ARE YOU GUYS READY FOR THIS?? I have a pretty sweet lineup of giveaways coming up here on IHOD!! I want to share with you some of my favorite things and offer you a chance to win them!!
Let’s. Get. Started.
One of my favorite clothing/accessory shops – Spool No. 72(you can see me wearing the Macintosh Dress in this post) is offering this brand spanking new “Veggie Patch Clutch” to one lucky chica. Isn’t it amazing?!! I totally swooned when I saw it. Its the perfect follow up to my love for stripes post…and in a fun and trendy color for summer – red. Ready to win or what?!
To Enter (must be a follower or subscriber of IHOD):
1) Visit Spool No. 72 and let us know what your favorite new arrival is!
Additional Entries (leave a separate comment for each):
1) Blog, Tweet, or Facebook about the giveaway and let us know you did! example tweet: Just entered the #giveaway over @inhonorofdesign for a fabulous clutch from @spoolNo72! http://bit.ly/feuAsB
Open to International Readers. Giveaway will close next Monday!
*Important! PLEASE if your profile is does not have an email address or is blocked PLEASE leave your email address so there is a way of contacting you if you win!!
Last weekend, we drove to Colorado Springs to visit my sister, bro-in-law (he wrestles for the army – watch for him at the next Olympics!), and their new little peanut. I am telling you, I know I may be partial, but he is THE CUTEST little man. I am blessed to have many brothers and sisters, and we are all very close. So, it was an awesome experience for me to see my sister as a new mother. We all knew she would make an incredible one. We had so much fun catching up over some authentic Italian food, walking through the Rockies, and just hanging out. Wish they were neighbors:) Little G was enthralled with the new baby and wanted to give him all his trains (which is a big sign of friendship in his world). Although, he did get jealous when I was holding little JP so it was good practice for the new baby.
This also hits one of my New Year Resolutions (which I like to refer to as goals or intentions) which is visiting two new states! Colorado is breathtaking-if you have been there, you know what I am talking about! Who knows what the next new state will be!
Everything seems cuter in nautical stripes:) And the best part is? You can add them as staples to your wardrobe because navy and white is classic and will not be going out of style any time soon! With a fresh blanket of snow on the ground in the last week of February, I am DYING for spring to get PRONTO!
Links you should know about:
What goes around comes around! I won this amazing handbag from LisaRoy‘s blog last week (Thank you Lisa!). Her shop and blog are fantastic!… So now I am giving a few things away! You can check out Ashley’s blog or the IHOD facebook page to win some cute headbands:)
IHOD blog made it to the top 10 Design blogs on the Lovelies Awards! Thank you so much for those of you who voted already! Seriously, you guys are fantastic. Still need your help- It ends the 28th! Would love to have your support! Go vote here!
Last but not least, so thankful to Michelle for the feature in her things she’s loving post. You are a dear!
That’s all for now! Hope you have a wonderful long and restful weekend:)
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!!
I have been receiving quite a few custom wedding accessory requests lately in the shop, and so I think wedding season is in full swing. When I saw this shoot, my jaw was on the floor! EVERY detail was beautifully carried out, and each and every photo was magical. Andrea Dozier has quite the range of talents! DIY props, outfit arrangement, composition of place, and of course photography brilliance. And can’t forget to mention she is from OH. (Where I grew up;))
This Vintage Inspired Wedding Shoot was immediately a of the year.
You can find out all the details of how to make these DIY details, Vegan dessert recipes, and place to find all the props over on Andrea’s blog. For more of her photo genius:
I think I have a thing for fine black lines right now…
I am just 7 weeks away from my due date! Time is flying! It hit me that in a short time I will have this sweet little soul entrusted to me, who will make my heart grow twice as large, and only bring more joy in my life. I know it will be a transition from one to two, but I welcome the challenge with open arms. My husband and I are most excited for Little G to be a big brother. He is going to be a great one:) We are keeping the gender of the little one a surprise until then so stay tuned!
The friends I’ve made online. That kind of sounds like I went to a chat room and met some sketchy dude and now we’re getting married! But tell me, when you meet someone for the first time, what’s the topic of conversation? Your similarities and interests. Relating to someone’s blog and getting to know them online is just the initial step of becoming a friend.
I went to a conference a couple weeks ago and met several bloggers that I’ve read for a couple years now. I even roomed with one that I had never met in person – and you know what? When we met we instantly embraced and felt like old friends. My mouth hurt from talking and laughing so much. I came home wanting all of them to become my next door neighbors.
What were the deciding factors to start your event design business?
I’ve wanted to be an event planner for several years now but had this idea that I would need some type of formal education or someone giving me permission to do it. Then I started showcasing some parties and projects on my blog and I got positive feedback from my readers. It gave me the little boost that said, “Yes! You can do it. Figure it out. No more excuses.” I was teaching at the time and it was summer so I had a lot of time to devote to it. I still have a long way to go but I’m happy that the initial steps of business creation are complete.
Just for fun – what are your top 5 day to day must haves?
hugs
dessert
a shower
Hulu
a funny text from a friend
This is just a taste of all the fun over on You are My Fave:) Isn’t she fabulous? Thanks Melanie for visiting IHOD and sharing some inspiration. You can find more You Are My Fave here:
