Beautiful Bags! (and something for you)

I recently met (online) Meredith @ Design You Can Live In who also runs Spire Design Group. She currently owns her own interior design business and does some amazing work. We chatted about business, photography, and the fun in crafting. We got to talking and decided to do a product swap!! She recently started sewing and makes some adorable bags. I would send her some jewelry and she would send me a bag. Good trade right? I certainly thought so!

So I sent her a hand stamped necklace with her initials and a birds nest ring and she send me the most adorable wristlet you've ever seen! I love it and can't wait to use it!

I wanted all of you {fabulous readers} to get to know Meredith like I have, so I had her answer a few questions for me:

Tell us a little about yourself.
I am 31 and have been married to my best friend for over 5 years. I have the best little dog ever who serves as my assistant. We have lived in Destin FL, Los Angeles CA and St. Paul Minnesota before moving back home to Indiana almost 2 years ago. I hope to have babies VERY SOON!! I love to laugh and make others laugh. My dream job is to be on Saturday Night Live!! I have an insane amount of energy, even without my coffee!!! I own an interior design firm, Spire Design Group.

What is your favorite hobby/favorite thing to do?
Well, sewing is my favorite hobby!! But I also like to read, blog, read blogs (HEHE!!), spend time with my husband and friends and family. Love to shop for clothes and home "stuff". Love to watch reality TV, it is my guilty pleasure!! I also like to make up songs about people and places. It is so random and they are awful songs, but it makes my husband laugh so hard, and I love that!!

How did you get started and how long have you been sewing?
I sewed for the first time when I was about 9. I made an elastic waist skirt in 4-H. I didn't sew again after that summer until middle school home-ec class. I made a pair of MC Hammer pants!! (Remember those huge pants he wore??!!) They were hilarious! It wasn't until recent that I really started to sew again and really fell in love with it.

Where do you find your inspiration?
I LOVE Vera Bradley, and I LOVE purses and bags. I watch the trends and I watch what colors are in style. Being an interior designer, I am around fabric ALL the time, so I get most of my inspiration for fabrics that I find interesting.

What do you enjoy most about sewing?
It is almost therapeutic for me. I lose track of time sewing and it just puts me in a great mood. I love being able to create something and have an end result. I love the thought that someone will carry one of my bags!! It is a great creative release that is immediate. My interior design projects can take months or years to see an end result.

When and why did you decide to open a shop?
Well, once I had made about 100 bags, I thought it might be a good idea!! HEHE!!! I love the idea of buying and selling homemade items. It's awesome when your hobby can become one of your jobs!!

Do you have a favorite item or style in your store?
Not really, I have a weird attachment to them all!! I have a few fabrics that I am obsessed with and keep buying more of!!

Do you keep any of your bags for yourself?
Just one. I need to make more for myself to carry!!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I read, hang out with the hubs, work out, go shopping, spend time with my family and friends, eat (HEHE!!), walk my dog, talk on the phone. Oddly enough, sometimes I enjoy cleaning and organizing!!

What is your favorite food?
Seafood!! I love crab legs so much!! I have actually eaten 2 pounds in one sitting. I may be small, but I can eat!! I also love Mexican and Italian food!! And cake, I love cake. Basically, I love to eat!!

Favorite TV show and/or movie (if you have one)?
The Office is my favorite show. Followed by American Idol. I really LOVE reality TV for some reason, I know I shouldn't!! I don't have a favorite movie, I just love to laugh. So comedies are usually high on my list. But when I am alone and get to pick a movie just for me, I usually watch chick flicks!!

Have you read any great books lately?
Sadly no. I have been too busy to read lately. But I am looking for suggestions!!!

Tell us something interesting about yourself.
I love musical theater and I used to be very active in a community theater growing up. The last role I played was Sandy in Grease when I was 21. HEHE!!!! It was such a blast!!! Maybe it is time for me to make my comeback!!??

I hope y'all enjoyed getting to know Meredith and learning about her new line of bags! Meredith was SOOOO kind that she told me she wants to give one away to one of my wonderful, dedicated readers! {That's you!!}

That means...ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!!
{Are you excited?}

Meredith is giving away a $12.00 shop credit to one lucky reader!! {Did I mention I'm jealous}

So you will get your pick of one of her lovely bags to call your own.

There are so many choices! You'll just have to go to her website, Spire Design Group, to pick out your favorite!!

So to win...you need to do any or all of the following:
{You must be a follower of my blog to enter}

{1 entry} follow my blog and leave a comment or if you are already a follower, leave a comment letting me know.
{1 entry} follow Meredith's blog and leave a comment letting me know.
{2 entries} for visiting Meredith's store and letting me know your favorite bag.
{2 entries} for tweeting about the giveaway. Make sure to put @vcesari and @meechols9 in your tweet. Come back and leave a comment to ensure your entry is counted.
{4 entries} for blogging about this giveaway. Come back and leave your link.

That's 10 possible entries to win a gorgeous bag! Now hurry...go enter! Giveaway will end on Sunday, March 7 at 8 am CST!!

{Oh p.s. you can also enter to win some of my jewelry on Meredith's blog today through Sunday as well!! Be sure to enter!}