Support Small Business Saturday On Etsy

Happy Monday girls! I can’t believe this week is Thanksgiving. I’ll be spending the holiday with David’s family and hopefully do a little Black Friday shopping with his sisters. One of my favorite parts of the entire weekend isn’t the turkey or the overall merriment (though it is enjoyable!) but it’s the opportunity to support small businesses on Small Business Saturday! Other than checking out a few of the Downtown Dallas boutiques and going to the Farmer’s Market, I usually don’t have much time to shop local. If I want something special and unique, I always turn to Etsy! In anticipation for the holiday season starting, I’ve included links to my favorite Christmas Etsy finds pictured above!

1. Pine Tree Garland from Felt Witch (link here)
2. Illustrated Christmas Cards from A Thing Created (link here)
3. Christmas iPhone Case from Rongrong Illustration (link here)
4. Holiday Mug from Elm St. Studio Prints (link here)
5. Quirky Christmas Light Earrings from Weirdly  Cute (link here)
6. Texas Christmas Shirt from Mama Essentials (link here)
7. Merry Christmas Sign from Daisy and Decor (link here)
8. Lighted Christmas Sign from Oskee Rustic (link here)
9. Meet Me Under the Mistletoe Mug from Pretty Collected (link here)

Please take some time and go check out these amazing artists’ work! Their shops are fantastic and the perfect way to support and enjoy small businesses all across the country. Whether you need creative Christmas gifts or just want to buy a little something for yourself, you’ll find it on Etsy! Now excuse me while I go fill my Etsy shopping cart with cute things!

Fall Home Decor from Etsy

Happy Monday everyone! Since Labor Day is kind of like the official end of summer vacation and endless beach days, I figured I’d get a jump start on all the fun fall decorating. Growing up, my mom always made our home so beautiful for autumn. We had a “fall tree” in our dining room all decorated with pretty leaves and twinkly lights. The front steps would always have pumpkins, chrysanthemums, and dried corn stalks arranged nicely for a warm, welcoming entrance. Best of all, a cinnamon-pumpkin candle would always be burning in the kitchen when you walked in. These are the things memories are made of! In my own home/apartment, I want to make the same lovely memories!

I love browsing Etsy for unique decorative items. Some of my favorite things are instant download printable artwork. I buy several frames at Michael’s and then download pretty seasonal art to put in them and then switch out for the next season. This is probably the least expensive decorating tip I have! Anyway, for fall Etsy didn’t disappoint. Between adorable pumpkin spice latte mugs and “hocus pocus” tees, I think everyone can find something to suit their fancy here! See something you like in the picture above? See below for a direct link to the Etsy shop and product!

1. “Pumpkin Spice Y’all Campfire Mug” – Lexington Lettering
2. “Hello Pumpkin Mug” – Pretty Collected
3. “Morning Pumpkin Mug” – Leya’s Vinyl Words
4. “Pumpkin Spice Mug” – Do Take It Personally
5. “Pumpkin Spice Everything Nice Mug” – Logan and June
6. “Pumpkin Spice Mug For Fall” – Let Love Flourish
7. “Fall Essentials Mug” – Scribble Studio
8. Pumpkin Spice Latte Travel Mug” – Sweet Water Decor
9. “Let’s Stay In and Watch Hocus Pocus Tee” – Moss and Crown
10. “Fall Glitter Monogram Shirt” – Dream Thread
11. “Pumpkin Spice Fall Sweatshirt” – The Lavish LEO
12. “Happy Fall Y’all Banner” – A Party in a Bag
13. “Gold Autumn Leaves” – Autumn Weddings
14. “Fall Burlap Banner” – Sunshine at Heart
15. “PSL Season” – Kara Ashley Shreeve
16. “Pumpkin Spice Printable” – Pretty Plus Paper
17. “Coffee Break Watercolor” – Make Things Co.

I always do my best to support small businesses like these and they have such cute things anyway! Definitely browse their shops for more if you get a chance! Happy September!

-Liz

Favorite Etsy Shops and 25% off code!!

