shop spotlight & giveaway {by the book paper}

I have yet another fabulous shop to introduce you to and a great giveaway. I hadn't planned on doing a giveaway every week for the month of August, it just kind of happened.  I'm going to go ahead and pretend that I planned it though, because that would be pretty awesome.  So this is wrapping up my totally planned End of Summer Giveaway Spectacular!

Kristen and I are blog & shop buddies. She runs a shop and blog called By the Book Paper. It is full of handmade treats. I can't wait for you to learn more about her and see the amazing giveaway she is offering! Here she is...

Please tell us a little bit about yourself:

My name is Kristen and I am a stay at home wife and mom to one little boy. I am a former fifth grade teacher who enjoys most things crafty- particularly cross stitching- reading and tea. I am trying to teach myself how to use my sewing machine more efficiently, and I would love to go on a beach vacation to somewhere with clear turquoise water.

Tell us about your shop:

I started my little shop as an outlet for “me” time. Transitioning from working out of the home to the daily maintaining of a home is a jump and I wanted to have something that still allowed me to have a little quiet time to myself where I was making and doing things not related to my new day job. My shop gives me that. I have a lot of fun playing around with different colors and patterns of paper, coming up with new types of bookmarks, and trying my hand at simple design. 

  

What do you do when you aren’t working on your shop?

I spend my time cooking, keeping the household afloat as well as helping to update the house itself from its fabulous 1980s decor, occasionally reading a good book, snuggling with our adorably sweet poodle, and chasing down a toddler who likes to climb on things. It may not sound like much, but it always makes for a very busy day.

Where do you look for inspiration?

I actually have been inspired a lot by ideas I find on Pinterest. It’s fun to look through all the neat postings on there and then be able to take something and put my own twist on it, or find a great color scheme to use. A good walk through a paper supply shop helps too because I never know what kind of print I might find that will spark my interest or provide a new idea. I once found a paper with all kinds of suitcases on it and I turned it into moving/new address cards.

What is your favorite item to make?

I really enjoy doing special occasion items. I have made a few sets of college graduation announcements and bookmark table favors for birthdays, baby showers, and weddings. These are fun because people generally have a color scheme or look they are going for, and it’s my job to give them what they are envisioning but even better. I feel really lucky to be chosen to be a part of someone’s special day, and I usually get to play with some very fancy paper in the process.

Finish this sentence: Handmade is…

...special. When you buy handmade you are getting something that you know was made by a person and not a machine. Handmade items are one of a kind because even if the person making it makes several of the same type, no two are going to be exactly alike. You also tend to find things that are more creative than what you see in stores, which adds to the fun of handmade.

If someone was interested in starting an etsy shop, what advice would you give them?

I actually have a family member in the process of starting a shop and we’ve been doing some talking about what it’s like to start a shop! I think I would mainly say to be patient, be ready to do some serious social networking, have great photos, and then be more patient. It takes a lot of time to get a shop up and running, and there are a lot of really great shops out there, so you have to be ready to work hard and market yourself.

What are your future plans, hopes, and dreams for By the Book Paper?

I would be happy to just keep moving forward, hopefully getting more orders for special events such as weddings and parties. I want to work on adding some new types of items to my shop- bunting banners and Christmas ornaments are currently being considered- to try and expand what I already have. I would also love to try and get some design experience one day so that I would have more in the way of graphics to work with.

Kristen is offering a set of 12 personalized bunting note cards just like the ones above! She will work with you on customizing the order to say pretty much whatever you want!

Here's how to enter, as always you must be a follower of this blog, and do one or more of the following, leave a comment for each:

1. Visit By the Book Paper and tell us your favorite item.

2. Become a follower of Kristen's blog.

3. Follow Kristen on Twitter.

4. Follow me on FB.

5. Follow me on Twitter.

6. TWEET, FB, or BLOG about this giveaway!

*Giveaway open to U.S. residents only and will close on Sunday, September 4th at midnight mountain time - AZ. Winner will be announced on Monday, September 5th on this blog. 

