Braum’s An Affair Of The Heart 2019: My Recap-Plus A Giveaway
A few weeks ago I was so happy to kickstart the holidays at Braum’s An Affair Of The Heart in Tulsa. If you haven’t heard of An Affair Of The Heart, it’s a truly unique event that happens several times a year in Oklahoma and a few surrounding areas. And if you have been following me for a while, I featured some amazing gift items in a holiday gift guide for you to discover at the show in this post and also this post. An Affair Of The Heart brings together the creators of the world who have an especially strong sense of community, creativity, and soul, and all of the exhibitors I got to talk to were incredibly friendly and talented. While I was there I spotted some amazing entrepreneurs that I thought I’d share with you today of course with some emphasis on some of the vendors I have already included-but really tried to showcase new ones that I discovered! (thanks for the suggestions on that) I hope you enjoy the pics from the event too as well as pics from the blogger event I co-hosted with Lisa and Kristin! I feel confident your other favorite Tulsa bloggers will be working with An Affair Of The Heart in 2020 too! (Thank you so much to Jenna for helping me with photos this year as I was taking so much video content for Insta Stories which you can find on my hi-lights ! There is quite a bit of my photography included too though…#teamwork)
Plus it’s almost Christmas everyone, which is personally my favorite shopping time of the year. It’s so exciting, and everything sparkles! Sugar and spice and everything nice! Lights! Trees! Of course, the holidays also means making a list of who you need to buy presents for; family, friends, bosses, significant others, your neighbor, your favorite bartender, your bestie… etc.).
I really hope to make that shopping list easier to fill out once you read this!!!
I must first say that I had only met one of the vendors I featured in person prior to An Affair Of The Heart so meeting the other vendors in person was just so heart warming to me. I feel like I have made some lifelong friends throughout all of this again this year!! For me..that is truly the best part. I so enjoy getting to know not only their brand but I enjoy meeting them and hearing their special stories.
There is truly something for everyone!!!
So let’s get started, shall we?!
So excited to have met Katie Way with Bull’s Eye Studio. (handcrafted in Anchorage, Alaska) She takes little colorful blocks of polymer clay to make fun and functional art! She was one of the few makers actually making in her booth and it was so lovely to observe her in action. Everything is just exquisite and I really appreciate her love for shapes!
Kibibi Design was another favorite of mine! Bailey is the founding Kibibi at Kibibi Design. Her husband, Stephen grew up speaking Swahili in Kenya. When they were first married, she asked him what the word for Princess was in Kiswahili. There is no direct word, but “Kibibi” can be an endearing way to call a young lady, so he nicknamed Bailey Kibibi as his way of calling her his Princess. Their hope is that the women who make their items and women who buy their items would know that they’re valuable and lovely. Kibibi Design is a handcrafted artisan company seeking to help empower women in East Africa. Kibibi Design employs several artisans from basket weavers to leather artisans, to textile weavers and brass workers. They pay above fair trade value for their artisan's handcrafted items and are developing systems to also provide business education, medical needs, and sustainable exposure to an international market. Currently, all of the profits go back into projects they partner with that help empower women and children. They are currently partnering with The Women's Teen Challenge Center in Kenya, Suubi House in Uganda, and summer camps for Syrian refugee children in The Middle East. I bought a baby blanket for Callum! They are Handmade from locally sourced 100% organic cotton. The tiny animal heads on a small square blankets are sure to be a favorite! I also purchased some finger puppets too for Quin! And had to snag some gorgeous dish towels for myself!
Hopefully y’all got a chance to stop by the Mosto Creations booth! It was so nice to see some handmade clothing at AAOTH. They are a couple that moved from Los Angeles, California now living in Van Buren, Arkansas and they make unique leather accessories: wallets, bags, belts, credit card & coin holder, medicine bags, cuffs, necklaces, bracelets, copper jewelry, and the most unique beautiful hand-made clothing. Every piece is one of a kind! Lisa wore one of her skirts the day of our blogger breakfast and bought another one too this year!! And you just have to see the tutorial of this skirt over on stories!
The Refinery was a crowd favorite all weekend long! The Refinery is a small family-owned business founded in Jonesboro, Arkansas. They believe in cute clothes, comfy shoes, and loving their customers in a big way! Their goal is to be more than just another clothing store, they hope every interaction you have with them, whether online, over the phone, or in person, adds a little bit of sparkle to your day! They have the cutest selection of clothes, including plus sizes. Currently eyeing this cardigan and this sweet dress!!
