Sea glass, also known as beach glass, or mermaid tears has enchanted me for as long as I can remember. I have picked up bits of it at the beach, and marveled at how beautiful and mysterious they appear. Where did it come from? How far has it traveled? What was it before the waves polished it into the beauty that it is now? As a child my imagination danced to stories of mermaids, treasure, and underwater magic whenever I saw sea glass.
Sea glass can be found on waterfronts all around the world, and began as a common glass object such as a perfume bottle, a window pane, soda bottle, medicine bottle, etc. Somehow the glass ends up in the ocean and over time, is tumbled and worn by the salty waves of the sea, creating smooth and frosted shards of glass. Each shard of sea glass is one of a kind, which makes them a unique treasure.
As I am so fascinated by sea glass, I was absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Meg Carter, of
Made by Meg for a review and giveaway here at Flip Flop Reviews. Not only is Meg incredibly talented and a fantastic artist, but she is a genuinely sweet person. I highly recommend checking out her blog
here, where her personality shines through her writing and photography, and she posts a lot of great ideas and inspiration.
I was super excited when the package from Meg arrived at my doorstep. The first thing I noticed as I took everything out of the box, was that her packaging is simple and elegant, and would be perfect for gift giving.
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Meg was kind enough to send me one of her newest designs, a necklace she calls "The Jill," in amber (which as far as I can tell is a rare find as far as sea glass goes). Each of her designs is named after the first person to purchase that particular design, isn't that neat? The Jill is a necklace with a keyhole design and features a chain and toggle clasp of plated sterling silver, and the wire used to wrap the glass is sterling silver. Simply place the shard of sea glass through the circle toggle to wear the necklace. The weight of the glass will keep your necklace securely around your neck. My only "complaint" is that I wish the chain were a bit longer, but that is just a personal preference on my part (and if you order and would like a longer chain, just let Meg know, she does take
custom orders!).
Keep reading for a giveaway of The Jill in sea foam!
She also included a pair of
earrings with sterling silver hooks to match. It is amazing to me that every shard of sea glass is unique and yet Meg has such an eye that she can pair two shards up to make earrings that match so closely. I feel like I took a million pictures because none of them were doing this set enough justice. This jewelry is lovely!
To clean these beauties, you should occasionally use a silver polishing cloth to gently wipe the surface of the sterling silver to ensure it keeps it's shine. You can also use a mild dish soap and warm water if necessary and gently scrub with a toothbrush. Did you know that the oils in your skin act as a natural cleanser for silver as well? You can help keep your jewelry clean, simply by wearing it more often. Sea glass generally has a whitish frosty look to it, but Meg advises that if you'd prefer a glossy look you can use your fingers to rub a small amount of mineral or baby oil into the surface after cleaning (this will fade with time, but can of course be reapplied). Meg also advises that wearers of sea glass jewelry take care to remember that sea glass is, of course, glass. If dropped on a hard surface it can crack, chip, or break.
I think I'm going to drop hints to my husband that I'd love a Made by Meg
pendant, I adore the ones with charms, especially the sea horse...I also have a necklace with a star fish that I think a sea glass pendant would love darling added to. I love how elegant and delicate Made by Meg's sea glass jewelry is, and I love knowing that with sea glass, no one else in the world has the
exact same jewelry, and I still can't help but to think back to my childhood when I look upon the sea glass and dream of mermaids, treasure, and the mysteries of the ocean.
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I was sent a pair of sea foam
earrings with sterling silver hooks, and a
Rita necklace in white and sea foam. The craftsmanship of these pieces is superb. You can tell that Made by Meg takes great care to create this jewelry, ensuring that it is not only beautiful, but durable. Each piece of sea glass is one of a kind and yet Made by Meg has an eye for selecting pieces that work well together. :) I don't wear a lot of a jewelry as a general rule, but this is something that I will make a point to wear more often. This set is perfect for summer and I love the soft and pretty pop of color it adds to my wardrobe.
All of the sea glass used at
Made by Meg is truly from the sea. She states that hunting for the glass is actually one of her favorite parts of the job! She believes that genuine sea glass has a brilliance that man made tumbled glass will never achieve, and we couldn't agree more.
