Here are the bags that are still around:
And if you missed yesterday's memo,
these bags are all just $29.
But just on Leap Day!
Happy Leap Day!
Hugs and Loves,
Rachel Elise
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
leap day sale...
So tomorrow is that special time of year that only comes around every four years: Leap Day.
If you're an avid 30 Rock fan, you might spend Leap Day pretending that nothing counts. Or if you're my parents, you might spend it making jokes about how you went on your first date on Leap Day, so your first date was only eight years ago.
Regardless of how you NORMALLY spend Leap Day, this year, you should spend it on Etsy.
BECAUSE RACHEL ELISE IS HAVING A RIDICULOUS SALE.
That's right, cats and kittens. Making sure you find time amid your Leap Day celebrations to take a gander at my Etsy shop.
If you're an avid 30 Rock fan, you might spend Leap Day pretending that nothing counts. Or if you're my parents, you might spend it making jokes about how you went on your first date on Leap Day, so your first date was only eight years ago.
Regardless of how you NORMALLY spend Leap Day, this year, you should spend it on Etsy.
BECAUSE RACHEL ELISE IS HAVING A RIDICULOUS SALE.
That's right, cats and kittens. Making sure you find time amid your Leap Day celebrations to take a gander at my Etsy shop.
Because all of these bags...
will be just $29 each.
Say whaaaaa. Yes. You heard me. I can be loud and dramatic when I want to.
All the bags in the "Discontinued Styles" section of my shop, originally $50 - $75, will be just $29. But it's just for tomorrow. Get to leapin'.
Hugs and Loves,
Rachel Elise
Saturday, February 25, 2012
caturday...
Mmmm.... weekend. Cat is embracing Caturday with a nap in her sock monkey bed, in front of the fire.
I wish I had a Rachel-sized sock monkey bed. Maybe someday...
In other news, I couldn't wait until Monday to add new bags to the shop. I've already listed a couple of clutches, and you should watch for more bags throughout Caturday.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
I wish I had a Rachel-sized sock monkey bed. Maybe someday...
In other news, I couldn't wait until Monday to add new bags to the shop. I've already listed a couple of clutches, and you should watch for more bags throughout Caturday.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
Friday, February 24, 2012
workin' for the weekend...
Sorry for the few days of MIA. I've been a busy bee. But no worries. New bags in the new styles (and in some new fabrics) are hitting the shop Monday. Here's a sneak peak at an adorable new Yoke Tote:
Also, this is going be the best weekend ever.
Tonight: Mr. Frosty's with friends. (If you aren't a Dentonite, Mr. Frosty's is the cutest burger/soda fountain joint that opened in the 50s or 60s and hasn't changed since. I've never been, but it's been on my "Before I move out of DFW" bucket list for some time.)
Later Tonight: Newly weds Laura and Jose are coming to play in Little D. <That's Denton, for you out-of-towners.
Tomorrow Morning: Making Eggs Benedict and mimosas for the Boser and I.
Tomorrow Night: BB King at Billy Bob's with the Boser. I surprised him with tickets. Because I'm a good wifey. Billy Bob's, aka the world's largest honky tonk, has also been on my "Before I move out of DFW" bucket list, but I was waiting for the right time to go. When one of the Boser's favorite legends is playing? Perfect time.
I hope your weekend is looking just as lovely!
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
Also, this is going be the best weekend ever.
Tonight: Mr. Frosty's with friends. (If you aren't a Dentonite, Mr. Frosty's is the cutest burger/soda fountain joint that opened in the 50s or 60s and hasn't changed since. I've never been, but it's been on my "Before I move out of DFW" bucket list for some time.)
Later Tonight: Newly weds Laura and Jose are coming to play in Little D. <That's Denton, for you out-of-towners.
Tomorrow Morning: Making Eggs Benedict and mimosas for the Boser and I.
Tomorrow Night: BB King at Billy Bob's with the Boser. I surprised him with tickets. Because I'm a good wifey. Billy Bob's, aka the world's largest honky tonk, has also been on my "Before I move out of DFW" bucket list, but I was waiting for the right time to go. When one of the Boser's favorite legends is playing? Perfect time.
I hope your weekend is looking just as lovely!
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
Monday, February 20, 2012
the new collection...
Alright, kiddos. As promised, here is the new Rachel Elise collection (as well as a peek at a few spring colors).
The Haversack and Courier Satchel have both been retired, so get one while you can! They can be found in the Discontinued Styles section of my shop. Bags styles that were updated can be found in their original style and at their original price for a while longer as they sell off.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
First and foremost, everyone's favorite teeny little bag is back with a little bit of an update.
The Date Purse
 |
| The Date Purse. $17.00. |
Next, meet a new-comer with a bit of chevron inspiration.
