Mermaid's Dream - Review & Giveaway

Purses and shoes! Those are two guilty pleasures in life that I believe most women will agree to. In my wedding planning, there has been no exception! For this post, I won't be talking about my shoes (although they are amazing), but instead an amazing Etsy shop that sells beautiful original clutches at affordable prices: Mermaid's Dream.

Sherry, owner of Mermaid's Dream (a Canadian-based Etsy shop operating out of Halifax, Nova Scotia), is dedicated to providing shoppers with high quality handmade originally designed clutches. Sherry has been creating original clutches for over 30 years and describes creating clutches as a personal passion. Sherry sells a wide variety of clutches - not only for weddings. At Mermaid's Dream, you will find clutches that are perfect for any occasion - whether you choose to use them for every day use, special occasions, or a night out on the town. Sherry believes in using only the highest quality fabrics so that you will be able to treasure your clutch for years to come!

All of the clutches sold by Mermaid's Dream are made in a smoke and scent free studio, which is great news for allergy sufferers!

Review
Sherry was kind enough to send me a clutch for review in the Wonderful Wedding Wishes event.  I received the Elegant Silk Dupioni Bow Clutch In Light Ivory, customized with a fabulous red interior (to match my wedding colors)! This elegant design is absolutely gorgeous and perfect for weddings! Sherry even makes them in a variety of colors (and in sets) for people who would like to match their bridesmaids. I'm including a picture of the red clutch that matches mine towards the end of this review.  I think it would be perfect for my bridesmaids!

The clutch I received is made from ivory Silk Dupioni fabric with a red Silk Dupioni interior to compliment. This clutch features two layers of interlining and batting to give your clutch a fuller look and to protect your prized possessions on your special day. The clutch measures 8" at the top and fans slightly down to 9" at the bottom. This clutch measures 5.5" in height. While reviewing this clutch, I found that the size of the clutch is perfect and very comfortable to hold.  To ensure the clutch holds up to time, all of Mermaid's Dream clutches have reinforced stitching for durability. The silver frame used for the clutch is elegant and it definitely adds to the beauty of the clutch! Sherry reminds shoppers on each product posting that if you love a clutch but not the lining (like in my case originally), you can request an alternative colour! This is great for people who would like to match their wedding colors or for brides who want to use their purse as that 'something blue'.

From start to finish, I was impressed with Sherry's professionalism. When I received the review clutch, it was evident how much pride Sherry takes in her work. Sherry shipped the clutch with care to avoid damage and she packaged it beautifully in an ivory organza bag with a red satin/organza ribbon (to match the interior of my clutch). This bag is not only great for receiving (or giving as a gift), but it is also great for long-term use; this bag can continuously be used to protect your bridal clutch from damage (stains, etc.). I'm not sure if Sherry hand makes the organza bags as well, but if she did, they are lovely! If she's ever looking for another outlet, selling these bags in an Etsy supply shop for other Etsy sellers would be perfect!

The clutch I received is absolutely stunning! The quality of the purse is evident; the stitching is strong and hidden within the clutch very well. To me, this purse definitely looks like something that I would find in an upscale boutique but without the upscale price (this clutch regularly sells for $65 and it is currently on sale for $52). The interior of the clutch was made in my complimentary wedding colour and the shade she chose is perfect! Inside the clutch, Sherry includes a small tag that says 'Mermaids Dream'. Unlike most product tags, this one is stylish and it works well in the purse. Plus, I think it's great because when people ask me where I got the purse, all I have to do is open it up and tell them (or show them). For brides who would like to have a personalized tag instead (possibly to commemorate their wedding date, etc.), for an additional $5, that is an option. The listing for custom tags can be located here.

One thing I noticed about this clutch that is different from others you can purchase in retail stores is the quality of the silver frame. This frame allows you to open the purse wide, so that you can easily locate the contents. Additionally, this frame is easy to open and close and fastens strong so you don't have to worry about losing anything.

Overall, I absolutely love this clutch! It met and exceeded all of my expectations.  I plan to use this clutch on my wedding day and proudly display it in my wedding pictures. I have already eyed up other clutches I love in Mermaid's Dream Etsy shop and I will be keeping them in mind for future indulgences. If you are in the market for a clutch (for yourself or a gift), I would highly recommend Mermaid's Dream - their quality and service is superb!

*GIVEAWAY*

What can you win?  One winner will receive their choice of any one (1) clutch from Mermaid's Dream (excluding sets).

To enter, visit Mermaid's Dream and heart your favorite clutch.  Then, come back here and leave a comment stating the name of the clutch you hearted and your Etsy ID. This question must be answered to gain an entry in the giveaway.

