Your Daily Dose of Glitter

So Christmas is over (as is our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway), but New Year's Eve is right around the corner! We already shared with you our love for sparkly dresses, but you don't need a big New Year's Eve wedding to sparkle at midnight. There are many ways to add some shine without wearing sequins from head to toe. A sparkly clutch, a glittery blouse, or sequined skirt can go a long way to jazzing up an otherwise tame ensemble. Here are just a few suggestions to get you started.

1. Forever 21 | 2. Free People | 3. Gypsy Warrior | 4. Urban Outfitters | 5. Empress Eccentric | 6. Victoria's Secret | 7. Express | 8. J. Crew | 9. Poetic License 

That's all from us for the rest of the year. We hope you bring in the new year with style, and we can't wait to start share our ideas for 2012! Until then...

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

The Twelfth Day of Christmas

On the Twelfth, and final, Day of Christmas PDR gave to Rosemarie G.

The Deborah Anne print by Danielle Rizzolo

Danielle has been a friend of ours for quite some time and we've always been a fan of her work. Today's winner will receive one of our favorite prints, the Deborah Anne (fun fact: this print was also sold at Urban Outfitters)! Danielle is an extremely talented artist and an overall lovely person and New Jersey will certainly miss her when she moves out to Milwaukee this winter. Be sure to check out her Etsy shop and her website to see her other great work. And check out our interview below to learn a little more about her:

Tell us a little about yourself.  

I grew up in NJ and attended the University of the Arts in Philly. I am fascinated with past times, past people and the sea. I currently reside in Asbury Park with my better half.

When did you know you wanted to be an artist? When did you get started?

I've always enjoyed creating for as long as I can remember. I would say junior and senior year of high school really solidified that I wanted to pursue art as a career and attend art school.

 Do you have any materials that you'd say are your favorite to work with?

Oil painting is my medium of choice. I've always just understood it and had a connection to it.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

The past times, my childhood, antiques and the sea.

 Do you have any advice for others that are looking to make a business out of selling their work?

 Stay true to yourself and keep making!

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

 Mint chocolate chip and chocolate peanut butter

Thanks, Danielle!  And congratulations to Rosemarie!

Thank you to all of you who entered our 12 Days of Christmas!  We are so glad to have so many new Facebook friends and hope you'll continue to read Paper Doll Romance.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and we'll see you all again next year!

XOXO

Jen & Saira

The Eleventh Day of Christmas

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas PDR gave to Shakiera:

A fun pair of leather earrings from Melody's Addiction!

How fun are these ruffled earrings?  The bright color and fun shape can't help but make you smile and we are delighted to be able to share them with you!  Melody's Addiction has an assortment of leather ruffle earrings and other fun and funky pieces. Want to know more or wear you can find them?  Check out our interview questions below or visit their shop on Etsy to check our their fabulous creations online:

When did you start making jewelry?

I first started designing jewelry in high school. Then I took a long break while working in the non-profit and community organizing world.  I hadn't made jewelry in years and then picked it up again about 6 years ago. Melody's Addiction emerged as a creative outlet and side-hustle about 5 years ago. Melody's Addiction really took a leap when I became one of the opening vendors for the, then brand new, Brooklyn Flea back in 2008. I've been a regular vendor with the Flea ever since and it's been a great space to connect face-to-face with customers and other designers. 

What inspires you?

I gather random materials from various sources in New York and also from travels abroad. When I was working in the garment district I loved the leather stores, the fabric stores, the trim and lace stores....entire stores dedicated to buttons and buckles.  One of my latest collections is inspired by Alexander McQueen’s Savage Beauty Exhibit that was at the Met this summer. Leather, feathers, fabric , lace fashioned into fun earrings! Love it all. My favorite part about designing and making jewelry is the whimsy and endless opportunity for invention. It's sole purpose is adornment and beauty.

Where are you based?

