Etsy Adore is coming back with a bang! I have one of my favorite bloggy bff’s this week and she is debuting her brand new, amazing shop called Icing on the Hair. Tia has some of the prettiest hair accessories I’ve seen on Etsy and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be dangerous for my wallet. No joke. So check out what she has to say and see what pretty things Icing on the Hair has to offer!

Tell us a little about yourself and why you’re awesome.
My name is Tia, I’m a 28 year old hairstylist/writer/blogger/craftjunkie/musicnerd from San Diego.  I have a husband, two cats, a Tiny dog, and a severe sarcasm problem.  I like to make fun of myself on my blog and also fantasize about what it would be like if Edward Cullen was real.  Someday I hope to have a pony, a house with two bathrooms, and world peace.  In that order.

What made you decide to be a hair stylist? And then how did Icing on the Hair come about?
Both of my parents are hairstylists, so of course it was the VERY LAST thing I wanted to do when I was younger.  However, after a couple years as a struggling waitress/college English/Art major, I decided to capitalize on the situation since I was doing my friends’ hair in my kitchen anyway.  Now I love it.  Making people feel better about themselves is the most rewarding job you can have.

Red velvet cupcakes are the best. Confirm/deny.
Absolutely 100% true.  It’s the cream cheese frosting, dude.  You CANNOT go wrong with cream cheese frosting.

What’s your favorite item in your shop?
Ahh that’s such a hard question!  Everything I make, I ask myself “Would I wear this?” and if the answer isn’t a resounding “YES!”, I toss it.  I think my favorite thing right now is probably the Flirty Headband.  I love the little twangy feathers sticking out, and the sequins in the middle.

Name three of your favorite etsy shops!
First of all, this is impossible, because Etsy is a crazy awesome Alice-in-Wonderland-esque maze of extremely talented people and if I live to be 392 years old I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at EVERYTHING, but these are three that I like a lot.

Lucky for everyone, Tia is going to be giving one lucky reader their choice of headband from her shop, Icing on the Hair!

To enter:

• Go to Icing on the Hair and take a look around the shop.
• Come back here and comment with the name or link to your favorite item.
• To get extra entries: blog or twitter about this contest and leave a link to it in a separate comment. (And don’t forget to follow me! @jamielovely)
• Anyone with a valid email address can enter. You don’t have to have a blog.
• The winners will be chosen using the integer generator on random.org and notified via email.
• Get your entries in by Thursday, January 14th at 11:59PM and you’re in!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our feed! You’ll be the first to hear about all the great giveaways and features going on!

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Thankfully, I found Firedaughter Clothing. This shop is a little more my style. It’s not obnoxious and still lets you subtly get your Twilight love out there. After you read my interview with Samya make sure you enter so you can rock your own tee to see New Moon!

Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a 33 year old very free spirited wife and mommy of a 2 year old boy and 4 year old girl. I’m a fanatical runner, fitness freak, and Twilight junkie! I love being a girl, rocking frosty pink lipgloss, and wearing minimal clothing whenever possible

How did Firedaughter Clothing get started?
Firedaughter Clothing was conceived when I was pregnant with our first child, a girl, and I realized that there was NOTHING for the daughters of firefighters to wear that was stylish or girly that would enable them to brag about their daddy’s. Everything firefighter-ish was for little boys, and I became so obsessed with this lack of anything that I had to do something about it. When I launched Firedaughter Clothing in July of ‘06, I never had any intention of going beyond clothes for the daughters of firefighters, which is so funny because now that’s my smallest division!

What is your favorite item in your shop?
My favorite item in my shop changes ALL THE TIME! Right now I would have to say that my favorite thing to wear is my ‘I Enjoy Running’ white burnout long sleeve raglan, it makes me feel so beautiful. Also my ‘More Than My Own Life’ Breaking Dawn black burnout long sleeve…I think it’s one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve made…and of course my Team Edward and Team Jacob baseball burnouts are my very fave to make!

