Found Local Love in Lincoln

Yes, there are sprinkles in the sugar shaker and yes, that birthday macaroon was amazing.
Photo via me

This past weekend my friend, Amy, and I packed up our weekenders and headed up North to visit our smarty law school friend, Paige. Destination: Lincoln, Nebraska. I knew it was going to be great weekend catching up with fabulous friends, but I didn't know I was going to fall in love with the local treasures! I haven't been up there in a couple years and since then, so many adorable shops have popped up. They are too unique and fun not to post about and I hope by the end you are planning your next (or first!) visit to this quaint college town in mid-America.

Saturday was our big adventure day and Paige made the wise decision of feeding us a delicious meal to start it off right. She took us to one of her favorite brunch spots, Bread & Cup, in the Haymarket area. When I saw pancakes called "Jack Johnsons" I knew I would fall in love. They were incredible - highly recommend! For a restaurant that follows the concept of "Simple food and drink," they did a great job of wowing my taste buds. From there she took us to a cute stationary store, Letter Bee Paperie, where I read many funny cards and looked through lots of pretty stationary. Picked up some fun Easter styrofoam cups and cards because they made me smile. Haymarket was a success.

The "Jack Johnsons" aka best banana pancakes of my life. Oh and don't mind the yummy cinnamon roll Paige ordered for the table! So good. Photo via me

Photo via Letter Bee Paperie

Our next corner stop was my favorite because it pops up in the middle of a fun neighborhood and reminded me of home. Seriously, this was a dream corner of shops. We first popped into Select Style, a clothing store owned by one of Paige's friend. Windows were filled with dream outfits and the racks filled with gorgeous clothing. The owner, Meghan, has done a wonderful job curating a store full of designer clothing. There are neutrals, bright colors, classics and trends. If I hadn't just been killed on taxes this year (ugh!), I would have splurged on at least one favorite. Next time Meghan! She has great style and from what I hear from Paige, is a wonderful stylist. Good friend and local shop owner to have!

Photos via Select Style

Next door, you are able to pickup a pair of shoes to match your new fabulous outfit at Pattino Shoe Boutique. It was busy busy when we walked in and I loved hearing the women who were running the store chat with local customers. They had some great brands such as Loeffler Randall, Dolce Vita, TOMS and Joie. You can check out more on their website.

After those stops we headed to round the corner and immediately were distracted by a sweet smell. Hello bakery! The adorable vibe of Goldenrod Pastries suckered us right in. The case full of sweets suckered us into eating again. They were too pretty and the shop smelled way too good to pass. I loved watching the girls behind the counter work on a cake. You could truly see they enjoyed how they spent their time making gorgeous creations. After purchasing a delicious birthday cake macaroon (as shown in the first picture), we sat down at one of the cute tables. Sprinkles in the sugar shaker, sold. If you are needing to fulfill a visual sweet craving, follow their Instagram immediately and stroll over to their gorgeous website.

You try saying no to that...didn't think so. Delicious and a great size! Photo via me.

Photos via Goldenrod Pastries.

Final stop, was the perfect ending to a perfect shopping corner. Paper Kite is a children's boutique that is filled with all things that make you happy. Making it even better, they also carry items that older girls love! Definitely found some items I picked up for myself. The owner, Meg, was adorable and so welcoming. We chatted on our love for Rifle Paper Co. (their focal wall is one of my favorite wallpapers) and beautiful baby swaddles. I absolutely love what she has done with the space and I can't wait to go back when I need to shop for my littles one day. Half of the clothing items, I was wishing they had in my size. She also had a local candle maker doing a pop up that day, Wax Buffalo (local love is a great way to help a fellow girl boss out). The best news? They are opening another store in Omaha! I have family there and I will definitely be making them stop there next time I am in town.

Photos via Paper Kite

Lincoln, you were so good to us! We finished off the day with some drinks at a sports bar in the new arena area that is building up (need to cheer on my Jayhawks #RCJH) and then a bottle of rosé called our name at home - it was thoroughly enjoyed with much laughter! Thanks to Paige for showing us a fabulous time, her wonderful parents for letting us stay with them and Amy for keeping me company on the car ride.

