Springtime Giveaway - Popko + The Owls = Free Glitter Pop Ring!

Noel Vallens photo via The Owls Are Not What They Seem

Noel Vallens + Joelle Van Dyne have an incredible fashion blog over at The Owls are Not What They Seem. A long time ago Noel purchased a ring from my shop like any other buyer...but then-

I first spotted my Antique Glitter Pop ring on the blog and freaked about how THRILLING it was to see a FASHION WRITER + MY RING, out in public, looking fabulous and online for the world to see. Yes, I was psyched.
Since then, she has fallen in love with the accessory (!) and used it to accent her amazing wardrobe combinations and been so lovely to give credit where it was due. Thank you.

She is so stylish, being the model in most of the posts, and has such an easy glam, she makes it look easy to be gorgeous! Something we can all learn to do.


Recently she was asked to be a guest blogger on the Anne Taylor LOFT blog (yes! Another total surprise & THRILL! ), and gave a shout out to my ring, with an incredible photo to boot.
(click link to read her post)


And if it couldnt get any better, shes now hosting the

GLITTER RING GIVEAWAY

on her blog. It runs from today, June 4th -Friday, June 11th,
when a winner will be chosen from the comments.

Noel Vallens photo via live.love.LOFT

Thursday Three! (friday edition)

This weeks top picks for the Thursday Three! I thought I would pick the ones that went well with the fall theme & holiday feel that I'm gearing up for lately. Enjoy!

Ruby Red Glitter Slippers by lilcubby

These little slippers are adorable. Thats it, adorable. Imagine these at thanksgiving, and every dinner party after that!

Fall in Love by Retrofied

This bag is perfect! I've actually seen these bags first hand, as I had ordered a few for my friends last year as bridesmaids gifts. I got the ones that were reversible (yes she has reversible bags!) and it was really well made and the perfect size for everything. The best part about gift-giving and being reversible, is that you double your chances of them loving the pattern. Right? I just wish I had my own! Go get yours now.

Wedding Tree Genealogy Chart by melangerienyc

Look closely at this gorgeous soon-to-be heirloom piece. It shows whos related to the bride and groom with a color key. This would work for any season, but these orange and pink leaves really tickle me.

DIY Instructions - Babyshower Activity - How to make iron-on onesies!

How to decorate onesies for a baby shower! This tutorial is also great for embellishing baby or adult t-shirts, bibs, tote bags and anything fabric.

This is just a simple example of what you can do to make a baby shower extra special with a group activity. I like to think I channeled my inner-Martha for this one!

photo:hiding on the guest of honor behind our "shower" umbrellas.

This past week my mother and I hosted a very small surprise baby shower for my sister! The key to doing this as a group activity is having a SMALL group. I can see that doing this in a large group would be unruly and awkward and well, noone needs that many onesies. If you are having a large party, then consider doing this project as a gift item.

Our party only consisted of five women. Four plus the guest of honor. This was her second baby so it usually a smaller party, and luckily we DID have the party when we did (on Wednesday), because the baby came on Friday! The guest of honor was also able to create her own outfit for her new baby.

SUPPLIES:
COTTON ONESIES- (white and yellow) from A.C. Moore Crafts (michaels sells them too, and you can also get plain ones at target and baby stores anywhere).

BIBS (optional)- i didnt actually find any blank ones in my town. I know ikea sells them. So if you know of a place that has blank bibs please comment below.

TSHIRT(optional)

IRON-ON TRANSFER PAPER - from the craft store, you can also find it at staples & walmart. I used the one with iron-on paper for WHITE shirts. it has something to do with the background color. They also have the option for black.

SCISSORS

IRON

PIECE OF WOOD- the instructions on the iron on paper package said not to use ironing board, just wood. So i had a scrap board inthe studio that i used. My mom used the ironing board and it worked just fine though.

PENCIL- in case you want to draw out a shape first

Prep:
To make this an easy group activity, I made blocks of color using the most basic 'paint' program on my computer. I made strips of color on four sheets of paper. Another option would be to print (reverse) images of your choice on the sheets of paper, and even words.

I thought I would let my guests get creative so I just made blocks of color.

Create:

Lay out your onesie on the table, so when you lay out your paper design onto it you can move it around.

Cut the color printed iron-on paper into any shape in the world. You can cut letters, or silhouettes, polka dots, anything. If you are cutting out letters, make sure they are backwards, as you have to lay the transfer paper color-side-down to iron it.

Arrange the paper cut-outs onto the fabric.

Iron over the paper for 2 minutes on the NO STEAM setting. Just read the package directions for each manufacturer.

Let paper cool completely.

Peel away slowly. If you notice its not comoing off easy, iron again, and let cool completely.
Give to the mother-to-be! ENJOY!

Etsy Handmade Weddings: featuring...ME! (okay, ALL the Popko sisters)

How exciting! My sister AnnMarie wrote an article for the Etsy Storque (their blog) about my Handmade Wedding! I knew she wrote it, but we didnt know when it would be published.