J Bae Boutique makes me want to have another baby just to buy their cute moccasins. LOL! And they also make me want to pierce my ears!! Everything is handmade here in Oklahoma!!! I really love the time and effort they put into their booth too!
HoopsByRae really caught my eye and I was so excited to know she was local to Oklahoma! This is seriously why I love AAOTH! How else would I have stumbled on this beautiful maker?! Her dainty hoops are just exquisite. All materials are artificial so your hoops will last longer. And if you are local to Owasso, Oklahoma and want to pick up your order instead of shipping, please use code LOCAL!
My custom sign that Dawn made for me!!! She currently has several more for my followers too that she is offering flash sale pricing on! The large is $50.00 and includes shipping anywhere in the United States and the small are $30.00 and includes shipping anywhere in the United States! Feel free to reach out directly to her!
I have talked about H&R Pallet Designs so much this season but gah..I just love them!!! If you are familiar at all with farmhouse style you know that farmhouse signs are a key component. They can come in all different sizes, shapes, and styles too! Dawn will make any custom sign you dream up! But already has an amazing selection too that you can shop! They are so much prettier in person too…pictures don’t do them justice. Quality and attention to detail make them each a thing of beauty we are proud to display. Dawn is truly passionate about what she creates. She absolutely loves what she does and you can see it! You can feel it! They spent an entire day setting up their booth too and it shows! Dawn and her hubby are some of the nicest people I have ever met! I stocked up on some Christmas presents here for family and friends!!!! I know you have seen how obsessed I am with my Joyeux Noël sign this season over on my Insta stories.
Marilia and Timothy from Farwilde Candles are just the best!! Their candles have become such a favorite in our home. It was so nice visiting their booth and experiencing the candles with my own nose!! I ended up purchasing two candles that I normally would not have chose from just shopping on-line. I bought Farwilde No. 11-Freshly ground coffee, funneled directly into our signature wax, balanced with the slight bitterness of Italian oranges and ancient essence of frankincense, create a dark and alluring candle unlike any other. Our home smells like a European coffee house when we burn this! I also bought Farwilde No. 55—-Vanilla – Petitgrain – Amyris….an utterly unique, dark vanilla anchored in earthy minerals of amyris and complex petigrain root. It’s my absolute favorite! I would love to work with them one day to create a signature Go French Yourself aroma!!!! What do you all think?!!! Would you buy one?!
I was excited to see and meet Vintage Addiction! I love traveling and love travel bags that are unique. They did not bring their whole on-line inventory to the show but I am loving these bags shown in the photos above! On-line I am absolutely loving this leather backpack. This Paris flea market tote certainly needs to make it’s way under my Christmas tree. The cosmetic bags are beautiful too.
I featured Urban.ish in my gift guide but I have to say it was so incredible spending time with them in their booth!!! Jenna found a ton is stuff she wants! They really curate such a beautiful selection of clothes that women of every age can wear and that is what I really love most! They know how to put things together in such interesting fun ways too that I would never think of!!! See more of Jenn’a little try-on session we did over on insta stories!
Now to stumble on FRANCIS KING HOME & WARDROBE’s booth was just a treat in itself! Again so thankful for An Affair of The heart for always introducing me to amazing people and products! Francis King Home and Wardrobe upcycles utility clothing (sweats and tees) into women’s components with a vintage appeal presented within understated vintage surroundings. They are one of a kind and just so beautiful just like her!!! She is currently working on her social media and I will be sure to add a way to reach her soon!
I got all of our Christmas shopping done for Jame’s boys at Carson’s Closet! They are located in OKC so it was nice to be introduced to them at AAOTH. Boy clothing is their specialty, but they also carry girl items too. From clothing to accessories and books to toys, you will find everything you need at Carson's Closet. When Shauna, the owner, found out she was having a little boy, she couldn't find any cute boutique clothing for him. She went home after many frustrating days of shopping with no success, and told her husband she was starting a business. He thought she was crazy to start an adventure at 7 months pregnant, but they did it! Naming their boutique after their son, Carson's Closet has been thriving ever since! The boy’s stuff is sooooo unique!!! It is hard to find interesting things for little boys so I will definitely be a repeat client!
True fact about me..my ears are not pierced but these beautiful earrings stood out to me for gifts from Blue Birch Collection. Her leather earrings are so pretty and you can tell they are made with so much love!! The price point is perfect too for an addition to a stocking this Christmas. I adore finding handmade vendors like this!!
