Friday, February 18, 2011

{CUSTOMIZE} Your Dream Wedding With ETSY - An Interview With a Fizzy Bride // Wedding Day Prep (Vol. 5)


QUESTION: What makes a beautiful damask
printed and imperial purple designed
wedding more personalized and unique?

ANSWER: Find as many custom, ETSY,
one-of-a-kind items as possible!
Sean and Candice - 6.19.10
In the first year of painting my custom glassware there was a BOOM of orders that came in the fall for upcoming weddings. One of my first large Bridal Party orders was a purchase made by Candice, a bride-to-be from Illinois. A couple of months after the purchase this Fizzy Bride realized that we had gone to high school together! Yup, we both graduated in the class of 2000 from a high school in Rockford, IL. What a small world. This made working on her custom glasses even more exciting and enjoyable.
Now, a year later, I asked my old friend Candice to answer a couple of questions about her Fizzy Experience. On top of having some of the most beautiful photos from her wedding on Facebook, I also found that I was one of MANY Etsy shops that she and her groom utilized for their
custom dream wedding!

All of the beautiful "WEDDING DAY" photography was perfectly
captured by AE Photography located in Lindwood, IL
Check out their blog too!



How did you hear about Etsy.com? I think it was a random search when I was looking for a personalized item a few years ago. I can’t remember the exact way, but once I found it, I was addicted!

How did you find out about my products on ETSY? An Etsy search. I was looking for bridal party gifts and came across your custom glassware.

What is it about my products that made you decide to purchase? They looked SO unique and fun! I loved the idea of having personalized gifts that could be used after the wedding too, and I especially like doing something different. No one had seen anything like this and it was one of the main details people commented on at the rehearsal dinner where we gave the gifts!


How/why did you decide what products to buy?  It was hard to decide since I liked all of the options. We decided to go with the Bridal Party design: wine glasses for all the women and beer pint glasses for all the men. We ended up with a huge order, as we had a wedding party of 12 total, including us, plus 2 junior groomsmen, and we bought for our parents as well to add to their gifts. I also got the bride and groom champagne flutes for the wedding toast. I love having those to keep and display in our home after the wedding day. (20 glasses total)

What was it like to receive your Fizzy Glassware? As far as receiving the glassware package in the mail -- can you say 'excited much?' I had to open and unwrap everything immediately! I took pictures on my phone to sent them to my fiancé just because I had to show someone.

What was it like to gift your Fizzy Glassware to your Bridal Party? How did the members in the party react? I am always super impatient with giving gifts, and this was definitely hard to keep a secret! Both my fiancé and I were excited to give the gifts and everyone loved them! As a side note, we gifted the glasses to all ages, from 7 to 55 and they were just as well-received from all ages, so this is really a gift anyone would love.

Would you purchase from my shop again? Yes, in fact I already have. I ordered 2 Christmas gifts -- one lips wine glass and one mustache glass. I almost didn’t want to give them away because I wanted one for myself!

Did you add other Etsy finds into your wedding experience? Oh my, YES! What didn’t I get from Etsy? Lots of inspiration too, but here is a list of some of the Etsy purchases that found their way into my wedding. I really bought as much as I could from Etsy to help support handmade and to help make my traditional wedding a little more “us.”


The largest purchase from Etsy was my felt button
 flower order of bouquets/boutonnieres/corsages.
- by reallybadkitty

One of the most important things was a family
union necklace that my new hubby gave my son
during our ceremony. In marrying me, he takes my 
son into his family. - by CharOuellette



Cufflinks, for the men of the bridal party,
were purchased from various sellers.
Mostly from nostalgiclinks
and littleangelsjewelry

My veil - by abusymother

Damask table squares for the reception - by DarlingDamask

My wedding day jewelry - by livelovebead


Hair flower clips for the girls and myself - by silverpencils

Feather guest book pen  - by creations4brides

Other accessory gifts for bridal party gifts
- by pookafan, dillybaby, TagsOnBags


Purse for myself and my flower girl - by ocstylescreations

Place cards, table numbers by my2cheeks and
programs by mybluetulipdesign

Custom cake topper (Etsy Seller Unknown)

Desserts for rehearsal dinner and as part of
thank yous for the wedding shower by hitsthespot


Plus a ton more, really, but those are the main things!

How was the overall wedding day? A blur! It sounds cliché but it was one of the best days of my life =)

Do you have any more overall comments? I think this is already long, so not really, just that I love what you (the FizzyArtist) do and I hope your business continues to grow!

Thank you Candice for a wonderful
interview and for showing us how
beautiful your customized and
"ETSY-FIED" wedding day turned out!


Wednesday, February 9, 2011

{PEEK-A-BOO} Ooh to the La..La..LACE! // Fizzy Fashion (Vol. 3)


Lace, Sheer, Cut-Outs, Low-Backs,
Off-the-Shoulder, Strapless, Corsets...

All of these styles and trends have something in common. They all give the illusion or the idea of LINGERIE so of course anyone is going to look incredibly sexy! A turtle neck or a baggy sweatshirt will give the opposite affect so throw those into the Goodwill or sick day pile. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I thought these styling tips would be very appropriate.
(Your MAN will thank me later!)

When you layer with lace or something sheer you won't feel too covered or bulky even in warmer weather. You can feel comfy and confident with a couple of thin layers rather than putting it all out there with one simple blouse.

