One-of-a-Kind Knickers Restocked

Adapting HCH into a fully reproducible line has been a really amazing experience thus far, but as many of you have probably noticed, my one-of-a-kind pieces have taken a bit of a backseat lately.

Juno Papillon Knickers (medium)

I had a little extra time this week, so I stitched up seven new pairs for the shop, each totally unique and using vintage insertion lace. Each is a different size and color, and all are available on Etsy now. Snap up your favorites soon - these always sell quickly.

Emmaline Papillon Knickers (small)

Christiane Papillon Knickers (large)

Find the full range of one-of-a-kind bottoms here - which is your favorite pair of Papillon Knickers?

Ready-to-Ship for Your Valentine's Day Gifting Pleasure!

I've been a busy bee - working diligently to have more pieces ready to ship for Valentine's Day than I've ever had before. I'm proud to say that almost everything from the first official HCH collection is ready to ship in all sizes, so if you've been eyeing anything particular, now's the time to snap it up for yourself or your sweetie. If you missed my last roundup of ready-to-ship pieces, check it out here!

Make sure to double-check item listings carefully, because stock availability changes quickly during the V-Day season - each of these items is available on Etsy and BigCartel.

Left: Pink Deco Bralette, Pink Deco Garter Belt, Black/Red Brocade Ribbon Corset,

Pink Deco Knickers Right: Black Deco Bralette, Black Deco Garter Belt,

Black/White Brocade Ribbon Corset, Black Deco Knickers

(Photography by Her Lovely Bones)

Left: Black Deco Camisole, Black Deco Garter Belt Center: Ivory Deco Chemise,

Ivory Deco Garter Belt Right: Black Deco Chemise, Black Deco Garter Belt

Black Deco Sleep Mask, Deco Skull Camisole, Black Deco Knickers, Black Deco Garter Belt

Left: Ivory Deco Tap Shorts, Ivory Deco Garter Belt, Right: Black Deco Tap Shorts, Black Deco Garter Belt

Black Friday Sale!

Thanksgiving is upon us, which means food, friends, family and fun. It also means that Black Friday is tomorrow and the HCH Etsy shop is your perfect holiday shopping destination if you're looking for a deal!

Margot Deco Camisole, Adrienne Papillon Knickers

Through December 1, score 20% off any ready-to-ship item in the shop by entering coupon code EARLYBIRD2013 upon checkout.

Happy Thanksgiving from Honey Cooler Handmade!

Valentine's Day Giveaway!

I just hit a huge milestone - 400 Facebook followers! Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to commemorate this achievement by thanking YOU! Yes, you, my friends, followers and fellow lingerie lovers. Your support and affection for HCH makes my world go 'round, and I figured I'd show my gratitude by throwing a giveaway.

From tonight until Friday, February 1st at 6pm PST, I'm offering the chance to win a 20% off coupon code to the HCH Etsy shop. Possible entry methods are below, and the more entries you make, the more chances you have to win!

Entries:

1. Tweet about the giveaway. An example tweet: I just entered the @HoneyCoolerHM Valentine's Day giveaway! Score 20% off anything in the shop - find out how here: http://bit.ly/XKWkOq
2. In the comments below, tell me what you'd buy from the shop if you won the code.
3. Join the mailing list.
4. Invite your friends to follow HCH on Facebook too by sharing the giveaway details.
5. Add HCH to your favorite shops on Etsy.

For every entry you make, comment below to let me know. That may mean making multiple comments! Include your Twitter handle or email address for each entry so I have a way to get in touch with you if you win. The winner will be chosen at random. Email addresses shared in the comments will not be used for any purpose other than winner verification.

Good luck!

A Little Gift with a Lot of Luxury

Still undecided on a holiday gift for your favorite Sleeping Beauty?

Crafted from the most luxurious fabric imaginable and featuring vintage insertion lace flourishes, an HCH Private Eye Sleep Mask marries sensual style with practicality - it's the perfect present this holiday season. Tucked in a cat napper's stocking, or gifted before a long transatlantic flight, an HCH Private Eye Sleep Mask blocks out the peskiest light, prettily!

Clockwise from top left: Orpha, Lupe, Shirley, Phoebe, Dinah

New masks have just been added to the Etsy shop, so be sure to swing by to check them out and snap up yours. And since I ship Priority Mail, there is still plenty of time to snag one before Christmas if you live in the US!

