Love, Lydia - Notes from a geeky, plus sized artist.: giveaway
Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts

Saturday, July 9, 2016

News + My Nerd Origin Story

Hi Friends,


This week has been a crazy one, with lots of good and lots of bad to report.  Honestly it breaks my heart to think about it all too much.  However I'm going to try and write about some of it and we'll see what happens from there!


News

Giveaway


First off I'm pleased to announce a winner to my giveaway (found in this post).  Congratulations to Melissa K!  Her prize will be shipping soon, and if you missed this giveaway please stay tuned to my blog.  I'll be hosting another in the near future!


I'd also like to thank everyone who entered my giveaway.  I loved reading your ideas for what I should be writing about and noted many folks want to see more about plus size fashion and reviews.  I can't wait to bring you more of this!

Liebster Award



Last week I was nominated by my lovely colleague Sadie at Sadie By Design for a Liebster Award!  The Liebster is an way of giving bloggers a better platform to tell their story to the world.  I wanted to acknowledge it in this post even though I haven't had time to fully address all that goes with the nomination yet.  I'm thrilled and flattered to be featured this way and can't wait to write more about it.  Please watch for a more in depth post about this in the next few weeks!

#BlackLivesMatter


This is just exhausting to keep track of, and the more hate that builds as people start to see race as an issue to take sides on the more sick I feel.  I can't think about other people that way.  506 black lives have been lost so far this year, and now more are being added from the police force thanks to a few renegades who are taking things into their own hands.  One of the 506 was my cousin a few months back.

I keep thinking things will change for the better, and then there is only more violence and tragedy.  It leaves me an emotional mess, feeling guilty when good things are happening in my own life and others are experiencing so much loss.  Guilty for being white and having the privilege to go and do what I want without being anxious for my life.  I feel bad that the best I can do most days is simply have dialogue with you, my readers, or the other folks I know in person or online.  It just feels like nothing I do will be enough to help.  And for that I am sorry.

However I try to read and stay educated about what is going on.  I don't just block it out with my own moderately happy life.  If this strikes a chord with you and you'd like to learn more about concrete ways you can help find peace and ensure a better future for everyone in this country please check out this amazing article featuring a list of practical ways to become an ally.

Pokemon Go


This has been the happy thing of my week  I have been enjoying this app I have eagerly awaited the past 8 months.  I'll be writing more on this in the near future, including a full review!  For now I have my Bulbasaur, a gym next door to my house (First to claim!  Though it's already been taken over and....well, I'll come back to that later).

My Nerd Origin Story


My friend and fellow blogger Mickey came up with this writing prompt and opened it up as a bit of a group project within the Geeks & Beauties community I'm a part of.  I think it's a great topic to think about as we get introspective about life because it helps us look on the bright side of things and view our own life as a story that we get the power to write.  Just as some of our favorite superheroes lives were shaped by adversity so are our own at times.  And as with superheroes, sometimes we keep our nerdy identity a secret from the general public.  However, today I'm opening up about it to you all.

My own story starts when I was learning to read.  I was homeschooled and my mom had some curriculum to help that included a series of books with stepped difficulty and little racetrack to move along as you read each.  I remember after the first dozen or so I think I completed the rest in a day, and then started begging my mom to take me to the library.  From then on I loved reading and would get a dozen or more books each visit, multiple times a week.  When I was 10 years old my mom, brother and I spent some time living with my grandmother and great grandmother to help them out.  As soon as we realized we might be there long term the library visits started there too, and in some ways reading became my best friend when there was no one my age to play with.  While I love my brother, when you're cooped up in a house together you get sick of each other eventually.  Books became my escape from that, and later my comfort as I had to figure out how to make friends with kids again when I had left a kid and came back to my hometown a middle schooler.  Fantasy books were my favorite, from retellings of fairy tales to waiting for each new Harry Potter book.

I was the kid who while perhaps 13 walked to the mall on black Friday to buy myself a Game Boy when they were finally cheap enough to be affordable to my family, and then patiently wait to receive it on Christmas day along with a cartridge for Pokemon Blue (my brother got Red!).  We had an old Nintendo we shared and played the first few Super Mario games on, and I vividly remember playing all of the Legend of Zelda on a 6 inch black and white tv.  As he got further into his teens my brother took over most of the gaming systems in our house, deeming me unworthy to play them as a female.  But I was already hooked.