Today I was feeling a little bogged down with work and orders and my public art project that was due last week. But my frown just turned upside down for sure!

I went to the etsy homepage a few minutes ago... and there was a photo of me and all my sisters!

Here's the article that she wrote in its entirety. AnnMarie runs two shops on etsy, superduper for headpieces, and things to wear and a few vintage supplies, and also her gourmet pecan shop, cocktailparty. Way to go AnnMarie!

Comparison Shopping

Vermeer, woman with a balance

With all the talk about the recession, how to save money, and 'what do we deserve to buy' in excess- of course I have to think about my own business. No one really needs a necklace, do they? Yes. They do. I make things that are important. Some of my works are real heirlooms and may be passed down through generations, others are hostess gifts simply made just to ignite a smile. They make people happy, and thats important to me.

So this is not a heavy post, because when discussing jewelry it should always be about how good it makes you feel whether you can afford it or not. Who hasn't gone to the jewelry store just to try on something they could never have? Its FUN!

Women have always liked to dress up. The photo above has modern day models enjoying some delights from the luxurious Boudoir Queen on etsy, which evoke another era. Oh to be wrapped up in that decadence!

Well, you CAN have the feeling of decadence without paying the price.

I actually heard the word 'recessionista' as a new term for people shopping on a budget. Its totally ridiculous to me, as only someone with way too much money would coin that. All the rest of us call 'recessionista shopping'....well, SHOPPING.

I am here to help you with some comparison shopping to make us all feel good about designer prices and handmade designer prices....

"DESIGNER"

Ceil Chapman Dress $865

"HANDMADE DESIGN"Boudoir Queen Dress, less than $865.

(I crack myself up. This is in her sold section so I dont know the price. Her corsets go for about $250 though. (And this dress is clearly better.)

(warning: shameless plug ahead)

"DESIGNER"

Barneys New York, $2000, yes- two grand


"HANDMADE DESIGN"

Yes, me! PoPkO!, $65

and why would I end the shamless plugs now, its MY blog....

"DESIGNER" Neiman Marcus Crystal Flower Ring, $245

"HANDMADE DESIGN"

You guessed it...PoPkO!, $8

So have fun with shopping on a budget, and when you need to get something pretty, head over to your local boutique that carries handmade things. Or head to etsy- specifically my shop, (oh no did I say that out loud?). No, I mean it. Head to etsy for ANYTHING. Even soap. Everyone needs soap. And if you dont want to splurge on a tissue box cozy, go get something that is worth spending money on- like an heirloom piece of jewelry, or a scrapbook that holds memories- things that will last. And also get some soap.

I want to thank Vermeer, for letting me post his incredible painting in a blog about shopping.

Shout Out!

This SHOUT OUT goes to AnnMarie of superduper fame!

This is her Deluxe Burlesque Flower Headpiece in lavender and silver. I cant resist this glamourous look! Theres a photo in the listing (if you click on it) that shows the different colors she has and they each have their own personality. I can see wearing this to any event really, or a really lame event to make it an insta-party! Yahoo!

I like that the feather is a sort of gray and moody, lending to the idea that the person wearing it is from another era. "Victorian" is one of the new trends spotted by etsy recently, and this could certainly fit there too. I wore a "superduper" piece for my wedding and I now have something really special to wear that reminds me of the biggest party Ive hosted.

It puts me in a girly mood just having it lay on my dressing table.

Everyone ought to visit her shop to find all sorts of delights. But hurry, she JUST made her 100th sale and is on a roll! Way to go!

EDITORS NOTE: I want to add a side note here, and point out a comment that I received here about the feather pieces. It comes up A LOT and think its something that AnnMarie hears over and over again...
Heres the comment:

"These are really cool. I've always wanted to wear something like this (especially with feathers) but never felt like I could pull it off."

And this is my response: Yes, you CAN pull it off, silly dilly!! And theres a few ways to go about it. One is to attach the feather clip just a little lower than your ear, kind of tucked as if it was a flower in your hair. This makes it more of an addition to your hair than a hat-like piece. I wear the small feather clips in the back of my hair just above my low ponytails when I waitress, and they arent crazy looking, most people are delighted.

Heres a photo of me wearing my newest superduper piece, which isnt a big over-the-top piece, and would be easy to add to any wardrobe.

Another way to enable yourself to wear them without feeling like your heading to the kentucky derby is to find a color that blends with your look. If your hair is dark, get a black feather combo with maybe a sprig of blue or red to pop. This really adds volume to your hair, and a lot of pizazz without the look of a showgirl (though I dont know why anyone wouldn't want to look like a showgirl, they have so much fun!).

Heres a photo of my sister wearing one that shows how it can blend a little and still add glam.

You could also go the showgirl route for parties though. Everyone likes the gal that looks like she cared enough to dress up for the party. The nice thing about these is that all you have to do is clip and go. You really don't have to do much to look like a million bucks.