Lily Jade and London Bridges Giveaway!

I just wanted to pop in real quick and give you a heads up about a fantastic giveaway happening on my Instagram right now!

I teamed up with London Bridges (a local designer here in Utah who I met at the farmers market over the summer--she sews the most adorable and comfortable baby skirts and mommy + me matching dresses), and Lily Jade (makers of the best diaper bags ever ever ever ever ever) for this giveaway. The winner will get a matching mommy + me dress set from London Bridges, as well as the Rosie bag from Lily Jade!

Head to my instagram to enter to win!!!

Lily Jade bags are truly game changers, and I could not love them more. And I'm so glad I got to meet Holly from London Bridges--I bought Darcy two skirts from her over the summer, and she gets so many compliments on them every time she wears them. They're darling, plus so comfy and perfect for busy little legs to play in. And her new mommy + me dresses are so cute and fun.

I also did something for this giveaway that I've never, in the history of my 5 years of blogging, done before.

I worked with a professional for pictures.

I'm sure the difference from my typical post photos is obvious . . . 

  

My friend and new neighbor Carrie is the photographer behind Ivy & Stone, and she helped me out with these pictures. And it is a testament to her great talent that there are any pictures at all where we look decent, because I'm sure we were probably the worst clients she has ever experienced.

I was super duper awkward (unsurprisingly) and Darcy was not interested. She literally shouted at Carrie every time she noticed her lifting the camera to take a picture. "No! NOOO!!!!" I honestly thought we wouldn't end up with a single usable picture between Darcy's attitude and my winning combination of photo day stress and typical awkwardness, but somehow we ended up with so many great ones! Thank you, Carrie :-) You can visit her site HERE, and follow her on instagram HERE.

Friday List: Dainty Everyday Necklaces

Recently, I was gifted a beautiful, simple gold necklace by my lovely new friend Kelly of Delicious Reads . . . when she gave it to me, she said something like, "You strike me as the sort of person who would really appreciate a simple, low-key everyday necklace," and she hit the nail squarely on the head with that one. (And perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but I really like whatever it must say about me that I apparently come across as a 'low-key, everyday necklace' sort of person.)

I admire big, glitzy jewelry from a distance, but I rarely buy it. I'm not sure where exactly statement necklaces fit into my current stage of life, spending the majority of my days at home with 4 messy, grabby little hands. I love the simplicity of owning a beautiful, dainty, everyday necklace (or two, or three . . . ). It makes getting dressed and ready for the day that much easier--the simple, everyday necklace always goes. 

1. Gold Bar Pendant by Unforgettable Jules // This is the necklace that my friend Kelly chose for me, and I have been wearing it just about daily (which, if you ask me, is exactly the point of owning a sweet, dainty, delicate necklace--it is a no-brainer, no-stress jewelry choice). I have been loving it immensely.

2. Tiny Silhouette Necklace by Le Papier Studio // I love that this necklace--in addition to being adorably simple and sweet--adds an extra touch of meaning with the silhouettes. Perfect for a mother, to carry her babies' silhouettes around her neck.

3. Birthstone Beaded Necklace by Lolabean Jewelry // Normally, I would shy away from color when searching for an 'everyday' type of necklace. But I think this one, with its tiny row of birthstone beads, is perfect. It's simple and personal, and I love that it adds just the tiniest bit of color while still being soft and quiet enough to complement any outfit.

4. Personalized Heart Necklace by E and E Project // Two or three years ago for Christmas, I got my sister a tiny heart pendant with her initial on it, similar to this one (although hers simply had an 'R' for Rebekah, instead of two initials). And many times since then, I've wished I'd bought one just like it for myself (or stolen hers--R for Rebekah could just as easily be R for Rachel). I just love the look of this sweet necklace.

5. Personalized Double Strand Necklace by The Silver Wren // I think double strand necklaces are so beautiful and fun (and I love when they are truly a double strand necklaces instead of 2 separate necklaces worn together). This one, with a simple circle pendant as well as a customizable bar, is beautiful. You can have a name, initials, or a meaningful word stamped into the necklace. I love that it is beautiful and personal.

What's your jewelry philosophy? Small and sweet, or big and bold?

Giveaway: Better than Perfect (Monster Coloring Totes)

Fun giveaway today, guys! My old friend Katy has opened an adorable shop, Better Than Perfect, selling the cutest monster coloring bags, perfect for letting your little one carry their own coloring book, crayons, and other little essentials . . . I love how colorful and creative these bags are!

Here’s Katy to tell you a little more about herself and her shop:
“Hi! My name is Katy and I’m the mother of toddler twin boys. When I’m not chasing them around you can find me hunched over my sewing machine or my computer creating to save my sanity. I have a little shop on etsy called Better Than Perfect where I sell handmade felt coloring totes and personalized car mats for children.”


“I am so excited to be here on Maybe Matilda giving away one of my monster coloring totes. These fun bags are made of eco-friendly felt (made from 100% recycled plastic) with 8 one-inch pockets for crayons that double as the monster’s teeth. Plus, the boxed out bottom provides plenty of room for a coloring book + a favorite toy or two. Cute and functional, my favorite combination!”

