Sponsor Highlight + Giveaway: A Hollie Rogue

 Happy Tuesday! Last call for February sponsors! I'd love to have you :) Email me if you want to hop on  last minute!


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Let's start with some giveaway winners & then throw in another giveaway while we're at it! :)

The winner of the No Brainer Wardrobe e-book & the Rags to Stitches Large Ad is:

The winner of the Oh So Antsy mini state necklace is:

The other two winners of the No Brainer Wardrobe are:

If you didn't win any of these giveaways, go here & here to make sure you take advantage of the discount codes!

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Today, I get to tell you about one of our new sponsors, The Hollie Rogue! 

I'll let Andi take it away so you can learn more about this great blog & shop.

Hi, I'm Andi and I'm a wife, mom, former elementary teacher, and 1/3 of The Hollie Rogue Shop.  My two sisters and I opened our etsy shop in November of last year and design handmade, vintage-inspired and crocheted accessories.  I love using antique pieces to create something new and updated like my typewriter key necklaces and antique earring rings.  My sister, Emily, hand-embroiders gorgeous pendant necklaces (can be customized for your color choices) and my sister, Gretchen is the yarn expert.  I also write about my perspective on parenting, marriage, faith, and crafting over on my blog, The Hollie Rogue.  Please come say hello---new friends are my favorite!

Andi has so generously offered up one of her gorgeous vintage typewriter key necklaces -  that's a $35 value! You can also use the code SWEETJOY25 for ALL of February if something catches your eye :)

After you enter the giveaway, make sure you check out all that The Hollie Rogue has to offer at the following links:

blog // Facebook // twitter // shop

Mandatory Entry:

Head on over to the Hollie Rogue shop and tell me which item you'd love to have!

Extra Entries:

1. Follow both The Hollie Rogue  (@TheHollieRogue) and myself (@ohsweetjoy) on twitter. (one entry)

2. Be a follower of Oh, Sweet Joy! Blog via Google Friend Connect. (one entry)

3. Tweet, Facebook, OR blog about this giveaway. (ONE entry)

 Feel free to use this:

I just entered to win an "XO" typewriter necklace from @TheHollieRogue at @OhSweetJoy's blog! http://tinyurl.com/2ddk985

That's a possible FOUR entries! I hope you win!

love.

favorite things friday ((cupid's arrows))

There is something about arrow prints on home decor, clothing, and printed items that makes me smile. I love the almost bohemian look it gives. Valentine's Day is approaching, so today's Favorite Things Friday is all about arrows!

Source: etsy.com via Kim on Pinterest

Source: laurenmoffatt.net via Kim on Pinterest

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Kim on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Kim on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Kim on Pinterest

Happy Friday, friends! Have a wonderful weekend :)

love.

happy birthday to my bestie!

Today is my best friend's birthday! Instead of getting all sappy, I just wanted to celebrate with a funny picture. 

Let me also explain the red-neck-ness of this picture. We were at a staff retreat at our cabin in Almont and on a break, we were shooting beer errrrr coke cans that we threw in a tree. Normal, right? Add a trucker hat and an axe as a prop and you've got yerself a dern tootin' great photo opp.

& we also just so happened to both be wearing jean shorts jorts. 

Happy birthday, Ari! 

Here's to celebrating many more with you.

 ((even though you are not in town and I'm  pouting about it))

love.

bold prints

I used to only wear solids and if there was any pattern, it was only in texture.  Even though I have had an ongoing love affair with textiles for years, the "print" bug never bit me until recently. And now? I can't stop. 

For example, I purchased this blouse  and this blouse a while ago. Seriously? Snails? Weird looking owls? On a shirt? 

For real, though, I love seeing my personal style evolve as I push the limits with what I'm comfortable wearing. Here are some prints I'd love to have in my wardrobe. They're a little bit quirky and a little bit awesome. **wink**

Here are a few favorite prints I've found cruising around the interwebs.

