December of Giveaways – Week 4!

It’s our last week of December giveaways! This week, we’re giving away this whimsical macaw feather fascinator:

Photo by VanZandt Studios.

This fascinator is handmade from naturally fallen, hand curled macaw feathers, white marabou feathers, a pink, green, and blue button finding with clear rhinestone accents, and vintage Austrian crystals floating mid-air on monofilament thread. The snap clip on the back makes the piece very versatile to wear (it can be turned at any angle.)

Here’s a close up of the piece:

It’s easy to enter:

1. Follow us on Pinterest here.

2. Pin the Pin It To Win It image on any of your Pinterest boards.

3. Comment on this blog post with your Pinterest username.

You can enter a maximum of once a day by completing steps 1-3.

The Week 3 giveaway will last through Sunday, 12/29/13. Open to US residents.Winner will be randomly chosen, and announced Monday, 12/30/13, on this blog page, our Facebook and Twitter accounts, and the winner will be contacted via the email listed with the account they use to comment (if possible.) Winner must respond via email (to buymelovestore@gmail.com) within 48 hours, or another winner will be randomly selected.

Good luck, and happy pinning!

Share the Love,

Chelsea

Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday – Where to Shop & SAVE!

So, if you’ve watched the news or have been on any social media site lately, you’ve probably witnessed, and possibly participated in, the disappointment many have felt toward the companies who have decided to open, and even have mega-sales, on Thanksgiving this year. So, if you’re looking for a way to encourage big businesses to allow their employees to spend the day with their loved ones on Thanksgiving, the obvious choice is to not shop there on the holiday.

You can even go a step further, though, and not have to sacrifice awesome discounts and deals, by supporting local, small, and/or handmade businesses! You see, there’s this nifty day beyond Thanksgiving and Black Friday called Small Business Saturday, on which small businesses around the world participate in giving Black Friday worthy deals to their customers. To top it off, most of us small business people have websites and online stores, and can participate in Cyber Monday, a day when we can all stay in the comfort of our own homes (and, let’s be honest, pajamas,) and still find good deals on merchandise that we may not have been willing to fight the crowds for during the big, in-person shopping extravaganzas. The best part is that if you buy from small businesses online, you’re more likely to find more unique and personal items, and you can still have a less stressful shopping experience while you help your local economy thrive.

As for us, we’ll be offering 20% OFF your entire purchase from Saturday, 11/3, to Monday, 12/2 in our Etsy shop! Simply enter EFWHolidays at checkout to receive your discount. Not only that, but most of the members of our Etsy Fort Worth team will be offering various discounts or free shipping, too, and we’re all using the same discount code to keep things easy. Click the image above to view a list of the participating shops, and their special offers.

We wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving, and a happy holiday shopping experience!

Share the Love,

Chelsea

December of Giveaways – Week 2!

Today begins our second giveaway!

This week, enter to win this sparkling vintage sequin bow ring:

The ring is made from a vintage applique, attached to an adjustable metal ring base that fits most sizes. The back of the bow is carefully covered with matching felt for a soft, finished look. Perfect to wear at holiday parties!

How to enter:

1. Now through Sunday, 12/15/13, follow us on Pinterest.

2. Then, pin this giveaway to one of your boards by using the Pin It button on your browser, or the one at the end of this blog post.

3. Finally, comment with your pinterest name (the name that appears at the end of the URL for your boards page.)

The winner will be chosen randomly based on the comments made, and will be announced here on this blog post on Monday, 12/16. Winner will also be announced on Facebook and Twitter, and the winner will be contacted by the email address associated with the account they use to comment below.

Open to US residents. Enter up to once a day throughout the week by repeating steps 1-3. Voting will close at the end of the day Sunday, 12/15.

Good luck and happy pinning!

