I had to give you all a peek inside our swag bags as well as some food and drink photos to drool over;) I feel overwhelmed with gratitude to each and every one of these companies for being a part of this day and sponsoring this event. I can honestly say the people behind each of these companies.
Figs and Honey had the best variety of wraps and sandwhiches to offer as well as mediterranean pasta salad, fresh fruit, and sweet tea. I couldn’t get past the curry chicken salad croissants. The lemon pound cake with fresh berries they made had you daydreaming for more. They are a fantastic spot to check out in Atlanta!
Chocolate South provided those marbleized chocolates that tasted as good as they look! Such a sweet treat to have at the event.
We picked up a bunch of pastries and of course coffee from Octane South which was the perfect start to the morning!
Last but not least, Spodee Wine provided take home refreshment drinks for all! The coolest bottles aren’t they? It is a wine with a kick that you can mix in different ways!
As I have mentioned before, the amount of pockets a bag contains is what sweeps away my heart. Small ones, large ones, zippered, lined, and even padded ones. Enough compartments and secret compartments to fill an organization nerd’s heart.
Take a close look at the Lo & Son’s O.G. Bag designed for travel, gym, and functional use. When I have a few hours to steal away and work at a coffee shop, this bag fits all the gear as pictured above. And I just had to demonstrate the secret side pouch for the extra pair of walking shoes. It did me in. The nylon lining makes for easy cleaning and the leather handles contribute to comfort and quality. Another favorite feature is that it slides over a roller suitcase handle for convenient travel.
Lo & Sons generously offered to send me one of these to try and, how I would like for it to go with features this year, is that if I try one, you all get a chance to win one too! Soooo…enter away through rafflecopter below to win YOUR CHOICE Lo & Sons bag! (U.S. Residents only) We will draw a winner in 7 days. ALSO, they are offering an exclusive 20% off discount on all orders (with the exception of clearance) with code “INHONOROFDESIGN1”
All the way through Valentine’s Day I will be sharing some of my favorite shops and giving away tons of goodies to you all because you are greatly loved and appreciated! Stay tuned! #IHODLovesWeek
If I had the gift of a beautiful voice, I would deliver musical telegrams to my friends. Well, maybe. I wish I had the gift of music to be able to play an instrument for my kids, but I don’t have that either. Sometimes I wish I had the gift of touch to give stellar massages to my husband. Negative. I peeter out for lack of hand muscles and attetion span.
However….
I can make treats and sweets and wrap them up pretty. MyValentine gifts to my husband, my kids, and my friends are usually edible. So, here are a few simple heart themed delights, that are spruced up and ready to be delivered to a doorstep, desk, or date.
FOR FRIENDS, SISTERS, TEACHERS, AND CO-WORKERS:
OREO CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
Ingredients:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
36 oreo cookies, finely crushed (approx. 3 cups)
16 oz. Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate, melted
Red sprinkles (I found candy confetti lips and hearts.)
Directions:
Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended.
Shape into 48 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 min. Dip balls in melted chocolate, top with candy confetti, and place in shallow waxed paper-lined pan.
I hosted a Valentine Playdate (which was really an excuse to bake and do valentine crafts and pretend my kids wanted to do them). These are simple sugar cookies with pink icing and sprinkles. (Must give credit to my daughter, Christiana, for the decorating.) Add a simple tag and ribbon with the phrase: “A little yummy for your tummy.”
Make: Make a batch of the last recipe I shared,Go Go Granolaand get ready to gift. Maybe unconventional and unromantic, but every guy loves homemade treats….so I take that back, it is romantic…
I think I love Valentine’s becuase it’s a great excuse to package and bake and add some color and life into the dead of winter. Gifting, giving and sharing always makes my heart a little happier.
Happy hearts ♥ Maria
My Food Philosophy: Because the effort to make good food is a gift to those around me, it’s happy memories, togetherness, the living part of life.
Whether you are a major corporation or a small indie business, you realize how important it is to have strong visuals to represent your company. When I first started IHOD, I knew I needed a logo, business card, and etsy banner that were consistent to my brand. I have since then branded and re-branded until I finally came to a look and feel that I felt best represented my business. I want to show you TWO examples that I feel are excellent guides for an overall consistent, clean, and attractive business branding schemes that have been largely successful in their fields! I will be going more into depth in the coming weeks on logos, business cards, fan pages, etc.! So stay tuned.
If you know Danni, you love her and her work! She runs the very successful inspiration blog: Hello, Friend. You can see that each part of her business has a beautiful and consistent aesthetic which gives you a taste of what her business is about. Her blog, shop, and business cards are just a few examples of this.
What she says about her blog:welcome to oh, hello friend: an inspiration blog. i love to create and design. i originally started this blog for myself to have a creative outlet to post about design, crafts, etc. my hope for you is to be encouraged, inspired, motivated to create for yourself.
(You can see through her work, Danni successfully carries this out in everything she does!)
A question to ask yourself:If someone saw my work on a website or in real life, would they be able to recognize it as mine?
Lonny Mission Statement:OUR MISSION Is to open the doors to accessible design and connect our readers to their favorite products and resources at the click of a mouse. Our freedom from page limits means that we can share more content in each issue, delivering an intimate look into the way people really live.
If you haven’t yet read Lonny Magazine, you might as well admit you have been living under a rock. (Its okay I live under one voluntarily sometimes:D) What I was instantly drawn to about Lonny Magazine was the professional branding. Each and every aspect of their business has a fluid design concept. (Props to their graphic designers!) Go ahead and take a look at their site, blog, or fan page, and you will know what I am talking about.
A Question to Ask Yourself:What do I want a customer or viewer to experience when on your site or holding your materials? Inspiration? Connection to the Product?
