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Hey friends! Today I am excited to introduce to you a shop with the best name ever (good + my husband’s name), haha! No, but really, are you familiar with this shop? It’s full of bags of all sorts, diaper bags, yoga mat bags, clutches for your bridesmaids, wristlets for every day use, sunglass case bags, as well as colorful accessories such as scarves, cowls, and more! Melissa, the wonderful mastermind behind it all, uses a variety of materials and fabrics to hand make each and every one of them. And the quality just looks to be impeccable. Read on to learn more about Melissa and enter a fab giveaway!
{MEET MELISSA}
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you decided to open up shop.
Hmmm, let’s see. I am full-time Mommy to a gorgeous 15th month-old girl (no bias here), a part-time Pilates instructor, an adjunct art professor (I teach sculpture and design), free-lance photographer, and a fine artist as well as an intense crafter. Know that expression – jack of all trades? Some say it would apply here, but I like to think I’ll be an expert of everything by the time I’m 64.
I decided to open up shop during the bleak winter of 2009 when I had a freshly minted MFA in Painting in hand and no full-time employment. I had a growing stash of knit scarves, a steady supply of free fabric scraps from the sweatshop next door to the studio I rented in Philadelphia, and plenty of time to experiment. I had recently met Margaux Kent, of Peg and Awl and The Black Spot Books, and was encouraged by her to open up an online shop.
2. What are your favorite color combinations of the season?
If I am completely truthful, I will have to plead ignorance here. I am woefully out of touch with fashion trends and usually google them when I start seeing them pop up on etsy. I did google the spring 2012 Pantone color report and I am really digging the sodalite blue contrasted against cockatoo. When I choose fabrics for the items in my shop, I always grab the patterns and colors that pop out at me from the shelves. It is a completely intuitive process.
3. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
This one is tough. I would say it is a three-way tie between pumpkin, chocolate peanut butter, and lemon ginger snap from Trader Joe’s. I like to eat seasonally – so the pumpkin is great for fall, the lemon ginger snap in summer/spring because it’s so fresh and tart, and chocolate peanut butter is good anytime!
4. What advice would you have wished that someone told you before you first opened your shop?
I think I got plenty of great advice in the beginning that went unheeded. I really need to learn things in my own meandering way and since this shop was a complete labor of love, I was not good about listening to advice. That being said, I think one of my biggest mistakes was not pricing my items high enough. In fact, my first customer on etsy told me my stuff was too cheap! It wasn’t until I had my daughter that I really began to appreciate how much time it took for me to make my items and to start to raise the prices to reflect my effort. Once I no longer had much time to spare, the time I did have seemed much more precious!
{GIVEAWAY}
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY and closes on March 20, 2012 at 12:01AM. Good luck!
Don’t want to wait? Enter code “ALAMODE10” for 10% off your entire purchase through the end of March 2012! 😀
Melissa sounds great…love all her bags:) Off to check out the store now!
The wristlet clutch in blue and brown floral is so pretty!
what cute things she makes! and that picture of her little girl is adorable! i love the happy violet flower tote!
My fave:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/87064778/large-tote-bag-beach-bag-market-tote
Cute giveaway!
my fav item – Large Tote Bag in Camel Gold Leopard Print with Cerulean Trim
OMG that baby is so cute.
I love the large tote in blue and hummingbirds
I totally want the gunmetal silver and black lace clutch! So cute. It would be the perfect date night accessory! Thanks for the chance to win.
I love the large tote beach bag with the floral print! xo
I love the Large Grocery Bag Market Tote Bag.
I am in love with the Happy Violet Floral Tote
I’d totally get a diaper bag!
The happy spring floral tote would be perfect! So cute!
I love the large tote in sky blue!
My favorite item is Formal Clutch Patterned Clutch in Red and White Leaves. Cute shop!
Cute baby pic!
I like the scarves.
I love this bag http://www.etsy.com/listing/76785287/large-tote-bag-beach-bag-market-tote
it’s perfect for the beach
I’d love the large tote in sky blue!!
I love her clutches, especially the Patterned Clutch Handbag in Gray, Black Beige, and Sky Blue Watercolor!
I love all the large totes! enough to fit all my daily necessities. I especially like the one in camel gold leopard print! SO cute.
I love the sky blue diaper bag!
