Archives For Sponsors

Happy Thursday, party people! It’s a frigid 52 here in south Louisiana and my toes are numb. I tell ya, in many ways my personality is better suited to living up north but my body just could not handle the cold. I’d be happy if it stayed above 70 all year.

I’ve only got one sponsor this month-the ever entrancing Little Eli. I love the juxtaposition of delicate jewelry and chunky concrete in one adorable shop. Amelia actually gifted me some of her orange mint soaps recently and they smell divine. I have one on my kitchen sink and one in the upstairs bath and they are just perfect. I plan on having a few on hand this Christmas to give as gifts. When she dropped off the soaps she mentioned that she’s working on a food-safe glaze for her concrete, so expect to see some tableware in the near future (and cat dishes! Amelia is a bonafide cat lady in the making, and I mean that as a compliment). And for you local folks, Amelia and Meghan will be at North Gate Fest on November 8th. There will be food, art, music, and entertainment from 4-11pm so go check it out. Nick and I may even bring Jack out there for an hour or two!

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In other news, there’s a new blog geared toward local moms that I’m excited to be a part of. Red Stick Moms Blog is all about connecting, informing, and honoring local moms in an inclusive and positive way. No snark or mommy wars here! I’ll be posting as a contributor once or twice a month and also participating in their real-life events whenever possible. My friend Cassie and I brought our babies out to their launch party at Perkins Road Community Park yesterday-there were free POPculture popsicles, temporary tattoos, and some other stuff I didn’t notice because my toddler was having a meltdown over dropping his delicious popsicle, haha. I left covered in melted popsicle but happy to have made some new friends.

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I hope y’all are having a great week! I’m looking forward to the 81 and sunny we’re supposed to see this afternoon! Thanks for reading!

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Happy Friday, party people! Today is an especially significant day because it’s Nick’s birthday-he’s 30 today! I’m so lucky to have had him around for another year. Here’s to many more!

Are any of my blog readers by chance more tech savvy than I am? Suddenly I cannot change the ads on my sidebar anymore, and I think it’s because the company behind my blog theme (8bit/Standard Theme) is closing up shop and stuff just no longer seems to be working properly. I think this means I need to find a new blog theme and I am terrified. If you have experience transitioning from one WordPress theme to another and are willing to help please let me know! I’ll pay you in free advertising or an item of your choosing from my etsy shop.

Speaking of sidebar ads, it’s that time of the month again! I’d like to thank the folks who help me feel slightly less crazy for spending so much time on this blog by helping me make a little money from it. And at the end I’ll be spotlighting a favorite nonprofit so stay tuned to see what do-good agency I’ll be featuring this time.

Sunday in Savannah Vintage is run by smart and stylish mom-of-a-toddler Laurie. She’s a real life friend and has a seriously huge inventory of vintage clothing. Bonus: a lot of it is totally practical for life with littles-buttons for breastfeeding mamas, full skirts that allow you to move around and sit on the floor, and patterns that hide stains and dirt. She has new stuff every time I check so if you don’t see anything that strikes your fancy today be sure to check back often. How she finds all this stuff is beyond me.

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Vintage 1970s Pale Blue Gingham Secretary Blouse Shirt

sunday in savannah 60s tank dress

60s Navy and Cream Stripe Mini Tank Dress

sunday in savannah 60s pajamas

Vintage 1960s Pink Lacy Nylon Pajama Set

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1960s Full Skirt Cream and Gold Watercolor Floral Day Dress

Little Eli is the brainchild of Amelia and Meghan, two friends who craft jewelry, soaps, and things you would never imagine making out of concrete. So many of their offerings are just so charming you could eat them up. I love their aesthetic and the fact that many of their items could stand up easily to life with a toddler. little eli concrete vase

Organic Painted Concrete Bud Vase

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Orange Mint Soap

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3 Stone Amethyst Necklace

And last but not least, an organization that’s near and dear to my heart: AmeriCorps! It’s actually a government agency, not a nonprofit or charity, but it certainly exists to serve the greater good and has had a huge impact on my life. I spent a year working part-time as an AmeriCorps member in college-during the fall and spring I tutored inner-city kids after school and during the summer I led groups of teenagers on service projects (serving meals to the homeless, playing bingo with the elderly, etc.). It. Was. Lifechanging. I learned more than I can explain here about myself, race, culture, poverty, and service. If you’re at a place in your life where serving in your community for a small stipend might be an option I encourage you to check it out! And even if you’re not, you can find volunteer opportunities on a small scale at serve.gov.

