Click images above to be directed to free holiday music
Today while I was enjoying my morning cuppa at my local coffee house, I downloaded from iTunes a version of "Silent Night" by the Temptations as part of Apple's Free Single of the Week.
Then I discovered that Amazon also offers free music downloads. In fact, their seasonal promotion is called "25 Days of Free" and features one free holiday song to download daily until Christmas. You can get fantastic melodies of all your Christmas and New Year's favorites from a variety of super awesome recording artists including Chris Isaak and the Indigo Girls. Each day is like a melodic advent calendar that's such a delight you really shouldn't miss out.
Both the iTunes single and the Amazon offerings are available for a limited time so hurry and click through the images above to get your free and legal copy of holiday musical cheer.
In celebration of holiday season I want to gift visitors to this blog with a Frosty the Snowman wallpaper for your iPhone and iPod Touch.
You can download the images as well as installation instructions by clicking on widget below. The downloaded file will have no holiday message so as to keep your lock screen and/or background clutter free.
At the above widget you will find two files: one for your lock screen and the other one to set as a wallpaper screen. And, as I mentioned, included are instructions to install these images on your phone.
After seven fabulous months at this awesome job I'm about to get laid off next week. During my tenure the company I worked for launched two products. One did very well and I want to brag about it (but won't for privacy reasons) and the other will do well if given time.
However, the parent company I work for has pulled the plug on the late-blooming product so there goes my job as I was one of the last hired so therefore one of the first to be let go. There's talk that the fearless leaders of my company may reconsider their decision but so far it's just talk and I'm hitting the ground running to find another job as soon as possible. I don't know if after I become fun-employed if I'll be blogging again or what but we'll see. My first priority is to line up my next job.
Right now I want to talk about how to customize the "LinkWithin" widget which is designed to keep your readers engaged by featuring related posts with thumbnails appearing under each post and linking to related stories from your blog archive. It makes your old posts accessible to readers of your blog and I think it's a pretty nifty tool. I began using it late last year when I noticed other crafty bloggeristas had installed it on their lovely blogs.
However, there's just one thing about LinkWithin that always bugged me: by default LinkWithin's related posts thumbnails appear after each post body, ABOVE the post footer. That means it appears (in most cases) above your signature image (if you use one like I do), labels, comments link and timestamp.
I think this placement is disruptive to the design flow of my blog. Personally I prefer the thumbnails to appear BELOW the post footer so I figured out how to fix that and now here's how you can do it:
1) Go to your dashboard and click Design > Edit HTML, and click on the Expand Widget Templates checkbox. Then search to find the following code:
<b:include data='post' name='post'/>
2) Copy the following code:
<div class="linkwithin_div"></div>
3) And paste the snippet right after the line you just searched, like so:
Happy Halloween everybody! I can't believe we're already into autumn. It's crazy how time flies! To celebrate the season, I made a mini-skirt with a cotton fabric featuring Hello Kitty dressed as a mummy. It's freakin' adorable and quite the hit at work.
Tonight I'm going out with some friends to see a special “William Castle’s Shockers” screening from two of the late director’s most horrifying cinematic offerings, “House On Haunted Hill” and “The Tingler.” Castle’s daughter Terry will be in attendance to introduce the films and discuss her father’s career as a purveyor of chills and thrills.
Inspired by this macabre event (and also to send some ghoulish sentiments to my blogger pals LuLu Kelogg and the Halloweenstress), I dug out this old Peter Paul spot from the seventies featuring none other than Vincent Price. While I remember the ad, I don’t think I ever received this candy in my trick-or-treat bag.
Nonetheless, Happy Halloween and Samhain Blessings to everyone. I'm wearing the skirt at the show tonight and will post a photo post haste!
UPDATE 1 November 2010 - So here are the photos I promised!
Hey everybody! It's been over a month since I last checked in. The new job is awesome! I totally love it!