Growing up we had a closet full of board games, stocked by my mom that we used often.  Before she homeschooled my brother and I full time she had been a librarian at a university, and before that a high school biology teacher.  She loved learning and finding us new projects to work on that stimulated our curiosity.  Even when we watched tv with my parents they would often be watching Star Trek or other science fiction shows.  On Saturdays my dad would take us on walks to 7-11 to pick up some small item the family needed and buy me a Barbie or Strawberry Shortcake comic.  I didn't realize how nerdy this all was until much later in life.  I just took joy from reading about gardening and teaching myself to grow roses, or learning to identify birds, trees, and insects.  I never thought of myself as an outdoorsy kid, but I loved nature and the science and beauty of it.  To this day when I'm creating art or decorating my home themes from nature are constantly finding their way into my work.

Later in high school I wanted to run my own website for a church group I was in and learned to code some in HTML.  We didn't even have a computer at the time, just a WebTV unit that allowed us to do very basic web surfing and checking emails.  But I figured out how to make it work, and later when we did have a computer I was the one keeping that up and running for the 5-6 years we owned a desktop the family to shared.  And I almost ended up in the field of graphic design, except I fell in love with darkroom photography and preferred it to sitting in from of a computer for long periods of time.  And now my work involves a computer (or smartphone) all the time!

For most of my life I didn't think about myself as a nerd, I just did the things I loved, which happened to be geeky.  Nowadays when I'm looking for new friends or trying to find my tribe I often go straight for the nerdy girls first.  And most of the time that's exactly what works best.

If you'd like to hear some other great nerd origin stories please go read Mickey's here at the Nerdily blog, Sadie's at Sadie By Design, Andrea's at her YouTube channel Chibi Drea (coming soon), and Evelyn's at Princess Eevee.  I'll update these links to go straight to their stories, but for now you can check out their sites and get to know these lovely ladies.

What's your nerd origin story like?  Let me know more in the comments!  And as always, thanks for reading.  I really appreciate all my visitors.


Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Where am I? And "Sister, Spy" Book Review

Hi friends!


I know I haven't been around much lately, and I wanted to give you an update as to why.  For the first time in what feels like a long time many of the reasons are good.  And I'm happy to share some great things on the horizon too!



Where I've Been...

First of all May kept me busy, I've been in a great group coaching course called the Own It Academy, led by Jessica Rasdall (She's amazing!  Her story is unique and moving; definitely check her out if you want to learn how to convey your stories to folks!).  The class has been a fantastic experience that's had me writing away as I learn more about how to tell my story to you all.  The idea behind the course is boldly owning up to your story for the world to see and telling it effectively, so your audience can be encouraged, learn from what you have to say, and understand what it's like to be you.   We're about 2/3 of the way through the course now and along the way I realized the writing I've been doing there has honestly sapped away at my creative energy for posts.  So I'm sorry I haven't been around as much as I usually am, but I'm happy to be learning a lot, which I'm excited to start sharing with you all.

One of the biggest things I've discovered is how I've been looking for balance in my life and failing to find it.  Mostly because I push myself so hard to reach goals that are unrealistic.  I imagine you all can relate, you set great goals that when you look at each one individually seem quite attainable, but when you look at the big picture you realize you're trying too hard to be superwoman.  Honestly, my goals have been ambitious, and that's not taken into account how I deal with depression or other areas of my life I want to respect.

It's made me re-think my plans and goals for the future.  I'm prioritizing being happier and not being down on myself because I've set a course that's impossible to follow and be healthy.  It means that instead of trying to post 3 times a week I'll try for 1-2 really great quality posts that will help you, my wonderful readers, much more.  I love spending the time to research topics, creating great images, and fully writing out my ideas to give you the best I can.  I'm looking forward to doing more of that.  Right now my biggest problem is that I have loads of great ideas to write about, and have learn to put some of those ideas on the back burner!

