Blog Giveaway!

Today my jewelry is being featured with a giveaway on Sarah Tyau's fabulous blog, Welcome to the Good Life! The contest starts today and ends on Monday, May 23rd. Check out her blog for rules on how to enter.
As an added bonus you are all welcome to a special coupon code for 10% off my entire shop. Just type JAYNSARAH10 on your invoice when checking out! Thanks for stopping by!
(offer ends May 23, 2011)

Chuck Vs. the Cliffhanger

Image Credit: Chris Halston/NBC    

I was delighted when I heard the good news on Friday that my favorite television series, NBC's Chuck, has been renewed for a fifth season. The bad news? NBC also announced that this will be the final season for the lovable nerd/super spy hero. The network only ordered 13 new episodes and is changing the line up, moving Chuck from Monday to Friday at 8PM.  While I am very sad that it will be the final season, at least the writers will be able to close out the story knowing that and will no doubt end it in a absolutely fantastic, epic way. Most network shows never get a chance to to do that!

Tonight is the season finale! It is sure to be an emotional action-packed episode, since Chuck and Sarah's wedding is in jeopardy after she was attacked by Vivian Volkoff's deadly Norseman device. Chuck must enlist the help of the world's most evil and dangerous arms-dealer (Vivian's father) Alexi Volkoff (the great Timothy Dalton). Here is a sneak peek:

"Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger" airs on Monday, May 16, at 8:00pm ET/PT on NBC.

Kindle

I caved. I can't believe it. I got a Kindle. I have toyed with the idea ever since they came out, thinking how convenient it would be to simply download a book whenever I wanted. But then, I'd argue that I absolutely love going to the bookstore. It really is one of my favorite things to do. I also love the feel of a real book in my hand; I love the smell, I love the glossy covers, and I love turning the pages marked by the adorable bookmarks my youngest daughter makes. I also have a bit of techno-phobia, or maybe I should call it techno-rebellion (I still don't have a facebook). But, since everyone in my family loves to read as much as I do, we have mountains and mountains of books. Our bookshelves are completely full with our favorites and most recent reads. The rest are kept in bins piled up in the garage. The other day I was trying to find a book for my daughter and I went through every bin, finally finding it in the last one. I thought if I had a Kindle, I could have just looked it up in my files. How convenient! The thought of reducing my carbon footprint weighed in on my decision as well. I have a couple of friends who feel the same way about books, but now they absolutely love their Kindles. So, I hinted that I might be ready- after all Mother's Day was coming and the family wanted some gift ideas. So, my Mother's Day gift this year was a Kindle! I am excited to give it a try, but here it is 3 days later and I have not even touched it! What's up with that? Well, I actually did take it out of the box to charge it. I think I'm still torn; maybe I'm grieving my books and feeling a little guilty for going against my techno-rebellion. So, here I am putting it in writing- I will make it a point by the end of the day to purchase my first e-book. 

Any thoughts on e-readers vs. books?

Save the Whales

I love this Etsy Treasury by Studio Zen titled "We'll Have a Whale of a Time" and was honored that it featured my Save the Whales Necklace! There's so many cute items here, I just love the whale on the bicycle!

I was also excited to find out last week that one of my favorite shows, Whale Wars, will be back for it's 4th season on June 3rd.

I peeked at Studio Zen's other treasury list and found that she has quite a knack for curating Etsy finds and featuring them in unique theme-related spreads. Check out Studio Zen's other very creative treasuries here.

Elenowen

What was the best part of watching NBC's premiere of "The Voice" last night? Being introduced to the  indie duo from Nashville, Elenowen. The husband and wife team instantly won my heart with their amazing vocal blend as soon as they started singing the Oscar-winning song, Falling Slowly.

So, I've been a little obsessed this morning, purchasing their music (here on iTunes) and watching more videos. (Their version of Falling Slowly is also available on iTunes.)

Elenowen - Pulling Back the Veil from Chris Raines on Vimeo.

The album "Pulling Back the Veil" is a collection of eight original songs written by the newlyweds to chronicle their first year of marriage- a year filled with both hope and joy; but also the realities of the struggles and frustration they have experienced. Their beautiful harmonies and the raw honesty of their lyrics go straight to the heart, whether you are married or not.

The show was a hit, too. At first I thought it was going to be another American Idol copycat- but it had many different elements that made it fun and at times even emotional (like watching the parents and other loved ones react to the judges decisions from a back room.) NBC will air The Voice again this evening at 9:00 pm EST.

Water for Elephants

I love the "Water for Elephants" cover story in the May issue of Vogue and am looking forward to seeing the movie this week. The book has been on my must-read list for quite sometime. I usually like to read the book before seeing the movie, but after seeing the trailer and looking at these exquisite photographs by Peter Lindbergh I just can't wait that long! Isn't Reese Witherspoon just gorgeous? Tai, the 42 year old elephant she stars with, is a beauty to behold as well.

Earth Day Treasury

I love this treasury that features my Go Green Necklace, created by Wahlrus, in celebration of Earth Day tomorrow (I hope it makes the front page!) Wahlrus makes adorable bookmarks, prints, and cards. Her stories and inspirations are fun to read, too; which is one of the things I've always loved about Etsy! Here are a few of my favorites from her shop:                  
                                        

8 x 8 Pen and Ink Print

"By the Beautiful Sea" card collection

and a bookmark just in time for Easter...

So, in celebration of Earth Day take 20% off the Go Green Necklace featured in this awesome treasury!

Just use coupon code EarthDay01.

(Offer expires April 23, 2011)