{lillypie interview & GIVEAWAY!}

i am so excited to introduce you all to Laura, designer and owner of lillypie accessories :: a place of accessories, ruffles, flowers, and other lovelies for both you and your little one (or your neice :). her pieces are so sweet and romantic -- right up my alley. her shop is named after her ADORABLE daughter lilly.. you can read more about lilly and find all sorts of inspiration, including some gorgeous photography, on laura's blog, lillypie.

and without further ado, laura.

1. Tell me about yourself.
Hi there! My name is Laura and I’m 28. I'm an emotional gal and have a flair for the dramatic. :) I live in central Indiana--home of basketball and corn fields. While I long to live in a warmer climate--nothing beats the seasons of the Midwest. I’m married to a wonderful man named Scott and we will celebrate our 5 year anniversary this Friday! We have one daughter named Lilly Claire. She’s a year and a half and is my entire world.

 2. What inspired you to start lillypie?
I've always been a creative person. Growing up, I longed to be able to run fast, shoot a basketball, or catch anything like my friends; but that was not in the stars for me. I was the girl with the tackle box of crayons and marker smears all over my hands. Once I learned to embrace my strengths, I have become very proud that I’m the dubbed ‘creative one’ among friends. I have a background in watercolor and oil painting.  Lillypie, or the idea of having a handmade business, has always been in the back of my mind. I’ve always wanted a place to create things that I love and enjoy. After having my daughter I began to see the possibility that YES, I can become successful and YES, I am capable of making this dream of mine come true. Lillypie is a place for me to do that. I love creating items for women and the littles in their life.

 3. Women are often doing MANY jobs at once--wife, mother, friend, sister, blogger, biz owner, party planner, etc. Working full time and owning a handmade shop is A LOT of work--what tips and/or strategies do you have for juggling it all?

 

I work full time as a fourth grade teacher in our local public school system. While I do enjoy teaching, Lillypie has my heart. I am passionate about what I do and that helps me juggle two full time jobs and my family. I’m still getting the hang of it, but setting “work hours” for Lillypie has really helped. I hope to hang up my “teacher voice” in the  future to focus on lillypie endeavors and adding more littles to my family.

4. How do you overcome obstacles ( whether personal or work related)?
When faced with an obstacle, I’m your typical worrier and over-analyzer. I have a little freak-out. I’ll cry—an ugly little cry. Then my husband will give me a pep talk, I’ll accuse him of just saying that because he’s my husband, and I’ll begin to move on. I’m really rather predictable. My faith is a pivotal part of over coming obstacles. He made me with a purpose in mind---my purpose is NOT to give up. My purpose is NOT to fail. My purpose is to be filled with joy and rejoice in His blessings.

5. Describe your shop in one sentence.
Lillypie is a place of ruffles, flowers, encouragement, and beauty.

6. What is YOUR favorite item that you sell?
I love making everything in my shop! However, my favorite fabric right now is the Coral Rose. I adore making anything with it. The fabric makes me happy.

lucky for you lovely ladies, laura is offering 15% off your order with coupon code meg15!
she has also been kind enough to give away a $30 credit to her shop!!

to enter, just visit her shop and leave a comment telling me what your favorite item is.

for additional entries (please leave a separate comment for each) ::
♥ become a follower of laura's blog
♥ tweet about it (be sure to mention @prettiesbymeg & @lauralillypie
♥ blog about it (please leave a link to the blog post)

giveaway ends thursday, april 28 at midnight.