Etsy Limelight Giveaway- My Vintage Blossom

I am very excited to bring you our second Etsy Limelight giveaway!

I love purses- and just can't get enough.

Would you like to win this lovely bag? I would!


This gorgeous handmade tote (14.5in x 9in with a strap height of about 9in and one interior slit pocket) was made by Maggie of My Vintage Blossom. She used beautiful fabric from a local shop.

Let's learn more about Maggie (straight from her)...

I moved from New Hampshire to San Francisco in the spring of 2006. After several months, my old roommate from college moved down there too and we got an apartment together. She was in interior design, so she had begun making bags with great fabric samples she would get from work. It was on her sewing machine that I started making my own bags. My original company was in conjunction with hers, under Pepperdog East, but once I moved back to New Hampshire two years later, I reinvented my company as My Vintage Blossom. I decided to go with "My Vintage Blossom" because I constantly found myself so inspired by vintage styles, and although those styles may not be directly translated into the bags I make, the inspiration runs deep in my veins.


I am a highway engineer, so I spend most of my time in a cubicle performing roadway layout analysis, drainage calculations, and estimating. Sewing provides me with a creative outlet, which is crucial in balancing my life. I take a lot of pride in the way my bags are constructed (an eye for detail comes along with beng an engineer) and in the fabric I use. Everything I make has a little bit of myself in it.


I really love to sew, so I spend a lot of my time doing that. I love traveling, which we dont get the opportunity to do as much as I would like. I love watching funny movies and enjoying time with my family. I also LOVE fashion, so I spend a lot of my time going through various magazines (mostly Vogue and Instyle), cutting out my favorite items in the magazines.


My favorite item is the Ring around the Retro Clutch because it's such a fun, funky and unique piece. I love the combination of the bright pink with white, black and grey.

Maggie has graciously offered to give away this beauty:



Here is what you need to do to enter:


Visit her shop (notice that she is offering FREE shipping in the US and reduced international shipping through the holidays!!) and comment here letting me know what your favorite item is.

For an additional entry follow my blog and leave me a separate comment letting me know that you are a follower.

A winner will be selected at 12:00pm PST on Thursday, December 3rd. Check back to see if you are the lucky winner!

Know a new(ish) shop that should be put in the Limelight? Please email me at lillianraydesigns@gmail.com

It's Turkey Day!

Have a GLORIOUS Thanksgiving!

Thank you for your support and encouragement.

I am so very thankful!

Give your families and friends some love today and enjoy this wonderful celebration!

Check out the shop starting tomorrow for some sweet deals.

DIY Easy Tree Decoration

This idea was orginally going to be the centerpiece for my Thanksgiving table, but it got to be so big that it ended up being a beautiful decoration in the dining room. It's super easy and gorgeous...

Gather some branches from outside. I cut some off of a huge branch that was blown off a tree during a storm in our front yard. It has beautiful moss on it in various colors.

Use glass or real stones of whatever color you would like (I used river rocks and clear glass) to fill up a large vase (big enough to hold your branches). The trickiest part is arranging your branches. Try to make them look like a tree.



Now have fun with it and be creative. Try to decorate with things that you have on hand. I added a few copper glittered leaves (from my Christmas decorations).



I used raffia to hang glass tea lite holders from the branches (HINT: USE BATTERY OPERATED LIGHTS FOR SAFETY). These photos do not do the tree justice.



This holiday tree is going to be transformed into all that is Christmas after Thanksgiving is over.

Thanksgiving is TOMORROW!!!

I am SOOOOO excited about being able to sit down with 50 people from my mom's side of the family and celebrating all that we are thankful for...and we get to do some blueberry picking with them on the ranch. It's going to be wonderful!

I am thankful for so much and I don't say it enough. My seriously amazing family, my most supportive and encouraging and level headed and wise (I could go on..) husband, my sincere and loving friends, and my crazy cute always happy to see me pup.

Thank you God for giving me so much!

DIY Thanksgiving Centerpiece

We have already hosted two Thanksgiving meals at our home. As promised, I have a few little tips for affordable and fun Thanksgiving decorations.

Let's start with a centerpiece.

Find a rustic fabric to use if you don't have a table runner that you like. I found this piece of fraying burlap in the remnants pile at a local store. It was the perfect size and I liked the frayed edges.