The Hobo
 |
| The Hobo. $38.00. |
A few favorites are sticking around, but got makeovers.
The Clutch
 |
| The Clutch. $27.00. |
The Yoke Tote
 | ||
| The Yoke Tote. $32.00 |
The Satchel
 |
| The Satchel. $42.00. |
And one favorite stayed as is, because you love it just the way it came.
The Bunch Bag
 |
| The Bunch Bag. $48.00 |
The Haversack and Courier Satchel have both been retired, so get one while you can! They can be found in the Discontinued Styles section of my shop. Bags styles that were updated can be found in their original style and at their original price for a while longer as they sell off.
Don't you just love the new family?
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
Sunday, February 19, 2012
product photos...
The photos I take of my bags to put on my Etsy shop are far from professional, but they give clear description and detail to each product, which I guess in the end is the most important thing. And people buy my stuff daily, so they must agree with me, professional photos or not.
I set up three pieces of foam core next to my office window, which receives a lot of natural, indirect light from about 11 am to 2 pm daily. The base piece of foam core has one edge held up by the window sill and the other edge held up by my desk-side wastebasket, which just happens to be the exact same height as the window sill. Convenient. The background foam core leans against the Boser's guitar amp, which lives by the window. The third piece of foam core is for reflecting light back toward to the product and just leans against the other two for support. Ghetto photo magic at its finest.
Sidenote: Can you find Cat in this picture? She was behaving this particular day by being behind the photo set up to look out the window. Generally, she prefers to wander around on the foam core and block all the light. Thanks, Cat.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
P.S. BIG BLOG POST TOMORROW! Changes are a comin': a couple of bags are being retired, a new bag is being introduced, an old bag is coming back, and three bags got makeovers. OH. SNAP.
Want to know my photography secret? Here it is:
Sidenote: Can you find Cat in this picture? She was behaving this particular day by being behind the photo set up to look out the window. Generally, she prefers to wander around on the foam core and block all the light. Thanks, Cat.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
P.S. BIG BLOG POST TOMORROW! Changes are a comin': a couple of bags are being retired, a new bag is being introduced, an old bag is coming back, and three bags got makeovers. OH. SNAP.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
capers...
The more I cook with capers, the more I become a fan. Which is intriguing for two reasons: 1. I hate olives. 2. The Boser's middle name is Capers. Tehe.
Tonight's dinner consisted of two caper-fueled dishes: Tilapia with Walnut-Caper Brown Butter and a side salad with my all-time favorite dressing, Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette. Nommers.
The Walnut-Caper Brown Butter was a new dish for me. I found the recipe on Kitchen Daily (which is now a part of the Huffington Post). The recipe suggests chicken, but it was perfection with the Tilapia. Tilapia is great. It's super healthy for you, and you can get a big bag of frozen fillets for pretty cheap. Win win.
Here's our Walnut-Caper Brown Butter bubblin' on the stove:
Nom nom nom.
Here's the recipe, if you want to make it yourself. In other news, I highly recommend you make it yourself.
A field green side salad with carrots, cucumber slices, and my lemon-dill vinaigrette was the perfect accompaniment. I neglected to take a picture of the awesomeness, but this creamy dressing will quickly become a staple in your salad arsenal.
Here's how you whip it up:
Combine the following ingredients in a bowl:
1/4 cup of mayo or miracle whip
2 T. wine vinegar
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
1 T. capers (juice or minced in a food processor)
pinch of black pepper
Whisk all ingredients and sprinkle over your salad greens.
Make it happen.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
Tonight's dinner consisted of two caper-fueled dishes: Tilapia with Walnut-Caper Brown Butter and a side salad with my all-time favorite dressing, Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette. Nommers.
The Walnut-Caper Brown Butter was a new dish for me. I found the recipe on Kitchen Daily (which is now a part of the Huffington Post). The recipe suggests chicken, but it was perfection with the Tilapia. Tilapia is great. It's super healthy for you, and you can get a big bag of frozen fillets for pretty cheap. Win win.
Here's our Walnut-Caper Brown Butter bubblin' on the stove:
Nom nom nom.
Here's the recipe, if you want to make it yourself. In other news, I highly recommend you make it yourself.
A field green side salad with carrots, cucumber slices, and my lemon-dill vinaigrette was the perfect accompaniment. I neglected to take a picture of the awesomeness, but this creamy dressing will quickly become a staple in your salad arsenal.
Here's how you whip it up:
Combine the following ingredients in a bowl:
1/4 cup of mayo or miracle whip
2 T. wine vinegar
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
1 T. capers (juice or minced in a food processor)
pinch of black pepper
Whisk all ingredients and sprinkle over your salad greens.