You may not know the answer to that question yet, but I guarantee that once you decide and incorporate this into your branding scheme, it will most likely translate to the viewer. So, whether you are starting your branding from scratch or have been with your business for many years, take these incredible companies as an example of how to take your business to the next level!
In Summary:
1) Take a good look at your motto or mission statement for your company and see if your branding visuals match up! It just takes one visit to your shop or site for an impression to be made!
2) Brand or Re-brand!Have consistent color schemes, branding elements, and materials to utilize in each aspect of your business. Whether its facebook, twitter, your blog, website, or business cards, EVERY ASPECT of your business should have a consistent and recognizeable brand identity!
I hope this can be of some help to you, because like I said before, I would have loved some tips when I first started my business. My own is a work in progress and I am learning along with you! If you have any specific subjects you would love to hear more about in this series, shoot me an email or leave a comment! Happy Almost Weekend!!
Sorry I have been MIA all weekend. It was CRAZY FUN. Will post about the craft fair later. For now, I have some exciting things to share. I participated in Structured Chaos’ Shop Swap and Blog. We were assigned a partner who blogs and crafts, and we sent each other items from our shops. I was partnered with Mandy Pfeiffer from 2sweetthings. Let me tell you, this woman is TALENTED. I can’t say enough good things about her.I felt like it was Christmas morning when I opened up her adorable package. Here are the photos, and then I will tell you a little about her! See her links below and pay her a visit!
The whole package.
Precious Baby Girl Booties.
Look at the lovely tag! Her packaging is exquisite!
Matching Burp Cloth and Boy Booties!!
A little bit about Mandy:
I am a student of Jesus, stay-at-home wife to one patient man and to two lovely little ones, Remy (3) and Halle (1). I have always loved creating things, and started blogging about these things about a year ago. I think in the last year making has helped me find a bit of myself that was lost after having kids and devoting all my time and energy to them. I’m learning (baby steps) that I have to do things for me! =) I was fortunate to grow up in a home where creativity was always encouraged. My mom sewed, sawed, painted, and my sister and I were always right in the middle of it with her. I grew up believing that there was nothing I couldn’t at least try.
What made me start my business:
2 sweet things (named for my own ‘2 sweet things’, my kiddos) sort of just started on its own. I think I always daydreamed about making and selling things, but it just stayed in my head. When I had Remy, I was really frustrated that there weren’t more cute things for babies, especially little boys. (I didn’t know about etsy!) I was pregnant with Halle when a friend gave me her old sewing machine. I went to the fabric store almost immediately and bought fabric to make some cute burp cloths, and it sort of snowballed.I started with just bibs and burp cloths in funky fabrics and started adding shoes & things I loved for my own kids. I began making dresses when I grew more frustrated with sizing.I hate that you spend lots of money on things size to only get a few months worth of wear. My goal was to incorporate extended sizing so that the items grow and change with the child.
What you plan to accomplish with your business:
I am already shocked at how 2 sweet things has grown in just the 4 months since I began listing on etsy! This winter I am going to be having a booth at two different craft fairs and I am also going to begin selling items at a local boutique. My goal once the holiday craziness is over is to really concentrate on building a seasonal collection, most likely starting Spring ’10. I would also love to grow my etsy business and find several “brick and mortar” sores that would carry my designs.
What you get most out of your business:
I think for me this is sort of the fruition of a dream. I feel really blessed, satisfied (and tired!) after a day of creating. I am so thankful for each sale and the opportunity to provide people with cute and funky things for the ‘sweet things’ in their lives.
Your Favorite online shop:
I absolutely can’t choose! Every day I look through the amazing shops on etsy and find about a zillion that I could live in! Recent discoveries that I love are Crafty Mama Designs , who makes the most darling hair clippies, and Kori Clark Designs , who makes wonderful stationary. I am trying to narrow down which Christmas card I’ll get this year from all her great ones!
To continue the #ConsciousClosets series, I wanted to share the jewelry I have narrowed down my hoard to! I used to be a big and bold accessories girl (all my college pictures involve big earrings…), and I still love to put bold pieces on for special occasions, but I would consider myself a minimal jewelry wearer now. I am not sure what changed, maybe it’s my perspective on style and the belief we don’t need much to reveal authentic beauty. Although it might have to do more with a busy particular toddler.
I used to just pick up jewelry at F21, because you can’t beat $5.80 for a necklace…but then I started to question how all this cheap jewelry was made. Not to mention it would tarnish less than a month later. I really value the designers behind ethically made jewelry, and realize it is a better investment in pieces that will last forever. I wear these pieces with everything. Sometimes solo or sometimes layered. There are SO many good companies, but here are a few favorites. Will update as I go!
The jewelry dishes are from The Object Enthusiast. What are some of your favorites?
I’d love to check them out!
Happy Valentine’s Day weekend!
xoxo, Anna
P.S. Building a closet from scratch part one and two.
When I was younger I never gave much thought to where clothes were made, how they were made, or the subsequent price points. Over the last few years it has become more important to me to understand the stories behind the company, the makers, and where clothes are produced.
I am happy to introduce you to Everlane who introduces “Radical Transparency,” where they take you inside their factories, reveal true costs, and challenge customers to ask questions. Pretty spectacular right?
Well I was also swept away with their modern designs to the basics they offer. Soft and luxurious at a non-luxurious price.
Take a look at Everlane…you will feel like you just got a tour of their company from start to finish, and it will make you want to be a life long customer:)
Happy Friday friends! Atlanta made it through the Snow Jam and are very anxious to see warm weather this weekend!
x, Anna
, Raffia(
or 
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, Stamps and Cardstock: 
