Etsy Love: Krystledawne Fine Lace Jewelry

I'm excited about today's Etsy Love post for a few reasons.  The first thing that comes to mind is that I met Krystle, the mastermind behind Krystledawne Fine Lace Jewelry, a few years ago at my very first local craft show.  We were both vendors there and I was drawn to her craft of tatting right away.  After some conversation, I learned that tatting is a very old form of lace making.  She sat next to me and we chatted about owning Etsy shops.  She also filled me in on some craft show tips, working on a lovely new tatted piece the whole time.  

{ say Hi to Krystle, everyone!  photo via Krystledawne on Etsy }

Ever since I met Krystle that day, I found myself back at her Etsy shop, browsing, coveting, and maybe borderline-obsessing over her creations.  I knew I needed a Krystledawne piece but had a hard time choosing just one.

I really loved the Spanish Dancer earrings from day one.  In the time since I first started frequenting her Etsy shop, I've seen her offer these earrings in almost any color you can think of.  

{ photo via Krystledawne on Etsy }

Fun facts: 

Krystle hand dyes lots of her own thread to make gorgeous and unique color combinations.  

She has a fun blog where you can read about all her adventures in tatting, even a bit about her thread-dying alter ego, Dr. Von Threadmore!  

She makes beautiful jewelry in classic color combinations, but has also shown that she knows how to keep up with trends when she offers pieces like earrings and tatted flower bobby pins in hot-right-now colors like mustard:

{ photos via Krystledawne on Etsy }

or one of my very favorites, a bracelet in coral and aqua:

{ photo via Krystledawne on Etsy }

Krystle's creativity doesn't stop at earrings, hair pins, bracelets and hand-dyed thread.  She also offers incredible tatted rings, beaded & tatted necklaces, gift sets, and even tatting patterns for all you crafty types.

Okay, back to me.  We can't possibly have an Etsy Love post without me raving about my very own purchase!  When I found these little beauties I knew they had to be mine.

{ photo via Krystledawne on Etsy }

The petite flowers earring in navy blue were right up my alley and incredibly affordably priced.  

I just happened to be browsing my Facebook feed at the very second she posted about them being new to her shop.  I scooped them up in a matter of half-a-minute, and she shipped them to me right away.  They came in a simple, pretty like box that was ideal for gifting, which was perfect because I happened to be gifting myself the day I ordered them!

I enjoy wearing my Krystledawne earrings with dresses as much as I love wearing them with boots and a t-shirt.  I get compliments on them everywhere I go because the craftswomanship is beyond amazing.  The colors and design are excellent.  These won't be my last Krystledawne purchase.

Krystledawne is just what the handmade community needed.  Professional, quality, original, affordable, products with a talented, friendly, business-savvy woman standing behind them.

Thanks Krystle!  

Lucky Me!

In about an hour I'll be packing up my boys and heading to Tacoma to meet with my bff, Jessica, and her precious baby girl.  We're also meeting up with Amy and Parker from A Good Life!  Jessica, Amy and I are high school classmates from way back.  And I do mean way back...our class just had their ten year reunion last month.  Time flies for real.

Besides catching up with some girl talk, ooohing and aaahing over their kids, and a yummy lunch; my purpose for meeting them today is extra exciting.  I made something incredibly awesome for Parker and today is delivery day!  I can't tell you what it is yet because I want Amy to have a chance to show it off on her blog first...

Then I'll be giving one away to one of her readers!!  I know!  I'm just as excited as you are.

Are you like one of my old co-workers and win nearly every contest you enter?  What is the most recent thing you won?  

I did win something the other day, and I'm so excited to tell you about it.  First, though, I need to finish posting my 21 Day Challenge outfits.  Is that enough of a hint?

Mentioned!

I just love waking up in the morning, stumbling to the coffee pot, then sitting down to my computer to find that LilyBaby has been mentioned somewhere in the blogosphere or social media.  And what's even better is when LilyBaby is mentioned by someone I totally look up to professionally.  That's where Stacy comes in.  Stacy, of Stacy Jacobsen Photography, is an all-around lovely lady & fun Momma to a handful of boys (which, as you know, is a "predicament" near and dear to my heart).

On her photography blog, Love Study, Stacy recently dedicated a post to the fourth birthday party she threw for one of her little men.  She special-ordered a whole bunch of felt feathers from me, and a half-dozen each of Peter Pan hats and pirate eye patches.  

The birthday party Stacy put together was to-die-for.  She has an eye for style.  Check out her Etsy shop, Dandy You, to find all kinds of goodies and ideas to make your next party the party-of-the-year!

Also?  Stacy's a darn good choice when looking for a family or wedding photographer.  We had an awesome family session with her in 2010, and she photographed our boys this past Valentine's Day.

{ photo by Stacy Jacobsen Photography }

{ photo by Stacy Jacobsen Photography }

{ photo by Stacy Jacobsen Photography }

We <3 Stacy!

Ten Year Reunion Fashion

One of my favorite bloggers, miss Cami from All Things Lovely, does a regular Fashion Friday post where she puts together looks she finds online to create a really great outfit.  She then shares where she found each item so her readers are able to replicate the look if they wish.

