Charm of the Day: Bat

Happy Halloween everyone! I am here to feature the last of my Juicy Couture Halloween charms: the bat. Pictures of this charm had begun showing up on several websites long before it was actually released, and I was very excited about it, because of the whole vampire thing. I ordered it at least a month before it became available, and I am really glad I did, as this charm did not have a wide release, and I remember it only being available at selected retailers in the 2009 season.

This charm is one of the cutest charms I have, and I absolutely love wearing him. His face does somewhat resemble a mouse rather than a bat, but then again, bats and mice are in the same family.....anyway I think he's darling. The crystals around the wings are really beautiful, and very secure. I have never had a problem with any of them falling off, and I have had problems with some of my Juicy charms losing crystals in the past.

The back of the charm reads "Bite my couture" (just like this season's vampire lips):

Because of the fact that this charm is a retired Limited Edition from last year, once again, you are limited to the secondary market if trying to locate one. But be warned: due to the limited release of this little guy, even on the secondary market there don't seem to be many to be had, and the ones I have seen sell for well above retail.

Charm of the Day: Spider

Here is another one of my Halloween charms: the spider. When my charm buddies and myself learned that a spider charm was to be released for the 2009 season, there was a lot of speculation as to what it would look like. Would it be a black widow type spider? A tarantula? Would it be really scary? Or would Juicy try to glam it up? Our questions were answered soon enough, and sadly, those (like myself) that were hoping for a scary spider were a bit disappointed. Juicy definitely released a spider with bling.

Although, I admit, when I saw it in real life, I was no longer disappointed. This charm is really beautiful in its own way. I absolutely love the detailing on the web. That alone is worth giving this charm a chance. The pearlescent sheen and the crystal detailing are absolutely gorgeous, and this charm sits beautifully on a necklace, making it a very fun one to wear.

Now, this charm is no longer available, as it was a limited edition from last year. So you are pretty much stuck with the secondary market if interested. What I have found, however, is this one is still pretty reasonably priced on the secondary market, as the popularity of this charm does not compare with a lot of other LE charms.

Charm of the Day: Jack O Lantern

This little charm is really unique to me in several ways. First off, it was retired long before I started collecting charms. Secondly, it was badly damaged when I got it. "He" looked as if someone had dropped him squarely on his face. A bunch of the enamel paint was missing, and he only had one crystal eye. Good thing I enjoy a challenge. A little nail polish, a manicure gem, and he's complete:

Another really cool thing is I got this charm from one of my Juicy Charm buddies (in a round a bout way). She had it, sold it on ebay, and then that buyer sold it to me. I always thought that was neat, because she got to see pictures of him after he got his makeover.

My favorite thing about this charm is that he opens to show a super cute little candle inside, all lit up and ready for trick-or-treaters:

The bottom of the charm is printed with the mantra: Eat Candy. Little S would definitely agree with that, especially on Halloween!

Now for the bad news. As I said in the beginning, this charm has been retired for a while (it was a limited edition from Fall 2007), so you're completely limited to the secondary market if interested in owning him. And expect to pay upwards of $100 for him. Or if you're crafty, maybe you can score a fixer upper one for a great price!

Charm of the Day: Vampire Lips

Aww, bite me, whydontcha!! In honor of all things October (my favorite month), I will be presenting my Halloween charms over the next few weeks, beginning with my most recent aquisition, the vampire lips:

I really don't have a lot to say about this one. This charm is pretty much one of the best charms Juicy has ever put out, in my opinion. Then again, I love all things Halloween and vampire. This charm may not be for everyone. But it is sure to be a collectors' item once it is gone, like most of the Limited Edition charms are.

I took a few pictures, in different lighting. This one is in outdoor lighting, although not in direct sunlight:

This one is in indoor, flourescent lighting (my parents' kitchen):

And then I took a picture of the back, which reads "Bite my Couture", although it was really hard to convey. The angle was weird and the lighting was weird:

As of this posting, this charm is still readily available online and in many stores.

Charm of the Day: Bluebird

I figured I had better get to posting this beautiful charm before summer is gone for the next 9 months. This was a charm I just had to have from the moment I saw it, yet for some reason I never took the plunge until it was on sale. I should never have taken the chance that it would sell out (we all know what happened with the sushi charm), but I did, and it actually paid off, as I was able to save 50%!

Here is my little bluebird in all her glory:

This is easily one of the prettiest charms I own. I am in love with all the crystal detailing, as well as the variants of blue that were used in painting her. The fact that she is perched on a branch is a nice touch. This charm is on the heavier side, but looks fabulous on a necklace! My favorite part is the different colored crystals on the tail:

I don't know how much longer she will last, but as of this posting, she is still available on sale at http://www.nordstrom.com/

Got balloons?

I absolutely adore hot air balloons. I have loved them since I was a little kid. I have even gotten the fortunate experience of riding in one (everyone needs to do it at least once). When we first moved here, 15 years ago, the city used to do an annual balloon launch every day for a week the last week in June, during what was called the River Festival. But about five years after moving here, due to city budget cuts, the River Festival went away, as did the balloons. Oh, I would see one every once in a while, but never a skyfull. 

So imagine my joy at learning of a new tradition being started this year, to occur annually in the first week of September: The Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic! My camera was ready, my coffee was poured, my robe was on (it was 6 am), and here they are:

  

I only regret they aren't the greatest pictures. The pics don't capture the colors as vividly as I would have liked. But trust me when I say they were absolutely breathtaking.

Bag of the Day: Coach Poppy Universal Case

Well, so much for my summer blogging. I can't believe I have neglected this place for almost 4 months! Well, without further ado, here is a great little find I got a few weeks ago: my Coach Poppy Universal Case:

I'm super excited to have it because they are completely. sold. out. It fits my T-Mobile MyTouch perfectly, as well as my 30g Gen 5 Ipod, and has little slots everywhere for credit cards or cash, so it also makes a great wristlet.

Gotta love the hang tags:

And the lining is so pretty (although the pic does not represent the true color. It is a very deep purple):