Each of the following will give you one extra entry in the giveaway (unless stated otherwise). Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

- *NEW* For each $1 you donate to my Wedding Fund (through ChipIn at the top right hand corner of this page), you will receive two (2) bonus entries for this giveaway.  Please make such to leave two extra comments along with your PayPal email so that I can verify your entry.

- Telling me the name of the clutch you'd choose from Mermaid's Dream if you win the giveaway.
- Making one design suggestion for a future clutch to be sold in Mermaid's Dream.
- Entering one other giveaway on Everything Up Close, then leaving me a comment hear indicating the name of the other giveaway you entered (Maximum of 1 entry).
- Subscribing to my blog via email or RSS feed (Maximum of 1 entry - please tell me how you subscribe in your comment).

- Adding my main button to your blog sidebar.
- Adding my 'Wonderful Wedding Wishes' event button to your blog sidebar.

- Following me on Twitter (@ihchicky). Please leave your Twitter name.

- Following me on Blogger / Google Friends Connect (publicly).
- Friending Everything Up Close on Facebook. Please leave your name that is shown on Facebook for verification.

- Tweeting about this giveaway with a link to this page. Please leave a link to your tweet or your twitter name. You can do this once a day.

- Blogging about this giveaway on your blog. Please leave a link to your blog post in your comment. 2 ENTRIES! Please leave 2 separate comments if you blog about this giveaway.

- Talking about and linking to this giveaway in any public forum or on Facebook. If you do this, please leave your user-name and a link to the post. 2 ENTRIES! Please leave 3 separate comments if you blog about this giveaway.

Important Entry Details: The above entries (main and bonus) can only be submitted once per person (except for the tweet entry, which can be done daily). Please do not use more than one blogger account or add additional anonymous comments to gain extra entries. This is not fair to everyone else and this practice is strictly prohibited. If a person is found to be using more than one account to enter the same giveaway, they will be disqualified from that particular giveaway, as well as all future giveaways.

This giveaway will end on Tuesday, July 20th at 11:59pm (Central Standard Time). After the giveaway has ended, the winner will be picked randomly using random.org. EMAIL RULES: In order to win, you must provide a valid email. I will be notifying the winner by email only. Please make sure your blogger profile includes your email address and make sure that it is visible. If you do not have a blogger account, please make sure you have included your email address in your post. If there is no email address provided, to contact the winner, another person will be chosen. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email notification with their complete mailing address (I will be forwarding all this information to the sponsor), If this information is not received within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.  

This giveaway is open to everyone WORLDWIDE.

Good Luck!

SALE! Mermaid's Dream is currently celebrating her first year in business on Etsy. To celebrate, she has reduced all her in stock clutches by 20-50% off! If you are in the market for a new clutch, now is the perfect time to buy!

**Disclaimer** To complete this review and post this giveaway, I was sent an Elegant Silk Dupioni Bow Clutch in Light Ivory.  Receiving this clutch did not in anyway alter the information which I discussed in this article; this review is 100% my own opinion.  I did not receive any other type of compensation for this review/giveaway.

Mary Alison Handbags Review & Giveaway!

What girl doesn't love to accessorize? I recently came across a shop called Mary Alison Handbags on Etsy that offers a wide range of bags to help you do just that...accessorize! Mary Alison Handbags offers diaper bags/totes, clutches/handheld bags, small & sassy bags, chic shoulder bags, and slouch hobo bags. Besides Alison's premade bags, you can also request custom orders. To do this, find a bag style you like in Alison's shop, then take a look through all the fabrics she has available here. Send her a message with your choice of bag style and fabric and approximately 2-3 weeks later your custom bag will be ready for you to enjoy!

Alison enjoys spreading the word about her bags by offering purse parties in the Milwaukee area. Hosting a purse party is a great way to spend time with friends and earn a FREE Mary Alison Handbag (please contact Alison for more details).

Here is a bit more information about Alison and how she got started making handbags (This information is a direct quote and can also be located in her profile):

"I am Alison Wolf the designer and creator of these awesome bags. I am a stay at home mom with a love for creativity and fashion. What started as Christmas presents for my family and friends has escalated into my own business! My husband was the one who first encouraged me to sell them, even though I thought he was just being nice. :) I toyed with the idea for a while but it wasn't until I was home with my daughter full time that I really started pursuing selling my bags. Since I suddenly had more "time" being at home to sew, I thought I would give it a shot. My first craft fair was overwhelmingly successful which then turned into special orders, purse parties and now my own Etsy shop."

Review
Alison offered to send me one of her handbags to review. The one I received is very much like 'The Assemble' - brown multi' that is currently listed in her shop. The only difference is that mine had round metal handles instead of rope handles and mine doesn't have a magnetic closure.