I live and work in Brooklyn and I am a regular vendor at the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene (though mostly during the outdoor season April-November).  I do other markets occasionally like BUST Craftacular and Renegade Craft Fair. Year round you can visit me online at my Etsy Shop www.melodysaddiction.etsy.com and my Melody’s Addiction Facebook Page. (please join!!). Check in with my blog for upcoming sale dates at www.melodysaddiciton.com.

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry?

I love the simplicity of the leather hoop earrings which come in many colors, some with funky cut-out shapes. They're big, bold, colorful and light weight! All the elements you want to make your entire outfit pop.

Thanks, again, to Melody's Addiction for allowing us to share their work with you!  Congratulations, Shakiera!

XOXO

Jen & Saira

The Tenth Day of Christmas

On the Tenth Day of Christmas PDR gave to Angela:

A fun 2012 screen printed calendar from YeeHaw

While we don't have a nice interview to share, we can tell you first hand how fun these prints are!  We came across this little booth at the BUST Craftacular and we just loved their work and knew we needed to share it with you.  These calendars are super convenient and feature a bottom that tears off when it's time to change to the next month.  Today's winner will receive the pink and magenta "Sweet Mama" calendar that feature an adorable cotton candy vendor.

Congratulations, Angela!

XOXO

Jen & Saira

The Ninth Day of Christmas

On the 9th Day of Christmas PDR gave to Elizabeth:

An eco-friendly and organic gift assortment from Heaven and Earth LLC

Today's winner will receive four chocolate mocha solid sugar scrubs, a lemongrass poppy seed soap, and a hand knit washcloth courtesy of Mary at Heaven & Earth, LLC.

  We've known Mary for years and are so impressed with the work that she's been doing to help educate people about the importance of sustainability and healthy living.  We're also thrilled by her generous donation and continued support of Paper Doll Romance. Interested on learning more about Heaven & Earth and their natural, organic products? There are lots of  ways to connect with Heaven & Earth online! 


Be sure to visit their website to order, "Like" them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter at @HeavenNEarthLLC for great recipes and updates, and visit Mary's blog to see what she's been up to and what tasty treats she's cooked up!  

1. Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? What's the name of your shop?
I grew up in Jackson, NJ, lived out of state for a little while, and now I live in Bayville, NJ. I wear several hats: wife, daughter, sister, friend, college professor, director of a nonprofit group, and I am the Co-Owner of Heaven & Earth, along with my Mom, Cathie. Heaven & Earth is all about health, wellness, sustainability, and education. We make natural products for mind, body, and spirit, and we will soon be Certified Holistic Health Coaches on top of that, so we can teach people not only about what they put on their skin, but what they put in their bodies as well.

2. What made you decide to start your business? When did you get started?

We got started in November 2009. It's kind of an interesting story. My Mom found an article online highlighting several women who made amazing career changes. One of the women was a marketing director (I was also a marketing director at the time). This woman felt like something was missing in her life, and she basically quit her job, moved to her grandfather's farm in TN and turned an old barn into a soap studio, and used her marketing talents to open a cute soap business. My Mom sent me an email with the text "You have to read this." I contacted the woman in the article, and she was so kind and inspirational. And then after not much time at all, Heaven & Earth, LLC was born.

3. Do you have any materials that you'd say are your favorite to work with?
I love natural and organic, fair trade materials from God's good earth. The more natural, the better! Some of my favorites are coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, dried flowers, and essential oils.

4. Where do you draw inspiration from?
I draw inspiration from the earth. I used to be very separated from nature, and once I started to embrace this lifestyle, I felt truly alive, healthy, and happy.

5. Do you have any advice for others that are looking to make a business out of selling their work?
Work hard and follow your heart, and anything is possible.

6. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
I like Cherry Amaretto Coconut Milk Ice Cream!

 Thanks so much to Heaven and Earth, LLC for their generous donation!  Congratulations, Elizabeth.  Enjoy those luxurious scrubs and soaps!

