Happy Customers...Happy New Year!!!

Here are some of my happy customers in the past few years!  I would love to see any pictures you might have of your lil ones with my designs.  Feel free to share!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CUTTING BOARD GIVEAWAY WINNER!!!

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!
Thank you to all of you who supported my blog, but most of all my friend Gary's work.  Please spread the word!!!  A great way to use your Christmas money, if you didn't win this time!!!  I bought three of these for Christmas gifts and myself!!  I can tell you they are prettier even in person.  I am keeping mine on my counter as a kitchen decoration as well.  Next, I am going to buy one of those adorable American Girl Doll type bunk beds he just posted with bedding!!!  So cute!

Anyhow...I digress....here is the winner after 130 entries!!!!
ALLYCE SMITH!!!!!

Allyce, I will email you and Gary will too.  Contact one of us soon so we can get this off in the mail to you!  Thanks to all who participated...stay tuned for more giveaways in the new year!

Here is how the choosing went down:

True Random Number Service

List Randomizer

There were 130 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Allyce Smith
2. Jessica P.
3. Allyce Smith
4. Chloe Blane
5. Chelsea Wilkinson
6. Christy Ann
7. Mamma Cass
8. Chelsea Wilkinson
9. Christy Ann
10. Robin
11. Alexandra
12. Maegan Morin
13. holly Radway
14. momentary lapse
15. bcbeaveratheart
16. Aneesa bint Lewis
17. Hi, Im Kelly!
18. Alexandra
19. Chelsea Wilkinson
20. momentary lapse
21. katythecountryblossom
22. Cindy
23. Allyce Smith
24. Jessica P.
25. logansmommy0611
26. Mamma Cass
27. Christy Ann
28. Alexandra
29. bcbeaveratheart
30. katythecountryblossom
31. Marija
32. Chloe Blane
33. Diana
34. Chloe Blane
35. Cait Long
36. katythecountryblossom
37. Cindy
38. Lindsey
39. Mamma Cass
40. Cindy
41. Robin
42. Robin
43. Jackeline Davila
44. Mamma Cass
45. shootingstarmag
46. Allyce Smith
47. Krystal Lynn
48. Alexandra
49. Lindsey
50. Cait Long
51. tinkywinkytoessr
52. jennafish
53. Cait Long
54. bcbeaveratheart
55. Bee W Bedard
56. tinkywinkytoessr
57. Aneesa bint Lewis
58. Christy Ann
59. John Supica
60. logansmommy0611
61. Cindy
62. Bee W Bedard
63. Jackeline Davila
64. Chelsea Wilkinson
65. Aneesa bint Lewis
66. Cait Long
67. Bee W Bedard
68. Valerie
69. bcbeaveratheart
70. holly Radway
71. Diana
72. Chelsea Wilkinson
73. Christy Ann
74. Bee W Bedard
75. Alexandra
76. Marija
77. Valerie
78. Mamma Cass
79. holly Radway
80. logansmommy0611
81. Kaytee
82. Valerie
83. tinkywinkytoessr
84. Roman M
85. holly Radway
86. Yvie
87. logansmommy0611
88. holly Radway
89. tinkywinkytoessr
90. logansmommy0611
91. Chloe Blane
92. Aneesa bint Lewis
93. tinkywinkytoessr
94. holly Radway
95. momentary lapse
96. katythecountryblossom
97. Allyce Smith
98. katythecountryblossom
99. jennafish
100. Allyce Smith
101. Cait Long
102. Krystal Lynn
103. Aneesa bint Lewis
104. Valerie
105. jennafish
106. momentary lapse
107. Jessica P.
108. jennafish
109. Diana
110. Maegan Morin
111. Chloe Blane
112. Krystal Lynn
113. Yvie
114. Maegan Morin
115. katythecountryblossom
116. Chelsea Wilkinson
117. Valerie
118. Cindy
119. Hi, Im Kelly!
120. bcbeaveratheart
121. Alexandra
122. Bee W Bedard
123. Chloe Blane
124. Yvie
125. Valerie
126. Jackeline Davila
127. Bee W Bedard
128. Aneesa bint Lewis
129. Cait Long
130. debbie

Timestamp: 2012-12-21 01:39:47 UTC

Giveaway winner...check back in a few

Excuse my delay in this giveaway...I have been dealing with finals in addition to the Christmas rush and all the things there are to do with your family.  :)  I am uploading the entries to Random.org now...and I should have a winner in a few minutes. Check back in a few!

