Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Some New Hair Ideas!

Do you ever get that ho hum feeling about your hair?  It's just same old, same old all the time?  Yes, I do too!  And seriously, I've done the lightening, highlighting, the perming, the cutting, teasing, the curling the straightening.  I've done pony tails, buns, pig tails, bangs, spikes and ringlets.  I get all that!  But I'm looking for some new ideas! Well, I found a great new resource in the Alternative Hair Show!  This year it was held at London's Royal Albert Hall on October 14th!  This was their silver anniversary and they really did it up...I now have a whole new vision of what my hair could look like!  There were 25 teams representing 25 years from all over the world.  Angus Mitchell represented the US.  I don't have any more excuses for boring hair--take a look at what I mean!  My top five:






No more excuses, ladies!  Just do it!!!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Great Cookware Giveaways!

Here are some great cookware giveaways I found around the net:

  • Win a grater that grates and measures all at once at Mr. Food!  It's the Good Grips Container Grater!  Ends 10/31/10!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Very Glassy Indeed!



 From jewelry to stained glass windows, glass artwork is some of the most visually appealing art on the planet!  Yet, all that is required to make glass is a little sand, a little soda, a little lime and a lot of heat.  But not anyone can turn glass into art.  The glass artisan has to have a great eye for detail, color and line.
 Enter Nancy Giere founder of  NGlassworks! She is such a talented lady who has always had an eye for color.  As a toddler, instead of carrying a baby blanket, she carried around a tangled and colorful array of  yarn from her mother's knitting basket.  Nancy started creating for herself, family and friends in a variety of mediums until she found what she loves best and established NGlassworks because of the many requests for her work.  She combines dichroic, iridescent and sheet glass to make unique works of art!  Here are a few examples of what she does!
 Based out of  Williamsburg, VA, Nancy's art is sure to please even the most discerning of tastes. You can be sure that every piece will be original and lovingly made by Nancy.  The main color schemes are in jewel tone or red/bronze. 
"Each piece is inspired by colors, shapes and patterns I've observed in my back yard and in my travels throughout the world.  Different sizes and shapes of glass are stacked in unique designs and fired in a kiln.  During the fusing process the glass comes alive and takes on a whole new character.  After the first firing each piece is cold worked and fire polished in the kiln until I'm satisfied with the overall design and quality." --Nancy Giere
 I received a jewel toned Sassy Slide pendant and I think it is absolutely gorgeous!  It has pink, turquoise, dark blue, gold and green in it and I can wear it with many things.  It makes a feminine yet fun statement where I work at a local high school!

You can find Nancy's jewelry in selected shops across the country and at Art Shows and Exhibits.  Her pendants retail for about $35.00, her handbags run about $1000.00 and her bracelets are $50.00.  Personally, now that I own one of Nancy Giere's unique fused glass pieces, I think that a gal needs....at least one beautiful NGlassworks piece.  They are beeeeautiful! 

Disclaimer:  I was provided product for an honest review.  The opinions here are mine and mine only!

Monday, October 4, 2010

A CSN Stores Giveaway!

The winner of the $70 CSN Gift Certificate is #343, The Crave To Save who said https://twitter.com/#!/TheCraveToSave/status/28599000592
October 24, 2010 8:19 AM !  Thanks so much everyone for entering.  I will be putting another one up shortly so stay tuned!

Today we just had our first rain of the autumn season and yesterday, our probable last day of 80 degree weather. Alas, summer is about done and fall is upon us!  That's all well and good, you might say, but what has that got to do with CSN?  Well, that's easy!  A Gal Needs...to prepare for fall by getting a few necessary items like:  A chef's knife to cut up all the great fall produce that is coming our way,  binoculars for viewing all the fall sports games that we love,  a cover for the BBQ that we still want to use but shortly will put away,  a sweater for the doggie and a tool rack for the hubbie who will be doing oh, so much yardwork when the leaves fly!  (I know, we're so thoughtful that way!)   




 All of these things have at least one thing in common...they can be purchased at CSNStores.com and they can all be purchased with the $70 Gift Code that I am giving one of my great readers!  These are just a few of the things I feel the need to get with a $70 Gift Code but I'll just bet there are a few things that you might be able to envision yourself having this fall! 

You're welcome to enter to win this $70 Gift Code from the great people at CSN!  Just complete the mandatory entry and any or all extra entries that you'd like!

MANDY:  Be an e-mail subscriber to A GAL NEEDS...(right sidebar) and tell of one thing that autumn is a good time for!  This counts as your entry for the $70 Gift Code!  

EXTRAS: (Leave one comment per entry!)

+8 Purchase something from CSN!  ($10 minimum) Forward the e-mail confirmation that CSN sent you to daisydoo200 at yahoo dot com  Subject: CSN Purchase (You may delete any personal info!)  Must be done during the time of this giveaway!
 
+1 Follow me on Google Friend Connect!
+1 Follow @CSNStores on Twitter!  Leave your tweet name!
+2 Be a fan of CSN on Facebook!

