he’s beautiful and he’s been named…NATE COOPER has arrived! michelle, dad, big sis and baby are wonderful! more news from spill the beans soon…
Congratulations to Lois C. who won our Tyler Mackenzie Designs bracelet set give-away! We hope you enjoy them!
To purchase your own bracelets, visit the Tyler Mackenzie Designs Facebook page.
Stay tuned for more contests and giveaways from spill the beans!
When we discovered Tyler Mackenzie Designs beaded bracelets (and necklaces!), we knew we wanted to share them with our readers. Started by 
Chicago mom of two, Lauren Rosen, these beautiful baubles are elegant and easy on the wallet. (Each single bracelet is around $15-$22!) We wanted to scoop up armfuls of these beaded beauties. From gemstones such as jade, aventurine and angelite, to gray, black and rose woods, each unique design is interspersed with gold or silver spacers and charms. Choosing the color and combination is the difficult part! But spill the beans and Tyler Mackenzie Designs have teamed up to give a 3 bracelet set away to one lucky reader! Visit the Tyler Mackenzie Facebook fan page to learn more about her fabulous creations. We’ll randomly select one lucky lady from our mailing list. Join today for your chance to win. (It’s simple, enter your email in the join link above.) Think of it as our Valentine’s Day gift to you! Plus, enjoy 20% off your baby gift purchases at the beans closet on Monday, 2/15 & Tuesday 2/16 by using code: love.
*Winner will be randomly selected and notified on 2/17.
1. Company profile
Tyler Mackenzie Designs are beaded, stackable bracelets using various wood and gemstone beads mixed with gold and silver accents. Stylish and affordable!
2. How did you get into this business?
I bought some beads and started stringing bracelets for fun. I was wearing them all the time and then started making them for my friends. They all suggested that I start selling them. I wanted people to be able to wear them in a stack and not just purchase one, so each bracelet is priced between $15 and $22! I saw so many similar designs out there that cost a lot more, and most people want to be able to buy 3, 5, 7 or more…and not break the bank!
3. What/who inspires your designs?
No one, really. I just sit on my bed with my box of beads and my box of spacers. I start stringing with the beads and then grab spacers and see what works!
4. Biggest business moment?My proudest moment was selling to my first store, Just Between Friends, in Deerfield, IL. They have a great business with great traffic, and I was thrilled to have my designs there!
5. How do you find the time to create your designs with a family? How do you manage your work and your family?
I am very lucky that both of my children are very independent (7 and 2 and 1/2). If I have a large order to fill and need to bead during the day, my daughter will play by herself with her barbies, dress up clothes, animals, etc… At night, I am usually sitting on the bed beading while they are both watching tv before bed. My husband has become accustomed to being with me…and my box of beads!!! When we watch tv or a movie at night, I’m usually making bracelets! It has become a part of our routine!
6. What are your hobbies/what do you do for yourself?
I spend a lot of time at the gym. I am currently OBSESSED with spinning, and get such a rush out of the sweaty workout! I also enjoy bargain shopping, either in stores or online…when I have the time.
7. What is your favorite mom tip or advice?
I want to tell all new moms that don’t have time to shower, are up half the night with screaming babies that won’t go back to sleep after their bottle, or have kids that won’t take naps during the day when they need a little break….IT GETS BETTER…I PROMISE!!!! I have two amazing children that were both very difficult the first six months. My son whined all day long, and my daughter would not sleep unless I was holding her! They are now WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL kids!!!
8. Describe your (collection) style in 3 words.
Trendy, Stylish, Affordable!!
Check out the Tyler Mackenzie Facebook page for more info on Lauren’s designs. Click here to win a set of Tyler Mackenzie Designs Bracelets.Tomorrow is stella’s 4th birthday and I am always in search of some cute details so make the decor unique. Being that it’s a princess party I wanted to find some non-Disney items that would spruce things up. I fell in love with an etsy vendor Ciaobambino. Her items include adorable cupcake toppers, goody bag tags, birthday signs and more. Check them out at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaobambino. You will love the simplicity of the adorable designs.
One of my favorite gifts of the holiday season for my daughter was definitely the idog by Hasbro. This mess free pup serves as a speaker for any MP3 player. Stella had a blast decorating hers (named sweetness sparkly) with tons of provided decals. And the whole family loves to watch sweetness get her grrrrroooove on when she flaps her ears and lights up to our favorite playlists. This pup is so techno smart that he even changes his mood based on your music. His flashing lights show you how he’s feeling and when he doesn’t get enough love he lets out a little whimper. Just remember to shut him off because he keeps going and going….A must have!