Other than that I've been doing a lot with family, like having my parents visit, attending my brother in law Davey's wedding, and spending time with my husband.  I've dealt with a nasty cold, and some other health issues, which are thankfully getting better, though I'll touch on them more in a future post.  And in the past month my husband, Bryan, had been waiting for and finally received notice that the job he'd been contracting for the past 6 months is hiring him as a permanent employee.  We're super thrilled about that and starting to think ahead for some new developments in our personal life related to the increased stability we'll be so lucky to have.


Sister, Spy - Book Review




I love finding new books in a variety of genres, and while normally spy stories aren't my thing the premise of this one captured my interest.  And luckily I was given a copy of it to review by the publisher.  "Sister, Spy" by Menahem Misgav is about a pair of siblings who survived WWII living in monasteries and were recruited by the Soviets to spy for them in the fledgling country of Israel.

The first third of the book starts with a situation where the brother is killed, then we learn more about his family and how they lived the war.  A good amount of the next third of the book is about how he and his sister came to be spies. (Including a chapter on the sister's sexual awakening and subsequent relationships, which was a little graphic for my tastes, with all the parts of the story before it being focused on the family it was a little jarring.)  Finally in the last third of the book we get to see why the brother was killed and what his sister and father will do now that he's gone.

Overall I enjoyed the author's writing style quite a bit and found a fast and engaging read.  Other than the sexual content the only other fault I might have would be with some light mistakes in editing, all homonyms that snuck through the editing process.  I feel like this happens with many recently published books I read, since publishing now relies so heavily on spellcheck as an editing tool.  Perhaps this means I should take up editing?  In any case such a common issue it's hardly worth mentioning if I weren't such a grammar nerd.  I think most people with an interest in Holocaust survivors, spies, or Cold War fiction will enjoy this novel.  Please check it out here on Amazon through this affiliate link.



Coming Soon

More book reviews!

A follow up article with more reviews of LuLaRoe clothing than the popular original post (found here).

About a dozen videos, including lots of unboxings of beauty, geek, craftsy, and food boxes, plus my first fashion review on film!

And last but not least here's a brand new giveaway if you scroll down, because it's been too long since I've had some fun with you all!  Thanks and I'll see you all again very soon.



This giveaway includes a pair of LuLaRoe leggings in size TC (Tall & Curvy, fits sizes 12-24) 3 pairs of owl socks, and 2 pairs of "invisible" or "floating" style cat socks.  The owl and cat socks can be found here (owls) and here (cats) through my Amazon affiliate links.  LuLaRoe clothing is sold through local or online consultants, you can buy leggings through my consultant, Nicole's Facebook group here.  None of the companies involved paid me in any way, I just wanted to share some fun clothing with you all in this month's giveaway, which runs until July 4th!






LuLaRoe Leggings and Cute Sock Giveaway

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Styling with LuLaRoe

Hi friends,

UPDATE - June 21-July 4 2016 you can enter to win a new leggings giveaway here!


To let you all know this post is semi-sponsored.  My friendly LuLaRoe rep Nicole Fitts has agreed to do a giveaway when I told her I wanted to write about LuLaRoe here, which I will tell you more about along the way.  However today's post is all about reviewing some of my favorite LuLaRoe items and inviting you all to join me at this weekends LuLaRoe party!  (The party's over, but you can still buy from Nicole's shop, and yes she ship worldwide!)

LuLaRoe Company Overview


First off a bit about LuLaRoe.  They're a great brand that still fairly new.  They started out making all their items besides leggings here in the USA.  But in the past year they've grown a lot through their model of locally based consultants who do pop-up sales in home or online.  They now have 7500 consultants and have started sending some of their designs to overseas factories.  But the good news is they're committed to paying all their workers fairly and all their factories are certified through SGS (More about SGS here!)

The biggest draws for me besides their ethical work is their amazing variety of prints that come is a nice range of sizes including plus size options of course!  Most of their women's clothing is available in sizes XXS-3XL!  They even have some kids sizes too.  Secondly all their prints are limited edition runs of 2500 pieces in each cut.  Some days that's maddening if you see a design you don't snag in time, but it also means you have a fairly unique piece.  And lastly, their quality is fantastic!