Want to win a monster coloring tote from Better Than Perfect? Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Spring Items + Sale!

I mentioned the other day that I’ve been adding some new items recently to my Etsy shop for spring. I’ve had a lot of fun finding/writing new patterns that I think will carry your typically wintry crochet over into cooler weather. So here’s what I’ve got!

I always have fun crocheting headbands—so quick and adorable and fun to wear—so I added a few new headband styles for spring. Shop the Wavy Crown Headband, Big Leaf Headband, and Flower Headband (which technically isn’t a new product, but the cute pictures of my nieces wearing them are, so I’m counting it).

Chelsea suggested bow headbands, which sure seemed like a good idea. And in 3 bow sizes, to boot!

Shop Little Bow Headband (shown in pink), Medium Bow Headband (shown in blue), and Big Bow Headband (shown in cream).

I couldn’t leave hats out, plus a twist on an old favorite. My personal favorite? The ribbon hat. I love the idea of switching the ribbon out to match different outfits. I’ve worn it a lot so far . . . a whole lot.

Shop Butterfly Headwrap, Ribbon Newsboy, and Textured Newsboy.

My favorite spring item by a long shot, though, is this one:

A soft, romantic springtime wrap. I love that dusty rose color, I love the feminine ripple pattern, and I love that it can be worn in so many ways—a wide scarf, a shoulder wrap, or even belted to give it a drapey sweater look. I love it. I love it a lot. Find it HERE.

I have some ideas for more kids’ items, but an unwilling model makes me less than enthused about kids’ crochet at the moment. If I can recruit an adequately adorable neighbor child, or bribe the one I already have into modeling, I’ll see if any of those plans come to fruition.

In the meantime, I want you to celebrate my new spring designs with me with a sale! Use coupon code SPRINGFEVER for 20% off your purchase through March 15th! Click HERE to visit my shop and put it to good use!

What do you think of my new spring items? Anything you’d like to see added to the shop?

Vintage Book Tablet Covers

Happy Friday! Today feels especially nice to me since I’ve woken up convinced it was Friday three days in a row now. It’s a sad, sad feeling to realize at 10 AM that it’s only Wednesday.

I wanted to share a cool product with you today . . . do you remember my talented mother Kathleen, the owner of the Bungalow Boutique in Heber, UT? It’s an adorable shop of contemporary furniture and home décor, stylish boutique clothing, and handmade treasures made by talented local artisans, and she’s recently branched into online services as well—her site BB Daily Deals offers weekly discounts on Bungalow Boutique items, and she has also opened an Etsy shop to showcase some of her own handmade goods.

One of her awesome handmade items that I think you’ll love? Tablet covers handcrafted from vintage books.

My mom has always loved the look of books from the 40s, 50s, and 60s (and good teacher that she is, passed it on to me as well), and she’s built up quite a collection of cute vintage books. And when I got myself a Kindle Fire recently (love it!), inspiration struck: why not use a cute vintage book to create a cover for it and other small tablets/ereaders? Keep the feel of a book in your hands and pay homage to awesome books of the past while enjoying the convenience of an ereader!

The spine of the cover has been carefully reinforced, and only archival quality glues and tapes have been used on the book and illustrations. All the book covers are in great condition, and a few of the pages and illustrations have been preserved and carefully applied to the inside covers, so you can still enjoy the old pictures, type, library stamps, etc. Elastic straps hold your ereader in place, and another strap on the left inside cover holds the book closed when you’re not using your tablet. And with many of the covers, you'll even receive the library pocket and checkout card that was inside the original book. Um, cool. Especially for a library lover like me.

I love the idea of using a vintage book while reading an ebook . . . a nice blending of past and present. And let’s be honest: those old books from the 50s are just dang cute.

Make sure to check the book measurements and compare to the size of your tablet/ereader when shopping—since each book is unique, the measurements are included in the listings, so make sure your tablet will be a perfect fit!

Hop over to the Bungalow Boutique on Etsy to shop for a cute vintage book tablet cover, and use coupon code MMDiscount1 for 25% off your purchase for the rest of the month of February!

Have a great weekend!

Handmade Shops for Christmas Gift-Giving!

Can we get real for a minute here? Of course we can. I can say whatever I want and you can't stop me. Booger. Poopdeck. See?

Anyway, let's get real for a minute here. How many people, exactly, are you planning to make Christmas gifts for? 1? 3? 15? If you're anything like me and are realizing the cruel truth that Christmas is only 12 days away, some of those handmade gifts may not be happening this year. There's only so much time in the day. So, as I'm narrowing down my handmade gift list to what is actually feasible in the 282 hours left before Christmas, I thought maybe it was time to share a few handmade shops that would make a great addition to your holiday shopping list. Handmade gifts are always special . . . even if they aren't handmade by you.

