Suprise Party :: Table Centerpiece and GIVEAWAY from Whitney and Noonday Collection!!

Alright guys I am so excited to share this next post from Whitney who is an ambassador for an amazing company called Noonday Collection, a jewelry line handmade by artisans in places such as Uganda, Ethiopia, Ecuador and India. Make sure to read through to find out more about their amazing work and for a chance to win this gorgeous necklace!!!

Hello  a bit of sunshine readers, I'm Whitney and I blog over at Life's an Adventure.  I'm thrilled to be participating in the blog party!

I'm going to share with you a simple but large impact centerpiece project for your table AND a special birthday giveaway, in honor of Rebekah's birthday today!

Ok, first the project.

You're going to need:

• Glass container, preferably one with a small neck (I purchased mine off the clearance shelf of my local craft store)
• River rocks (or any pretty rocks that will fit through the neck of your glass container)
• Tree branch

Now, I used a dead branch because that's all I have here in drought ridden Texas, but nature's trash is my treasure I always say!  But if you have a tree that has some great fall color, prune a branch and use that.  That way you get double impact -- fall color now, then when the leaves fall off, you will have the bare branch to decorate for winter.

Fill the bottle with rocks.

Then work your branch down through the rocks to the bottom the jar.  You may need to trim your branch to make sure it isn't too top heavy.  Go ahead and make three branch bottles.  It only took me about 11 minutes to do all three, and most of that time was spent picking up stray rocks I dropped.  Next time I'll use a funnel and it should only take 3 minutes, max.

I am using mine to display jewelery, but come time for the holidays, I plan to decorate the branch with berry strands and Christmas decorations.  Go ahead and decorate it for Halloween or fall right now though! 

Now for the birthday week giveaway! 

That beautiful necklace you saw on the branch above?  That's the Inca Steps necklace in teal from Noonday Collection.
 

The Inca steps necklace is handcrafted by Ecuadorian artisans of nuts from the tagua palm, also known as "vegetable ivory".  It's eco friendly and makes quite the statement!

I am an ambassador for Noonday Collection and it is so exciting to be a part of something that helps bring a bit of beauty to women while creating a pathway out of poverty for vulnerable populations around the world. Each piece Noonday Collection sells is handmade by artisans in places such as Uganda, Ethiopia, Ecuador and India.  Each piece tells a story of a community where real change is occurring through sustainable economic opportunities.  When you purchase something from Noonday, it's a gift to you and a gift to their community! 

To enter the birthday giveaway, visit my Noonday Collection site here, then leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite product or artisan story is.  You have until midnight CST on October 8th to enter.

Thanks for letting me share my little diy and favorite Noonday Collection piece...I had a blast!  Good luck everyone and happy birthday Rebekah!

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Thanks Whitney for being here today and for offering such a generous and gorgeous giveaway what a treat!!