How did Pretty Fun come to be?
Pretty Fun came about when I had received some money for my birthday. I really wanted to get something big that I wouldn’t usually buy for myself. So, one day at Target, I ran across the Singer and knew that is what I wanted. Then I just started making things. And making things. And making things. I knew I would have a houseful of purses if I didn’t start selling them. Also, selling them funds my fabric collection. Pretty Fun was born.
 
What is your favorite thing to create?
My favorite things to create changes on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. If it involves fabric, it’s my favorite thing to create.
 
Name one quirky thing about you.
My favorite thing to watch when I am sewing is Elvis movies. They are just so colorful and musical and over the top, they are a great inspiration for creating.
 
What do you do to unwind?
I love magazines. I have old issues of Home Companion, Living and Budget Living that I love to take out and dig through to get ideas.
 
What is your favorite place to shop?
Jackman’s Fabrics in St. Louis, Jo-Ann’s Fabrics, Etsy.com
Favorite place to window shop-Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Etsy.com
 
THE GIVEAWAY:

Sara is giving one lucky winner a wristlet! These are so neat! One handle slips through the other to create the closure. Can’t you see carrying one of these on your wedding day or gifting it to a bridesmaid? LOVE. The ones below are currently available in her Etsy shop, but doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you’ll get one you see here. I imagine Sara has others in stock and some of these may sell before this giveaway ends. Upon winning, Sara will contact you with your options. Please keep in mind that her baby is arriving any day now, so you’ll need to be patient!
 

 
TO ENTER:
Simply fill out the form below by 12am (midnight) Monday, August 31. It’s really that easy.
Winner will be chosen by random draw on Monday, August 31 and contacted that evening.
Winner will be emailed and has 24 hours to claim prize. Otherwise, I’ll draw a new winner!
 

 
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****ALL GIVEAWAYS ARE NOW CLOSED! CHECK BACK FOR THE LIST OF WINNERS!****
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Be sure to enter the other giveaways:
Custom hairpiece from Ensemble Pieces
Any item from Shop Houndstooth
Monogrammed koozie from The Gifting Spot
Any item from Shop Houndstooth (yep, you have 2 chances!)
GOOD LUCK!

TO ENTER:
Simply fill out the form below by 12am (midnight) on Monday, August 31. It’s really that easy.
Winner will be chosen by random draw on Monday, August 31 and contacted that evening.
Winner will be emailed and has 24 hours to claim prize. Otherwise, I’ll draw a new winner!
 
~~~~~~~~~~~
****ALL GIVEAWAYS ARE NOW CLOSED! CHECK BACK FOR THE LIST OF WINNERS!****
~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Be sure to enter the other giveaways:
Custom hairpiece from Ensemble Pieces
Any item from Shop Houndstooth
Monogrammed koozie from The Gifting Spot
Handmade wristlet from Pretty Fun
 
GOOD LUCK!

My friend Shana has a personalized gifts business called The Gifting Spot. She has the cutest stuff at great prices! Market totes, duffels, backpacks, mousepads, checkbook covers, totes, and lots of other stuff — all monogrammed! This is not the first time I’ve raved about her, because I really believe in her business and her product!

I asked Shana a few things about herself and her business and this is what she had to say.

How did The Gifting Spot come to be?
The Gifting Spot began with a simple desire to own my own business. After many years of retail experience and selling on Ebay, I was flooded with business ideas of my own. This combined with a love for the internet started my online business venture. The idea of an online business was also appealing due to the large internet market.
After a baby shower gift purchase for a friend, I fell in LOVE with monogramming and personalized gifts. I had also recently gotten married and started to adore all things with “C” on them. I had never sewn before, which is strange considering my mother and grandmother have sewn for years. I researched sewing and embroidery machines and purchased one. I began making things by hand and adding a monogram. My first customers were my co-workers and my business started out as a 3-ring binder from which they placed orders by choosing fabrics, fonts, and thread colors.
I was still determined to get my business online and after many months of preparation (and many name changes!) I finally launched TheGiftingSpot.com in May 2010. I currently carry about 10 lines with many more to come. I also plan on incorporating handmade items back in to the store, all with a monogram of course! I hope to be constantly growing and evolving, all while providing unique personalized gifts at an affordable price with excellent customer service that I learned in my years of retail.

What is your favorite item in your shop?
This is such a hard question because I love all of the items in my shop! If I don’t love it, I won’t bring it to my customers. My personal favorite though is probably the market basket. It has been one of the most popular items and with so many uses, it’s easy to see why! I even use them in my office to store business supplies!

Name one quirky thing about you.
I am obsessively organized and love to have everything in a certain place! I also have an extreme attention to detail.

What do you do to unwind?
After a long day, having a quiet evening at home helps me to unwind. My husband and I love to cook and watch movies. We are movie fanatics!

What is your favorite place to shop?
I don’t really have a favorite store, but I love ALL shopping online! Shopping online is the best of both worlds – you can avoid long lines and crowds (especially at Christmas!) and find exactly what you need by a simple search. You also have the ability to shop at any store and are not limited to local stores.
 
THE GIVEAWAY:
Shana is giving one lucky winner a personalized koozie! Look at all these options!
 

There’s a large variety of font and thread color choices as well!
 
TO ENTER:
Simply fill out the form below by 12am (midnight) on Monday, August 31. It’s really that easy.
Winner will be chosen by random draw on Monday, August 31 and contacted that evening.
Winner will be emailed and has 24 hours to claim prize. Otherwise, I’ll draw a new winner!
 
