christmas fun.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and were able to celebrate with those you love.  we had a great time visiting my family in Tallahassee and celebrating Beckett's first christmas. he sure racked up for such a little guy...and not quite sure how, since his dad and I had decided not to buy him many gifts this year. :)

here are a few favorites from this last week. 

tuckered out after all the gifts. :)

foldovers.

fun little numbers I'm adding to the shop. 10" wide, 5.5" tall. use on its own as a fun accessory or slide into a larger bag to keep yourself organized. (I've been using it to hold little man's diapers this past week) works like a charm! :)

bridal party trifecta.

helloooo, coordination lovers! new in the shop I'm going to have a little 'combo' buy for those of you who like the one stop shop for bridal party needs. I'll be offering a coordinating 8 inch clutch, 6 inch frame (with chain) for the smaller hands & a matching 5x5 inch ring bearer pillow for your pleasure.  they are customizable as far as picking one exterior and one interior fabric for the duo, and deciding on the color of your bloom/ribbon.  the combo will be retailing for $100, which is $20 less than if you were to purchase each of the items on their own. as a reminder, below are the patterned fabrics I have available in the shop, but if you're looking for something different I can always source that for you as well! happy holiday shopping to you all. :)

hooray for monograms!

so excited to announce that I finally have monogramming up and running!  I'll be offering the full circle monogram (pictured) on any of the items in the shop for an additional $5.00 charge.  we'll see how that one does and then maybe add a few other options.  

[source: apex embroidery]

being from the south, I am just a tad bit obsessed with monograms...now that I've personalized several of beckett's bibs & burp cloths I'm moving on and am going to attempt to make him his first christmas stocking this week. if it turns out ok, I'll share it with you all. :)

thankful.

 this has been a roller coaster of a year for me.  many more ups than downs and amazing in so many ways.  I'm so thankful for all that has resulted from the changes.  highlights, you say? here we go...

* gained 34 pounds

* became solely self employed
* kept my etsy shop alive and kicking for over a year

* went 8 months with no alcohol

* bought my first new car

* made it through a year of marriage

* weighed 7 pounds less than my husband...

* lost 25 pounds

* had a baby!

(the weight gain/loss were direct results of being pregnant, as was the 8 months of no drinking) :)

thanks to all of you who read this blog and support all that is oatmeal lace.  it's been an incredible journey. can't wait to see what the next year brings. xoxo

survey says...

photo source etsy.

I need you guys input, por favor.  I am debating adding the option of a reversible clutch to the shop.  I've had a couple requests for this in the past, and wanted to poll you all to see if it will be something that is worth offering.  you can either leave me a comment or just vote in the poll I've included...or you can do both! I so appreciate you taking your time to leave an opinion. :) so, here we go!

  would you be interested in a reversible clutch, for a slightly higher price?

sweet seersucker.

as most of you know, I'm a sucker for seersucker (haha) and was so excited when Heather, one of the brides I worked with, sent me over a couple of photos from her wedding day.  LOVE the blue and white seersucker paired with the yellow dresses. thank you so much for sharing, Heather! you look beautiful and so do your 'maids!

[photography by Kristie Rae Images}

erin + graham, chobotar ranch in Osoyoos, BC

I love when brides that I've worked with send me over pictures after the wedding. it's always fun to get a glimpse into their big day.  erin is no exception- her wedding was gorgeous and the handmade details that she worked in? amazing! did I mention the burlap?? eek! you guys know that I'm a sucker for rustic/outdoor weddings. :) erika walter of element photography captured it all and if you want to see more (trust me, you do!) head over to one stylish bride's blog.

 (um, she handcrafted all of the bouquets and boutonnieres.  I'm impressed.)

thanks again for sharing, erin! congratulations to you and graham. :)

little man's nursery.