Available at target.
I am seven weeks away from baby #2 and of course the shoe makers son has no shoes! Another words I am still not done with the planning and final touches for my nursery. I have decorated hundreds of nurseries for strangers, friends and even family, but of course when it comes to my own I am trigger shy. So just like my name dilemma I am looking to you for some major last minute inspiration. I would love to see some creative nurseries..and fast. Every person who sends me a picture will get a one day 20% off coupon to the bean’s closet and will be entered to win our grand mystery prize (I promise it’s a good one!)
How to enter: Email 1-2 pics of the room to michelle@thebeanscloset.com. Put Inspiration Nursery in subject line. Include your name and email address.
The discount code will be emailed to you with date of shopping spree and the grand prize winner will be announced Feb 3.
Help!!!!!
xoxoxo
Michelle
One of my fav bedding companies for a chic fresh look is Serena and Lily. As one of their retailers we just got word that their classic sets are now $100 less each. So originally $489 now they are $389! A great deal for these 3 pc complete sets. Check them out here! Happy New Year!
These cupcakes were a cute and easy way to celebrate the holidays at my son’s school. I’m not going to lie, I felt some pressure to deliver when I was named as one of the moms in charge of the winter holiday party. (You should see what some of the moms at school do.) And then I heard myself volunteering to bake. (A weak moment which I’ll blame on sleep deprivation.) While I do enjoy cooking and baking, I’m not really the Susie Homemaker type…I mean, my form of exercise is pole dancing, I love swearing and I don’t host a weekly playgroup at my home. But I wanted to create something the kids would find cool. And of course I wanted my son to be proud of his mama.
If you live in NYC, NY Cake and Baking Company is a baker’s dream. I love it and I don’t even love (or have the patience) to bake. They have every kind of jimmy, sprinkle, frosting, cake mold, cookie cutter, etc. all the way up to professional baking and display materials. After searching for holiday cupcake ideas online, I decided to make my own version of snowmen. There is so much you can do with these if you have the time and inclination. I used basic Betty Crocker vanilla cupcake mix and icing and holiday liners I found at NY Cake. Once cooled and frosted, I added a marshmallow which I decorated with black gel. I used dark chocolate baking disks, which I adhered to the marshmallow with more frosting for the hat. (My husband claimed they looked French.) My carrot nose proved to be a little difficult since I didn’t have the right tip for my orange frosting tube (some looked like a lame version of Mr. Bill or a group of penguins) but it worked. You could use anything for the nose, including orange gummies. I found snowflake jimmies and sprinkled them all over the dish. And if you weren’t walking them 10 blocks to school, you could make them 2 marshmallows high to resemble a real snowman. Use jimmies instead of frosting for the eyes and buttons, licorice for a scarf…the list goes on.
My only regret is not eating one…my husband claims he “forgot” to share the one extra with me…
I was in desperate need of coffee. We were on vacation in Cape Cod, but vacation takes on a whole new meaning with kids. My little guy had been up at 5am 2 mornings in a row and I was beat. I asked my mother-in-law to watch him while I ran into the Wired Puppy for a serious cup of joe. As I was waiting, the young barista was talking to her friend who stopped in. (I’m sure her exhaustion was from a wild night of partying…at least that’s what I told myself during a moment of daydreaming). That’s when the barista said, “See, now she looks great. That’s the perfect uniform…great jeans [yes, I was rocking my Current/Elliotts], great tank [Jockey or Hanes preferably!] and a fabulous black bag. Your bag is gorgeous!” The friend nodded in agreement and reached out to touch it.
I started to laugh, and then caught myself, “Thank you! It holds everything!” I was about to add…everything including extra diapers for poop emergencies, wipes for endless spit-up bouts, bottles and snacks to stop a hysterical child…I could go on. But instead, I took the compliment, and let them think I was just a girl about town. Hey, maybe I was up all night partying, coming in for a red eye jolt. The truth is, that fabulous bag was my diaper bag. My Timi and Leslie work of art that my wonderful friends gave me as a baby gift. Soft, buttery leather, straps, chains, compartments…pouches for me, bottle holders for baby…the list goes on. (My little guy even entertained himself with one of the pouches one night for an hour while we were out to dinner!) I am constantly complimented on this bag. Check them out on Michelle’s site. I have the Charlie, above. If you like it, too, ask Michelle to order it for you. And tell her I sent you.