Now I can share with you a little bit about it since we just announced our new show at Comic Con this past Thursday. So click on the video above and a have a look see at the production that I'm proud to be a crew member on. It wouldn't be prudent to discuss anything else about the show until we debut in the fall so this is all I've got to say about it for the moment.
Other than that, as I mentioned last time: we moved our offices from Beverly Hills to Burbank so now the commute to work is only 20 minutes. If you've ever spent any time in the Los Angeles metro area, you know what a blessing it is to have such a short commute!
I don't have much time to blog or browse other blogs these days especially now as we're gearing up to launch the show. I MISS YOU ALL TERRIBLY! However, in the brief interludes of downtime I do have, I've gotten back into sewing and I'll show you some garments I've made soon. I'll also share with you some ID badge holders I've made for the rest of my crew as now our new offices require entrance with a magnetic ID card.
But for now, it's the weekend and I'm gonna kick back, put my feet up and see what all you bloggers have been up to since I last checked in. Ciao for niao!
I'll be the first to admit it's been a wee whiley since I last updated this blog but just for the record I want you all to know I have not abandoned it. It's just that suddenly it's summer and suddenly I find my dance card filled with good things: a new job and a new beau. It's all good. Go me!
Since I'm not one to kiss and tell, I'd rather not discuss my love life on the Interwebz. So let's focus on the job, shall we?
After 20 years of self-employment in a very fulfilling career, sometime last year I simply just got burned out. My livelihood was labor intensive and subsequently my hands were developing symptoms of repetitive strain injuries. It's also worth noting that the type of service I provided was a luxury for most of my clientele and with the economy such as it is, said services were the first to be cut from their budgets. Things got so bad that I wound up finding myself as the poster girl for the new economy so at the end of last year I closed my offices for good.
It was a bittersweet day when I actually closed up shop but there's truth in the platitude "when one door closes, another one opens." The day I closed my space -- in fact when the movers were loading my office furniture into the truck -- I received offer to work and travel for 10 days in the Bahamas. That was last January.
For months following that gig I searched, searched and searched for a new job. It was pretty daunting. Back in February a former client contacted me to book an appointment and I informed her that I had closed my office space but asked her if she knew anybody who was hiring. Then three weeks ago, quite suddenly out of the blue, she offered me a full-time job with health benefits! No interview! No resume! Just an awesome job with an ASAP start date. What's more: my new job requires experience in working with Final Cut Pro (of which I do not have) so now in addition to fulfilling the duties of my new job I'm also being trained on new software!
I started two weeks ago and while some may call it a job I call it an tremendous opportunity. The best part is I really, really love it. I love my boss; I love my co-workers. Plus, I get to work on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, so it's all pretty swank. However, in less than three weeks our offices will be relocating and the commute will be way more convenient. But I have to admit I'm going to miss Beverly Hills just a teeny bit.
In light of these recent developments I want to share some thoughts I have in mind for this blog. First I'm going to scale it back quite a bit for the summer. I used to post at least once or twice a week but for now I won't sweat it. But if you really need a tutorial on something that I can help with you, please feel free to contact me. If you're really curious what I'm up to, come visit me on my other blog (which happens to be a seasonal blog and we're in high season!) or hang out with me on Tumblr (although I have to warn you that my Tumblog often features stuff that is NSFW and oftentimes NSFK).
Of course, as time allows I'll try to peek in and see what my other blogging pals are up to so I will most certainly be around. Until I return, I hope you all have a cool summer, yo! >.<
P.S. I have a "follow back" policy if you follow my blog. If for some reason I have failed to do so, just nudge me. I'm happy to follow back!
Blogging has connected me with so many wonderful people like the fabulous mixed media artist and jewelry designer LuLu Kellogg of Coastal Sisters. Since I first emerged with Glamour Bomb as a blog late last fall, LuLu befriended me right away. Oftentimes we correspond with stuff that we really can't blog about...you know what I mean?