((1)) ((2)) ((3)) ((4))

If you're a jeans and a solid tee type of girl, no worries. You can bring in some print with a simple & pretty scarf, like this one from Old Navy that is a measly $14.94!

aaaand speaking of prints, this is my new favorite fabric. I just ordered some to make a kickin' spring & summer dress out of. CUTE!

((source))

love.

recipe ((izze cocktail))

Here we go with that color scheme again. 

I love a good cocktail. I had one similar to this at a local sushi place before Christmas and decided to try my hand at making one at home. I'm no bartender, but I'll say so myself that it tastes pretty darn identical. I hate getting out my shaker, mostly because I can never get the top off. This way, you can shake your adult beverage in a mason jar, pop in a straw and it's all cute and hipster and presentable and stuff. 

Here's what you'll need:

This drink is nothing fancy  to make ((although it does taste like a dreamsicle which are kind of fancy)). If it was, we wouldn't be keeping it so klassy classy by buying vodka in a plastic handle. Oh, and those clementines are simply for decoration purposes. 

Phew. Glad we got that out of the way.

Using the breakdown above ((or to taste)), pour in your ingredients.

Put the lid on & shake, shake, shake it like a polaroid picture.

Put in a straw and sip away. You're welcome.

love.


linked up here!

handmade monday ((DIY shoe clips))

I'm kind of a shoe hoarder. I do purge often, but I can't help it. I just love shoes. As the weather starts to warm up (hardly), I thought it would be fun to add some shoe clips to some "old shoes" to update them a tad. The best part? They're interchangeable and removable! 

All you have to do is buy (super cheap) shoe clips at your local craft store or from a supplier on etsy. Make your embellishments & make sure you back your embellishment in felt so it doesn't scratch the top of your shoes when you add the clip. The possibilities are seriously endless. I used huge covered buttons, made some peonies, rosettes (duh), whimsical pinwheels, and two styles of bows. Easy Peasy!

While I was making these, I assumed most of you would be able to figure out how to assemble them. After I made all of them, I realized that was probably super lame of me to assume, so I looked up some tutorials for you for the ones that aren't self-explanatory. 

Fabric Pinwheels

Fabric Bows

Fabric Peonies

I'd love to see what you come up with! Vintage brooches, crazy feather arrangements and some sort of sparkles would all be fun. 

Which one is your favorite? This one is mine:

love.

linked up here:










& Mique's Pity Party!

advertise

I'd love to have you as part of the Oh, Sweet Joy! family in February. If you're interested, e-mail me (ohsweetjoyATgmailDOTcom) for information regarding current sponsorships. 

love.

BOGO! (if you email me by Monday, January 23rd, and sign up for a one month regular size {125X125} ad, I will give you the month of March for half off!))

5 things i've learned about running a handmade shop

I'm over here today sharing 5 things I've learned about running a handmade shop.

Happy Thursday!

love.

color crush ((orange & aqua))

I've always been drawn to the color robin's egg blue & likely always will. I usually pair it with coral or yellow, but for some reason, lately I've been looooooving it with orange! It makes the robins egg blue look more aqua and honestly, it makes me anxious for spring like crazy. 

 It all started when Chase gave me those tulips I mentioned here. I put them in an aqua mason jar as a vase and it all went uphill quickly. I also scored a cute vintage looking gumball machine and put some orange jelly belly's in it ((yum!)). When I found the round tray, I knew it would be perfect for a little grouping of pretty orange & aqua things on our coffee table. 

What's your favorite color combination these days?

love.

sponsor highlight + giveaway: oh so antsy

It's not too late to enter last week's giveaway, so click here to enter! Hurry! :)

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You might remember Oh So Antsy jewelry from the Handmade Holidays Gift Guide! I'm excited to have Jessica's shop back as a sponsor for January and get to brag about her work a little bit more!

