In just two weeks we are about to kick off our summer family vacation! We are headed south to the always wonderful 30-A, a highway along the Northwest Florida coast. In the past we’ve stayed in Cape San Blas (more east of Panama City) and Seagrove Beach (right next to Seaside). Last year we intended to go back another time to Seagrove Beach (I even blogged about our packing), but Hurricane Irene forced us to cancel our plane tickets the day before and head east to the Smoky Mountains.

This year, we’ve chosen the wise month of May to visit, and we’re headed to Grayton Beach for the first time and bunking up in this most adorable beach house:

The pink may or may not have had something to do in determining that it was “the one” for our week-long adventure.

Since we’re about to start our summer vacation, it feels like Spring is just about finished (I know, that sounds cray-zay). After we return from the beach, I know that many lake and hot Summer days are not far away.

In honor of Spring, I’m offering a  flash sale on everything in the Sweet Tea & Lemonade Etsy shop now through April 24. Everything will ship out by May 2 in advance of our beach vacation. Just use coupon code SPRING when checking out to receive a discount of 25% off!

Be sure to check out some new designs that have been added to the shop:

Are you thinking of your summer plans yet? Where are you headed this year? Leave your comments below!

Thank you to all for your overwhelming support of my custom address stamps in my Sweet Tea & Lemonade etsy shop! I had no idea they would be such a surprise hit and I’ve loved hearing kind words from so many customers who are using them on their wedding invitations and thank you notes.

In honor of selling our 50th stamp this week, I’m thanking all of you with FREE SHIPPING now through March 1st. Just use the coupon code HOORAY when checking out on Etsy.

Shop now for a stamp for your own wedding stationery or looking for the perfect hostess or birthday gift. You can also enjoy this discount on our inspiring art prints or any other items in the shop. Enjoy!

2013 is off to a wonderful start! I have a huge inventory of fabulous new products and designs that I’ve been holding off on releasing until the new year. These custom personalized address stamps are my favorite and are already a hit with the hundreds of likes on Instagram! Order your personalized stamp today by clicking here.

I believe that every note or invite you send is a direct reflection of you and your personal style.

Each of my custom return address stamps are a mix of my favorite calligraphy or handwritten typefaces, usually paired with another favorite modern or serif font. Some are a little more sweet & southern and others are a little more playful and modern. Just exactly like my own wardrobe and lifestyle! ;)

All of the stamp design options come in both wood mounted option (perfect if you love the option to use a variety of colored inks – or my personal favorite, white ink on colored envelopes!) or a self-inking black option.

You can personalize your name or message to fit your needs. Include both of your first names for a stamp you can use both before AND after the wedding. Or personalize with a first and last name of you or a friend for a perfect bridesmaid or birthday gift. As with all my AH products, these stamps come dressed up in signature AH packaging, which makes them ready for gift giving!

To celebrate the launch of these new stamps and the start of the new year, you can use coupon code JANUARY when checking out on Etsy to receive 15% your order (now through January 15, 2013)! We also have a fabulous GIVEAWAY of one of these stamps on the Amber Housley Facebook Page. We are thisclose! to reaching 1000 fans. Our 1000th fan will get their choice of the new personalized wood mounted stamps. If you’re not a Facebook fan already, be sure to Like Us here. Or if you already are, share the love with your friends and share our Facebook page with them so they have the opportunity to win!

See all the wonderful design options and order your favorite today!

Today, I’m happy to report my hand-poured mason jar soy candles are in stock and ready to ship! The truck just delivered them and my studio is filled with such lovely pumpkin spice & apple aromas. All I need is a cozy sweater and Pumpkin Spiced Latte and I will be set, right?

Allow me to share you a journey of these sweet little candles…

Over a year and a half ago, I sat in the room at the very first Stationery Academy and shared some of the big dreams I had for myself to the group. They were things I hadn’t said aloud before, let alone put on paper.

It makes me smile to think of the powerful results that have come from this activity. I even encourage this same action – the naming of your biggest dreams and goals – to the new friends I meet at AH Inspired. I encourage them post them on their blog and put them out there into the universe. As they say… “if you can name it, you can claim it!”

So, that afternoon in Pensacola, I listed off some various things – some things I still have in my heart to want and work toward – but randomly, out of nowhere, I said,

“I want to make a candle. An “Amber Housley” candle. It will be cute and southern and homemade and come in a cute mason jar.”

Now developing a candle isn’t usually on someone’s big dreams list, but it was on mine. And finally this summer, I set about to make it happen.

Allow me to introduce you to the AH soy candle holiday collection that is: cute, southern, homemade and of course, packaged in a cute mason jar:

Here are some of the fabulous features of these candles.
These darling half-pint 8 ounce mason jar candles are replicas of good old fashioned canning jars with the words “mason” engraved in the glass.

- made from 100% soybean wax
- does not emit toxins while burning
- emits an incredibly small amount of soot
- biodegradable
- water-soluble
- burns cooler and slower
- renewable resource
- supports US farmers and our own economic growth

Burn time is 55-65 hours.
The maximum recommended burn time is 4 hours per burn.

 The holiday soy candle collection is available now in the Sweet Tea & Lemonade Pop-Up Shop. There is a set of each style that would make a wonderful gift this season! How cute would it be to package them up as a gift for a friend in in an antique wire basket with burlap and fall leaves or pinecones like I did for this picture?!

I can’t wait for you to enjoy these as much as I have enjoyed creating them!

Congrats to the winner of our Pin it to Win it contest for our new Fall plates in the Sweet Tea & Lemonade shop:

Jessica Clinch

You can see all of Jessica’s cute fall inspired pins at her pinterest board here: http://pinterest.com/jmarieclinch/fall-festivities/

A few of my favorite pins from Jessica’s Fall inspiration board:

You can also visit my Fall inspiration board and Amber Housley on Pinterest here: http://pinterest.com/amberhousley/fall-fun/

Congrats again Jessica!