That said, LuLu's blog Coastal Sisters News is chockablock with insights, inspirations and contests to giveaways for her gorgeous jewelry and art works. If you haven't been there yet you should. You will be delighted!
Recently, LuLu sent me a little something something just because because. So I took the opportunity to video tape the unboxing. Watch and see!
The first time I ever saw Lena Horne was when I was maybe six years old. My parents had taken me to see "Till The Clouds Roll By" at a revival movie house called the Vagabond Theater in Hollywood that is no longer in existence. I have been captivated by her glamour-bombaciousness ever since, more so as she matured into the elegant grand dame that ever was to star in a Gap spot. Rest in peace, Lena. You had a great run!
I searched high and low for a sentimental little video to share with you this Mother's Day and this was all I could find! =)
The three cute daughters of Mrs. Louella Gallagher from Austin, Texas, seem to enjoy having Mama throw knives at them. The back-fence neighbors object, but Mama and the girls pay no heed. I've seen another version of this story from Universal Newsreels but this was the only one that had audio included.
I'm off to show my glamour mom just how much I love her! Happy Mother's Day!
It looks like I may have a theme going for Monday's blog posts: wallpapers for your iPhone and iPod Touch! So I'm going to continue on the theme for Mother's Day which is coming up next Sunday.
This week I'm featuring some imagery of from a very classic rendition of motherhood as she sits in a rocking chair beholds her child. But I couldn't resist pulling this vintage ad to just add some snark. You can grab your copy by clicking on the image above.
Like contemporary fashions this is a seasonal freebie. If you're stopping by my blog and the wallpaper is no longer available then have a look and see what is current for the season because I'm in the habit of updating frequently.
The Etsy Black Rock Crew headed up by LaLinda Loca is going to be throwing their first event: the Mad Mad May Day Burner Bazaar coming up on May 1, 2010 at the Angel's Gate Cultural Center located at 3601 South Gaffey Street, San Pedro, CA. I've been so busy preparing for this show that I'm going to be tremendously relieved when it's over. I'll be joining forces with a lot of talented Etsyans within the burner community (drink!) it's gonna be hella cool. The video above is just some of the artists who will be showcasing their arts and crafts at the event. More about the artists here.
Due to the fantastic response to last week's listing of my free Mother's Day wallpapers for your iPhone and iPod Touch I'm offering a couple of more! Mother's Day is coming up on Monday, May 9th.
This week I'm featuring some imagery of motherhood and family from a Chinese propaganda poster and a Japanese vintage ad. My own mother thinks the entire notion of wallpapers is pretty cool. If only she had an iPhone!
You can download the images as well as installation instructions by clicking on this link or on the image above.
Like contemporary fashions this is a seasonal freebie. If you're stopping by my blog and the wallpaper is no longer available then have a look and see what is current for the season because I'm in the habit of updating frequently.
This commercial came out in 1971. At the time this calculator was state of the art. This, by the way, is amusing to me because it reminds me of an old brick style cellphone! The dollar bill they shot next to it belies the fact how fat the world's smallest calculator really is. Nowadays you can get an iPad that -- in addition to calculating -- does sooo much more. It'll be funny to see folks will be saying about the iPad in 40 years!
I just wanted to post this quick announcement that it is (and always has been) my policy to follow back those who follow me. I think the medium of blogging requires reciprocity in an effort to encourage mutual dialogue. For me it expands my mind. I've learned so much from such a diverse group of bloggers I've met through maintaining this and my other blog that I'm open to discovering more!
That said, I've been somewhat confused when following somebody back. When I click on their profile in Google Friend Connect I'm unclear sometimes if the person following me has a blog I can follow. One lady I know only has a profile (but no blog) admonished me when I didn't "friend" her back. Honestly, I didn't know you could do that.
Then there are those who have half a dozen blogs or more and frankly that's too much for me to handle. I'd like to focus on the one blog that you love the most and one that you post the most frequently.
