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Guest Quarters: Little Black Box - August 28, 2008This week we are welcoming The Little Black Boxes to our Guest Quarters column. What? You think I’m crazy? Inviting boxes to be guests? 
These are no ordinary boxes…these boxes are available for purchase every month & are loaded with goodies from independently owned businesses.
I know there are many people who hesitate with the thought of shopping with indie businesses. After all, what are the malls for? Well…the idea of indie shopping is that your dollars are supporting small businesses who keep their dollars in the community & you’re filling up your wardrobe with stuff that other people don’t have! Being the same as everyone else is no fun at all. Okay…so the point is…one of these boxes can be your introduction to a different world. Priced at just $23.50 (this includes shipping), you can have fun stuff shipped directly to your home & you’ll have a good time tearing through it. The businesses that have their items in the boxes are hoping that you will like what you see, check out their websites and maybe become a customer. Let’s get down to the nitty gritty…I just received their August box and I’ll clue you in to what I found inside. First, I have a beautiful pair of red jade earrings from Namaste Designs. Elsie Echevarria is the owner of Namaste and she provided some information about the beautiful earrings letting me know that jade gem stones are the ultimate symbols of calm and serenity. The earrings are lovely & Elsie also provided a coupon for shopping in her store. Next, we have Aromalite. I received a lovely body spray scented in First Snow, a tea light candle in Cantaloupe, a wax tart in Love at First Sight & a yummy lip balm in Pomegranate. Aromalite provided a scratch card for a discount on a purchase and a refer a friend bonus card. Very nice products. 
From Bin Hog, we have two darling (and practical) embroidered luggage handle wraps. No more worrying about whether this bag is yours. There’s a bright green with pink flip flops & a bright pink with a crown. These are fab!
Recipe cards are always so cute & fun to have. I loved these…the cards say Bite Me and have a bit taken out of one of the corners. These are from Terri Taylor Design. They’re unique & would make a wonderful gift. 
I love recycled items (and I love recycling too). It seems I’m always pulling things out of the garbage can. “Whatcha doin’? Don’t you know that goes in the recycling?” Wendy Conrad creates original art & there are two cards made from recycled materials. Each one has a bee on them. I love these. I can’t wait to send them out. My mother in law will go crazy. She loves cards.
Another really cool card came from DAMdesigns. This one is a pen print & very fun. They provided a 10% discount code for purchases which can be redeemed twice! 
I’m forever losing change and I loved the black & white flowered change purse (with matching pocket mirror) from Midnight Creations. This shop specializes in handmade purses & tote bags. The quality of the change purse is outstanding.
Next, there is a large plastic bag from Kreations by Kathie. I smelled roses as soon as I picked up it. Sure enough…there is a sweet bag of scent pearls in Rose Petal. Plus two delicious smelling wax tarts…one in My Cherry Pie and the other in Blueberry Muffin. AND there is a unscented tea light plus a generous sized travel candle scented in Queen of D’Nile. Yum…this is very nice. Soap Sushi sent a very cute Pirate Booty soap favor in Berry Bling scent. I’ve never thought of using soap favors for a party but it’s a great idea. They provided a 25% off coupon code for orders. There’s a darling little sampler pack from Sassy Cat Graphics. It included 2 stickers, a magnet & a couple of gift tags. These would be wonderful for a party…makes me want to think about having things custom made. Sassy Cat provides custom promos and graphics. I love earrings & the pair from Jac Jewelry are great. Beautiful silver leaves with a small pearl and turquoise. These can easily be worn every day. Cute cute cute…another mirror. This one is from Promos in a Snap. I love the fabric cover & the retro inspired design. This company provides custom promotional items. Do you have lots of stuff on your fridge? If you’re like me, you always need another magnet. The box has a beautiful magnet from Designs by Tami. Last but not least…there’s a little package from Always Amy. This made me laugh because there are two pirate stickers…my husband is always going around pretending like he’s a pirate. Why would a 40-some year old man go around the house saying “Arrrrrrr”? Your guess is as good as mine. Always Amy sent a cute pair of stud earrings with a musical note on them & a funky barrette. So there you have it. A long line of small businesses wanting to get their wares into your hands. The next box goes on sale at the end of September. Keep in mind that no box is the same. So when you order…you will not necessarily have a box identical to mine. Different businesses are featured every month. Why not give them a try and order a box? With the holidays coming up, you’ll find some great gift ideas.
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