Merry Christmas giveaway worth $90!!! - yours for free - if you win.

How would you like to win this??? A beautiful and professional END-GRAIN Cutting Board 12" x 16" x 1" thick crafted from Cherry, Hard Rock Maple and Red Oak valued at 90.00!! 

Cutting boards are a kitchen "must-have" for all the cooks on your holiday shopping list.  And with all the holiday cooking just around the corner, make sure your own kitchen gets this gift as well. Read on to find out how you can win...

Meet Gary Lindsey...a family friend and a new shop owner on Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/shop/GaryLWoodCreations  Gary lives in Savannah Georgia, a place known for it's history, beauty, and the arts.  He is a father of 5 (#6 bun in the oven), a musician, a photographer, and an active member in his church's praise team . Gary has two special needs children and is very active in his local Autism community. Gary was in the "corporate America"  for 20+ years.  The recent poor economy has led him into another business venture...his own. Gary creates BEAUTIFUL, top of the line, professional grade cutting boards made by hand.  Get to know this artist better; here is my interview with him:

How been have you been working with wood? I can't remember not doing it.  My dad "got me hooked" building with wood at 15 years old.  I have been building a variety of wood creations 35 years now.

Do you remember the first thing you ever made? A Dachshund dog shaped tie rack for my father. I made it in high school wood shop.

What is your favorite wood to work with and why? Walnut, it is beautiful and rich.  Walnut is even more luxurious looking when finished.  It smells good when you are cutting it, too.   This high - end wood always turns out beautiful when properly crafted.

What do you like about woodworking? I love the creativity of taking a raw piece of wood and then molding,  shaping, and crafting it into a beautiful finished product. I enjoy the smell of it and the feel of wood. I enjoy repurposing things and the connection to nature.  Taking a tree and  transforming it into a cutting board, a doll bunk bed, etc is a great creative challenge and fulfillment.   I must admit, the alone time of escaping into my little garage wood shop to do my work is also a nice break when you are raising a village of children.  (We parent crafters can relate to that!)

What made you decide to open an etsy shop?

After years of creating a huge variety of wooden creations that have included large farmhouse-style tables, monster-sized wooden porch swings, cutting boards, picture frames, etc...people would see them and say, "You need to sell these!"

After much encouragement through the years, I decided to open a shop. An Etsy shop had much less overhead and allows me to exercise more creative control than a traditional store
 The Etsy Community is great to! The community has opened up so many possibilites like networking with other crafters and being encouraged by the success stories on the blog.  It provided an opportunity to offer my creations all over the world.  In addition, the opportunity to create an income stream on Etsy to support my growing family is unlimited in this very challenging economy.  My wife and I have made the decision to homeschool our children, so every little bit helps.  And because two of our kids are special-needs,  the "make your own schedule" flexibility allows me to help my wife raise our children even more.  Also, I'm able to be an active member of the music ministry at my church.

Is it hard to balance your Etsy shop and your kids, your church commitments and life in general? How do you balance it?  Yes it is.

The fact that my wife is the combination homeschooling /

stay-at-home mom, allows me the opportunity to spend a few hours "working my Etsy shop" during the day. We generally put the kids to bed earlier than most and then I'll be able to work into the night as needed.

Side note: his wife, Erin, also has a budding shop on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/myellidesigns .  She makes adorable kids clothes.  I have seen some of her recent creations that she needs to post...A D O R A B L E!!!

What is your long term vision? 

