Shopping Slump + Coupon Code = Weekly Round-Up

I am a good half- Hebe. And I shop for a living. So why is seasonal shopping so hard this year? Barely made it through Hanukkah with the "Let's just exchange one big gift this year" shtick (the iPhone 4 rocks, btw!), but Christmas is looming. Everyone seems to be scaling back, which is fine by me. There is little I need or want.

So while my decorations are up and home- made lemoncello is ready to distribute to friends, I still have a lot of present buying to do. From online stores that will deliver quickly. Of course, lots of purchases are arriving via Etsy, in clever packaging and with thoughtful notes. This makes me strive to avoid big- box stores as much as possible - I'd rather support handmade and vintage sellers.

Are you suffering from a holiday shopping slump too?

Maybe this will help:

This weekend only (starting, um, now) use coupon code "15offyay" in any of my three stores (retrotrend, RetroHommeVintage and ObjectRetro) for an additional 15% off.

Many items are already 20%- 25% off for the holiday season, so this is an added "Thank you!" bonus for my loyal blog followers (that's you, guys!), Facebook fans and Twitter followers.

I've used the Etsy on Sale API a few times to create sales and love the results. So it was thrilling to receive an e-mail from one of their founders, letting me know I'd been featured on their blog. That creamy canvas speedy bag? Right here.  Thanks for the feature!

Well, it's 5:08 pm here, which means my work day is over and cocktail hour has started without me. Have a wonderful weekend.

P.S.- If the sugar cookies turn out okay this weekend- there will be photos galore to share!

It's Contest Time! Name that Cocktail, Please.

Fan appreciation? Giveaways? Who knows?

I like my contests interactive and my themes a bit kooky (go figure).

And, I need your help.

Cocktail? Yes, please!

This is my special "I've made it through another day" treatail, usually occurring on a nightly basis.

The recipe:

-about 1/2 oz. lemon juice

-a few drops of Campari

-2 oz. - 4 oz. of Plymouth gin (one of the only brands worth drinking, in my humble opinion)

-a splash of (diet for me, please) tonic

Mix (or shake, if you are feeling frisky!) the lemon juice, Campari and gin over some ice cubes. Add tonic to taste.

Optional garnishes:

-a few loose berries shaken with the alcohol and lemon juice

-a toothpick full of Haribo Gummi Bears balanced on the rim, arranged in some sort of visually pleasing colorway

-stellar MCM Roly- Poly glasses with gold doohickey designs or any (preferably) old (and shiny) low ball glass. I am a fan of these examples.

Why should you care?

RetroTrend enjoys cocktails, this is nothing new. This doe's favorite cocktail does not have a name.

That's where you come in.

The terms:

This is a blog only contest.

Comment with your chosen name for my chosen cocktail.

It is a bit bitter, girlie, and likes to kick it old school, just like me. Bonus points for anatomy, indie music, Mad Men or fashion references, of course!

Start shopping! You'll need to include which item/s you'd chose from one of my shops if you had $50.00 to spend.

retrotrend

RetroHommeVintage

ObjectRetro

If your drink name is chosen, you'll win a one time use, $50.00 credit to one of my three Etsy shops.

This contest ends Friday, November 5th, at 12 noon EST. The winner will be announced here.

Good luck!