Absolutely Eva

Season's Greetings: Personalized Holiday Cards

2011-08-10T05:33:00.000-07:00

That's right... it is about the right time to begin thinking about the Holiday season! Absolutely Eva is now offering fabulous high quality Holiday cards for both Personal and Business use. Among these great cards are a large selection of recycled cards!

Custom dye cut cards

Religious Cards

Large variety of Warm Weather cards!

*****SPECIAL PROMOTION******

Order before September 30, 2011 and receive FREE Return Address Envelope Imprint!

To view the complete collection of Holiday Greeting Cards please visit www.demo.ccholiday.com

How to order?

Go to www.demo.ccholiday.com and choose the item that you interested in.
Email Absolutely Eva: eva@absolutelyeva.com with the information (or questions!)
Once payment and all information is received you will receive your greeting cards within 7-9 days!

Richmond Summer Must Do List

2011-07-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

We have many great things happening in this little city of ours! I wanted to share some of my favorite events and places here in RVA. I hope this will help with the "what are we going to do today?" conversation.

The River--My favorite spot is Belle Isle that has main access by pedestrian footbridge from Tredegar St. on north shore. This is a great spot with large flat rocks (great for suntanning!), wooded trails, mountain biking trail, and much more!
James River Park Info

Richmond Folk Festival--Save the Date: October 14-16, 2011
This is a fantastic festival on Richmond's riverfront with culture from across America, dance, and music.
More info on the Folk Festival

Carytown Watermelon Festival--August 7, 2011
This event usually draws an attendance of over 100,000 which makes this event one of the largest one day events in Virginia.

Groovin' in the Garden--outdoor music concert series that takes place at both Lewis Ginter and Maymont from May thru August.

Drinks with the Girls--The best spot (in my opinion) with a great view and outdoor seating is The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing

Where are your favorite spots in Richmond? Do you have any funny or interesting memories at any of these local spots?!

Want more ideas? Check out the Insiders' Guide to Richmond, VA

Awesome Summer Reading List--Start this weekend

2011-06-29T04:31:00.000-07:00

I have great expectations for this summer as far as my reading list goes. I figured if I could get this list "written down" then I actually will finish this goal!

I encourage everyone to pick up one of these books and read it this summer... heck read all of them with me! I chose all of these books because they were recommended by people that have already read them.

The Girl Who Played With Fire written by Stieg Larsson. This is actually book #2 in a series of 3. The first book is The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

The Island written by Elin Hilderband "It is supposed to be the perfect getaway..."

Smokin' Seventeen: A Stephanie Plum Novel written by Janet Evanovich. I have been absolutely addicted to Stephanie, Ranger, Morelli, and Lula! I cannot wait to read what happens next.

When Crickets Cry written by Charles Martin.

Plain Truth written by Jodi Picoult I was told this book has distinctive characters and is suspensful!

You can find all of the books below or you can head over to your local library and read them for free!!

Have a great 4th of July and happy reading! If you read any of these on my list please let me know what you think.

2011 Graduates!

2011-04-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

Graduates please see us for your celebration needs!
If your 2011 is going anything like mine, you are saying to yourself "I can't believe it is almost May already!!"

Announcements:

Invitations:

Name Cards:

**Many more styles available! If you are interested in any of these products please email me: shopabsolutelyeva@gmail.com or take a peak at www.free.cceasy.com for more options.

I hope you have a great Easter weekend!

Decorating Easter Eggs--Unique Approach

2011-04-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

First things first, you really do not have to be a "crafty" person to make some really awesome Easter Eggs. Second, you most definitely do not need to be a child or have your own children! Third, you more than likely will have fun! Who would have thought that you could make so many designs out of one simple hard boiled egg.

A more unique approach with 6 ideas...

1) STICKERS-- a no mess version for decorating your eggs. Maybe spell out your name with one letter on each egg.

2) GLITTER GLAM-- dye your eggs as usual. Mix together 1 part craft glue and 1 part water. Cover the egg completely with the glue mixture. Roll your egg in the glitter and voila you have a glitter glam egg!

3) COlORED CRAYONS-- boil your eggs as usual. Once they are "warm" start decorating using your crayons. The heat from the egg will melt the wax and your design will stay.

4) TIE-DYE FUN-- with only a few simple steps you can have some funky Easter eggs!

5) RIBBON-- Decorate the eggs with cute and fun ribbon. I would stay away from any ribbon larger then 1/4" thick. Rickrack is easy to work with and looks great. Attach the ribbon with double sided tape.

6) RUBBER BAND DESIGN-- Wrap rubber bands around your egg and place into the dye. Take out of dye, remove a rubber band, and place in a different color dye. This will create a layered look.

I'm sure I am forgetting so many awesome ideas! I hope you get a chance to try some of these. Matt does not know it yet but this is going to be our next "date night" date!

Happy Easter!

How does your family decorate their Easter eggs?

VCU is so SWEET!! UofR too!!

