A Healthy AND Yummy Snack Idea from Delectable Darlings!

Well, here we are starting a new year again...with all of those "wonderful" resolutions. One of our usual goals for each new year is to eat a more healthy diet. 

The problem we have over here at Penelope Lane is that we have some pretty gnarly sweet tooths (or is that sweet teeth?)

So, we thought we'd check out some of our Penelope Lane food vendor's goodies and see if they might have something that would feed those "sweet teeth" and yet be healthy at the same time. Luckily, wonderful Nichelle, at Delectable Darlings, saved the day! Nichelle, a mom of two toddlers, enjoys making great food that everyone will enjoy and does not require a lot of time or experience.



Her "No-Bake Energy Ball Cookies" are healthy, yummy, and easy to make...(We love all of those things!)

So here it is! 

Enjoy!

No-Bake Cookies (Energy Balls)

BY NICHELLE

These no-bake cookies came to be because I asked my favorite group of MoM’s what they wanted to see here on my blog. Easy snacks for the kiddos was one idea that really jumped out at me. My kids are old enough now that they will tell me they are hungry and sometimes what they want to eat (lots of cheese and nuggets). For the other times, I stand in the kitchen looking through cupboards and the refrigerator trying to find something new to make them. It’s not always easy to whip something up at the request of a “starving” child so I came up with these no-bake cookies that can be made while the kids are at school (or the night before) and be ready for them when they get home.

This recipe makes about 20-24 cookies so they will last the week. Besides being easy to make they are actually quite healthy, compared to most other cookies. The ingredients are simple and you can swap out any kind of chocolate chips or leave them out entirely, nuts, seeds, different kinds of nut butters etc. The possibilities are really endless. Also, if your kids like to help out in the kitchen, this is a great recipe they can be involved with. My kids like to throw stuff at each other and they don’t listen to me so we aren’t quite there yet..

  

No-Bake Cookies (Energy Balls)

Yields 24

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Prep Time

45 min

Total Time

45 min

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup peanut butter
2. 1/3 cup honey
3. 1 cup old-fashioned oats
4. 1 cup shredded coconut
5. pinch of kosher salt
6. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
7. 1/4 tsp nutmeg
8. 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
9. 1/2 cup granola for rolling (I processed mine until finely chopped)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together peanut butter and honey. Add oats, coconut, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chips and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Remove from fridge and use a small cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon to scoop out dough and form into balls. Roll balls in granola.

Notes

1. Store in an airtight container. Can be store at room temperature but they are delicious when eaten cold too!

By Delectable Darlings

You can find more wonderful culinary delights on Nichelle's blog HERE

How to Fake Calligraphy

People ask me all the time how I write calligraphy. It's seriously all just a lie. Making your cursive handwriting look like calligraphy is a lot easier than you might think. You'll only need a piece of paper (I usually use card stock for a little extra thickness) and an artist pen like a micron or prismacolor. You can also use a plain old gel pen or any pen that is kinda inky if you know what I mean by that. Please just don't try it with a ballpoint pen for crying out loud. Ok! Now that we have our supplies, just follow these three simple steps:
1. Write in cursive  2. Wherever you make a down stroke, add another line there as if you're making that part of the letter a block letter. But try to make it gradual. So the block part will be thinner at the tops and bottoms and thickest in the middle.  3. Now just color it in!  You can see examples of steps 1-3 below. 

For more inspiration, check out my Mustard & Grey Instagram (@mustardandgrey) or go to the Mustard & Grey site. Now go ahead and try it! When you're done, post it on Instagram or Facebook and tag us so we can see it!  xoxo, Sandy

Vendor Feature: Pretty for Peanuts

Christina from Pretty for Peanuts has been a vendor at Penelope Lane Boutique a handful of times and we are absolutely crazy about her darling items! She makes tote bags, cross body bags, clutches, and watches. Each bag is handmade by Christina with Pendleton wool and genuine leather. For most bags, the leather straps are removable allowing you the ability to purchase additional straps to interchange. We LOVE these bags because not only are they unique and absolutely gorgeous, but they are large without being heavy! Sandy is wearing the Ojai Bag below. 

We are obsessed! Go check out Pretty for Peanut's shop HERE. And if you are crafty like Christina and would like more information about how to become a vendor at the Penelope Lane Boutiques, click HERE.  Interested in highlighting your product or brand at Penelope Lane?  Contact Nancy at penelopelaneboutique@yahoo.com

It's a Boy!