Share the Love,

Chelsea

Handmade Holidays 2012 & What I’m Making

So excited to be a part of Etsy817’s Handmade Holidays again this year! Last year we had the show in one of the gyms in the UTA activity center, but this year it’s in Arlington’s Lincoln Square, which is a large shopping center on the north side of the city. The team leaders were able to find a couple of spaces available for rent, and are currently hoping to upgrade to the larger space due to the massive amounts of vendor applications sent in this year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the bigger space comes through, because it’s going to be an awesome show already. If you’re in the area and interested in more info, check out the Etsy817 blog here.

Since the show is going to be here before we know it (in early December,) Mom and I are both in serious creative mode. I’ve been hanging on to some pretty crocheted pieces my grandmother made and left to us, wondering what I should do with them, when it hit me. I’ve been into the trend of body harnesses and jewelry for a long time now. In fact, one of my favorite treasures is a beaded hand harness (ring/bracelet combo) that my grandmother gave me for Christmas years and years ago. Now, of course, it’s this huge trend, and I’ve been thinking of ways I could make the trend my own to sell in the shop. Enter the crocheted squares, hearts, teardrops, flowers, and circles that have been taking up space in one of my many plastic storage containers! So, I started hand beaded each of them, adding charms and buttons, picturing how each piece would lay as jewelry. Add chain, and you have very fall & winter appropriate shoulder and body harnesses.

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So, what do you think? It takes a certain person to brave body harnesses, I think, but I’m one of those people! I hope that these pieces are distinct enough that people will want to wear them over sweaters and blazers as the weather gets cooler. If you’d like to make your own, easy and understated chain body harness, take a look at this easy to follow tutorial.

Share the Love,

Chelsea

Weird Wednesday & Life Update – (Eye)Balls!

After taking a break from blogging to deal with life, I’m back. A little worse for the wear, but I’m here!

First, an update: My aunt passed away Thursday before last, and her memorial is this weekend. It will be held at the location my aunt and her husband were married, and we’re doing a casual potluck. I’m really glad, too, because, like my aunt, I am not a fan of the “wear black and a somber expression” tradition. In the midst of all of this, though, I had to take my mom to the ER for chest pains and shortness of breath. Luckily, I guess, we were already at the hospital for a different test. She was admitted and stayed for four days before being released yesterday. We’re both exhausted, but the hope the doctors and nurses gave her for recovery is fantastic. The doctor was able to manage meds that should have been managed a long time ago by her primary care doc, and she’s already feeling better than she was before she went into the hospital.

Needless to say, we haven’t had time to make much for the etsy shops. I was able to take some pictures of a few little guys that need to be listed today, though! (Etsy’s site is down, so I’m waiting patiently, looking up youtube videos and blog posts …)

A happy family of fuzzy eyeballs!

So far, these googly fuzzballs are being turned into earrings, but I’d like to see what they look like on bracelets and necklaces.

Also, some exciting news! The etsy team we’re involved in, Etsy817, is hosting a holiday craft show called Handmade Holidays this December in Arlington, TX!

Click on the logo for more info!

Hope you’re all having a stress-free week as summer winds down and all the kids and teachers go back to that crazy thing called school!

Share the Love,

Chelsea

Thoughtful Thursday – Sadness, Gladness, and A Little Madness

These past couple of weeks have been doozies. Some close friends of ours lost their father/grandfather, who was an amazing man. He was an inventor and entrepreneur, and his family loves him very much. One of my online friends, a sweet woman who just recently had a baby, also lost her father. This is why the holidays are such a hard time of year for so many people. It’s hard not to associate the sadness with the season. We’re praying and hoping for them to have peace.

We also found out, though, that two of our friends are expecting their first children! Yay! We are now friends with three couples expecting babies for the first time. We’re so excited for them; soon, I’ll be going into full-fledged baby gift making mode.