Name three of your favorite Etsy shops!
Poor Pitiful Pearl is not only my favorite Etsy shop, it’s my fave shop anywhere in the world!
Inkspot Workshop has the most original, beautiful stationery I’ve ever seen! I LOVE it!
Annie’s Powder Room She makes the girliest, pretties soaps! I buy them for all of my children’s teachers, and sometimes I’m sad to give them away because they’re so pretty I want to keep them

Since this is a New Moon giveaway, where do you stand? Vamps or the wolfpack?
Oh this is like asking me to choose between my own children! Since I’ve read all 4 books I have to say I just love them both so much I could never choose. Of course Team Cullen is who Bella belongs with, as we learn in book 4, it’s who she was born to be…but how can you not love Team Werewolf, who exist solely to protect? And HELLO I’ve seen the still photos of the pack…OMG they’re so hot it’s crazy, LOL! And I don’t think Stephenie Meyer could have done a better job in the end, creating the bonds between the pack and the Cullen’s like she did…perfection.

Last but not least, what is your favorite book in the Twilight Saga?
BREAKING DAWN!!!!!!!! HELLO! It is perfection. I read out of it every single day. My husband thinks I’m a lunatic. Every.single.section. of that book makes me so happy it’s ridiculous. I could re-read the part where Bella’s changing (burning) a zillion times and never get sick of it. I know it so well I feel like I was in that room…I really actually feel like I’ve lived Breaking Dawn. Is that psycho?

Samya and Firedaughter Clothing will be giving one lucky reader a tee of their choice!

To enter:

• Go to Firedaughter Clothing and take a look around the shop.
• Come back here and comment with the name or link to your favorite item AND favorite book from the Twilight Saga.
• To get extra entries: blog or twitter about this contest and leave a link to it in a separate comment. (And don’t forget to follow me! @jamielovely)
• Anyone with a valid email address can enter. You don’t have to have a blog.
• The winners will be chosen using the integer generator on random.org and notified via email.
• Get your entries in by Sunday, November 8th at 11:59PM and you’re in!

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I think it’s been awhile since we’ve had a jewelry shop featured so I’m very happy to introduce June Shin as this week’s Etsy Adore feature. Make sure after you’ve read the interview, you enter the giveaway!

Please, introduce yourself and your shop.
I’m June Lee and am a jewelry designer selling under my maiden name, June Shin. I feel that can be a little confusing, but since I already started selling under June Shin, I thought it would be easier to keep it so. The pieces I design are frequently described as delicate, dainty and feminine. I like to mix semiprecious stones, fresh water pearls and swarovski crystals with Sterling Silver, Gold filled and brass metals.

How did you get started making jewelry?
I wanted to do something creative and make things with my own hands, so while I was living in NYC, I enrolled in a metalsmithing class at the YMCA. It was hard, but I really enjoyed it. When I moved to Atlanta, I had a lot of free time, so I decided to teach myself how to make jewelry using bead and wire. It just kind of took off from there.

Just for fun, what is favorite flavor of ice cream?
Chocolate. I always order chocolate ice cream.

June will be giving one lucky winner their choice of item $25 or less from her shop!

To enter:

• Go to June Shin and take a look around the shop.
• Come back here and comment with the name or link to your favorite item.
• To get extra entries: blog or twitter about this contest and leave a link to it in a separate comment. (And don’t forget to follow me! @jamielovely)
• Anyone with a valid email address can enter. You don’t have to have a blog.
• The winners will be chosen using the integer generator on random.org and notified via email.
• Get your entries in by Sunday, November 1st at 11:59PM and you’re in!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our feed! You’ll be the first to hear about all the great giveaways and features going on!

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This week’s Etsy Adore is from a lovely blogger friend of mine. Check out her blog and read on and find out how to win some pretty hair pins from Pinned Up!