Hello PLB friends, Sandy here! Many of you may already know that my husband Miles & I are expecting our first baby! We are beyond thrilled and feel so incredibly blessed! I am now 16 weeks pregnant and we just recently found out our little nugget is a BOY! These past 16 weeks have definitely been memorable. I got a little sick in the first trimester but I really tried not to complain too much about it because I feel so blessed to even be pregnant. The two best parts of all of this so far have been 1.) the ultrasounds where we get to see the baby and hear his quick little heartbeats...and.. 2.) sharing the news with family. For my parents anniversary this year, we gave them the homemade card pictured below. My mom, dad, and sister (Sarah) were sitting next to each other on the couch when my mom opened the card and started bawling. Sarah was also crying while both of them kept repeating, "is this for real?" "are you serious?" The rest of my family just had to kinda catch on since no one ever read the inside of the card. The reactions, the love, and the support were overwhelming and absolutely priceless. We told Miles' mom through Skype by sending her a baby onesie for her birthday that said "Happy Birthday Grandma" on it. This will be her first grand-baby so she was just a mess. Miles' dad always gets mistaken for Miles' older brother, so to tell him, we got him a shirt that said, "Don't I look too young to be a Grandpa?!" He was also thrilled. It was so exciting to share the fun news with the ones we love the most. 

 To reveal the gender, we had a small group of family and friends over to my parents' home. We had everyone take either a pink or blue balloon according to their guess. We already knew the gender, so we poked teeny tiny holes in the pink balloons ahead of time. When we told everyone to blow up their balloons, only the blue ones inflated! It took a second for everyone to catch on (except for Sarah who, as you can tell from the video below, caught on right away), but once they did, it was so exciting!

We are absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity to become parents! It is the craziest thing how this little alien creature growing inside of me whom I have never even met, already has my whole heart. We cannot wait to meet our little dude!  xoxo

"Stuck in the Coop" Gives the 411 on Becoming a Vendor

Yipee!!! We are in the middle of our application period for our Spring Penelope Lane Boutique and we are thrilled with the outpouring of talented vendors who are applying! Applications will be accepted HERE through January 28th.

We thought it might be fun to hear from one of our long-time vendors about what it's like to be a vendor in our boutique, so we asked Heather from "Stuck in the Coop" to share her thoughts and ideas about "vendor-hood" in the crazy world of Penelope Lane Boutique!

What do you create in your shop? 
In the sTuck in the Coop shop I create personalized, hand stamped jewelry and gift items.  Most of the designs in my etsy shop are jewelry items that can be personalized with names, words or sayings of the customer’s choice.  I love coming up with new designs using mixed metals and different textures and shapes.  A lot of my designs have an eclectic feel, which I think makes them unique and versatile.  When I am selling at boutiques, my booth is a “create your own” style set up.  Customers can put together something personal for themselves or for a gift, with charms I have created.  Initial charms, word charms, stones for a splash of color all available to design your own necklace, bracelet, or even keychain.  I also have a variety of bracelets, rings and gift items that are stamped with special words, phrases or bible verses.  

What is the inspiration behind your shop name? 
I must first start by saying that I started this business to stay home with my boys (who are 15 months apart).  They were 1 ½ years and 3 months old when I started.  I was a teacher prior to having my boys and couldn’t bear to leave them and go back to work, but I needed to find a way to contribute to my family while staying at home.  My shop name is sTuck in the Coop (yes the “T” is capitalized), my son’s names are Tucker and Cooper, so when I started this business of mine it was to literally stay “sTuck in the Coop”  or at home with my boys Tuck and Coop. 

What is  your favorite part of being in the Penelope Lane Boutique? 
There are so many things I LOVE about being a part of this boutique.  I adore this craft community!  I have made some very dear friends while being a vendor and shopping these boutiques.  The family of women that work so hard to create Penelope Lane (Nancy, Sarah, and Sandy), are the sweetest.  They make their vendors feel so welcome and are so supportive. 

What would you say is unique about Penelope Lane Boutique? 
I would have to say that  Penelope Lane Boutique customers are unique, they are so very loyal and faithful.  Without fail I see some of the same customers come back every single show to support this handmade community.  It really is so special to get to know your customers in person and see them time and time again.  