The WINNER of the JADITE KATE giveaway is...Mindy of Marigold Road! Email me ;)

fab finds friday {black & white}

Happy Friday! I'm spending this weekend photographing vintage for the shop. I hope to get my shop up to 200+ listings by early September. Next week my mom and I are going to be running an estate sale for some dear family friend's. It's the first time we are doing something like this and I think the biggest challenge is going to be not buying all the goods myself! I foresee it being very time consuming so I need to make sure my online shop and booth space are in tip top shape first. I really want to be able to escape up north to the pines a couple of weekends this month as well. I must escape this retched heat! We are going on 20+ days over 110* here in the desert. It's a common myth that everyone from AZ is super tan.  I am pale as a ghost because it's too hot to go outside!

This week I want to show you some of my recent favorites in black and white. I am all about color lately but I've been forgetting the classics, I love anything in crisp clean black and white.

I love black and white glassware. I think these flowers would make a great tattoo also.

Vintage Floral Glasses at Kiteless

The craftsmanship and design in this bag is amazing. I am so into southwest prints right now too. This would be such a great everyday bag for fall.

The Taplin Purse by Shelter

I desperately want these for my kitchen butI'm on a bit of a spending freeze right now...boo.

Vintage Milk Glass S & P Shakers at The Fancy Lamb

Houndstooth is my favorite use of black & white...love!

Houndstooth Cowl Scarf by Pip Robbins

I love all things 'shroom.

Vintage Kaj Franck Finel Mushroom Bowl at 5 Gardenias

What are you up to this weekend?

{a lesson in customer service}

I want to share two stories with you regarding customer service.  As a business owner I strive to provide great service to my customers, and find myself paying more attention to my personal experiences. I take mental notes of what to do, and what not to do.  I want to tell you about both a recent negative experience and positive experience, and share what I've learned from both of them.

{source}

Now, I have a really hard time throwing companies (or people) under the bus because as a business owner, and someone who has worked a billion service & retail jobs, I know that people make mistakes and people have bad days.  Some behavior, however, is inexcusable. I try very hard not to bitch and complain as I am someone who is easily dragged down by negativity, but I do want to share this recent example of indefensible behavior.

The Department Store:

My husband recently started a new job.  For the past 3 years he has been able to wear whatever he wants to work - mostly shorts & t-shirts.  His new office is based out of our home (so it will be mostly the same), but he will have to dress up for travel and meetings.  We went through his old business wardrobe and found things either didn't fit, didn't match or were just not his style anymore.  We (read: I) decided on a mini-shopping spree!  It was pretty exciting to head out to the big department store, and reward my hard working hubby with some brand new, nice business clothes.  We strolled into the men's department and walked up to the table filled with rows upon rows of colorful, crisp dress shirts.  We were immediately approached by a salesman.  "How nice," I thought. "He is coming to help us."  I was wrong.  He was there to tell us...and I quote, "I don't mean to be rude but, please don't try on more than like two of these shirts, it makes a lot of work for me to have to fold them back up." We were appalled.  We were there to spend money. Yes we want to buy your crazy overpriced shirts, and we probably will buy more than two of them. This guy is telling us we can't try on the ones we want?  I was livid and shocked.  We both just laughed in his face and rolled our eyes. How else do you respond to that?

Now, we should have walked out right then, but my husband really needed these shirts. And, they were on sale, so we stayed.  I am not proud about this next part...I proceeded to pick out every single dress shirt my husband would possibly want or need to try on and drag him by the hand to the dressing rooms. I pulled out all of the pins, and I unfolded all the shirts.  My husband rolled his eyes, smiled and tried on the shirts all the while thinking, "buddy, you messed with the wrong woman."  When he was done, we left the dressing room and went to check out.  We handed the salesman the shirts we were going to purchase, and then I asked him where I could go to help him refold the shirts that we were not buying. Having finally realized his idiotic behavior, he blushed and said, "Oh, I'll do that, it's no problem at all."  Ugh! Not my finest hour, but I hope I taught him a lesson.  I definitely learned to never make a customer feel they were inconveniencing me in any way. I am there to provide them goods and services, that is what they are paying me to do!

And, finally, for the story I am really excited to share with you, my recent positive customer service experience.

The Etsy Shop:

I recently moved my studio and laptop into another area of the house, and, when I was setting my computer on my white desk, I realized I was going to need a mouse pad. I never needed one before, in fact, I haven't used one in years.  Where the heck do you get a cute mouse pad?  The ones at office stores are ugly.  Aha...Etsy of course!  I stumbled upon this beauty from Gilmore Creations...

