Hey, sweet friends!
We would truly love it if you would take a moment to visit us at our home base www.TheGildedGirls.com, where we continue to share what's happening in our sparkly corner of the world!
The entire month of April, 2018, all website sales will ship with a little extra gift, (Yay!) to show our heartfelt appreciation for your encouragement and support...
xoxo
Debbie, Shea, and Stella
The Gilded Girls
**Time's Up!!**
What a beautiful, joyful Saturday! We made baked "apple cider donuts" for breakfast, and the children (including the bonus sleepover one) are busy filling the house with a generous helping of (fairly) quiet chaos... :)
Amidst it all, Day 3 of the "12 Days of Christmas Giveaways" is ready to roll!
Today we bring you a truly lovely book from the publishers of the ever-gorgeous Jeanne d'Arc Living magazine!
We have been selling Jeanne d'Arc Living magazines for just over two years now, and we rate it among the "best of the best of the greatest magazines ever in the history of the world". And their books? Equally amazing.
The quality of the paper, the stunning photos, the great customer service. It all adds up to a first class publication. We absolutely *heart* them.
Imagine our delight when they offered to sponsor Spellbound this year by sending every.single.participant. a copy of their book "The Best Recipes"! This is a compilation of their favorites from years of recipes published in the magazine.
Their generosity is a bit overwhelming, and we are so incredibly grateful. Thanks, JDL!!
And shhhh, because we managed to save one just to give away to one of you (!!)
For a peek inside the book, go here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are lots of ways to enter! First, comment on this post! You may also post a comment on the Facebook thread, share on your Facebook page, link to this post on your own blog, or tweet using the hashtag #aglgiveaway.
All entries for the day will be "live" until 12pm PST the following day. You may use all of the ways to enter on each day 's post, so be sure to check back each day until the 24th! Yay!!
Our hearts have been so full this holiday weekend with all of the joys of celebrating with family, as well as with a group of friends so special that they feel like family. It is a time to reflect and truly appreciate blessings, both great and small.
One blessing in our lives is most certainly the privilege of operating a small business. We are constantly in awe of and inspired by those who create businesses that speak to the heart. That live small but reach big. These businesses hold the very fabric of our communities together, and we must support them in every way we can.
It is our mission to buy local as much as we possibly can. Farmers Markets, Flea Markets, thrift stores, small independent gift stores, restaurants, nurseries and pharmacies... these are the regular stops that enrich our lives and bring us in contact with those who provide the goods and services that nuture and enrich.
We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in Small Businnes Saturday, by running a storewide sale at AGildedLife.com. All items are 15% off until Tuesday, December 3rd at 9am PST. And, all orders over $150.00 will ship free!!
Thank you for thinking big, and shopping small. Thank you for the support and encouragement that you are all so generous with throughout the year.
We count you among our blessings.
xoxo Debbie & Shea
Things have finally begun to return to some sense of normalcy in our little world.
Everyone is healthy (finally), travel is at a standstill for the moment, and the weather is just glorious.
Stella would like to send a shout out, and wish everyone a truly happy Valentine's Day! After a round of pre-school festivities, she took her favorite heart pillow to the park to show the ducks.
It may seem silly, but we figure ducks need a little sparkle in their world. It can't all be sticks and rocks.
They were not all that impressed, but we think they may just be a little shy.
Next time, less bling, more bread. It's a duck's world at the park, after all. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We will be back tomorrow with a new installment of What Stella Wore!! This dress is just begging for a coat...
Thankful for so many things today.
For family, friends, and faith.
For all of you, who help to make our creative dreams come true.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
xoxo Debbie & Shea
Hey, sweet friends!
We would truly love it if you would take a moment to visit us at our home base www.TheGildedGirls.com, where we continue to share what's happening in our sparkly corner of the world!
The entire month of April, 2018, all website sales will ship with a little extra gift, (Yay!) to show our heartfelt appreciation for your encouragement and support...
xoxo
Debbie, Shea, and Stella
The Gilded Girls
********************************************************************************************
Sometimes a girl just needs a bit more than a sweater, but not quite a coat. Soft and cozy, long but not bulky. Dressy, but a little bit fun and funky.
Enter the sweater upcycle!
This began as a darling little off-white sweater, purchased at a large chain store. It is wonderful on it's own, but somehow I think it felt destined for greater things...
Luckily, I had some extra-wide blue lace trim, and some blue beaded lace edging from a project we did earlier in the year for the Gilded Girls Stash Society.
