natalie creates

encouraging sisterhood + spring craft party recap

women often ask how i have formed such a tight knit tribe of beautiful, gifted friends.

the answer is simple & yet quite difficult.

answer: i make time for them.

the difficult part: i clear my schedule, set aside my to-do lists & love them even when it's inconvenient.

this weekend, brandy of bella vita jewelry & i hosted a spring craft party in little rock, arkansas.

it's an opportunity for women to come together & just be who they are - messy & creative.

among the crafting & good food, my hope is that they will come together & meet new people, form friendships & find those people that tick in the same way.

this craft party was just that & so much more!

we enjoyed so much good food. cebe's cookies made custom mason jar craft cookies & loblolly creamery served gourmet ice cream sundaes! we munched on pretzels & chocolate while sipping mimosas.

the girls were downright spoiled with amazing swag from some of our favorite makers.

a big hug & thank you to -

gabriel's good tidings

my absolute favorite part was the crafting. these girls formed an instant connection & by the end of the project they were sharing their stories, talking about faith & sharing insight on family.

it was just so good, y'all.

let's get honest. sometimes i wonder what the heck i am doing as a blogger, maker & influencer.

but at the end of the day, after leading a group of amazing women in an inspiring afternoon of making, i am left with a full heart. i am, above all else, encouraging community & sisterhood.

what else can be more meaningful?

love,

natalie

spring on the farm + a giveaway!

the happiest season of all seasons on the farm is here & we are absolutely giddy! hello, spring! we've missed you & your fluffy chicks.

this weekend we welcomed sixty new chick babies to the farm! our farm is growing & we love it. with each day, the rhythm of the farm becomes more manageable, leaving a bit of space to actually enjoy this place we call home.

soon those happy girls will be laying eggs for our dear customers!

we've been working on new packaging for our farm eggs. the sweet brittany of brittany lauren design sent us a custom rubber stamp for our egg cartons!

she offers a wide variety of stamps from address stamps to monogram stamps. it was so much fun & such a joy to work with brittany to create a stamp that reflects our farm values & eclectic style.

we cannot wait to surprise our customers with our new packaging!

and because brittany is sweet as can be, she is offering a monogram hen stamp for your own stationery & tags to one lucky natalie creates reader!

it's so easy to enter. simply...

1. take a look at her shop.

2. follow brittany on instagram @britt_laurend

3. comment below with your email address & one farm topic you'd like me to blog about!

i will pick a winner on monday, march 30th, & share the winner's name here!

grab a stamp right now from the brittany lauren design shop for 20% off with the coupon code "ENJOY2015" at checkout. yay!

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also, just a heads up- our a year in the garden: perpetual planting poster pre-order sale opens TODAY at 8am cst! head on over to my shop & purchase a poster today! yay!

love,
natalie

--- giveaway closed! thanks to dawn for winning! we will contact you shortly! ---

handmade girlie baby gift idea

sometimes i get the itch to make.

that itch usually hits in the late hours of the evening & well into the wee morning hours. thankfully, as i was brainstorming what to gift my dear friend wendy's baby on the way, i was hit with the desire to make her babe a mini tutu & headbands during a snow day.

bless the snow day.

as the snow flakes fell & covered the ground, i sewed up a couple of headbands from my shop in various tiny baby sizes. be still, my heart. i brought out the felt, made little rosettes & adorned those wee headbands. i. can't. even.

wendy is the mama of two little boys so we all squealed in delight when we found out she was having a girl. so naturally, all little girls need tutus.

i cut up strips of tulle & tied them to the band of elastic. it was such a simple project & took me about one hour. here's a similar tutorial!

i found those cute storage bins at target for $1 each. i love gifting storage bins that the recipient can reuse (tip: neutral color bins make it easier for them to match their current decor colors)! i placed everything in the crate with sheets of tissue paper & tied the gift with a big burlap bow (ribbon from hobby lobby).

a bit of pink twine & a little owl tag completed the gift!

sometimes the best gifts are the ones we slow down just long enough to make on a beautiful snow day.

what are some of your favorite gifts to make new mamas?

here are two more handmade gift ideas for the new mama: sensitive skin laundry detergent & a baby quilt!

love,

natalie

pop-up crafty party with poppy recap!

the pop-up craft party with poppy in columbia, missouri was a huge success!

we have deep roots in columbia so it was such a gift to craft with so many dear friends. i absolutely love that sweet community & consider it an honor to have partnered with poppy, an amazing shop in the downtown area.

the craft party was paired perfectly with true/false, our very favorite documentary film festival that we attend every year. i love watching as the town comes to life with art, music & film!

our little craft party was a nice addition to this year's festival. in-between films, gals popped in to craft & chat!

as with any craft party, we spoil our girls with good food. kiss me cookies in columbia, missouri (you can find her @kissmecookiescomo on instagram!) went above & beyond! she made custom true/false & happy flag cookies for the event! they were so cute & delicious!

the gals learned to make leather & fabric tassel keychains, a craft they could easily pop onto their keys & into their purse as they walked around the festival.

both groups of gals were so fun!

a handful of amazing makers from the mid-missouri area spoiled our girls with the best swag!