I dug through my vases and candle holders and found a few that were different shapes and sizes. I filled the small vases with a few of the flowers that my hubby had brought home for me the week before (mums last a long time and are not expensive).



The larger vases and containers were filled with acorns that I found in our front yart. There are so many great little things that you can use to fill these up- just head out into your neighborhood and get creative!



I used a white pillar candle and a few tealites that I already had to create some atmosphere. :o) I then added some doilies under a few of the candle holders. I have quite a few antique ones that I use for different projects- they are great to have on hand.

I found fall garland at a local craft store for 80% off and snagged it to add a finishing touch. You can cut a few small branches off of a tree from your yard if you can't find a garland you like.



It was so simple and very affordable.



My Cost-

Burlap: 0.49
Flowers: given to me
Acorns: Found in front yard
Candles: Already had
Vases/Containers: Already had (but you can find them at the dollar store)
Garland: 1.99
Doilies: Already had (you can even find doilies at the dollar store!)

Total: $2.48

Next up...a tree decoration that you can use for the entire holiday season...

A Winner!!

Congratulations to

Hope!

Random.org selected you as the winner of the gift certificate to Lullaby Couture! I will contact you soon with more information.

Thank you to all who paricipated and Laura- thank you for sharing your creativity and generosity with us! I am excited to see what happens with your beautiful Etsy shop.

Be sure to check her shop out here.

...stay tuned for some holiday fun and get ready for more Etsy Limelight giveaways!

Happy weekend!

The First Etsy Limelight Giveaway

I am so excited to put our first store in the Etsy Limelight.

Moms- you may have to restrain yourselves from buying out this whole store.

Introducing...


Let's learn a little about the lovely woman behind these precious handmade items-

When did your passion for Lullaby Couture begin?

I decided to get into sewing only a little over a year ago (May 2008). I have always had a creative side, and wanted to do something to feed my creativity. I always loved to draw and do crafts as a child. On a whim I just decided to buy a sewing machine and see what I could do with it. I went that next day and bought a machine, a yard of fabric and a pattern for baby bibs. I was up at 5am that next morning sewing, and by 6:30am when my husband awoke, I had completed my first bib. From that point on, I just couldn’t quit, and I went on to design my own patterns for almost everything that I make.



What do you like to do for fun?

Lullaby Couture is a lot of fun to me, but I also LOVE watching my son play football, getting pedicures with my daughter, antiquing, gardening, and Saturday morning coffee with my hubby.



What is your favorite item in your shop?

My favorite item in my shop would have to be my halters and tunics. I made the pattern from a brown grocery bag! I love finding bright, bold fabrics to use for them, and they are really a great buy because they will fit for years, first as a tunic length, and later as an adorable top! Plus they can be worn all year long, with a long-sleeved T in the cooler months, or by themselves in the summertime.



Laura, the creative mind behind Lullaby Couture is graciously giving away a $20 gift certificate toward any item in her shop! The gift certificate will go toward your purchase(s) and shipping. More details regarding the gift certificate will be given to the winner.

Entering this giveaway is simple:

All you have to do to enter is check out Lullaby Couture and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite item is. For a second entry become a follower. THAT'S IT!

A winner will be selected this Friday, at 12:00pm PST.

Let others know about this giveaway- and consider doing some holiday shopping over at Lullaby Couture!

Do you know an undiscovered or new(ish) shop that should be in the Etsy Limelight? Email me at lillianraydesigns@gmail.com

Something to Look Forward to...

I have some fun Thanksgiving table ideas to share this week, but first I have a little surprise.

I opened my humble little Lillian Ray Etsy store in the beginning of this year. I didn't know what would come of it or if I would even make a sale. I have been encouraged and sometimes even discouraged along the way, but I decided to keep going. I still consider my store to be a work in progress and have multiple items that I need to find the time to post.



Frost Necklace- My first Etsy sale

Starting a store can be frustrating and I have learned that there are so many undiscovered gems on Etsy.

So, back to the surprise...

Well, a few adorable undiscovered or new(ish) shops are going to be featured on this blog and are ready to give away some goodies to my readers. I have LOVED getting to know these sellers and am so excited that they are willing to be the first of many to participate in a feature/giveaway of this kind! We will be taking the time to put them and their shops in the Etsy Limelight.

Are you ready to meet the first one?