Magnolia Mamas : Personalized Gifts

Showing posts with label Personalized Gifts. Show all posts

Monday, February 5, 2018

Fashion Fix: Wear Your Love Story

Thank you James Avery for sponsoring this post. All thoughts, ideas and opinions are my own.

Valentine's Day has never really been a big holiday that the Mr. and I celebrate. When we were in high school and college we'd go to dinner and get each other a card or something small, but that was about it. Now that we have kids though, our focus has shifted. Like everything, Valentine's Day is more fun with children! We like to make it all about our kids and our love for them. Last year I shared the idea of little love notes that I left for my kids each day of February leading up to Valentine's Day. I shared with them reasons I loved them and they absolutely adored this. They all saved them and I find them looking at them from time to time which is just the sweetest.

Even though this stage of our lives are busy, active and can be exhausting at times, it's sweet little moments and memories like this that ground me and make me realize just how blessed I am. For as long as I could remember all I wanted to be was a mom. Some women have great career ambitions or lofty goals they want to succeed at, but for me, I really always knew I just wanted to be a mom.

I absolutely adore these three and feel so lucky to get to be their mom. The Mr. and I always joke how boring life would be without them. They make us laugh, keep us on our toes, and bring more joy than we ever could have imagined.

When James Avery invited us to see their Valentine's Day new releases I was so excited. I had spent sometime checking out their catalog and found so many pieces that represented my love for my kids.

I'm so happy I was able to see their jewelry in person because some things look totally different in pictures than they do in person.

I absolutely adored these Vintage Alphabet Pendants. Because each of my kids' names start with the same letter I considered getting an "H" pendant with the heart.

Then I happened to see this black double wrap leather bracelet and knew this is what I would get! Most James Avery pieces are silver and more traditional in style, but I loved that this was a little different. It felt very trendy and I knew I would be able to personalize it to be meaningful to me.

I considered some of the many charms they offer, but then an idea popped in my head when I spotted these colorful gemstone and enhancer beads.

The sweet woman working at the store helped me choose beads that represented each of my three kids' birthstones.

Then she explained to me the charms and beads would be soldered on (free of charge) and helped me to arrange the beads how I wanted them.

I decided to add one more thing to my bracelet and went with the Vintage Type "h" charm. Since each of my kids' names begin with an H I knew this would be the final touch.

I went back two days later to pick up my bracelet and could not love it more. I love that I was able to personalize it the way I wanted. It truly tells my love story. Each time I look down at it I see a bead for each of my children and it makes me smile.

I feel like this bracelet is more than just jewelry. It is a way for me to wear my love story!

James Avery offers so many ways to tell your love story. It is so interesting to see and hear all of the ways customers use jewelry in a way that is meaningful to them. THIS STORY was the February customer story of forever...a tear jerker for sure. It is sad, but a must watch because it is also so very sweet. So special to see how James Avery plays a big role in remembering a loved one.

What is your love story? Share your own using #MyJamesAvery on social media!

Friday, February 10, 2017

Mix & Mingle: Feathered Nest Boutique {Giveaway}

Of all the fun things we do, the "Mix & Mingle" series is one of our absolute favorites! We love getting to share with you a little more behind the scenes look at some of the faces or products you see on our blog.

We've met and become friends with some amazing Mom Bosses through our little slice of internet, and at the top of our list is our friend Kathryn. Kathryn is the owner of Feathered Nest Boutique, which features her amazing Southern Girls Collection. She is located just a hop, skip, and a jump away from our hometowns, and we've put "Take Kathryn out for drinks!" at the top of our must-do list for this year. We just know it would be a good time!

First let's get to know Kathyrn a little bit...

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.

I grew up in Fort Valley, Georgia on my family's farm and have called Athens home for the last 20 years. My two kids, Emerson, 17, and Parker, 15, and our five rescue dogs keep me on my toes and make life anything but boring. I'm NOT ready for my daughter to be graduating soon from high school. EEK!

IF YOU COULD VISIT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD THAT BE?

My happy place is St. Simons Island. I spent vacations there as a kid and with my children as well. I cannot think of anything better than sand, salt air, and Bennie's Red Barn or Barbara Jean's!

WHEN YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES OF FREE TIME, HOW DO YOU SPEND THAT TIME?

I love to read! A few of my favorite Southern authors are Karin Slaughter, Anne Siddons and Charles Martin.

HOW DID FEATHERED NEST BOUTIQUE COME TO BE?

