The MyBrown Baby Happy For the Holidays HAND-CRAFTED JEWELRY GIVEAWAY!

You see, I’m a bare-face kinda girl and whatnot. I don’t wake up in the morning and shower and put on my clothes and slather make-up on my face just because. In fact, it’s just by small miracle that I even have on clean clothes when I’m stalking the aisles at the local Kroger, trying to make it back to the house before the bus comes and my girls tumble down the street and up our front steps and into the house to demand snacks/homework help/chauffeuring/hair prep/insert-demanding-lil’-children tasks here.

But no matter how tired/rushed/dressed down I am, I always have on a piece of jewelry. Isn’t that nutty? Call me crazy, but nothing picks up a tired face, a ponytail and a t-shirt and jeans like a cute pair of earrings. I’ll put them on before I do my wedding ring (sorry, but true). And when I go out, oh, you bet your bottom dollar I’ve got on a sah-weet necklace (like the one in the opening picture, made by my girl Tameka of the Etsy shop, Pretty in Peace) or a funky ring to turn up the glam factor.

Now, I’m no stranger to high-end jewelry stores like Tiffany, but lately, I’ve totally been glomming into earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets on Etsy, the marketplace for unique, handmade artisan crafts. The pieces I’ve seen there are head and shoulders more interesting than the silver and gold hoops I’ve been rocking since forever—and much more affordable, too. Today, the MyBrownBaby Happy for the Holidays Giveaway features three of my favorite jewelry makers. And today, the giveaway is LIVE (see the end of this post for details). Witness:



JEWELRY ROCKSTAR
And a rock star she is, in every way. I’ve long enjoyed her blog, Jewelry RockStar, particularly her love of pop culture and astrology. I’m also consistently amazed at all she does: In addition to making beautiful jewelry, she’s the managing partner at an advertising design agency AND a home-schooling mom. So who knows how she found the time to make these incredible earrings. But I’m glad she did! Jewelry RockStar is super creative with it, too: She’ll hand-cut a piece of plastic into interesting shapes and then hand color it in psychedelic colors and swirls and dots and transform it all into a pair of shoulder-sweeping earrings, or sculpt lemon-sized earrings out of polymer and then sketch a funky design on them—a creative process that yields one-of-a-kind conversation starters you’ll be proud to rock. Simply brilliant! And exclusive to MyBrownBaby readers, RockStar is giving away a $30 gift certificate to her site, JewelryRockStar.com,
PLUS this fly poster designed by her husband, creator of one of my fav go-to-blogs, KissMyBlackAds, and co-proprietor of the couple’s Esty store, UrbanBazaar.

TO WIN IT, BE THE 32nd COMMENTER!
(Be sure to read THE COMMENT RULES at the end of this post to qualify.)
UPDATE: CONGRATULATIONS Neatha at A Twinkle In Time—you're the 32nd commenter!







STRINGZ ATTACHED
Ruby Buah, is a Ghanaian designer who fell in love with jewelry making after taking a class. Now, it’s her passion. Ruby combines the aesthetic of three continents she’s traveled extensively—Africa, North America, and Europe—in each of her pieces to give them timeless, serene, global sensibilities. For sure, she makes jewelry you’d be proud to add to your collection. Earlier this year, she graciously treated my girls and a few of their friends to a jewelry-making party (READ ABOUT IT HERE); the girls were fascinated by Ms. Ruby and her incredible designs. You can purchase her jewelry in upscale stores throughout Atlanta and at her online store, Stringz Attached. Exclusive to MyBrownBaby readers, Ruby is giving away a $40 gift certificate to Stringz Attached.

TO WIN IT, BE THE 44TH COMMENTER.
(Be sure to read THE COMMENT RULES at the end of this post to qualify.)
UPDATE: Congratulations Jennae of Green Your Decor—you're the 44th Commenter!



PRETTY IN PEACE
I stan hard for Tameka of the lovely blog Tea & Honey Bread—an incredible writer with a big, beautiful voice. And my adoration only grew when I discovered her Etsy site, Pretty in Peace. Not only are her pieces stunning, she’s put some consciousness into them: Her eye-popping, handmade rings, necklaces, and earrings are made with imported precious metals selected from vendors who support fair trade artisans, and she never uses animal products or by-products in her designs. Think the “anti-bling.” In other words, her pieces make some serious statements, not just when they grace your body. Exclusive to MyBrownBaby readers, Tameka is giving away a $30 gift certificate to Pretty in Peace.

TO WIN IT, BE THE 56rd COMMENTER!
(Be sure to read THE COMMENT RULES at the end of this post to qualify)
UPDATE: Congratulations Madreoso of Bohdi Bear—you're the 56th commenter!

THE RULES

1. You MUST subscribe to MyBrownBaby via email or RSS feed or be/become a MyBrownBaby follower to participate.
2. You MUST visit each of the artists' online stores and leave THREE SEPARATE COMMENTS telling me which piece(s) you love most.
3. You can leave UP TO FOUR comments in a row to get to the prize of your choice, but each comment MUST be a complete sentence. You can leave up to four more comments after someone else leaves ONE comment between your next set of comments.

BONUS: If you become a follower of Tea & Honey Bread or follow @Jewelry RockStar on Twitter, you can post up to SIX comments in a row.
BONUS: If you Tweet about this post or put a link on your FaceBook page, you can leave up to EIGHT comments in a row. Post this: "I'm In It To Win It at the @mybrownbaby Hand-Crafted Jewelry Giveaway http://shar.es/aEGf4"