The Pink Campaign Launches in a Browser Near You!

What's pink and sparkles and saves lives all over? The Pink Campaign I am launching today through Daisy & Elm! I know there are girls out there who don't go all weak-in-the-knees, stars-in-their-eyes gaga over the color pink. I'm not one of them. I think I used to be one of them, but then the allure of navy started to fade and, really, nothing showcases my eyes or my hair like the color pink. I'm also strangely attracted to items that sparkle in the sun (vampires are the exception...sorry TwilightLovahs) and little pretties that dangle delicately from my ear lobes. Thus the birth of my jewelry empire (that is less like an empire and more like a very large wheel that has been slow to turn). If you bring my love of pink and my passion for gorgeous, yet affordable, jewelry together, mix it with a splash of I wanna save the world and you get...
...which starts TODAY!! It's not a giveway, unfortch...there is money exchange involved. However, if you love it and if you buy it, I will send 50% of your check to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and 100% of your check if you review it on my Facebook fan page (but I will be tempted to keep it all if you write a negative review...although...there is really nothing negative about beautiful jewelry so I don't think we to worry about that).

So, here's how it works....you have from TODAY until Thursday the 28th (I would run it until the 31st, but Shana @Fumbling Towards Normalcy and I have to grace Atlanta and Savannah with our presence over Halloween weekend and I don't think I should be drinking and crimping. That's how people lose an eye, y'know...so it ends the day before she arrives.). Each day, you have to come stalk me on my Facebook fan page (which is not my Facebook group page...look for the the featured item as the profile picture, not my logo, to make sure you're in the right spot) or on Twitter (@Daisyandelm) to see what the featured item for that day is. If you love it, gotta have it, or gotta gift it, email me to let me know. If you're first in line, it's all yours. Remember our motto at Daisy & Elm: There's only one of everything so...See it. Love it. Buy it. Make the other girls jealous. Once it's purchased, it's gone, baby, gone! When I receive your payment, either via PayPal or by check (or cash if you're in the Lexington area), 50% of it will go toward the big check I write at the end to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. If you love it so much that you feel inspired to review it on my Facebook fan page, I will send 100% of your payment to them. When Shana arrives on the 29th, we will have a grand unveiling of how much money you raised for this magnificent charity. Y'all came shining through for the children of Africa (which, by the way, Mama Virgo is writing her guest post...she's just waiting on some pictures of the school to arrive in her email in-box)...so let's do a little something for breast cancer research and pray to heaven above that we are never forced to reap the benefits!

This is not an Etsy event. Please don't go over there looking for it. With a new item everyday, I could go poor in listing fees. I hope you understand. Plus, that's less competition for your pretty pink something.

Get ready....get set....shop. love. buy. support.

Champagne Friday: Rah-Rah-Rah!

Men who know how to dine properly

Happy Champagne Friday, lovelies and lovers!

For the record, I have no idea who these 2 men are, but since today's post is U.K.-themed (University of Kentucky, not United Kingdom...*ahem Kiera*), served with a tall glass of champagne, I thought they were completely appropriate. And who doesn't love KFC? I know there's a nasty rumor going around that Colonel Sanders was an arrogant SOB who only cared about his chicken and his slaw...but if your chicken and slaw are that good, I won't judge you on your personality flaws.

As Salt mentioned yesterday, pre-season has started for the NFL and college football is right around the corner. As a marching member of the drum line for 3 years in high school, I lived and breathed Friday night football. And Game Day Saturdays in college meant washing down my egg and cheese bagel with a Bud Light. I can't help but get all giggly when September approaches, the weather cools, and Kroger runs out of brats.

Unlike our basketball team, University of Kentucky football has not always been a winning team. During my college days, we kind of knew we were going to lose days before the opening kick-off...it gave us an excuse to drink more. But now, holy pigskinbatman! We are actually good. And I actually watch games. Which means I have to dress for these games. And accessorize...because it is what separates us from the monkeys. So, when my friend, The Sun Devil (who is a die-hard Michigan fan, but I love her anyway because SEC has nothing to do with Big 10 until post-season) began making these flip-flops to help fund the adoption of a baby, I knew I would be hitting her up for a pair in U.K. blue and white.
They are bring-a-little-tear-to-my-eye cute and I've already been breaking them in for the first game. Granted, Georgia weather will allow me to wear them a little longer than if we were still in Kentucky, but I am not above making a trip to the UTC for frostbitten toes. As I always say to Neal: "it doesn't matter what your feet feel like, it's how cute the shoes are." But you just can't teach a man about self-mutilation for the purpose of adorable footwear.

And then I crafted these beauties for the Etsy store. I love them, but I have my own pieces so these will go up tonight. (click to enlarge)

Look familiar, Kelly?

And those are tiny diamond-like chips lining the bottom. They sparkle in the daylight, like vampires...but with far less chance of death.

If you are interested in The Sun Devil's (AKA Jen) flip-flops, you can find her on her blog, Flip Flops for You or on her Etsy store, ltmsjen.com. She has many NFL/NCAA team colors plus designs for holidays and children. All proceeds will help fund their wish of adopting a child. I have already put in my order for a pair of Army flippy floppies because, really, a girl can never have too many pairs of shoes. And they're comfortable! Neal is so happy.

Cheers!