I'm finally getting around to doing a post dedicated to beckett's nursery. I know you all have been on the edge of your seat waiting for it, right? :)  our friend gina happened to be in town visiting and was kind enough to come over and take photos of our sweet boy.  while here she got some great shots of the nursery.  it was a labor of love and I'm so appreciative that I have it captured in it's clean and prettified state. ha! 

the fabric I purchased for the bedding was the starting point for the design of the nursery.  I wanted to keep it clean and simple, leaving the walls white and incorporating pops of color in the decor. 

we bought the dresser from IKEA to use for storage and to serve as mr. man's changing table.  I wrote about our experience of putting that beast together here.  the mobile above the dresser was one that I decided to make myself after coveting similar ones on etsy.  

the pillow cover was made from leftover fabric that I used on his crib bumpers.  the quilt hanging over the chair was a surprise gift from my sister and mom.  without my knowledge, my sister got in touch with Joey and had him send her a few t-shirts and jerseys from his college soccer days and had my mom send her shirts from my high school crew days (I was too busy partying studying in college to continue sports).  she then made the best t-shirt quilt for beckett when my mom was out visiting her this summer.  I have to add that this was her first venture into quilting and it turned out amazing. love you stoopid!

 love this lamp that I found at homegoods almost as much as I love homegoods. seriously, I have an unhealthy obsession with the store. I may or may not go there and buy things just so I have a reason to 'return' them and go again. (cue my husband rolling his eyes at me)

this picture was taken by me and I had to share so I could show off the shelves that my parents made for beckett's wall.  there are three on each side of the windows and showcase all of the books that we've started accumulating for him.  

my favorite little man.

my favorite big girl, and first child. this is now her favorite place in the house to hang out...preferably sans crying baby. the rug I found for a steal on overstock.com.

and I couldn't leave out my sweet big boy. this was as close to being in the nursery as he would go. silly, silly moose. 

last photo by me again. just gives you an idea of the scale of the nursery.

we love this space and Joey and I both agree that it's our favorite room in the house now.  hopefully little man will agree as he gets older.

hope you enjoyed the tour. :)

happy birthday to my #1 fan.

if I were to hire a sales force for Oatmeal Lace, at the top of my list would be my husband. and that's not in a cheesy 'I love him so much' way (although I do). he is constantly promoting my work to colleagues, friends, etc. and while I tend to downplay what I do when people ask, he speaks up, gives me props and always mentions how proud he is of me. I can't tell you how awesome it is to have that kind of support. I can only hope that he knows just how much I appreciate him and all he does to take care of our family.  plus, he gave me my greatest creation ever.  (hint: he's holding him in the photo) :)

beckett, maggie, moose and I love you very much and hope you have the best day ever!!

xoxo

FSU collegiate clutch, limited edition :)

in honor of tomorrow's big, big, HUGE game I had to do a post about the limited edition Florida State clutch I am going to be featuring in the shop for the next month. chevron stripes rule (but don't tell my husband) and in the midst of the whole missoni craze at target it felt like the right time to debut this little lady.  I'm seriously sad that I won't be in Tallahassee this weekend for the game, it is my hometown and we'd have babysitters more than willing to watch Beckett.  BUT...I will be pairing this clutch with my fancy cocktail attire while at the Big Brothers Big Sisters gala here in Tampa.  do I care that it doesn't match? no way, jose! it's my way of being there in spirit. GO NOLES!!!

giveaway!

if you haven't already, head on over to Postcards and Pretties  to enter for a chance to win my newest clutch!  you have until september 12th to participate. good luck. :)

well, hello there!

it's been quite a while since my last post and I hope you'll all excuse the absence.  i've been enjoying getting to know my little man, and aside from checking email and facebook sporadically I haven't spent too much time online.  he turned a month old yesterday (cannot believe it!!) and I'm slowly but surely trying to get back into a routine of work without staring at his sweet face all day long.... man, it is hard! don't worry- this won't be turning into a baby blog, but I hope you don't mind if pictures of him show up every once in awhile...I'll strategically place him in photos with Oatmeal Lace products so you're getting two for one. sound good? ok! so today I've included a photo I took for his one month birthday. I'll be using the pillow (which I made for his nursery) for growth comparisons each month and probably also take one of him on different fabrics I want to highlight just for fun. hope you all are doing great and it's good to be back! xo

hug your people.

