The sleeveless style dresses are back // Lins Campbell-Crafts

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It's true, our hit from last year is back - the sleeveless shirt dresses are back in stock and just in time for spring! I am a huge fan personally of the hibiscus print.


The dresses are a classic housewife 50's shirt dress, fitted waist with a matching belt, button down and lovely lapels. Great for wearing with cardigans and trainers for a dressed down look, or pink heels and 50's pin curls for night time attire.



I recently went to Florida, and packed it in my case - not only did I wear it 3 times in 7 days, but I washed it and NEVER needed to iron it - WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!

I also got asked about 20 times where my dress was from, which is always nice...and amazing to be able to say - from my own brand.

The dresses are now available on our website and on our Etsy page - so grab yours now!


We will have the sleeveless shirts back in stock at the end of the month - all ready for (hopefully) the start of the warmer weather.


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The current issues faced by independent retailers and small businesses // Campbell Crafts

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With everyone watching the news for updates on the political situation within the UK and Europe – it may not surprise you that it is directly affecting the small businesses. With the current climate being tricky, it is not hard to see how every week I am hearing about businesses shutting down, ceasing to trade and cutting prices to accommodate with higher and higher demand to sell things ‘cheap’ being put on us. 



We have recently reduced our prices to keep in line with this. We have been asked since we re-launched about ‘when is your sale’ or ‘why are you so expensive’. So, I thought I would give you some context: We make everything in the UK, we source all our fabrics from the UK, and it is a VERY small team of us running things. We are not a huge company, making or sourcing from China. People like the fact that we are a UK based company but when it comes down to prices tags – then not so much. The reality is it costs more to produce here, to source here and to trade here. Entry fees to selling at events have gone up and up, more and more traders are appearing doing similar things, it’s become almost impossible to be a ‘stand out’ brand. Then you have Etsy and Ebay putting selling fees up, customers expecting regular % off deals and free postage…you can see why businesses fold. 





 Many of us are trying to survive in this very difficult climate. We know you have options, lots and lots of options now, and we are so grateful that you continue to shop with us, but we would really appreciate if you spread the word, share on social media and get the message out that we exist, as not only do we have the political situations to contend with, Instagram and facebook have also made things tricky with their algorithm – meaning fewer and fewer people are seeing or are able to interact with posts…so in all it is a very tough climate right now. 

We love all our customers, and are very appreciative of your custom – 2019 has just begun, we will be attending a few events this year and we hope to see some of you there!!!!

Thank you 
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Managing Mental Health During The Holidays // Femme De Bloom

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The FemmeDeBloom Field Guide for
 Managing Mental Health During the Holidays


Hello everyone! FemmeDeBloom a.k.a. Melanie is back for another guest blog post! I wanted to use this time to talk about the holidays because I personally have a weird love-hate relationship with this time of year. As many of you know, I love themes and putting together cute outfits for different holidays & the winter season is no exception. However, I often also find myself struggling during this time of year because it can also be extremely overwhelming. As a psychologist, I also find that many of my clients experience an increase in anxiety & difficulties with mood changes for a multitude of reasons during this time of year.
So why are we more stressed when it is supposed to be a fun, celebratory time of the year? Turns out, there are TONS of reasons.  Symptoms of depression including sadness, low energy, difficulties concentrating, appetite changes, etc. can worsen when there are shorter days and longer nights. Reduced amount of daylight can trigger the “winter blues” in many individuals. In addition, I think a lot of people experience stress during the holidays related to finances, social pressure, family conflict, & grief.  It can also be difficult for people who do not celebrate the mainstream holidays because marketing for them is EVERYWHERE and it can make a person feel left out. Which, in my opinion, is the opposite of what holidays and celebrations are meant for.
The following is a list of suggestions I have put together to help with maintaining your mental and emotional health during this season, no matter what holidays you celebrate. I hope they are helpful!
1)   Know Your Limits
The term “self-care” is often used in my field as an important part of maintaining emotional health. While I agree that caring for oneself is important, I think many people only consider self-care as “treating yourself.” Don’t get me wrong, I wholly support treating yourself to all the good things in life that you enjoy (#treatyoself I LOVE YOU PARKS AND RECREATION). But I want to expand the idea of self-care beyond just getting a massage or buying that one indulgent item you’ve been eyeing forever. Self-care is also knowing what you need (and what you don’t need) to function. This may mean saying “no” more often, knowing how much sleep you need per night, and not overextending yourself. I used to think that just because an opportunity to do something presented itself, I needed to take it. This just led me to feel exhausted and depleted. Knowing what works for you is important. Just remember that when you do set your limits, you might be judged or shamed for it at times and it may be uncomfortable. But that discomfort is worth it in the end. I give you all permission to SAY NO when you need to and set your own expectations for yourself! Get that 8 hours of sleep & don’t pick that friend up from the airport if you don’t have the time or energy. They will survive =P

