Etsy Shop Spotlight: Carolina Artisan

As a young professional, I've been lucky enough to skip over ~most~ of the Ikea purchases and go straight to having beautiful fine furniture in my apartments from the get-go, which is not something I could afford even at this stage in life...all as a result of my extremely talented father.  My dad has been making handmade, fine furniture since the 80s and he has built custom closets, built-ins, and unique pieces like the ones featured below.  Although he has mostly been working in the Carolina area, he is branching out and venturing into the world of online sales through his new Etsy shop Carolina Artisan!  All of his work is made from solid hardwood and fine finishes and easily fits into both modern and traditional homes.  While Carolina Artisan is mostly selling larger sized items, stayed tuned because he will also be featuring smaller gift items in the upcoming months such as cutting boards, business card holders, and jewelry boxes in the next few months (hopefully, in time for your Christmas shopping!).

Briana and I both use his jewelry boxes and cutting boards which are finer than anything you can buy in the store.  Briana and J have also said that if they had limitless funds, they would just set my Dad up in Florida and have him constantly cranking out fine furniture for their (yet-to-be-purchased) dream house.  Of course, he may be quite busy since I also plan to have him cranking out fine furniture for my own (yet-to-be-purchased) dream house.  We'll have to figure out some sort of rotation plan.  BUT dear readers, until those dream homes get purchased, Carolina Artisan is yours for the taking!

Mixed Materials Console

Gorgeous Makeup Vanity with Caned Seating

Unique Tree Fork Coffee Table

Unique Two-Sided Dressing Screen

Timeless Private Desk

If you live in North or South Carolina, my Dad is also still taking orders for custom pieces and design work.  If you would like a custom piece of fine furniture and live outside Carolina area, he does ship!  Please contact Hans (his furniture building alter ego nickname) at carolina.artisan@gmail.com.  Please check out Carolina Artisan Etsy Shop and feel free to pin anything you like!  Which pieces are your favorites?

If you run your own Etsy shop, send us a link!  We'd love handmade, original design goods!

We're Lovin': Gap Scallop-Hem Shorts

I've been window shopping online again and I came across a super cute pair of shorts at Gap!  I rarely shop at Gap these days, but I will give them an occasional look when I'm bored.

Sunkissed Scallop-Hem Shorts
$39.95
Image Source: Gap

Image Source: Gap

Aren't they cute and classic?  I love that you can wear them with flats or dress them up with a fun pair of wedges.  The length is long enough that you don't have to worry about flashing too much skin.  At $39.95, they are definitely affordable, but I would wait until there is a coupon or sale and try to get them for $30 or less.  What do you think - great summer staple?  Anyone else spotted affordable fashion lately?  Share below!

We're Lovin: Warby Parker's Karlie Kloss Collection

Briana and I were recently contacted by Warby Parker to help them announce their new collaboration with model Karlie Kloss (known for her campaigns with Louis Vuitton, Donna Karan, Lavin, and Lacoste just to name a few)*.  Warby Parker is an awesome company that offers affordable trendy eye wear (both sunglasses and prescription eye wear) through a few boutique stores and mail order service.  Warby Parker lets you pick up to five pairs from their online website and mails them to you for free to try for 5 days.  After your time is up, you send back the glasses (again for free).  If you like one of your choices, you place your order.  I've spent tons of money on prescription eye wear at the doctor's office, but Warby Parker's choices start at $95 for frames and prescription, that also includes options like anti-reflective coating while a doctor's office will usually add an extra fee to the bill.

Warby Parker also carries a great line of sunglasses for men and women starting at $95 for non-prescription and $150 for prescription which includes polarization.  For every pair of eye wear purchased, Warby Parker will donate another pair to someone in need.  I've had two friends use Warby Parker (both men!) and said the process was really easy.  I even helped one of them pick out the style best for him through the mail order try on service.  Aaaaand there are tons of styles and colors to choose from...including these pretty choices from the new Karlie Kloss Collection:

Image Source: Warby Parker

Image Source: Warby Parker

The Karlie Kloss Collection benefits the Edible Schoolyard NYC which provides low-income public schools with kitchens and gardens, and help students, through a hands-on curriculum led by Edible Schoolyard staff, learn the tools to develop lifelong healthy habits. The donation will benefit two community farm stands in Brooklyn and East Harlem, where kids learn about food preparation in their own neighborhoods. And as always, for every pair sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need.

The collection is composed of three styles: Julia, Marple, and Clara.  Each style is made from a titanium frame and features your choice of five gradient lens choices and silver and gold tone frames.

Marple
Heirloom Gold with Violet Clover Lenses
Image Source: Warby Parker

Clara
Heirloom Silver with Sepia Wash Lenses
Image Source: Warby Parker

Julia
Heirloom Gold with Copper Fade Lenses
Image Source: Warby Parker

My personal favorite is the Julia (says aviator without saying bad 90s episode of COPS) and Briana is totally loving the Marple style  (I think she likes the violet lens option the best!).  I really love the Warby Parker designs and the Karlie Kloss collection is a great addition to their styles.  We are also really into their business model and commitment to giving back to those in need with out sacrificing quality materials.  The starting price is $145, which is more expensive than your average pair of sunglasses from the bargain bin or Target, BUT it's also waaaaay less expensive than most other polarized sunglasses.

