Sweet Treats (new headbands added)

I just refreshed the shop and it feel good to do that!  I added five new dainty headband colors.  I have five of each color made and they are just dying to have a happy home. (wink!)  I have peachy pink, cabaret magenta, sweet lilac, ivory, and classic red. Perfect pops of color to freshen up you and your daughter's winter wardrobe. I always feel ready to add more color in my clothing choices this time of year. To me--valentine's day is onnnnnneeee step closer to spring!

 

My customers always (lucky me!!) come back for my dainty headbands. They really are magical. They are just the right size for your little ones head (yes, newborns too!). They will fit newborns and stretch to fit adults. They do not lose their shape or get stretched out. You can wear it one day and share with your daughter the very next. My friends and I love these headbands and I'm sure you will too.


All new headbands are available for purchase in my SHOP. They are listed in limited quantities and are not guaranteed to be restocked once sold out.

Lillypie and EM Studio Salon ((GIVEAWAY))

 The past month has been FULL. Full of baby. Full of toddler. Full of dishes. Full of laundry. Full of fun days at the park. Full of My Little Pony. and FULL OF LILLYPIE!  :)

My new collection launches on October 5th. Mark your calendars ladies---lots of wonderful new accessories are wanting new homes. Eeeep! More on the new collection later this week.

In between designing, creating, and photographing my new collection I also began working with the wonderful owners of EM Studio Salon in Brownsburg, Indiana. I've been a fan of the salon for a long time and frequent a certain chair every 6-8 weeks. :) I adore everything about the salon and the sweet ladies in it. The ladies at EM want to empower their clients to feel their best. They want each and every person that walks into their wonderful, little, chic salon to feel even more beautiful than they already are. Amen, Hallelujah, Rock On---right?! Those of you in the Indy area should really check them out!

EM Studio Salon is now carrying my full Fall/Winter collection and I'm just OVER THE MOON excited.

To celebrate our wonderful friends who love and support us we decided to reward a lucky lady  with a FREE EM Studio Salon Manicure, a Black Dot Necklace (latte da 2012) and Vintage Amber Brooch/Clip (latte da 2012).

You can be entered to win by completing this Rafflecopter giveaway. Those of you who've never used this before--SUPER easy. I always log in as facebook because it's super easy--but you can also just use an email address! 
Best of luck friends! Thank you for supporting EM Studio Salon and Lillypie---we adore you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

after the fireworks.
and annoying popper things.
and jello cake decorated like a flag.
and the burgers.
and the sparklers.
and the fun times.



COME ON BACK and CELEBRATE with ME. Big THANGS going on here.

bzzz bzzzzz the pretty bee {giveaway!}

TODAY IS MY LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. BYE BYE KIDDIES!!! Hellowww  full time MOMMY  and Lillypie. I'm stoked. STOKED! Teachers always cry on the last day of school.  We tear up genuinely for two reasons.

1. We WILL miss your kids...occasionally.  It's fun to see them grow and sad to see them move on.

2. We are crying tears of pure JOY. Joy for the fact that we now get to spend the next two months relaxing and recouping and rejuvenating ourselves back into feeling human again.

{via}

So..my tears are dried and ...I'm in the partying mood. and I have the perrrrfect gal to help me celebrate.

Meet Kelly from The Pretty Bee

(Kelly) am a stay at home mom of a busy little toddler boy, and a professional violinist. After my son was born I realized that I didn't want to be away from him! My mom suggested selling my jewelry online. Selling on Etsy has been a great opportunity for me to work from home. I still do a few musical gigs, but designing jewelry has allowed me to stay home and be the kind of hands on mom that I want to be. As a bonus, I get to be creative every day! It's so fun to think of my designs being worn and enjoyed by people around the world!

My shop, Linkel Designs features colorful handmade jewelry with whimsical touches, like bees, bicycles and flowers. My blog, The Pretty Bee is where I share recipes, craft projects and home decor inspiration. I also post outfit pictures from time to time.

overcoming obstacles
I would say the biggest "yes" moment for me was about a year after I opened my Etsy shop and was slammed with orders during the Christmas rush. It was exciting and also scary to have to fill so many orders at once. Making it through that season was a big accomplishment and gave me confidence that I could really do this full time!

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE

Two of these statements are true about Miss Kelly--one is a bold face LIE. Guess the LIE as an entry to the giveaway and if you get it right? You get 5 EXTRA entries. Woomp!

During my pregnancy I craved Cinnamon Life cereal and Chicken Tikka Masala.

My parents had a cat named Margarita and a chihuahua named Tequila when they were first married.

I'm petrified of flying.
 
 

Kelly is giving away $25 shop credit to one of my lucky party-lovin readers!!

 

 
Here is how to enter :)
To enter, simiply visit Linkel Designs shop and leave a comment telling me what your fave item is! That's it!

for those of you who would like extra entries here ya go!

{please leave a separate comment for each entry}

1. answer the two truths and lie question! You guess right, you get 5 extra entries!!