Tell us a little about yourself.
Hello I’m Alyssa! I’m 24 and born and raised in California. I live with my boyfriend Chris, a husky (get one) and a miniature Aussie (DON’T get one – Dooce says it best), two kitties and an itty bitty turtle – I love animals!  We bought a house about a year ago, so I’ve become fond of all things DIY.  I’ve always been a crafty person, I get this from my Mom!  In my daily life I work for an engineer, of course I won’t bore you with any details!  And obviously in my free time is when I work on things for my shop and other crafty things (while watching a little too much tv).

Name 3 favorite Etsy shops.
Only THREE?  I’m going to pick ones that I’ve actually bought multiple items from

Okay so my first one would be BeanPickleSprout. She makes the cutest baby and houseware things you have ever seen, love all of the fabrics she uses. She is extra awesome because ever since I purchased my first thing from her, we’ve kept in touch ever since!

Another favorite of mine is Pure Panache Pets. She makes pet tags that are so adorable. I know that Etsy is filled with cute pet tags, but in my experience these have been the best choice and she is extremly nice.

And of course I have to make a shout to to my homegirl (hah!) Mrs. Priss (Morgan), who has actually done a giveaway on here as well. A super great friend, and I have actually purchased a few things from her shop and I love it all to death!

Alyssa is very generously giving one of my lucky readers their choice of TWO items from her shop, Pinned Up!

To enter:

• Go to Pinned Up and take a look around the shop.
• Come back here and comment with the name or link to your favorite item.
• To get extra entries: blog or twitter about this contest and leave a link to it in a separate comment. And don’t forget to follow me! (@jamielovely)
• Anyone with a valid email address can enter. You don’t have to have a blog.
• The winners will be chosen using the integer generator on random.org and notified via email.
• Get your entries in by Sunday, October 25th at 11:59PM and you’re in!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our feed! You’ll be the first to hear about all the great giveaways and features going on!

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This week’s Etsy Adore feature is Pure Intox.  They make bath and body products featuring fragrance blends of cocktail drinks. I’ll leave it to them to tell you more!

Tell us a little about you and your shop.

To enter:

• Go to Pure Intox and take a look around the shop.
• Pick out your favorite item that is NOT the Appletini Massage and Bath Oil or the Fuzzy Navel Soothing Bath Salt.
• Come back here and comment with the name or link to your favorite item.
• To get extra entries: blog or twitter about this contest and leave a link to it in a separate comment.
• Anyone with a valid email address can enter. You don’t have to have a blog.
• The winners will be chosen using the integer generator on random.org and notified via email.
• Get your entries in by Wednesday, September 23rd at 11:59PM and you’re in!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our feed! You’ll be the first to hear about all the great giveaways and features going on!

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This week’s Etsy Adore is from kilsook. I think it’s been awhile since I’ve had a giveaway for a shop that does adorable illustrations. When I posted Kim’s Corgi print, I knew I wanted to have kilsook for a feature!

Tell us a little about yourself.
hello, i’m kim haller. i was born kil sook in seoul, korea and adopted by the best people in the world. i was raised in wisconsin and live in hartland wisconsin, close to milwaukee. my wonderful husband and i just celebrated our 10th anniversary not too far back and we have two great kids. i’m a high school art teacher who eats way too many stale gummy products, drinks too many diet cokes a day, loves a good seventies/eighties font, loves a great neon, am a gelly roll pen addict, creates piles of “must keep” stuff and loves, LOVES the television (dvr of course). my family means the world to me. the best of times are those relaxing at home, sharing giggles, songs, and sillies.

How did kilsook come to be?
i’ve been lucky enough to be encouraged to do art all my life. my incredibly supportive and ruggedly handsome : ) husband is also an artist. we have a close network of friends and artists in the area, including my best friend and her husband, who constantly inspire and motivate us. i realized after i started teaching high school art that i needed to give just as much to my own ideas and creativity as i did to my students. to be a good teacher i needed to be actively involved. when i started working on my own stuff again, it made my role as an artist and a teacher whole. now i had something to give. with each new illustration and new idea i get motivation and inspiration for other creations. working on my pieces helps to make me a better wife, a better mama, a better teacher, and a better person.

as i continued to work and get binders full of drawings, i realized after mush encouragement and help from my husband, that i needed to find a venue to sell and critique them. having an etsy shop really forces me to look at my work, to finish pieces and to “check myself” every now and again to make sure that i’m continuing to progress and add to my portfolio. it’s an excellent source to “get your work out there”, to get inspired by many many artists, meet really good people, get connected, and lose many an afternoon.