Fashion Love Affair: Louche Lolita Dress by Boudoir Queen

My mind has been a fog for the past few weeks. My Something Sweet trunk show was a smashing success (photos and a re-cap to come), and the time spent prepping for it left me with so very much to finish before leaving my home base for two whole weeks.

Needless to say I didn't have a lot of free time this past month, but what small amount of free time I did manage to scrape up, I spent wandering Etsy and fashion blogs. It turns out that even though it's clothing that makes me insane (HCH), it's also clothing that calms me down. Who knew?

Behold my latest obsession: Boudoir Queen's Louche Lolita Dress.

Boudoir Queen's Louche Lolita Dress

The bow flourish is precious and the skirt is perky and feminine, but what really stuns me about this piece is the bodice and fabrication. The reworked 1930's foundation gives way to a gorgeous ruched neckline and delicate puffed sleeves. I'm not usually a big fan of daisies, but this lovely sheer embroidered netting caught me by surprise, especially because the ground fabric is black. Just gorgeous. If I could think of a place to wear this baby, I would start saving my pennies.

This dress doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of Boudoir Queen's amazing collection on Etsy. Well worth a check out if you're into original Deco-era vintage and re-worked antique pieces.

The 100 Club

Just call me an Etsy badass.

From How to be a Retronaut

I finally attained the oft-discussed-on-the-Etsy-forums magic number: 100 items in my Etsy shop! Even though I've made tons more than 100 pieces at this point, this is the first time I've had that many on Etsy at once. The lady that made it all happen, Wanda, is below. She's made of a gorgeous fuchsia-tinged purple silk jacquard with a triple bow detail and sheer tulle panels at the sides. At once sexy and lovely, Wanda makes the perfect gift for the special lady in your life, especially if she's you!

Wanda Garconne Tap Shorts

As I begin to work on my next 100 pieces, I'd love to hear what you want to see in the shop. I love hearing from all of you, so requests for specific sizes, colors and motifs are always appreciated. Bralettes are in the pipeline as well, so stay tuned!

Now on Etsy: Garters

I'm coming off a pretty crazy weekend. The bridal event I'd been working on with Firehouse 8 was a wonderful time which required a huge amount of preparation and thought. Needless to say, I was a caffeinated ball of energy last week, taking on a million tasks (not the least of which was adding garters to my repertoire). When I knew I would be selling at a wedding event, garters were a natural choice. I've had a bunch of people tell me they were disappointed by what's currently out there: mostly poly satin with scratchy lace in an icy hue of white (definitely not something that one would be inspired to hold onto or pass down through the generations). I decided to play around with the idea of making this little bridal detail feel special again.

I am now sitting on my Virgin America flight to Philadelphia. On-board wifi's been keeping me occupied with photo editing and store maintenance, so I can finally bring my newest handiwork to you! There are four garters listed, so make sure to check out the shop to see them all. In the meantime, I'll introduce you to Josie and Juliette:

Josie: Chantilly lace, silk satin ribbon, antique paste bauble, orange blossoms

Juliette: antique lace, velvet ribbon, antique paste buckle

As always, custom work is a delight to do, so if you have something specific in mind for your special day, send me a convo and I'll be glad to help out!

Now on Etsy: The Winnie and Nellie Ribbon Corsets

I've listed two new corsets on Etsy and Cityblis. The first is Winnie, a testament to all things Edwardian: a frou frou brocade specimen with dovetailed knots covering the busk clasps. Nellie is crafted from a lovely copper petersham with a tribal motif. Hit up either shop for more detailed shots.

Winnie Ribbon Corset, Nellie Ribbon Corset

Etsy Finds: In The Pink

It's always such a treat to be featured in the Etsy Finds email! Check out my Flossie Deco Camisole in HCH's spanking new photography gracing this most recent edition.

Looks from the March Photo Shoot, Part I

The photos from my shoot earlier this month have been steadily rolling in. Make sure to check out the Honey Cooler Handmade Facebook page for updates to the album!

In the meantime, I wanted to break down the looks from the first three shots. Take a peek!

Anya Private Eye Sleep Mask, Helena Deco Camisole, Fidelia Knickers

Lucky Star Deco Camisole, Frankie Bow Belt, Stella Bow Belt

Flossie Deco Camisole, Lucie Garconne Tap Shorts

Photographer: Antonette Streeter
Model: Alexis Carene Hutt
Hair: Brian Jensen
Makeup: Randy Stevens
Stylist: Dominique Guillen
Flowers: John Andrew James

Laura in Honey Cooler Handmade

My hair stylist, Laura, is a fantastically fashionable chick. Her wardrobe is the perfect amalgamation: exciting, curated and upbeat. So when she said she'd fallen in love with my skull lace Deco Camis and wanted one for herself, I was very flattered.