To create items that "wow" the recipient. I see that more and more folks are going "back-to-basics" by opening Etsy shops.  The country is looking for quality versus quantity nowadays  and there is something to be said about the appeal of handmade, meticulously crafted one-of-kind products.  In this difficult economy, I believe your own business is your best bet at stability, since it is all on you and you're not subject to the whims of executives at some distant corporate office.  An additional goal is to produce enough income to work in the home, allowing me to be a maximum part of helping to raise our children. Raising kids is a difficult job, and raising special-needs children...even more so. 

I know you are a christian...how do your morals tie into how you run your Etsy shop? I treat every customer with integrity and will always endeavor to go "above and beyond".  Any opportunity I can, I will exceed my customer's expectations.  My reputation and long-term success is dependent on it.  These values are not only good values, but Godly values.  Christ calls us to bless our employer, bless our customers,  bless those around us, and bless those that are less fortunate.

What advice do you have for my readers when purchasing wood products? Make sure to select the right wood for your purpose. For example a table  that will take much abuse (the kids or a family table), needs to be made out of a harder wood to last.  It is worth the investment.  Harder woods include: Maple, Oak, Cherry.  On the other hand, some softer woods would be a great choice for a table that you want to look rustic, like the farm table I made for my family.  Pine will show up every nick, but if rustic is what you are going for, stick with the pine because the nicks will give it more character. Soft woods include, Pine, Cedar, Cypress, Spruce.  Keep in mind that the softer woods are cheaper for a reason.  Harder woods are more expensive because they will out last all of us!

What can we expect new from your shop? 

I am about to roll out a few pieces of "American Girl" type furniture.

American Girl is the wildly popular 18" doll that seems to need every accessory under the sun :)  These items I roll out will be 100% applicable to any 18" sized doll.  Yay!  I am putting my order in for my girls.

Being that you are a bass player, Who is your favorite rock star and why? Sir Paul McCartney of the Beatles.  Why? Because he is a great bass player, composer, and he always delivers.  The man is 70 years old and he is as good now as he was in the Beatles.


I want to thank Gary for his time in this interview and most of all his GENEROUS giveaway.  I myself bought a few of these for myself and family.  They are beautiful and his completion of them was done in a great timely manner.  You almost hate to cut on them.  They are so beautiful, that mine stays out on the counter as a decorative piece in my kitchen as well.

So here is the scoop on the giveaway:
Giveaway will be active from Dec. 12  - 17 
in hopes that you will get it by Christmas!  
Entries will be drawn on Dec. 17 at 10pm East Coast time via Random.org.


HOW TO ENTER FOR THE GIVEAWAY:
Do one of the things below...get one entry do all four...get four entries into the giveaway.  Do the two extras also...you will have six entries!  The more entries, the higher your shot at winning!

1. Like Gary's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gary-Lindsey-Wood-Creations/286373721462960
2. Favorite his Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/GaryLWoodCreations
3.  Favorite one item in his shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/GaryLWoodCreations
4. Share a link to his etsy shop or facebook page on your facebook and get 2 extra entries!
5. Don't forget to come back to this post and comment your name and email and what you did for the entry.  How else will we be able to contact you if you won?

extra entries (these only count if you did the ones above):
1. like my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lillollipopsdesigns
2. like my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lillollipopsdesigns

My Pinterest Inspired Room!

I am SOOOOO addicted to Pinterest.  Aren't you??  I have actually done more than pinned items.  I actually made some of the cool DIYs I have seen on there, can you believe it???  lol  My dinning room is ok, but it needed a little love.  Being that we are in a rental until our new house is ready, I have decided not to take the time to paint the walls here.  I will save it for the new home.  I hate white walls, but what are you going to do?  I'll tell you what to do...decorate in other ways.  Our table has been worn and used quite a bit over the years, but we bought it in Hawaii, when we lived there, so I kind of love the rustic, old world feeling to it.  Refinishing that will have to wait for another day.  First I did this cute and simple craft I saw on Pinterest.  I am sure you have seen it.  I changed it just a bit.

