holiday traditions.

(cards are top left: minted; bottom left & right: emilyley)

when the holidays rolled around the year joey and I got married I started thinking about the traditions I wanted to start as our own little family.  coincidentally, I won a contest from minted for 50 free cards and decided that framing them each year and including them as part of our christmas decor was going to be one of the traditions we started.  I know how much I loved looking back at pictures of us as kids with our parents and commenting on how silly mom and dad looked or how horrible our coordinating outfits were and seriously, WHY did shoulder pads ever exist?! figured I'd pass that fun along to beckett. (you're welcome, buddy.)

like most husbands, joey hates taking photos, and like most wives, I insist that he is going to look back on these pictures and be glad that we have them.  we're only three years in and the fights continue each time we get ready to smile for the camera, but looking at that photo above it's already completely worth it.  what I like best is that even though our first year's photo doesn't 'show' beckett- he's there.  I was pregnant but didn't know it yet when we took that picture.

what traditions do you and your family have or have you thought about starting? I'm still trying to come up with some fun, kid friendly ones. suggestions are welcome!!

gratuitous shot of little man. he is LOVING all things christmas these days.

xx 

gold, pinecones & glitter! simple holiday wreath under $10.

I love my holiday door wreaths SO HARD! glad my first try was less than stellar and forced me to start over.  so, I'll share the ridiculously easy process I used to make them. did I take photos of all the steps? no. but you won't need them. it's THAT easy. and did I mention they are less than $10/wreath? score.

let's get started!

materials:

1 : grapevine wreath 18" (buy at joanns and use one of their 40% off coupons)

2 : 10-15 small pinecones gathered from your yard (FREE!) or buy a bag at a craft store : COUPON!

3 : gold spray paint - I used the valspar above and it covered well and dried fast!

4 : box of mini ball ornaments.  I bought these from joanns and one box was enough for 2 wreaths. but maybe you want to get a little crazy with the gold balls. do it!

5 : handy, dandy glue gun. not sure what I'd do without mine. :)

6 : forgot to picture it, but you will need a wreath hanger like this one. 

don't be lazy and forget the coupons. you can print them offline or just download the joann's app so they'll be on your phone. then you can be like me and pull up the competitors websites while waiting in line for additional discounts. (michaels, hancock, hobby lobby, acmoore...)

you're welcome.

steps:

1 : spraypaint your wreath and pinecones gold.  you'll have to spray down one side and wait about 20 minutes, then come out and flip them all over to spray the other. 

ignore the silver paint. that was from the first project and doesn't apply here. love the silver? 

just replace every instance of 'gold' in this post with silver, or for that matter, whatever color you choose! 

2 : once you've gotten everything painted, fire up the glue gun and crack open the  box of mini ornaments. you're ready to start playing around with pinecone/ball placement. sounds fun, yes? 

3 : after you've figured out placement, glue away! don't be frugal here- you want these puppies to stick, so glob it up. once it's dry you can pull away any excess glue strands that are bothering you.

4 : hang that beauty on your front door and pat yourself on the back.

pretty holiday decor in under an hour and under $10. 

your wallet (and husband) thank you.

if you make one, share a link to the photo. I'd love to see what other variations you come up with.

happy holidays!!!!

xx

  

hooray for cyber monday!!

still looking for that perfect gift for your sister, mom, MIL, cousin, friend, etc., etc.?

let me help! make a purchase before the end of November and it is guaranteed for Christmas delivery within the continental USA.  have fun shopping!

lady in red.

holy moly. red has never looked so good (in my opinion). 

love the coordination of the shoes & bags with the dresses. so classic don't you think?

 I am swooning over lesley's wedding dress. love the short dress trend right now. so flirty and fun!

{all photos by katlyn myrvold} 

thanks again for sharing my dear!! hope married life is wonderful.

xx- mckay

simple fall wreath tutorial

you guys! I'm so excited about this wreath I made that I'm going to attempt a tutorial so that you can  make one for your door too. seriously. I'm always on the look out for a good wreath but unwilling (read: too frugal) to shell out the $$$ the ones I actually want cost.

want a peek at my favorite? this beauty of pinecones and faux antlers is the jam!!! I've determined my next wreath attempt will be something like this for christmas. my dad always has a ton of pinecones set away from cleaning the yard so this one might even be cheaper to make than the one I did today.

{source: pottery barn}

but in the meantime, I headed over to pinterest to see what people have been loving this fall and found a few pics of the little number below.  I loved the idea of the burlap and fall blooms so when I was at joann's today I wandered over to the floral aisle to see if anything caught my eye.

