Shinies Ahoy - Magical Mystery Box review

Name: Shinies Ahoy
Details: A small flat-rate Priority Mail box full of "weird and shiny stuff" from the Shinies Ahoy Etsy shop.
Price: $20


The Magical Mystery Box from Shinies Ahoy is unlike any mystery shipment that you can order on Etsy. It's full of...well...how about first we take a look at the items that I received in a complimentary shipment that Shinies Ahoy sent to me, and then I'll talk at you on the other side?

Everything came neatly packaged, packed, and labeled.

Vera Cruz amethyst, dried starfish, an ammonite fossil

 Beetle wings, tiny sea urchin spines, scarlet macaw feathers

Butterfly wings and African porcupine quills

Porcupine bones, a citrine point, alligator teeth, polished shell beads

A spiny spider

Amazon parrot feathers, hyacinth macaw feathers, galah feathers

A really cool-looking shell

I absolutely loved this box! I realize that it's not for everyone, being full of bones and spiders and such, but I love nature, and was fascinated by each new item that I unwrapped. Some of the pieces, such as the beetle wings, will make for really cool jewelry, while I'm thinking that I'll arrange the rest of it in a shadowbox or some other display case. Being an animal lover, I appreciated the fact that all the shop's feathers are cruelty-free, and that Shinies Ahoy makes a goal of providing sustainable, responsibly sourced natural items.

To check out the Magical Mystery Box from Shinies Ahoy, head here: Magical Mystery Box link. Shinies Ahoy also offers two other "mystery" shipments: a "Mystery Mix" of 30 cruelty-free parrot feathers for $10, and a "Deluxe Mystery Mix" of 20 rare and exotic feathers for $20.

Gutwrench Press - Keep Writing Letterpress Postcard Subscription review

Name: Gutwrench Press
Details: Stationery subscription in which each shipment contains a card with two parts: a postcard for you to keep, and a detachable portion with a request that you complete and send to someone else.
Price: $15 for six months, $30 for 12 months


The Keep Writing Letterpress Postcard Subscription from the Gutwrench Press Etsy shop is definitely unique. For a little over $2 per month, subscribers receive a card with two sections separated by a perforation. One section contains an image, words of wisdom, a short story, or some other inspiration that the subscriber can use for the weeks ahead. The other section contains a short task for the subscriber to complete before sending that portion of the postcard to someone else. Sound confusing? It won't after I show you what I received when Gutwrench Press sent me a free sample of its postcard subscription.

Here's the card. The bottom portion is mine to keep. It contains advice from a middle school in New Orleans, and an illustration by artist Sophia Weiss. The message on this card--"You can do anything, but you can't do everything"--is one that I definitely need to keep in mind, as I tend to spread myself too thin in terms of my ideas and endeavors.

The top portion (on which I've used my graphic design wizardry to block the return address) is where I'm instructed to write down goals that I've set for myself, and to then return the card to Hope, who runs the Gutwrench Press Etsy shop.

Here's the back of the top portion:

This is a very cool concept! I love the idea of getting a random letterpress postcard every month, especially one that encourages me to use my brain and think about my life. I also enjoy the fact that the Keep Writing Letterpress Postcard Subscription encourages subscribers to stay in touch with others using the time-honored method of snail mail. It seems as though the act of sending a letter has become a lost art!

To check out the Keep Writing Letterpress Postcard Subscription, head here: six-month subscription link or twelve-month subscription link

8PM Beauty - Mystery Box review

Name: 8PM Beauty
Details: Receive mystery beauty products worth between $10 and $12.
Price: $5


8PM Beauty is an Etsy shop that sells a variety of bath and body products, including soaps, lip balms, and body butter. It also offers a Mystery Box in which buyers receive between $10 and $12 worth of 8PM Beauty products for only $5. 8PM Beauty graciously sent me a free box to review. Here's what I received.

First up is a bar of "Canaan" soap worth $6. It has a distinct almond scent that is AMAZING.

Here's a look at the bar's other side.

Pretty packaging and pretty soap!

I also received two tubes of lip balm (strawberry and peach), each worth $3. They smell amazingly like the fruits for which they were named. (The strawberry balm, in particular, smells like a just-cut-into strawberry.)

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The Mystery Box from 8PM Beauty is a great way to sample the company's products at a reduced price. (Plus, who am I kidding, it's always fun to get surprises in the mail.) Everything that I received smells amazing, and I can't wait to use it!

To get your own Mystery Box from 8PM Beauty, head here: Mystery Box link

Covetable Curiosities - Bag 'O Crazy review

Name: Covetable Curiosities
Details: Receive a bag of random, ever-changing goodies, including vintage trinkets or dime store items, crafting supplies, miniatures, paper ephemera, plastic charms, jewelry findings, old game pieces, religious items, thrift store treasure, sales samples, warehouse finds, and old store stock.
Price: $5
Discount Code: Use MYSTERYBAG to receive 15 percent off purchases of $10 or more.


Covetable Curiosities is an amazing Etsy shop. I could spend literally hours searching through all the kooky, crazy, fun tchotchkes and treasures that it offers for sale. However, this review is of the company's Bag 'O Crazy, which includes mystery items with a retail value of at least $20. Let's get crazy, shall we?

Holy cow, look at all this stuff.

There's an envelope from Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus, a scary monkey pendant, a penny with a clover shape cut out of it, a plastic pizza...

...a horseshoe pendant, some random plastic things, a metal spoon, a glittery barrette, an iron-on patch with a picture of a hot dog (and really, who doesn't need one of those?)...

...a plastic bowling pin, a hamburger pendant, a red skull and crossbones....