If you like sea glass, or are simply a fan of unique jewelry you *need* to check out
Made by Meg. Her creations include necklaces, earrings, bracelets, pendants, and rings. Shipping is free (!!!), she is willing to create items
made to order (she has even custom created
engagement rings!), and her customer service and attention to detail are fantastic.
Meg has graciously offered to give one lucky reader one of her newest necklace designs, "The Jill," in sea foam. Simply comment here with your entries!
US only.
Mandatory Entry:
Extra Entries:
-Share Made By Meg with your friends on Facebook.
-Subscribe to the rss feed of Meg's Blog. ( http://madebymeg.net/blog/feed/ )
-Follow Flip Flop Reviews (publicly) on Google Friend Connect. If you already follow us, great, let us know.
-Follow Flip Flop Reviews with Networked Blogs. (check the sidebar)
-Blog about this giveaway and leave the link in a comment.
-Enter one of our other current giveaways and let me know which one you entered. (Feel free to leave one comment for each giveaway entered)
This giveaway will end on 6/27/2011 at 8pm EST. Any entries after that will not count. Please make sure that you leave an email address or some way to contact you in your comments. If we can't figure out how to get in touch with you, you can't win! :o) Good luck!
*We received one or more of the products mentioned above for the purposes of this review through the above mentioned company or representing PR agency. In the event of a giveaway, the prize is shipped by the sponsor and we hold no responsibility. Thank you for reading!
is a short story written by Eric D. Goodman and illustrated by Nataliya A. Goodman. The story is a sweet tale with many lessons that are told in a way that is easy for young children to grasp and understand. Gilbert is a goose, who is injured one day and can no longer fly. As time passes the other geese begin to tease and play tricks on Gilbert simply because he is different. When colder weather comes along, Gilbert is unable to fly south with the rest of the geese, so he stays behind and works on building up his strength and speed on his feet, and becomes friends with a child who visits the pond. When the geese return, Gilbert is able to use his fast speed on his feet to save the day when the other geese are in trouble. 
First up, we received the Professional Do-It-Yourself Electric Back Shaver
. This is such a great concept for those hard to reach areas of the back. This product features an extendable and adjustable handle that locks in place where you want it to for use, and folds up to remain compact for storage. The shaver is rechargeable and charges quickly, and once your body gets used to an electric razor as opposed to a manual, the shaving process is quick, and the 1.5 inch wide blade enables an extremely close shave with smooth results. My husband did complain that it was harder to get a close shave with this the first time he used it, but the body does need to adjust to using electric shavers. Over all this was his favorite product out of the bunch. It worked well and you can't beat the ease and convenience! Plus, really cuts down on the amount of"honey, can you come help me shave my back!" ;) A++ from me! Time saver, for the win!
The Essential Nose and Ear Hair Trimmer 
is another great Mangoomer product. Requiring one AA battery, the Essential Nose and Ear Hair Trimmer can be used wet or dry (though Mangroomer recommends dry is best), and features Mangroomers cutting edge blade design, which enables the close results that Mangroomer prides themselves on, without causing ingrown hairs. The black areas on the trimmer (and all of Mangroomer's products) help the user to keep a comfortable grip on these products without slipping. The trimmer cleans easily with water, and it also comes complete with a cap to keep your trimmer protected when not in use. My husband said this felt a bit "weird" to use, but that it works great. 
Here we have theMangroomer Private Body Shaver
, for all of those other areas on your body you'd like to keep trim, though the focus for this product is the groin and underarm areas. Featuring Mangroomer's cutting edge blade design, it's combined trimmer/foil blade cuts both long and short body hairs effortlessly. You can use this shaver wet or dry, and choose from five length settings to help easily trim and maintain hairs. Cleaning is simple, just remove the top blade unit and rinse with water. The Private Body Shaver charges quickly, as do all of Mangroomers products. You can also purchase replacement blades
. Blades should be replaced about every 6 months for best results.
is made of aerospace-grade aluminum, which makes it virtually indestructible, and believe me, with my husband it is put to the test. We have a running joke that the longer a product lasts in his presence, the better it is...he can break ANYthing. Despite it's tough exterior, it's incredibly light weight, and designed to ensure a good, no slip, grip. 