{source: high heeled hostess}

all the autumn florals were 50% off. lucky me! I had a roll of burlap ribbon at home left over from who knows what and two wreath hangers that have been sitting in my holiday bin just waiting for the right one to come along.  so I picked out a few florals and two 16 inch styrofoam wreaths and headed out hoping for the best. 

for those of you who don't already know- joann's takes all sorts of coupons, so besides having their handy app on my iphone (right now they have a 40% off and 50% off coupon) I print out hancock fabrics, hobby lobby, michaels & ac moore coupons that I find online everytime before I go.  there is absolutely no reason to buy anything full price when you make a trip- seriously.  let me know if you want more tips about coupons- that could be a post in itself. :)

so here's my attempt at a super easy tutorial. like I mentioned earlier- I made two wreaths since I have a double front door, so you can halve the amount of items needed if you're only making one.

supplies:

- 2 16 inch styrofoam wreaths 

- roll of burlap ribbon (perfect amount for two wreaths)

- fake flowers of your choice- 3 large blooms worked perfectly for each wreath

- wreath hanger like this 

- glue gun

- cute dog to keep you company (optional)

it was SUPER simple to make these and took maybe 1/2 hour to finish both. 

*******

start by hot gluing the end of the burlap ribbon to the back of your wreath form. then begin to wrap the burlap tightly around the wreath, using hot glue every now and then, until you’ve covered the entire thing. hot glue the end to the back of the form and cut off the excess.  
(I forgot to take pictures of this step but it's pretty self explanatory)

 next, take your flowers and remove from the stems. place them on the wreath in a combination that you like and then take hot glue to secure them down.  they will have a little bit of a 'stem' on the back of the bloom- you can press this into the styrofoam for added stability.  if you want to use some of the leaves off the stems, go for it! I used a couple to add a little bit of green to mine and saved the rest in case I want to make more.

simple, right? now hang your wreath holder up on the front/side/back door and admire your creation.  share pictures with me if you make one! I'd love to see the floral combinations you use. :)

now I just need to add a spider web and a few fake insects so that they fit in with our other 'spooky' halloween decor. :) 

happy fall, y'all!

winner!!

YAY!! CONGRATULATIONS TO MEG {HENNINGLOVE}!!  you are the lucky winner. email me at hello@oatmeallacedesign.com with your address and I'll get the bag shipped out to you shortly. :)

hosting a giveaway was fun, you guys! thanks to everyone for helping spread the word about our bags and for entering!  I've decided to extend the 20% off deal through this weekend so if you're still looking for a gift nows the time to buy. 

code is YAYFALL. 

{handy little site I used to help pick the winner}

happy 95th birthday, mamama!

today is mamama's 95th birthday. saturday we were lucky enough to celebrate with her and our extended family over in winter park.  for those of you who didn't know, she's the inspiration behind my company. 

(see my about me over to the right -->) 

mamama's two sisters were also in attendance. aren't they the cutest trio? 

I'm like a giant next to them all even without heels. :) 

beckett got to meet his cousins and was quite taken with ella (see below).

it was such a great day and I'm so thankful we live close enough that we were able to spend time with her on this momentous occasion. a big thank you goes out to aunt sandra (on the right) for hosting such a great party.  

we love you mamama! 

aimee's hawaiian wedding.

I so love the brides that I'm lucky enough to work with.  it's such a pleasure to create one of a kind bags for their wedding day and then when I get an email from them letting me know they had the BEST wedding and want to share photos I'm ecstatic.  I'm not going to lie- I love when they send me pictures of my bags in action but I love it even more when I get to see the rest of the day. you know - the photos of their first look, dancing with their dad, laughing with their friends, hugging family - I love seeing the love and joy on their faces that only a wedding can bring.  it brings me back to my own wedding, which was the best day of my life (besides the day beckett was born). 

aimee was sweet enough to send me a few images that she had taken with the bags I made her and her bridal party. don't they all look beautiful? 

she is one of those brides who shared a few extra photos from the wedding and I'm so glad she did. please take a look at her photographers website and check out the joy and happiness that radiate from her smile. gorgeous! I'm so happy for you aimee and I hope married life is treating you wonderfully.

ps- I am in love with your glitter manicure!! taking the photo next time I go to get my nails done. :)

xx- mckay

{all images by helmut walker photography}

happy fall, y'all!

it's the start of my favorite season even though it doesn't feel very 'fall' like in florida right now (humid, hot and rainy...gross).  fall brings pumpkin spice coffee, cardigans, dry-er air (hallelujah!), boots and bonfires with s'mores. yum. 

so, to celebrate the season and the start of the holidays we're going to have a little contest!  help spread the word about our bags and you'll be entered to win the fun little number shown above.  there are three ways to win : share our shop or a picture of your favorite oatmeal lace clutch on pinterest, twitter or facebook.  just make sure you leave a note here letting us know you did and you could be the winner!

we'll announce the lucky person next wednesday! 

and for a little additional fun, use code YAYFALL for 20% off your order through October 10th.  just an fyi for those of you looking to order more than five bags - this discount is in addition to the bulk discount already offered so take advantage! 

xx- mckay

lovely jordana.

happy october everyone! as promised, I'm finally getting some of the awesome weddings up on the blog that my sweet readers have sent in.  first up, jordana's napa valley affair.  isn't she beautiful??? 

 

ps- I'm obsessed with her dress!!

 a bride after my own heart, she was all about the diy details. so here's a little from jordana herself: 

We were married on October 1st, 2011, in Napa Valley, CA at the Historic Napa Valley Country Club. Though the location had everything we needed, I insisted on a DIY wedding...staying up into the wee hours the week before the big day, finishing the guest's name cards by hand, finalizing my vows and creating photo booth signs.