short and sweet for today. hug your loved ones. life is unpredictable.

maternity leave...

my mom, aunt, me @ 8.5 months pregnant (ignore the boobs, please) and Mamama- the inspiration behind Oatmeal Lace. :)

so it's almost time for our little man to show up which means I have to seriously face the fact that I am going to be taking time off from making bags.  I've been organizing like mad on the back end and laying down the groundwork to keep my shop going while I take 4 weeks off from constructing anything. did you hear me- anything!!!  just saying that gives me so much anxiety.  I cannot remember a day since I've started the business where I haven't done something related to oatmeal lace.  it's been my baby and seeing how far it's come this past year is just mindblowing to me.  I'm so thankful for all the wonderful people I've worked with and the support of my family and friends.  I can't wait to see what the future is going to bring, both personally and professionally.  baby p is certain to inspire me to branch out in new directions and hopefully (crossing fingers and toes here) will be lulled to sleep by the sound of the sewing machine so I can create all sorts of fun new items to share with you. :) I'll try to do a post or two after his arrival so you can see his cute little face and finally share his finished nursery. hope you all have a fabulous weekend and again, thanks for following along with me.

**sidenote: my mom totally called it on the dress being a little 'revealing' in the front. I didn't think it was an issue until I had to lean over to grab something...several times...whoops. mom's are always right, right? :) love you mama!!!

deal of the month!

before baby p arrives I want to offer a little something to my lovely readers. I appreciate you all being so accommodating to my upcoming maternity leave and want to show my thanks by offering my biggest discount yet.  so if you're like me and like to get things marked off your list well in advance than I hope you'll take advantage!! :) 

jr. bridesmaid bags

so I've been testing out a smaller size clutch (6 inches) with a couple clients who have asked for bags that could work for a junior bridesmaid/flower girl gift.  I've decided to add them to the shop since they've gotten such a great response.  

I'll be carrying them in both the antique brass and silver, and they come with chains (which are removable), which will make it easier for the younger ladies to carry.  question for anyone who actually reads this- would you like the option of having a chain on the regular size bag?  I know when I carry a clutch I don't expect it to have a chain, but it might be nice to have your hands free to hold a glass or two of wine, right? (I've been craving alcohol lately- knowing that I'm reaching the end of my 10 months of pregnancy has me itching for an ice cold glass of savignon blanc. or a beer. or whiskey- I'm not going to be too particular. :)

thanks for your input!!!

happy birthday, america!

hope all my USA friends are having a wonderful long weekend and enjoying a relaxing holiday with friends and family. thank you to all who serve and have served our country- we wouldn't be celebrating without you.

alison's amazeballs wedding!

although I'm not on twitter very much these days since work has just been crazy (both in the office and at the home studio) I miss it and am so glad that for a few short months last year I had the time to start building relationships with some really awesome people in the wedding world.  one of the lovely ladies I met was Alison of Engaged & Inspired fame.  love pretty details, real weddings and stunning images? just make sure your pinterest account is up and running so you can save everything to your inspiration folder. :)

I was honored when she asked me to make the clutches for her bridal party and just had to share one of the photos that was taken by Jason & Anna (her wedding photographers) that day. do yourself a favor and head on over to check out the rest of her amazing, DIY wedding. seriously, go now. :)

Wednesday Giveaway Part II!

I love giving things away - it is so fun! so, this week we've teamed up with Collared Greens to give one lucky Southern Weddings reader a fun little prize: a matching clutch and bow tie. c'mon, admit it- you like matching with your beau. i'm not talking brazenly matched air brushed t-shirts that you bought on your last trip to Panama City, but something simple and classy that accessorizes the already fabulous dress/suit that you're sporting to a friend's wedding.

head on over to Southern Weddings website and get the gist on how to enter.  good luck and can't wait to find out who the winner will be! :)