~~~~~~~~~~~
****ALL GIVEAWAYS ARE NOW CLOSED! CHECK BACK FOR THE LIST OF WINNERS!****
~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Be sure to enter the other giveaways:
Custom hairpiece from Ensemble Pieces
Any item from Shop Houndstooth
Any item from Shop Houndstooth (yep, again!)
Handmade wristlet from Pretty Fun
 
GOOD LUCK!

It takes awhile to really get the word about about a new business though and word of mouth is the best advertisement. The best thing to get word out? Give you things! For FREE!

I am giving a random commenter any item in the shop. They would all make perfect bridesmaid gifts!

TO ENTER:
Simply fill out the form below by 12am (midnight) on Monday, August 31. It’s really that easy.
Winner will be chosen by random draw on Monday, August 31 and contacted that evening.
Winner will be emailed and has 24 hours to claim prize. Otherwise, I’ll draw a new winner!
 
~~~~~~~~~~~
****ALL GIVEAWAYS ARE NOW CLOSED! CHECK BACK FOR THE LIST OF WINNERS!****
~~~~~~~~~~~

 
Don’t forget to enter the other giveaways:
Custom hairpiece from Ensemble Pieces
Any item from Shop Houndstooth
Monogrammed koozie from The Gifting Spot
Any item from Shop Houndstooth (yep, 2 chances to win!)
Handmade wristlet from Pretty Fun

GOOD LUCK!

From Ensemble Pieces’ Facebook page:

Ensemble Pieces is less about the cute, spoiled princess who is dependent on others, and more focused on the beautiful, creative powerful woman who lives in each of us. Pieces to design an ensemble around, accessories to be envied by others.

Based in Orlando, Florida, Lauren sells at farmer’s markets and the like and also has an Etsy shop.  Everything is one of a kind, which I love!  The dresses are so perfect for summer, but my favorite thing is probably the hairpieces!  Check out the Facebook page, because the Etsy shop doesn’t even come close to representing all the amazing goods she creates!

I asked her a couple of questions, because Lauren is really cool and creative. I could tell you how awesome she is all day, but it’s better coming from her! (She answered these questions from her cell phone, so don’t hold the grammar and bad punctuation against her!)

How did Ensemble Pieces come to be?
In college I wanted to create a necklace, had made jewelry for myself as a kid, and went down to the bead store and made it. Someone asked to buy it.

Researched and started selling out of my purse at the bar I took pictures at. After my husband graduated I started a farmers market every Saturday, at which point I added the clothes because I was so unsatisfied with the fashion industry. Everything cost too much, all looked same and fell apart, didn’t see any reason couldn’t be cute AND comfy.

Name one quirky thing about you.
All of me is quirky. Pretty much everything I do is creative, cooking, organizing, sewing, working with wire, dying fabrics, music, it’s all the same bug.

What is your favorite place to shop?
I mainly shop at JoAnn’s and Michael’s and a local place for specialty wire and tools (FDJ), but I also order online and am a bit of a scavenger.

I love what else she had to say, which is, Everything I make is one of a kind and if it’s for sale, I made it. I’ve found that by forcing myself to never make the same thing twice it pushes me to try new things and constantly improve on my techniques. By doing markets and craft fairs I take my art to people instead of waiting for them to come to me.

THE GIVEAWAY:
She is giving one of you a custom hairpiece! These are wonderful for the modern bride who wants a little color in her ensemble. Our indie and offbeat brides will appreciate this the most, but Lauren will be happy to make this to your tastes. You can get it in your wedding colors and it can be a large, bold piece or a small, subtle burst of color. Below are my favorite hairpieces.

TO ENTER:
Simply fill out the form below by 12am (midnight) on Monday, August 31. It’s really that easy.
Winner will be chosen by random draw on Monday, August 31 and contacted that evening.
Winner will be emailed and has 24 hours to claim prize. Otherwise, I’ll draw a new winner!
 
~~~~~~~~~~~
****ALL GIVEAWAYS ARE NOW CLOSED! CHECK BACK FOR THE LIST OF WINNERS!****
~~~~~~~~~~~
 

Be sure to enter the other giveaways:
Monogrammed koozie from The Gifting Spot
Choice of item from Shop Houndstooth
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