+1 Follow me on Twitter and tweet 1x daily for an entry/day!  You may copy and paste this.....Visit A GAL NEEDS...for a $70 @CSNStores #Giveaway! Everything you need for fall! http://bit.ly/dkWkAX 10/28 #Win


+2 Blog, Stumble or Facebook this giveaway, linking back to here!  Leave me the link where you did this!  (2 entries per method!)

+2 Add me to your blog list!  Leave me the link so I can check it out!
 +2 Add my A GAL NEEDS...button to your home page!  Leave me the link!

This giveaway is open to both US and Canada and will close on 10/28/10 sometime at approximately 11:00 pm MST!  I will choose the winner with Random.org and post the winner here!  The winner will also be notified by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond.  I was not compensated in any way to provide this giveaway.  Thanks to the CSN team and all of those who have partiicipated!

Friday, October 1, 2010

No Shortages At CSN (Review)!





I have been visiting the CSNStores.com site quite frequently recently because I am in need of some Christmas items, as well as a few personal items for myself.  I always go away with more items in mind that I definitely NEED!  I realize that I have a need for a functional coffee table and so came up with a few really nice examples at CSN.  Believe me, it was easy 'cause there are no shortages there!  They have some great console tables that are both beautiful and useful! Plus, all of the tables shown here are highly customer rated and come with free shipping! Please stay tuned for another great giveaway right here!  Trust me, if you like CSN, you'll want to stop on by!


Thursday, September 30, 2010

Some Great and Not-So-Great Car Decorations!

My husband was driving down the freeway today and he called me up (a total no-no, I realize) as he was driving, talking very animatedly about the Dodge Ram truck driving along beside, behind and in front of him.  First of all, the guy driving this thing was obviously a hunter.  The truck was detailed in camouflage and on the hood was a pair of deer antlers.  


Now, I'm as amused as anyone by a creative looking detail job on a car.  Take a look at some interesting things people do on their cars.  After all, some people spend as much as 5 - 6 hours a day in their cars.  Why not make it a personal expression of individuality?  


images
But I think I draw the line at something like these hanging off the tow bar of any truck/car/SUV of mine! This is what was on the back of the aforementioned Dodge Ram!  Notice the red lips on one side and my husband's rearview mirror with his phone reflected in it!














My Wee View

Monday, September 27, 2010

A Cooking Class Adventure

I actually paid money to go to a cooking class this past Saturday!  It cost more than a couple meals at the local 'Cafe Rio' here in Utah Valley.  However, I learned a lot and the food was delicious.  It was driven by Raw Melissa and taught by Jenny Johnson of Delightful Delicacies.  The class was held at Jacob's Cove Heritage Farm, where they specialize in heirloom crops of tomatoes, squash and other seasonal favorites!  We She made Chipotle and Lime Baba Ganoush, Pumpkin Cardamom Rolls, Weeknight Ratatouille and Naked Apple Galette!  I would have to say that the Ganoush was my favorite because it is so good on crackers and who knew that roasted and mashed eggplant could be so delicious?

  A close second was the Weeknight Ratatouille,  with plenty of garlic, onion and roasted green peppers.  

She demonstrated how to make a beautiful herb bouquet or garnier consisting of fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley oregano, basil and bay leaf, which was thrown into the pot to simmer with all the vegetables.

Adding an herb bouquet adds interesting flavor to otherwise mundane flavor mixtures!

  This food was all vegetarian and was so filling and yummy!  I would definitely do this again! 

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Bronzed Envy Review and Giveaway Notice!

I love a good tan as well as anyone, but to get it is another story.  I have never been to a tanning salon, never had a air-brush tan and quit laying out in the sun trying to get color on my skin as of 18 years ago.  Frankly, I thought it took too much work and time--time that I wasn't willing to put into getting that golden, tanned look. Plus, as it turns out, it may not be the best thing for you to lay out for hours in the sun or be radiated with infra red and ultra violet light in a tanning booth.  

But wait, there is one option that I am definitely open to, provided it doesn't turn me orange!  That option would be a self-applied tan!  I had a great tanning product 2 years ago, but then the company that made it quit making it!  I couldn't find another product or seem to have the motivation to get into using one regularly.  

When I was presented with the opportunity to review Can Tan, a great new spray-on self-tanner made by Bronzed Envy, I jumped at the chance!  I wasn't disappointed either!  This tanner has a great ability to go on without streaking and without blotchiness!  It also presents with a really great color, very natural, and no orange!  I'm now back on the self tan wagon and just love it!  And what a fun name--Can Tan!  Yes, I can tan!  And you can tan too!  With Bronze Envy! 


Bronzed Envy also has other great products, all with the intent and ability to make your skin look as beautiful and luscious as you could ever imagine!  Go check it out at Bronzed Envy! 

One more thing--Bronzed Envy offers a home business option with this.  There is a huge income potential with vanity the tanning industry! If being an airbrush tanning consultant sounds like you, explore the possibilities here! 

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Tropical Traditions Virgin Palm Oil Giveaway!

Congratulations to comment #168, Eve,  who said, "tweet http://api.twitter.com/shopgurl/status/27695338454"





Palm oil is the #1 dietary oil in the world, except for the U.S., where soybean oil is the most widely used oil.  Traditionally, palm oil has been used for baking, shortenings, margarines and deep-fat frying.  It has a long shelf life without being hydrogenated and has zero trans fats!


Today, Malaysia is the Word’s largest producer of oil from palm fruit, although it is native to West Africa. Being an introduced crop to Asia, they are mainly harvested from large plantations. Tropical Traditions Virgin Palm Oil is produced by small-scale family producers in Africa that are certified organic. When you purchase Tropical Traditions, you are supporting the small scale family farmers in Africa and NOT the large, corporate run plantations in Southeast Asia! Read about the history of Virgin Palm Oil here!
 The nutritional and health benefits of palm oil are staggering. It is 15 times richer in beta-carotene than carrot!

I wasn't sure that I would like this oil or not but I tried one of the recipes featured on Tropical Traditions using Palm Oil, the 'Orange Coconut Cookies', using orange zest and coconut.  They were SO delicious!  There are also recipes for Chops, Steak, and bread. I'm excited to try all of these and take advantage of the healthful benefits of this great oil!


Right now you can purchase Organic Virgin Palm Oil at Tropical Traditions for half price!
(For first time purchasers, please use the referral code 5954910.  You will receive a complimentary copy of the book 'Virgin Coconut Oil:  How It Has Changed People's Lives And How It Can Change Yours' with your purchase.  This book includes over 85 recipes using coconut oil and research showing the health benefits of coconut oil!)


WIN A JAR of Tropical Traditions Organic Virgin Palm Oil!  Please complete the mandatory entry before you do any of the other entries!  This giveaway is open to US Residents, Canadian Residents, bloggers and non-bloggers. You must be able to have product mailed to a mailing address other than a P.O. Box and must have a valid e-mail address that I do not have to look high and low for.  Good luck!


MANDY: Visit Tropical Traditions and find one recipe that you'd like to try and tell me about it!


EXTRAS:

+2 Visit Tropical Traditions on Facebook and like them! (Leave two separate comments for two entries!)

+3 Grab my 'A Gal Needs...' button on my right sidebar and post it on the main page of your blog!  Leave me your link! (Leave three separate comments for three entries!)



+3 Subscribe to my RSS Feed in a reader of your choice! (Three comments for three entries)

+5 Place an order at http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/ and where it says 'How did you hear of us?' put in this referral code: 5954910

+5 Blog, Stumble or Facebook about this giveaway and tell me where you did by leaving me the link!  (5 entries each method)


+3 Follow me on Twitter! (Three comments for three entries!)


+2 What is the strangest food you ever tried and ended up liking?

+1 Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter and tweet this..." #Win a jar of @TropTraditions Organic Virgin Palm Oil @Melahelen http://bit.ly/9c8JwF #Giveaway - 10/18/10"  (Can be done 1x daily for one entry each!)  Leave your tweet status!


This giveaway will close on October 18, 2010 at 11:59 MST.  The winner will be chosen through random.org and notified by e-mail.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond!  Thanks for participating and thanks to Tropical Traditions for the chance to review and host this giveaway!  The opinions in this blog are mine and are honest and candid!  I was supplied with product to sample and review!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Learning As I Go On 'Blogger'




About 9 months ago, I discovered the world of Giveaways, Reviews and Social Networking.  I already had a blog that I did just for fun among friends and family and so when I found out how you can integrate a blog, Twitter, Facebook, Stumble, Technorati, Digg and any number of the blogging communities into one great social engine, I was definitely hooked.  I do believe it changed my life trajectory somewhat!
The thing is, I really didn't use a blog mentor or a coach. I just started from scratch and learned and am learning as I go, probably making horrible, glaring, stupid mistakes, but loving it nonetheless.  A couple of things I learned JUST this week are:
  • Blogger has Stats that you can look at to see how your blog is doing!. You can get where traffic is coming from, how many page views per hour, day, week, month, etc., what kinds of searches are being done to land someone on your page, etc.  That is so cool.  I knew that you could go to outside sources to get that info but it's so much easier to get it from your own blog source. I'm not sure if I just didn't notice this before or if it's a new feature.  But I like!  Just click on Stats and you will see everything I did!
    • I just learned how to disable comments on a certain post.  Say, if I'm done with a giveaway, I can disable more comments from coming in.  (Not sure if I'll use it for that purpose, but very useful to know because you never know when you might need that feature!)  Just go to EDIT POST, click POST OPTIONS, click DON'T ALLOW, SHOW EXISTING! Easy!
    • I learned about a great tool for bloggers called screen capture software!  It allows you to capture anything you see on your screen window including windows, menus, full screen, rectangular regions, web pages and even shots of moving images!  Maybe now I can actually capture that tricky Random.org window to show winners of my giveaways!
    So another week is upon me and there are surely more things to learn as I make my way through this blog realm, which is surely every bit as captivating and interesting as anything Alice found in Wonderland!  One of these days I will look up how to create my own siggy!  Until then!

     Hugs,
    Helena