Shop Local – SeaJul

Meet Morgan and her beautiful jewelry. Morgan owns an Etsy shop called SeaJul. She loves to create easy to wear, everyday pieces.

Mother of Pearl, Brass & Aquamarine Long Necklace
Image Courtesy of SeaJul

Born and raised in a Maryland beach town, Morgan’s jewelry reflects elements of the sun, sand, and surf. Whether it is the material or the color, her jewelry brings the beach to you. Morgan named her shop SeaJul to fit this goal.

Large Green Stone Beads & Brass Necklace
Image Courtesy of SeaJul

Whether you rock the sunstone gold bracelet that Morgan says reminds her of a sunset or the necklace with coral beads that Morgan selected because they resemble seashells, the beach references are undeniable.

Sunstone, Gold Plated Beads and Dangles Bracelet
Image Courtesy of SeaJul

Morgan uses a unique combination of gemstones and metal to create her one-of-a-kind jewelery.

Raw Brass and Sunstone Drop Earrings
Image Courtesy of SeaJul

Currently, Morgan has pieces ranging in price from $16 -$32. For a unique handmade piece, these prices are a steal.

Want to check out Morgan’s shop for yourself? Check her out on Etsy.

:: what to do with those extra vases ::

Ever find yourself looking in a cabinet full of vases and not sure what to do with them? I found myself doing that recently but, at the same time, not wanting to give up those vases. Of course I could always give them away to a friend or neighbor with a bunch of fresh flowers, a big bow with a nice card that says “Just thinking of you…”.

But, I thought about it for a minute, before I grabbed that bow, and looked at my pet situation and how much accumulated pet food, treats, grooming combs, breathe fresheners, medications, etc. were adding up.

Vases, pet situation…WA LA!

Bella’s bones, training treats, baggies and grooming accessories were all organized for any one to see. Then, to give it an aesthetically pleasing look and to go a step further, check out Martha Stewart’s chalk board labels sold at Staples. Don’t forget to get the chalk…

Happy Organizing!

Romantic Parisian Wedding featured on Style Me Pretty

I am so happy to share amazing news. The wedding I attended and created the custom map of Paris for was featured yesterday on Style Me Pretty. The photographs from Julie and Zak’s November wedding speak for themselves. Please stop by Style Me Pretty and have a look at the gorgeous photographs courtesy of Polly Alexandre and the wonderful vision by Fête in France.

Image Courtesy of Style Me Pretty
Photo Credit: Polly Alexandre

Shop Local – Living Shabby Chic: Trinkets made into Treasures

Shopping local and small business is important. I want to introduce you to my friend Jen’s company started right here in Baltimore, Living Shabby Chic: Trinkets made into Treasures. She has a really unique way of re-purposing ordinary items and adding a shabby chic flair. Her items offer fun ways to organize your accessories and decorate your home. Opened in November 2012, Living Shabby Chic has jewelry stands, teacup candles, frames, chalkboards, jars, magnets, note cards, letter openers, and painted shelves for sale.

Image Courtesy of Living Shabby Chic

Jen describes herself as “I’m a girl with a passion for crafting and hope to inspire others to decorate your home with a collection of unique hand-crafted accessories! A ton of my personal inspiration comes from vintage items found at thrift shops and barn sales. I am modern girl with a vintage soul.”

my living shabby chic jewelry holder via Instagram

This past December Jen held an open house. It was perfect timing for holiday shopping. Everyone loves a thoughtful gift and Jen offers very unique products with hand-finished touches. I went to the open house with the mindset to purchase gifts for other but fell in love and ended up with goodies for myself!

Image Courtesy of Living Shabby Chic

At the beginning of March, Living Shabby Chic participated in a wonderful event for Baltimore moms hosted by (cool) progeny at the Mt. Washington Tavern. The Mom Social was great chance for moms to take a break from their busy lives, enjoy a cocktail, participate in a Painted Palette painting class, and shop local  at Living Shabby Chic!

