studio tour no. 033111

Y'all, I have to keep it real this morning: I took no photographs this week. Nada. These photographs you see above were taken moments ago because I couldn't admit to the layer of dust that had formed on my camera in the past week yet again. Silver dust from all of the sanding that went down this week, but still... 'Twas a busy week here in laurel d land. I've been experimenting with a new home goods line I believe I will launch in a few short weeks (!!!) - you can see the first failed bud vase slash melted glass attempt above - and I've been busy making chains and filling orders that are set to ship April 1st, updating the website, designing some laurel d birthday celebration emails, and planning out the National Stationery Show. Did you know we're doing that again this year? I think I haven't discussed it yet because every time I think of it, I sort of panic. It's an intimidating show, what with all of that insane talent floating around in that particular design world, and I haven't done it in years. Doing a show with essentially one product (the 2012 laurel denise planner) is kind of terrifying...or worry-making or something? Plus, it's an entirely new booth design and that sort of makes my head hurt. Sort of...a lot.

stores shipped this week:
Osgoodies Gift Store: Brattleboro, VT
The Williams Company Store: Ottertail, MN
Willd Indigo: Boston, MA
Cathedral: San Diego, CA
ABC Carpet: New York, NY
Nest: Sheboygan, WI
Ellens on Elm: Winnetka, IL

happy birthday to laurel denise

So, now that the website is back up and running (goodness gracious...), I've decided to throw laurel d a little birthday celebration in the form of a fancy email! I know, I know...margaritas and salsa would be a more appropriate celebration, but the rulers of the internets just haven't figured out how to get that whole food slash liquid thing to work out there in the world wide webbing. Can't imagine why that's not top priority...

Celebrate with us and enjoy 10% off of your online order with code "six"*! I just uploaded some new items to the shop, too. Like this one and this little guy and this one, too!

*Code is "six" because we just turned six. Which also is my favorite number (keep that on file, it will help you in a contest in the future...shhhh...). Also? This code is good only if you spend at least $28 big ones in the shop and it ends on 4.30.11.

let them eat cake

These handy where-does-the-spoon-really-go place mats would help a sister out when setting the table for all of those fancy burgers and fries dinners I keep throwing...

weekend moments no. 032611

A delightful and chilly (hi, snow) cville weekend spent with the Cute Husband watching movies like this one (obsessed...probably my new favorite movie) and this one (sad...probably not my new favorite movie) and taking walks and making a new journal and eating delicious foods and spending a little time with sweet friends and hanging on Sunday morning at this lovely joint.

studio tour no. 032411

So, here's what happens when you're a forgetful person and happen to own a business: your domain name expires and, well, you don't know it. Because the email address you have on file with your domain registration people (which, without an awesome web programmer guy person in the back pocket of your yoga pants would still, more than 24 hours after your website went down, remain a mystery because you can't even remember the site you registered your domain name with six years ago) is, oh, a tad old (featuring your maiden name + yahoo with its non-archiving skills). It's so old, in fact, that it's not even accessible. Which means those emails they sent you, letting you know that your website is about to expire and you better update that old credit card on file so that there's no blip in coverage, go unread and unanswered. This all might leave you mildly (yeah, right) panicked and filled with "what am I going to do?" thoughts (slash screams). That's what might happen if you were a forgetful person and happened to also be a business owner. The good news? The good news is that it will be back up by tomorrow, we hope. The good news is that there are fancy internet programming people out there who can google-search like woah to find where on earth you registered your domain name (one more time, six years ago). The good news is that email addresses on file can be switched and folders can be created in gmail that are labeled things like "very important never delete". These folders can contain passwords and companies you happen to work with that you never ever want to sleep on. The good news is that much bigger things are happening in this whole wide world that are oh so much more important than a little website glitch and so perspective is a wonderful thing. The other good news? I guess I've officially owned this business for six years. Six years, my friends! And six happens to be my very favorite number! We will definitely need to celebrate this fine occasion and we will. Just as soon as that website is up and running.

(Since I'm forgetful - umm...see above - I haven't taken any studio shots in, oh, forever. So today I choose this photo above of some of our new necklaces in some of our new sweet packaging. Marcy took this photo - duh - isn't she amazing? Let's all comment here and make her get a website, yes?)

stores shipped this week...
Red Envelope
kimmeehan.com
The Urban Muse: Denville, NJ
Expressions: Carmel, IN
Sip & Ship: Seattle, WA
On Paper: Columbus, OH
On a Whim: Blacksburg, VA

seltzer goods

I met one of the fine folks behind Seltzer Goods in New York in January and was instantly smitten with the cute glasses image on their "seven year pen". After showing my fellow appreciator-of-all-things-cool friend the card and hearing confirmation on the fact that this little pen really and truly does last seven years, got me both smitten and highly impressed. Now, the important question here is does anyone here think I could actually go seven years without losing a pen?!

ants on my pouch

The awesomely talented and all-around cool gal behind the line Bailey Doesn't Bark, RJ, has created these ants on my pouch bags to benefit that animals in Japan. Every cent of money made from these little bags is going to go to this non-profit organization. RJ's the coolest and best and so are her products. Just wanted to take a moment here on my little blog to share info on this project and spread the word slash love.

