Anatomy of a Dinner Party » Becky

Handcrafted Giveaway Day With Miss Becky

Patti — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:06:35 +0000

Good Morning, Darlings!

I know you are always looking for those special hostess gifts or a little luxury for yourself(!) It is tough to be continually creative. Once, in a pinch, I realized I had forgotten to pick up a hostess gift as we were headed for the party, so we swung into a drugstore and I gave the hostess some Sponge Bob Squarepants bubble bath. Thank God she considered it to be fun and quirky. Now that I am a little more experienced, I like to keep a stash of goodies to take to a party hostess.

Today, I have the perfect hostess gift for you. No, really, I have a gift for you! My sweet friend and neighbor, Miss Becky, has been making these remarkable, handcrafted soaps. And she is so delightful, I bet you will feel happy when you suds up. Good karma + good soap! Becky and her husband, Mr. Tim, have made a serious mark on our neighborhood by just being there for all the kids. They have a non-profit called the Beltline Bike Shop, that supplies bikes to our neighborhood kids after they have completed a certain amount of clean up in the neighborhood. They tutor, they have crafts days, they made sure the entire neighborhood had Halloween makeup and costumes. Becky and Tim are pretty much our resident saints.

But, let’s talk about this fab soap!

How Cute Would It Be To Take a Themed Gift To A Tea Party?

I will let Becky tell you about the details.

“Design your own gift basket! Select any three of Intown Sundries’ handmade soaps. A custom gift basket will be designed just for you. The soaps will come wrapped in parchment paper and raffia or ribbon and individually labeled with their scent. Resting in a bed of shredded pages from an old French novel in this cute produce-style basket, it’s the perfect gift of simple, every day indulgence.

Each bar is made using the cold-process method, cured for two weeks, and will leave your hands soft, clean, and smelling fabulous.

You may choose from Lavender, Orange-Rosemary, Vanilla Brown Sugar, Jasmine Green Tea and Oats and Honey.”

My personal favorite is the Jasmine Green Tea – it smells so yummy! But they are all fantastic. And our giveaway basket includes a bar of each! You can also see the collection at Becky’s Etsy shop: Intown Sundries. Isn’t that the cutest name? I have visions of sitting on a stool, drinking a milkshake at the counter! She also has the darlingest blog (with a ton of helpful, sensible tips) at From Our Front Porch. I would recommend you stop by and visit her sites for some fun shopping and for some down home advice your granny didn’t give you.

Mr. Photo, please!

The Adorable Miss Becky and Her Fab Soaps

Can you tell what a fun afternoon we had taking photos by this shot? We were feeling giggly!

Soothing, Calming Lavender Soaps

The Oats & Honey Soap Will Leave You All Smooth and Soft

Do You Need a Burst of Freshness? The Orange & Rosemary is For You!

Miss Becky's Apron Full of Soap

When Life Hands You Oranges...And Rosemary....

I Had To Include Miss Becky's Gift To Me - Isn't It Gorgeous? You Could Do This At Home, Too!

I adore it when folks really take note of the details. Not only are Becky’s soaps divine, but they come nestled in a sweet basket lined with shredded french novels – how cool is that? Ooh, la la, y’all!

Feeling creative? You can take a class for that! Miss Becky can come to your house and teach you and your friends how to make her fabulous soaps. This would be a fun idea for a bridal shower, a birthday or any time you are feeling bubbly! For more info, leave a comment for Miss Becky on her blog here.

And to win the gift basket of super yummy soaps? Leave a comment and I will announce a winner (picked randomly) on February 11th.

Good luck!

xoxo, Patti

A Cupcapron Giveaway!

Patti — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:11:11 +0000

Good Morning, Darlings! I hope that the holiday season is humming along for you and you are getting through your list with ease and champagne.

Lovely Becky at Glue and Glitter and I are getting ready to make your holidays sweeter with one of her cupcaprons! Oh, they are way too cute. Take a look:

Aren't they the Cupcakiest?

Becky is so delightful I thought it might be fun to do an Q & A with her so you can get to know her better.

1. How did you get interested in crafting?
I’ve been crafting as long as I can remember. My mom is a preschool teacher, so I grew up making playdough and playing with Legos. Six years ago, a girlfriend taught me how to use a sewing machine, and I’ve been into sewing ever since!

2. Why food related crafts (ie. aprons, lunch sets, coffee sleeves)
I love food and cooking. When we have get togethers, even if they’re not centered around a meal, I always make sure to put together snacks for our guests. I think sharing a meal or spending time in the kitchen is just such a basic connection between people.

The other reason I focus on food-related crafts is because whether you’re ordering takeout or picking up your morning coffee, there’s such a potential for waste. I design my products with that in mind. When you buy a Cupapron, a Lunch Kit, or a Cup Glove, you’re doing more than just buying handmade. You’re helping reduce your footprint, and that means so much to me.

3. What is your favorite meal to feed to company?
We tend to have more appetizer- and drink- themed parties. There’s something about a bowl of dips and spreads that’s so appealing! My favorite thing to serve is a vegan cheeseball. Folks always love it, and it’s fun to make dishes that buck the stereotype for vegan food, you know? It warms my heart when guests tell me they’d never guess something was vegan, because maybe that experience softens them some to giving more vegetarian and vegan foods a try.

4. Are your fabrics from recycled items?
Almost all of my fabric is recycled, remnant, and vintage. There’s a seller on Etsy, Noonday Textiles, who makes beautiful hand-dyed organic hemp and I sometimes treat myself to a few yards from her shop.

5. How did you come up with the idea for Cupcaprons? They are so cute!
Aw, thank you! I actually had a dream that I was wearing an apron with a giant cupcake for the pocket. I’m not kidding. I woke up and grabbed my sketchbook. It was sort of crazy! I’ve never dreamed of a product design before.

6. Are the aprons (and your other crafts) machine washable? How can they be cared for?
They are. Because vintage fabrics can be delicate, I’d wash cold and dry on low, but yes. They’re totally washable.

7. I know you have just started crafting full time. Can you tell us about your journey to self employment?
Sure! I’m at a point in my life where if I was going to give this full time thing a go, now was it, you know? My husband and I don’t have any kids yet, but we do want to have kids down the road. A year ago, we started saving up with a target amount in mind that we were both comfortable with. When we hit the target, I put in my notice. Lady Rogue actually just did an interview where we talked a lot about this transition.

Thanks again for taking the time to chat! I really enjoy reading your blog. You make me want to plan a proper dinner party!

So, my Darlings, to win one of these sweet treats, all you have to do is leave a comment. A random winner will be picked on December 15. The only tiny snafu is that you must be a resident of North America. I have a friend that did a giveaway and then had to figure out how to ship to Sweden. Lets keep it simple here.

Don’t you love holiday shopping from your computer?

xoxo, Patti