Here's what Mary Alison Handbags had to say about this bag, "Add some pizzaz to your wardrobe with this funky handbag. Fun dark brown cotton material with colorful circle pattern. Large enough to fit just about everything. Fits comfortably under the arm." This bag includes 2 metal loop handles, 2 inside pockets, interfacing (which provides increased durability), and scotch guarding (to extend the life of your bag). This bag measures 19 inches long, 14 inches tall, and 4 inches wide.

Now onto what I thought about the bag. My first impression was that I loved the funky design. I usually go with solid color bags and purses so this was a nice, exciting change! Plus, the style was different than I am used to so I was looking forward to trying it out. While testing out this bag, I had numerous people comment positively on it and ask me where I got it.

Another thing I loved about this bag was the material. The material used to make this bag is very thick and durable, which makes me believe that this bag will last a very long time. Another benefit is that the material has been scotch guarded. Since I usually have to place my purse on the ground, this will make sure that my bag stays spot and stain free.

In addition, I really liked the overall size of this bag. I could easily fit everything I needed in it for my day. I also enjoyed the 2 inside pockets because they helped me to organize my 'stuff' a bit better. Because I love pockets, I'd like to see this purse with an extra pocket on the opposite side for future designs. This isn't needed but it would be a bonus!

Although I really like the style of the metal loop handles, it was a bit uncomfortable to carry over my shoulder. I think a thicker or flatter handle might eliminate that issue in the future. Because of that, I usually carried the bag in my hand, which worked well. Not having any type of closure for the bag was a bit difficult at times because I worry about losing things and I don't like people seeing what I have in my bag. I figure that a woman's bag is her personal place! After reading and looking through Alison's new bag, 'The Assemble', I think she addressed both of these issues; 'The Assemble' bag has a magnetic closure and a different type of handle. Finally, I looked through her entire store and I didn't see any bags with a metal handle, so this leads me to believe she strayed away from using them.

Overall, I really do like the bag. I like that it is fun, funky, durable and full of space! Would I buy a purse from Mary Alison Handbags in the future? Yes. I really like her styles because they are unique and I know her products are made with pride. I would be happy to have another Mary Alison Handbag in my closet!


What can you win? One winner will have the opportunity to design their own handbag! The winner of this giveaway will receive a Tendu handbag in their choice of fabric.


To enter,Visit the Mary Alison Handbags shop and look around. Then come back here and tell me the name of your favorite bag. This question must be answered to gain an entry in the giveaway.

Each of the following will give you one extra entry in the giveaway. Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do:
- Telling me the name of the fabric that you'd choose for your Tendu bag if you won. Pictures of all the fabrics available can be found here.
- Subscribing to my blog via email or RSS (Maximum of 1 entry - please tell me how you subscribe in your comment).
- Adding my button to your blog sidebar.
- Following me on Twitter (@ihchicky). Please leave your Twitter name.
- Following me on Blogger / Google Friends Connect (publicly).
- Tweeting about this giveaway (with a link to this page) on Twitter. Please leave a link to your tweet or your twitter name. You can do this once a day.

Enter to win a custom handbag from Mary Alison Handbags http://bit.ly/2mYqJC #giveaway

- Blogging about this giveaway on your blog. Please leave a link to your blog post in your comment. 3 ENTRIES! Please leave 3 separate comments if you blog about this giveaway.
- Talking about and linking to this giveaway in any public forum or on Facebook. If you do this, please leave your user-name and a link to the post. 3 ENTRIES! Please leave 3 separate comments if you blog about this giveaway.

Important Entry Details: The above entries (main and bonus) can only be submitted once per person (except for the tweet entry, which can be done daily). Please do not use more than one blogger account or add additional anonymous comments to gain extra entries. This is not fair to everyone else and this practice is strictly prohibited. If a person is found to be using more than one account to enter the same giveaway, they will be disqualified from that particular giveaway, as well as all future giveaways.

This giveaway will end on Friday, October 16th at 11:59pm (Central Standard Time). After the giveaway has ended, the winner will be picked randomly using random.org. EMAIL RULES: In order to win, you must provide a valid email. I will be notifying the winner by email only. Please make sure your blog profile includes your email address and make sure that it is visible. If you do not have a blogger account, please make sure you have included your email address in your post. If there is no email address provided, to contact the winner, another person will be chosen. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email notification with their complete mailing address (I will be forwarding all this information to the sponsor), If this information is not received within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to residents of the US only.

Good Luck!

