I'm a wife, stay-at-home mom, crafter, and blogger living in rural New England. As seen in Martha Stewart Living, Food Network Magazine, and more! | Tutorials, DIY, crafts, parenting tips, recipes, money saving tips, product reviews, local product features, New England living, intentional living, and more! |
As you know by now, I love sharing about companies and products we love on the blog and our Instagram - and most especially those made right here in New England! I decided to start a little series to showcase some of these great New England Makers and I'm excited to share the wonderful Kylie Watts from Watts in Maine for the first interview!
Watts in Maine: The Perfect Catch Cuff
Watts in Maine is known most for their Perfect Catch Cuff, made from brass lobster gauges. Recently they've expanded and also offer Maine and nautical inspired earrings and necklaces as well as recycled lobster tag accessories which benefit local lobstermen and their families.
Tell me a little about yourself and your business.
Kylie Watts: I currently work full time as an Office Manager at a pediatric dental office and do what I can after work and on the weekends with my Watts In Maine business. My husband was born and raised on Vinalhaven Island in Maine, which serves as a huge place of inspiration for my pieces. The idea of turning the lobster gauge into a bracelet actually came from our many visits to VH. I am also a born and raised Mainer! I have a love for fashion, accessories, and jewelry.
Kylie Watts of Watts in Maine
How did you start Watts in Maine? Had you been making lobster cuff bracelets for a while or was this a new leap for you?
KW: In the fall of 2014, I told my husband I wanted him to make a brass lobster measure into a bracelet. I had mentioned it before, but we didn't follow through on it. We bought a couple and started forming them and refining the process over a few weeks. By November we had secured our first store, k colette, in Portland's Old Port. I was flirting with another nautical idea before that, but it never made it out of its initial stages.
What does a typical day look like for you?
KW: I work from 7:15am-5:30pm at the dental office. On my lunch break and after work I read and return business emails. My evenings are spent printing invoices, preparing orders, updating social media, and trying to fit in normal daily living tasks.
What is your favorite part about owning your own company?
KW: I love having the freedom to do and create what I want. It's so exciting! I also love connecting with other local small businesses. It's nice to build relationships with others who are going through similar situations/struggles.
And least favorite part?
KW: The financial part! Keeping track of the business side-ew. :)
What has been the most exciting moment for Watts in Maine since you started?
What advice do you have for people just starting out?
KW: Spend time building your social media following, find a mentor or someone who can show you the ropes, and build your business at your own pace.
What is your long-term goal? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
KW: My long term goal is to be able to focus on my business full time and only have one job. I'm hoping to expand upon what Watts In Maine offers and could be doing that in the very near future! Stay Tuned :) I'm not sure if I want a store front down the road, or where I see the business going. To be honest, I take it one day at a time.
Do you own a New England-based business and would like to be featured in an upcoming interview? Or would you be interested in having me style, review, and feature one of your products? Please drop me a note.
It's been a long, loooong time since I knit anything but when We Are Knitters contacted me to see if I wanted to try out one of their kits and give one away to a lucky follower I was excited to say yes. There's just something about curling up in a cozy chair and knitting that melts the stress away. (Don't forget to look for our exclusive coupon code and enter the giveaway to win your own kit!)
We Are Knitters has tons of kits available to choose from - including scarves, hats, sweaters, blankets, and even dresses! But since it had been so long since I knit anything I decided to be safe and go with the
Downtown Snood kit from their beginner level selection of kits.
The wool for this kit is premium 100% natural Peruvian wool which is amazingly soft and thick with 35 colors to choose from. In fact, I loved it so much I got an extra skien so I could make the project twice. (You are also able to purchase wool skeins separately right from their website.)
In the kit you find your wool, wooden knitting needles, pattern, needle, and a label for your finished project. Embarrassingly, I do not know how to read a knitting pattern (ha) but it was written so simply even I could understand it. And what's even better, We Are Knitters (WAK) has great video tutorials available to you so you can study how to do the stitch and easily pause the video to practice step-by-step.
I definitely recommend watching the videos with your knitting needles and some scrap yarn in your hands so you're able to practice before you start on your nice yarn from WAK. But after some practice I was able to get it down and was kitting away a mile a minute in no time.
The project went quickly and now I have some gorgeous handmade scarves to wear now that the cold weather is setting in.
