And the winner is....

To Mary!  She won the CSN giveaway on my review blog!  Congrats, I hope you have a great time shopping with your gift card.  Please email me for your prize info!

Another CSN Store Giveaway!!!!!

What do you do, when you really want something?  It seems like I'm always after something my local stores just don't seem to have.  In comes CSN to the rescue!  They have everything from furniture, to TV stands to housewares.  You name it, they've got it.

For so long I have felt like Amazon is my only option, but au contraire my friends... CSN has more and with great prices too!

Here's just a few things that caught my eye!

First off, I'd LOVE a new comforter set.  Look at this adorable one that I found with them.  I'd love a bed that looks like this all day.  Wouldn't you?

And, while I love my mixer -- I did see on the Today show that America's Test Kitchen liked the new Cuisinart stand mixer the very best.  And guess what -- it's available on CSN!!!! {what do you think, anyone have one of these?}

I am also a hater of our bedstand lamps.  I can hardly read by the poor little thing.  Aren't these cute?  Apparently, my bedroom could use a little help. :)

Anyway... I also just noticed that it has a little graph on the right hand side where it tells about the construction quality, and how often it gets damaged in shipping.  That's great info when you're buying online.

NOW, that I have you all in love with CSN stores, let me woo you with a little SIXTY FIVE dollar gift code for just one of my fellow readers.  There's two ways to enter!

1.  Leave a comment here, telling me either how ugly my bedroom is, or what you'd buy.

2.  Become a follower of pulling curls, and then make another comment here saying you'd done just THAT.

Now, go, go comment.  And then drool about what you might get. :)

Entries need to be made by Monday at midnight, but enter now.  You'd hate to forget and miss out!

Eshakti Code

Hey guys, Eshakti just sent me a code for TWENTY dollars off your order!  How great is that!?  The code is :  HilaryErickson55

Sa-weet.  Here's what I have my eye on there right now for....

I LOVE theiruse of color!  Makes me happy.  Looks like shipping is still free on 100 bucks too.  Go.  Buy. :)

*In full disclosure I also get 10 bucks if you use that code, but 20 bucks in savings is STILL a great deal!

Clarification on Eshakti

Hey, once Eshakti read my review they had a couple of clarifications....

Here's what they said:

Thank you for the review. We appreciate your candid remarks about the site load time. We did encounter very slow load times for about a week or so. Our team has worked on it and it is now working fine.


Just thought we'd clarify a few points that were noted as part of your review:

We do not charge separate fees for size & style customizations. Any change you do to a particular garment is at $7.50

And the first time you place a custom order with us, we do not charge and do it FREE

We have our Returns center located in Seattle, WA and customers do not have to send any return back to our India office. We also reimburse the difference in return shipping charges that customers pay over $6.50

All of that is good news and makes me excited to slim on down so I can order from them once I my next ten pounds reward. :) 

Hope it's helpful to someone, I'm hoping to do an affiliate program with them, so check back if I review them again. :)

Thanks Eshakti

Eshakti allowed me to do a review for them, and I was SO Excited.  Lara had recently done a review and after looking at their clothes they just knew my style (BTW, Lara and I independently chose the same dress in different colors, what are the odds?)!

But more importantly, they care about my style.  Because my style needs to have sleeve and go below my knee.  That's the kind of gal I am, as are many of my friends and it can be pretty hard to find a dress like that out there....

So, I'm going to go ahead and review the entire ordering process.

First off, their site is REALLY slow.  Painfully slow.   It's something you peruse while you're on facebook... have a few windows open... {sigh}  I'm hoping they have some tech guy working on this... becuase it is a problem.  Huh, as I'm looking for my dress today it does seem a bit speedier.  It was the main complaint of friends who's opinions I asked for.

So, once you find what you want, there is a 7.50 customization charge (one for size and one for the sleeves/length... I think).  I'm not sure if I'd do this again.  They did allow me to customize it for this order (obviously free) and it does fit really well.  However, I think I would've just gone with their sizing chart for my top half and ordered since the bottom half is pretty flow-y anyway.

Shipping is 8.95 for this order.  So, with the customization I think I could be charged up to 15 dollars to have the right size and the sleeves, etc.  However, I doubt that I'd do the sizing on this dress. SO, my total would have been 76.40 including shipping.  Which, for this type of dress, I think, is really reasonable.  HOWEVER, you do have to pay the return shipping if it doesn't fit and they ARE located in India... so weigh that.

Anyway, fast forward a week or so and I recieve it (SUPER fast considering they had to alter it AND it came from far away India).  Now, don't be afraid when you get it -- the whole dress is in there.  They really fold it neatly (I am guessing to save on shipping charges) into a very small little box.  It did require some ironing on my part.  But, I think you have to expect that with shipping.

The fabric and the dress is well made.  Is it nordstroms 1k dress well made?  Well, no.  But I wore it to church WITH my children with no fear that they could rip it off of me.  The entire dress is lined and the size zipper is well hidden.

So, the 10 million dollar question.  WILL, I order from them again?

The answer.  Yes.

I just saw that they have free shipping for orders over 100 bucks (at least for right now, I sense they have coupons fairly frequently like most online merchants).  So, my next reward, once my body is at 160 pounds or below I think that will be my next reward.  I'm excited to workout and make that happen.

