by Mandi | fun finds, style
Last night I went to a party for Origami Owl. Have you heard of this new jewelry line? It is such a cute way to tell a story with a piece of jewelry. You can host a party and buy the jewelry at a friends home… similar to Pampered Chef or Twenty One parties. We all need another excuse to buy jewelry and share and adult beverage with friends, right!
The table was full of ideas and people were making their necklaces right there on the spot!
Here is the Designer (left) and host (right)… See shannon’s locket that she had made at a previous party? (sorry for the blurry photos – I had a case of the iphone only last night)
To get more information on Origami Owl, please feel free to contact the designer, Tanya Crimmins. She is so sweet and said that she is ready to help anyone that is interested!
You can visit her website, find her on facebook or email her at yourowllocket@gmail.com
And quickly I must tell you about my fab friend Shannon – last night’s host. She is an amazing designer… You can follow her blog here and read a blog post that I wrote about working with her here.
With the holidays right around the corner, I thought I would share a few other ideas that I have seen – everyone loves a personalized gift, jewelry that tells a story!
1. Moon and Lola Monogram Necklace – I saw these in Charleston one time and thought they were so cute! They have many other options… how cute for a wedding reception – to reveal your new initials?!? just a thought!
2. Origami Owl Necklace – These are samples of the Origami Owl necklaces from the party I mentioned above. I heard bracelets are coming soon!
3. Pandora Bracelets – I think these are everywhere and you can get many different brands, but what a cute way to build the story of your life!
4. Handwriting Jewelry – I can’t begin to tell you how much this pulls on my heart strings. I love, love everything about using someone’s handwriting on a piece of jewelry…
5. Fingerprint Jewelry – You may remember a post I wrote a while back about my Granny. The day after she passed, we had our jeweler go and take her fingerprint to use in a piece of jewelry. I do not know what I will make yet, but I am so glad I have this as an option to have as a keepsake.
6. Nameplate Bracelet – I kind of love this little bracelet. Love how understated it is!
7. Monogram Ring – how beautiful is this one – I could see it as your own initial, your daughter’s initial, your mother’s initial, your last name… and the list goes on!
8. Name Bracelet – i have NEVER seen this one – I kind of love that you can’t tell what is say, but you personally know what it says… maybe I should get the mister 🙂 – ha! that would make for a BIG bracelet!
9. Initial and Leaf Necklace – My sister and I got this one for my mom for mothers day this year! We had our initials and then I chose the clear/champagne colored stone. It turned out so great!
Do you have any favorite story jewelry? My sister gave me a stella and dot necklace with my initial a few years ago for christmas and I wear it all the time!
by Mandi | quotes and toasts, recipes
Maybe it is the little bit of German that I have in me, but I absolutely LOVE a good Oktoberfest. The music, the culture, the dancing, the food and the beer!
This past weekend, The Mister and I headed to Winston Salem to go to an Oktoberfest with his parents and some of their friends. It was SUCH a great time!
You first walked in to this beautiful building that is an old federal building. Just look at those ceilings.
Then, I saw the room of quotes – can I have this room in my house one day?
Everything about this festival was so well done! I just had to get my photo taken with the dancers… I think I need a dress like that, you know… just incase!
Here is one of the dancers in action – check out that leg movement!
The Mister said that the brats were “awesome”
And the cake table… beautiful perfection.
I have decided that I may take a stab at making some German food.
Possibly a Black Forest Cake (recipe from allrecipes.com)
or German Potato Salad? (recipe from allrecipes.com)
I have created a poster of some of my favorite Oktoberfest terms – food, chants, beers, etc! It is a FREE download at 8×10 for your October home decor! Click on the image below for the full-size file.
It was such a great night! We had an amazing time – I would tell anyone to go experience an Oktoberfest near you! And if it couldn’t get better… check out this fab mirror I found as we were heading out — best bathroom mirror ever!
As a reminder it is our BIRTHDAY MONTH!!! Be sure to follow us on Instagram at @SunnySlideUp for this week’s free giveway!!!
by Mandi | adventures, fun finds, personal
Last week The Mister and I headed out on a vacation! A real vacation – more than just a long weekend and it was AWESOME!
The first few days were in Savannah, GA. It was my first time in Savannah and I loved it! The oak trees, the cobblestone roads, the southern charm, the ability to have a drink on the street. 🙂
When it was time to find a place to stay, I went to my favorite rental site… VRBO. Have you used this site before?. No more staying in hotels – you can rent a house in any city and get an entire house for the same price as what you would pay for a 150 sqft hotel room. VRBO – Vacation Rental By Owner.
In my search, I wanted to stay in the historic district that is walking distance to the river front. I found a listing that said something simple like “Good deals for September” in the headline. I checked it out, it was very cute, a great price and in a perfect location… BOOKED!
After booking, I read more about the house and it said “Featured on the cover and in the book Savannah’s Little Crooked Houses. Circa 1845 this historic cottage is on every tour as the smallest free standing house in the historic district.” … wait… on every tour… no way this house would really be on every tour 🙂
We got there late at night and settled in, but sure enough the next morning as I was getting ready I looked out the window to see a trolley tour stopped in front of the house. Everyone was taking pictures, staring at the house and listening to the tour guide tell the history of the house. A few minutes later a guy stopped by on a bike ride to take pictures of the house. It was hilarious! Should we step outside and wave from the front porch, do we hide inside, do we peek out the windows, etc.
Now… I say small… It was small people. If you are over 6 foot tall, it may not be the place for you. Check out this picture of The Mister – he is 6’5″ and had to bend down to walk through the living room, or between the bannisters 🙂 (Sorry for the blur, I was laughing pretty hard)
The bedroom is upstairs and to get there you use these stairs, aka ladder
They were STEEP! Don’t trust me – how about this for a bedroom piece of art – or should I say caution sign! Also notice the ceilings at an angle – small house for small people!
Nonetheless we LOVED our little house stay! It was so much fun!!!
If you want to stay, or just see a few more pictures of the house, go check out their page on VRBO!
Now for a few more pictures of our trip to Savannah, it is truly a beautiful city!
This is what every sidewalk looks like… i never got used to walking through these beautiful areas.
Look at this historic church… I die over all of the detail in architecture in this city. PS.. this photo is not touched up – the sky was that blue – truly magical.
Historic steps. These have been here since the 1800s when the river district was full of merchants, shipping and receiving on boats, and resellers. Isn’t history beautiful.
Just because – how often do you see a Sorry Charlie sign. It reminded us of that youtube video.. “Charlie that really hurt” – I die every time!
And finally – I love this man… He somehow makes me laugh in the most unexpected moments every day – this day, reading with the statue… bless.
