NEW WINNER FOR PRAIRIE BLOSSOM GIFT CERTIFICATE

I have used random.org to select a new winner for the $25 gift certificate from Prairie Blossom Boutique.

Please email me at prairieblossomboutique@yahoo.ca.

Thanks!

GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

Congrats to Jody T and Rachel Nicole!

Jody T wins the $50 gift certificate from Prairie Blossom Boutique.  Please email me at prairieblossomboutique@yahoo.ca

Rachel Nicole wins the 12 Polaroid minis from Simply Rosie Photography.  Please email her at rosie@simplyrosie.ca

Thanks!
Irma
www.prairieblossom.com

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Prairie Blossom has reached a few milestones in the last few months and I think they are reason enough to give you, my fans, customers, friends a big thank you in the form of a giveaway!

When I first opened shop in January of 2010 I had absolutely no idea where this adventure would take me.  Through the ups and downs (yes there have been some downs) I am so happy I dove in and embraced the opportunity.  

I remember when I was in college our professor asked the students in one of our first classes what we wanted to be when we "grow up".  I was 19 at the time and when my turn came I announced that I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom one day.  I'm pretty sure there were a few surprised faces in that room because I was taking courses to become a business woman.  That feeling remained and now 10 plus years later with four kids I still want this more than ever.  Starting Prairie Blossom Boutique has not only afforded me the opportunity to be home with them but also made it possible to send them to the school of our choice.

Today I want to say thank you to you for making this a reality for me!  

This giveaway is very simple!  All you need to do is leave me a comment below to enter.

There will be two winners.  One winner will win a gift certificate from Prairie Blossom.  The other winner will receive a set of 12 mini Polaroid style images from Simply Rosie Photography.  She has been an incredible support and does most of my photography for Prairie Blossom. 

The giveaway will run until Friday 10 a.m. Central Time.  You're welcome to share with your friends but no obligations.  :)

Winners will be selected using Random.org and will be announced on Friday afternoon here and on Facebook.

Winners will have 48 hours to contact and claim their prize.  If no contact is established within 48 hours another winner will be selected and announced Monday, April 8.

One winner will receive:

One winner will received:

Thanks!

Irma

www.prairieblossom.com

Hello all!  I am very obviously failing at faithful blogging!  I admit, I don't love writing but am always hoping I'll find the time, the words to blog about something interesting.

I have ventured into a bit of a different line of crochet in the last while.  I started ordering some more luxurious yarns that I quickly fell in love with and am very inspired by.  I get some alpaca, mohair yarn in the mail and instantly I feel an urge to create something beautiful.  I don't look around to be inspired.  I just grab a skein of yarn and start crocheting without a final product in mind.  I'm inspired as I crochet.  Once the bonnet has come together I grab my basket of lace, silk, flowers (some handmade by me on a whim), buttons, etc. and start adding the final touches until the end result is something I can not wait to photograph and share with you all! 

I feel this design-as-you-create really shows who I am and reflects my taste and style down to the finest details.  I'm a bit of a romantic so soft yarns, florals, and silks are some of my favourite to work with. 

I create because I love to and it's very personal to me.  My business is first and foremost putting our kids through school.  Some mornings I wake up and my wrists and my hands ache, I feel stressed about business, don't have time to be a mother, a home maker, and I question why I do this but it boils down to what we feel is best for our children.  I have always dreamed of staying home with them to be their main caregiver and Prairie Blossom is allowing me to do that.  I feel truly blessed.

I create from the heart and try my best to find originality in my work.  I don't allow myself to look too much at other crochet businesses because I want to create something that expresses my style.  Being "original" is not an easy task in our world where we have everything at our fingertips with the click of a button.

Having said that, I appreciate all my customers tremendously and thank you all for reading through some of my more personal thoughts.

Here are a few images of some of my creations that came together by just sitting down on my couch with beautiful yarn, crochet hooks, lace, flowers, buttons, silk...and a little toddler wanting every bit of my attention.  :)

As a thank you I would like to offer a 10% discount for the month of November.  Coupon code THANKYOU

Regards,
Irma
www.prairieblossom.com

New Design at Prairie Blossom!

Hello everyone!

I've been busy coming up with a few new designs in the last while and am so excited to finally be able to introduce them to you!  My sister from Simply Rosie Phogotraphy is expecting baby number four so she shared with me a few ideas of what style of hat she would like for her baby's pictures when he/she arrives.  So I got to work!  I ordered some luxuriously soft mohair yarn and fell in love with it as soon as I received it.  My 20-month old can't get enough of this yarn either!  Every time I pull it out he goes crazy.  :)

My mother has been sewing ever since she was a young girl.  She has a stash of leftover fabrics that she was happy to pass on to me (Love her).  I dug through some of her collections and handmade some flowers to go with my new designs.  Each flower is unique and although they might look similar no two will ever be identical. 