2. follow Kelly's  blog

3. tweet about it! please link @lauralillypie and @theprettybee

Here is an example to copy and paste--

Check out a great giveaway from @theprettybee  hosted by @lauralillypie. It's beeeeautiful!

Kelly's Twitter:

Thanks, Kelly!!

Giveaway ends June 3rd  at midnight EST!

oh...and if you love lillypie? you might want to visit Kelly's blog....i'm hanging over there with a saweeet giveaway as well. :)

Madrin Designs {giveaway!}

Summer is coming. It's almost here! I'm ready to celebrate, are you?

{via}

Over next few weeks leading up to my summer break--(holla!)  I'll be hosting some great giveaways to get you in the summer state of mind. I also want to say THANK YOU for sticking with this little blog! I adore your comments and appreciate your support. I am a little bitty blog--but I have the heart of a big one. So, let's pull out our flip flops and sun dresses and win some amazing summer goodies!! Woooot! I can't wait for you to meet these gals and the fun and fresh goodies that they make! Seriously--amazing and if I could enter my own giveaway I totally would--that's a little weird though and prooobably not good blog etiquette.

Meet Kristin of Madrin Designs!

My name is Kristin Trautmann Johnson. I am a wife and mother. My husband has lived out of state because of a job change since September, so my kids and I have been flying solo these past months. My kids, Maddox and Marin are 6 and 2, respectively. We live in Greenfield, IN right now, but we’re moving to Antelope Valley, California in 3-4 weeks to be with my husband. We have 3 dogs, Sophie, Lola, and the puppy, Dexter. Aside from all of that, I consider myself an designer and assembler of jewelry.

 What is your business all about?

MadrinDesigns is a handmade jewelry company I started in May 2008, after the birth of my daughter the previous November. One day, I was at Michael’s and saw the lovely and colorful bead row and was hooked instantly. I had no idea how to make jewelry, but knew I wanted to try. I bought a couple of how-to books and got started. It turns out people thought I was good at designing all of the pieces I made, so I decided to make a go of a business out of it. I named my business after my two children, by combining their names. I started off selling to friends and then decided to apply to my first show that was only one month past when I decided to do all of this in the first place. I continue to sell my products at fairs, festivals etc., while also consigning to several boutiques over the years.

My jewelry is really all about ME! Shocking to say, right? I literally only make things I would personally wear. This was my first thought when I was making an informal business plan. I didn’t want to cave to what was popular at some of the first shows I did. We’ve all seen what I’m talking about: earrings for every holiday, necklaces that look like they were put together by my 3 year old and stuff only my Grandma would wear (no offense, Grandma!). I wanted to make jewelry that my friends would want for gifts and what I wanted to see at the festivals we’ve all been to. I was aiming my designs towards the 18-30ish market that I felt was desperately under-represented by handmade jewelers. Around the same time, I found out about Etsy and claimed a piece of the uber-successfulness of theirs for myself.

Who/What is your inspiration?

Inspiration: color, clothing, art, texture, my mom, the list could go on forever. I do find inspirations in the strangest places sometimes. A sign with an interesting color combination inspired a necklace once. Vintage anything inspires me, especially the 1930s, 40s, and 50s! I said my mom inspired me because she is one person I see everyday usually and loves jewelry! I make things for her sometimes just to match a certain suit she wears to work (she’s a little matchy-matchy for me, but I defer to her choices once in a while). I love looking at any clothing from haute couture to what my friends wear to take the kids to school. Anything can spark my imagination creatively. I open myself to it.

Any big future plans for your business/shop?

As for the future of MadrinDesigns, my first step is to make the big move to California. I want to concentrate on my Etsy shop while we’re there. And if I could find some small, local shows to do, even better! I want to keep making jewelry as long as people are still buying it and I keep my passion for it. Because that’s what it’s all about: love, passion, desire. Those things keep you happy and constantly advancing in your life.

Any advice for those who want to start a handmade biz?

For those that want to start a handmade art/craft business, I say this: Do what you love and others will love it too. Always follow your instincts and trust your gut, hasn’t led me astray yet!

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Amazing styled jewelry right? Grab a tissue---wipe the drool, I'll wait.

Kristin is a doll and is generously giving away a necklace of hers to one of my readers. If you're a public follower of this lil blog, this silver love necklace could be around your pretty neck this summer! There are so many things to love about summer...and nothing will remind you more of those things than wearing the word around yo neck!

To enter, simiply visit Madrin Designs shop and leave a comment telling me what your fave item is! That's it!

for those of you who would like extra entries here ya go!

{please leave a separate comment for each entry}

1. like Madrin's facebook page!

2. follow her blog

3. tweet about it! please link @lauralillypie and @madrindesigns
Here is an example to copy and paste--
Check out a great giveaway from @madrindesigns hosted by @lauralillypie. It's perfect for summer! http://tinyurl.com/3z73o3w

Thanks, Kristin!

Giveaway ends May 18th at midnight EST!

Good Luck! <3

Cute. Pregnant. and giving things away!