Both of my man friends look great in their glasses and said the whole process was really really easy.  Now if a man can get his shop on and call it a success, you know it's got to be easy!

* Although Warby Parker contacted us to help promote their new Karlie Kloss collection, we did not receive any form of compensation or free swag.  We just think Warby Parker is doing an excellent job of bringing high quality goods at affordable prices (aka the Posh Purpose way)!  All opinions are our own!

We're Lovin: World Market Summer Hats

I was checking out all the new arrivals last week for summer at some of my favorite online shops.  Top of my list was World Market for budget friendly buys for summer entertaining.  While looking at these fun straws, food domes, great napkins, and great beach chairs, I also spotted a really cute hat for the summer.

Natural Fedora Hat with Turquoise Piping
$19.99
Image Source: World Market

I love the pop of color and the style is great for when you just want to throw your hair in a low pony tail or braid and head out the door.  World Market sent me a 10% off coupon, so I decided to pop in to check it out.  I noticed that they had a lot of great hat options for summer.  Here are a few of my other favorites:

Ivory and Blue Sunhat with Brown Cord
$16.99
Image Source: World Market

Mint Fedora Hat with Suede Tie
$16.99
Image Source: World Market

Black and Ivory Tribal Fedora Hat
$16.99
Image Source: World Market

Black Ribbon Havana Hat
$19.99
Image Source: World Market

The hat fit great and looked sooooooo cute!  Of course, the price was great too, and if it had been $3 cheaper, it could have been a $15 Happiness post.

Love love love this hat! Glad I found it and for such a great price.  Anybody else love a good hat for summer?

We're Lovin': J.Crew's Cove Floral Print

The J.Crew new arrivals popped up in my inbox yesterday and when I checked out the new arrivals, I instantly fell in love with the new Cove Floral print!  It's a great print to wear to the office paired with more structured pieces orrrrr you can totally where it on the weekend with pretty much anything.  I especially love that J.Crew made a variety of pieces in the print from all different fabrics.  There are lots of colors in the print that you can play off of, so even if you only buy one piece you probably already have something in your closet that goes with it.  The price points are all over the place $89.50 for cotton drawstring pants to $398 for a dress.  I would wait for a 25% or 30% off deal that J.Crew has been known to run...but J.Crew has been known to completely sell out of an item in the first week if it's really popular.  Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the collection, but there are more on the website (including girl's clothing!).  I've included some of the materials so you can see how diversified the collection is in the fabric area.

Sleeveless Drapey Top
Silk
$98
Image: J.Crew

J.Crew Collection Eaton Boy Short
Silk/Wool
$198
Image: J.Crew

Drawstring Pant
Cotton
$89.50
Image: J.Crew

Merino Silk Panel Sweater
$118
Image: J.Crew

Bandeau Tank
$98
Image: J.Crew

Aren't they great?  J.Crew has styled them all sorts of different ways, but I'm definitely in love with the swimsuit, the sleeveless shirt, and the drawstring pants (how comfortable!).  I also really need to find out where that striped clutch in the first picture came from, because it doesn't not appear to be sold through J.Crew.  

Anyone else loving this print as much as I am?

We're Lovin: Lilly Pulitzer Palazzo Pants

Mr. 3 and I go to the Kentucky Derby every year and it is always so hard to figure out what to wear.  I've been there when it has been blazin' hot, perfect weather, or cold and rainy.  Last year, I was smart enough to take a pair of white dress pants, closed toed flats, and a spring coat, so when the high hit 55 for the day, I didn't freeze my lady parts standing around in a tight strapless cocktail dress and huddling in the heated betting window area all day (goosebumps = not cute).  Unfortunately, the track turns into a hot mess when it rains and my pants were ruined (the dry cleaner left me a nice note attached telling me they had done all they could).  Soooooo, I'm considering my options and while on the hunt, I came across these super fun Lilly Pulitzer Palazzo Pants:

Lilly Pulitzer Middleton Palazzo Pant in Chic Pink Sway
$148
Image Source: Zappos

Lilly Pulitzer Middleton Palazzo Pants in Iris Blue Mai Tai
$148
Image Source: Saks Fifth Avenue

I love these pants...I'm a total Lilly lover and prints don't scare me...usually.  Although I wear Lilly shorts, skirts, and dresses throughout the summer, I'm a bit intimidated by that large amount of print on my lower half given that it's ahem,...a bit more generously gifted than the rest of me.  Also, I'm short, so I have concerns about looking like a bolt of flapping fabric coming down the walkway.  What I DO like about these pants, is that I already have hats that will work with either print and I can dress them up with the pretty spring coats I already own.  I also have a number of tops hanging in the closet that I can try with them and I may not need to purchase anything else to have a complete outfit. Also, if the Derby was to get REALLY cold like it was last year, I've decided that I will be wearing footless tights up under whatever pants I go with, but it would still be nice to have something on that says "fun and Southern." 