XOXO
Jen & Saira

The Eighth Day of Christmas

On the Eighth Day of Christmas PDR gave to Hillary:

The "Amour Cookie" necklace from Wink and Flip

This darling little necklace caught our eye the second we came across the winkandflip Etsy shop.  When Natasha contacted us and said she was donating this necklace, we were thrilled!  It's petite and charming, and simple enough to wear with just about everything.  Plus, it's written in French, so we just couldn't resist.  Check out her shop for more great pieces or to get an Amour Cookie necklace of your very own.  Want to know more about winkandflip or find out where you can find them next?  Read our interview with Natasha below:

Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? What's the name of your shop?

I'm finishing up my Master's in Liberal Studies at The New School for Social Reserach. I was born in Manhattan and raised in Astoria, Queens. When I got my working papers no one would hire me because I was so young, so I started my own company. I've been in the fashion jewelry business for eight years, and have worked a combined two years in the accessories departments of teenVOGUE and Marie Claire magazines as an intern. One of my headbands was featured in teenVOGUE. We have two parts to our business, a curated line that we buy, which is sold at winkandflip.com, and a line we design in an etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/winkandflip. Enjoy our shop!

You can find us every Saturday, from May to October, at the famous Hester Street Fair on the Lower East Side. Girls follow us on Twitter to find out where we'll be next.

 It's @winkandflip 

What made you decide to begin making jewelry? When did you get started?

We started assembling necklaces after we were selling jewelry for some time because we found things we thought would look great at the end of 30" chains, and we didn't see anyone else putting them together.

 Do you have any materials that you'd say are your favorite to work with?

We find metal charms, or stones with metal charms. But one of our bestsellers is a mini harmonica on a long chain. Once a guy came into a show who was a professional musician. He bought one and started playing it. It had four tones, but he was making music and everyone stopped what they were doing to listen to him. 

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Flea markets, trolling on etsy, pieces from the wholesale market that we chop up and "frankenstein" into new pieces. We know what girls are going to love and when we see it, it jumps out at us.

Do you have any advice for others that are looking to make a business out of selling their work?

Start small and keep at it. Learn about being a business person, so you can elevate your efforts from hobby status. I attended classes at the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Finding something like that can help a lot.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

Any fruit-flavored sherbet.

Thanks, Natasha!  And Congratulations, Hillary!

XOXO

Jen & Saira

The Seventh Day of Christmas

On the 7th Day of Christmas PDR gave to Rachel:

A One-Eyed Girl drawing by Kasey Tararuj

We love Kasey's One Eyed Girl series of drawings and were delighted when she offered to create one for our giveaway.  This One Eyed Girl is edgy and romantic, a little bit of what PDR is all about. Interested in your own custom One Eyed Girl?  Send her an email to commission your very own piece.  And, be sure to visit her website and her blog to check out Kasey's other work and to save the dates for any upcoming exhibitions.  

Tell us a little about yourself.

Paralyzed artist since 2000! I'm a paraplegic thanks to an AVM on my spinal cord, but that hasn’t stopped me from my 3 favorite things: traveling, (most recently) surfing, and (most importantly) creating!

When did you first know you wanted to be an artist? When did you get started?

I've loved doodling and creating since I was a child, it always my favorite hobby.  I can't remember a time of wanting to be anything but an artist.  I took every art class in high school, got my Bachelor's in Fine Arts, and have been making and showing art ever since.

Do you have any materials that you'd say are your favorite to work with?

For me, there's nothing better than painting and sculpting.   I love the mess of paint and clay covering my hands, even though it never seems to come off and gets all over everything else I own.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Much of it comes from my disability, dealing with it, expressing it. Other comes from my own personal mission to amuse myself (and I guess sometimes others). I love creating characters in 2D and 3D that are just funny, weird, cute, and unique.

Do you have any advice for others that are looking to sell their work?  

Create like crazy and love what you do.  It doesn't happen overnight!

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?  

Cotton candy!

Congratulations to Rachel and special thanks to the talented Kasey Tararuj for her generous donation!

XOXO

Jen & Saira