 No no no, not me! :) yet...

Do you know E?

I hope you do, because---

Well, she's darling and GLOWING.

and check out that  coral rose lillypie brooch! ;)

She's hosting a great lillypie giveaway this week! Go see!

Giveaway!! with Meg! excitement!

 I'm excited! and when I'm excited--I type fast. Here we go!

I became obsessed with Megan Lane's ruffles this fall. I stumbled upon  her etsy shop , Pretty Things By Meg and immediately 'hearted' it. I soon became a follower of her blog and have a huge style crush on her, her outfits, her shop, and her personality.  You will too--trust.

We've been in contact and she is graciously featuring my shop and blog today! She's helping a girl out with some exposure and a fun little interview.  Super nice, right?  I love making new friends!

Pop on over to her blog and check it out! I'm giving away $30 shop credit and I have a coupon code available to her followers for 15% off.

I told you, EXCITEMENT!!

Giveaway ends Thursday, April 28th! Tell your friends! :)

Cheers!

WELCOME SLUMBER PARTY FRIENDS!!
I'm Laura. This is my blog.
Click here to go to my most recent post.
This is an older post, but I think it will help you get to know me. Since we're about to become BFFS. :)

 Cheers!

Remember 2009? Doesn't it seem like we were just saying PEACE OUT to that year?

lessons learned in 2010 {with link backs {or is it backlinks?} in case you'd like to read about my life...again[they are in the liiiight as in basically a twinge lighter grey than the post text fyi] }

ugh. yes I'm a teacher, excuse that last trainwreck of a statement.

1. that parenting is HARD ::ehh...der!!:: and being a working mom demands respect and killa time management skillz

2. that snow days are awesome. but they are the most awesomest when you're a teacher with a new baby that you have to leave!

3. that THE LORD PROVIDES for his children. and loves em'. no matter what! this seems to be a reoccurring lesson for me. probably because for some silly reason, I always forget.

4. miss carrie underwood? is short.

5. that baybees will always cause you to worry more than you need to, even in sunny warm states. :)

6. that sometimes i can get ahead of myself and my ::FOOLPROOF: plans...don't quite go as planned.

7. that I AM a strong woman. FULLY CAPABLE of achieving my dreams. PROOF

8.  that I complain a lot. A LOT. But when I sit down and think about it? I have a lot to THANKFUL for.

9. my daughter, lilly, is HI-larious.

10. MY DREAMS CAME TRUE! I'm a small business owner.

11. that I can become SLIGHTLY :read: INSANELY  obsessed with party decor.

Great year.

Hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures and strolling down memory lane.

P.S. I'm doing a lillypie giveaway.  I'm giving away lillypies, which are essentially my babies. That's HUGE.  At least to this momma bear.

:::GIVEAWAY CLOSED:::

lillypie giveaway! omgsh!

Few Things....

1. There is a random fly buzzing around my kitchen and it is seriously driving me insane. I have a fly swatter with me at all times so I can catch this sucker and smash the s out of it.

2. I'm going to a pool pool for the first time today when Lilly wakes up. Seriously, it's JULY and I haven't been to a REAL pool yet? What has my life turned into? Oh yea, baby pools and trying to get lillly to not stand up and knock herself out in the cute wittle baby giraffe.

3. I've been CRAZY busy with lillypie.accessories!! I've had tons of orders and I'm having SO MUCH FUN!

This is going to sound crazy, but I kinda feel like I'm doing what I was supposed to do. Nope, teaching is fun and gives me crazy funny stories, but making hair bands and clippies? COMPLETES ME. ha. No really. Creating fun designs with beads. Hot gluing my fingers together. Picking apart flowers. Finding the best and most comfortable headbands. Yep, gives me a new sense of creativity and artsy-fartsyness. I looove it. And because I'm having so much fun...and I love ya'll so much. I'm gonna give some away! :) eeeeeks!

Here are the designs that are up for grabs......

This is the beckett. thick nylon band. fits eerrrrybody.  three poppy flowers. pearl and beaded center. named after my bff's baby who will be ONE in july. holy mother.

this is the ella. partially lined alligator clip. heat sealed ends. good for those babies with hair {poor lill} . cute coraly-red flower. pearl and beaded center. named after my bff's 2 year old daughter who loooooooves clippies. and looking fab.

--------------------------------------------------

Mandatory Entry:

Become a public follower of my blog and leave me a comment

please.and.thank.you.

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Extra Entries:

Go to my facebook page ( on the left side) and leave me a comment  on this post about what your favorite style is

Become a fan of lillypie.accessories on facebook

Blog about lillypie and link back to my blog

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That's it I think! Leave a separate comment for each entry. I'll draw two winners  on Monday. I hope people enter. I'll feel so dumb if noone does!

happy fourth of july!

 time for mexican beer and chinese fireworks :)

and apple pie.

ooh! you'd like to order some? email me.  cursivelaura@gmail.com

xoxo

awww. bffs. this is brooke. my neighbor. same age. jealous of the hair.