I feel like everyone has a deep connection with their state. As a Texan living in Colorado, no matter where I live in the future, there will always be a special place in my heart for those two states. I also love to show my Texas pride with the ever popular state of Texas shape around our home. Jessica makes custom state necklace and places the heart where YOUR heart desires! I can imagine them layered with other beaded necklaces for a fun & eclectic look.

I'd love to rock one of these necklaces around my neck to keep Texas close to my heart ;)

Here is a little bit from Jessica about Oh So Antsy:

Nearly one year ago, my little handmade business began. A friend had the idea for a few of us girls to put together a craft booth at an upcoming event downtown and suggested I make some knitted items. I knew in the few short months before the event, I would only end up with 3 or 4 things to sell. Then it occurred to me to use my new silver jewelry making skills to create a few pieces for the show!

I worked very hard in the following months cutting and hammering away in my make-shift  living room studio (where all of my work is still done), as well as designing and making business cards, and working so hard at getting an online shop opened by the end of January, my birthday month. So on January 31^st, just in the nick of time, I officially opened my shop. The craft show was relatively unsuccessful, but it really gave me the push I needed to get my small business going. The jewelry I was making changed quite a bit, from the beginning, when I started getting a lot of custom requests for state and country shaped necklaces. I recently started adding tiny versions of the states and countries which are SO cute and fun to make. I have a few new things planned in the near future and I can’t wait to share!

I am so surprised at how far I've come in one year. My business has grown more than I could have imagined in a short time, and I'm so thrilled and thankful for all the support I've received and connections I’ve made.

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Today, Jessica is giving away a custom tiny state necklace, which is a $34 value! Not only that, but you can use the discount code OHFREESHIP  for free shipping on your next Oh So Antsy  purchase!

Find more from Oh So Antsy here:

    BLOG
FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Mandatory Entry:

Head on over to the Oh So Antsy shop and tell me which necklace you'd love to add to your jewelry collection! 

Extra Entries:

1. Follow both Jessica  (@OhSoAntsy) and myself (@ohsweetjoy) on twitter. (one entry)

2. Be a follower of Oh, Sweet Joy! Blog via Google Friend Connect. (one entry)

3. Tweet, Facebook, OR blog about this giveaway. (ONE entry)

 Feel free to use this:

I just entered to win a state necklace from @OhSoAntsy over at @ohsweetjoy's blog! http://tinyurl.com/2ddk985

That's a possible FOUR entries! I hope you win!

love.

((handmade monday)) DIY fabric watch bands

Way back in the day, I used to work for Fossil. I still love the company and would rock their apparel and accessories, alike, on the daily if I could afford it all....I digress. 

It was during my days at Fossil that I became a bit obsessed with watches. I have way too many ((that consequently need their batteries changed)) & I really think watches are the most underrated of accessories. I have a few watch faces that are missing their straps and so I decided to make some pretty bands for them. I have no idea where the watch face photographed came from, but it, too, needs a new battery. 

Here's all you need:

Fabric

Trim ((optional))

Thread

Some sort of snap ((I used pearl snaps because I'm country like that))

Sewing machine

Here's all you have to do:

1. Measure around your wrist to see how long you need your strap to be. Make sure you leave room for sean allowance, overlapping & snapping. I rhymed. Giggle.

2. Determine how wide you'd like your strap and double it plus half an inch or so for seam allowance.

3. Cut out your rectangle.

4. Fold it in half (long-ways) right sides of the fabric facing each other. 

5. Sew around the 3 raw edges and leave an opening on the long side. 

6. Flip right side out and press.

7. Top stitch around the edges. 

8. Add your snap or velcro or whatever you decided to use. 

9. Insert fabric through your watch face and voila!

I was playing around and made a woven five strand braided band as well. I added crochet lace trim to another. You could find vintage watch faces at a thrift store or even just an old watch and take the band off. It's just so fun & the possibilities are endless! 

Have fun :)

love.