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Thanks for reading, y’all. And I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

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Exciting news, my friends! I have a couple of new sponsors this month and they. are. so. cool. If you usually skip these posts I encourage you to take just a moment to see what’s below before clicking away-I promise you won’t be disappointed.

First up, my loyal sponsor and friend Brandi of A Brandi Sized Shop. Brandi is actually going to be taking a little break from sponsoring soon and I want to thank her publicly for being such a great sponsor all these months! She has some cool new items to showcase.

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Vintage Fashion Manor Penn-Prest Coral Queen Flat Sheet

I love the coral shade and lattice print of this flat sheet. I think it would be fun to add a pop of color to a bed or you could use the fabric to make pillows, curtains, or a shower curtain (my extra tall shower curtain is made from a flat sheet). At $16 it’s a steal for the yardage.

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Set of Four Zodiac Medallians - Cancer, Libra, Capricorn, Aries

How fun are these Zodiac medallions? I think one would look so pretty as a pendant necklace. Brandi says she’s willing to split them up if you contact her. I’m an Aries and that ram is tempting me, but I also think the scaled would be a fun gift for an attorney in your life.

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Vintage Brass Anchor Candle Holder

I love vintage brass. This candleholder is a fun nod to nautica and could double as a weapon. It won’t be coming to live in my house because I’m fairly certain my toddler would stab his eye out with it, but maybe it could come live in yours! Farewell, dear Brandi, and thanks for being such a lovely sponsor!

 

Onto my next sponsor, Sunday in Savannah Vintage! Owner Laurie is a friend of mine who wears vintage dresses to playdates like it’s no big deal. She has an awesome Etsy shop with over 100  vintage clothing items.

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sunday in savannah 50s khaki dress

50s Dress / vintage 1950s Khaki Swiss Dotted Rockabilly Dress / Full Skirt Western Flair / Medium

I love the detailing on this dress, especially the bodice and shoulders. Fuller skirts like this are really easy to wear around little kids, too-you can get down on the floor without showing anyone your hoohaa.

sunday in savannah 60s green dress

60s Dress / Spring Green Polka Dot Swiss Ruffled Sleeveless Cotton Dress / Extra Small XXS

Oh, how I wish this dress was not so small! Kelly green is one of my favorite colors and I just love the flattering cut, the swiss dots, and the ruffles. If you’re tiny this one’s for you.

sunday in savannah 50s cream and yellow dress

50s Dress / Vintage 1950s Party Dress / Kerrybrooke Cream and Yellow Gold Polka Dot Chiffon Full Skirt Prom Dress / Extra Small

Here’s another extra small, but it’s just so cute! Can you tell that I’m drawn to a certain silhouette? I love dresses with defined waists and full skirts. They’re just so flattering and easy to wear. The gold polka dots on this one are so festive!

 

And last but not least, my newest sponsor! Amelia and Meghan are the two proprietors of Little Eli, a shop featuring handcrafted jewelry, soaps, and concrete creations. Amelia is a reader who contacted me-turns out she lives in Baton Rouge and we have a couple of mutual friends. After checking out her awesome shop I’m pretty sure we need to be besties.

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little eli pearl bracelet

Champagne Pearl Bracelet with Gold Crystal Ball. Classic Bracelet. Bridesmaids Present. Bridal Jewelry. Champagne Pearls.

I mean, I don’t even have any words. This shit is adorable (sorry! language!).

little eli concrete planter

Medium Round Concrete Planter. Two Tone. Ombre. Desk accessory. Succulent Planter. Outdoor Planter, Urban Industrial. Cottage Style. Cement

How creative are these girls??? They have a bunch of concrete planters, dishes, candleholders, etc. You could use this one as a planter or for a large pillar candle. I love the two-tone look.

little eli orange mint soap

Orange Mint Soap. 5oz. Small Batch. Handmade. All Natural. Vegan Friendly. No Artificial Anything. Essential Oils. Small Soaps. Two Bars.