Adorable right?  The price was good, so I ordered right away.  I stuck a book under my mouse, and waited...patiently...for a long time...it never came.  I honestly forgot about it until my mom came over and made fun of my ghetto book as mouse pad contraption. I realized I needed to check on my order!

I hopped on etsy and saw that it shipped awhile ago.  I convo'd Kim at Gilmore Creations immediately to find out what was up.  She responded promptly, and sent me the delivery confirmation info promptly.  According to the post office, it had been delivered weeks before. The problem was they were wrong.  I feared I would have to live without my precious mouse pad or re-order it. I was bummed. Kim, however, was not going to let me go unsatisfied.  She sent me another one right away - no questions asked.  Even though it was not at all her fault, she made up for it and came through big time.  As we speak, I am rolling my pretty pink mouse on my pretty floral mouse pad.  It's just darling!

Kim went above and beyond to make something right that wasn't her wrong. Just look at this packaging...

Adorably wrapped with a bonus book mark AND a hand written note apologizing for the mix up. Amazing I tell you! Business owners take note, that is how customer service is done right!  I am grateful to Kim for making sure my mouse pad needs were met, and I will be a repeat customer for sure. So, lessons learned, and notes taken.  This is also a great example of how indie biz owners like Etsy sellers rock and big department stores stink.  

Have you had a great (or crappy) customer experience lately? Please do share!

Giveaway HERE ;)

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shop spotlight & giveaway {Jadite Kate}

Today I'm going to introduce you to a sweet little vintage shop I stumbled upon while browsing Etsy. It was love at first site for me, and I immediately hopped over to her blog and I emailed her asking if she would share her shop with you. She accepted and is offering a divine giveaway! So here she is, Jadite Kate... 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself:

My name is Kate Smith.  I live in a little cream-colored townhouse in Pennsylvania with my husband, Aaron.  I’m pretty obsessed with glassware.  I dislike capital letters.

Tell us about your shop:

When I opened my Etsy shop, I wanted to sell good quality vintage pieces.  The majority would be glassware, but also some kitchen odds & ends like canisters and lamps.  When it comes to choosing these pieces, I pick items that I would want around my house.  I like bright colors and pieces that have a history.  Quality is also very important to me.  I desire to sell vintage items that are in near perfect condition.

What do you do when you aren’t working on your shop? 

I wear a lot of hats.  Wife / Etsy Seller  / Office Manager / Domestic Goddess.  In addition to running my Etsy store, I work as the office manager at my husband’s business (he’s a physical therapist).  In my spare time I like to knit, read and watch chick flicks.

What vintage items do you collect yourself?

I have a growing collection of Fire King Turquoise and Jadite.  My new favorite glass is Fenton Turquoise, so I have a few pieces in that color.  Canisters and teacups are also abundant in my kitchen.

Kate's Kitchen!

Finish this sentence: I love vintage because…

I love vintage because it is somewhat scarce.  You can’t go to a big name store and find vintage items – you have to search for them among yard sales, flea markets and antique venues.  To me, that is half the fun of having vintage things. 

If someone was interested in starting an etsy shop, what advice would you give them?

Treat your shop like you would any small business.  Make a business plan.  Contact an accountant to learn about sales tax, Tax ID numbers, and small business tax.  Invest in a good camera and photo editing software (good photos are vital!).  And lastly, sell the best quality items you can find or make. 

What are your future plans, hopes, and dreams for your Jadite Kate?

I am super happy with my shop as is, but there is always room for improvement.  I am planning on coming out with a “Collections” category.   Basically this would involve one listing consisting of multiple items such as vases or urns.  One of my friends had flowers in milk glass vases as her wedding centerpieces and I thought that was a great idea.  I want to have collections available to brides and party planners who turn to Etsy for vintage decor.

Are you drooling over all that vintage goodness?  Well how about winning an Anchor Hocking Fire King milk glass cup and saucer with painted tulips!

It's the perfect piece to add to your collection or to jump start a new one! Entering is easy, as always you must be a follower of this blog and do one or more of the following, leave a comment for each entry:

1- Hop on over to Kate's shop and take a look-see. Then come back and tell us your favorite item.