My ten year highschool reunion is just weeks away, and I have no idea what to wear!  I really love Cami's style, although I have a hard time making things look right when I do it myself.  So I put in a special request; to Cami to possibly do a Fashion Friday post based on a possible reunion dress I found online:  

Guess what?  She totally did it!  She styled the dress in three different ways, and I LOVE them all. 

Read Cami's Fashion Friday Reunion Edition post here!

Thanks, Cami!  You're the best.

***UPDATE***
This week's Fashion Friday post is up at All Things Lovely!  Check out the three looks Cami put together using the above dress!  I think I'm gonna go with look #2!

Blog Love

Some kind words were said about LilyBaby's customer service over at the blog, "Breathe It All In".  I've been working closely with the blogger, Liz, for a few weeks creating a custom crib bedding set for the little bundle she's expecting soon.  You can read the post here and get a sneak peek at the fabric she's chosen.

Liz's fabric arrived today, and it is even more beautiful in person than online.  I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and have already finished her crib sheet and throw pillow!  She's been such a fun person to work with, it makes creating this set that much more exciting for me.  I've been so lucky the last year; always getting the best customers!

I'm sure Liz will be posting pictures once her custom crib bedding set is in her hands and I'm beyond excited to see them! 

Featured: Oh My! Handmade Goodness

This morning I was informed that the Peppermint Lily dress has been featured on the Oh My! Handmade Goodness blog.  The Peppermint Lily dress was a special edition for the 2010 holidays.  I made only one dress in each size from newborn to 4T, which made them extra special.

{Limited Edition Holiday 2010 Peppermint Lily Dress}

The Lily dress was featured in a post with a handful of beautiful handmade items from other sellers.  You can view the wonderful article here.

Being featured in OMHG is an honor because it is a well-known blog for readers to find all the latest in handmade goods, along with tutorials, recipes, tips for online sellers, and so much more.  They describe themselves as, "A community for independent children's retailers and the hip parents who support them".  I've been a reader of theirs for quite some time, and even follow them on Facebook.  These people know their handmade stuff!

There's nothing quite like waking up to news you've been featured on a blog you admire to brighten the rest of your day!

More Changes for LilyBaby

It's time.

In addition to the Etsy shop transition into being exclusively for custom orders, I'm getting rid of my beloved spiral silver hand-me-down clothes rack that I use for display at craft shows.  Why, you ask?  Because I'm officially tenatively retiring from the craft show bazaar scene!  Times are changin'.

Although I love getting out for the weekend, meeting new and exciting crafty people, and getting to know my customer base face-to-face, LilyBaby's online sales are sky rocketing!  Enough so that I'm contemplating hiring an intern to help out with packaging and shipping items.  Whew!  Who knew?!  Not me, that's for sure.  Not this soon, anyways. 

Over the last year, I've participated in some shows with a direct cause, such as the fundraiser for a local photographer whose studio was broken into.  I still plan on helping out where I can, but no more $80 table fees at the senior center holiday craft festival for this girl, if you get my drift! 

I owe much of LilyBaby's recent success to the Facebook fans.  Thank you, thank you for spreading the word to your friends and families.  The support I've received from the Facebook fans has truly made this first year of business a joy.  It makes my day to see a "Like" on my posts and pictures. 

Another group of awesome people I owe the success to are the bloggers.  You guys.  Seriously.  I never expected the kind words you write when you review my products.  You can read a couple of the LilyBaby blog reviews here, here, and here.

So thank you, again, to every person who has supported Lily Baby the last ten months and to everyone I've met along the way for your kind words, encouragement and inspiration.  (And if you know someone in my area who would be interested in learning about the handmade marketplace as an intern, send them my way!)

...A Good Life.

All last week the wonderful Amy from the blog, "A Good Life" hosted a LilyBaby review and giveaway!  You can read the post here. 

Amy blogs about life as a new mother and wife, and so much more.  I think she's totally relatable, and nod knowingly while reading her posts about motherhood.  I also think she's my sense-of-humor twin, and I find myself giggling to myself as while reading her posts.  Amy has a fun style of writing that keeps this wandering mind wanting to read more!  Not usually one to get emotional, I cried like a baby when I read her post about looking back on the first six months of motherhood.  People always say to not take for granted the precious moments when raising children, because before you know it they'll be grown.  This post brought back all those wonderful memories that seem so long ago, even though my boys are still pratically babies themselves.

Out of all the Mom Blogs out there, "A Good Life" is currently ranked in the top ten!  How cool is that?!  I try to do my part and vote daily when I can because I appreciate a good read from time to time.  And you know what else is cool?  LilyBaby is a proud sponsor of "A Good Life", and I have claimed a small spot in the righthand column along with the other sponsors.  That's right, the cute little button with a yellow Lily dress, that's me!

Here's Amy's little man, affectionatley known as "P-Ray" on her blog.  He's looking like quite the stud muffin in his Avery hoodie, don't you think?!

Amy hosts regular giveaways and takes part in fun bloggy actvities that everyone is invited to join.  So check out "A Good Life" if you haven't already, and tell her LilyBaby sent you!