Make it happen.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
Saturday, February 11, 2012
revamp and reorganize...
So an unfortunate thing happened a couple of weeks ago:
I discovered Pinterest.
Why is this unfortunate you ask? Because I now have a list of about 20,934,820,394 things that I want to do to/around my apartment/life. Which is nice and motivating, I suppose, but also defeating, as I will never have time to make a succulent wreath.
Or paint my walls in perfect, nautical-inspired stripes.
Or make beautiful baskets out of recycled paper.
But it's good in a way, too. It inspired me to complete a few little projects today. Yay productive Saturdays!
The first was to get rid of a seen-better-days art project I completed in a semester of summer school. The wood on the frame was warped, and the paper I had stitched on to the cloth was getting sad and ratty in some places. Out with the old, in with the new! I went to Garden Ridge and spent about $75 on a collection of frames to hang some prints I made in school, along with a couple of other prints that I had on hand. Now the wall looks like this:
Yaaaaay art collection!
The next project was to tackle the kitchen. Our apartment doesn't have a pantry, so pretty much every cabinet is exploding with kitchenness. Today I took it upon myself to make all the cabinet doors safe to open without holding a hand above your head to catch whatever was about to fall on you.
The first step was to get rid of all that was glutenie. Since finding out about my sensitivity a few months ago, I hadn't cleaned out the cabinets of unsafe foodstuff.
Here's the giant bag of stuff I cleared out:
Bevin, if you ever get home from the library, call me. This bag has your name on it. P.S. There is lots of pasta inside. You know you want it.
Once all of that was gone, I rearranged, repackaged, and relocated until the cabinets were clutter free and logical. How nice is that.
Thanks for the inspiration, Pinterest. I guess you're alright after all.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
I discovered Pinterest.
Why is this unfortunate you ask? Because I now have a list of about 20,934,820,394 things that I want to do to/around my apartment/life. Which is nice and motivating, I suppose, but also defeating, as I will never have time to make a succulent wreath.
 | |||
| via Prudent Baby |
 | |||
| via Blue Rooms White Houses |
Or make beautiful baskets out of recycled paper.
 |
| via Design Sponge |
But it's good in a way, too. It inspired me to complete a few little projects today. Yay productive Saturdays!
The first was to get rid of a seen-better-days art project I completed in a semester of summer school. The wood on the frame was warped, and the paper I had stitched on to the cloth was getting sad and ratty in some places. Out with the old, in with the new! I went to Garden Ridge and spent about $75 on a collection of frames to hang some prints I made in school, along with a couple of other prints that I had on hand. Now the wall looks like this:
 | |
| 1. Print by my lovely friend, Lauren Hirsch 2. Print by Me 3. Print by Me 4. William Morris print from a 2011 calendar 5. Print by Monkey Ink Design, purchased at Granada Theater |
The next project was to tackle the kitchen. Our apartment doesn't have a pantry, so pretty much every cabinet is exploding with kitchenness. Today I took it upon myself to make all the cabinet doors safe to open without holding a hand above your head to catch whatever was about to fall on you.
The first step was to get rid of all that was glutenie. Since finding out about my sensitivity a few months ago, I hadn't cleaned out the cabinets of unsafe foodstuff.
Here's the giant bag of stuff I cleared out:
Bevin, if you ever get home from the library, call me. This bag has your name on it. P.S. There is lots of pasta inside. You know you want it.
Once all of that was gone, I rearranged, repackaged, and relocated until the cabinets were clutter free and logical. How nice is that.
Thanks for the inspiration, Pinterest. I guess you're alright after all.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
new model photos...
After selling on Etsy for a short time, I became aware of a shopper's need to see a photo of each bag that would show it's relative size to a person. Since this discovery, I've had such photos on each listing in my shop, and I update said photos periodically. Today was one of those days.
My friend Amanda took these for me. She's a gem. She also has an Etsy shop. And it's cute.
I looove this yellow/concrete wall I found in Denton to use as the background. Perfect! However, it was super windy (making my hair a mess) and super sunny (making my eyes a closed), so Amanda cropped my head out of most of the pictures. I took it upon myself to crop my head out of the ones that she did not. K thanks.
In other news, I FINALLY cut out some new bags today. Woohoo! Be on the lookout for them in the shop starting as early as Friday. <3
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
 |
| Photo by Amanda Michael |
My friend Amanda took these for me. She's a gem. She also has an Etsy shop. And it's cute.
 |
| Photo by Amanda Michael |
I looove this yellow/concrete wall I found in Denton to use as the background. Perfect! However, it was super windy (making my hair a mess) and super sunny (making my eyes a closed), so Amanda cropped my head out of most of the pictures. I took it upon myself to crop my head out of the ones that she did not. K thanks.