My Plus Size LuLaRoe Review


So far I've tried the Nicole and Amelia dresses, the Madison skirt (purchasing a Cassie shirt this weekend), the Sarah cardigan, a Perfect T, and their famous, buttery soft leggings.  I hope to attend an in person party in the future to get a better feel for how some items fit as well!

The Nicole I own (pictured below) is a XXL and I love how it fits, though it's most snug in the arms, and then fitted at the bust.  The Amelia in the same size was too small for me, but Amelia also has a zipper closure and pockets, so it's a slight bit more fitted or else I got lucky with the Nicole I chose.  I included this dress as a late addition to my fall capsule wardrobe and in my December (Dressember!) mini capsule wardrobe.


Here's a shot with an Amelia, two Nicole's and a second Amelia:

Modeled pictures thanks to my LuLaRoe consultant Nicole Fitts

The Julia dress

Next up is the Madison a great little a-line skirt that unfortunately I've only seen go up to a size XL.  I tried the XL and the one I tried would fit a 14/16 as a low waist skirt or an 18 as a high waisted skirt.  I'll be trying the Cassie in a 3XL, though I might also be able to fit an XXL, I just liked a print in 3XL better.  I really like how versatile the Cassie is, I've seen it used as a top and as a scarf as well as the intended skirt!  Below are examples of each:

The Cassie I'm getting

Madison and a Lindsay kimono 
Cassie

Next up is the Sarah cardigan, which brings back the duster sweater with lovely colors!  Mine is a XXL, but I could have also gone with a XL since it has lots of stretch and is fitted most in the arms.


I also had good luck with the Perfect T, believe it or not I went with a size L, and would wear that to a XXL in most of their tops such as the Irma, Classic T, and Randy.  I'm trying a XXL in a Classic T soon as well.

My Perfect T

The Classic T I'm trying

A Randy and a Maxi

Irma top and leggings (leggings as pants? yes!)
Ah and finally the leggings.  I love the two pairs I have and purchased a third in the Pantone color of the year Serenity!  The fit is a bit variable, mostly in terms of where the waist hits.  My 8-bit hearts fit low on the waist and the floral print can be worn high beautifully.

Outfit of the day 2/20/2016
I love these!
A perfect match for Serenity right?

Hopefully this has given you a taste for what LuLaRoe carries and how well they might fit you.  Feel free to contact me if you have more questions, I'm happy to help in any way I can.  And now that you've had a peek at the great selections please enter my giveaway below for a chance to win a pair of leggings in your choice of size and print.

Thanks so much for reading!



UPDATE - Missed this giveaway? Go here for another chance at LuLaRoe leggings June 21-July 4 2016!

LuLaRoe Leggings Giveaway

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

My First Bestowed Box!

Hello folks,

For Christmas I received a subscription to the Bestowed Box, a subscription box full of healthy goodies to make meals and try as snacks.  Below is my review of the December box!


December Bestowed Box



What do you all think?  I just got my January box a couple days ago, so I'll be reviewing that one soon too!  If you'd like more information on the Bestowed Box click here◊ (with my affiliate link) and if you want to try it out get 10% off your subscription with code LOVEHEALTHY.

And if you haven't had a chance yet please take a peek at my unboxing of the Enchanted Beauty Box, a brand new Disney themed (starting with Star Wars) beauty box.  And enter to win a box of your own in my giveaway!

I'll see you all again soon, and no, I've not forgotten about publishing my winter capsule wardrobe.  It's on the way, I've just been taking care of myself more lately, so writing at a more healthy pace instead of last minute speed runs is working better.


Friday, January 15, 2016

My First Enchanted Beauty Box Review

Hello friends,

I'm really excited to share this unboxing and review of the first ever Enchanted Beauty Box!  It's their December box and since this box is Disney themed they created a Star Wars box to celebrate the release of The Force Awakens.  I am so thrilled to see such a fun theme!  Check out the video below to see what I got and then enter to win the giveaway below so you can have the chance to win one of January's Frozen themed boxes.

The December Enchanted Beauty Box - Star Wars




You can nab a subscription for yourself at http://www.EnchantedBeautyBox.com and get 25% off by using coupon code GEEK.