Where do you find the inspiration for your work?
i spend a lot of time making notes of things that my husband, daughter and son say and do. we have post-its everywhere in our house. i also have a collection of them in my head. most of my work is inspired by these floating phrases and pictures. i like to build them into the characters and patterns that i create, mixed with little bits and pieces of my own various collections, obsessions, quirks, and childhood stories. i hope when people look at my work they can find a sort of familiarity, whether it be in a particular character illustration itself, a pattern, texture or color that i used or a relatable environment that i created. maybe it can take them to a “post-it” happening of their own.

lately, i have been fortunate enough to get inspired by people, (fellow etsy browsers and beyond), who have reached out to me as a korean adoptee. i cannot begin to express how meaningful an experience this has been to me. to be able to share in some of their journeys and know that we are connected in such a special way really is the best part of having a shop and the most surprising part. i want to thank all who have reached out to me. i have really enjoyed all of the emails and convos that i have received from many parents who have found a connection to one piece or another. it really makes having my etsy shop that much more meaningful and personal. knowing that my illustrations can affect people the way they have inspires me more with each day. i also want to thank those who have commissioned me to do a custom portrait of their kids. i love being able to get to know bits of some of their personalities and illustrating them. it’s been incredibly inspirational and challenging in the best of ways, and it really has nurtured me as an artist. if anyone has any questions about custom pieces, please don’t hesitate.

What is your favorite item in your shop?
geez, you know honestly if you asked me what piece I liked the best after each piece was made, it would be that piece. known for not easily deciding anything, that would be my answer. i will say, that there are pieces like “flight holt”, and “a frog and a slug went walking” , that I love because of the meaning behind the creations, but really they all hold a special intention. i guess i really fancy titles. to me, a great title speaks volumes. it sets the mood of a piece and it opens the piece up to questions and answers.

Name three favorite Etsy shops!
1. courtneycourtney.etsy.com – her work and philosophy are incredible. she is a genius creator. my daughter absolutely loves her dresses, as do i. her designs are original, creative, and very converse friendly. she is the best of sellers. ☺
2. Juliapott.etsy.com- such a great illustrator. each work has such a story. love her work. also does incredible animation.
3. Betsywalton.etsy.com- her work is so mysterious. i will look at it sometimes, get lost in the layers and colors and patterns and people in uni-wear and sigh.

as my DDD kicks in again, (decision deficit disorder) please note my etsy shop favorites, as it is IMPOSSIBLE to pick only three.

You can win any print of your choice from Kilsook (a $20 value)!

To enter:

• Go to kilsook and take a look around the shop.
• Pick out your favorite print.
• Come back here and comment with the name or link to your favorite item.
• To get extra entries: blog or twitter about this contest and leave a link to it in a separate comment.
• Anyone with a valid email address can enter. You don’t have to have a blog.
• The winners will be chosen using the integer generator on random.org and notified via email.
• Get your entries in by Sunday, July 5th at 11:59PM and you’re in!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our feed! You’ll be the first to hear about all the great giveaways and features going on!

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I absolutely love doggie giveaways. This week’s Etsy Adore is a fantastic shop called The Hydrant. Check it out!

Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a dog lover sharing my passion. I’m a fur mom to 2 fur babies- Casey, my rescued 7 year old Boston Terrier & my little baby, Logan, who is now 1.5 years old, and a sucky Doberman Pinscher. I donate a portion of my proceeds to the Boston Terrier Club of Canada Rescue, which is a cause close to my heart. The Hydrants’ mission is to provide dogs with the most practical, functional, and high performance outerwear and collars available on the market today. Great outdoor performance apparel should not be limited to just humans Made with love, by a loving pet owner for people who love their pets.