I used the same kind of candle stick holders and changed the sizes of the jars.  I bought them at Hobby Lobby.  I don't have a hobby lobby near me, so I ordered them online.  The jars are glass with a metal top.  Actually, now that I look at the picture, not sure why the middle one is leaning...I will have to check on that. :)  So if you have read the Pinterest pin or seen them on many blogs basically you need this:
-3 larger size circular wooden plaques
-3 wooden candle sticks (any size or style, I used the same size and style)
-3 smaller circular wooden plaques
-3 different sized glass jars with sqrew top lids
-3wood finials.
-twine or any natural kind of rope
Check out the post I got this from at Uncommon Designs http://www.uncommondesignsonline.com/2010/09/boo-apothecary-jars.html

Glue all the items together with E-6000 multipurpose glue you can find at craft stores.  I tried hot glue...doesn't hold long, so skip the hot glue.  Start with the larger plaque on the bottom, glue on the candlestick on top.  Let dry.  Glue the smaller plaque to the top of the candlestick.  Let dry.  Glue one of the jars on top of the smaller plaque and let dry.  While doing that...have the lid of the jar off and glue the finial on top of that so they can dry at the same time. Once all of them are set, I would give it at least 1/2 a day, get out the paint!  Any color will be great.  I choose black, but I have seen white, cream, even hot pink.  Once everything is painted, including the top of the lids and the finials and they all dried you can do one of two things.  You can make it shiny by using a spray gloss over all of the pieces, careful not to get it on the glass of the jar, or you can do what I did and shabby them up with a sand block or sand paper.

The final steps are dressing them up.  I took twine and wrapped it around the outside of the lids and hot glued it on as I went so it would look organic. Above is a better picture of that.  Also this is before I shabbied the paint up, so you can see how that looks.  Next the ideas are limitless. You can hang letters from them that spell out something, you can hang wood plaques, you can add bows, you can leave them as they are, whatever you like.  Play with it and you can change it depending on the season.  I choose to use black paint on wood and oil pastels for the words. As for what to put inside, that is endless too.  I put three different types of colored beans I bought at the grocery store for very cheap.  You can use nuts, you can use candy corn, fake snow, leaves, fighter fish (:)) anything really.

I LOVE coffee.  Let me rephrase that, if there was a way to have a coffee keg... I would want it!  On Pinterest, I saw how someone on a blog had made a coffee bar.  Hers was very rustic and cute.  I thought, YES!!!  Coffee is so special and such a ritual it needs it's own special spot, an alter, if you will.  So after looking at goodwill, salvation army, and other used furniture places I decided to go to the unfinished furniture shop.  There are ALWAYS good deals to be had there.  I was lucky enough to find something already finished, and on sale.  SCORE!  It was the only one in the store as well.  So, I bought this apothecary (which I am still learning to pronounce) cabinet/chest.  It was perfect!  So I moved it into the dinning room a brought in all my coffee items.  A lot of it is in the drawers to avoid a cluttered look including my french press, grinder, extra coffee pods, and mugs.  I even remembered to put a small trash can next to it.  I went to TJ MAX or Marshalls, can't remember and picked up this lil standing twiggy thing too.  Check out the coffee bar that inspired me here at the Vintage Wren: http://thevintagewren.blogspot.com/2011/08/coffee-bar.html

You may have noticed in the picture before this one that there is a wreath hanging from the window.  That I did not get from Pinterest, but I have since pinned it, if it wasn't there already.  VERY EASY!!!  Actually, it was so easy, my mother in law and my kids made it for me. Take a twig wreath that you can find at any craft store and buy some assorted nuts with shells and a ribbon.  FYI, I could not find any nuts with  shells in my area...went to 5 stores, crazy!  So if you have the same problem, do what I did...go on Amazon and you can buy two HUGE bags of assorted nuts with shells.  So all you do is hot glue the nuts all over the wreath and add a ribbon.  Ta DA!

Hope this gives you lots of ideas and encourages you to not just pin, but create what you pin!!  If you wish to follow me on pinterest, you can do it here: http://pinterest.com/lillollipops/ or search my name under lillollipops.  Please let me know if you have any "pinterest rooms".  If you do, I would love to feature you on my blog or direct my readers to your blog, if you have one with an article on your creation.

