Lifestyle Accessories

If we have been quiet here at TPL this summer, it is because we have been hard at work on a new project.  After many Starbucks coffees and Twizzlers, we are so excited to share it with you!

Someone once told me that Preppy isn't a style.  While the statement was meant to hurt me, it didn't.  I realized that she was right.  Preppy isn't just a style; it's a Lifestyle!  It isn't just in the way we dress.  It's the way we live our whole lives, and in honor of that, The Preppy Ladybug is pleased to introduce our new line of Lifestyle Accessories!

You may remember earlier this year we launched a round of cell phone cases.  Now there are even more designs to choose from, and even more phones are supported!

Premium 3D Cell Phone Case, $49

We released iPad and Tablet Cases in April, which are a crowd favorite.  In addition to Premium Canvas and Vinyl Cases, we have now added Tablet Sleeves.  These 10" sleeves are made of neoprene and have a durable zipper to protect your precious tablet.

Tablet Sleeve, $32

Premium Vinyl Tablet Case, $65

Premium Canvas Tablet Case, $65

If you love the new tablet sleeves, but need something bigger for that laptop you tote to the office everyday, we have that too!  Laptop sleeves are available in two sizes - 13" for the smaller laptops and netbooks, and 17" for the larger 15-17" laptops.  I have a 17" MacBook and haven't ever found a cute case that will fit.  I will tell you from personal experience that this one is not only adorable, but it is roomy enough to allow me to carry accessories too!

Laptop Sleeve, 13"-$36 or 17"-$42

To keep the office theme going, and just in time for school to start, we also have Mousepads, Clipboards, and Note Cubes.  Our mousepads have a high density rubber backing to stand up to everyday wear and tear.

Mousepad, $15

Clipboards make a perfect gift idea for teachers or coaches, and the surface even doubles as a dry-erase board.  How cool is that?!  

Clipboard, $32

If you love sticky notes as much as I do, you have to have one of these Note Cubes!  Your design is printed on all four sides of the cube, and it comes with 700 sticky notes!

Note Cube, $30

Who doesn't love a good koozie?  When I was in college, I carried one in my purse because I never knew when I might need it!  These collapsible koozies are easy to carry and fit on 12oz. cans and bottles.  This one takes me back to my college days, and shows how versatile the design can be!  To order one like this, select a monogram and make a note in the special request box to add wording in the font of your choice on top!

Can Koozie, $12

Koozies aren't just for cans!  Check out our new wine sleeves, made from the same neoprene material as our koozies.  I thought of my good friend who lives in Hoboken, NJ while I was designing these.  A lot of restaurants in Hoboken are BYOB and this would be perfect for her to keep her wine chilled!  They are also great for entertaining, and make a great hostess gift when paired with our Coasters!

Wine Sleeve, $25

As mentioned above, our new rubber backed Coasters are fun and keep unwanted rings off your nice furniture!  They come in sets of 4 and are a great way to add color to any party!

Coasters (Set of 4), $20

Need a gift for the chef in your life?  Our Cutting Boards come in 2 sizes and are perfect for amateurs or experienced chefs!

Cutting Board, Small - $36 or Large - $42

Last, but not least are our Melamine Plates and Platters that have been on our website for a little while now, but are included in this collection.  We can't wait to use ours for tailgating this fall!

Melamine Platters, $34

Did you notice that our website got a facelift?  We love the new style, and have made it even easier to choose your personalization options!  The Background patterns and other options are now in a central location and linked to from each listing to make it easy for you to choose just what you want every time!

We hope that you like our new Lifestyle Accessories, and invite you to take 25% off your order this weekend!  Use code TPL25 at checkout.

We will be adding more products soon including Luggage Tags, Picture Frames, Acrylic Trays, Coffee Mugs, Water Bottles, Door Mats, and more!!

Happy Anniversary!

Nine years ago, I met my best friend on Spring Break in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  We knew (or at least I did) from the moment we met that it was something special.  We both attended Auburn University, had the same group of friends, and would be staying in the same beach house for a week.  We had our first date that week at the "nicest" restaurant in town.