How did The Hydrant come to be?
I couldn’t find anything modern and functional for my big doberman! I felt like most of the adorable dog collars I saw were made for tiny little, Paris Hilton dogs! So, I took matters into my own hands, and started making what I couldn’t find. Most of the work I do, is custom stuff – pick your fabric, provide me with your dogs’ measurements, and we’ll make it happen!

Obviously, if you’re making collars you have to have some furry friends. Care to introduce them?
I am kept very busy with Logan (my dobie) and Casey (the boston terrier) who’s my cranky pig baby. I’ve never been happier, doing what I’m passionate about, and spending the day with my fur babies!

What is your favorite item in your shop?
Hmm … this is a tough question! I think it’s the Leaf Love collar with silver buckle.  To me, this fabric print is summer. The classic silver buckle gives it the extra sparkle, that you don’t expect to see coming from a dogs’ neck. The best part of this collar, is that the silver buckle is engravable – you can get your pets name and telephone number engraved onto it!

Name three of your favorite Etsy shops.
1. Shopbirddroppings.etsy.com

2. LuLusWoobies.etsy.com

3. talkottown.etsy.com

The Hydrant is generously offering one of our reader’s a custom pet collar! That’s a value of $30!

Check out how to enter bellow and win your favorite pup an adorable new custom collar!

To enter:

• Go to The Hydrant and take a look around the available and sold items.
• Pick out your favorite item.
• Come back here and comment with the name or link to your favorite item.
• To get extra entries: blog or twitter about this contest and leave a link to it in a separate comment.
• Anyone with a valid email address can enter. You don’t have to have a blog.
• The winners will be chosen using the integer generator on random.org and notified via email.
• Get your entries in by Sunday, June 29thth at 11:59PM and you’re in!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our feed! You’ll be the first to hear about all the great giveaways and features going on!

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This week’s Etsy Adore feature and giveaway is from LMNOProducts. Check out what Lauren has to say and what you can win!

Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Lauren, and I’m a 26-year-old Marylander with a dog, a blog, and a reality TV addiction.

• Shower Treat Soap (showertreatsoap.etsy.com) is another favorite.  If you have sensitive skin or eczema (and even if you don’t!), you NEED to try her Goatmeal soap.

• Lastly, my dog Pancake loves his collar and leash set from The Mod Dog (themoddog.etsy.com)!  He has this dinosaur design.

Lauren is offering one of my lucky readers a set of coaster from her shop!

To enter:

• Go to LMNOProducts and take a look around.
• Pick out your favorite item.
• Come back here and comment with the name or link to your favorite item.
• To get extra entries: blog or twitter about this contest and leave a link to it in a separate comment.
• Anyone with a valid email address can enter. You don’t have to have a blog.
• The winners will be chosen using the integer generator on random.org and notified via email.
• Get your entries in by Monday, June 15th at 11:59PM and you’re in!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our feed! You’ll be the first to hear about all the great giveaways and features going on!

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This week’s Etsy Adore feature is from another blog friend of mine, Mrs. Priss.  Her shop is still really new but is full of adorable accessories. Check out what Morgan has to say about Little Lovelies!

Introduce yourself.
My name is Morgan Gable and I’m your typical, happily married 23-year-old with just a tad too much time on her hands. I have a normal office job, dye my own hair, get excited over clearance aisles & have a serious caffeine addiction.

I run a blog called Mrs. Priss, which is devoted to my girlish whims and my life as a wife & new mom. I recently opened up an Etsy shop called Little Lovelies, where I sell hair accessories.

Tell us a little about how Little Lovelies got started.
When I found out I was pregnant with a girl, I vowed I would never let her leave the house without a big, ridiculous bow on her head. I went out one day, bought a bunch of ribbon and pretty much taught myself how to make hair bows right there.

What has been the best part about opening your own Etsy shop so far?
I just can’t get over the fact that people are willing to pay for something I made! It’s an incredibly flattering, rewarding feeling. And it gives me a little extra spending money… can’t forget that.