2- Become a follower of Kate's blog

3- "Like" Jadite Kate on Facebook

4- "Like" Blue Eyed Owl on Facebook

5- Follow Blue Eyed Owl on Twitter

6- Tweet, Facebook or Blog about this giveaway!

*Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway will close at midnight mountain (AZ) time on Friday, August 26th. Winner announced on Monday, August 29th on this blog. Good luck ;)

The WINNER of last week's MW Handmade giveaway is... Ashlynn! Email me!

fab finds friday {embroidery art}

The list of things I want to learn to do is growing everyday.  One of them is embroidery.  It's beautiful, I have a strange thing for thread, and it's something I could do while watching TV...the perfect craft for me!  I just need to figure out how to make a day 28 hours instead of 24 and I'll be good to go.  In the meantime I admire these beauties from Etsy artisans...

moxiedoll


pilous percilla

the merriweather council

all night diner

georgienorine

What crafty things do you do while watching TV or movies? I can never just sit and watch something. I have to be doing something with my hands. It's gotten really bad lately. If I'm home I'm flipping through mags at the same time, checking twitter on my phone, or doodling. If I'm at the movie theater I inhale and XL popcorn until I'm stuffed. It's no good I tell you.

guest post: vegan rainbow cake from dianapantz

{I hope you are enjoying your weekend! I'm moving into my new antique booth as we speak so my lovely friend, Diana agreed to share with you today!  I hope you are hungry! }

hey everybody! my name is diana and i blog over here. i blog about all sorts of goodies; being a vegan in the midwest, riding my bike most places, and sharing all my photos and crafty endeavors.

last week, i posted [here] some amazing baking inspiration i found on pinterest.

so today; i decided to veganize this rainbow cake. want the original recipe? go here. below is my vegan version!

Cake Batter :  

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegan butter [i use Earth Balance], room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups natural apple sauce
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• a large 'glug' of original almond milk [in place of eggs]
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk, room temperature
• Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple gel food coloring
• Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting [recipe follows ; found here]

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush six 9-inch-round cake pans (or as many 9-inch cake pans as you have, reusing them as necessary) with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Slowly add almond milk [in place of eggs] and mix until well combined. Add vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and milk in two alternating additions, beginning with the flour and ending with the milk. Mix until well combined.
3. Divide batter evenly between five medium bowls. Add enough of each color of food coloring to each bowl, whisking, until desired shade is reached. Transfer each color to an individual cake pan. Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 15 minutes (working in batches if necessary).
4. Remove cakes from oven and transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack; re-invert and let cool completely.
5. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the purple layer on the cake plate. Spread a scant 1 cup buttercream filling over the first layer with a small offset spatula so it extends just beyond edges. Repeat process with blue, green, yellow, and orange layers.
6. Place the remaining red layer on top, bottom-side up. Gently sweep away any loose crumbs with a pastry brush. Using an offset spatula, cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (also use any of the excess frosting visible between the layers). Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Using an offset spatula, cover cake again with remaining frosting.

Frosting:

3/4 cup vegan butter [I use Earth Balance]

1 container [8 oz] vegan cream cheese [both Follow Your Heart and Tofutti are pretty good]

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Cream together margarine and cream cheese until just combined. Use a handheld mixer to whip while adding the confectioners' sugar in 1/2 cup batches. Mix until smooth and creamy, then mix in the vanilla. Keep tightly covered and refigerated until ready to use.

happy baking!

{Yummy! Thanks Diana!}

fab finds friday {shabby chic}

Happy Friday! As always, I have a little virtual window shopping for you via Etsy. As I look through my current favorites, several mini themes pop out. It's a mash up of colors, patterns, and styles. One that seems to be repeating is sweet shabby chic. The whole shabby chic style has always been something that I love to look at, is very pretty, but I would never have in my home. I'm just not that fancy or frilly of a person. These are some finds that I feel I could incorporate into my current style to girly it up a bit, without being overwhelming...

Flower Fabric Tape @ Violet Gift Shop

Antique Metal Grate @ Ratty & Catty

Antique Floral Fabric Buttons by Heyday Handmade

Fabric Basket Organizers by Panica Lab

Vintage Chintz Roses Bowl @ Peppermint Bark

Vintage Depression Glass Platter @ Ozark Finds

Do you like shabby chic?