In other news, I FINALLY cut out some new bags today. Woohoo! Be on the lookout for them in the shop starting as early as Friday. <3
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
Monday, February 6, 2012
gluten-free cookie shake...
Since finding out about my gluten sensitivity in October 2011, I've done a lot of research on gluten-free eating. Far and away the weirdest food that I've discovered can potentially be a no-no is ice cream. ICE CREAM. I really don't understand how they do it, but if you look at a lot of ice cream labels, you'll be out of luck if you're avoiding gluten.
Luckily I live in Texas and a lot of Blue Bell flavors are gluten-free, but I still love making homemade ice cream in my Cuisinart maker. Before you write off making your own homemade deliciousness, you have to check out the 2-Quart Cusinart Ice Cream Maker.
The maker comes with a cylinder core that your freeze in your freezer... no messing with the salt and ice and all the things that are a hassle with making your own batch. Just freeze the core for 24 hours, mix your ingredients, chill in the fridge for an hour, dump them in the maker, and wait half an hour. IT RULES. The softest, creamiest ice cream in the world. And I always know that it's 100% gluten-free.
Because of the growing awareness of gluten-related health issues, along with some kind of bizzaro fad diets, you can buy a gluten-free version of just about anything. But I'm a sucker for ice cream (duh... I'm writing about homemade ice cream in February), and milkshakes are my main weakness. Yet even with the popularity of gluten-free, when it comes to a cookie/oreo shake, you're on your own.
So this afternoon I whipped up this little guy with my Cuisinart Hand Blender.
In addition to the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, I highly recommend their Hand Blender. It comes with a mini-food processor attachment, an immersion blender attachment, and a whisk attachment. Totally useful and versatile while using minimal cabinet space.
Here's how I made my shake:
I crumbled two Enjoy Life Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies into the measuring cup that came with my hand blender. Then I added in a cup and a half of homemade vanilla ice cream (using the "Simple Vanilla" recipe from the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker instructional booklet). I added in half a cup of milk and let my immersion blender go to work.
Delicious.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
P.S. This was the first time I had tried the Enjoy Life cookies. They are really delicious and have a fantastic texture, but are pretty pricey for the number that came in the box.
Luckily I live in Texas and a lot of Blue Bell flavors are gluten-free, but I still love making homemade ice cream in my Cuisinart maker. Before you write off making your own homemade deliciousness, you have to check out the 2-Quart Cusinart Ice Cream Maker.
 |
| Cuisinart 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker |
The maker comes with a cylinder core that your freeze in your freezer... no messing with the salt and ice and all the things that are a hassle with making your own batch. Just freeze the core for 24 hours, mix your ingredients, chill in the fridge for an hour, dump them in the maker, and wait half an hour. IT RULES. The softest, creamiest ice cream in the world. And I always know that it's 100% gluten-free.
Because of the growing awareness of gluten-related health issues, along with some kind of bizzaro fad diets, you can buy a gluten-free version of just about anything. But I'm a sucker for ice cream (duh... I'm writing about homemade ice cream in February), and milkshakes are my main weakness. Yet even with the popularity of gluten-free, when it comes to a cookie/oreo shake, you're on your own.
So this afternoon I whipped up this little guy with my Cuisinart Hand Blender.
 |
| nom nom nom. |
In addition to the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, I highly recommend their Hand Blender. It comes with a mini-food processor attachment, an immersion blender attachment, and a whisk attachment. Totally useful and versatile while using minimal cabinet space.
 | ||
| Cuisinart Hand Blender Set |
Here's how I made my shake:
I crumbled two Enjoy Life Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies into the measuring cup that came with my hand blender. Then I added in a cup and a half of homemade vanilla ice cream (using the "Simple Vanilla" recipe from the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker instructional booklet). I added in half a cup of milk and let my immersion blender go to work.
Delicious.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
P.S. This was the first time I had tried the Enjoy Life cookies. They are really delicious and have a fantastic texture, but are pretty pricey for the number that came in the box.
Friday, February 3, 2012
antique gold...
Are you totally in love with my "Metallic Bronze" vegan leather?
Meet it's blonde sister, Metallic Antique Gold.
I loooove this vegan leather clutch. Great for carrying to a wedding, a Valentine's dinner, and perfect all spring and summer long. Plus, I've heard that metallics will be very big this spring. And I know you're into being in.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
 | |||
| See it in the shop. |
I loooove this vegan leather clutch. Great for carrying to a wedding, a Valentine's dinner, and perfect all spring and summer long. Plus, I've heard that metallics will be very big this spring. And I know you're into being in.
Loves and Hugs,
Rachel Elise
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