If they look great, I should also be able to wear them to the office (I might get a few stares from the loudness of the print, but my office is waaaay laid back on dress code.  Seriously, people have worn bedroom slippers and wandered around outside of their individual offices or just taken off their shoes altogether.)...which will be great for summer when my skin cells are all turning over at once and my spray tan gets patchy (can I get an AMEN from my spray tanning sisters!).  Finally, these pants are machine washable and should pack pretty well (we are flying to Nashville for a couple of days before we drive to Louisville, so I need clothing that won't get smushed).  I going to try to find them at one of the D.C. stores that carry them so I can get a feel for the material and try them on before I do my usual coupon sleuthing and ebates round up, because I definitely do not want to pay full price!

What do you think?  Have any other suggestions for fun spring attire?

We're Lovin: Gap Printed Pointy Flats

I love the smoking loafer trend that is going on right now, but I'm not quite sure it is a shoe style that will enjoy more than a few years of popularity.  I've had my eyes on a few different pairs, but most of them have been on the pricier side ($150+) and I've been holding off on any purchases.  Then I saw these babies:

Printed Pointy Flats
$39.95
Image Source: Gap

I love love love the print on these flats! The cut across the top suggests smoking loafer, but I think these might be a bit more flattering on us short girls because of the pointed toe which helps to visually elongate your legs.  At $40, these are definitely doable for a shoe that might just be a short lived trend.  I plan on looking for a coupon code, taking advantage of any free shipping offers, shopping through Ebates, and adding these to my shoe collection very shortly so that I can wear them this spring.  I'm hoping I can get these for at least 20% off and get two years of wear out of them.  They will be super cute with capris, pants, and even casual skirts.  If you like the shape, but aren't crazy about the print, Gap has five other prints to choose from.

Anybody else looking forward to spring and summer wardrobe?  I'm about tired of wearing the same sweaters aaaalll the time.

We're Lovin' Olive Wood Spoons

Since my wedding over a year ago, I have been eyeing high quality wooden spoons to replace J's $1 each spoons from his pre-Briana days. I used his wooden spoons almost every day despite the ratty appearance. When this past Christmas rolled around and I still hadn't bought my own wooden spoons, I decided it was finally time to make it happen. My little sister loves cooking and is quite happy buying cooking stuff even when it isn't for her, so I took my opportunity and asked her to give me these beautiful spoons from Williams Sonoma.

olive wood cook's spoon

olive wood blunt end spoon

If those of y'all who clicked on the links were a bit shocked by the price, I won't judge. These spoons are not cheap. However, they have improved my life by about 300%. I actually enjoy using them. The wood is sooooo smooth and the angles of both spoons are perfect. No longer do I have to bend my wrist when I am cooking pasta sauce with my blunt spoon. This new one is angled so that it fits right into the corners of the pot while I hold my wrist comfortably. And the cook's spoon is just as well designed. The pointy end of that spoon gets every teeny bit of food out of the corners of the pot so you can fully incorporate your ingredients. Could you get the same results with a cheaper spoon? Possibly, but I haven't bothered to check because these spoons are just perfect.

This post is not sponsored nor do we have an affiliate program with Williams Sonoma. I just thought I should share my new spoon love with y'all after I proclaimed for the millionth time that I love these spoons. 

We're Lovin': Kate Spade Jackie Capris

I can't wait for warm weather and being warm enough to expose a sliver of skin...you know, like a neck, a collarbone, an ankle!  I'm hoping that the stars will align and the warmer temps will coincide with these pants going on super sale, because I am in love:

Kate Spade Scalloped Hem Jackie Capri
$248
Image Source: Kate Spade

These pants would be great for any wardrobe, but especially mine!  I wear capris spring-fall and I will sport them in the office, out with friends, or on a date with Mr. 3.  No new shoes or tops required, they already go with a great deal of my wardrobe.  Posh Purpose is totally lovin' these pants!

We're Lovin': Beaded Flats

Through my regular Internet trolling for fashion, I come across quite a few lust worthy clothing that I would love to have in my mythical fantasy closet (which involves a chandelier, a island for the closet with all my jewelry displayed, and soft, magical lighting so I would always look refreshed and glowing - like I said mythical).

So, welcome to our new fashion series: We're Lovin'!  The idea behind the series is to showcase the items that we would L-O-V-E to see show up in our closets or yours!  First up, these super fun smoking slippers from Arhaus Jewels:

Twinkle Toes Shoes
Arhaus Jewels
Originally $198 on sale for $168  (but they are offering an additional 30% off!)

When I first saw these shoes, I thought oh, practical grey flats...then I saw this image:

Image Source: Arhaus Jewels

THEN I thought, super fun, shimmery beaded flats!  If you go to the website and zoom in, you can see the detail of the many many many teeny tiny beads that make up these flats.  According to Arhaus Jewels, these flats are made from caviar beads and trimmed with metallic leather at the back.  The inside is also lined and has a padded foot bed.

These would be super cute with any type of legging, skinny pant, or even a casual skirt and tights.  What a fun way to dress up your trips to the mall, running errands, and having lunch with friends.  What do you think?  Send us what you're lovin', we <3 reader photos!