 

Hello pretty friends! Recently, I’ve been doing nothing but browsing Etsy for fun home decor items, particularly digital downloads of pictures I can frame to put on my walls. There are so many talented and creative people out there and I’m amazed by what they come up with! Below I’ve selected a few of my favorite shops with links to them so you can take a look at the cute stuff they sell!

Also, Spike the Punch generously gave me a discount code to share with you all for 25% off anything in her shop! Use code WITTYNPRETTY to get the deal! She has the most adorable things for sale like this Coco Chanel print below!

Ivana Illustrations

 

Paper Storm Prints

 

Macarons and Mimosas

 

Enjoy the fabulous art from these amazing girls!!

-LIZ

 

Blogging: Starting Fresh

 

Happy Thursday friends! It has been over two weeks since I wrote anything and frankly I’ve been itching to start blogging again. As you can probably tell, my blog has gotten a fresh new face! The installation and design of it has taken roughly 3 months and the blog had to be disabled for a few weeks so that my web designer could implement the changes.

This change has been in the works for over a year, it just took me a little kick in the butt to get started. It’s a massive undertaking and an expensive one! However, every article I read and professional blogger I talked to said that if you want to take your blog to the next level, you need a customized website. I spent several months scouring the web trying to find someone who could do a beautiful job and do it on a budget.

I got the idea to look on Etsy for someone who could at least teach me how to install a new theme and find a hosting company. What I ended up getting was even better! I selected Gatto Creative Design after talking with the brilliant mind behind it- Cat. She understood what I wanted and knew everything I didn’t about web design. Better yet, her prices were well within my budget!

After hiring her, it was several weeks of going back and forth over what I wanted in terms of features and color schemes. She helped me choose colors that would work together and look professional. Before the overhaul, my blog looked rather generic and didn’t do much to showcase my writing or personality. Now, I feel like it captures everything I love and gives me a new start on my blogging adventure.

Like many fashion/lifestyle bloggers, I blog because its fun but I also aim to make a living doing it someday. The scariest part of that statement is the “make a living” part. I have no idea if that dream will ever come true, but everyday I wake up and try harder than the last so I have a fighting chance. I hope you do the same! Enjoy the new design! Leave me comment with your thoughts!

–Liz

Home Decor for Him and Her

Since moving to Kansas City, I’ve been exploring the little boutiques and scoping out the best places for sales! Coming from a small town without any real “boutiques” to visit, this place is heaven. I’ve noticed that many locally owned stores and even restaurants have been adopting a neutral color scheme that attracts both men and women. Since so many of my friends have gotten married recently or moved in with a significant other, I thought it might be fitting to blog about “gender neutral” decor and color schemes for the home.

The colors I love right now that suit everyone is using soothing creams, navy, gray, and gold in main living areas. Men don’t want tons of pink in their chill out space and women don’t want anything that resembles a Star Wars color scheme either. Blending these neutral colors together is a great way to make a space both feminine and masculine.

Gender Neutral Home Decor

Let’s start with a great area rug. Some of my favorites have come from places like TJ Maxx. The Ikat pattern (featured above) is a really nice way to add interest to a space while keeping it gender neutral. Choosing colors in the rug should be a reflection of how you want the rest of the room to look. The navy and cream in this rug will allow you to branch out with other colors in the rest of your design.

Moving on to the all important coffee table, I’m in love with lighter woods like bamboo, salt oak, and drift wood. They’re not hard on the eyes and they make everyone happy. If your man is a little more relaxed about the home decor situation, a clear glass table with gold legs or embellishments would be really nice too!

Finally, let’s talk about decorative pieces. Marble is a go-to material for me. I just can’t get enough of it (even if it’s fake!) Apothecary jars are also something I look for to use in the kitchen as a pretty way of storing sugar, coffee, and flour. For the living room, I want my couch to look inviting! Throw pillows and fluffy blankets is an easy way to accomplish this. I found that cat pillow on Etsy and I think it’s a really cute way to add personality to your cozy space without making the man in your life cringe.

What’s your favorite way to make a space “home-y” for you and your man? Leave me a comment!