I started Feathered Nest Boutique six years ago after losing both my parents and going through a very rough time. I've battled depression more than half my life but after my parents passed away, I struggled with severe depression, anxiety and panic attacks. FNB was a way for me to focus on creating something positive, having a purpose each day and a way to force myself to interact with people again. I started making purses but soon fell into a passion for monogrammed items.

My dream was to have a brick & motar store but I felt that wasn't obtainable with my anxiety. So I found another option with my online biz. I still prefer to 'hide' behind my screen most of the time but my social-media presence allows me to do more whenever it feels right. Baby steps!

My work space grew from my mother's sewing machine crammed into a tiny closet to a porch-turned-sunroom-turned-studio. It's tiny and overflowing but it's a dream come true!

WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO BE CREATIVE?

Growing up I was surrounded by strong, creative Southern women who taught me to sew, work hard, and never give up. Whenever I hit a wall creatively or business wise, I think about them and how they would attack it.

My mother was an amazing artist who, in the 1980s, had her own counted cross stitch business. I grew up watching and helping her in her office, warehouse and even at national trade shows. She taught me to strive to always provide the customer with more than they expect. That's why I include my handmade hair ties with every order - my little way of saying thank you!

My daddy was a third-generation farmer who gave me my love of all things Southern. I'm actually in the process of rebranding my business and changing the name to honor my daddy and our family's farm.

In the studio, every day I use my Grandmother's sewing table and my Mama's sewing tools.The mantel in the studio belonged to my other Grandmother. A recycled gate turned bulletin board is covered with photos of my parents and my kids as daily inspiration.

Isn't her work space just darling?! And we love all of her southern and family ties that continue to inspire and influence all that she does with her business.

Now that y'all have gotten to know a little more about Kathryn, we want to share some of her AMAZING products that we just love. When we say this gal knocks it out of the park, we mean it. She makes so many adorable things and puts a southern twist on just about everything she creates. For special occasions or everyday fun, she's always able to deliver a little something perfect for our needs.

Tees & Sweatshirts

No matter what the season or what the holiday, Feathered Nest Boutique has the cutest tops ready to help you be decked out in theme wear. There are lots of monogram options or super cute sayings! These are some of our favorites because they are so comfy, but so cute!

This Pucker Up Buttercup design is cute for Valentine's Day, but also date nights!

And you might remember this that we shared on Instagram before New Years? The off the shoulder sweatshirts look great layered.

This "Bless Your Heart" sweatshirt is one of our new favorites, and has been on repeat lately!

Our Southern souls just needed this in our closets. There's not a day that goes by that this saying - or at least thought - doesn't eek from a southern ladies lips somewhere.

We love that the saying comes in a fun array of other options too (see the Raglan tee, and the Comfort Colors Long Sleeve Tee)!

Can Huggers {AKA Koozies}

If there is one thing we love in the south it is nice cold drinks and therefore, we always have can huggers (or koozies, as I've always called them) on hand. There is nothing worse that having your drink get warm before you finish drinking it.

Kathryn has such adorable gingham koozies with the most fun sayings on them as part of her Southern Girls Collection.

Some are really fun for holidays and events and we just love the tongue-in-cheek-ones she comes up with best!

Stay tuned too because we got some inside information from Kathryn that a few new additions will be made to the collection soon!

Totes Adorbs

Listen what girl doesn't love a good tote? Especially a cute one? Well remember, that adorable "Bless Your Heart" Sweatshirt we mentioned above? It also is available in a tote!

And how cute is it?!?

These totes are large, in charge, and perfect for your everyday needs. It comes in a few different colors, and a variety of options for color of the wording. We love the variety available and think it would make for a great gift!

Monograms & More!

We mentioned that she offers tons of monogram options, but did you know she often combines two of our favorite things?!? Monograms and Lilly!!!

From sweatshirts to appliquéd fleeces to beyond adorable ball caps - she's covered it all!

And one thing that alway stands out to us are the little things. With every order she includes hand tied hair ties and often a little candy or treat as a way to say thank you for ordering from her shop. Those little things make us smile and it is as if she's sending a bit of southern hospitality right along with your order.

***GIVEAWAY***

We're so excited to be partnering with Feathered Nest Boutique to give away this Bless Your Heart pillow cover and can huggers to one lucky reader! To enter, simply leave a comment letting us know something you saw in her shop that you loved! Winner will be announced on Valentine's Day!