what to wear no. 031811

Oh weekend at home in lovely C'ville, I've so been looking forward to you. I'm going to fill you up with Cute Husband time, Spring cleaning time (I might have a month's worth of laundry to do...truth), refining some new designs time (and whole product lines - exclamation marks!!!), and just general loving on life time. Sounds kind of perfect, doesn't it?

dress (and a super similar one here at Target) | happy yellow sweater | soft sparkle flats | laurel denise perfect day necklace

dbo home

Y'all, the folks at dbo home aren't messing around when it comes to beautiful and perfectly crafted home goods. Especially their porcelain. I think I audibly gasped when I walked by their booth at the ny gift show in January. It was that perfect thin and soft visual images and white-but-not-totally-white and just gorgeous combination that makes for my kind of plates and vases and trays.

adventures in ski land

So, here's what I think about skiing: You think you love and trust your husband during normal life, right? Then, then my friends, then you let him guide you down an icy and snowy mountain that you'd be nervous to walk down with trusty hiking boots and you know that you really really really love and trust your husband. Know what I mean? Here's another thing I think about skiing: It was fun. Like, really really fun. And liberating. And taught me, Miss shakin' in my boots about all things adventure, that I actually can learn something new that's scary and exciting and, wait for it, I can actually be decent at it. I mean, it takes me a good five minutes longer to get down little hills than my more experienced Cute Husband and sweet friends, but that's okay. At least I made it down the hill, right? I also learned that, while not impossible to do, one doesn't fall off of the ski lift by just looking down. And what a relief that is. So, count me in on Team Ski for Life, friends. I surprised myself and everyone but my sweet mom (who remembers me jumping into pools when I didn't know how to swim - like, not even a little bit - before I knew what the words fear and worry meant) who knew I would have a blast.

These ah-mazing images were taken by my talented and cute husband.

what to wear no. 030411

I'm going skiing next week. Like, real-live-in-Colorado-mountains skiing. Cute Husband's birthday is next week and for our big 3+0's we've decided to take little adventures as gifts, so we're packing bags filled with many warm fleece products and heading to the Colorado mountains. He loves to ski and jump off scary snowy mountains. I love the read. We're a match made in heaven, I tell you! Everyone who was with me on that fateful day back in my freshman year at JMU is laughing right now. They are laughing (hard) because they can probably remember my first (and only) ski adventure when I basically cried the entire way up the lift (holy moly are those not the scariest devices ever built?), fell (hard again) upon landing on "solid" ground at the top, proceeded to go down the "bunny" hill on my bum the entire way and promptly turned my skis in and drank hot chocolate for the rest of my day on the slopes. My only regret was not bringing a book. This time, friends, I will be taking a lesson. Maybe two. And I will come back a much better skier this time, I just know it. Plus, I hear there are hot tubs and beautiful lounges just waiting to be enjoyed at these ski places. Yay!

ski jacket | beanie | ski pants | gray hoodie | gray lounge pants | boots

studio tour no. 030311

It's been a tad cray-cray-crazy town over here, friends. Will the fine list of new and old stores that have been shipped the past two weeks featured at the end of this post work as an excuse for my absence? Maybe? We've been busy sanding and shipping and chain-making and plating and organizing and labeling and invoicing and just about every single other thing that goes along with owning a small jewelry company-ing for the past two weeks (or six months or something, but who's counting?). See those little "mommy" necklaces up there? Those are a super cute custom necklace for a super fun catalog that will go out in the middle of the month (more on that when they ship). Alright, back to labeling and production I go! Happy Thursday, friends.

stores shipped this week(ish):

Traditions of Loveville: Loveville, MD
Paul Michael Creative Designs: Randolf, NJ
Et Cetera: Hudson, WI
Divine Redeemer: Hartland, WI
Citywoods: Highland Park, IL
Ecru: Portland, OR
The Gallery at Liztech: East Stroudsburg, PA
The Puddle Duck: DePere, WI
Extraordinaire: Austin, TX
New Stone Age: Los Angeles, CA
The Feather's Edge Finery: Bend, OR
Embellish: Chicago, IL
Simply Charming Boutique: Winchester, VA
Hedges: Chagrin Falls, OH
The Gypsy Wagon: Dallas, TX
Ferrantes: Spokane, WA
Diva Boutique: Annapolis, MD
Noteworth Designs: New York, NY
Happy Go Lucky: Jenkintown, PA
Artfully Elegant: Bethlehem, PA
Rock Paper Scissors: Charlottesville, VA
Luxe Energy Aesthetics: West Palm Beach, FL
Vintage Charm: LaGrange, IL
Acacia: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Embellish: Chicago, IL
Wishbone: San Francisco, CA
Anthropologie: Philadelphia, PA (just in a few stores, friends, but prayers for even more stores sure are being thrown around!)
New Twist: Portland, OR/Eugene, OR
Sparrow House Pottery: Plymouth, MA