2)   Opposite Action
The “opposite action” skill is one that I teach to my clients in therapy as a method of changing emotion when it is necessary and it not helpful. This skill is from a therapeutic modality I use called Dialectical Behavior Therapy, created by Marsha Linehan. When you’re feeling sad, low, “meh,” angry, scared etc. sometimes you just need to feel the feeling, listen to what it’s telling you and process it, let it pass, or allow it to move you to act. However, sometimes you can find yourself “stuck” in a feeling that doesn’t necessarily “fit the facts” (e.g. it may not fit the facts if it is based on an assumption, interpretation, or on a threat that isn’t real). In this case, using opposite action can be a way to transform an unhelpful emotion. So, in the case of sadness your approach may be to isolate or avoid others/what is bothering you. Instead of feeding into the sadness by isolating, find a way to approach others, seek comfort, or face the sadness and process it. If you’re angry, you may want to lash out or verbally attack others and push them away. An opposite action could be doing something nice for someone else or trying to put yourself in another person’s shoes.  This is not only a skill that is helpful during a stressful holiday season, but all year round! For more info on this skill check out this link.

3)   Don't believe everything you see on Instagram
Or Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter or whatever the kids are using these days for social media! While I love & appreciate social media for many reasons, I also know that half of what we see is a lie or just a small part of the whole picture. We tend to post whatever we want others to see (hence the existence of filters, photo editing apps & the phrase "do it for the gram") or what we think people want to see.  There are tons of fun photo opportunities during the holidays, so I am not saying we shouldn't post at all. However, I think it’s important to remind ourselves to not make assumptions based on photos we see (e.g. "everyone is having fun and I'm not"; "everyone's life is so much better than mine", etc. etc.) and to not measure our own self-worth/the quality of our experiences in comparison with what we see on social media. If you're already feeling like crap and you go on social media to see everyone else posting pictures of themselves having fun, you're going to start thinking you're the only one who feels the way you do because you compare your inner experience to everyone's external experience. Excessive time on social media is actually liked to feelings of loneliness. So, before you start believing everything you see, remember that the person who posted the cutest photo of hot chocolate at a quaint café probably spent more time getting the right photo and editing it rather than enjoying the hot chocolate. Also, the amount of people who "like" what you're doing does not equal APPROVAL or validation of what you're doing! Get of the gram and enjoy life and make connections with others during this time of year!

4)    Don't "should" all over yourself
This little pun is something I say to myself when I recognize that I am putting too high of expectations on myself. There are a lot of fun traditions to engage in during the holidays lots of opportunities to give gifts, and to socialize. Just because these exist, does not mean you SHOULD enjoy them or should have to partake in all of them.  If you don't enjoy something (e.g. giving or getting gifts, shopping, Christmas music, ugly sweater parties, white elephant gift exchanges, work holiday parties), it’s O.K. Telling yourself you "should" or "shouldn't" be doing or feeling a certain way only compounds your distress and creates shame/guilt. Don't "should" yourself into spending money you don't have or going to parties you don't want attend. You are who you are, and you feel how you feel. Cliché, I know, but it's all valid! The holidays can also involve socializing with family/friends you don't see often. Remember that we don't owe anyone an explanation for what we are doing with our lives. We don't also have an obligation to update everyone on what we are up to. You have the option to choose how you respond and how much information you provide. So when Great Aunt Ruth asks you why you aren’t married or don’t have kids yet, you have permission to walk away or better yet ask her why she doesn’t have any new questions to ask you. Ha!