I haven't personally experienced all of these shops--I have shopped with and love some of them, some are the shops of friends and family who pour an awful lot of love and talent into their work, and some I have just admired from afar. And many were found on my Handmade Shop Directory, which I would highly recommend you check out if you're looking for awesome handmade shops to visit! But anyway, these really are all shops I've found and enjoyed, and none of them are paying for a mention here. (Don't you hate it when you can't 100% trust a recommendation because maybe the shop in question paid for a glowing review? Not the case here. Shop with confidence, my friends.)

I love the whimsical paintings and artwork at Andralynn Creative Designs--her shop has a lot of fun items like felt toys, sculpted ornaments, and magnets and buttons, but my favorites are her storybook paintings. I'd love to snag a few for Forrest's bedroom:

This one, I seriously cannot get over. My old college friend Lauren is the knitting fiend behind All Stuft Up . . . adorable hand-knit monster and monkey stuffed toys. I love them so much it almost makes me sick.

(Many of her creations are made to order and probably wouldn't be ready for Christmas giving, but she has plenty of ready-to-ship cuties, like Harriet, pictured above, and all the monsters in her Ready to Ship section.)

 Speaking of adorable stuffed cuties, I may have actually "aaaaah!"ed when I first visited SOMA Craft Me Happy. Don't they just melt your cold, cold heart?

 

Such adorable little teddies! I want to take them ALL home!

You will seriously love the illustrations at Les Joues Grises . . . did you know garlic could be so delightfully cute?

I, for one, had no idea. I want that garlic print in my kitchen, stat (not to mention her other vegetable prints, too!).

My sister-in-law, Jaida, just opened up her brand-spanking-new shop a few weeks ago! She knits accessories and sews nursing covers . . . my favorite item is this sweet little poncho:

I want one for myself. So, so cute, right? Somebody better snatch that up before she realizes she should be selling them for, like, triple that price. It's $12. For realsies.

Dear Nicole has lots of fun home decor and holiday decorating items, but my favorite are the rosette necklaces:

I'm pretty sure wearing a necklace that springy and happy would obliterate not only your own winter blues, but those of any onlookers, too.

And if you're one of my family members reading this, look away now, because somebody's getting a gift from Sincerely Serenity . . .

Beautiful, fun, inspiring, and hilarious handstamped rings, necklaces, and bracelets.

I love the item I ordered, which I can't show you in case someone is peeking. It was customized for someone and came out just right, and was shipped really quickly in cute, gift-ready packaging. Two thumbs up!

That should be enough to get the old wheels in your head turning, right? Check out the Handmade Shop Directory for more fun ideas, and if you're here in Utah, make sure to visit the Jingle Bell Hop at the Bungalow Boutique in Heber for more holiday shopping, handmade creations, and family fun!

Spotlight on The Bungalow Boutique

I have a little gift for you today--would you like to shake the box and guess what it is? No, it's not socks . . . or a sweater . . . or a puppy . . . it's your new favorite shop! I want to share with you two of my favorite little stores, The Bungalow Boutique in Heber, Utah:

The Bungalow Boutique is a pair of adorable little shops specializing in handmade crafts, home decor, specialty kitchen products, and trendy arts. And the owner happens to be my own mama, an amazing interior designer who opened the boutique to share her love of trendy decor and products to beautify your life.

Here's what I think makes the Bungalow Boutique such a unique and fun place to visit--it's not just a bunch of pretty items my mom picked out of a catalogue. It's filled with a huge variety of products from contemporary furniture and home decor to local food products to designer clothing to handmade crafts made by local Utah artists (including yours truly!)--I seriously can't imagine anyone leaving without finding something to love at the Bungalow.

I love the entire roomful of gorgeous, feminine clothing you'll find at the Bungalow. And around holidays, there's always plenty of adorable seasonal decor and gifts:

I love the kids' items--how fun would these drawer pulls be in a little one's bedroom?

But my very favorite things at the Bungalow are the handmade products--like these super cute headbands:

Seriously adorable photo frames:

Refinished furniture and home decor (I really want this desk):

And there's so much more--handmade accessories for kids and adults, jewelry, purses, paintings and photography by local artists, knitting and crochet, paper products, and even some craft supplies so you can be inspired and get busy yourself.

You can visit the Bungalow Boutique at 312 and 340 South Main Street in Heber City, Utah (check out a map right here)--and this weekend is the perfect time to go, since you can check out neighboring Midway's Swiss Days while you're there, to check out the parade, vendor booths, and delicious food!

image source

Are you a Utah crafter looking for the perfect venue to showcase your work? 

Here's the scoop: you can rent a booth at the Bungalow Boutique starting at $50/month . . . and, unlike most craft boutiques, you keep every penny you make from the products you sell--no commission! Just pay your $50 booth rental and work one day per month in the stores, and you're all set to start making money off of the crafts that, really, you'd be making anyway. Contact Char at 801-550-1167 to get started!

Visit the Bungalow Boutique's website here, and become a facebook fan right here! 

*PS, I'm not getting paid or anything for writing this spotlight post . . . I just really love the Bungalow and think you'll love it, too! Go check it out and tell me how much fun you have there!*