Handmade Yoga Bag Pilates Mat Bag in Mod Earthtones Floral
I love the Large Grocery Bag in the sunny yellow fabric! Perfect for spring…
i love the large yoga bag!
This one’s super cute! http://www.etsy.com/listing/75646123/large-tote-bag-beach-bag-market-tote
x Hilary
I love the Large Tote Bag in Sky Blue, it looks like it would hold so much stuff!
Adorable store & great giveaway! I love all the infinity scarves, but I like the Purple Infinity Cowl Hood Neckwarmer the best 🙂
Its tough but I think I like this cowl the best: Handknit Neckwarmer Scarflette White, Beige and Gray with Brown Toggle Buttons
This truly seems like a “labor of love”. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
-Lindsey
Et tu, tutu?
These are so freaking cute!
thanks for your comment! this looks like such a cute shop, my goodness. and that picture of the baby! oh my goodness!!! so darling.
The House of Shoes
I love this striped hobo bag! http://www.etsy.com/listing/78782268/messenger-bag-hobo-bag-large-handbag
my favorite: Large Tote Bag Diaper Bag Grocery Tote in Pink and Green with Large Exterior Pocket
🙂
kat
katch05@gmail.com
i NEED one of those diaper bags!
I love the large tote in happy violet!
My favorite item is the Clutch Handbag Black and White Floral.
Miki.
shower_your_love@yahoo.com.ar
I am already following you on Twitter @MikisScrapbook
Miki.
shower_your_love@yahoo.com.ar
I’ve started following goodmarvin @MikisScrapbook
Miki.
shower_your_love@yahoo.com.ar
I love the Formal Clutch in Gold Dragons
Very hard to pick! I do love the “Large Tote Bag Beach Bag Market Tote Diaper Bag Weekend Bag Funky Trees and Green and White Stripes”
thanks for the giveaway!!
Oh I’d love one of those large yoga bags – would make carrying my mat so much easier!
I love this hat!!! Handknit Womens Winter Hat – Striped Berry Pink, Sage Green, and Burnt Maroon Tassled
I like the Large Tote Bag Beach Bag Market Tote Diaper Bag Weekend Bag Spring Green Leaves Print.
I really like the Formal Clutch Handbag Silver and Gold Brocade. Pretty!
Sunglasses Case in Mod Floral Beige, Brown, Sky Blue and Lime Green
I like Cranberry Formal Clutch.
melodyj(at)gmail(dot)com
love the blue white and black colorblock clutch
I love the Purple Infinity Cowl Hood Neckwarmer.
I like Large Tote Bag Beach Bag Market Tote Diaper Bag Weekend Bag Earthtones Tote
My favorite item is this bag!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/90067910/large-tote-bag-beach-bag-market-tote
I love the Large Tote Bag Beach Bag Market Tote Diaper Bag Weekend Bag Funky Trees and Green and White Stripes.
My favorite is the Cotton Padded Soft Sunglasses Case in Teal Green Tulips on White
I love the Patterned Clutch in Blue, Gray and White Watercolor Storm Clouds Clutch
my favourite item is the Purple Infinity Cowl Hood Neckwarmer , but there’s lots of cute thing 😀
I’m in love for this:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/60540001/small-brown-clutch-plaid-handbag-brown
omg, I love the large totes! And i like so many patterns I’m not sure which I would say is my favorite!
i love the Large Tote Bag Beach Bag Market Tote in Cerulean Blue with Hummingbird and Floral Trim! 🙂
i love the Large Tote Bag Beach Bag Market Tote in Cerulean Blue with Hummingbird and Floral Trim! 🙂
I really love this yoga bag!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55789587/handmade-yoga-bag-pilates-mat-bag-in
This is so chic and stylish! absolutely love the print!
“Patterned Clutch in Fuchsia and Black Ovals on White”
My favorite is the Large Tote Beach Bag in Cerulean Blue with Hummingbird and Floral Trim.
Love, Love the gray houndstooth clutch.
love the large tote beach bag in green & black
I love all of the patterns for the diaper bags! Super cute
my favorite item is this yoga mat bag: http://www.etsy.com/listing/81339335/handmade-yoga-bag-pilates-mat-bag-in
It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d certainly donate to this brilliant blog! I suppose for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS
feed to my Google account. I look forward to new updates and will talk about this site with my
Facebook group. Talk soon!