Lace is a new thriving trend that can be used to compliment your wardrobe in many ways. A lace top, jacket, skirt, or vest are great options. Partner a lace top with denim or a bold color to off-set the sweet look of the delicate lace. I love to wear this lace cardigan from Charlotte Russe with skinny jeans and a saucy strapless top.

A combination of sweet and spicy
is the best kind of FLAVOR!

An off-the-shoulder top or a boat neck blouse will show off a little shoulder or arm without exposing all of the goods.

New styles in stores are incorporating the cut-out trend or a sheer low-back. I've seen a number of cute cardigans with a crocheted pattern on just the back for added interest. Matching a look like this with a basic tee will instantly pull your look together. The outfit will say that you thought about your style without having to try too hard.

Going strapless or wearing a corset style can be intimidating sometimes. But you can get the same look with a fitted and flowy strapless cotton top like the one I'm wearing.

Check out my grey strapless look: 1). It's fitted on the bust, so it stays up. 2). It has gatherings and pleats for some visual interest. 3). It flows away from the body and hits me right at the hip. 4). It gives a little more viewing of the cleavage, so it's only an evening top!

These are some of the best tricks in looking sweetly smokin'!

(Click for Larger View)
Snakeskin Kitten Heels from KOHL'S under $30 (3 years old)
(Click for Larger View)
I wore this outfit for a fun Girls Night Out in
Nashville, TN with my sister, Heather, and her friends!
 Great "PEEK-A-BOO" looks for SPRING!
Discovered on etsy.com

{a sexy lace top tucked into a bold colored skirt}
Black Lace Shirt by kerenii
(on sale, $50)
{look sexy with a cut-out accent in your kitten heels}
Vintage 80's Pleated Cutout Stilettos (sz 8) by pineapplemint
$37
{Wow your on-lookers with a beautiful
crocheted mini dress. This would be great with leggings!}
Doily Crochet Mini Dress by dollybirdsvintage
(sold)
{Vintage lace at it's best. what a fun
bold color for spring AND it's figure flattering.}
Royal Blue Lace Minidress by hotvintage
(sold)
{Use this look in your jewelry and accessories too.}
Nile Necklace Crochet Gold Filled Wire and Pearls by galit
$150
{Soft, sweet and a little sexy. Comfortable too!}
Cream Cold Shoulder Top by MoonHalo
$65
{Great look for a night out on the town with jeans
and a simple top, as shown below}
Vintage 80's Black Lace Bolero by madgirlvintage
$32
{Own a fitted top that can be strapless,
one-shoulder or off-the-shoulder}
10 or more ways to wear Wrap Top by VenniCaprice
$50
 
"Let's wish the
SNOW away
so we can dress
in lace and PLAY!"

Thank you for
following the FIZZ!

xoxo - The FizzyArtist


HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!



Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Surprise Your {MAN} on Valentine's Day // Gift Guide (Vol. 1)


Men can be hard to shop for, especially on a day that's all about LOVE. I bet if Valentine's Day happened to be themed around sports, video games, gambling or food they would be even more excited for the day!

You may notice that I included these dreamy pictures of the irresistible JT (Justin Timberlake). Because I don't have a man to shop for this Valentine's Day I decided to do a little role playing for you! I wrote this post as if he WAS MY MAN and selected items that I would want to give him. Yes, I have seen him in concert and yes, he has been one of my celebrity MAN crushes since high school (1998).

I love to give gifts, no matter what type of holiday or occasion. Don't just get your guy a tie or a gift card to Home Depot. BE CREATIVE! He will appreciate the thought and the fact that you went all out to get him something he's always wanted or a treat that makes him feel good.

{ GIFTS FOR HIM TO SMELL GOOD }
Why not present your man with a gift that he'll love
and you can enjoy it too! A yummy
smelling man is one of the best things to a
happy relationship.
Chicago Tenement Deluxe Vegan Shaving Kit
by EthicallyEngineered
SOAP energy citrus - Playstation controller replica
by Digitalsoaps
{ GIFTS FOR HIM TO LOOK GOOD }
Most times your man will need help in this
 department or they enjoy wearing things
they know you think look HOT!

Vintage Men's Trench Coat 
by thegypsyrider
WINGFLAP handmade watch
by revolt70
70s Patterned Button-Up Collared Dress/Casual Shirt
by TheStrayThreads
{ GIFTS FOR HIM TO "PLAY" WITH }
Boys like TOYS, we all know that! Make him smile
with a fun new gadget, accessory or game. 
iphone RETRO MODERN leather wallet sleeve 
by portel
Deer Buck USB Flash Drive 
by hemingwayfun
{ GIFTS FOR HIM TO PARTY WITH }
Guys love a good reason to hang with their
"bros" in the man cave. Gift him with a fun surprise
that says "Go have a little fun!"

Man Cave Rules Typography Sign 
by cellardesigns
(My favorite ... You must read the sign!)
Pin Up Girls Vintage Stone Coasters 
by TheRetroRoad
Hope you enjoyed this post all about gifts for
MEN on Valentine's Day!

{ LUV ME SALE } 
Check out the "S A L E" section
in my ETSY STORE for
Bridesmaid and Groomsmen
listings that are $25 off
in excitement for the
month of love!
(Hurry! Sale ends 2/14/11)

XOXO - The FizzyArtist

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