Giveaway Closed – Congrats Roxann!
For some people, if you give them lemons they’ll make lemonade. But Heather English is a little different. Give her an old tire and she’ll make a handbag. Her burst of creativity was inspired by a lazy trip down a river, innertubing and wondering how she could make herself a nice handbag without using leather. Her solution? She was floating on it.
English Retreads is a handbag company with a unique twist on fashion. I’ve been testing out the Small Beetle Handbag, which I pronounced “darling” immediately upon opening. At first glance, you’d think you were looking at a black leather handbag. But on closer inspection, you begin to see little bits of worn print, ridges, and faint patterns that all occur in a rubber innertube. The bag is constructed well and opens wide with plenty of room inside. Of course the bag is durable, and if you need to wash it, a bit of soap and water does the trick nicely. (I tried it after slopping some Chinese takeout on the side. I was – uh – testing the bag’s durability, of course.) Want a shinier purse? Wipe it down with tire cleaner!
The best part of English Retreads? All the items are made of recycled material. I’m seeing more and more of a trend these days towards hip, fashionable items made from recycled materials. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of this as recycling comes to stay in the limelight. And I for one am thoroughly enjoying watching the creativity of companies like English Retreads as they try their hand at seeing what floats in the world of recycled fashion.
Want to win your own Small Beetle Handbag ($169 retail)? English Retreads is giving one away to a dkM reader!
Multiple Options for Multiple Entries:
1.) Just visit English Retreads and tell me what else you liked there and why! (***You may enter once a day, but please list a new item you like each time.) Remember, leave an interesting comment. If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.
2.) Blog about, Twitter, Subscribe and/or Become a Fan on Facebook! Get an extra entry for each of these activities. This time just leave a separate comment for each (only one time for each extra activity completed), giving me a link to your blog post, your Twitter name, and/or a note saying you’re an FB Fan and/or subscriber. SUBSCRIBE HERE!
(Psst! My Twitter name is dkMommy.)
Feel free to do all five to gather multiple entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Friday, December 10, 2009, to enter.
Set, which includes a whopping 16 DVD’s, arrived at our house. What big excitement for such a little guy! I was about as excited as he was because the collection is filled with stories I’m already quite familiar with, like Curious George, Rapunzel, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff. It took us quite awhile to make it through the whole collection, but we did it. 
It’s the latest of the Storybook Treasures DVD’s – “
” DVD Set. This set includes 12 holiday read-along stories on 2 DVD’s. Released on December 8th, it’s just in time for Christmas. My son and I gave it our thorough reviewing process which included much shared viewing and discussion time. (My favorite part? The snuggling!)
Looking for something unique for your kids this Christmas? Something that requires both mental and physical effort, something you’ll be tempted to try yourself? Challenge & Fun’s 
The smells of natural pine, fragrant vanilla, and sweet orange are all part of The Giving Essence’s 