I've kept this post brief because I know unboxings aren't for everyone.  I've actually decided putting videos of my subscription boxes on YouTube is a better way to let you all see what I'm trying out too.  So from now on I'll make short posts like this that you can feel free to skim over if they're not your thing.  Thanks for stopping by, and good luck on the giveaway!


The Enchanted Beauty Box Giveaway


Enchanted Beauty Box giveaway

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

My December 2015 Mini Capsule Wardrobe + Bombsheller!

Welcome friends,

Today I'm happy to reveal my mini capsule wardrobe I'll be wearing this month for Dressember 2015.  If you're not sure about my spelling in that sentence I promise it was on purpose.  I'm doing a great fashion based challenge called Dressember for the month of December.  It involves wearing just dresses to help raise awareness, start conversations about, and put a stop to human trafficking.  You can read more about in my last post where I explain in depth and help me support the Dressember Foundation here.

Dressember Capsule Wardrobe


With wearing dresses I wanted to have enough in my capsule collection that I don't need to be constantly doing laundry.  So I settled on 7 dresses, 7 pairs of leggings (because I have a ton of leggings, I culled some, but I still might have an addiction), 7 tops, sweaters, and jackets, and 3 pairs of shoes, totaling to 24 pieces.


Items still for sale:
2 - Her Universe◊, they're almost out of 9th Doctor dresses, but 10's is in stock here.
3 - Cherry Velvet several other patterns available in the same cut here.
4 - City Chic, available in kite print, big polka dots, and small polka dots.
5 - LuLaRoe "Nicole" dresses in limited sizes and colors available in my friend Nicole's shop. (tell her I sent you!)
7 - ModCloth◊, available in 6 other colors, plus several other cuts.


Still for sale:
12 - Switchfoot Tee, it runs big so I'm able to wear the XL, found in their shop here.
14 - LuLaRoe "Sarah" cardigans in limited sizes and colors available in my friend Nicole's shop. (tell her I sent you!)


Items available currently:
15 - Bombsheller "WyvernScales" leggings available here as a limited edition item up to size 6x (I wear 2X), please use code "GeekMeUp" for a special affiliate discount!
16 - ASOS shimmer disco leggings available in red and black.
18 - LuLaRoe leggings in limited sizes and colors available in my friend Nicole's shop. (tell her I sent you!)
20 - ModCloth◊ Fresh Take leggings in Blue, Green, and Red/Pink.


23 - Converse Chuck Taylor Lo in Cosmic.

Wohoo! I'm so glad to finally show you all this collection.  For some reason the editing seemed to take forever, which makes me extra glad to be done putting this together.  Feel free to ask me questions in the comments!

More About Bombsheller


So I heard about Bombsheller a while back in an article detailing how comic book author Kelly Sue DeConnick's books were getting leggings made all the way up to size 6x.  I immediately had to check out their site and was pleasantly surprised to find that yes, they're selling larger sizes up to a 2X in nearly every designs now, with up to 4X in most designs, which just started yesterday!  Eventually they want to have up to 6X too.  So they excited me for that....

Then I found out that they're an ethical place to shop too!  They make every pair of leggings to order in Seattle, WA, USA, with fabric sourced from Italy that's also ethically made.  Awesome right?

It gets better, their designs are fun, comfortable, and artist designed!  So you can download a template and create your very own pattern.  Not that you'd need to since there are several hundred fantastic patterns to choose from, there's comic book themes, antique maps, layer cake, geometric designs off all kinds, circuit boards, flowers and way more.

They were kind enough to send me a pair of their leggings to try so I could tell you all about them.  They do not disappoint!  They're very comfy, and true to their size chart.  Here are some shots of me wearing them, with more to come in my outfits as the month continues.


Ok, here's a bit of midriff for you all!  Not too tight, but it might show lines under clothes.  If I try sizing up to a 3X next time I'll let you all know if there's a big difference, but this is fairly normal fit for this weight of leggings in my experiences so far.


As you can see there's extra length at the ankle, so tall folks need not worry.  I'm 5'6" and seemed to have about 3 inches in extra length, not too much, though it might be for someone under 5' tall.