Image Courtesy of Living Shabby Chic

Last weekend, Jen took her trinkets and treasures down to Annapolis, MD and created some amazing centerpieces for special bridal showcase. The theme was romantic, rustic, and vintage. A perfect match for Jen’s brand! Brides looking for inspiration for their weddings or special gifts for their bridesmaids flocked to Living Shabby Chic.

Image Courtesy of Living Shabby Chic

Jen’s special treasures are amazing and affordable, ranging in price from $5.00 – $100.00.  I believe its always important to shop local businesses, especially those with a handmade touch. If you are looking for a trinket or treasure to organize your accessories and home, Jen’s shop is a great fit. Best of luck to Jen! I hope your local shop continues to grow.
Follow Living Shabby Chic: Trinkets made into Treasures …

Etsy           Instagram         Facebook          Twitter

We want to hear from you! We are going to be doing more local spotlights and want to feature your go to shops! What are your favorite local shops, stores, or products? Let us know by commenting below.

the final rose

Well ladies, that is a wrap. Six pack Sean Lowe is officially off the market. As millions of women gathered around their TVs last night, naturally so did I. My girlfriend and I have a Monday night Bachelor ritual. Each week we alternate apartments and watch the journey to find love unfold with the rest of America. With last night’s episode being the finale,  we stepped up our Bachelor game. My friend brought the booze and I prepared a feast of cheese, strawberries, and cupcakes. Well I did not prepare the cupcakes, I picked them up from an extra yummy cupcake shop in Towson called La Cakerie.

bachelor finale viewing party! #Team Lindsay via Instagram

SPOILER ALERT! Last night, to my surprise, Sean said goodbye to Lindsay Yenter and proposed to Catherine Giudici. Having selected Lindsay to go all the way after episode three, I was terribly disappointed that I didn’t “win”. What is more important that who he picked, is what the girls wore.

Was ABC trying to give us a hint? Silver and Gold? First and second? Both girls were clearly in dresses designed by the same person and made of the same material, just different colors. I thought both dresses were terrible and neither Catherine or Lindsay’s dresses fit them properly. Sorry David Meister (who designed both dresses), I did not care for either of them, at least on these two girls. I like when the final girls have different dresses, that actually reflect who they are and their different personalities. Last night, both girls were cut from the same cloth, literally.

Disappointed with the finale dresses, I would rather discuss the ATFR dresses. (Oh, that stands for After the Final Rose.) Props to Lindsay for not only handling herself with poise and class but for facing Sean  in a knockout, look what you passed up, bridal WHITE dress. Lindsay’s dress is from SINGER 22. Catherine’s navy lace dress is from Diane von Furstenberg. Both ladies looked great, but Lindsay better. Sorry Catherine, but you need to cut your hair! I am a fan of long hair but I was totally hoping Catherine would show up last night with a super cute shorter hair style. Alas, she did not and still was rocking her long ombre hair. Maybe for the wedding special we will see a different look. Fingers crossed.

Singer 22 Nightcap Clothing Victorian Lace Caletto Dress

DIANE von FURSTENBERG Lace Dress – Zarita

So what do you think? Which dress did you like better, Lindsay’s or Catherine’s?

update: un mariage à Paris

Back in November, my boyfriend’s sister got married in Paris. The wedding was absolutely spectacular and will soon be featured on Style Me Pretty. I will share some of my own photos from the trip in a later post. For now,  I wanted to revisit the hand drawn map that I created to be attached to the gift bags handed out to Julie and Zak’s guest aboard the Champagne Cruise down the Seine. Each guest was given a small linen bag filled with goodies. The map I drew was secured to the bag  with red, blue, and white baker’s twine (the color scheme represented the colors of the French flag).

Photo Credit: Polly Alexandre

Inside the bag were simple yet useful things for the weekend of celebrations ahead! While guests appreciated the Chiclets, Advil, Paris hand sanitizer, and lip balm, there were two items that made the biggest impression on Julie and Zak’s friends. There were a pair of glasses called Happy Glasses that when you looked through them transformed lights into magical hearts. This was especially fun when looking at the Eiffel Tower.

