Congratulations to Susan K. for winning the Vintage Typewriter Key Earrings! Look out for an email!
Giveaway
Mermaid Tear Designs Giveaway
So since you haven’t heard anything about our attempted Pinterest craft ideas… you’d be right to assume that it didn’t go over so well.
If any of you tried the edible glitter recipe, we apologize. And if any of you were planning on doing it… DON’T. Mixing salt with food coloring and baking it does not make it sparkly or less salty. It just makes weirdly colored salt. Finding flip flops in our size at the end of August was impossible (mom warned us) and the bath scrub just didn’t happen.
Pinterest is a dangerous place, lovely readers. Pin with caution.
However, we found someone who is so much more crafty than we will ever be.
Lauren Curran of Mermaid Tear Designs creates jewelry out of typewriter keys, seaglass, and vintage buttons.
Here are some samples of her work:
We asked Lauren some questions about how she started her business and where she would like it to go!
Q. How did you get started making jewelry?
A. It was my love for seaglass that started my jewelry design business. I had all this amazing seaglass and wanted to do something useful with the gorgeous pieces.
Q. What inspired you to use the materials that make your products so unique?
A. I like thinking ‘outside the box.’ The desire to create something eclectic, elegant AND fun to wear: those are the key ingredients.
Q. Did you have to overcome any obstacles in starting your business?
A. The only real obstacle was one most people face when attempting a new venture: ‘Can I do this? ‘Will people like the product?’
Q. Where do you see your business going in the future?
A. I’m very thankful for all the compliments and kind words I receive from customers. I belong to The Artisan Group: an elite collective of artists who gift their handcrafted products to celebrities at Hollywood’s top gift lounges. It would be great to someday be noticed on that level.
Q. Any other fun, interesting facts?
A. I really like the fact that my typewriter key jewelry preserves a bit of the past. One day I happened upon a typewriter patented the same year of my grandmother’s birth. I still have it!
We received a pair of typewriter key earrings that we can’t wait to share with you!
Click the link below to enter!
Frat Collection Giveaway
After a very long day, and lots of help packing and moving in (thanks mom and dad!) we are finally settled in to our dorm room!
This weekend is going to be super busy, helping the freshmen move in, dance team rehearsals and performances, and getting ready for classes! With all of the running around we have to do, we want to be comfy, but still look cute. And how might we do that?
With the Frat Collection of Course!
The Frat Collection is a line of pocket tee’s that are customizable. Pick short sleeves or long, choose from tons of fun colors, AND pick your pocket. The fabric and color choices for the pockets are almost too much to handle because you’ll want all of them.
Here are my Frat Collection Tees:
First off, I wish I could get better pictures, but dorm lighting is terrible. Anyway, these tees are seriously super soft, even after being washed! If you like baggier clothes, then you’re in luck. The shirts run a little big, but not to worry. I ordered a small (I’m typically an xs) but I don’t feel like I’m drowning in fabric.
This is the Jaclyn Pocket on a navy tee. It looks really great after being washed because the seersucker got a little crinkly, and has more character now!
This one is the Anna Reese Pocket on a white tee. I love this one because the plaid is in my school colors! Go Mules!
Want to make your own Frat Collection Tee?
Click the link below to enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Diane W Designs Winners
Congratulations to Julia R and Haley A for winning the Diane W Designs giveaway! We’ll be contacting you soon!
Diane W Designs Giveaway!
Today we are happy to announce our giveaway with Diane W Designs! We have been looking forward to this for a very long time, and it is finally here.
Diane’s fashion philosophy is one we can definitely get behind. After living all over the United States and spending several years in Europe she has learned that the classics are truly timeless. What’s more, the accessories you add to your outfit certainly matter. That is what Diane W Designs is all about, adding those classic elements of style by using accessories.
She began her business a few years ago using ArtFire selling madras hair accessories (one of her favorite materials). Since then she has begun running a Consignment Sale in Baltimore, Maryland where she sells her to die for key fobs.
For those of you wanting to start your own business, Diane says that one of her toughest obstacles to overcome was marketing herself. It takes time to find your niche market and present your products. Using social networking is her go to method of promoting herself.
However, not everything needs to be perfect in order for progress to be made! Diane had a very interesting first sales call:
“My first retail sales call was totally by accident. I was shopping in a clothes store and checking out at the counter when it dawned on me that this store would be perfect for my items! I just blurted out, “You should be carrying these bracelets!” Of course I didn’t have any of my bracelets with me. Nothing. I whipped out my iPhone and started showing them items from my website. One phone call and a visit later, I had an order. The total opposite of a textbook sales call!”