Would you like to purchase something from Mary Alison Handbags for yourself or as a gift? Receive FREE SHIPPING when you tell Alison in the notes to seller section during checkout that you heard about the offer from 'Everything Up Close'. Note: The shipping fee will be refunded via PayPal.

Zinney Lou Totes Review & Giveaway!

Zinney Lou Totes is an adorable online store that sells high-quality totes in a wide variety of styles and fabrics. Zinney Lou offers their totes in several sizes including scripture, small, regular, large, and diaper. Each tote is reasonably priced between $25 - $50. As you look through Zinney Lou Totes, you will notice that each tote has been creatively named to match it's appearance! Zinney Lou's goal is to offer a number of totes that are both functional and attractive!

All of Zinney Lou's totes are handmade in the USA and are held to the highest standards. Each Zinney Lou tote is made with high-quality, high thread count fabrics, extremely strong seam stitching, and a special layer of Scotchguard(TM) to extend the life of each tote. The finally step in making a Zinney Lou tote involves a strict review of each of the above aspects. "If the tote passes in every aspect of the inspection it is validated by stitching a silver button on the tote by Zinney Lou herself. As you look carefully at the totes you can see which ones meet her rigorous standards and bear the symbol of her inspection. When you see that silver button, you know that Zinney Lou has handled the tote herself and given it her stamp of approval." To learn more about the process of creating a Zinney Lou tote, please visit their web page entitled "A Needle Sewing Thread".

The owner of Zinney Lou Totes sent me the Black Tie Affair tote to review. When I received the tote, I immediately noticed the high quality of the fabric that was used to create it. The fabric is very thick and I can tell that it will hold up to the test of time. The ribbon used for the tote I received is lovely and thick and it is firmly sewed into place to ensure that it will stay in place as long as the tote lasts. In addition to the fabric, the stitching is very strong, which will help the tote to last a very long time. One aspect that I thought was interesting about the Zinney Lou Tote is that each one is scotch-guarded. Since it is usually easier to get items dirty than clean, I am happy that I don't have to worry about that with this tote. Additionally, I really like that Zinney Lou Totes includes a number of pockets in all of their totes. Mine contained not only one, but two generously sized pockets that will definitely make organizing a whole lot easier. Finally, my tote received a silver button. I completely agree that my tote has met all the standards and actually has exceeded many of my own. Overall, this tote is very well made and it is evident that it was created with love and pride! I have to admit that I have never seen a tote that is so well made. I am impressed!

If you are looking for a tote for yourself or as a gift, I would highly suggest that you check out Zinney Lou Totes. You will not be disappointed!

What can you win? One winner will receive a small sized tote in their choice of style/fabric from Zinney Lou Totes.

To enter, Look through Zinney Lou's Totes. Then, come back here and leave a comment telling me which one you'd choose if you won. Please answer with the exact same name listed on the tote. This question must be answered to gain an entry in the giveaway.

Each of the following will give you one extra entry in the giveaway. Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do:
-Tell me one thing you learned about a Zinney Lou Tote Party.
-Read through Zinney Lou Tote's main page, then come back here and tell me what new item is being created and will be added shortly to the Zinney Lou Totes product line.
-Subscribing to my blog via email or RSS.
-Adding my button to your blog sidebar.
-Following me on Twitter (ihchicky). Please leave your Twitter name.
-Following me on Blogger / Google Friends Connect (publicly).
-Tweeting about this giveaway (with a link to this page) on Twitter. Please leave a link to your tweet or your twitter name. You can do this once a day.
-Blogging about this giveaway on your blog. Please leave a link to your blog post in your comment. 3 ENTRIES! Please leave 3 separate comments if you blog about this giveaway.

Important Entry Details: The above entries (main and bonus) can only be submitted once per person (except for the tweet entry, which can be done daily). Please do not use more than one blogger account or add additional anonymous comments to gain extra entries. This is not fair to everyone else and this practice is strictly prohibited. If a person is found to be using more than one account to enter the same giveaway, they will be disqualified from that particular giveaway, as well as all future giveaways.

This giveaway will end on Thursday, September 24th at 11:59pm (Central Standard Time). After the giveaway has ended, the winner will be picked randomly using random.org. EMAIL RULES: In order to win, you must provide a valid email. I will be notifying the winner by email only. Please make sure your blog profile includes your email address and make sure that it is visible. If you do not have a blogger account, please make sure you have included your email address in your post. If there is no email address provided, to contact the winner, another person will be chosen. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email notification with their complete mailing address (I will be forwarding all this information to the sponsor), If this information is not received within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to residents of the continental US only!

Good Luck!


Are you looking for an interesting party to host for you and your friends? Zinney Lou Totes hosts tote parties. For more information, visit here.