We Are Knitters was also kind enough to share an exclusive coupon code with my readers - just use the code BIRCHLANDINGWAK at checkout to receive 15% off your order!
GIVEAWAY
Would you like the chance to win your own Downtown Snood Kit in your choice of color? Just visit We Are Knitters
HERE and sign up for their free newsletter. Givewaway will end October 24th.
EDIT 10/26/16: Winner chosen and notified - Congratulations Kristin B!
- I received these materials for review from We Are Knitters but all opinions expressed are my own. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. -
Okay, throwing it back to our last pregnancy and still in love with this easy Fall-themed maternity picture my husband and I took with a pumpkin! It's so simple but I think it came out so sweet. This idea would also be perfect for a Fall pregnancy announcement too. Fall is our favorite time of year, so I'm happy we could capture a classy Fall-themed "belly" picture.
I promise I'll share some photos from when I was farther along at our Christmas maternity photo session too - some sweet, simple ideas for your "special delivery" to come!
I've had the pleasure of following Allison Cole Jewelry on Instagram for awhile now and fell in love with Nicole's gorgeous nautical-inspired jewelry. Nicole was kind enough to send me one of her classic rope bracelets to style and offered to give a bracelet from her gorgeous line to one lucky winner. Read on for an exclusive coupon code and how to enter to win a bracelet of your own!
Nicole Recomendes is the owner/designer behind Allison Cole Jewelry. Nicole has roots in New England - growing up in Hanover, MA and spending every summer on her family's boat. She has always had an eye and love for nautical style. After working in the corporate world for awhile, she followed a dream to work for herself and launched the line in May of 2015 and it really took off from there!
I've always been a big fan of nautical and New England-inspired fashion myself and so I was excited to pair her Metallic Rope Bracelet with some of our favorite nautical inspired pieces. What I really love about this bracelet is that it's simple enough to dress up or down but still bold enough to make a statement. These rope bracelets look great on their own or stacked with other bracelets and bangles.
Exclusive Coupon Code
Allison Cole Jewelry is also very reasonably priced which makes this trendy style achievable for everyone. Better yet, we have an exclusive coupon code to share with you -- use the code BIRCHLANDING at checkout to get 20% off everything in her shop! (That makes the bracelet I'm wearing less than $20 - such a great deal!)
*GIVEAWAY!*
Looking for a chance to win your choice of bracelet from Allison Cole's line? Find the photo above on my Instagram (@birchlandinghome) and enter there! All details and rules can be found in the giveaway post. Good luck!
- I received this bracelet for review from Allison Cole Jewelry but all opinions expressed are my own. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. -
Statement necklaces are big right now, and why not put that style to good use by working double-duty as a teether for your tot? Sounds like a great solution to me! Nûby was kind enough to send me two of their new Teething Trends statement necklaces to style and review - and one lucky winner will get to choose one necklace for themselves from Nûby's line!
All of the teething necklaces in Nûby's new line are both on-trend and on-hand when you need them most. By having a teether that you wear, you always have one at the ready when your little one is in need of something to teeth on - especially handy to keep them from gnawing a finger off while you're stuck in a long line at the post office.
These teething necklaces are BPA-free and made from soft silicone so they're easy on tender gums. They also feature a break-away clasp in the event of an overly-grabby toddler but please keep in mind these necklaces are meant for moms to wear, not your teething littles.
There are a variety of colors and styles available, as well as bracelets (not pictured in this review), so you can find one - or seven - that match your style and every item in your wardrobe. What I love most is these don't even look like teethers - they're stylish enough to wear to work or a girls night out.
Mom Style
Necklaces featured are Nûby Teething Trends Medium Oval + Pearl Necklace in Teal and Nûby Teething Trends Pearl Necklace in Grey.
This is probably one of my favorite combos and a perfect outfit for a lunch out with friends. This necklace really pops against the crisp white linen shirt and the straw fedora and aviator sunglasses add some more fun, trendy elements.
The teal teething necklace also pairs perfectly with this geometric print maxi dress, over-sized sunhat, and sunglasses. Perfect outfit for getting ice cream with the family down at the water.
This monochromatic outfit is ideal for doing errands and running around town with a grey and navy striped tunic top, dark washed jeans, and the grey pearl beaded necklace.
Just love the grey pearl beaded necklace against the grey and navy stripes!
