Spring Sample Sale

Hello & happy Monday friends! 

Starting off the week with a spring sample sale over on Facebook. Cleaning out my studio of product samples or styles used for photo shoots, but they are all still super cute! 

If you'd like one (or two!) head over to my facebook page with your email address and the color you'd like & I'll send an invoice. It's a first come sort of sale, but I'll be having more all week!

*includes US domestic shipping, $2 more for int'l shipping.

Color Me Happy: Purple + Grey

                                 

Check out this gorgeous wedding board from Chrissy at The Perfect Palette, lovely mix of purples & greys with my zipper clutches included! 

While I sometimes struggle with purple a little bit, I love it paired with grey- this board adds a lot of brightness. Would be such a pretty wedding party :) 

I find lots of happiness in color ... which is a nice little transition to my last post, Choosing Happy. My heart is overflowing with gratitude for all the sweet comments & words of encouragement as I shared a bit about my struggle with depression and finding my way in the realm of happiness. I feel so grateful for all of you for making time to connect with me! Lots of hugs right back to you :) 

{more Color Me Happy posts}

Choosing Happy

image credit paper coterie

Hello!

So, I took a bit of a break there. Time away from posting and from most other things online...

To be honest, this week has been difficult for me. I've been in a bit of rut - the rainy greys of spring in Portland really weigh on me at times. I also have a lot of anxiety about the transitions in our house - my baby moving out of his crib and our oldest entering kindergarten next year (!) Then there's the general thoughts & dreams of where I've been and where I'm headed...

Throw it all together & the result is a bit of melancholy and chaos. 

Actually, I've battled with anxiety and depression my whole life. I'm really good at putting on a smile and forging ahead while also carrying around loads of pain. In middle school my English teacher wrote on my report card that he could always count on my sunny smile. I remember thinking, 'Boy, I've sure got him fooled!'  But faking it only works for so long and chocolate and coffee lose their magic eventually.

So times like now, when I'm faced with uncertainty and change, the depression and anxiety rise up again. But you know, after a bit of hiding away, praying, and prioritizing I find myself at the same point where I realize it's basically up to me to choose happiness. And goodness knows it's not as simple as just making your mind up to be happy, but it's about choosing the path of happiness, taking little steps in that direction. 

So when I found this lovely little download over the weekend it was like a cheerful little reminder that I can come out from cover, face the grey, and put on a real smile. 




Thank you lovely readers for giving me a space to share all this! 

{related reading: looking back to Ashley Pahl's guest post outlining her Rut-Busting Guide when you're feeling stuck}




  

Seeing the Forest for the Trees - My Detail Dilemma

image credit :: eloise renouf

Hello! I feel like a bit of a stranger here... it's been awhile since my last post. Somehow, I seem to blink and a whole week goes by. Does anyone else feel like that? It's been a week of transition (the toddler), managing orders (wedding season!),  cheerleading myself (detox diet), and a goal to focus on the important things (each moment with my boys). 

One of my biggest struggles in business and in personal life, is avoiding the detail overload. I am so guilt of getting wrapped up in my to-do list (oh, how I love crossing things off...) but at the same time totally missing the big picture.  Probably more than just a bad habit - maybe some sort of crutch, a bit of fear, anxiety. Who knows. But, I'm realizing more and more, that I need to let some of those details go and focus on bigger picture things, so that a whole week/month/year doesn't pass me by and I realize I missed the big stuff being too busy crossing of my list! 

The timing was perfect for my monthly contribution to Oh My Handmade, where the community is discussing 'roots & shoots' - tending to our gardens of life and business. You can visit me there today where I share some of my strategies for tackling the details to see the big picture. I'd love for you to stop by & say hello. 

I'd also love to hear if you can relate to this detail dilemma and what you do to get yourself out of that mess and focused towards the horizon. 

xo

Color Me Happy - Gold & Teal

courtesy calico

Well, look at that. Feels like I blinked and now it's Friday! Such a crazy busy week for wedding orders and then couple that with a toddler who is still on a nap strike... and I don't really know if I'm coming or going these days. 