Do you need a laugh???

As I mentioned in a prior post, I am pursuing my BFA degree in Fashion Design. Hopefully I will be able to share a lot of the tricks of the trade with all of you. Today I want to share something that will crack you up! This is my 5 year old who thinks she is a fashion designer.  To get her to wear anything other than zebra and leopard is a challenge.  A few years ago we were buying her a "big girl bed" and we needed to shop for bedding.  I tried to get her to get this cute little owl bedding and what does she do???  She runs down the aisle and says, very dramatically, "Mama I WANT THIS!!!"  She pointed to a hot pink zebra print comforter with black Marlboro feathers.  "Um.."I stuttered..."that is only for teenagers."  Of course we had a bit of a fit at that point.  We ended up getting a cute little pink set with flowers.  I think the next room we decorate...which will be soon when we move, I might give into her Rock Star fantasy.  Keep in mind, we have NEVER had MTV or VH1 on in our home.  Where did she get this idea???  :)  I made the mistake of singing in a rock band at a Fourth of July celebration in our town when we lived in Savannah.  I had never seen her eyes so big as she watched me singing on stage for the whole set.  I almost thought she was going to start mosh pitting.  Ever since...and that was when she was three...she has had this fantasy of being a rock star.  So now you have the background on my lil crazy one.  :)  The first video below is her crazy, sassy personality...boy do we have our hands full!!  The second one she is...describing "her latest fashions".  It was as if she had her own infomercial on fashion.  Have a good laugh and feel free to share.

NEW Fall 2012 Colors

If you are wondering what to put your child in this this fall, or even yourself for that matter, you don't have to look far to find the new colors for fall.  Pantone.com is the go to for colors for each season.  Many fashion magazines will quote them and all of us fashion designers follow them too for each season.  Here are the colors for us girlies this season:

The colors for lil boys and men is just a bit different:

An as most of us know....not wearing white after labor day is no longer a custom.  Many designers had lots of white in the fall runways so don't be afraid to rock the white!

Gone...but not forgotten!!!

I will not bore you with the reasons of why I have been MIA.  My shop has been closed for a few months, which is the longest I have ever closed my shop before.  I have come to a few conclusions while on my hiatus.

One: I am going back to school to get my BFA in Fashion Design.  Life is short.  Do what you love and what inspires you.  There are other things that inspire me, however.  I was a voice major in my past and I sing and write music.  I still sing a few times a month publicly. Unfortunately, being a mom of two (one special needs), it is just not possible to spend all the time I want with my children, support my husband and still sing gigs or participate in major theatre productions.  ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN B!!  Ladies...and men, but I believe my audience here is women, do what you love.  Life is so short.  Do not let it pass you by.  Today you live, tomorrow could be your last.  We all take life too lightly.  We take it for granted.  So for me....plan B is my BFA in Fashion Design to further my lil girls clothing line.  YAY!  More updates to come...and tutorials too!

Two:  I have so many ideas and patterns of outfits to make or design.  Yet, there they sit.  I know I will be busy with school, but I am going to go through these ideas one by one and create them and share them with you here.  Hopefully some of them I can even pass along a tutorial  or two.  :)

Third: As much as I want to, I just don't have time for custom orders while in school.  I am thinking that from now on, I will make an outfit in a certain size and it will be a one of a kind and that will be the only one I sell on my shop.  There are a few items that take less time that I may be able to still do custom, but most I am cutting back, unless it is already made. I no longer have an assistant and until I have people sewing for me...it is all me baby!  As for my Alice in Wonderland Croquet sets that have been so popular....I will no longer be making those custom.  I will have a few ready to ship and that is it.  Life is short....family should always come first.  When your work is coming before your kids when you are supposed to be a stay at home mom...that is not good!  :)

Fourth:  I want to share more of my creative ideas and tips with all of you here on my blog.  I have added a follow me on pinterest button so you can follow my many pins.  And I plan to blog more and share more tutorials.  I figure with both of my children now in Elementary school...I may have a tad more time to spread some blog love!  :)                  

New Spring Fashions Crossing Over from Adult to Kids

In my last post I talked about color blocking and pastels for children.  I love taking the current trends and translating them to kids clothing.  Here are two more current trends that can easily be translated to our lil ones.
Pleats -

I recently started to design something with this new trend in mind.  I am really liking the pleats that are in right now for dresses and skirts.  It is so romantic and creates a really different take on a full skirt.  The new trend is not so new as featured in the above pictures from 1939 and the 1940s.  Here is the dress I am currently designing with the new trend in mind.