This week we made the trek up north to check out the Lupine Festival. The flowers were in full bloom and still gorgeous despite the constant drizzle (though I wish I could have said the same thing about my hair). We dressed for breakfast out and walks around the lupine fields, and the Medium Oval + Pearl Necklace in Teal was a great pop of color against my white button-up and black quilted vest.
**GIVEAWAY!** A teething necklace of your choice from Nûby
One winner will be chosen to receive one (1) Nûby statement teething necklace in their choice of style/color. Open to US entrants only, 18 years or older - winner will be contacted by the email address provided. You can select how many entries you would like to complete but keep in mind an invalid entry (i.e. stating you're following on Instagram, but you are not) will result in disqualification. Thank you and good luck! :)
As you know, I'm all for shopping small and shopping local. But sometimes you just gotta be frugal too. These fashionable boot cuffs are crazy-cheap and a great deal wether you're buying one for yourself, a few stocking stuffers for your family and friends, or if you're looking for a little gift to get everyone in your department at work. Please note, prices on Amazon are subject to change. Prices mentioned in this post are what the product was listed at at the time of purchase. | This post contains affiliate links |
So where did I find these super-cute boot cuffs? Believe it or not - Amazon. Since we live over an hour from big box stores, Amazon has become our go-to for paper towels, cereal, and all the other pricey grocery basics. Lately I've also been turning to them for clothing and accessory needs rather then hoping in the car with the little one and making the long trip to the store.
While browsing Amazon for stocking stuffers several weeks ago I came across these amazingly cute (and cheap!) boot cuffs. I decided to order some to check them out in person but underestimated how long it would take to ship and they arrived after Christmas. Since they come directly from the manufacturer/distributor (overseas), it can take up to 1-2 months to arrive - so be sure to plan (way) ahead.
The first pair I tried were these cute knitted grey cuffs with lace and button detail. I loved the look and color of these and thought they looked great with my boots. However, I felt as though they were pretty tight. I have large calves and these just fit over my leggings - they certainly wouldn't fit over my jeans unfortunately.
These cuffs come in 6 colors and most are only $2.30/pair! They are not Prime eligible but shipping is very cheap as well.
The other pair I tried were these pretty white lace cuffs. These were super-stretchy and would fit most people with no problem. Adding this touch of lace is a great way to dress up just about any outfit!
These cuffs come in 12 different colors so you can match every outfit you own and only cost $0.87/pair - yes, really!! They aren't Prime-eligible either but shipping is very inexpensive.
While all the cuffs had some loose strings that needed to be trimmed and they didn't come in any kind of packaging to speak of, I was still really satisfied with the look and the quality of the cuffs. If you were to give them out as gifts, I would just recommend trimming the loose strings first and either wrapping them or rolling them and tying with a ribbon for better presentation.
Does anyone else need makeup help out there or am I the only clueless one? These days with a toddler I'm lucky if I get any make-up on my face at all but in the past I've always just stuck to the tried-and-true concealer, powder, a little shadow, mascara = done. I've always wanted to up my makeup game though; learn about contouring, layering, and creating fun looks for date nights and parties, which is why I was so excited to learn that a college friend had started a YouTube channel dedicated to all of these things!
Corey Anne was my dorm-mate in college and back then I would have never imagined that the soccer-playing tomboy next door would have her own makeup tutorial series someday! Corey has been interested in makeup for a long time but decided to take the leap into tutorials and vlogging fairly recently. She's really enjoyed learning and sharing from others on YouTube and thought it was time to put herself out there too.
Corey's videos cover everything from basic how-tos to costume makeup to product and Birch Box reviews. They're entertaining to watch and the step-by-step makes the looks achievable for everyone. I've shared her Holiday Makeup Look below; I love how it's glamorous with just a hint of flashy - but not over the top. It'd totally be suitable to wear to a work party, an outing with friends, or even to a family event if everyone's just a little dressed up.
Holiday makeup looks are the most fun! Playful, colorful, glitter!! Check out my daily vlogs: http://bit.ly/1YdEbKC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- eye shadow base | http://bit.ly/1sq7Srl eye shadow palette | http://seph.me/1AqBY1x eye shadow duo | http://birch.ly/1lZV0Lj gold liner | sorry I can't find this one!
Now, if you'll excuse me I need to go practice my eyeliner technique.