Whew. 

I did find this lovely color collection of teal & gold that I wanted to share. It's a happy mix of warm and bright. A little bit of color therapy perhaps? 

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend & if you want to get crafty, be sure to check out the DIY * no sew* card case holder from Style Me Pretty I posted last week - we've updated the photos! 

Pretty Things

Hello & happy Monday! Just popping in to share a few pretty things I've whipped up this last month, a few new designs and colors in the shop. Lots of wedding orders on the horizon and I love all the fresh ideas brides bring to the table. 

Any favorites? Love to hear your thoughts! 

xo

Pin Lovin' and Winner

hafsa.zm

Hello! Happy Thursday & thanks to everyone for joining in the fun of my Pin & Win event... in addition to the hundreds of pins, I also got a chance to get know of few you a little better - through your  pinterest boards!  A few kinks along the way, like my name being autocorrected to @allisa waldo - so I had to dig through piles of pins to sort through them (yes, exactly like a game of where's waldo).  With each pin counting as an entry, random.org came up with lucky number 58 - Christina S!

This was definitely a hit & I look forward to planning another one soon. Here are a few boards I came across that I'll definitely be following. Take a look!  

Shelleanne - Decor Board   
LauraEisenga -  My DIY List   
Venetia Creation - Fashion, Fashion!     
Amy Monko - Art I Love
Dianne Gendron -  Making
Danielle Spurge - Unrealistic For Ours But Still Cool Wedding Stuff
Rubarb Love Bug - My Style
Gracie The Beagle - Party Ideas
MimiTimms - Neat Idea
LMCornell - Gift Ideas 

Again, thank you again to everyone for joining in!  xo

DIY Plastic Card Holder - Guest Tutorial from Show Me Pretty

{{ editor's note: Hello! I'm beyond excited to share this guest post tutorial with you guys today. Not only is this DIY plastic card holder super adorable, it's from the ever-sweet Rita at Show Me Pretty. I love her blog and have enjoyed getting to know her, she has so many fantastic ideas! Thank you Rita! xo  }}

Do you know those moments when you just don't feel like carrying around a big heavy tote filled with things you don't need (but carry around anyway, just in case)? I have to admit that I have always been a fan of huge bags and wallets. But lately I started to realize that there's this feeling of freedom attached to carrying just a few things with me: the few ones that I truly need and nothing else. So, besides getting rid of some things, I also designed this very simple and easy to make card holder and gave my old heavy wallet a rest.

I like to use unusual materials and I always do my best to make sure I'm being as environmental friendly as possible (which means I don't like the idea of wasting and I always try to recycle old objects/materials and incorporate them in my DIY projects) which, in this particular case, means that I have an eco-friendly one of a kind card holder made out of an old plastic/acrylic box that came with a candle I once bought.

The good news is that you can also make your own card wallet, following this step by step tutorial. Give it a try and embrace the freedom of carrying around nothing but the basics. Less is more, isn't that what they say?

You can find more of Show me Pretty here:

blog: http://www.showmepretty.com/

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShowMePretty

pinterest: http://pinterest.com/showmeprettycom/

Pin & Win, $50 to Spend in My Shop!

Here's a fun way to start April... no foolin'! 

Win $50 to spend in my shop simply by pinning your favorite bags & clutches to your Pinterest boards. 

1. Follow one or all of my Pinterest Boards

2. Visit my shop ( www.allisajacobs.etsy.com) and pin items you love. 

3. Include @allisa jacobs and #allisajacobscontest in the description so each entry is counted

4. Pin as many as you'd like, each one is a separate entry!

5. A winner will be chosen at random on 4/3/13 9:00pm PST, from all the pins. Be sure to check back on Thursday to see if it's you! 

Clutches, organizers, part of a bridesmaid set... what would you spend your fifty bucks on?! 

Good Luck! 

*open to all entrants age 18 and over. Winner receives a $50 credit to spend in my shop and is responsible for any amount purchased over the prize amount. Balance is not redeemable and expires 12/21/13.