Have you ever had any special experiences at the boutique?
Something special to me about Penelope Lane Boutique is that it was my very first real deal show (other than small church and home shows).  I had been selling solely online for a few years and decide to take the plunge and try this whole Boutique thing out, and I’m so happy I did.  

Describe an average “night before the boutique”. 
I live about an hour from Penelope Lane Boutique, but my grandma lives in Seal Beach so my mom and I normally come down the day before and stay the night at her house.  We get some dinner and maybe do a little shopping, but as soon as my grandma is in bed it’s crunch time.  I normally have some prepping of displays that has to be done, charms and beads to add the final finishing touches to, and bracelets to shape and form.  Since I’m away from my workshop I have to bring my tools and set up a little work station there at her house.  I’m lucky if I get 4 hours of sleep the night before (2 hours is about the norm).  I always feel like I’ve forgotten something, and am always a little nervous and anxious the night before, but super excited once the day comes and it’s all set up. 

How has selling your product at the boutique affected your business?  
Since I was solely selling online it was nice to have a place to sell and meet customers in person.  I think when people can connect with the creator of the products they buy they feel more secure about making more purchases in the future.  I’ve had customers that came to the boutique and contact me days later saying “I wish I got…, can I order it from you and have you ship it to me?”.  Seeing the products in person makes a big difference, so it’s nice for local customers to be able to stop by and see the items they are thinking of purchasing.  Also, I do have some items that I make for boutiques first that may never even end up on my website.  It’s nice for the customers of the boutique to have the first exclusive chance to buy something they may never see online. 

What advice can you give to a vendor who is new to Penelope Lane Boutique? 
Say “Hello”.  Get to know your fellow vendors, they are your best resource for information, not to mention a support system.  The day of a show can be very stressful setting up and such, if you need help kindly ask your neighbors.  Bring a helper if at all possible, or request your booth to be next to someone you know to cover you for restroom breaks and lunch (we all must eat at some point).  I have my “volunteer of the year” (Mom) come with me whenever she is available and she has been a life saver.  Don’t get discouraged, we were all new at this at some point and the info I learn from each and every show only makes the next boutique that much better.  



A big thanks to Heather from sTuck in the Coop for being such a wonderful vendor for the Penelope Lane Boutique. We are so blessed to have such amazing, talented, loyal vendors.

For more information about how to become a vendor at our Spring show, click here.

Exciting News About Our Blog!

Penelope Lane Boutique has been around since 2010, building the reputation as a quality handmade marketplace in Southern California. Our blog has assisted us in getting the word out about our upcoming shows and features our wonderful vendor’s products.

We are still committed to providing quality, handmade markets throughout the year, but in addition to that venture, we are excited to share something new and exciting regarding our blog...

INTRODUCING…. 

"A Stroll Down Penelope Lane..."

...a lifestyle blog and inspiration guide for stylish and creative living, dedicated to sharing fun, chic, and creative ideas and products to entertain and uplift. Are you excited yet?

A Stroll Down Penelope Lane will feature weekly blog posts consisting of a variety of topics….handmade market features, home décor, style, food, health, family, fun and/or insightful musings, and cutting edge topics. We are thrilled to be broadening our brand and opening up our blog as a venue to share ideas that we hope will add glitter to your life! 

Our blog team is comprised of the mother/daughter/sister team of Sarah Hull (left) and Nancy Smith (middle), co-founders of Penelope Lane Boutique, Sandy Williams (right), owner of Mustard & Grey Graphics @mustardandgrey, and Tegyn Friedman, our wonderful photographer @tegyn

Nancy is our Blog and Boutique Promoter and Advertising Director

Sarah is our Editorial and Brand Assistant

Sandy is our Creative Director, Brand Director and Managing Editor

We are excited about this new venture with our blog and we hope that you will check in with us now and then to see what we are all about. The three of us span various life-stages... a twenty-something newlywed (Sandy); a thirty-something mom of three children (Sarah); and a sixty (barely)-something grandmother of 8! With this span, we hope to be able to share our various paths and interests, while entertaining you with our fun and sometimes quirky sense of humor and outlook.


Happy new year to you all, and here's to a fun and wonderful beginning!


Do you have something wonderful that our readers should know about? 

Have your product or brand showcased to our "A Stroll Down Penelope Lane" readers and Instagram followers. 