5)    Adopt a spirit of flexibility
Sometimes we feel the pressure during holidays for everything to go perfectly. We may want to find the perfect gifts for others, plan the perfect party or stick to the same traditions as previous years. Unfortunately, perfection is not an achievable goal. You cannot make everyone happy and people & families change and grow, which means that traditions and rituals can often change as well. People will sometimes disappoint you and certain experiences may not be as exciting as you thought they would be. Also, sometimes, no MOST of the time, things do not go according to plan. The more flexible you can be psychologically the better. This is not to say that you should assume the absolute worst will happen because you don't want to create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just try to manage your expectations for yourself, others and situations and be open to new experiences.

6)   Seek Support
Not everyone loves the holidays and so many people are struggling more than you realize. Do not be afraid to reach other to others or seek professional help if you need it. One of the most powerful ways to build resilience and facilitate healing is through human connection. Sometimes, just venting to someone who validates your experience can transform your entire mood.


Here are some helpful resources!

For Group Therapy:
http://findgrouptherapy.com/
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/find-support-groups
Group Therapy in the UK

Articles:
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
5 Things to Do When the Holidays Aren't Exactly Uplifting


Crisis Support:
Suicide Prevention Hotline
Helpline Center
International Suicide Hotline Directory

I hope these suggestions were helpful! I would love to hear some of your survival strategies for the holiday season! Thanks for reading!
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Autumn/Winter Styling // Campbell Crafts

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Happy Halloween to all our wonderful readers and customers of Campbell Crafts!!

As the nights draw in and the weather starts to turn to chilly days and cold nights, I've put together a few ideas on how to style The Fifty Five Collection for the upcoming seasons.

 I always find piecing together your outfit before adding accessories works best. You can change up what you think may not work. Placing your outfit on your bed and laying everything out, means you can get a visual idea of how your outfit will look all together.

Checking the weather the night before helps you get an idea of what would be more practical but still looking stylish. For example: Will you need to wear tights and boots as apposed to bare legs and ballet flats.

Outfit One:
Hibiscus dress paired with a navy cropped cardigan, black or nude tights and black Chelsea boots

Outfit Two:
Teaming the new mustard short sleeve jumper with a swing skirt in blue gingham. Adding brown brogues as pictured to tie it altogether.

Outfit Three:
Pastels work wonders during the colder months like this pink short sleeve jumper, especially with dark tones like the hibiscus swing skirt. Adding the black Chelsea boots for warmth.

Outfit Four:
 
Adding a tshirt to swing skirts is one of my favorute things to do when its cold. Just add a cardigan - teamed perfectly with the blue gingham swing skirt.

I hope these little tips help you piece together your own outfits for the upcoming seasons wearing your items from The Fifty Five Collection. Make sure to check out Campbell Crafts Boutique this week, as postage is Free for the UK using the code 'FREEPOST' and lower shipping costs to everywhere else!

Have a fabulous week darlings!
Much Love
Lulu

Instagram: @lulus_wonderland
Blog: Lulus Wonderland
Campbell Crafts Boutique: Click here



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5 Reasons to Love Fall/Autumn // Femme De Bloom

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Hello friends, it’s me Melanie! For my next guest blog post, I wanted to take some time to highlight one of my favorite seasons. While summer was my childhood favorite (no school + my birthday in July!), I’ve come to truly love autumn/fall as I’ve become an adult for many different reasons…..and here they are (in no particular order)!
1: The COLORS
Mustard yellow, maroon, olive green, burnt orange, and more! I just adore the rich, warm colors associated with autumn so much and try to incorporate them in everything I do including makeup, fashion choices, home décor, etc.