So...if I am not following you or "friending" you or mutually reciprocating in any way please let me know. I'm more than happy to connect with you!
Like I said, the Google Friend Connect befuddles me just a bit. And I'd like to think I'm smarter than the average bomb so if I'm confused then who else is confused?
In celebration of Mother's Day coming up in a few weeks (Sunday, May 9 to be exact) I want to share with you some digi-freebies in the form of wallpapers for your iPhone and iPod Touch.
You can download the images as well as installation instructions by clicking on this link or on the image above.
Like contemporary fashions this is a seasonal freebie. If you're stopping by my blog and the wallpaper is no longer available then have a look and see what is current for the season because I'm in the habit of updating frequently.
PIF stands for "Pay It Forward" and it's been a phe-bomb-enon on Etsy since I joined. The idea about a PIF listing is simple: you must do something nice for someone else. You can either list an item of your own as a PIF, or do a generous act of kindness for a friend or even a complete stranger!
Etsy PIF listings are essentially free -- the price is set at the Etsy-mandated minimum of 20 cents to post an item on the site. Some PIFs charge very inexpensive shipping, and some sellers even ship their PIF items for free.
I think PIFs are a fun way to connect with other Etsyans so I really hope that whomever purchases my PIFs enjoys them more than me having them sitting there in my craft pile all neglected and sad! :)
In most of the PIFs I offer, by the time I stick the item in a fresh new envelope, put some stamps on it, pay my Etsy fees and PayPal fees, tootle on down (by foot -- mind you) to my local post office this listing comes out even for me. It is not my intention to gouge or overprice PIFs to make a profit although I've seen many listings do this and IMHO it kinda sucks because I feel it takes away from the spirit of PIFting.
When offering a PIF it's my heart's intention to pass the item forward to you for the true cost of the item alone, not the item plus the taxes, fees, handling materials and shipping costs involved. I mean, I want to pass along a free cuppa coffee but I'm not into handing out an entirely free lunch! ;) That said and all humor aside, I truly hope you'll find my take on this as fair. A lot of my friend's are suffering from the effects of bad economy right now so I'm just trying to make the day go by a little more joyously through PIFting.
Also, while I totally ♥ repeat customers here's the deal with my PIFs: please only one PIF per person within 14 days of ordering your last PIF from me. I just want to be fair to everybody so I hope you understand and come back to see what else I'm offering.
Had enough? Ready for some PIF action? Click the image below and get yourself PIF'd!
P.S. I realize that most of my PIF's listings appear to be from the same manufacturer. Since this is not a sponsored blog I don't want to mention the brand. I just want to say that most of the stuff in my scrapper's box is from this company and it's not my intention to promote them. These PIFs are just PIFs! XD
Well, um, no that's not accurate. Let me try this again...
I got a FAN VIDEO!!!
I know I said I was taking some time off from blogging this week (cuz I'm working on a top secret crafty project I'm springing on you later this month) but a woman by the name of AcousticxGypsy -- who btw -- is somebody I just met via YouTube -- sent me this video and I had to share because this time it's all about m-e-e-e-e-e and my craftyness!
AcousticxGypsy just digitally glamourbombed me, made me weep with joy and now I've got to plan my reply.
Of which, of course, I'll share here.
Don't cha just love the music selection?
Squeee!
OK...well, I gotta get back to my planning and scheming. More later.
Thank you to everybody who participated! I'll do it again sometime later this spring so stay tuned. For those of you just dialing in to this blog I'm going to be taking a few days -- maybe even a week -- off from updating here but I'll be back at it soon. Until then, feel free to ask me anything.
This episode of Domestically Disabled concludes the series. After Jane returns from visiting with her mother, she and hubby George visit Alice and her husband and find out more about the modern conveniences in their new home.