They also make soap! At only $5 for two bars this would be a great purchase to have a couple of small gifts on hand for hostesses or thank-yous or whatever. And I’m pretty sure it smells amazing.

Amelia and Meghan are offering a special discount for Living Well on the Cheap readers! Use the code “livingwellwithlileli” at checkout for 15% off for the rest of August!

 

And last but not least, my public service announcement for the month:

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The Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center started as a single phone line serving the needs of the LSU community in 1970. Six LSU students, including the student body president, died by suicide during the 1969-1970 academic year and in response The PHONE, a confidential crisis counseling service, began that spring. It’s been active 24/7 since, manned mostly by volunteers and expanding to serve a ten-parish area. I went through the intense training program to become a volunteer counselor my sophomore year in college and soon joined the staff as a part-time employee. I worked there for four years and learned many skills that would serve me well both in my personal life and in my career as a social worker. I also met some seriously wonderful people, my BFF Cassie included. The heart and soul of BRCIC is still The PHONE and the volunteers that answer the lines, but the center has also expanded to provide information and referral (particularly following natural disasters), support for those who have lost loved ones to suicide, and education and training to the community. It’s a wonderful organization that is struggling just like any other during these tough economic times. If you’re interested in learning more you can visit their website, where you can also donate if you feel so inclined. And if you’re local and interested in volunteering you can call their business line at 225-924-1431. If you’re in crisis and need somebody to talk to you can call 225-924-3900 and there will be someone there to listen any time of day or night. Would you believe that I knew both of those numbers by heart four years after leaving that place? I can barely remember my husband’s phone number but some things just stick with you, I guess.

Thanks for reading, y’all, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Smooches!

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It’s that time of the month again! Time to say thanks to the folks who help me justify this little blogging habit of mine by sponsoring the blog. I figure between these sponsors, my new blogher ads on the right, and the Amazon affiliate program I’m making about a dollar an hour at this gig. But that’s not the point, because I get much, much back from my blog in less tangible dividends. I truly enjoy not only the creative process of photography and writing, but also the opportunity to connect with so many of you. I would keep on blogging even if I never made another dime.

So anyway, I am so grateful to my most loyal sponsor-Brandi of A Brandi Sized Shop. She’s got a couple of really fun new items this month.

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Vintage Embroidery Art - Prayer Plant

My obsession with macrame continues, and this embroidered rendition sends my heart aflutter.

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Vintage 1960s Pyrex 2.5 Quart Cinderella Bowl in Sandalwood Pattern

I get so excited when I find Pyrex in the thrift store. I don’t personally collect it but lots of other folks do and I enjoy the thrill of the hunt on their behalf. Brandi has a couple of pieces of pieces of Pyrex from the 50′s and 60′s.

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Vintage Brass Wall Hook

I love vintage brass. This hook looks kind of like a carrot or turnip so I think it would be a really fun accessory for a gardener-perhaps mounted by the back door to hang a small basket with your gloves, shears, etc? The basket could double as a vessel for collecting cut flowers or veggies. I haven’t visited my garden in weeks but I’m getting excited just thinking about it.

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Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response Center

I want to start something new-every month in the sponsor shout out post I’ll feature a nonprofit that I believe in. I have to thank my friend Morgan for the idea. She works at STAR and asked if I’d be willing to give them a mention on my blog. The Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response Center is a non-profit sexual assault center that offers counseling, medical advocacy, legal advocacy, and education services completely free to women, men, and teens that have been affected by sexual violence. Please go visit and like their facebook page when you get a chance. The more “likes” they have, the more visible they become to your friends, family, and others who might need their services. And if you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence call (225) 383-RAPE to find support. STAR is located in Baton Rouge, but if you’re from another part of the state or country they may be able to help you find help in your own community. And if you know of a nonprofit you’d like to see featured here please let me know! I have agencies lined up for August and September already but after that I’m open! It can be local, national, or international.

That’s all for today. Thanks for reading, y’all!

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