The Natasha Denona Safari All Matte Eyeshadow Palette is one I’ve been eyeing this autumn. Some of these colors even work for other seasons! 



Target online also has some gorgeous fall décor (is there anything they don’t sell that I don’t need/want?)

I just purchased these pumpkin tealight holders from Pier One Imports and I am obsessed!


Wayfair also has some gorgeous fall wreaths on sale!


Plaid skirts using a fall color palette are an autumn ESSENTIAL for me! This is one I’ve been eyeing on Modcloth.com



My shop, FemmeDeBloom, also has some new autumn & Halloween accessories! Shop the collection here.


For my collar loving gals! Available here  in my shop!

                  It’s time to bust out the BOOTS & booties!  I’ve been eyeing  these cuties from  Forever 21
  
Totally obsessed with the Samantha Voodoo Vixen dress as well!  Available here.

2: Sweater/Cardigan weather

Now that it’s cooling down (in most parts of the world) it’s time to invest in some cardigans and sweaters! Here are some of my favorites!
Navy cropped cardigan from Campbell Crafts (more colors available!)






I adore the sleeves on this pullover from Madewell! 
 
3: Where my Pumpkin Lovers at? (Meeee! Edited by Lulu!)
 
Yes, I admit, I’m one of THOSE. I make it a point to try everything I possibly can that is pumpkin flavored  or scented during the season to the point where I vow to never eat pumpkin again! Of course, I break this vow when autumn comes around again because I completely forget how over it I was and the cycle continues! Here are some pumpkin goodies I’ll be trying this year!


You better believe I’m trying these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls for breakfast baby!


So you can make your own pumpkin spice latte at home and save your Starbucks money!


This Yankee Candle is my favorite scent to fill my home for the holidays! It makes me want to eat all the pumpkin pie!


This might be a bit overboard for some people, but if you’re into tea this is one of my favorites for the fall season!  From Harney & Sons.
          

Every year I also like to try a new pumpkin themed baking recipe! I came across this recipe for pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting and I can’t wait to try it!

4: So much TV & not enough time

I spend a lot of time doing crafts in my little office…which means I listen to a lot of podcasts & audio books and binge watch a lot of TV! I love the fall because it means some of my favorite shows are back and there are new ones to watch! Some of my favorites include This Is Us, Grey’s Anatomy, The Goldberg’s, Blackish, Fresh Off The Boat, Handmaid’s Tale, Game of Thrones (although it never starts in the Fall ha!), Riverdale and SO MUCH MORE!!!!

Comment this post and tell me what you’ll be watching this TV season! I am always looking for new shows!
5: Halloween
Last but DEFINITELY not least…Halloween! It’s the best holiday ever! I love everything about Halloween including the treats, the colors, dressing up, & of course going to Disneyland (or other parks for those not in California/US).
For those looking for some cute Halloween & Halloween/Disney inspired accessories check out the Halloween collection from FemmeDeBloom!

Click here to shop this collection!



Need some Halloween costume ideas this year? Here are some of favorites I found on the interwebs! I lean toward DIY costumes because I think it can be a lot easier than you think to put together an outfit based on clothes you have with some extra creative touches!
DIY White Rabbit costume by Color Me Courtney


You can never go wrong with channeling your inner Audrey Hepburn! Costume idea from The Joy of Fashion  Blog

Omg you guys, I think I’m going to do this this year!!!!!  Isn’t this adorable?!  Another one from Joy of Fashion Blog

Mary Poppins! I love this idea! You can totally reuse all of this clothing too! Details available here.
                 
I would love to hear from you all regarding some of your favorite fall fashions, DIY Halloween costumes, fall activities or accessory shops so feel free to comment below and share!
Thank you for reading! 
Melanie x
Make sure to check out my shop FemmeDeBloom
Instagram: @femmedebloom
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