holiday shipping deadlines!

if you're like all the big box stores, many of my friends or just really on top of your game, you're starting to get ready for the upcoming holidays. I'm a procrastinator by nature, so I don't usually start buying gifts until december rolls around, whoops. BUT since my shop revolves around custom pieces, and not ready to ship items, I have to give you guys timelines for when you need to place your order so that you will actually receive it for the holidays. my apologies...

I've put together this little sheet above that outlines when you need to have your order placed and when you can expect shipment.  if you're planning on buying bags, you still have a little time, but if you wanted to order an apron for yourself or a friend you need to get moving! to get a headstart and determine if an apron is the right gift, go ahead and email me over the logo that you want embroidered (hello@oatmeallace.com).  that way I can get you a quote before the deadline to order comes up.  you can check out my apron PORTFOLIO for ideas too.
feel free to email with any other questions you have and happy shopping!

ps- I plan to offer a discount code for those of you who purchase BEFORE these cutoff dates, so you might want to sign up for my newsletter if you haven't already. 
(righthand side of the blog, underneath the 'about me' you can subscribe)

xx

weekend fun.

we were in tallahassee this past weekend visiting family and attending our one football game of the season. HOLY MOLY was it the right game to attend! nailbiter to the end and so much fun to be in the stadium-the energy was crazy! since I don't ever blog anymore I figured no one really reads this stuff, so I'll just post a fun photo from the game that highlights the BEST.HAT.EVER. this is my 'fashion' post, if you will. thank you, joey pittman, for finding my new favorite accessory. :):) click HERE for the hat, in case you love it as much as I do and want one for yourself.

you're welcome.

before & after.

I have a confession. I am terrible at organizing. I love the idea of being organized and everything in its place, but my follow through is lacking.  my work/family life/etc all suffer though when I'm working in a messy space.  my brain just can't function very well when I've got chaos around me. anyone else have this issue? and hey, it's june. the year is HALFWAY over. seriously???? how did that happen? I'm determined to make this a productive month (and new start) in more ways than just keeping my office tidy, but that is where I'm focusing on in this post.  sharing a before and after photo that I took this monday. if it kills me I'm going to end the month with it looking like the 'after photo' (without the full day cleaning of cleaning to get it that way like the first time).  #junecleanup in full effect over here! :)

hold me accountable, ok?

xx

moms rule

in honor of mother's day this weekend I thought I would share some of the things that I love and would always enjoy receiving as a gift. (file away for future reference, Joey...)

1 : geometric genevieve.  this has been one of my best sellers since opening up shop- simple, classic design makes it easy to pair with anything. slips easily into your larger bag to hold small essentials so they don't get lost (if you're like me you can't find anything when you need it, especially keys, phone and sunglasses)

2 : marc jacobs daisy.  I don't wear fragrances very often but Daisy has been my go to for the past two years. light, slighty fruity, fresh- it is perfect!! 

3 : stamped name necklace.  you guys! this is the perfect necklace. my friend amy bought one as a bridal shower hostess gift and I fell in love as soon as I saw it in the box.  obviously I went home and immediately told Joey that I had found my mothers day gift (mine is stamped with beckett).  it arrived last week and I haven't taken it off. michelle at the silver wren does amazing work. I've found my new go to for gifts!

4 : anthropologie gift card. honestly, I like just wandering the store and seeing the installations in the window and creative displays. I don't have a problem finding fun things to buy either which is why having a gift card handy is always a plus.

5 : lululemon gift card. I live in work out clothes so sometimes I like to splurge (especially when I get a gift card) and it makes me feel like I'm getting a little dressed up for the day. that counts, right? 

6 : pottery barn gift card.  gifts cards are a theme, huh? I'm so indecisive I'm hard to buy for, so these are perfect! I get to visit stores and wander aimlessly until something catches my attention. fun for those lazy saturdays where I have hours to fill (which is never). ha!

7 : maui jim sunglasses. I love a good pair of aviators and these are the lightest weight sunglasses I've ever worn. plus they don't hurt behind my ears. score!!

hope all you mama's out there have a wonderful day this weekend.
xx

a is for apron.

{ashlee virginia website}

last summer my good friend Jacin, of lovely little details, contacted me about making aprons for her event team with her company logo on them. we discussed a few fabric and design ideas for how it should function and started working on a pattern.  I like to jump right into projects sometimes before I have all the information so after I found the perfect design I had to backtrack to make sure we could even format her logo for embroidery. I forwarded her logo over to my embroidery partner and because she is a genius, she said sure, let's give it a shot! the first set of aprons were a go! who knew that less than a year later I would have the pleasure of working with over 75 amazing vendors to create custom aprons for their companies.  I've posted several here in larger jpg format so you can get an idea of how the logo translates once sewn and if you follow this link HERE you will see a lookbook of most of the completed aprons I've done.  if anyone is interested in the process for ordering let me know and I'll do a post dedicated to that next! I'm trying to add a page on shopify but with all the customization options it's a bit more difficult than I expected (not computer savvy over here...) 

{bee happy website}

[emily ley website}

{erin mclean website}

{etc design website}

{everthine events website}

{hey gorgeous website}

{kendahl's kitchen website}

{libby lane press website}

{mandolin floral website}

{michelle edgemont website}

{the petal company website}

{plenty of petals website}

{pretty little bash website}

(sarah tucker website}

{tamara menges website}

spring bags.

spring is when wedding season really gears up and brides contact me with all sorts of fun color palettes they are incorporating into their big day. bright and bold are always popular!

navy & gold have also been requested a lot so far this year, and being two of my favorite colors I am  happy to oblige!

what color trends are you seeing this spring? 

bouquets.

{photo credit Our Labor of Love}

when I got married I really did not care about the flowers except for the fact that they incorporate white and green and not be incredibly expensive- I was sticking to my budget, for goodness sake! :) came across a photo of my bouquet when clearing up space on my computer tonight and MAN, I still love it so much.  the only thing that could've made it better would've been a monogrammed bouquet ribbon. too bad that idea didn't come until a few years later. ha!

 {photo from hey gorgeous - she thought up the brilliant idea!}

traditional monogram, single letter, monogram & date, etc.

all options available in my shop. :)

xx

everyday style : what I love.

if only I could get a pony to look like this. 

and ANINE BING clothing? I'd wear it every day. the end.

fun photos.

wanted to share some photos that lovely brides have sent in of the bags I made for them. this is just a small sample, I'm working on organizing all my files and hope to share more soon (part of my new years goals...again!) hope you enjoy. :)

love how michelle chose the leopard print bags to match the bridesmaids' shoes!!! 

nicole's photographer got a great close up of the girls' bags. :) 

julia's photo op when opening the bag for the first time. 

 loving the red! thanks so much for sharing, ellen. :) 

{photographed by anne almasy}

new year, better me.

starting today. in all aspects of my life. I'm coming for you, 2014!