Laura from The Band Wife Blog
April 29, 2013
Laura recently shared this photo of her wearing the quartz dangle necklace, and I can’t get over how great it looks! She is so gorgeous, and that necklace just adds the perfect amount of interesting to a simple v neck shirt. Check out her blog at The Band Wife.
Coffee talk: International Shipping
March 11, 2013
I just wanted to take a moment and explain the recent increase in international shipping costs–up from $2.75 to $6.00 as the minimum. USPS has recently increased postage (again) and with that came a HUGE fluctuation in the types of padded envelopes I send. I am still trying to go with ‘honest shipping’ and not charge more than the actual cost of the shipping, but it has noticeably increased.
Additional items will still only be $1.00 to add on, so that’s good, right?
Thanks for hanging in there with me, international friends. I appreciate you!
Bridesmaid/Maid of Honor Gifts
February 22, 2013
I’m trying to be better about getting on top of wedding planning things. So far, we have:
1. Picked a venue and secured it (Can’t wait to share photos of the place this spring!)
2. Picked bridesmaid dresses and got those ordered
3. Picked a dress for me! (Top secret)
4. Sent the bridesmaid gifts
For these special gifts, I had to send them by mail since one lives 2.5 hours away and one lives in Boston. I found these cute book shaped boxes at Michaels and hand painted the front- then filled the inside with color-themed treats and a little card. I’ve got a short attention span when it comes to arts and crafts, so this took just enough time before I got distracted.
We’re working on getting the caterer set and figuring out where we’ll want to honeymoon–it’s been pretty low stress so far, though, and I’m really happy about that. It’s the decorating I’m worried about–I’m not good with details and need some direction. I’ll keep you posted!
Lookbook Sneak Peek
January 23, 2013
A couple of weeks ago, I braved the cold with photographer Erin Fitzsimmons and her sister, Tayler, to shoot the new UE Jewelry lookbook photos. We visited some of my favorite locations as a backdrop, including my uncle’s farm in the middle of nowhere and a beautiful, decaying French-style home built in 1850.
I can’t wait to show you all of the new photos! You’ll soon see them on the front page of the site, as well as a few new pieces that are coming soon.
Engaged!
December 17, 2012
Last weekend, I got the BEST Christmas present. Brandon asked me to marry him! (And I said, yes…of course.)
THE STORY
We went up to Chicago on the train for the day to get that Christmassy feeling. We stopped at Ann Sather for delicious, huge cinnamon rolls, and then spent a few hours at the Museum of Science and Industry. (Which was super fun!)
We stopped at the Artist’s Cafe for some warm food since it was wet and cold all day and then headed a few streets over to brave the shopping area.
We had a few hours left to kill before we had to head to the train station.
“Feel Christmassy yet?” he asked. “Mmmm…kinda,” I said.
Since it was getting dark out, he wanted to head down the street with a bunch of lights so we could get a look at the decorations.
We rounded a corner to see the Chriskindlmarket– a collection of little German stands with food at hot chocolate and different items for sale. Also, the most beautiful giant tree.
We got a hot chocolate in a little boot mug and headed for the tree.
In front of this big, Christmassy feeling tree…
He pulled the ring out of his coat…
And asked me to marry him.
I thought it was a joke at first, but once I realized it wasn’t, I cried and jumped around and was the happiest I’ve been in a long, long time.
Purchases for Pot Pies.
December 2, 2012
One of my favorite cafes in Springfield (IL) is Cafe Moxo. They have these delicious made-from-scratch pot pies that smell so good anytime you walk in. This December, they’re doing a promotion where for any pot pie purchased on a Monday, they’ll donate one to a homeless person. Because this restaurant is right in the heart of downtown, there are quite a few of these folks who come in to ask for anything that’s left.
I think this is an awesome idea. When it’s 20 degrees out, what’s better than a nice, warm pot pie? It’s a good meal that will make someone with not a lot to smile about smile. That’s why I’ll be donating a portion of all of December’s sales to helping purchase pot pies. This money will be solely to buy these awesome pot pies for people who need a hot meal. (And really, one pot pie could be two meals because they are huge and filling.) It’s a nice way to support a small business, too. Feel good about shopping and help feed someone at the same time. I’ll keep you posted on how many we end up buying!