My leggings above are the #WyvernScales design that's made in association with Espionage Cosmetics.  (a company that makes geeky themed makeup!)  It's a limited edition design so if you're in love with it go here to snap it up now, it'll only be available until January 1 2016!  And be sure to use code "GeekMeUp" for a discount and so they know I sent you.

That's about all for today's post other than this bit of fun from my studio:


I decided to try using an exercise ball as my desk chair.  Of course I'll have the added fun of getting used to it while wearing skirts all month.  haha  Thank goodness for leggings, right?  I was given an exercise ball from Forever Flex to try out and I'd definitely recommend it!  The 65mm size is just right for me as a chair.

That's all for today, but I'll be back again soon with a crop of new book reviews.  See you in a day or two!

Love,
Lydia

Friday, December 4, 2015

Reflections on November & What I'm Looking Forward to in December

Hi folks,

November

So, I had another topic I wanted to post about today, however sometimes life happens.  Instead I spent my morning waiting for Bryan, my husband to get out of surgery.  He had a growth on his tongue that showed up almost two months ago.  Our family medical practice thought it was a boil or other bothersome skin condition and tried (wrongfully because it's not supposed to be used orally!) putting silver nitrate on it near the end of October.  It did nothing but give my husband chemical burns in about a quarter of his mouth.  They decided it must not be a boil and said they'd refer him to a specialist.  After a month of waiting (in which Bryan lost his job and was told his health insurance would run out at the end of November) he kept bugging the office, and was finally contacted Tuesday of last week.  The oral surgeon saw him the day before Thanksgiving and scheduled him for surgery Monday, the last day of November.

We'd been looking into insurance options, but until the holiday thought it wasn't quite as urgent since we didn't really expect to need the insurance so much in December.  So yeah...I spent pretty much all afternoon on the phone with the government health exchange and my insurance company to come up with some sad sounding answers that might work.  Bryan's dad helped me out too thank goodness.  Bryan was asleep with a swollen tongue until around dinner time.  It was right around that point that I decided to call his insurance company that I assumed was dropping him from insurance and research COBRA options.  After all the long hold times on the other calls I spoke with a fantastic lady who in 15 minutes including wait found that Bryan's insurance was actually paid for until the end of the year!  I just about cried when I heard that, I can't say enough how much of a blessing it is that it worked out that way.

Hopefully this along with some of my other posts explains why I've been absent more than I'd like this past month.  November was hard!  However there was good stuff too with family at Thanksgiving and Word Balloons comics reading group.  Overall though I'm glad that November's chapter in my book is ending and December is fresh and new.



December

So I know we still have some financial issues to work through connected to the change in jobs, but I already feel like December is going to be a spectacular month.  I have a really exciting fashion post to share with you all at the end of this week as I show off my December mini capsule wardrobe and along with some fantastic sponsored content that will be a big first for me!  (hint: if you want a sneak peek of my new friends check out http://shop.bombsheller.com/)

Other great things I'm looking forward to this month include:


  1. Making new traditions as we decorate our new house for the holidays.
  2. The Boylan Heights Artwalk in Raleigh, one of my favorite places to find gifts ever as well as meeting fantastic artists.
  3. Making my blog more beautiful as I create new, better graphics.
  4. Baking things in my kitchen and drinking hot cocoa.
  5. Finally hosting our housewarming party!
  6. Spending time with friends and family at the end of the month.
  7. Tackling a great new Monthly Instagram Challenge with the Geeks & Beauties Community.
  8. Finishing some long overdue art projects that I'd normally be more passionate about, but life and a bit of procrastination have made a bigger burden of than they should be.
  9. Going to the Raleigh Ringers concert (an incredible handbell choir that is not to be missed, and a Dickson family tradition).
  10. Finding the perfect gifts for everyone on my list, I might put way too much thought into it, but I really enjoy finding a present that will make the receiver smile.
  11. Feeling that things are finally calming down after the past months' turbulence.
  12. Participating in Dressember!

Dressember

I'm thrilled to be able to share about Dressember with you all.  To explain further Dressember is an event that lasts the whole month of December and it's purpose is to raise awareness for human trafficking and help put an end to it.  Participants ONLY wear dresses for the whole month, no pants or skirts, some folks even limit themselves to one the whole time.  And similarly to a walk for charity or event like Extra Life where gaming is what's done to raise awareness you can help support this endeavor with the Dressember Foundation at any time over the course of this month.

