Stylish Travel Mugs

I'm excited to share my newest product offering- stylish travel mugs that are eco-friendly and are fun to use, especially at the office! I'm so excited about these items because they not only help reduce waste since they are re-useable, but they help convey your personal style. I developed a set for my own personal use and I've received a ton of compliments...I now find an excuse to use them whenever I can :) Here are a few of my favorites:

Alaskan Adventure

To celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary, my husband & I decided to embark on an Alaskan cruise, filled with lots of adventure. We both love nature and the outdoors, so Alaska seemed like the perfect destination.

Our favorite part of the trip was our glacier trekking experience- I highly recommend you try it if you like adventure. We started off by being fitted with proper trekking gear from head to toe- snow pants, jacket, boots & gloves. Once we were dressed and ready to go, we were escorted into a helicopter, which is the only way to get to the glacier. This was my first time in a helicopter and I got the opportunity to sit in the front, next to the pilot, which provided me with breathtaking views of the Alaskan scenery.

Once we landed on the glacier, we were then fitted with helmets, ice picks & “cramp-ons” that are razor sharp cleats that attach to the bottom of our boots.

From there, we trekked across the glacier for two hours where we learned different techniques for maneuvering around the steep inclines and slopes of the glacier.

The colors of the glacier included pure white & ice blue- a truly beautiful environment. The streams of running water carving their way through the glacier provided our drinking water…and I have to say, it was the coldest & purest water I’ve ever tasted!

Getting My Hands Dirty

We moved into our house 3 years ago and my favorite “renovation” project to date was our updated first floor bathroom (really, this is the only renovation we've done...but it's still my favorite!). I love watching all the design shows on HGTV, but I feel like I have no ideas when it comes to decorating my own home. So to help keep me focused, I selected a few inspiration photos:

I became obsessed with vessel sinks and had to have one! They add so much interest to the space and in my opinion, they are beautiful & functional pieces of art :)

Here is the “before” look:

The bathroom had hideous floral wall paper from floor to ceiling and let me tell you, that was a hoot to take off. For those dealing with wall paper, save yourself a lot of hassle and rent a steamer…the paper & glue slides right off (for the most part!).

After a lot of hard work, lost sleep over paint color decisions…this is how the space turned out:

And I couldn’t be happier! I painted the walls a warm beige and I kept the existing vanity, but I decided to paint it a rich, chocolate brown. I picked out a bronze colored vessel sink and had a beautiful granite counter top installed. My husband was a little concerned about the paint colors I selected, but once he saw the look come together I won over his approval.

10 Things You Might Not Know About Me
1) I lived and worked on an island for 3 summers with my 2 best friends
2) I can do the worm backwards
3) I’m the first in my family to graduate from college
4) Although I’m not Irish, I have an odd fetish with the Irish culture and I did manage to marry an Irish lad
5) I’m part of Generation Y
6) I love different & unique jewelry pieces- I own more jewelry than I do shoes
7) I have the cutest and most rambunctious golden retriever named Logan

8) Excluding family, I’ve had 22 different roommates throughout the years
9) I prefer dessert over the meal
10) I’m both athletic & musical, analytical & artistic

My Guilty Pleasury

I have a guilty pleasure- cuff bracelets. I love them and I admit, I’m constantly searching for more to add to my collection. I’ve come across a few fabulous ones on Etsy:

By theshagbag





By TrilbyMade



By RholmesCustomLeather

Maternity Photo Shoot

One of my best friends is pregnant…so naturally, I nominate myself to take their maternity and newborn pictures. I decided to do that for a couple reasons….and no, it’s not due to my stellar photography skills. I wanted to do it because I think it would be a lot of fun, especially when the baby arrives! Second, it’s selfishly a way to force me to improve upon my editing and photography skills. I just recently finished a series of Photoshop classes, so I now know the basics of photo editing and can apply some of those skills.

We started off at their house taking some pictures in front of a plain, white background:


I wanted a picture of her silhouette and without the proper “professional” lighting, we had to get creative. I took this from inside their house, in front of their front door. I think it turned out pretty cool!


Here are a few of my favorites:

The photo shoot ended up being a ton of fun and my friend was very pleased with how the pictures turned out....maybe I have a new calling :)

Mother’s Day Crafts- Free Ebook!

I’m a contributor to a free ebook that details several fun Mother’s Day crafts that can be given as gifts that every mother is sure to enjoy! Find easy homemade gifts, fun sewing projects and wearable crafts Mom will love. Handmade gifts are much more thoughtful and they can be tailored to the person’s style.

My specific article is on bottle cap wine charms – these are cute, fun ways to dress up your drink and a great way to recycle bottle caps. There are so many cool crafts listed in the ebook, but my favorite is probably the "fancy rubber gloves". I'll have to make myself a pair so I can garden in style!

If you’re interested in hearing more about me and my glassware shop, make sure to tune in to Fave Crafts Radio this Sunday May 2nd at 7:30 for my interview!

My Newest Product Offering

For the peak wedding season, I decided to start offering personalized platters. I think this is a unique gift that can be given for weddings that the bride and groom can cherish forever.

To me, this type of gift is much more thoughtful than a card & check. When I got married, I thought the most memorable & thoughtful gifts were the ones that were either handmade or personalized in some way…but maybe I’m just a little biased :-)

My Short Trip to Key West

My Key West trip was fabulous. I got to not only visit with one of my best friends (who happens to teach at the Key West high school), but also experience all that the island has to offer.