 I used a silky polyester white and navy polka dot material with the pleated sheer fabric over the skirt portin of the dress.

Here are some great pleated fashions I found for lil ones...

Junior Gaultier Line                                                                          Even Suri Cruise rocks the pleats

WHITE - 

Of course true to every Spring, white is in as is black and white trends.  I know many moms get nervous about putting pure white on their kids, but I have found, the good thing about it is you can bleach it!  Even if you don't want to bleach the whole garment,  the new bleach pens are great to spot treat areas of stains on white.  

Don't forget about the boys!  This adorable shirt can be found at The White Company in the UK









                                          This white lace skirt and halter is from my shop.

                                                                                     Here is a black and white trend for kids

Two Spring Fashion Trends For Your Lil Ones

I always try to follow the current trends and translate them into wearable items for kids.  If we can be fashionable...so can they!  In fact, most of the time, my lil ones look better than I do!  :)
Here are two trends this spring that you can easily translate to your lil ones.

Color Blocking -

This has been all the rage in the fashion world.  It can be very easily translated to kids.  Here is an adorable color blocked dress from Children's Place.  It comes in different colors.  

You don't have to go out and buy something to color block.  It can be as simple as putting a lime green shirt with a pink short.  Get the kids involved and have them put their two favorite colors together.  So what if it doesn't match!!! Let them be creative in their own fashion.  For those of you who sew...or would like to venture in that direction...here is a GREAT tutorial on how to make a color blocked sundress from Skirt As Top: http://skirtastop.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/sunshine-dress-tutorial/

Pastels-                                               Custom Tutu Dress

I was so happy when this trend came back in full force.  They are so girlie and spring timish.  Don't be afraid to incorporate this in your lil boys wardrobe as well.  I have quite a few items in pastels in my shop.  Two items from my shop are pictured here. 

the Frenchie Dress   One of a Kind

                                                                  

Great example of dressing your lil boy in pastels

Nominated for Top 50 Etsy Moms

I recently was nominated for Top Esty Moms here:
http://www.babble.com/mom/work-family/best-mom-etsy-shop-handmade-nominate/index.aspx

 Please VOTE FOR ME!!!!

Thanks so much!!!!  scroll down to my name, Nicolette Blount.

FUNNY!!!! What is this Feeling Loathing From Wicked

Those are my girls!!!:)

Winner of the 15.00 Gift Certificate

Well...I know I took a while to respond to this drawing.  I dragged it out a little more than I had first intended. Let's find out who the winner of the $15.00 gift card to Lil Lollipops Designs is http://www.etsy.com/shop/lillollipopsdesigns  As always, I went on Random.org and put in all of your names according to how many submissions you had.  Here is the result:

THE WINNER IS:   FRANCESCA!!!!!!!

You can contact me via my Etsy shop in convo to claim your gift certificate, or you can email me at lillollipops@gmail.com  To be honest, I check my Etsy convos more often.  :)  

CONGRATS!!!!!

Thank you to all who entered.

List Randomizer

There were 9 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. francesca
2. kelly3
3. sonya
4. katrina fries2
5. kelly
6. francesca2
7. katrina fries
8. sonya2
9. kelly2

Timestamp: 2012-03-16 04:49:02 UTC

Giveaway: $15.00 Gift Certificate

My first giveaway of the new year!!!  

$15.00 Gift Certificate to my shop on Etsy, a Children's Boutique.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lillollipopsdesigns

Want to know how to win???