The Best Things Come to Those Who Wait

Yesterday was a blur. When Neal was in California, he was on California-time....which is, what? Mountain time? Mountain Standard Time? Pacific Standard Time? Hammer Time? I can't remember. All I know is he was 3 hours behind me. So, when he finished his evening briefings around 10 PM, I got a call at 1 AM. I will never be one to discourage the phone calls. Most military wives I know sleep with their phone rightnext to their heads all night when their husbands are mobilized. I am convinced that, just as Agent Orange was discovered to cause all sorts of unsightly medical issues, the incidence of brain cancer in military wives will skyrocket in 10-20 years. Anyswisscheesebrain, I took these phone calls which then put me on California time. Except that I still live in Georgia. While Neal adjusted to Eastern Standard Time in about 3 days, I'm still lying awake until 2 AM and getting up at 10:30 AM. 10:30 is almost noon, which would mean that I had literally slept half the day away. I'm hoping that I will get all of this straightened out this weekend. Although, weekends around here are not traditionally known for their routine and highly disciplined ways. There is a lot of falling asleep on the couch and eating the waffles left over from breakfast for dinner.

So, I slept until 10 AM yesterday and then had to rise and shine and get the shopping before the weekend started. Class 6 (our liquor store on base) had a line that snaked back to the gin aisle. And the commissary...oh the commissary...apparently no one went to work yesterday. They all went to the commissary. All of this to say, I ran out of hours in the day for Champagne Friday. Again. But at least I'm celebrating this week...as opposed to the last 5 where I just totally forgot about it all together.

But here it is anyway...a day late..but the best things come to those who wait:

Happy Champagne Friday...er...Saturday!!

and...The Top 5:

1. This is The Big Butter Jesus before he was struck by lightening and burned to the ground. I'm SURE this was covered by multiple blogs when it first happened, but that was during my Army-induced absence and I didn't get to fully embrace it here at M&M. RIP, Big Butter Jesus. And Dear Dayton, I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm sure it's nothing personal. God isn't speaking to you via weather. But just in case, maybe you should just stick a big cross up like everyone else.

2. The Big Butter Jesus flambe.
Note to self: NEVER make a giant statue with arms extended to the sky out of steel bars and plaster. Bad idea.

3. The necklace I was asked to...ahem...re-create, using black and red beads, in addition to the silver. Which is NOTHING like theft of an idea.

4. My creation...which, again...is nothing like this piece. It is original...because it's black and red and silver. See the logic?

5. Happy 4th of July!! Have a wiener. Have two. Wash it down with a twist-off bottle of champagne and think of me. The Captain and I are headed off to the pool! Ciao, bellas!

It Can't All Be Blogging From Bed

Sometimes, you have to go to work. Like this week, for example. I can't claim "snowed in"...I could walk out to the mailbox in my socks and still have dry piggies when I return. The unit newsletter has gone out to all the unit families, another FRG item checked off the list (hooah, hooah). And it is quickly approaching April 15th (OK maybe not quickly but when you have to itemize because that's what business owners do...April 15th is basically tomorrow. Yes, Jess of Cape Cod Awesome fame, we're going to get through this together). So, I have to go to work.

I do realize that my neighbors think that my day consists of checking the mail, walking the cats, and fleeing from the house in spandex, only to return hours later with Kohl's bags...but there is much more to it. Really.

Daisy & Elm, LLC will not run itself. In fact, without me, it's just a business license and an occupancy permit signed by my first ex-fiance (this would have never happened if I lived somewhere with more than 5000 people and 200 goats).

So, hi-ho, hi-ho it's off to work I go (which reminds me of another little ditty about the Chi-O's...but I'll save that for another time). I've got my Facebook fan page up and there are tons of crafted goodies all waiting for their chance on the stage (AKA the EZcube. I'm not sure WHY we paid an exorbitant amount of money for a big white nylon tent in the shape of a box...but the jewels sure seem to love it). There are photos to post, descriptions to write and accessories to price. I am in my element (which I suddenly realized with intense clarity last night as I was itemizing receipts from the last J-O-B). I want to be in my bed, under the electric blanket, watching Murder, She Wrote on streaming Netflix, and reading/writing blog posts. BUT...I also want to be a famous designer who creates pieces for the everyday woman...sort of like Claire's for anyone over the age of 19.

And yes...in my tween years, I spent a lot of money at Claire's. I didn't even make it out of the mall before ripping price tags off and donning the newly acquired baubles and beads. My mother thought this was hilarious. Look who's laughing now. I am. All the way to the bank.

I have an award to pick up at Kelly's @ Dare to be Domestic (and it involves mastery of skills. She's such a whore. She's already listed her master debater skills. Tbbbhhh!!). So, I promise to pick it up and pass it on Saturday. Swearsies.

And I will be catching up on your musings tonight. Last week, I voluntarily banned the laptop from the bedroom because...well...it sort of infringed upon our Biblical relations. I mean, I don't have a headache, but I do have bloggers with rants about triathalon trainings and tales of janitors gone bad and videos of husbands Wii-dancing. It's difficult to put down. I blame you. You're very compelling. But I'm letting you back in tonight so I can get all caught up. And then back to regular posting this weekend. I'm just on the verge of greatness...gotta grab those reins and ride it like Pamela Anderson. Know what I'm sayin'? Wanna see some funsies? Here's my Wordless Wednesday photos. Sorry it wasn't wordless.

Strawberry Bubblegum

Penny Blues

Butterscotch's Calla Lily

Custom rosaries with birthstones

Saturday will bring an awards ceremony, a recipe for my new favorite food (which is a PMS'ing girl's wet dream), and what Neal whipped out on our walk through the neighborhood (sorry, Surferwife...it does not involve screaming parents or curious children).