2011-03-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

GO RAMS GO!!! I heard those words for many years as I attended VCU. It makes me smile today knowing that our basketball team has made it this far during March Madness. Tomorrow night they will be taking on Florida State. Just before VCU's game University of Richmond plays against Kansas. All this is kind of a big deal in my house considering I am a VCU alumni while my husband is U of R alumni!

Good luck boys and we wish you BOTH the best of luck :-) You make us proud!

Take a look at this article below from USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2011-03-24-richmond-vcu-sweet-16_N.htm

Words of Wisdom: Helping New Moms Everyday

2011-03-10T16:38:00.000-08:00

Words of Wisdom or better yet... advice for the new Mom! People enjoy telling stories and sharing experiences in their life. It is amazing to watch Mothers talk to soon to be Mom's about their own experiences. Everyone has their own little bit of wisdom to offer (the good and the ugly)!!

Hopefully this will help you make you smile, or make someone else smile. Below are some encouraging words from some Mom's in my life...

For new moms and mom's to be: my best advice going through the first year is hold on tight because you'll wonder where the time went. Write every little thing down because you WILL forget it. Someone gave me a calendar of "baby's first year of firsts" and it came with stickers that said like: 1st smile, Rolled over, Sat up, first steps....etc. It was great because when it happened I just went to the calendar and put on the sticker. I will say being 13 months in, if I didnt have that thing I wouldnt have remembered any of it because it went by so fast. And as hard as every second of having a little one is, the nights when they cry and you feel like you have no idea what you're doing..... I promise you you'll miss those moments too and every mom has been there, you aren't alone. Just tell yourself in the moment of chaos: THIS TOO SHALL PASS! And it's ok when you're at your witts end to put them in the crib, walk away, and take your own Time Out! Every stage my little one has been through over the past 13 months has been equally as fun as the stage before. Take everything in stride new mom's and just learn to laugh at yourself....or you'll cry =)
Shared by Dare, Mother of a 13 month Son

"Enjoy Every MINUTE"
Shared by Peggy, Mother of 3 children.

"Everyday is a new day to learn something about your little one and yourself. Learn to be patient-this is on the job training. Lastly those sleepless nights that seems to be no end in sight, just remember this will pass, they aren't babies forever so enjoy the moment."
Shared by Leslie, Mother of a 3 month old Son.

If you have any words of wisdom or advice for our Mom's out there please share!!

Wedding Invitations Handmade and Purchased

2011-02-16T18:03:00.000-08:00

2011 is bringing new changes and new beginnings! I have not promoted "completely" the fact that I do Wedding invitations. In an effort to fulfill the needs of my customers, I am now a dealer of multiple lines of pre-made and custom wedding invitations!!

The majority of the products that I have access to can be found at www.free.cceasy.com If you are interested in any items please email me shopabsolutelyeva@gmail.com

Chloe B.

Jean M.

Monogram Gifts too!!!

Valentine's Day Random Facts

2011-01-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

It might be hard to believe, but Valentine's Day is right around the corner! I was online tonight looking at an article on History.com and others about the history of Valentine's Day and I came across some interesting and bazaar facts.

141 Million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the Second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion. (Source: Hallmark Research)

Of those cards, over 50% are purchased in the six days prior to the observance, making Valentine's Day a procrastinator's delight. (source: Hallmark Research)

22 million marriages take place in the United States annually that breaks down to over 6,000 a day!

108,150

--the number of marriages performed in Nevada during 2009.

28.2 and 26.1 years

--Median age at first marriage in 2010 for men and women, respectively.

6% as of 2004, is the percentage of currently married women who had been married for at least 50 years.

24.3 pounds (per capita consumption) of candy were consumed by Americans in 2009.

All these random facts about Valentine's Day are making me think about some funny nights I have had trying to celebrate this holiday! Whatever you end up doing that day I hope it is fabulous.

Etiquette: Handwritten versus email

2010-12-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

I came across a website the other day advertising a way to send your Christmas cards via email instead of through the USPS. For numerous reasons this send me in a hissy! There is something special about receiving a Christmas card from friends and family during the Holiday season. I actually get excited everyday to come home from work, check the mail, and open the cards that my husband and I received that day. Receiving my cards is one of the many things that I do in an effort to get into the Christmas spirit.

I understand that technology is all around us, and it is the way that the majority of everything is headed. However, I do feel like there are some things that need to stay the same and this being one of them!

This all brings me to the subject of handwritten thank you cards versus an email version. A handwritten note is received more highly then an email. Yes, email is GREAT! I love email. BUT, it's almost too easy, too quick, and far too impersonal. If you want someone to know your true gratitude and make them smile... write it down, put a stamp on it, and send it out.

I am not saying that if you send a thank you note via email that you are not grateful or that it will not make them smile. Everyone is different... my cousin communicates BEST through email and texting. He would greatly appreciate a thank you note no other way then through email.

Any thoughts?!

