Meet the Model: Rachel

Ivy & Me ladies rock the house! Our models aren't just pretty faces; they are MAJOR brainiacs, too! 

Rachel's primping session underway.

Meet Rachel, our newest model, who also happens to be a recently graduated chiropractor. 

Rachel is a bubbly Midwestern gal with a love for outdoor sports. She had us laughing throughout the whole photo shoot with her contagious enthusiasm. We had so much fun - and even more so when we found out the day of the shoot was Rachel's birthday! Now that's dedication!

That's Ivy & Me, a happy-go-lucky, stress-free zone!

Fun dancing around in our light and flirty lavender and neon yellow skirt.

Rachel lent us her cute nails for our marbled clutch pic.
Find our colorful clutches in our Etsy store.

Our Summer Sale is Finally Here!

Tote-ally Trendy

No accessory shouts "It's summertime! Woo!" quite like the tote bag. They're so useful and easy to manage; plus, you take a piece of the beach with you everywhere you go!

Me with my hand-painted Ivy & Me Poppy Tote

Meredith and I love to use our Ivy & Me totes as convenient around-the-town purses. And I'm all about convenience. Wherever I go, I'm usually running late, so the bag has my phone/wallet/keys in it is the one that's coming with me. Lucky for me, our totes are pretty neutral and go with most things I wear.

Meredith showing off one of our yellow pattern 
creations in old St. Augustine, FL

What's even better - these roomy carry-alls are trending this summer. We see them everywhere, dressed up or down, and especially in Hollywood. Celebs love totes!

Jessica Biel with a Lauren Moshi tote bag

Reese Witherspoon totes a casual bag
with a sweet message
by Jodi Guber and Andre Charles

Jessica Alba and Reese Witherspoon both dress it up
with a sequined tote by Vanessa Bruno.
(Reese is clearly all about the totes!) 

7 Must-see Indie Craft Vendors

The Indie Craft Experience sure does bring creative souls together in one place! We had a great time and really enjoyed meeting new people from all around the country. Many of the ICE vendors were locals, but a few traveled from afar just to participate in the Atlanta event. 

Here are a few of the clothing and accessories craftspeople whose fabulous wares and fun personalities really made our weekend.


Needle & Thread

Heart Felt's sweet booth,
just down the aisle from ours.

Heart Felt and its owner and crafter, Aviva Kleiner, are both ridiculously adorable. Aviva is a marketer from the Windy City who makes pretty little accessories by night. Her girly felt headbands, fascinators and jewelry are perfect for cutesy-ing up your wardrobe or adding a touch of vintage mystique. Aviva, you succeeded in warming our hearts!

Ashley's aprons inspired us to
break out our old copy Atlanta Cooknotes.

Classic Southern Charm. In case we had forgotten we were in the deep South, Ashley Thaxton brought us back with her colorful patterned aprons and ultra-feminine hair accessories. Bringing a touch of pinup glam to the fair, Ashley's platinum locks and killer style made her the center of attention, and her wares will most certainly establish her new brand on the Southern craft scene.


We chatted up Brooke Helfen of So She Sews, a creative collection of clothes made from vintage fabrics and home accessories made from recycled materials. We are always thrilled to meet proponents of eco-friendly practices, especially when super-cute crafts are involved.


Megan from Meg + Milo was at ICE showing off samples of her vibrant silk scarves and clothes. If you hadn't already noticed, we love bright and cheery colors, so we went wild over the rainbow on Meg's clothes rack. Lovely creations!


Metalworks & Stuff

Ashley Buchanan's ICE booth
was truly a display of modern art.

I am a total sucker for jewelry, especially when the designs blend beauty and brains. Ashley Buchanan creates gorgeous, original pieces by hand-cutting and powder coating metals. Her bold cuts evoke a curious interplay between modern industrial minimalism and vintage silhouette form. The result is a futuristic style that stands out from the crowd.

Tara Christensen of Hot Pink Poo was there to strut her stuff. Her eclectic jewelry for guys and gals turned some heads... Clearly, since we left her booth with a badass Swiss-army knife necklace.

Raven Henderson and Ashley and Alanna Coxwell shared a booth with various craft labels, including Common Artery and Addicted to Words. These sweethearts crafted up a storm before heading over from Alabama to show their reclaimed knick-knacks, terrariums and jewelry. I won't lie, the writer in me drooled a little bit over their refashioned old book journals (check out this one from their Etsy shop).

Our ICE booth and NEW Accessories

The Indie Craft Experience Summer Market 2012 came to a close yesterday evening. As Ivy & Me's first show, it was quite an experience, indeed! We were very proud of our little booth.

Have a look at some pics of our booth and our exciting new featured accessories.

"Welcome to our closet!"

                                                                                                                                                          

New Accessories!

Our dresser bursting with new accessories.

Ivy & Me Apparel presented our new clutch purses, pouches and jewelry at the ICE fair. 
They were a huge hit!


As always, everything is handmade by us.

Hand-dyed and sewn
Yellow Rope Loop Necklace

Bright Blue Knotted Necklace

One of our new clutch purses,
hand-marbled version.