The other special item in the bag was a handmade soap in the shape of the Eiffel Tower. Days before our trip, Kyle, his Mom, his sister Alexis, and I were hard at work making Eiffel Tower soaps. They were a perfect addition to this special bag. And we were so lucky they all survived the journey over to France!

Photo Credit: Polly Alexandre

I thought the bag was such a nice touch and token of appreciation for all the people who traveled near and far to share Julie and Zak’s special day.

Have you ever been to a destination wedding? If so, where was it? Let us know by commenting below!

:: for those closer ones. ::

With a fall wedding on its way, I wanted to send my close girlfriends a gift of thanks for being the best gals a girl could have.

(Since Kait was a receiver, I had to make sure to wait to post this…)

I gave the leading ladies a sterling silver necklace, something that they can wear on the momentous day, but also forever. My hope was that each time they wear it, they would remember our friendship that will never tarnish. You will never be able to convince me that gift wrapping doesn’t matter. I believe it sets the tone of what is inside.

Materials Needed:

*Paper Source Burlap Ribbon
*Pumpkin Orange Bakers Twine
*Heart Shape Box
*White Stuffing
*Hot Glue Gun

 

Add ons: Brown Paper Bag colored paper for stamp and bunting flag for name tags.

You can find this adorable little stamp on Etsy’s Shop Cupcake Tree

(a must have on Kait’s list)

…and it was a great way to hide the price on the bottom.

Add stuffing.

With simple in mind, a necklace box is created with love.

:: hello, Bella. ::

For Christmas this year,

we welcomed home a new family member.

Bella is 3 years old and came to us from a German Shepherd rescue alliance. Saving a life is a belief that both Kait and I share. There are so many benefits of adoption; including saving money, knowing that your new friend is healthy up and is up-to-date on vaccinations and finally, it helps you, both physically and mentally.

We were so happy to be able to bring Bella home in time to share Christmas with us…

Welcome Home Bella, forever.

Finding Peace in a New Place

Nineteen days ago I decided to try something new and step out of my comfort zone. I attended my first ever yoga class. The class was a 90 minute beginner yoga class at Charm City Yoga. I expected to get a few sore muscles and have a nice morning with my friend, who I went with me. What I did not expect was to really begin to love yoga. So far, I have attended 10 classes in nineteen days. I have tried different types of yoga, different teachers, and even different locations (CCY has six locations around the Baltimore area).

I am completely taken by yoga. Not only was I surprised that I was more coordinated than I thought, but I really see a difference in sleeping habits, flexibility, and overall mood. I have suffered from migraine headaches since I was 16 and I think yoga might really make a difference in reducing the number of headaches I get each month. My favorite part of the yoga has been the self-reflection/meditation moments. Every class is begun in a similar way; calling attention to your breath and selecting a mantra or a reason why you came to the mat today. Although its only an hour out of my crazy day, its an hour that I can take for myself to just relax and forget about the million things going on in my head and the world around me.

I pulled a few of things I have found that I love using for yoga. And the best part is most of these items are from Target, so they are completely affordable.

{Champion Sports Bra ● Gaiam Yoga Mat ● Thermos Water Bottle ● c9 top ● pura vida headbands ● c9 compression tights}

Since I am new to Yoga, I’d love any advice you have on classes or products. What are your yoga essentials?

Valentine’s E-Greeting

 

Have you decided how you are going to say ‘I love you’ to your sweetheart tomorrow? Although a commercial holiday, Valentine’s Day is a good opportunity to make sure you tell the ones you love, how much they mean to you. You don’t need to buy the world’s largest teddy bear or spend a fortune on fresh flowers, you can make your honey’s day with a sweet something to their inbox. Whether you want to send a sweet message or be a little more cheeky, paperless post has the perfect valentine e-card to send to your sweetheart. And if you are a first time user, you get 25 credits for free! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Would you be happy with a card from paperless post on Valentine’s Day or do expect something more from your significant other?