What's in your bag Wednesday #19

Good afternoon, folks! I (sort of) have another round of What's in Your Bag Wednesday. I reached out to Laura Nelli- the founder of Nelle handbag to see if she'd like to participate in my WIYBW and Shoptalk series.  I've blogged about her bags before. 

Now being in market research I always love to learn more about people and what makes them tick, etc. So I found Laura's response to what she carries in her bag (remember- she makes clutches) very interesting! 

What's in my bag...

Truth, I don't carry a handbag. GASP!! I use a custom navy Just Bowtiful as my everyday wallet. It has slip pockets for my credit cards & a pocket for cash. I am pretty low maintenance, so my wallet is filled with receipts, cards, my phone, & sometimes chapstick. It looks like one big mess. 

*First things first: the wallet is gorgeous! Second, I for one was intrigued by this! A girl who makes bags.... but just carries a wallet. I love it! **Laura, just for the record, the bags I carry are 10x the size of your wallet (at least) and ridiculously messy the majority of the time. If you ever start making BIG bags to contain my BIG messes, please let me know! 

Shop Talk Questions:
-Three words to describe yourself: opinionated, silly, gorgeous
-Where do you find inspiration: Fabric & color inspire me.
-What's the best business advice you've ever been given: You need help!
-What would your dream project be: Developing a series of vibrant hued clutches for J. Crew
-What businesswomen do you look up to: Bobbi Brown
-What advice do you have to entrepreneurs-to-be? You must be tenacious & you must run your business with integrity. -If you could splurge on any one item for yourself, what would it be: Celine's Luggage Mini, it is pure perfection.

Thanks for sharing, Laura! AND seriously, if you ever make big bags, PLEASE let me know!! Wink. Wink. 

29 Must-Haves for 29 Days: Day 8 + a Shop Talk Interview + a GIVEAWAY!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a triple threat today! Not only are we continuing my top Must-haves for February, but I also reached out to co-founder of Linnea's Lights (today's must have), Laura Cler, for a few reasons: 1. to express my love for her amazing candles, 2. to ask her if she'd be interested in giving one of her delicious candles away to a lucky reader (she said yes!), and 3. to ask her a few questions about her business and revive my long-lost Shop Talk series. 

I hope you've had your coffee this morning. Here we go: 

I consider myself to be a bit of a candle connoisseur, and Linnea's Lights have quickly become favorite candle. Period- end of discussion. OK, OK, I'll elaborate. The packaging is adorable (and environmentally friendly), the scents are amazing (they fill a room- but aren't too strong), and the larger double wick candle lasts up to 60 hours. I'm hooked. *Can I enter my own giveaway??? Joking... sort of. 

Moving right along.. to the "Shop Talk Interview": 

Three words to describe yourself:

  thoughtful,  vivacious, creative

Where do you find inspiration? 

traveling, life experiences, books and magazines, family and friends, and my children

What's the best business advice you've ever been given?

 Be creative, work hard, and never give up. 

What would your dream project be? 

  I would love to create a non-profit arm of Linnea's Lights that would give back to society on a local and national level. 

What businesswomen do you look up to?

  Oprah, Estee Lauder, Coco Chanel

What advice do you have to entrepreneurs-to-be? 

Do what you love the most, do it with passion &  with a sense of humor and always, always treat others with respect.

If you could splurge on any one item for yourself, what would it be?  

A really beautiful vintage timepiece. 

*Doesn't Laura just sound lovely!? I couldn't agree more with her advice to entrepreneurs-to-be. Spot on. Good advice in general, really. 

And now for the third and final part of today's post. The Giveaway. One lucky reader will win one of the larger, double-wick candles, in one of her new spring fragrances: Violet. 

Contest winner will be announced Wednesday, February 15. 

*To enter please be a follower of my blog.*

-Please leave a comment (as usual, saying whatever you like). 

-For an additional entry: tweet about the giveaway with a link back to this post. Leave a comment to let me know you've done so. 

-For an additional entry: blog about the giveaway with a link back to this post. Leave a comment to let me know you've done so. 

PHEW! Excitement overload today. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted! 

Have a lovely Wednesday!! 

Shop Talk Interview #2

Happy Friday, everyone! It's time for the second installment of Shop Talk Interviews! Today we have the pleasure of hearing from Mary, owner of Rose Bredl, a flower and garden store in Short North Arts District of Columbus, Ohio. 

I am so excited to feature Mary's store! She has wonderful taste and is quite talented.  I'm fairly certain she'd be able to sell dandelions and other weeds though; she has a great personality and is such fun company! 

Three words to describe yourself. 

Unique. Loyal. Passionate.

Where do you find inspiration? 

 My team, magazines, shopping and blogs.

What's the best business advice you've been given?

 Success is loving what you do and loving how you do it. 

What would your dream project be? 

I would love to do the flowers for the cover of Martha Stewart Weddings.