But let me guess, you're also wondering, Lydia, why dresses?  Here's what the Dressember Foundation has to say about why they selected this as their challenge:


          "Dressember uses fashion to advocate for women who've been exploited for their

          femininity.  As women take on the creative challenge of wearing a dress for the 31 days of

          December, they are advocating for the inherent dignity of all women."


I love this idea, and the challenge too.  I'm building a small capsule wardrobe for just this month, which I'll share with you all later this week.  Plus if you want to see what I'm wearing each day just come follow me over here on Instagram.  And, if you want to join in it's not too late, it's quick and easy to sign up at the Dressember site, we'd be happy to have you!

Day 1


Please check out my donation page here for more information on the project.  Additionally, I'm not alone, there are several other ladies from the Rising Tide Society dressing it up with me for the next month.  I've joined some of them on team Grace Belle to do good for some of those least able to help themselves in the world.  You can read a bit on their takes on the project here at GraceBelle.com and here at Phylicia Nicole.  They've really said things much more eloquently than I have here.

85% of proceeds go to International Justice Mission and A21, of the rest 5% is used to process credit card fees and the other 10% for the foundation's admin, tech, and marketing.  All of these organizations are 501 c3 tax deductible, and you can read more about them here.  Even a tiny bit can help, and my goal is to raise $200 for them, since it's my first time.  I'm a little nervous about it because I honestly feel bad asking for anyone's money, but this is it, I'm asking that you join me in helping to end human trafficking.

Thanks so much for reading.  I'll see you all again very soon.

Love,
Lydia

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Handmade Holiday Gift Guide

Welcome friends, and happy Thanksgiving!


I hope you and yours have spent a wonderful holiday with family acknowledging all the good things you've been blessed with this year. Personally I am very thankful to have all of you readers here as I get to know you more each day. I'm especially glad you stopped by today because I have a wonderful batch of small business owners I want to highlight as we think about our holiday gift giving.

While I love many mass produced things like comic books, clothing, and makeup I also have a soft sport for all the beautifully handmade items. And the great part is there are tons of makers who focus on handmade items that fit more niche interests. I believe that spending our money on their great products is one of the most rewarding things we can do this season for our loved ones and the makers. So I hope that you will join me in shopping at some of these amazing stores as you find the right beautiful, geeky, fun, and handmade gifts for some of those special people on your Christmas list. At the end of the list you'll find a giveaway too!





Lydia's Designs - 2015 Handmade Holiday Gift Guide


Paper & Chocolate Press



I heard about Paper and Chocolate through The Rising Tide Society, and was hooked the moment I saw their fantastic superhero themed journals and blank books. As you can see they cover a bunch of great fandoms, plus they have more traditional journals as well as some lovely Christmas ornaments! They're running the following sales this year:

Seasonal Deals:

During November use the coupon code NANOWRIMO15 to receive 15% off writers notebooks and journals; excludes recipe books, ornaments, and guest books.

Black Weekend Special: Free Domestic Shipping with coupon code: BLACKWEEKEND2015, November 26-December 1.

Holiday Deadlines:

All custom orders and made-to-order items need to be ordered by Thursday, December 10, in order to arrive by Christmas.
All ready-to-ship items need to be ordered by Thursday, December 17, in order to arrive by Christmas.

Social Media:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Authored Adornments



Authored Adornments specializes in literary inspired jewelry. Seen above is a beautiful cuff bracelet, and in their shop you'll find rings, pendants, and earrings as well as bookmarks and wine bottle stoppers. Most of the works featured are classic literature, but they also create custom pieces and have items in partnership with John Green which you can find at http://store.dftba.com/collections/john-green.

Seasonal Deals:

Black Friday is amongst us once again! This weekend will include some great sales. Each sale will be announced the day before, so please stay tuned! Since Thursday is Thanksgiving and I'll be spending my time with family, the Friday deal will be announced a little early, thanks!

Use: FRIDAYISBLACK for 20% off your entire purchase, good through 11/27. Visit the shop for more information.