I had no idea what would happen when our Spring Break ended and we returned to reality.  To my surprise and relief, not much changed!  The weeks turned into months, and the months turned into years.  Our relationship never wavered, only growing stronger.  We graduated from college and moved to Atlanta together. 

Five years ago, on Memorial Day weekend, we planned our annual trip to Gulf Shores with friends for the long weekend.  On Sunday morning, we awoke long before anyone else did.  Shawn suggested a drive around town to check out the damage and re-building from a recent hurricane and I agreed.  We drove down Beach Road, where our Spring Break house once stood.  Sadly, it had been destroyed in the hurricane, and not even a driveway was left.  When Shawn finally pulled into the public beach parking lot and suggested a walk on the beach, I knew my dreams were coming true.  He got down on one knee, and across the bay from where we had our first date, asked me to be his wife. 

One year later, we said "I will" in front of our friends, family, and God at Church of the Holy Communion in Charleston, South Carolina.  It was the happiest day of my life and I couldn't ask for a better husband.  He has stood by my side and supported me through both the good times and bad times.  He is my rock and my strength when I can't find mine.  I love him more than anything in the world, and am thankful that God has given me this special gift.

Happy Anniversary and I look forward to the what the rest of our lives bring!

The love of my life!

Our Wedding Party (minus the ring bearer)

Congratulations Class of 2012!

My cousin, Victoria, recently graduated from West Forsyth High School.  She sent out the generic graduation announcements that the school provides, but when her dad told her that she could have a party, she knew it was time to come to me for invitations!  Victoria wanted something fun and girly, but that still had a graduation feel to it.  That was all I needed to hear - I ran with it and this is what we came up with!

 

The invitation has a 1-1/2" satin ribbon sandwiched between two layers of cardstock.  Her monogram in the graduation cap added a personal touch to the design.  We added a map card for family and friends coming from afar, and a lined envelope.  Victoria also had matching address labels for the back of the envelope.

The day of Victoria's graduation was perfect!  Our family cheered when she received her diploma.  Victoria is a beautiful young lady with a strong soul that we are very proud of!  Here are some pictures from my cell phone

Me, Victoria, Meredith (sister)

Congratulations Class of 2012!

Once we got the business out of the way, it was time to party!  The celebration was held at the neighborhood pool and my uncle grilled juicy hamburgers and hotdogs!  Everyone had a great time!

Congratulations Victoria

My Family

Congratulations Victoria!  We wish you all the best at college in the fall!

A Clean Studio is a Happy Studio

Good Morning Prepsters!

I am still working on those New Years Resolutions!

I have been on Weight Watchers for 2 weeks now and am down 5 pounds!  Only 10 or 15 pounds to go.  I could probably get there faster if I worked out more often, but I guess that gives me something to work on!  I did purchase the new Your Shape Fitness game for my Kinect, because I was told it kicks your butt!  I'll let you know!

(via Amazon)

One of my other Resolutions was to get organized.  I am happy to say that I am on my way to a more organized life!  I worked for HOURS this weekend organizing my studio/office.  After a very busy holiday season at The Preppy Ladybug, my space was a disaster!  I am too embarrassed to post before pictures, but I am so proud of my after pictures!  Take a look at my "new" space:

My closet is the best!  My husband installed shelving units and removed the doors for easy access. I can store all of my supplies and easily grab what I need!  I made the bulletin board on the right side of the closet.  I bought a poster frame from Walmart, painted the frame white, and glued corkboard to the cardboard on the back!  It was really easy and it looks great in my room!  Below that is my beloved study board from college.  I can take projects to the living room and have a flat surface to work on while we watch TV.

My desk is from Ikea - I bought the top and the legs separately to customize my work space.  I love my dual monitors.  They work with my MacMini or my MacBook so I can see what I am doing!  To the right of my desk is a white board where I can keep track of all of my orders.  If you look closely, you can see the Lilly shift dress magnets!

My printers sit just to the left of my desk so I can easily access them while I'm working on the computer.  The table also provides additional work space when I'm not at my desk.

On the left side of the room are my bookshelves.  There is so much storage in this room - it's amazing!  I use this countertop for my cutting board and shipping "department."  I love having Audrey on my wall for inspiration!

