weds-day: my favorite etsy shops

Last night my friend Julia and I talked wedding for a solid 45 minutes. During this time, we both expressed our immense love of etsy throughout the planning process. It really is the best place to go when you need, well, anything wedding related. What's great is that you can work directly with shop owners to create custom orders, so really, the world is at your proverbial fingertips. Below I'm outlining my favorite shops, feel free to comment with questions!

Vendor: Personal Kitten

What We Purchased: cocktail napkins and stadium cups

The Process: The owner, Randy, personally emailed me to discuss options for the napkins we wanted. He was prompt, personable and knew exactly how to do what we wanted.

The Result: These napkins are almost too pretty to use.

Vendor: Sweet Carolina Collective

What We Purchased: wooden signs

The Process: One of my dear clients (hey, Sam!) recommended this vendor to me and I'm so glad she did. Meg and I spent actual weeks communicating about signs. She always responded immediately and was patient as I waited for files from the calligrapher.

The Result: I can't even get into how gorgeous these signs are. I can't wait to share!

Vendor: Breeze Bot Punch

What We Purchased: Custom embroidered item (it's a surprise!)

The Process: If you want anything embroidered, contact Breezy. She delights in custom orders and is up for anything. She's really excited about the brainstorming process and has awesome ideas for how to make your order extra special.

The Result: She's the shit, her stuff is gorgeous and made with love.

Okay, talk to me, friends! Spill your etsy recs...

xoxo,

monday mood

Morning, friends! I had a bit of a weird, sad weekend (nothing earth shattering, just your run of the mill blues), and I am desperate for a bit of (figurative but mostly literal) sunshine in my life. I've finished my spring shopping - post on that later this week - but I'm still wearing sweaters nearly every day. I swear, my vitamin D levels must be dangerously low. Believe me, I'm as sick of hearing people complain about the weather, too, so I'll just leave you with this sunny little mood board this morning...

// dress // picture by my fiance // necklace // etsy prints // reversible bag //

xoxo,

etsy giveaway!

Good morning! It's actually kind of a gloomy morning over here...but we're up, we're at 'em, we're kicking Monday in the ass! I have many thoughts on the Golden Globes. For example, where the hell were Tina and Amy the whole night? Where can I get Tina's amazing tuxedo? And why does George Clooney seem so glib and uninteresting? Why is his wife too good for the Golden Globes? Oh, right...because she is too good for the Golden Globes. My best dressed of the night was probably Emma Stone (that HAIR CLIP!), Emily Blunt, and Alison Williams. I wouldn't have changed a thing on Emma or Emily, but I would have loved to see Alison do a messy bun or something. The hair weighed down the look a bit for me. But Armani Prive? Perfection.

Okay, enough of that, let's get to the juice of this post! As you all know, I love supporting small businesses, in part because I am one, and in part because everything is just better when it's handmade / not mass produced. I contacted Breezy over the summer when I wanted to have a sweet little nursery gift made for my nephew Elliot. She was so thoughtful and excited about what I wanted, working with her was an absolute blast.

Then, when Christmas rolled around, I had her make another hoop for Raven, and we started chatting about working together. Cut to today, and we're doing a giveaway!

Today we're giving away one CUSTOM HOOP of the winner's choice. Have a favorite phrase? Want to commemorate a special date? Have something else in mind? Breezy loves customization and is willing to make your vision come to life. Also, she hand dyes many of the fabrics that she uses, so each piece is unique and made with love.

To enter, simply click on Breezy's page and tell us which is your favorite piece in the comments below. Winner will be randomly selected on Friday. Good luck!

xoxo,

all images via.

sea and cake giveaway!

If you've been reading LRW for any length of time, you know how deep my love of etsy runs. It's important for me to support small business, as I am a small biz myself. So, today I'm giving away a piece from one of my favorite jewelry designers: Sea and Cake!

Stephanie's pieces are dainty but bold and beautiful. They work for everyday wear as well as special events. I own this necklace (seen here) and get tons of compliments whenever I wear it. We gave away this last month for LRW's birthday, which also got rave reviews. I currently have my eye on this baby.

But this giveaway is not about me! It's about you, and supporting small businesses during the holiday season. (And there's nothing wrong with purchasing something for yourself while picking up a gift in Stephanie's shop :).

Today I'm giving away this necklace, in the winner's choice of chain length (16, 18, or 20).

To enter, comment below with your favorite piece from Sea And Cake's collection. Winner will be randomly selected on Friday! Good luck!

xoxo,

all photos via Sea and Cake's etsy page.

sea & cake jewelry

Good morning! Remember this necklace?

I've worn it almost every day since I bought it, and have gotten numerous compliments, even from random passersby on the street. I wore it during my shoot with Ashley, and even lent it to my client for her engagement shoot!

This beautiful piece is from one of my favorite etsy shops, SeaAndCake. Simple, dainty pieces with a nod to the nautical, all jewelry from SeaAndCake is handmade to order.

Here are my current favorites (click pictures for link):

Right!? Gorgeous, affordable, one of a kind jewelry, not from H&M or Bauble Bar, so you don't see yourself coming and going. And now for the great news...

The lovely Stephanie from SeaAndCake is offering 15% off any piece in her etsy shop exclusively to LRW readers with the code LITTLEREDSWELL! Get to shoppin', friends!

xoxo

top photo by Ashley Caroline Photography.