One of our new pouches,
yellow painted pattern version.
Use it as a makeup bag!

Our new button earrings,
hand-marbled version.

Here's your guide to the ICE Summer Market

The countdown to the Indie Craft Experience Summer Market on June 2-3 is ticking away. 

It'll be here before you can say Good Food Truck!

While we're finishing up some of our fabulous new accessories, take a look at the 

Ambient + Studio pics. 

Cool space, huh?

Ivy & Me's booth is #43. 

Conveniently located near the dressing rooms... and King of Pops!

Here's the booth map and list of vendors so you can plan your walking tour of the 

ICE Summer Market.

Don't miss the photo booth, the craft competition and the art swap!

 See the map below for the location of this feisty craft fair:

Ambient + Studio is located at  585 Wells Street  Atlanta, GA 30312.

Summer Trend: Ditch the coffee and grab neon!

This summer, bright colors are HOT.


From vibrant tangerine to chartreuse to hot pink, energizing neons will take over your wardrobe like wildfire.


Why are neons the summer trend?


You can strategically brighten up your neutrals or more subtle colors with a pop of neon color. Add a fluorescent accessory to your outfit for a boost.


For the bold, wearing neon from head to toe is in. Talk about a head-turner!


Plus, neons look good with any skin tone. And they make your tan go wild!

Nasty Gal bag

Marc by Marc Jacobs scarf

Shoes by Zara

Come to the ICE Summer Market!

Howdy y'all!

We are mega-uber-ultra excited to be in the Indie Craft Experience Summer Market 

on June 2-3! 

This fair is hosted by the same group that put together the awesomeness that was Salvage in April, 

and will again be at the urban-industrial Ambient Plus Studio.

Don't forget to stop by Ivy & Me's crafty little boudoir.

We'll be featuring a bunch of new clothes and accessories we know you'll love!

Win an Ivy & Me Poppy Tote Bag!

Enter to win a tote bag in honor of Mother’s Day! 

We are giving away a hand-painted, hand-stitched canvas Poppy Tote to one lucky winner.

This handy and feminine bag is the perfect Mother's Day gift for a special person in your life... or you can always just keep it for yourself!

Our hand-painted, hand-stitched canvas Poppy Tote
This little gem of a tote is a $30 value!

Giveaway Contest Rules:

Send us an email at giveaway@ivyandmeapparel.com with your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and blog links to show you’ve taken the following actions:

1. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ivyandmeapparel

2. Follow us on Twitter @ivyandmeapparel

3. Tweet about our giveaway with a link back to our blog: ivyandmeapparel.blogspot.com

* For every picture you pin from our shop on Pinterest, we will enter your name again for better odds! Just tell us how many pins and where to find them.

** If you blog about the giveaway, we will enter your name again for better odds!

*** Tell us if someone referred you, and we will enter that person’s name twice. Share the love!

This contest is only available to residents of the USA. Sorry to all our international friends.

We will verify all the information you give us, so please make sure your information is correct. Don’t worry, we will not share your information with anyone or spam your inbox.

Enter by April 30th at 11:59 p.m. We will announce the winner on May 1st. Good luck!

The fine print: Name draw is completely arbitrary and computer-generated. We will announce the winner on our blog and Facebook and send the winner an email. If the recipient does not respond within 3 days of the draw, we will select an alternate winner. This product can not be exchanged for credit or compensation. Please note that colors may vary slightly due to photography or monitor colors.

SCAD Style Week

This week we're attending various lectures at the Savannah College of Art and Design's Style Week, Atlanta campus. 


This morning we listened to a presentation by Surface magazine's style director, Gregory Wein, on tips for breaking into the world of fashion. We're looking forward to a lecture by the Vice President of Pantone, Laurie Pressman, later this afternoon.


For SCAD Style Week info and schedule of lectures, visit scadstyle.com.

SCAD's Trois gallery is featuring presenter
Mimi Plange's women's wear collection.

Salvage: A Modern Vintage Marketplace

Today we went to see  the Salvage fair in Atlanta.

Outside of Ambient Plus Studio.

Vintage items and King of Pops
in the PBR Lounge.

                               

Vendors selling their vintage items and handmade goods.


I was good today, I left with only one purchase!
Looking forward to the next I.C.E event....

The website

Take a peek at our new website!

www.ivyandmeapparel.com

Thank you, thank you to Tim Shaw for creating a beautiful site for Ivy & Me.

Check back with us for more news, DIYs and giveaways!

3 Must-see Nashville Boutiques

We've met some fabulous emerging designers here in Nashville and have visited some great little shops. These three boutiques are our personal faves, not only for their shopping, but also because of the people behind the garments.

Stacy and the designer of Tuft, Jessica Jones, posing
with the Tuft installation at Nashville Fashion Week

House of Stella This family-owned shop in Cool Springs made us want to sit down for a tea party - but to a punk rock soundtrack. They carry trendy and affordable clothes, accessories and home goods. And they love cats. One of the owners, Stacy, is a young fashion designer herself and a total hoot. We were there to visit the shop and to see the Tuft trunk show, but we really had a blast chatting with Stacy over some Starbucks.