To learn more about Feathered Nest Boutique:

Monday, December 12, 2016

Mix & Mingle: Sincerely Southern Co. {Giveaway}

How is it already Monday again?!? Our weekend was packed with all sorts of fun, but it flew by. As we inch closer and closer to Christmas if you are anything like me you are knee deep in holiday shopping, gift gifting, Christmas card addressing and everything in between. I keep thinking I'm ahead of the game and then remember last minute gifts I need to buy and things that I need to check off my list. That's why I'm so excited for today's edition of Mix and Mingle because I'm hoping it will help all of us with last minute gift ideas!

Today I'd like to introduce y'all do my darling cousin, Kaitlyn, and her new Etsy shop, Sincerely Southern Co. which features decals, monograms and lots of fun gift ideas!

A few years ago when Kaitlyn got married she asked both of my girls to be her flower girls for the wedding. It was such a special experience for them and something they still talk about to this day.

Here they are with their iPods at the time taking pictures of the beautiful bride and so enamored with her and the whole process of the wedding.

Before I share some of my favorites from her shop, let's get to know her a little better.

1.Tell everyone a little about yourself.

My name is Kaitlyn and I am the owner of Sincerely Southern Co. I have a wonderful husband who has been so supportive of my newest endeavor. Along with being my husband, he is also my carpenter and accountant (haha!). I am a fur mama of the cutest dog in the entire world. He is 7 years young and has his dad and I wrapped around his little paw. Growing up in a small business family, I have always had a huge respect for the self-employed. My sister and I would go to work with my parents and developed a strong work ethic at a very young age. I was a competitive dancer for 12 years and I believe my creativity started with my love for dance. That, combined with my entrepreneurial spirit, led me to create Sincerely Southern Co.

2. Describe your style, but before she does let me just say that she is a fellow lover of Lilly Pulitzer, so enough said.

I would say it is conservative mixed with brights, pastels, and a coastal flair!

3. What's your favorite Christmas tradition?

My favorite Christmas tradition is being at my parent's house on Christmas morning and hoping that this year we can recreate our Memaw's famous sausage gravy! We probably won't get it just right, but there's always next year! Spending time with loved ones is so important to me on Christmas because it is so rare that we can all be together and be able to stay in our PJ's until noon just sitting around enjoying each other's company.

4. If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I think I would have to choose spaghetti. I could eat spaghetti for every meal and never get tired of it...just being honest!

5. What inspires you to be creative?

I get inspiration from the creative community. We all support each other and love what one another does. I love being able to use my imagination to create something and then bring it to life. It's incredibly inspiring to see the joy my products bring to people and makes me want to do this everyday!

Now I want to give you a little peek at some of favorites from her shop! This mug is probably the best thing I have ever seen.

I don't even drink coffee, so you know my cup would be filled with bubbly. How fun would this be as a gift for a girlfriend, neighbor or even (gasp) a teacher?!

These monogrammed key chains are so cute and I just love the little tassel on them. No more loosing my keys with something as sweet as this! And you know who else loves key chains? Girls! Tween and teen girls to be exact. My girls love hooking key chains on their backpacks and these would be great little gifts for all of their friends. Honestly I think all ladies, young and old, would love these and would be a cute stocking stuffer idea, too!

Anyone else have an elf that visits their house? Want to give him the night off? This cute Santa Camera ornament is so clever and a fun little way to remind the kids that Santa is keeping track of their behavior as he finalizes his naughty and nice lists.

Another thing offered in her Sincerely Southern Co. shop are vinyl decals. They are all made with outdoor adhesive vinyl so they are really a great quality and the possibilities are endless as far as what you can put them on. Stick them pretty much anywhere from your car window, to a phone case, water bottles, binders, and more. I think these pineapple ones would be so great for a hostess gift. A cute beverage tub with one of these would be adorable!

Of course, monogrammed cups, tumblers and water bottles are so fun and something any of us would love. You can order a monogram decal to put on something you already own, or you can purchase these insulated tumblersfrom her shop with the monogram already on and ready to gift! These are a steal at less than $25 each!

There are just so many cute options and great affordable gifts for anyone you might still be buying for. Because we love so many of these items, we have partnered with Sincerely Southern Co. to giveaway not one, but TWO items.

Hop on over to Facebook and Instagram today for your chance to win the super cute Santa Camera ornament and This might be Champagne mug. Hurry because the giveaway is going to be quick and the winners will be announced tomorrow!

To learn more about Kaitlyn and Sincerely Southern Co.:

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