After completing a few hats I started my search for a photographer that I felt would photograph my little hats in a way that I had imagined!  I came across Caralee Case Photography and fell in love with her style immediately!  Here are pictures of a few of the hats I sent her!  Thank you Caralee!

These hats are made with newborn photographers and expectant mom's in mind so at this time will be offered only in newborn size.  Little babies just look so adorable wearing them! 

Since I'm already so busy filling orders on all my other hats I will be listing these in my shop in limited quantities and on specific days (to be announced).  So they will be sold on a first-come basis.

Hope you enjoyed the sneek peek!  I am working on a few right now and will announce their availability on my Facebook Page so be sure to head over there and like Prairie Blossom so you can easily find me.

I'm also excited to be a sponsor for the Creative Captures Photography Workshop with Caralee Case and Jennifer Nace.  I will be creating something for each student in the workshop.

Irma
www.prairieblossom.com

Giveaway Winners

Thanks to everyone that entered the giveaway!

Winners were selected by random.org as follows:

#36 ~ Hana Foto

#40 - Jill Snyder

Winners have 24 hours to contact me at

prairieblossomboutique@yahoo.ca

Congrats!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE

ANNOUNCED TOMORROW

GIVEAWAY TIME!



As a way to celebrate Prairie Blossom's two-year anniversary as well as reaching the 1000-sale milestone on Etsy I'm going to give away two earflap hats! Currently the earflap hats are available for purchase in my shop but I'm adding a fleece liner to these. The fleece liners are sewn into the hats and are so cozy! My girls are wearing them this winter and I love that they can stay warm but still wear darling hats. The liners are designed by my very talented sister Vera (Thanks so much!). These fleece-lined hats will become available to everyone for purchase later this year so this is your chance to get one before the official release!

Adult size hats are still in the design phase so this giveaway is for two lined earflap hats available in 0-3, 3-6, 6-12, 12-24 months, 2T-4T, and 5T-Preteen.

There will be two winners.

If you live in a warmer climate you can still enter the giveaway but request an unlined hat if you are the winner.

You only need to complete one of the following to get an entry. For additional entries complete one or more of the following options:

1. Facebook. Post about this giveaway and link back to this blogpost.

2. Twitter. Tweet about this giveaway and link back to this blogpost.

3. Blog. Blog about this giveaway and link back to this blogpost.

4. Head over to my Facbook page and like Prairie Blossom (www.facebook.com/prairieblossom)

For each of the above that you complete you must comment separately here with a link to your post. So if you want four chances to win you must leave four comments below.

The value of the giveaway is $38 - $45 per winner depending on size of hat chosen.

This giveaway will run from Monday, January 16 - Thursday, January 19 (2 pm central time). Winners will be randomly selected by random.org and will be announced on Friday, January 20 here as well as Facebook. Winners will have 24 hours to contact me.

Introducing....

Hi readers!

Hope you are all doing well and finding time to do all things you love this summer! I've been MIA here for quite some time as I'm sure some of you have noticed. I find our summers are so short that I have to take as much time as I can to be outside and enjoy the kids before they go back to school.

In my absence here I have been busy designing a new line of hats. I have been wanting to do something that is, stylish, vintage, and shabby chic. I started with a base pattern and worked from there to create an earflap hat that's unique to Prairie Blossom!

I love the "vintage" look the shell stitching adds to this hat. The stitches are fun, sweet, and add a beautiful texture!

Where does shabby come into the picture? Each hat comes with a securely attached frayed chiffon rose. They are sweet and completely iresistible! Some available colours are fuschia, light pink, plum, teal, nude, light blue, and violet.

These hats will be posted in my Etsy shop over the next few days and weeks and they will be sold at an introductory price for a limited time so be sure to get yours!

Also, for the month of August everyone that purchases a hat from Prairie Blossom will be entered into a draw to win any hat of choice from my shop! One entry per purchase so the more hats you buy the higher your chance of winning!

Here are some pictures!

Handmade Friday

We're just getting into all that summer's have to offer and it's keeping me away from the computer a bit more so I've missed a few Handmade Friday features now! I'm sure you will enjoy what I have for you today!

I stumbled across You're It a while back and fell in love with their blocks! I'm always drawn to vintage inspired items and of course the super pictures jumped out at me while browsing on Etsy!

You're It is a husband and wife team who have an awesome talent in creating these beautiful blocks! Here's a blurb from their profile: We decided to start You're It when we had trouble finding affordable, unique items at the big box stores for our little boy. Thank you so much for sharing your lovely creations with us!

I can dream up an entire nursery just looking at these blocks.