Lincoln, thanks for sharing your local flair and goods! I'll be back. Here is a list of my favorites for you to add to your travel plans when you stop in:

Lots of Love,

Easter Table Setting

Easter is less than two weeks away and Peter Cottontail is coming our way! How are you planning on celebrating? Some years we do family brunch and some years my grandma likes to host a big family dinner. Either way your family celebrates, you need a fun way to set a pretty table. To make it easy, why not use some festive paper plates?

Usually with small children, using your fancy china can be tricky, especially when they are full of excitement from their Easter baskets and long awaited Easter egg hunt. I love how these bunny plates are covered with gorgeous pastels perfect for spring and with the soft colors, you can mix them in with any decor. In case you are serving a fun yogurt, salad or dessert with your meal, we have gorgeous new gold ruffle bowls to add to your place setting...

Your other decorations can be simple. I love the gorgeous potted plants in stores right now. They are cute to put around your house and to bring as a hostess gift. I borrowed the big golden eggs from my mother, who used to use to hide them around for my brother and I to find. They make for a gorgeous Easter decoration! Thinking she shouldn't hide them anymore. The crystal Easter eggs are my favorite plastic eggs because they sparkle when the light hits them, and our cute bunny poppers are a perfect touch to the table.

If you are still trying to figure out Easter gifts, we have a few options for you! We always like to bring my grandma a cute gift for cooking up a delicious meal and of course, we have to remember cute little Leni (who will probably sing "Here comes Peter Cottontail..." all day, with my mom). This year in the shop, we are offering Little Boxes of Easter Character that are perfect for these types of gift situations! You can leave the goodies in the box like we have on the table here, you can put it in their Easter basket or you can empty out the fun items and add it to what you already have!

Shop our table:

Easter Holiday Shop - Plates, Napkins, Poppers & Boxes | Gold Flatware | Gold Ruffle Bowls | 

Stay Fancy Glass - available in "Build Your Own Box" or the "Cocktail Box"

I hope you all have a very blessed and happy Easter! Make sure to follow us on Instagram asap because we are going to be having a fun Easter giveaway soon!

Lots of Love,

New Year, New Look!

Have you checked out the new website yet!? Love of Character stepped up its game to give you more products, more options and an easy to use experience. We have been working on the site for a few months now and I have to say, I'm ecstatic with how it turned out! As a customer, you will have a more streamlined search and checkout. Plus, there is finally a local pickup button! So much easier than having to mess around with a promo code. If you haven't already, go out and take a stroll. To help guide you, I'm going to mention a few new favorites that have been added!

1. More party products! Last year I had you participate in a survey and you requested that I add a wider variety of products to the party supply line. With the addition of the brand Meri Meri, we definitely have! We added great plates for adult parties and kid parties, with more on the way. Here are some of my personal favorites:

2. Throwing a Bachelorette Bash? We are becoming your one stop shop! We now offer great party supplies (paper products, decor and more!), sashes, gifts and more on top our already popular Little Box of Bachelorette Character:

3. After your fabulous Bachelorette Party, you better start thinking about what to get your bridal party! We revamped our bridesmaid and flower boxes, and I think you are going to love the new items:

4. Another survey request: Option to build your own box. Now possible! With our build your own box option, you are able to scroll through and choose the items you think would best suite your occasion. So many fun items to choose from!

5. Last, but definitely not least, your checkout experience should now be more streamlined and efficient! You are able to checkout directly through the website and as mentioned earlier, local customers are now able to select "local pickup" if they would like to avoid shipping charges and pickup their order.

To celebrate the launch this past week, the 10% off promo code is going to extend now through WEDNESDAY - order quickly!

To finish up, I want to thank my husband for being an IT nerd and helping me with everything! He spent countless hours watching coding videos, chatting with the support team and coding in my special requests. You can thank him for all the fancy features! I would also like to thank you all in advance for checking out the new site and hopefully making some purchases. I work hard to curate a shop full of items that you will hopefully love and use to add character to your parties, gifts and life. Your encouragement and suggestions are inspiring and help me find unique items for you to choose from! Keep me posted if you have any requests or feedback.

Lots of love,