- onecanoetwo gifted our girls letterpress cards!

- e&bee made organic lip balm for each girl!

- aimee bee gifted fabric covered earrings for each swag bag!

- poppy shared their adorable handmade pinwheels with each gal along with a generous store credit!

it was all so much fun & sure to happen again!

sweet liz, thank you for opening up your shop for the craft party! i am certain this is the start of a dear friendship, amazing lady!

friends, if you're in columbia, stop by poppy for the best shopping experience. you're sure to come home with a bag of goodies like i do each & every time! xo.

love,

natalie

aimee bee shop giveaway!

hello, friends!

if you've been around these parts for long enough, you know i am a jewelry addict.

i've found that my style consists of neutral clothing & pops of color with fun accessories such as jewelry & scarves. i love the versatility that jewelry offers to take me from blah to oo la la.

so i was thrilled to find sweet aimee & her aimee bee shop just in time for spring!

she offers pieces in bright, happy colors at such an affordable price. her work is perfect for gifting your loved ones!

i just love her little stud earrings. i've been wearing mine with my hair in a bun for a subtle, happy pop of color.

also, i hope to buy a few pairs & stick them in easter baskets! at $6.00, they're perfect paired with a little chocolate bar or starbucks gift card!

the aimee bee shop also offers hand-stamped necklaces in a variety of colors & designs. i love my beehive necklace with my initial in the copper colors! i've been rocking mine with a basic v-neck tee & cardigan. it's also perfect for layering with other necklaces for a little boho look.

i hope you love aimee's shop just as much as i do! and because she's sweet as pie, she's also offering up a $50 gift certificate to one lucky natalie creates reader!

to enter, simply...

1. visit the aimee bee shop!

2. follow aimee on instagram @aimeeswift or "like" her facebook page!

3. comment below with your email address & a fun gift idea for easter.

i will pick a random winner on monday, march 23rd & announce it here!

happy winning!

love,

natalie

p.s. the aimee bee shop is also offering a discount of 25% to all natalie creates readers! simply enter "NATALIECREATES" at checkout! yay!

----- giveaway closed!! -----

congrats to sandra h.! you are the winner! aimee will email you soon! xo.

this moment.

THIS MOMENT: a friday ritual. a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment i want to pause, savor & remember.

if you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your "moment" in the comments for all to find & see.

love,

natalie

my easter-inspired mantel

it must be spring; i can feel it in my bones!

that deep craving for bare legs & rich green grass.

the simple beginnings of our garden... fingers deep in the dirt covering seeds.

bright colors & warm sunshine.

despite the dark & gloomy days that have been lingering around these parts, i'm certain spring is just around the corner.

to celebrate, i decorated my mantel with cheerful spring & easter-inspired decorations!

i re-used last year's bunny banner from target & strung it atop my big green boxwood wreath (also from target). i purchased a few gold dot easter eggs from hobby lobby for a bit of sparkly goodness.

amidst my collection of old hardback books & chippy frames, i placed a green mason jar on my mantel full of this season's happy flags!

my etsy shop re-opens this thursday, march 12th, with bright & colorful goods just in time for the arrival of spring!

i absolutely love the easter-inspired set of happy flags (shown above)! i imagine them bundled up in an easter basket & peeking out of wheatgrass on a cozy mantelpiece.

i'm also introducing mini happy flags! yay!

they're perfect for tiny plants, cupcakes, party decorations & more. this rainbow set can transition from spring to summer, adding a pop of color to any tabletop!

& of course, there will be more of the skinny headbands in happy spring colors as well as reversible headbands & stretchy bands!

i hope you'll join me at my shop on thursday, march 12th at 8am cst!

as a little thank you for following along on my shop adventures & for taking a peek at my blog, i am offering blog readers a 20% discount on purchases of $10 or more with code "bloglove" at checkout (code is good through march 12th!). you can shop right here.

i'd love for you to share your spring-inspired mantel!

love,

natalie