For more information about advertising on our blog, contact Nancy at penelopelaneboutique@yahoo.com

Interested in being a vendor at our March 28th Boutique in Long Beach? Click HERE for more info.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram @penelopelaneboutiqe and Facebook (Penelope Lane Boutique)

Applications are Now Open for our Spring Boutique

Exciting News! Our application period is now open! 

We are accepting applications for our Spring Boutique which will be held at The Grand Event Center in Long Beach on March 28th from 9 am to 3 pm.

Applications will be accepted on this blog from January 14th though January 28th. 

Application can be found HERE

Below is more important information for interested vendors:

Venue: THE GRAND EVENT CENTER, in East Long Beach ~ located at 4101 E. Willow located on the corner of Willow and Grand, one block west of Lakewood Boulevard, and very close to the 405 freeway. The Grand provides a five story parking structure with free parking. We will be in the Grand Ballroom, the adjoining Garden Room, and in the patio. We have approximately 1,200 shoppers on average come through during the day of our boutique. The entrance fee for our guests is $1.00. (Children 12 and under and military are free).

Booth Space: Each booth area has a space of 8 feet wide by 4 feet deep and is for a free-standing booth. If a vendor needs more room, they can purchase two booth spaces. Vendors must stay within the booth space allotted. Some booths spaces have a wall behind them, some spaces will have another vendor space behind them.

NO Central Checkout: Each vendor will need to collect the money for their own sales and provide change and bags for their guests. We encourage our vendors to accept cash, checks, and credit cards. Someone will need to be at the booth the entire show. Free WiFi will be provided for our vendors.

Booth and Application Fee: The booth fee for our March 28th show is $160.00 for each booth space. There is a $20.00 application fee for new vendors only. Booth fees are used by Penelope Lane Boutique to pay for our venue, advertising, and mailings. They also provide vendors with the opportunity to have their line accessible to shoppers from our blog. The $20 application fee is not refundable. Once accepted, booth fees are not refundable or transferable. When filling out the application, please be specific about the types of products you sell. If a vendor is accepted and wishes to add different types of items, Penelope Lane Boutique Coordinators MUST be notified to make sure that the new items are a good fit for our show. No sharing of booths is allowed unless this plan is discussed with Penelope Lane Boutique Coordinators first.

   

What type of products are we looking for? Penelope Lane Boutique accepts vendors who provide quality handmade products, have creative booth presentation, are active on social media and/or ETSY, and provide a well-rounded variety to our show. All vendors, including vendors who have been in our previous shows, will be requested to fill out an application form on-line during the application period. However, vendors who have been in our previous shows do NOT have to pay the application fee. We HIGHLY recommend you look at our previous vendor's items (on our blog) to see the style of lines that we work with to see if you are a good fit for our show. We are sorry that we will not be able to accept vendors who do not have some sort of web or social media page where we can view their products.

Tables and Electricity: If a vendor wishes to rent a six-foot table or use electricity, there is a $10.00 charge for a table and/or electricity, payable with the booth fee.

IMPORTANT: Vendor’s applications will be complete only after we receive the online application AND two separate checks or money orders: For new vendors, a $20.00 application fee, AND the booth fee of $160.00. If the booth fee is not paid before the end of the application period, the application will not be considered complete, except in certain circumstances discussed with Penelope Lane Boutique Coordinators. If the fees are not paid by the end of the application period, we will be unable to offer the vendor a booth space. There are many expenses that go in to promoting a boutique such as this, and we use the booth fees to help promote our shows. Therefore we need fees paid in a timely manner. This policy will be implemented for returning and new vendors.

Checks or money orders should be made payable to: Penelope Lane Boutique and mailed to: Penelope Lane Boutique 11263 Rochelle Street Los Alamitos, CA. 90720

Booth fee checks will not be deposited until after the vendor is accepted in to the show. If a vendor’s line is not accepted to our show, we will shred the booth fee check. 

                               

All vendors will receive an email letting them know if they have been accepted in to the show or not by January 30th.

Thank you for your interest in being a part of the 

Penelope Lane Boutique! 

To apply, press Here


Questions? Email us at penelopelaneboutique@yahoo.com


Please like us on our Facebook Page HERE and for more updates regarding the boutique.

Or follow us on Instagram @penelopelaneboutique