There’s also the fact that things have just been downright hectic. Mom and I are planning a big yard sale to help “clean house” so she can find a new place to live (and not have to worry about moving as much stuff.) Then there’s a whole issue with our healthcare system that I won’t even get into right now. She’s also been helping me with my Trunk Or Treat costume, and I’ve been making our trunk decorations. Of course, there’s the mondo-project of the Winter Wonderland Festival, which is starting to take shape! I’m trying to find room to store the boxes of decorations people have donated, and so many people have offered to help. It’s warmed my heart to see how many people are willing to donate their time and effort.

My husband just said to me yesterday that he thinks he’s overextended himself. Fortunately, I’ve learned how to ask for help and say no when I just can’t do something (though I don’t always do it,) but I understand where he’s coming from. Sometimes I wonder if it will all get done!

On top of everything, there’s a stomach bug going around that we’ve been trying to avoid. Today, it sounds like Mom may have gotten it. One of the local high schools had hundreds of students and about 10 teachers out from school because of it – nasty stuff. All I’m hoping right now is that Mom feels better, that neither Tom or I get it, and that it doesn’t rain this weekend. I’m just gonna believe it will all work out, because it always does.

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Chelsea

Whatever Weekend – Strictly Business

Ahh, Saturday. There you are.

Last night, we went to the Colt Cookout, an event our church has put on for the last five years at one Arlington High School football game a year. It’s basically a giant tailgating party where we give our food out to hungry teachers, kids, parents, university employees, and anyone else who stops by. One of our friends dressed up like a hot dog, and we all served people for several hours. Unfortunately, we were asked to cut it short by a not-so-happy AHS booster club member, but that’s okay. We’d given the majority of the food away already, and fed lots of very happy people!

The postcard flyers and lawn sign I ordered from vistaprint.com for the Winter Wonderland Festival came this week, and I’m really happy with the way they turned out. I also made a website for the event, so that people can invite everyone they know with an email and a link to the site. I used wix.com, which is free, and you can make as many websites, buttons, widgets, whatever as you want!  It’s a great business tool for online sellers, you can make online invitations, or personal sites, and it’s not hard to use at all. Check out the event site I made and let me know what you think: www.wix.com/parkrow/Winter-Wonderland

I hope all of you are enjoying your weekend! I’m off to clean house and work, which really isn’t as bad as it sounds.

Share the Love,

Chelsea

Thoughtful Thursday – Holiday Countdown

Here in the U.S., there are only 41 days until Thanksgiving. That means Christmas is a mere 71 days away – that’s 10 weeks!

I have made one Christmas present. Holiday fail. That countdown definitely motivates me to get them made, though!

If you’re in the buying mode (but haven’t bought much yet), here are some thoughtful (and affordable) gift suggestions for your friends and family.

Wrap It Up, I’ll Take It

Eli The Elephant Christmas Card by ScribblyKids

Cross Greeting Card by ArtworkSW

Personalized Christmas Tags by mccaligiuri

For People Who Talk To Their Animals

Under The Sea Organic Cotton Cat Collar by collarswithcolor

Rear Gear for your cat and dog by reargear

Pet Bling Tag by hownice

For Cool Nerds

Applique Glasses Case by scotatto

Computer Key Switch Plate ctrl alt del by alamodestuff

Computer Power Button Symbol Necklace by DesertArtisan

For The Gals

Pink Bath Puff by AddSomeStitches

Jumbo Cinnamon Roll Double Goat's Milk Soap by soapopotamus

Beaded Vintage Austrian Crystal & Glass Bracelet by BuyMeLove

Cake Cruffes by KGSweets - 1 Dozen

For The Guys

Shaving Soap - Pepperberry

Mayfly Streamber Brown and Yellow Trout Fly by NoFlysOnYou

Keep It Level In Blue Cufflinks by blinkphoto

Dark Maple One Pound Hand Crafted Coffee by DowntownRoasters

Of course, the holiday season isn’t about gifts, but it is pretty nice to see the look on someone’s face when they open a cool present. If you don’t have the money to give material things, just give a little extra of your time and love. The people who love you back will appreciate it!

Share the Love,

Chelsea