Another fantastic maker I noticed was MOKŪ made here in Tulsa. The unique wood caught my eye! I learned that the maker had an opportunity to live in Upcountry Maui for a year with her family and this experience transformed their lives. They were inspired to create products from wood that capture the essence of the Hawaiian culture and use locally sourced woods. They make most of their wallets and earrings with eucalyptus from the southeast slopes of Haleakala. The wood they harvested came from trees that were uprooted by Tropical Storm Flossie in 2013. So instead this beautiful wood rotting on the forest floor was made into beautiful products. They also design bracelets that are inspired by the island. All their designs are hand drawn, turned into 3D files, and printed in metals. They then assemble the bracelets, joining their metal clasp with leather bands, and then package them all in their studio.
Designs by Mindy is an awesome way to add some style, color and texture to your outfit without an over-the-top statement piece. She has the prettiest handmade, nature-inspired pieces too!! She was showing me a few that came from a pine cone she found in nature!!!
Jasper Lee Soapworks was another fantastic find!!! Their mission is to enhance the enjoyment of outdoor activities, hands-on projects and the overall cleansing experience by providing handcrafted soaps that are highly-effective and naturally nourishing. 'LOVE OF SOAPING' MEETS DIY…Founder & CEO Carol Jasper: My 'love of soaping' began in 1999 after learning about it from my grandmother Gert who often helped her mother make their family’s yearly soap supply. What surprised me most was that instead of hearing about it as a nostalgic ‘good ol' days’ story, she remembered it as a loathsome task that was smelly, tiring and even ‘dangerous.’ That made me want to learn more, so I started researching cold process soapmaking and poured my first batch of Rosemary Mint soap in time for Gert's 90th birthday. She loved her 'birthday soap' and I’ve been hooked on soaping ever since. Over the years, I became intrigued with the challenge of starting a handcrafted soap business and took the first steps toward business formation in October 2013. Jasper Lee Soapworks LLC was then officially established in January 2014. I love her!!
And of course I had to visit Wild Hare Art Studio!! You can read all all about them here. They have the best gift items!! The T-shirts all so incredibly soft!!! And The Oklahoma ornaments are just the best stocking stuffer!
Enjoy the rest of the little snaps we got walking around and talking to people!!! So much cool stuff to discover at every corner.
I was able to cover all the BTS action on Thursday too and this was so fun!! See it on my story hi-lights over on my Insta. I loved seeing everything come to life!!! The long hours these vendors commit to their business is just incredible and the creativity!!!!!! An Affair of The Heart is not to be missed!
An Affair of The Heart is such a special event. I look forward to making it a tradition every year! Shopping from small businesses and getting a chance to meet the people behind them is so much fun for me. And I really hope the companies I have featured here helps you cross someone off your Christmas gifting list. I have linked the ways to get in touch with them and hope you consider shopping small this year!
And go ahead and reserve the 2020 show dates now!! It’s a special Anniversary show so I know it’s going to be so full of surprises!!! It’s just the best time and not just because of the shopping but because of the traditions and memories you make—like the annual frito pie I look forward to with my friends every year!!
A one-of-a-kind shopping event awaits
Check out any one of the upcoming shows!
Oklahoma City:
Feb. 7-9, 2020
June 12-14, 2020
Oct. 23-25, 2020
Tulsa:
July 10-12, 2020
Nov. 20-22, 2020
NOW FOR THAT GIVEAWAY I KNOW YOU ARE SO EAGER TO ENTER!!!!
AAOTH has generously offered one lucky reader 2 amazing swag bags—one for you and for a friend!!!(they are the same bags the bloggers received at the breakfast) How cute all are the t’s and other treats?!!
Thanks so much to Hattie’s Boutique, Bonatic U, Designs By Kennedy, Carlie J Design, J Bae Boutique, Jasper Lee Soapworks, and The Colorful Orchid
To enter you must :
Comment on this blog post telling us your favorite thing about AAOTH !
Like and comment on this Insta post.
Must follow AAOTH on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/aaoth/
Must follow me..Go French Yourself on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gofrenchyourself/
And for additional entries here is what you can do!
Share my Insta post on your Insta Stories tagging me or I will not see it to count it. (5 entries)
Share this blog post on facebook tagging me and AAOTH. (10 entries)
Winner will be drawn on Friday December 13th!!! And announced on my Instagram Stories!
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!