Here are just a few things you can do with them: Decorate a room, educate, gift for baby shower or Birthday, photography prop.

Plus they will personalize the blocks with a name, 123's, or abc's at no extra charge! How cool is that?

If and when I get around to redecorating my girl's room these are something that will definately be on my list to buy.

Enjoy!



Go show them some love!

Etsy

Facebook

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!
Irma
Prairie Blossom

Mother's Day Contest Winners!!

We have three winners for the Mother's Day contest! You are all deserving of this and thank you so much for participating! Looking forward to hear from you!

Irma

Prairie Blossom

Laken & Lila

Good Friday morning! Hope you are all have a great start to this Easter weekend! My sister from the province next door is visiting this weekend so I'm looking forward to a lot of family time.

Today's handmade feature goes to Laken & Lila. Heather creates a wonderful variety of clothing for boys, girls, and even mommy and me outfits! Her fabric choices and clothing styles provide an outfit for just about anyone's taste. My personal favourites are the smocked and peasant dresses.

My girls have a few skirts from her and they are a big hit. I thought for sure by this year they would have outgrown them but to my surprise they are still fitting nicely so you get a lot of wear from them. They will definately get worn during the warm summer months.

Heather has a Skirt of the Month Club where you will receive a surprise skirt of her choice in the mail every month for 12 months for just $156. That's $12 per skirt so you save $6 for every skirt you get! How awesome is that?

I have had the pleasure of matching hats to a few of her outfits and look forward to more opportunities to do just that.

Laken & Lila was chosen as one of Babble.com's top 50 Etsy baby stores for 2011. Number 6 in clothing. No wonder!

Here is a collection of items you will find in her store:









You can visit Laken & Lila here:

Etsy Shop

Facebook

Irma
Etsy Shop

Handmade Friday

Goodmorning! I'm excited to tell you that I will try to feature some of my favourite handmade sellers here every Friday because there are so many fabulous and creative people out there!

Today's feature is from Baby Jives. The artist behind the gorgeous, whimsical mobiles is Jahje. Here's a blurb from her profile:

"I believe that the things we surround our children with should be as wonderful and imaginative as they are. With that in mind, I am trying to make some magic that will last long after the crib is gone. As a mobile is often thought of as a "disposable item" I aim to make a mobile which will grow up with a child and hang in their room for years as a work of art that isn't outgrown."

She was chosen as one of Babble's top 50 Etsy Baby shops for 2011 and so deserving of that! www.babble.com

Be sure to check out her shop to see all of her beautiful items.

Here are a few:



Also be sure to watch her video to see how they move!

Baby Jives Video

Visit Baby Jive's shop:

Baby Jives Shop

Show her some love on Facebook:

Baby Jives Facebook

Have an awesome weekend!
Irma
Prairie Blossom

Final Five for the Mother's Day Contest!

Goodmorning everyone! Thanks to everyone for entering the giveaway! I have narrowed it down to the final five using random.org. Here is a screenshot of them. You will have until Wednesday, April 20 to submit a brief story to me about the anticipation of becoming a mom (expectant), being a mom, about your mother, or a friend of yours who is a mother. Feel free to include a picture so voters can see who is behind the story. Email stories to me at prairieblossomboutique@yahoo.ca. Please contact me if you have any questions. Voting will begin on April 20 once all entries have been received.



In case those are hard to read here is the list:

#10 - Kat (fastkat@gmail.com)
#12 - Oksana (ksyshenka@yahoo.com)
#17 - Aik
#25 - Amber D (penguinlover_23@yahoo.com)
#39 - Menucha Jewelry

Congrats and I'm really looking forward to receiving and reading your story because we all have one!

Irma
Prairie Blossom

Mother's Day Contest! CLOSED

Hello everyone and especially to all you mothers and expectant mothers! I think Mother's deserve to be celebrated every day of the year for their hard work and unconditional love to those they care for. It makes me so happy that one day a year is set aside to show our appreciation for our mother's. I feel utlimately blessed for the mother I have. She is tenderhearted and has always been there for me and my 11 siblings! Yes, she bore 12 children and in my eyes is the strongest woman I have ever come in contact with. I pray that one day I will be like her and if anyone ever tells me that I resemble her either in looks or personality that is the highest compliment for me. She is a Godly woman and prays for her children and her grandchildren (50+) each day! We are so blessed to have her in our lives.

So, in celebrating mothers and expectant mother's at Prairie Blossom this year I have come up with a three-step contest for you.

1. I invite you to simply leave a comment on this blog post to be entered for a chance to get a gift! I will be giving away three gifts. First prize will receive a $60 gift certificate, second prize a $30 gift certificate, and third prize a $15 gift certificate. You will have until Wednesday, April 13 to enter here so pass this link on to anyone you think should win.