Social Media:

Facebook
Twitter
Tumblr
Instagram

Wood Notions



Sometimes I find myself looking for a more traditional gift, and ornaments are the perfect fallback. My husband, Bryan, is picky about no glitter being brought into out house, so I've found that one of the best types of ornaments we can both agree on are laser cut wood ones. Wood Notions has pegasus and griffin designs, many animals, and nature themed pieces, as well as creating custom designed pieces. I found them while looking for the perfect dragonfly Christmas ornament as part of Bryan's Christmas gift last year.

Social Media:

Facebook
Twitter

Ruskerville



You all may recall not that long ago I wrote about how I'd found a wonderful Ravenclaw themed planner, well, Ruskerville also carries planners fit for a time lord! And for those with less nerdy inclinations there are a variety of other general printed covers to choose from as well.


Holiday Deadline:

December 18

Social Media:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Paper From Heaven


Paper From Heaven is a fellow North Carolinian who creates bags for just about anything you could want, from the fantastic cosmetic set above, storage for essential oils, crayon aprons for kids, to crochet hooks. And her fabric choices are lovely to boot!

Holiday Deadlines:

12/12 for US order
11/27 for International and military orders

Social Media:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Spicy Paprika



Each pendant and earring in Amber's shop, Spicy Paprika is made delicately from tiny beads and semi-precious stones to create completely unique pieces. Each one is imaginative and has characteristics inspired by nature's own beauty. One of her pieces occasionally makes appearances here on my blog too, I was lucky to be able to watch her create it while visiting her home in California.

Social Media:

Facebook
Twitter

Olive + Pine



Olive + Pine collects beautiful handmade items from different makers and curates a collection that's sure to please the most picky people on your list. And importantly, their shop carries items hand picked for the men in your lives.

Seasonal Deals:

10% off storewide with the code SHOPSMALL valid Friday-Monday (for black friday, small business Saturday, and cyber monday!).


Holiday Deadline:

December 15

Social Media:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest

Flytrap Clothing



Flytrap makes beautifully designed botanical printed clothing. I own and love one of their cowls that I got last year when I first saw their work at the Boylan Heights Artwalk in Raleigh, NC. Their work is also 100% made in the USA, down to their labels. Additionally they carry a couple of shirts for men as well as womenswear (currently available in S-XL).

Seasonal Deals:

11/27 15% off your entire purchase
11/28 20% off all apparel, both men's and women's
11/29 20% off all scarves
11/30 - Cyber Monday, $30 off orders over $150, free shipping, plus a pack of blank Flytrap Clothing notecards.

Holiday Deadline:

December 21

Social Media:

Facebook
Instagram

babyCorn Soaps

BabyCorn Soaps create a variety of fun bath and body products as well as traditional soaps. Plus they make monthly subscription boxes on a nerdy theme (Star Wars is December's, and November featured Doctor Who) and a more conventional box with seasonal themes too. Anything from their shop would be perfect for the beauty lovers out there. Additionally they make items for men too, such as radioactive shave cream and lumberjack soap.

Seasonal Deals:

BFRIDAY for 20% all items except wholesale and subscription boxes from 12/27-12/29

Holiday Deadline:

November 30

Social Media:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

The Little Smith



And last but not least is The Little Smith. Their jewelry designs are hewn from wood and silver to create stunning geometric shapes and sinuous metal details. They've been kind enough to allow me to do a giveaway for one of their gorgeous Tigerwood Geo Pendant necklaces, pictured below. I'm thrilled to be working with them on this article since they happen to be longtime friends of mine.

Seasonal Deals:

11/27 - 20% off the Earth Collection with code blackfriday2015
11/28-12/16 - 20% off orders over $25 with code holiday2015

Holiday Deadlines:

December 16

Social Media:

Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest



Lydia's Designs and The Little Smith Necklace Giveaway

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share some of my favorite handmade shops with you today!  If you have any questions or comments I'd love to talk to you more, so feel free to leave me comments.

Love,
Lydia

P.S. If you need a few more ideas head over to my Etsy art shop at http://lydiasdesigns.etsy.com or check out The Rising Tide Society's own gift guide here.