I’ll start off with some introductions. This is my friend’s pup- a super cute French bulldog named Parker. And yes, his tongue permanently hangs out of his mouth, which makes him even cuter.

My friend’s neighbor is an interesting older woman who was a dance instructor, but she’s now trying to save the ocean, one fish at a time. Although I didn’t personally meet her, I did get to meet her car:

An interesting observation about this island is that instead of stray cats & dogs….Key West has stray chickens. It’s actually quite funny to be walking down the street and see random chickens running around. One of the many things Key West is known for, is its art galleries. I got to see lots of talented pieces of artwork in all different forms. And with any popular tourist destination, there are tons of boutiques. During your shopping trip, make sure to stop by Key West’s most famous sandal shop called Kino Sandals. This was one of my favorite shops because the sandals are handmade and constructed right in the store! And although these are handmade sandals, they are super cheap. I purchased this lovely pair for only $13- such a steal!

No visit to Key West is ever complete without a sunset sail. It’s a two-hour sail that provides you with the best ocean sunset views and it is the perfect ending to a fabulous vacation.

A Few of My Favorite Things

So it’s my birthday this week and I thought I’d center this post on some of my favorite Etsy finds. There are so many cool items that I come across because I love to shop, but in my attempt to cut back on my compulsive buying, I end up forgetting about these lovely items. Well, what a perfect time to take another look at them and maybe treat myself to my own birthday gift.

I love love love these aprons by lemontreeaprons…if only I cooked! I’m sure I’ll get into cooking at a later point in my life, and once I do, I’ll definitely be getting one of these.




If you don’t already know…I have a slight jewelry fetish. I’m obsessed with different & unique pieces and this item by kirevi8 is definitely right up my alley. I love that it incorporates both metal & fabric.




I came across this unique necklace by sammi84 that can be personalized with initials. I love items that can be personalized, and it’s also a piece that can be worn with any outfit.



I like to class up some of my outfits with a fabulous belt. Belts can really turn an average outfit into a glamorous one. I’m in love with this elegant lace belt from LittleWhiteDresser:

Cool New Magazine

I came across this fabulous online fashion magazine called VivaLaModa. In addition to fashion, this magazine covers topics on beauty, handmade goods, home décor, green products and more. The editor is also an Etsy seller and I had the honor of contributing to this month’s issue! I was so excited to be apart of this since it’s such a cool magazine and its readership is growing more and more each month.

My article is centered around Earth Day and features some awesome eco-friendly items that I found on Etsy. There are so many ways that people can help contribute to a cleaner environment and I hope that my article helps inspire people to do so.

If you're interested in reading my article, make sure to check out pages 58 & 59!

I cant wait for the beach!

I’ll be traveling to Key West at the end of this month to visit one of my closest friends. I’m super excited because 1) I get to spend time with one of my favorite people, 2) I get to travel to a new place that I’ve never been to before and 3) And I get to go to the beach which I haven’t been to in a few years which further validates that this trip is much over-due.

In preparation for my trip, I’d like to liven up my closet with some cute summer / beach apparel & accessories.

A tote is definitely a must-have for any beach trip…at least for me since I have to bring a million things with me to the beach. I love this nautical inspired tote bag by bayanhippo:




During my search for a cute summery top, I came across this beautiful piece by poorpitifulpearl. I love the mix of fabrics and that it’s sylish, yet practical.




In my opinion, an outfit is not complete without some type of jewelry. I tend to associate summer with turquoise and I think this fabulous “world traveler” necklace by threebirdsdesigns is a great addition to any summer outfit:



And of course some type of flower hair accessory is needed to keep that unruly hair in place at the beach. I found this super cute & unique Flower Headband by everydayfairytale that can be worn to the beach and during a nice evening out:

The Magic of Dandelions

I’ve always been captivated by the magical feeling I get from dandelions. As a child, I would make a wish and blow while watching them fly away into the sky. It’s not surprising that I have chosen to incorporate them into some of my glassware designs. I just recently painted this set of matching cups & saucers:





I love how they turned out- modern, simple & magical. Here is a fabulous collection of handmade items, in addition to my cups, that also feature dandelions:

Say Goodbye to the Wedding Dress

In November of last year, I decided that I would attempt to sell my wedding dress. My friends and family initially reacted to this with confusion and then began drilling me with questions, some of which included: why on earth would you want to sell your wedding dress? It has so much meaning, how could you just get rid of it? Don’t you want your future children to see the dress that their mother wore on her wedding day?

These are all legitimate questions and concerns, but for me, I just don’t view the dress as an important, sentimental object that I’d like to hold on to my whole life. I am not a fan of clutter and I know this dress will sit in a closet or attic and mostly likely will never be looked at for at least a few decades.

For those reasons, I decided to try to sell it. At least selling it to another blushing bride will ensure that the dress is appreciated and will perhaps make someone else as happy as it made me on my big day.

I listed it on a newly developed website specific for those looking to re-sell their wedding dress { http://www.preownedweddingdress.com/ }. I immediately received several inquires and to my surprise, I was able to sell it about two months after I listed it. The individual who bought the dress couldn’t have been happier with it and even after shipping it off, I had no doubts with the decision I made. May the dress live on…

Featured on the Front Page!

I'm so excited to find out that one of my glasses was featured on the front page of Etsy . This is huge for new sellers because it automatically boosts your visibility. This is the collection of items that was featured along with my glasses- they are inspiring & dreamy!