A dig through the odds-and-ends jar yielded a sparkly rhinestone and gold button, just right for replacing the plastic one that came on the sweater.
A quick trip to the park proved the versatility of a design like this. It remains machine washable, so it does not feel too "precious" to be loved and used well.
Jump!!
The wide lace trim was cut lengthwise into two pieces, with one being about 3 1/2" wider than the other. The only machine used on this project was to serge the two pieces of lace together along the raw edge.
The ruffling and attaching of the lace was all done by hand, as were the lace flowers and the banding around the neck and bottom. It all took about 5-1/2 hours.
There is something so satisfying to me about handstitching! I know that not everyone feels the same, but I really do love it...
And I especially love creating something sweet and warm for this tiny treasure. If she had a pocket in this little coat, my heart would most certainly be in it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cream Ruffle Sweater ~ Target
Skinny Jeans ~ True Religion
Boots and Tank Top ~ Baby Gap
xoxo Debbie
Hey, sweet friends!
We would truly love it if you would take a moment to visit us at our home base www.TheGildedGirls.com, where we continue to share what's happening in our sparkly corner of the world!
The entire month of April, 2018, all website sales will ship with a little extra gift, (Yay!) to show our heartfelt appreciation for your encouragement and support...
xoxo
Debbie, Shea, and Stella
The Gilded Girls™
********************************************************************************************
"Pink and Pearly Girlie"
The tiniest of muses has inspired us to begin a series on clothing creation and embellishment. Ever the fashionista, Stella has already begun to find her style.
We will be working each week with a trim, fabric and/or embellishment meant for a grown-up girl, yet so sweet for making something special for the littles!
Follow along with us and take a peek each Friday at "What Stella Wore™"!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Even at this tender age, she has a real sense of what she loves. And right now, in the throes of August, she loves a tank top and capri pants. And anything pink, but I guess that goes without saying...
The shoes are a minor miracle. She will have them off as soon as she thinks no one is looking.
This became our inspiration for the week. A stack of neckline "frills" from the apparel industry, meant to adorn something fancy and formal, no doubt. But along comes the three-year-old and claims one for herself!
Paired with a simple gray tank top and finished with a rumpled seam-binding bow, this becomes the perfect little shirt for a birthday party or lunch with the big girls!
So very sweet! It will also work well with her cream tutu!! :)
We hand-stitched it on to the tank-top with a pale pink thread, making it easier to remove it later if disaster (like her obsession with raspberries) should strike the shirt. Meanwhile, it can be hand-washed with the embellishment on it.
The bow is about 2-1/2 yards of dyed seam binding tied and glued to a pin backing. The pin was then attached to the "frill", so it is also easy to remove for laundering. The entire project took about 30 minutes.
*Again, this is not a trim marketed for a child. In fact, be extremely careful and fasten securely if you do use it on a wee one's garment.*
We are embellishing small clothing for display and inspiration purposes. And because she gets all weepy when she really loves something, and who can resist that?!?
Tank Top ~ American Apparel
Jean Capris ~ True Religion
Sandals ~ Old Navy
This is what love looked like to me this Mother's Day.
A daughter. Two grandchildren. Blessed beyond measure.
This one truly had me at "hello". The sly smile and the souldful eyes. The wisdom way beyond his years. All boy, with a tender heart. Total love.
And, oh my, this one. Eerily like her mother in every possible way. Girly and funny and sweet, with a touch of diva thrown in for good measure. Be still, my heart.
I am grateful every day.
Today is a truly a gift. Crisp sunshine and soft breezes wafting through the studio windows.
We are basking in the bright new season by bringing out the Battenburg lace and pearls. A needle and a bit of thread.
Simple and sweet. A breath of fresh air.
Have a wonderfully creative first day of Spring!!
xoxo Debbie & Shea
Oh, Happy Day!! We are absolutely "giddy" with the excitement of announcing:
"Spellbound... create your dreams".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A fantastical weekend of paper-crafting, jewelry-making, fiber arts, stitching, painting, swapping... and dreaming!
Hosted at the gorgeous and historic Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California.
Thursday evening Welcome Dinner.
Classes Friday & Saturday, with a fabulous "Mercantile" Friday evening.
Saturday afternoon Luncheon (between classes).
Culminating on Sunday with a short trip on a luxury bus to the world famous
Rose Bowl Flea Market!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More details and specifics to follow. Classes are shaping up to be absolutely amazing, and you will not want to miss this kick-off to a wonderful, "Spellbound" 2012 Holiday Season!! Mark your calendars and stay tuned! :)
xoxo Debbie & Shea