With my handmade Oatmeal Lace clutches, giving bridesmaid's gifts was really easy (and unique). My dad made each girl her own one-of-a-kind pair of earrings to wear with their yellow dresses, and I bought a gray lace or white polka dot scarf for each girl. I wrapped the earring boxes in yellow and white polka dot paper (from Paper Source) and placed all the contents neatly into the bags. Presenting the gifts at our rehearsal dinner inside the clutches brought everything come together - and made each girl feel so special.

a dad who handmakes jewelry? LOVE!

 thank you so much for sharing some of your wedding day with me, jordana. hope married life is treating you wonderfully and happy first anniversary! :)

xx- mckay

{all photos courtesy of dana harrell photography} 

welcome...

to the new and improved blog layout! many thanks to angie over at angie makes who helped update my look.  now I just have to get my act together and actually BLOG. I've had a few brides who were sweet enough to send in photos from their weddings and have been so patient with my hiatus from blogging. to them I say- they're coming!!! 

xx, mckay

the big 5-0...0.

what?! woke up this morning, went to answer a few emails and realized that just before midnight last night I hit 500 sales in the etsy shop.  I had to sit down and do some math to figure out what that equated to in terms of bags sold.  I came up with roughly 1,378 bags in the last 23 months. whoa.  and that's just on etsy- I haven't consulted the books yet to see how it compares to outside sales.

 siri, add that to my 'to do' list for the weekend! 

so in honor of breaking 500, I'm offering 15% off any size order placed in the shop from today until the 15th of the month.  this discount will be in addition to bulk order discounts (which I rarely do) so if you're purchasing five or more bags get them while they're hot! the one tiny caveat- I'm booked solid for June and the beginning of July, so anything purchased with this discount will be shipping out after July 15th.

use code '500BABY' when you place your order and don't hesitate to email me with any questions!!

xo

gray & yellow gorgeousness.

kara contacted me a couple of months before her wedding about bags for her bridesmaids.  we chatted a bit about what she was looking for and she asked if she could send me fabric that she had purchased at a store just across the bay from me, no less.  OF COURSE, I said. just like that- in all caps... :)

I thought the combination she chose turned out wonderfully and was absolutely thrilled when I opened up my email earlier this week to find pictures from her that she had taken on her wedding day.  her bridesmaids carried the bags instead of flowers, which I think is such a fun idea. enough babbling-enjoy the gorgeousness of kara and her bridesmaids, using the clutches as a photo prop. 

want to see more of her amazing wedding? (trust me, you do) head on over to scobey photography's blog to see their photos. 

thanks again, kara. your wedding was beautiful!!

{all images by graham & ashley scobey}

I heart etsy.

let's talk about the photo above . the photo that helped persuade me to launch oatmeal lace. taken by one of my wedding photographers who I'm lucky enough to consider a friend.  this photo has been the 'face' of spring celebrations in the etsy finds newsletters this past month, and man, does that make me feel special.  on top of that, we've been included in two posts on the etsy blog in the past 3 days. color me  flattered! 

{click on the photos below to read the articles.} 

ok-enough about me. have a wonderful weekend. :)

xo, mckay

sneak peek...

my website is FINALLY in the process of getting a facelift. (happy dance ensues...)

I am very lucky to have been brought up in a creative family...one where we were all encouraged to pursue whatever makes us happy, and especially lucky because we all chose different paths. my sister is amazing at web/graphic design. my brother? IT work is his specialty- coding a new website? piece of cake. see where this is coming in beneficial for me? :)

they were kind enough to offer to revamp my website as a christmas gift and we've been working away since then.  they even brought in a colleague, Vincent IT, to make sure that everything was up to par and that the back end was as user friendly as it could be (I need A LOT of help).

I can't wait to share it with you guys.  it should be up in the coming weeks and I hope you'll check it out! the blog may be getting a much needed new look as well, so stay tuned!

xo

kindness.

I have the pleasure of working with some of the sweetest ladies (and gents) on the planet! I received this thank you card in the mail yesterday from one of my most recent brides and it made my week.  I have a group of corkboards hanging in my studio that I put up right after I started oatmeal lace to hold my first business card, ideas for packaging, a sweet 'you can do it' note from my husband and inspirational photos ripped from magazines.  its turned into my 'happy wall' where I keep all the little notes I receive from people I've worked with over the past year and a half.  when I'm in a funk or overwhelmed by my to do list, all I've got to do is to look up and I'm reminded why I do what I do.

so thank you to all of YOU. I am truly blessed.

xo

hometown love.

even though it takes me longer to pack the car for trips up to my hometown than it does to actually drive there (it's a 4 hour drive) it is so completely worth the effort.  I arrive and nanny & papa get a weekend of baby love while I get at least two days of 8 consecutive hours of work (minus feeding breaks for little man and eating breaks for me)

 as you can see from the  photos, mama is happy with the amount of work completed and baby is happy because he's the center of attention all day long.  

hope you all had a relaxing and fun filled weekend!  xoxo