{super easy diy ideas}

As we all know, Pinterest is a great source for inspiration of all kinds.  One of my favorite things to pin are super simple diy project ideas.  It's amazing the things that people think up that are so easy, yet so fantastic!  Little crafty touches can make a huge difference for gifts and around your home.  Here are a few projects that are on my current to do list...

paint sample gift tags

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spray painted folding chairs

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color staples

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Balloon Garland

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Do you have any super simple diy ideas?

*enter to win a set of personalized chevron note cards from Row House 14 HERE*

shop spotlight & giveaway {Row House 14}

Greetings and a happy Monday to you!  I want to introduce you to one of my new friends and a new favorite shop on Etsy.  The wonderful Heidi from Row House 14 is here to tell you about herself, her shop AND she is offering an amazing giveaway! Here she is...

Please tell us a little bit about yourself:

I’m Heidi and live in Baltimore with my boyfriend and our chocolate lab Lilah and orange tabby Finn, who are best of friends. We just bought an old row house about a year ago which was nicely finished, but we’ve been spending a lot of time with projects to make it ours. I teach 7th and 8th grade Humanities (a cross between Language Arts and Social Studies) in Baltimore city and love my students and school. It’s a tough job, but very rewarding! I also have a love for music, art, and travel and try to incorporate all of that in my teaching. I have an obsession with coffee and worked for seven years as a barista and hope to eventually have my own coffee house.

Tell us about your shop:

I opened my shop so that I could have a creative outlet outside of teaching. I’ve been doing graphic design, art, and photography for quite some time so it seemed like a natural step to take. I love paper and design so I offer paper cut cards and graphically designed cards and stationery. It’s kind of the best of both worlds. I also sell some of my photography.

What do you do when you aren’t working on your shop?

I love to enjoy life! On the weekends you’ll often find me at the farmer’s market or out and about this beautiful and historic city. I like being at coffee shops with a good book or even with my laptop designing. When the weather is nice I often go camping, hiking, or we take the dog to the beach in Delaware. Music is a big thing, so I’m constantly going to concerts—especially during this time of year!

Where do you look for inspiration?

I get inspiration from everything around me. I could be inspired by colors I see, music I hear, other art, etc. Recently, I was even inspired to make a set of stationery after seeing a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo houndstooth pumps on Pinterest! I try to get an idea down right away if I have it, even if it means writing it down on a piece of paper to remember later.

What is your favorite item to make?

I think the items I love making the most are the cards that incorporate both paper cutting and graphic design. I like to print designs, but I also like being able to assemble by hand—there is a certain satisfaction I find in that.

Finish this sentence: Handmade is… about being creative in producing something that isn’t cookie cutter. It’s about putting in hard work to get a result that is unique and something that you can call your own. Handmade is an art in itself because handmade items are really full of creative energy.

If someone was interested in starting an etsy shop, what advice would you give them?

I think one of the most important things about having an Etsy shop is to have patience. Nothing happens overnight and you can’t expect huge results in a week. It is a work in progress. As long as you are doing something that you love and for the right reasons, people will see that. Don’t start an Etsy shop because you want to make money, start it because you have a passion for what you do!

What are your future plans, hopes, and dreams for Row House 14?

I eventually would like to open a coffeehouse and be able to have my shop on the side. I’ve just recently started editing a friend’s novel and hope to continue doing editing as well. It’d be perfect if I could do all three as my day job instead of teaching.

Don't you just love her?  Heidi is even giving away this set of personalized chevron note cards!  Entering is super easy and there are several ways to enter...

Mandatory: Visit Row House 14 and leave a comment telling us your favorite item

*you must be a follower of this blog via gfc or bloglovin' to enter.*

Additional Entries: {leave comment for each}

1- Follow Heidi's BLOG

2- Follow The Blue Eyed Owl (me) on FB

3- Follow Row House 14 (Heidi) on FB

4- Follow me on TWITTER

5- Follow Heidi on TWITTER

{giveaway is open to U.S. residents only - leave an email so I can contact you if you win - giveaway will close on Sunday at midnight mountain (AZ) time - winner chosen via random.org & announced on Monday, August 15th - good luck!}