2. Five people will be randomly selected using random.org. When five people have been selected they will be required to submit a brief story about life as a mom, or about your anticipation of becoming a mom. If you would like to surprise your mother with a gift from Prairie Blossom tell us a bit about your mother and why you would like her to win. Or if you have a friend who is a mother and think she should win tell us about her. Stories need to be submitted to prairieblossomboutique@yahoo.ca. Deadline will be Wednesday, April 20.

3. Five stories will be published on my Facebook page for everyone to vote for the winner! Top three votes will win prize 1, 2, and 3. Voting will take place from April 20 until Wednesday, April 27.

So get your chance in by commenting below! Good luck everyone!

Camping...

I find this time of year brings to mind all the things I love to do in the summer and camping happens to be one of them! My parents own a 160 acre wilderness property just over 30 minutes from our place and it is the absolute favourite place to go for us! Camping there consists campfires, delicious meals cooked on open fire, and very dirty children! Since our baby will be one this summer we are hoping to head out a few times to enjoy nature and some quiet time with those dearest to us. In thought of that, I curated a treasury of some beautifuly items on Etsy that remind me of camping, and forests. And since I love vintage finds I threw in a couple of those as well!



Have a great day!

Irma
www.pblossomboutique.etsy.com

Fan Challenge

I'm always brainstorming new ways of growing my fan/customer base so here is an incentive for you!

For every 5 contacts/friends you refer to my Facebook page (They have to "Like" my page) you will receive 10% off your next order. If you refer 10 people you get 20%, 15 you get 30%. 30% is the maximum you can receive.

Here's how you make your referrals count. They have to write on Prairie Blossom's wall saying you sent them including first and last name so I know who to give credit to. If new fans don't tell me who sent them then I can't give you credit...very important.

If you want to post to your status you could say something like: Head over to @Prairie Blossom Boutique, become a fan and post on her wall that I sent you and then check out her blog to see how you can participate.

This opportunity will run until March 31 and whoever has the highest number of referrals will win a little something :)

I will issue coupon codes after March 31.

Have fun!

More Options With Hats

Happy Friday! I'm so excited that spring is officially two days away! I know that doesn't guarantee green grass and beautiful flowers just yet but makes me hopeful that summer is around the corner!

Ever wish you could get more out of one purchase? I have recently introduced clip-on flowers for my hats. You can now purchase any style hat with three interchangeable flowers for $6 more. This allows you to wear that hat by itself or with one of the three flowers to match more outfits. Plus you can wear the clips by themselves! So with one purchase you can create 7 looks! My girls absolutely love wearing the clips in their hair. I will also be introducing headbands in the near future and will incorporate them into a package deal as well. Here's an example of a hat with three clips:

Wishing for Spring

We're 4 days into March and the itch for spring is becoming very apparent in our home! Green grass, swimming pools, flowers, birds, fresh veggies from the garden are a very common topic these days. I just love the sparkling eyes and broad smiles on my kids when we talk of spring and summer. Living in a climate with extreme cold temperatures really causes one to appreciate the few warm months we get to embrace each year. Having said that, I do love our climate changes. We get a bit of everything here.

On another note, I love window shopping on Etsy! I recently joined a team on Etsy and that has gotten me into window shopping and I'm fascinated every day with the beautiful handmade items you can find there! I have also made some purchases already and have loved everything I've received so far! Here is one treasury I made a few days ago.



Happy Friday and hope you all have a good weekend!

New Design!

I've had slouchy newsboys on my mind since I started Prairie Blossom. They have always been one of my personal favourites. Since sales have slowed down since the holiday rush I've had some time to design. I spent enough hours designing that I even dreamt of slouchy's a few nights!

You might be curious what my design process is? I'm not one to sit down with a pen and paper and write out a pattern or sketch or anything like that. An idea or stitch combination comes to mind and when I have some time I get the hook and yarn out and start working. I have a clear vision of the finished product so with that in mind I keep my girls handy and try the hat on as I crochet. Something doesn't look quite right, I unravel and change it a bit. Sometimes the entire hat gets unravelled but in the end I've created exactly what I had envisioned. I am very happy with my final product and love the look the create on my girlies! They are already available in my Etsy shop so you can head over there to check them out.

On a nonbusiness topic, it's mid February and we are longing for spring to come upon us! We had a few snow-melting days last week and quickly got spoiled by it. We're back into a stretch of cold weather here but hope it won't last too long! The kids and I frequently talk about going outside with bare feet, planting the garden, and all the other exciting things that come with spring!

WINNER!!!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway!

I used the number generator on random.org and it selected comment #41 so that would mean Melissa is the lucky girl today!

Please email me at prairieblossomboutique@yahoo.ca to confirm.