All this to get entice you to enter my drawing for my current giveway! Today at 3:00 pm PDT is the deadline so go on and get yourself in the mix! :)
At Alice's suggestion, Jane decides to trick her husband, George, into buying a new kitchen. So Jane leaves him and their son alone while she visits her mother in Cleveland. George is then left to his own devices, which is to say, not much.
Click on the image below and follow directions to enter. Contest deadline (and the conclusion of this webisode series) is Sunday (tomorrow!) 4/11/2010 @ 3:00 pm.
Oh you hipster you! I've got a couple of pairs of gorgeous vintage eyewear that are totally retro and hot in a sexy librarian kinda way. Take them to an optician to be properly fitted to your face and filled with your prescription. Available for purchase at my Etsy store.
Oh, before I forget: Come enter my my giveaway drawing here!
If you've been following me on Twitter you'll know I've been a tad sick lately. I woke up this morning after a fitful night of breaking a fever and only to find some new followers. How cool is that?
I realize that I've never taken a moment to thank you all you wonderful people for coming and setting a spell at my blog party so here it is: Welcome everybody and thank you!
I work best if I know what my guests would like to see. That is to say that I take requests! So if you want a little tutorial about something Blogger (or a big tutorial on anything Mac related) please contact me!
Also, I'm having a little giveaway and if you would like to enter (and see what you may be winning) all you need to do is leave a comment on this post. Or, you can just simply click on the image below. The contest ends this Sunday 4/11/2010.
As a matter of fact, it's a question about RSS feeds from SF (who, BTW, is enjoying the use of my free modified 3 column Minima template). SF wanted to know the answer to this question:
Hi Glamour Bomb!
I just wanted to say a thank you for your wonderful Minima wide template (just uploaded it for my blog, and am loving it), and ask a quick question: I'm hearing from my readers that those using Google reader that aren't able to see images in my blog.
Do you know if this is a Blogger issue? Or is there something in the template that I can change to enable them to see the pics? Thanks for any advice you have!
So I went into my Google Reader and subscribed to Sanity Fair's blog and low and behold I discovered that she had set her RSS feed to "Short". This means that subscribers were only getting her blog titles and not her blog body posts in which her photos and images were displayed.
Now why would anybody want to do that?
Well somebody like the Graphic's Fairy who has a sponsored blog may want to capture your eyeballs on behalf of her advertisers when you're grabbing her beautiful freebies. In this case, it's her desire that you to take them off her blog and not her feed.
BTW, sponsored blogs are awesome because they match content creators with advertisers to offer products and services to a niche market. Sponsored blogs enable the blogger to be compensated for all the hard work they do. And somebody as awesome like the Graphic's Fairy who provides a ton of free, beautiful content deserves a little ching ching for her efforts. Besides, it's obvious that she puts it all back in her blog.
While I personally am not sponsored, am entirely independent and receive no compensation for the reviews and recommendations I make on this blog, I recently set my RSS feed to short titled posts in an effort to require my readers to read my postings from Blogger directly and not Google Reader.
I did it for the sole purpose that because whenever I'm sharing a video that is not sourced from YouTube (or any other major video sharing site) it does not appear in Google Reader and therefore my readers miss the video. They never see it! And that makes me a sad panda (somebody please hug me) because usually the video I'm displaying is the crown jewel of the blog post so I don't want my readers to miss it.
So...back to Sanity Fair. How can she fix short titled posts to long body posts? It's super easy:
Go to Dashboard ➤ Settings ➤ Site Feed ➤ Change Blog Posts Feed from "Short" to "Long".
That's a wrap for today's post. I'm always happy to answer your Blogger/Blogspot question. Just contact me!
Remember, I've got a contest giveaway that ends this Sunday and all you have to do is follow this here blog and leave a comment. There are NO comments at the time of this posting so please -- don't make me a sad panda. Give me a hug and go enter my contest right now!
Mahalia Jackson 
"Silent Night (46bliss Remix)" (mp3)
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album