In the future, Diane would love to have her own website for Diane W Designs, and she would also like to have her products sold in stores that would cater to her preppy clientele.
For now, Diane is very excited to have her Anchor Knot Rope Bracelets being sold at Life’s A Beach (a Lilly Pulitzer Store) in Duck, North Carolina. The Hyde and Seek Shop in Hunt Valley Maryland also carries a wide variety of her key fobs and hair accessories. As well, she will be donating many items to the Chi Omega Fraternity at DePaul University for their annual “Just Wish For It” Variety Show and Silent Auction. This benefits the Illinois Chapter of The Make A Wish Foundation.
Enter to win your very own Diane W Designs Merchandise!
One winner will receive an Anchor Knot Rope Bracelet, a Madras Key Fob and a 10% off coupon!
One winner will receive a Madras Anchor Bracelet, a Seersucker Anchor Bracelet, a Pink Oxford Alligator Hair Tie, and a 10% off coupon!
Rhyme&Reason Clothing Giveaway
We have been in giveaway heaven recently!!
This week we are hosting our BIGGEST GIVEAWAY EVER…
Rhyme&Reason Clothing has given us, wait for it, Five $200 gift cards for their online store!
Near and dear to our hearts, Rhyme&Reason Clothing is an up and coming company that we posted about a bit ago. They are affiliated with several fantastic charities, and 10% of each regular purchase goes to the charity of your choice! In the future they hope to be a supplier for customized designs and logos, working with the charities, as well as maybe schools and Greek organizations.
But for now, we can just bask in their feel good attitude and feel even better in their clothes. That’s right lovely readers, Rhyme&Reason doesn’t use ordinary materials. Italian Fleece and lusciously soft Jersey and Cotton will feel amazing (trust us, we’ve tried it out). Plus, all of their garments are made in Portugal, which means they are of very good quality.
So, get into back-to-school shopping mode and enter to win… anything you want!
Click the Link Below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Amazing Giveaway!
Our friend Carly from Chicago Prepster is doing a wonderful giveaway right now! Enter to win a bubble necklace from Dear Prudence! It is absolutely adorable, and it will look perfect with any outfit.
Chicago Belt Co. Winner
And the winner is… Conor! Congratulations! We will be emailing you soon with details 🙂
We will be holding off on our next giveaway until our twitter crisis is solved, but stay tuned for more posts this week!
Chicago Belt Co. Giveaway
We are so excited to be working with Chicago Belt Company for our latest giveaway!
If you’re from the Midwest, you will definitely understand owner and creator, Rob Cardenas’ inspiration. After years of wearing clothing that did not represent his Midwest pride, Rob decided to take matters into his own hands and created Chicago Belt Co. in the Spring of 2011. The company’s use of raw materials represents what makes America great: “originality, hard work, and progressiveness”.
Most of the company’s belts sport silhouettes of the Great Lakes in various color combinations. As well, 10% of all regular purchases goes to The Alliance for The Great Lakes (and they come with super cute stickers!). Think it can’t get any better? Oh, it can! These fantastic belts are 100% American made and come with free shipping!!
(Not gonna lie, the seersucker is our favorite!)
They also carry other products such as key fobs, koozies, and these super cute croakies!
Over the last year, Chicago Belt Co. has added many more designs and products, with two new lines coming out at the end of this Summer. By mid-August, they will have dog leashes similar to their current belts. Who doesn’t want to walk Rover in style?!
One announcement that really excited us was that leather ribbon belts are currently in production! These new designs will have a real belt buckle as opposed to the silver rings on the current line, and will also have leather accents.
The Chicago Belt Co. is so excited to be expanding their line, that they want to share it with you!! One lucky winner will receive the belt of their choice! Enter below to win!
Click the Link!
Check out Chicago Belt Co. on WordPress, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook!
More Fun!
Fellow blogger Too Much {Is Never Enough} is hosting a fabulous giveaway! Check out her blog for the chance to win a Harding Lane Needlepoint Hat. Hurry though, it only lasts for two more days!
And as if that weren’t enough, our friend Carly from Chicago Prepster is giving away Greek Lettered or Monogrammed Tees from All That Jas!
The Daily Cardigan 