(Ok, so not quite a gazillion, but a ton!)  I was recently contacted by Fotolia to try out their photo service for a month, and of course I said “Yes!” right away.  I am always looking for images to use, and stock images can get really expensive.  Fotolia offers a membership plan, to help keep costs down for stock image users.  I’m going to try it this month, and  I will have to report back to everyone about my experience.  The cool thing about it all is that 10 lucky Frugal Style readers will get to try their service right along with me!!!  The first 10 to email me at melissavest@gmail.com will get a coupon code to try their service for 14 days, with 3 image downloads a day.

So, if you’re a graphic designer, blogger, creative guru or just would like to try out Fotolia’s stock image program…now’s your chance!

About Fotolia:

Fotolia is the first worldwide social marketplace for royalty free stock images, allowing individuals and professionals to legally buy and share stock images and illustrations.

Fotolia offers the largest image bank of free and affordable …

From apnoea

It seems like everyone has been raving about Goody’s Spin Pins.  I finally broke down and bought a pair for my long-ish hair.  Love them!  What a brilliant concept and idea.  I have thick, slightly longer than shoulder length hair and Spins Pins work really well for creating a casual, slightly messy bun (see photos for a how-to).  They come in a dark brown color for dark hair and a light color for blonde hair.

Photo from The Paper Mama

I experienced a slight learning curve with them, but after a couple a tries, I’ve been very pleased with the results.  They retail for around $7 – $8, but I found them for $6.29 on Target’s website.  If you have long hair and you are feeling tired of the pony tail rut, check these out!

Image from dressdesigndecor

Post by Glennen Greer

Are you jumping on the Groupon bandwagon?   I just downloaded the app for my iPhone a few weeks ago, and I’m always checking it to see what’s offered.  I’ve even noticed my friends on Facebook using Groupon and similar deal sites more and more.  I got an email the other day with this chart, and I thought you guys might find it helpful or at least interesting.   The chart breaks down the different deal sites (like Groupon and Living Social) with information such as how much revenue they pull in, what features they have, etc.  It looks like tons of people are getting deals on the internet.  What sites do you use?

Chart via Online MBA

Image via Pinterest

This week has been a big one for me.  I finished the website for my new project, Art Does Good and I launched my Kickstarter for it.  Art Does Good is something I created for my thesis and graduate school, but I really hope that it’s bigger than that.  I want to look at how communities can use the arts to help grow and revitalize.  I chose 4 communities that have all used the arts in different ways, and I’m trying to raise money through Kickstarter to be able to go on a road trip.  I really feel like it’s important for me to go and talk with people, conduct interviews in person and see the towns for myself.

I’ve really struggled since launching it, finding ways to talk about my project with people and getting the word out.  It’s hard to express why it’s so important to people’s daily lives, but finding things that work for our communities in the recession will help us move in to a new economy. …