Holiday Shopping 2010

2010-10-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

It seems like the shopping season has started earlier this year then last. When I am out and about, the stores seem to be getting crowded already which is great sign for both consumers and merchants!

My shopping goals this are 1) do most of my shopping online and 2) to buy people gifts that are handmade and creative and 3) DO NOT wait until the last minute!!

What are your goals?!

My latest Holiday Gift idea is a 2010 Holiday Picture Frame:

2010 Edition Holiday Frame

www.absolutelyeva.etsy.com

New Packaging

2010-10-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

Set of 4 Engagement or Wedding/Bridal Shower Gift Magnets

I have been going back and forth with different ideas for my packaging and I have finally come up with the perfect solution.
First I must admit that I cannot take all the credit for this one. I went to a local Printer here in Richmond, VA, The Business Press, and worked with the wonderful staff. I told them in my "words" what I was looking for and I put it in their hands. The end result was exactly what I was looking for... fun, simple, and professional.

I plan on using The Business Press for all my future printing needs!

The Business Press

2112 Spencer Road

Richmond, VA 23230

804-282-3150

Fall Festival in Old Town Historic Fairfax - Virginia Is For Lovers

2010-10-07T05:15:00.000-07:00

Come and see us at Booth #263 The weather is supposed to be fabulous!

Fall Festival in Old Town Historic Fairfax - Virginia Is For Lovers

Upcoming Event: THIS FRIDAY!!

2010-10-07T05:12:00.000-07:00

Fall is here and that also means that the Holiday Shopping Season is too!

This Friday, October 8th, starting at 5:30 Ecologic is having an event that will be showcasing local RVA Indie Crafters. There will be appetizers and beverages for all attendies!!

Vistit their website for Directions and additional info http://ecologicthestore.com/

Fairfax Fall Festival

2010-09-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

Come out and see Absolutely Eva on October 9th.

Booth #263

You will be able to find everything there that I have in my online store as well a many new additions!

Fall Festival in Old Town Historic Fairfax - Virginia Is For Lovers

2010-09-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

Fall Festival in Old Town Historic Fairfax - Virginia Is For Lovers

Harvest Festival recap

2010-09-08T04:47:00.000-07:00

The Harvest Festival was a great time! There was a great steady crowd of people throughout the entire day. I took a couple pictures of my booth while I was still trying to finish the set up. I hit a minor snag when I realized that I forgot my table cloths! WHOOPS! So I had to improvise.

Try to pretend that the table cloth is gorgeous black!

I was able to create new product for the show. I really is a guessing game what people are going to like that day!

TIME!!

2010-08-31T18:33:00.000-07:00

I am always searching for more time! Everything is pretty much complete for the Heathsville Harvest Festival this Saturday. The only thing that I am still trying to make fabulous is my display options. Thankfully I have a helpful husband that is brainstorming a great idea for me!

To the Right is a new creation!! The Bride To Be Notebook gift or a game ;-)

Heathsville Harvest Festival - Virginia Is For Lovers

2010-08-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

Heathsville Harvest Festival - Virginia Is For Lovers

Upcoming Events

2010-08-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

As I said before, I have decided to move forward with festivals this Fall and Winter. Inventory is growing slowly because of that little issue called TIME. No worries though because since I love doing this I will find the time and have fun with it!

The next show will be the Heathsville Harvest Festival in Heathsville, VA on Saturday, September 4th. I hope you will be able to make it.

New Inventory!

2010-08-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

It is official! I am going to be diving in to the Craft Festivals this Fall and Winter. That being said, a great deal of my time lately has, and will be spent on getting my inventory levels up. The best part is that I extremely excited to get it started! The worst part is that I have so many ideas running through my head right now (and not enough time) I do not know where to start.
So, I will just start with the tried and true... Greeting cards and Stationary.

Give me Paper, Scissors, and Glue and I am one happy girl.

Cheers to a great upcoming season.

2010-05-28T06:21:00.001-07:00

Heathsville Strawberry Festival - Virginia Is For Lovers

2010-05-27T12:35:00.001-07:00

Heathsville Strawberry Festival - Virginia Is For Lovers

Posted using ShareThis

Craft and Vendor Fair

2010-05-14T05:05:00.001-07:00

Craft and Vendor Fair & Hanover Heritage Day Open House - Virginia Is For Lovers

Posted using ShareThis

If you have time this Saturday come out and see the FIRST Craft Fair that Absolutely Eva is participating in!

The Start... and reason behind it all.

2010-04-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

Thank you for taking a look at my blog. Please check back frequently for new updates and product.
There are so many people that "craft" or have hobbies. I happen to have many! People might say or think that I am always doing something new and yes that is true. I tend to get stir crazy when things are same every single day. Finally, I have a way to channel that energy into something that I love. Making my handcrafted gifts I am able to always come up with something new whenever I need a change! That being said, if you want something custom I can probably do it!
My website is still in the beginning stages. In the next week keep checking the Monogram items to be posted.
Thank you for taking a look at my post and I hope you find something that you love.