Since I blogged about it, that is 3 resolutions I am keeping in one blog post!  I am also working on a ton of projects behind the scenes that I can't wait to share with you!  I mentioned some of these in my New Year Resolution blog post, so get ready to start seeing some of these ideas come to life in the next week or so!

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year Prepsters!

(via pinterest)

I hope that everyone had a happy holiday and is looking forward to what 2012 has in store!

The Preppy Ladybug had a fantastic holiday season, and I have all of my wonderful customers to thank for that!  I went above and beyond my expectations for 2011.  I added so much product to my website, even I was a bit overwhelmed!  I am so excited that the new gift items I added did very well, and the photo cards were a big hit too.

After all of the holiday orders were taken care of, my husband and I were overjoyed to have a few days off to visit his family in Ohio for Christmas.  I am so lucky to have the best in-laws in the world!  My mother-in-law throws a huge Christmas Eve party at her home every year, and I spent a whole day with my sister-in-law baking sweets and treats.  We don't get to see them nearly enough, and the few days we had flew by.

With the New Year always comes Resolutions.  I am determined to keep mine this year and I feel that if I make them public, I will have to stick with them!  Some are more of a goal than a resolution, but here goes:

1. Lose this extra 10-15 pounds that I have added over the past couple of years.  I have had great results with Weight Watchers in the past, and I am going to count my points to a smaller size!  I have had fun pinning lots of new recipes on Pinterest to try!

(via pinterest)

2. Make weekly posts on blog!  I know I've said it before, but I really am going to try to keep up.  My goal is one post per week.  I'll try to post more often, but don't hold me to it!

3. Expand Holiday lines.  I already started with Valentine's Day, and there is more coming!  I have plans for St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Summer (think BBQ and pool party invitations), Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  Did I miss any occasions that you would like to see?

(via The Preppy Ladybug)

4. Expand The Preppy Ladybug product lines.  You can expect to see our designs on products such as plates and cell phone covers soon!

5. Add more gift items to the website.  I know you love The Preppy Ladybug for your stationery and invitations, but you also love those unique monogrammed or personalized gifts for other occasions!

6. Get organized!  This is both a business and a personal resolution.  My office looks like a tornado went through, and don't even think to look in the closets around my house!  You might get bopped on the head by falling objects.

(via pinterest)

Well, there you have it!  I know I'll be adding to my goals throughout the year, but I am off to a great start.  Here's to a fabulous 2012!

(via pinterest)

TPL Trunk Shows

Do you love The Preppy Ladybug and want to share it with your friends?  Would you like to earn rewards to put towards your own order?  You are in luck - I am now doing trunk shows! 

There are two ways to do a trunk show.  If you live in the Atlanta area, I can come to your house (or wherever you would like to host a party), and set up a beautiful display for your friends to shop.  Your friends will receive 10% off their purchase, and you will earn money and discounts to put towards your own order based on how much they buy! 

If you don't live in Atlanta, but would like to get in on the fun, consider hosting an online trunk show!  You will still earn the same rewards, but your friends will purchase from my website using your discount code.  I will give you invitations that you can email, tweet, or post on facebook or your blog.  Your friends will have one week to make their purchases, and at the end of the week, you get your rewards!

It's fun and easy!  Send me an email at shannon@thepreppyladybug to set up your show!

For the Love of Veggies

I have been craving some veggies lately.  While my husband was traveling this week, I creating some delicious dishes! 

I got the new Cooking Light magazine and was inspired by the Grilled Zucchini recipe.  With the new outdoor kitchen, I just had to try it out!  This is seriously the easiest thing to make.  Just slice zucchinis and toss them with olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, and put them on the grill!  I chopped up some fresh tomato and feta cheese and put the whole thing over bow-tie pasta for a quick meal.  Other variations in the magazine include combining grilled zucchini with fresh parsley, mint, lemon zest, and minced garlic.  Yum!

Before grilling

On the grill

Oops!  I lost a couple!

The other dish I made was couscous.  We had my friend, Kara, and her husband over for a Labor Day cookout over the weekend, and she brought this dish as a side.  It was so delicious, I had to try it myself.  Again, this was such an easy recipe.  I cooked Far East Couscous (pine nut flavor), and added halved grape tomatoes and feta cheese.  That's it and it is SOOO good!