Abby Palmer and Emily of Wai Ming
at Emmaline

Emmaline For the sophisticated shopper seeking designer labels, Emmaline is the Franklin shop to see. The owner's name is Abby Palmer, and she was very friendly and engaging. Emily Brady Koplar, the designer for Wai Ming, was there for her trunk show. We were excited to talk to her and see the pieces from her runway show on Wednesday evening. The collection was just as beautiful up close as it was onstage. Come to think of it, we really loved all of the clothes at Emmaline!

Local Honey

Local Honey This consignment shop in Hillsboro is the talk of the town. Literally - everyone we've talked to about the Nashville fashion market has directed us to Local Honey. They carry local designs (hence the name) with trendy and eclectic styles. We haven't yet met the owner, Shea, but we did get to see her designs for her line, White Rabbit, at tonight's fashion show. She shares a studio upstairs at Local Honey with one of our favorites, Jamie and the Jones.

Notes from Nashville

We're in Nashville for the 2012 Fashion Week!

We loooove Nashville! This city is so quaint and the people are lovely. The very essence of Southern charm.

 Meredith at The Factory in Franklin,
ready to whip up some home cookin' 
in her pale marbled skirt.

We've seen 15 designers show at the Marathon Music Works, most of them local but some from all around the US. Tuesday and Wednesday nights were runway shows and tonight was a set of artsy installations. Local boutiques and salons are also hosting daytime events and trunk shows.

Yesterday we visited Local Honey in Hillsboro. The shop carries several local designers like Jamie and the Jones, White Rabbit and Chase Ash. The young designers Local Honey features are fun and eclectic and their wares are totally affordable. It was an exercise in self-discipline to walk out of there empty-handed.

*Highlight of the day!* One of our favorite design teams, Jamie and the Jones, happened to be working in their studio on the second floor. Hannah and Jamie graciously came down to chat with us for a few minutes, though they must be in a rush to get ready for their Saturday show. They are two very cool chicks.

We are having tons o' fun and meeting some awesome people in the Nashville fashion scene. I do believe we shall make our little Southern road trip complete and catch some live country music after the fashion show tomorrow night! 

Springtime in the city

You know spring has officially sprung here in Atlanta when everything gets coated with yellow pollen overnight.


The trees and flowers have burst into color all at once. In fact, the pear trees in our backyard have bloomed and are losing their white flowers so quickly, I have a suspicion it'll be an early summer this year. 


Ahh, spring colors and blossoms. Maybe they'll be sweet and stay awhile. 

Blooms outside our studio windows.

Say hello to my little friend.

How to make distressed jean shorts

Distressed jean shorts are a summer must-have! If you don’t own a pair, make one with some old jeans from the back of your closet. You can either bleach the jeans for a dramatic destroyed appearance or use sandpaper for a more subtle worn look.

Here’s how to create a DIY pair of distressed jean shorts.

Notes for your safety:

* If you are under 18, ask an adult for help.
* Bleach your jeans in a well-ventilated area.
* If you get any bleach on your skin, wash it off immediately or it will burn you.

Supplies:

Pair of old jeans (bleaching looks better on blue denim rather than dark indigo)

Garbage bags or plastic sheet

Paper towels

Chalk 

Fabric scissors
Sponge, unused and cut in half
Box cutter
Gloves
Mask

Clorox bleach
Sandpaper

Step 1: 

Lay jeans flat on surface protected with plastic and paper towels, preferably near a sink. Choose length of jean shorts. With chalk, draw a line on one leg. Flip jeans over and draw line on back. *Back must be longer than front.* Join the two lines with chalk.

Step 2: 

Take fabric scissors and cut along the line. Cut from the front to the back, through one layer of fabric so as to not cut front and back the same length. Don’t worry about cutting perfectly, as fabric will fray in the wash.

Once you’ve removed one leg, fold jeans in half so back pockets meet. Use your cut leg to trace line on other leg for symmetry. Cut along new line. Fold jeans in opposite direction so the front pockets meet. Cut along chalk line.

 

Tip: To give the jeans a more destroyed look, *very carefully* use a box cutter to wear the edges of the fabric. Use on pockets, zipper cover, waist.

Step 3: 

Mark in chalk areas you want to sandpaper or bleach. Target front thighs, back sitting areas, belt loopholes and edges.  

For a sandblasted, subtle look (without the mess), rub selected areas with sandpaper instead of using bleach. You're done!

Step 4: 

Wear a mask and put on gloves. Pour some bleach on sponge and wipe the bleach into the selected areas on the jeans. Bleach front and then back of jeans. *If you get any bleach on your skin, wash it immediately.* Let sit until bleached fabric achieves desired color. The longer you leave the bleach on, the more dramatic the results.

Step 5: 


Wash jean shorts in machine by themselves. Hang dry. Touch up any areas with sandpaper.

Rock your new distressed jean shorts!