Stinkin’ Cute Designs (stinkincutedesigns.etsy.com), which is owned by my cousin Shea. She embroiders the most adorable baby things in all of humanity. Oh yeah, and I miiiiight be the one responsible for making the bows for her popular bow tees. Shameless plug.

Morgan will be giving one of you fabulous reader’s your choice of any item in her shop!

To enter:

• Go to Little Lovelies and take a look around.
• Pick out your favorite item.
• Come back here and comment with the name or link to your favorite item.
• To get extra entries: blog or twitter about this contest and leave a link to it in a separate comment.
• Anyone with a valid email address can enter. You don’t have to have a blog.
• The winners will be chosen using the integer generator on random.org and notified via email.
• Get your entries in by Sunday, May 24th at 11:59PM and you’re in!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our feed! You’ll be the first to hear about all the great giveaways and features going on!

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And we are back! This week’s Etsy Adore is a lovely, little, up and coming shop from a blog friend of mine. Ashley has such a mix of things in her shop, Joyful Star, there is definitely something for everyone and it is all adorable!

Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m Ashley, 24 years old and married for a year-and-a-half to an awesome bearded man. I’m a vegetarian, the oldest of five kids, from Ohio, but lived everywhere (I mean, every. where.), currently residing in Cleveland and working at a university. I spend my days (stuck!) in a cubicle and my nights and weekends taking design classes, crafting, and designing. It’s a good life. I’ve blogged about being a 20-something tree hugger on my blog, Our Little Apartment for a while. (Though I tend to go off on tangents more often than not, just a fair warning.)

How did Joyful Star come to be?
Basically – an internet friend told me to. For the full story, go here.

You have a very eclectic mix in your shop. What is your favorite medium to work with? (fabric, paper, design)
That is difficult – I love, love, LOVE sewing because the feeling of creating a functional product is such an empowering, almost triumphant, thing. I love fabric a LOT, as well, and have been known to go far out of my way to pick up some cute fabric. Also, with sewing, there is so much more to learn. There are countless more things I’d like to learn how to sew, skills to develop, and ways to grow as a sewer (or is it seamstress? See! I still need to learn that.) But I also adore designing! In fact, I could say all the things about designing that I did about sewing – so much more to learn, such satisfaction, just wonderful! I guess I don’t have an answer, I just LOVE that I get to do all of this! Exercising creativity is an awesome thing, no matter what medium you use.

What’s your favorite item in shop?
Currently in my shop, probably this hobo bag, because it’s a pattern I created myself, I seriously adore the fabric, I’m all about functionality, and the photos show me looking like a total dork. I just made a couple of bags last night (including a yoga mat tote!), so look for those up soon!

Name three favorite Etsy shops.
Choosing is so difficult! First, definitely Hydra Heart – adorable, handmade, vegan, organic shoes! I haven’t saved enough money to buy a pair, but I’m so lusting after them. HappyTape is a fun store, I love to decorate my packages with the tape. I actually discovered it the DAY she started listing things, right now they’re pretty wiped out with all the attention they got from Apartment Therapy, but I have my eye on this tape. Lastly, KungFuCowgirl! Not only is her shop brimming with fun and cute things – she does business the way it should be done, insanely quick shipping, friendly communication, and freebies! Love her.

Ashley is going to be giving away either a custom blog header OR a hobo bag to one lucky reader. Winner’s choice!

You know the drill.

To enter:

• Go to Joyful Star and take a look around.
• Pick out your favorite item.
• Come back here and comment with the name or link to your favorite item.
• To get extra entries: blog or twitter about this contest and leave a link to it in a separate comment.
• Anyone with a valid email address can enter. You don’t have to have a blog.
• The winners will be chosen using the integer generator on random.org and notified via email.
• Get your entries in by Sunday, May 17th at 11:59PM and you’re in!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our feed! You’ll be the first to hear about all the great giveaways and features going on!

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