You all know I'm need of some skirts, and these 3 just happened to catch my eye:

• Purple with Applique
• Black with embroidry
• Pleated with a sash

I just had a girl in our ward get a dress from there for a recent school dance and honeslty, I think the Mormons could easily find their niche with this store being able to add both length and sleeves.  She looked adorable and I know they also asked for a small amount of fabric to cover up the V-neck in case it was too low, and they recieved it with their order (I wish I had done that, mine is a little low, I think I will were a camisole with it next time).  Something to think about.

Anyway, those are my thoughts, I would give eshakti a try next time you're in need of some clothing.  I know I will.  BTW, they carry up to size 26 so it's a great option for us bigger gals. :)  Oh, and they have a lot of great photos on their facebook page -- to give you an idea of how they look on real women. :)

*As with all of my reviews, eshakti did send me the dress for free in return that I review it on my blog.  I wasn't paid for the review in any other way, besides the free item.  I tried to be honest with my opinion, as I always am. :)
* Hey, I just registered with the site (the dress came through another form so I hadn't actually registered prior) and I got a 15 dollar gift certificate, so if you're ordering, register first so you can use that!

MIche Bags

While the Cyber Monday sale is no longer going on, most of these bags are still in stock:

Miche Bags is having a big Cyber Monday Sale.  A lot of their shells are 50% off and a lot of them are already on sale.  It makes it a good time to start, if you want to.




Let me share some of my favorites:

This one is Ashley, she's so cute and fun she's not on sale, she runs 19.95

This one is Whitney.  I LOVE her, I think she's new.  She's also not on sale and she's 24.95, but darn it if she doesn't SCREAM to be partied with.

This adorable little lady is Natalie.  SHE IS on sale.  She is of my official "out of the box" bag.  I mean, I currently have no idea when I would wear her, but I hope to.  I mean, a girl needs to stretch, right?  She'll be 10 bucks on Cyber Monday.

And this last one is named Scarlet.  Wonder how they got that name? :)  Anyway, she's 19.95

Isn't it crazy how these are all technically the same bag (at least on the inside).. but they all look so different, and unique, and lovely...

And now, for the big bags (Miche has 3 sizes, Big, classic and mini).

This one's "Oakley" which, btw, I don't really think fits her at all.  Just my opinion. :)  I ADORE her though, she also needs some serious partying.  Sadly, she's not on sale and she's priced at 34.95

This one is SO Cute, her name is Heidi.  She is 39.95  I love how this one could totally be super dressy, or it can "come out and play" as well. :D

And this little number has the best name of all.  She's a bit of a whore because she's totally pimpin' herself out at 50% off, being only 17.48...She's not this brown in person, much more tan.  Because we all know that Hilary's just don't tan. :)

Here's the purple Ms. Julia.  She's also quite a bargain at 19.95 -- anyone aware of my current purple obsession?

And finally Ms. Laney.  I just can't quite wrap my head around her but I think this bag is SO some of my friends, I bet they'd love her and have lots that went with her.  On Cyber Monday she's a whopping 50% off making her just around 20 bucks.

Anyway, in an effort for full disclosure, I did just have a Miche party over the weekend.  Depending on what you order, and if you're willing to jump through like 12 hoops I may or may not get some hostess credit... but honestly, this is a product that I just realy like.  All the bags that you've seen on this blog are ones that I have just purchased, on my own with no discount attached.  I mean, ladies, that's rare.

OH, my goodness, I forgot the best part.  On the big bags (the second ones I listed) the BIG BAG IS MACHINE WASHABLE.  I never knew that.  I mean, that is A-MAZing, isn't it?  So, sippy cup spills in your bag, no biggie... just wash it!  So, I'm getting a big bag, I'm thinking it may be my new diaper bag.  Honestly, I just don't know other than that I really "need" one.  All the products are available at http://www.andreasmichebags.com/.  Before ordering you'll need a password which you can get from Andrea.

Why CSN, I'd LOVE a giveaway, thanks for asking!

CSN has given me the opportunity to do a giveaway off...
{drumroll please}
a SIXTY FIVE dollar gift card.

Basically, this store sells EVERYTHING

• Briefcase
• Furniture
• Cooking gadgets (great for some of the gadgets I posed on this post)
• They also have the hoover vacuum I talked about on this post
• Or the pressure cooker I talked about on this post

People, sixty five bucks!  Let's not have this be the loser giveaways I normally give.  I hope to have 100 comments here.  Now go, and comment.  Please say what you think you might be interested in buying.  I'll make the drawing next weekend.  Comments accepted through next Friday (11/26) at midnight.

I'll even give another chance to win!  Please share on your own blog one of your favorite pulling curls posts.  Then re-comment with a link to your post and voila, an extra entry.  I know, you want the pressure cooker, don't you? 

The winner will have a 65$ promotional code emailed to them to anything their heart desires in the CSN stores (which, is pretty much everything).

{Sorry peeps, contest now closed, stay tuned for a winner!}

And the winner is FLYING PRINCESS... #23.  Congrats, Katherine.  You have til' next Saturday to reply to my email...  And if you don't, well let's just say there will be no lovely pressure cooker for YOU!

Sorry friends, I hope you persued the CSN store at some point (especially with the other 9 million blog readers out there who also have contests).  I think it's a pretty great store.