Here are the things to do, if you have not already:

- Follow me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lil-Lollipops-Designs/114328484791

-Add my shop to one of your favorites on Etsy and or one of my items http://www.etsy.com/shop/lillollipopsdesigns

-If you are on Pinterest, pin one or more of my items in my shop

-Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/lillollipops

-Come back to this post and let me know what things you did.  One entry per action you complete for a total of 5 entries.  The more entries you get, the more you have chances to win!

Giveaway will end Friday, March 9 at 10pm Eastern Time

Who would like gift card for $15.00?????!!!

Stay tuned....in a few days I will be having a giveaway for a $15.00 gift card to my Etsy shop Lil Lollipops Designs!! 

Shabby Chic Studio Makeover

 So...we moved to Eastern MA in June and my craft room/studio became my "crap room" for awhile.  I am sure some of you can relate.   It was filled with thread, fabric, boxes and trash.  It was quite embarrassing when my Mother In Law came out to visit and she commented on the room and said "Let's go clean it up."  God love her!  She was so sweet to walk into the abyss of my room and start cleaning it.  That led to me wanting to make my new studio as cute and functional, if not cuter, than my one in Savannah.  It is a work in progress.  I will share with you some of the things I have added to it thus far.  I would love for your suggestions or pictures on your studio that you may want to share in regards to style, or organization or any other tips you have that you have used on your craft room/studio.  You can email me at lillollipops@gmail.com and send me photos of your spaces and I will share them here on the blog.  Let's help each other out!  Also, if your studio is a crap room...send your picture and I can maybe give you some advice as well as our readers here on the blog!  Here are some of my room additions that I love and it adds to my shabby chic vibe.  I will update you more later as the room comes along.

This is a shabby chic mirror I found at Hobby Lobby and a key with a Paris sign I also found there.  I put a picture of me and my husband...for inspiration :)  and a dress that inspires me.  It is important to have inspiration you can see in your studio.











This is a great shabby chic clock I found on Etsy.  This seller makes great clocks out of vintage plates.  VERY shabby chic!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/makingtimetc

 This is a great vintage stained glass window that I have on the wall, but am going to move it to hang in my window.

These are two cute lil doors I found in a vintage shop.  They were painted black on one side and white on the other.  On the black side I painted them light pink and sanded them down to look shabby.  I had my husband attach two hinges to them. I hammered some nails into them and hung these cute lil knobs and hooks to hang things from.  I found the knobs at Hobby Lobby and the cute hooks from this great shabby chic Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShabbieChicHome.   This is a great element in the room and I can take it to any shows I do and they display my work great.



This is also a find from Etsy.  The lady I bought them from made them custom for me.  She shabbied the edges, but you can't see it much in the photo. Check out her shop...she does cute things! http://www.etsy.com/shop/MemoryBeanDesigns  If her shop is vacation, which I think it is at this moment, click on the shop and then on sales to see other things she has made and sold.

This is the cutest worn down table I found at a flea market.  I sanded it, painted it pink, sanded it again to shabby it up and then the front flower is a furniture applique I found from a shop on Ebay for a few bucks.  I just hot glued it on.  I know, it is a small computer table, but it is really cute.  Maybe if I find a bigger shabby desk, this will be used for something else in my space.

SOPA & PIPA...should you be concerned?

I am joining sites like Etsy, Google, wikapedia and more to protest PIPA and SOPA that is trying to pass through congress. contacting my local Representative and Senator and anyone else I can to protest SOPA and PIPA. I just contacted my senators, representatives etc. to tell them how I felt on this. If we don't speak out...others will make decisions, we may not like, for us. Go to http://www.house.gov/ to find your local rep.  and go to http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm  to find your local Senators.  

 Here is a list of great, unique items from etsy you can get to help support the cause and get the word out:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/Nzc4NTcyNHwxODU1MTE1OTUz/sopa-and-pipa-take-a-stand

You can read about Etsy's stance on this here: http://www.etsy.com/protect-innovation  

You can read firefox's stance on it here:  https://donate.mozilla.org/page/s/SOPA?source=snippet

You can read google's stance on it here: https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

 Wikapedia's stance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act  More of an explanation of SOPA.

