Gypsy Cocktail. A friend of mine loved this necklace so much that I helped her make one of her own. Check out the deep purple and vivid greens. I love it.

I've had this for awhile now, but I'm finally getting the chance to put it up on the site. Should be up early this week!

I'll also be putting up a new cigar box purse. I know. There's only a few to choose from right now! That will change, though. I'm working on a bunch of new ones, so keep an eye out in the coming weeks.

The one I'll be putting up soon is Shady Lady. I love the image of this girl. I've tried to use it several times, but never really thought it looked right. This time, it's perfect. The unique shape of this box really puts the spotlight on her.

This week I'll also announce my new drink index. Every piece at GirlsNightOutDesigns.com shares its name with a mixed drink. The new index lists all of the recipes for the drinks used on the site. Now you can learn how to make the drink your favorite piece is named for.

Check back here for more updates, discount codes and sales!