Let's just say that I received a lot of crazy swag! I probably won't be wearing the scary monkey necklace or displaying the plastic pizza anywhere, but I actually do like some of the pendants that I received, and in a non-ironic way.

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For only five dollars, the Bag 'O Crazy was a fun way to bring some novelty into my mailbox. Each bag is completely different, so the next Bag 'O Crazy that Covetable Curiosities sends out will be totally unlike the one that I received. Give it a shot, maybe you'll find that Cracker Jack toy or plastic treasure that you've always wanted!

To order a Bag 'O Crazy from Covetable Curiosities, head here: Bag O' Crazy link

Aarde Llios - Surprise Box review

Name: Aarde Llios
Details: Receive a surprise mystery box, in one of two sizes, filled with samples from the Aarde Llios Etsy store.
Price: $18 or $35


Aarde Llios is an artisan soap company that sells a surprise box containing samples of many of its products. Boxes are available in both small and large sizes. I recently purchased a large box; here's what I received.

Up first is a bottle of all-natural shampoo (worth $10) that smells AMAZING. It's "cedar and clementine" scent, which is unusual, but very clean smelling. I also received a bottle of scented fabric conditioner (worth $7.50) in "blackberry sage" that I've already used throughout my house.

This is a cube of handmade "pink lemonade verbena" soap worth $5. I haven't tried it out yet, but, like the other two items, it smells great!

Up next is a bottle of teakwood-and-honeysuckle-scented perfume worth $6. Again, I love the fragrance. (Aarde Llios has some amazing-smelling stuff!)

The last item that I received was a bag of sea salt worth approximately $3.50. It's a combination of Himalayan pink salt, European spa salt, and Dead Sea salt. Can't wait to use it in the bath!

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I was really happy with all the goodies that I found in my Surprise Box from Aarde Llios. The value was there, and I liked the fact that I received a wide variety of items. I think my favorite find was the fabric conditioner...seriously, it smells SOOO good.

To order a Surprise Box from Aarde Llios's Etsy shop, head here (small Surprise Box link) or here (large Surprise Box link).

Vintage Roundup - Surprise Box of Inspiration review

Name: Vintage Roundup
Details: Receive a surprise vintage box full of 20 or more items that will inspire you to create something fantastic.
Price: $14


When I'm not busy blogging, or working, or taking care of my pets, or spending time with my husband, or cleaning my house, or sleeping, I like to craft (which means that I don't get to craft very often). My crafting methods of choice are sewing, crocheting, cross-stitching, and knitting (albeit poorly for that last one). When I saw that the etsy store Vintage Roundup offers a Surprise Box of Inspiration that's full of vintage items and craft materials, I decided to try it out. It would save me a trip to the craft store, plus I love vintage items, so I couldn't wait to see what I would get.

Everything came packaged in a cute cigar box. (Sounds kind of weird to use the words "cute" and "cigar box" in the same sentence, doesn't it?)

My first look. Oooohh, I'm getting excited!

The following photos show the items that the box contained.

Pretty flowers, music, and buttons!

Vintage postcards!

Lots of doilies and crocheted things with a "timeworn" look.

More randomness, including vintage thread spools and metal pieces.

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This was such a fun box to unpack! Every time that I thought I was getting close to the bottom, I'd uncover another layer of pre-loved stuff to enjoy. I think that I'll end up placing all these items inside a shadowbox and then hanging it on the wall of my sewing room. Once I feed the dogs, write another blog post, grab a meal with my hubby, wash the kitchen floor, and catch a quick catnap, I'll get right on it!

To get your own Surprise Box of Inspiration from Vintage Roundup, head here: Surprise Box of Inspiration link

God Save Strawberry Jam - Jewelry Mystery Grab Bag review

Name: God Save Strawberry Jam
Details: Treat yourself to a fun surprise with one of three mystery lucky-dip jewelry grab bags.
Price: $10.95, $15.95, $20.95


God Save Strawberry Jam is an etsy shop that sells vintage home décor and retro-style jewelry. One of its wares is a Jewelry Mystery Grab Bag, which comes in three sizes (small, medium, and large), and which contains a selection of brooches, earrings, and other jewelry from GSSJ's collection. I recently purchased a large Grab Bag. Here's what I received.

I can't wait to see what's inside!

First, let's take a look at this cute butterfly pendant. I love the color, and I love butterflies, so this is a win/win.

Inside the big bag are...a bunch of little bags! I can't wait to dig into these.

First up are two brooches, each of which I'm guessing, based on the prices of other brooches in the GSSJ etsy shop, costs about $8.95. I love retro-/vintage-style things, so I think that these pieces are adorable.

Up next is a brooch shaped like an old-timey blender, as well as two pendants shaped like old-timey cans of food. Cute, cute, cute!

I LOVE this necklace! The pendant isn't an actual vintage key (at least, I don't think that it is), but it sure looks like one. This will be a cute piece to wear with a simple top and a pair of jeans.

This set of bobby pins and pair of earrings are just lovely. I like how the delicacy of the flowers matches their sweet pastel hues. I couldn't find the bobby pins in GSSJ's shop, but I did find a set of earrings selling for $7.95, so that gives you some idea of the value.

Let's wind things up with two more sets of floral earrings, and a typewriter brooch. I actually own a vintage typewriter that looks almost exactly like this, so the brooch was a fun item to receive.

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I wasn't able to find prices for every item that I received in my Jewelry Mystery Grab Bag, but I can say with certainty that the value of the items far exceeded the amount that I paid for them. I was absolutely thrilled with every piece, and I have my eye on a few other items in the GSSJ shop, such as this Mason jar necklace. Cute stuff!

To get your own Jewelry Mystery Grab Bag from God Save Strawberry Jam, head here: Jewelry Mystery Grab Bag link