What businesswomen do you look up to?

 Estee Lauder and Kate Spade. 

What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs-to-be?

You must be passionate about what you are doing and truly love it. You will know if you are in the right place. Surround yourself with amazing people who share your passion and take time to enjoy your success. 

If you could splurge on any one item, what would it be? 

A vintage Mercedes Station Wagon! 

Thank you, Mary, for giving us a look inside your shop! Did I mention Rose Bredl has a BLOG? Be sure to check it out!

XOXO,

Kelly 

Shop Talk: Interview #1

Happy Friday! I'm excited to announce an interview series I'm starting this morning, Shop Talk Interviews. I want to focus on interviewing creative ladies who have started their own business.

First up: Jenny Beck of Jenny Beck Photography! Jenny and I met through a mutual friend, and her photos never cease to amaze me! She shot our engagement photos and another session with Luca last spring. One of my biggest regrets on my wedding day is that I didn't kidnap Jenny and force her to take our wedding photos!

Three words to describe you:

Friendly. Sophisticated. Kind. 

Where do you find your inspiration for photos? 

I find my inspiration from any and everywhere.  Blogs, magazines, catalogs, flicker & everyday life.  Inspiration is everywhere when you start looking for it.

What would your "dream shoot" be? 

Ooooh...this one's a toughie.  Right now, my dream shoot would be a fun lifestyle family photoshoot (complete with hair, makeup, props) for 614 Magazine.  Or dreaming a little bigger...photographing for Gap Kids or doing a travel photoshoot for Sunset Magazine.

What's the best business advice you've been given?

The best advice I was given was, don't start a business until you're ready to actually be a business.  I took this pretty seriously.  There was no need to rush into this like some do.  I didn't want to be seen as someone who just picked up a camera and started a business.  Photography was a hobby for awhile until I decided to start taking it to the next level.  Once I did decide to go into business, it was tricky because I knew nothing about running a business.  I had to pave the way for myself and there were a few things I wish I had done before I took the leap.  First, I wish I had found Sage Wedding Pros blog at the beginning of my journey. They have so many business resources for small creative business owners.  They break down business tasks in a way I understand.  Like starting a business plan (and why it's important), accounting 101, business branding and so much more.  My business light bulb went off for the first time. I was no longer confused or frustrated, but instead grew excitement about the future of my business.

What other businesswomen do you look up to? 

Jasmine Star - Owner of Jasmine Star Photography, for being a rock star photographer and for growing such a successful photography business so quickly.  She's so knowledgeable and open about photography and running her business.  She runs several photography workshops and is a sought out speaker.

Jessica Cudzilo -- Owner of 503 Photography.  Jessica stays true to balance in her life.  I admire her honesty and soulful writing on her blog.  She has a passion for teaching and recently opened some online photography workshops for kids in addition to her adult classes. 

Jeni Britton Bauer -- Owner of Jeni's Ice Cream.  Jeni has found a unique niche, not only in Columbus, but in the national market.  She's a game changer and created a product that's new and unique in a market that's been around forever.  I just love her style and branding and feel the excitment of her business whenever I'm in one of her shops.

Ree Dummond -- Author of the Pioneerwoman Blog.  This stay at home rancher's wife has turned blogging into a successful (and profitable) business, all while totally being her witty self.  She now has a cookbook and her love story is published. 

What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs-to-be? 

Get your ducks in a row before you open the doors.  There is no rush to start a business.  Make sure you have a business plan, accounting system & branding thought out before you launch.  Obviously, that's in an ideal world, I know many of us get started by just doing things for friends and it grows from there.

Also, a valuable piece of advice I've learned recently and want to share: stop trying to be perfect.  In the process of growing my business, it became obvious that I wanted everything to be perfect.  I didn't want to make any mistakes and realized it was paralyzing my ability to make decisions.  I couldn't make any decisions because there were so many choices and I didn't want to go in the wrong direction.  I've finally realized that you have to be decisive in order to move forward, even if the results are less than ideal.  You learn and grown from these experiences.  When I read this, it hit home at a point that I was not able to move forward with my brand + business: Stop Trying to Be Perfect Article 

If you could splurge on any one item right now what would it be?

Frye Boots!  These or these.  They have been on my wish list for a while now.  I've heard their worth the money and last forever. I'm soooo good at talking myself into these things. 

Thanks again to Jenny doing this interview! If you're in the Columbus area and need a photographer, I HIGHLY recommend her! Did I mention she's a blogger!? 

It should be noted that my goal is do a lifestyle shoot this year with Jenny for our 2011 holiday card complete with, as Jenny puts it, "hair, makeup, props". How fun does that sound; images of Kate Spade ads are floating in my little imagination right now!!! All I have to do is convince Mr. Frankel that photo sessions are fun. 

To close out this post, here are some of my favorite photos that Jenny has taken for us! 

XOXO,

Kelly