When I went over to Laura's house to check the fit of her custom Cami, I make sure to snap a pic too. Check it out!

A Little St. Patty's Day Love from Etsy

What a treat! I just discovered that my Zella Moonshine Chemise was featured in an St. Patty's Day-themed Etsy Finds email!

Green's an often-overlooked shade when it comes to lingerie, so it's been really fun to see how much love my green pieces are getting this time of year. Why not check out a few for yourself?

Now on Etsy: The Suzette, Lonnie and Chloris Private Eye Sleep Masks

Since my Private Eye Sleep Masks have been selling so well, I figured my first order of business for the week was to do a bit of replenishing. Welcome Suzette, Lonnie and Chloris to the fold.

New Private Eye Sleep Masks: Suzette, Lonnie, and Chloris

Sweet dreams!

A Parade of Press

Wow, what a week.

I'm feeling pleasantly overwhelmed by the amazing love I'm getting for my little business. DList Magazine's "Home Alone" spread would have been enough to keep me floating on Cloud 9 until NEXT January, but then my Knickers got an awesome shout-out on Mango & Salt, a gorgeous French blog.

Now, the topper on the cake? I found out my Susie Ribbon Corset was featured in the Etsy Dudes email this week!

Susie takes the stage!

And this morning, I checked my shop stats only to discover that they were about 5 times higher than they'd be at the end of a really good day. A little bit of sleuthing led me to discover my Glory Knickers were featured on the Etsy front page thanks to this adorable treasury by Bobbi Bankston of Poppy & Pearl Co.

Oh, Glory!

Every Etsy seller knows that making it to the Front Page is pretty much the tops. It took me 11 months to get there, so I'm going to hold onto this buzz for awhile!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had a good past few days, so fill me in: what's been panning out for you this week?

Fashion Love Affair: Previously Garters

One of the best parts of selling on Etsy is coming across like-minded crafters and artisans. By now I'm sure it's clear that I'm a historical fashion nerd so it's fitting that my newest crush is on an equally-minded seller, Previously! Chicago-based designer Elide has not only perfected Deco-era style and construction, but she's got an eye for all things pretty. Her painstakingly-crafted garters are a sight to behold. Elide's ribbonwork is at once breathlessly delicate and technically magnificent. Take a peek below!

Left, Right

Left, Right

Though I don't wear socks that require garters, I've got my eye on a few pieces in Elide's shop. Check out her blog and adorable storefront and I'm sure you'll find yourself similarly obsessed before long!

There's No Feeling Like...

...completing custom order pieces.

Here's the first of three pieces I'm sewing up this month for an Etsy customer and I'm so pleased with the results.

What projects are you working on these days?

A New Look

Honey Cooler Handmade has a stellar new look for the holidays! Check it out and keep your eyes peeled for a very sweet deal up ahead...

Now on Etsy: Margie and Oralie

Check out my newest shining stars, the Margie Deco Camisole and the Oralie Bow Belt, both available in the Honey Cooler Handmade shop now.

Margie Deco Camisole, Oralie Bow Belt

Margie is made from a lovely wheat motif cornflower blue silk jacquard with a totally sheer cotton tulle yoke and a beautiful antique beading lace detail. She speaks to the romantic in all of us - with all the fussiness of Victoriana and the simplicity of a basic cut.

Oralie is made from a sumptuous antique Edwardian brocade ribbon and finished off with a yummy blue velvet bow... the perfect pops of color for the fall days ahead.

New Photos: Julia Deco Camisole

Julia is one of my favorite Deco Camisoles so far. She was inspired by Julia Morgan, the architect behind the gorgeous Art Deco monstrosity that is Hearst Castle. And lucky for me, she just co-starred in a shoot for Piecemaker Jewelry by the uber-talented Lisa Lau! Her earrings take center stage for sure... I'm so happy to have HCH included in the shoot!

Sneak a peek below. More photos from the shoot are here.

Photography was by Iann Ivy, the gorgeous model was Alicia Forbrich, hair and makeup were by Araceli Ramos, and the lovely cuff in the second photo is by Robin Stelling of Creative Beadz.