 

According to google:

More about SOPA and PIPA

Members of Congress are trying to do the right thing by going after pirates and counterfeiters but SOPA and PIPA are the wrong way to do it.

1. SOPA and PIPA would censor the Web

The U.S. government could order the blocking of sites using methods similar to those employed by China. Among other things, search engines could be forced to delete entire websites from their search results. That’s why 41 human rights organizations and 110 prominent law professors have expressed grave concerns about the bills.

2. SOPA and PIPA would be job-killers because they would create a new era of uncertainty for American business

Law-abiding U.S. internet companies would have to monitor everything users link to or upload or face the risk of time-consuming litigation. That’s why AOL, EBay, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Mozilla, Twitter, Yahoo and Zynga wrote a letter to Congress saying these bills “pose a serious risk to our industry’s continued track record of innovation and job-creation.” It’s also why 55 of America’s most successful venture capitalists expressed concern that PIPA “would stifle investment in Internet services, throttle innovation, and hurt American competitiveness”. More than 204 entrepreneurs told Congress that PIPA and SOPA would “hurt economic growth and chill innovation”.

3. SOPA and PIPA wouldn’t stop piracy

To make matters worse, SOPA and PIPA won’t even work. The censorship regulations written into these bills won’t shut down pirate sites. These sites will just change their addresses and continue their criminal activities, while law-abiding companies will suffer high penalties for breaches they can’t possibly control.
There are effective ways to combat foreign “rogue” websites dedicated to copyright infringement and trademark counterfeiting, while preserving the innovation and dynamism that have made the Internet such an important driver of American economic growth and job creation. Congress should consider alternatives like the OPEN Act, which takes targeted and focused steps to cut off the money supply from foreign pirate sites without making US companies censor the Web.

 

A Gallery for your Children's Art

I just came across this awesome site thanks to Etsy Kids who shared it on their Facebook page.  Wanted to share this with you.  I just uploaded my daugther's recent painting of Paris done with acrylic paint.  Not bad for 6!  :)  Anyways...post your child's art on this amazing site and see other children's art from around the world.  It makes your realize how similar we all are....especially when it comes to the arts.  It brings us together.
http://www.childrensgallery.org/

First Dress from my new Retro line debuts on TV

So excited!  The first dress from my new Retro Line debuted on a TV show called Mass Appeal.  It is the second outfit on the runway.

Girll scout fashion: wwlp.com

Subterranean Hipster Dress

Just listed it in my shop!  Cape is also available in my shop.

New items in the boutique!

Wow!  I have so many things I am working on right now!  Here are a few things I just listed in the shop and some I will be listing soon.  I wanted to give my blog followers a sneak peak!  :)  Also, this week I will be posting a new tutorial of a simple skirt you can make at home for your lil ones!  You could even sew it by hand if you are not sure of the machine, or don't have one.  You can also use fusible sewing tape!


 THE JULIANA

 Here are two flower dresses I made for my girls to be in a wedding.  They are made with the best materials...satin taffeta on top and the skirt is layered with taffeta, two layers of tulle and mirrored organza on the top.    The buttons in the back are vintage reproductions and very high end.  The front of the dresses have been accented with three flowers...one satin purple, one white, and one white feather with netting.  All three have a rhinestone brooch like center.
This dress can be done in any color on top and bottom. 

 The Ice Princess
 Another version of the Juliana, but the back is corseted and the skirt a shimmery organza with the bodice made out of a sparkley corduroy.

 Bumblebee Fairy
I only made one of these, OOAK.  It should fit 18m - 2T.  I am thinking about adding wings and a hair fascinator, but for now, it is being sold as it is shown here.  Probably should have listed it for Halloween, but what lil girl doesn't like to dress up ALL the time???

Here is something I am just about finished making, so here is a sneak peak into a soon to be listed item....it may just be the only one I make. Is will be listed in my new Retro Line.