News: I Love Chicago Boutique

ilovechicagopic

I am super excited to have been approached by a new boutique which opened its doors at O’Hare International Airport earlier this month: I Love Chicago!

This incredibly-well curated little boutique offers handmade goodies from artisans from the area, allowing international travelers who are buzzing through Terminal 5 a chance to scoop up a true blue Chicago souvenir.

We are currently stocking the store with our popular Sweet Stitch embroidered sweatshirts, Flirty Flounce peplum tops, Grunge Love totes, men’s Smash Shirts, Perfect Gent bow ties, and a new, yet to be release online scarf design called Chevron Sweetie.

So next time you’re zipping through O’Hare – be sure you take a moment to swing by this great little shop to stock up on some of your Pierogi Picnic faves!

Car-Free Week

Me and my bike!

Car-Free Week starts this coming Sunday – are you ready to rock and roll on your bike?!

With the temperatures cooling down and a crisp breeze in the air, it’s the perfect time of year to ride your bike to work. I know I tend to defer to public transit on hotter days, by these beautiful fall mornings mean I have no excuse! So consider ditching your car from September 22nd-28th and opt for a fossil-fuel free commute!  Continue reading

Finds: Renegade Recap

Necklace & Bracelet by Love Nail Tree

It was the first time in over 4 years that Pierogi Picnic did not participate in Chicago’s September Renegade Craft Fair. We took the summer off from custom orders and sewing – and took that time to enjoy the season – which means getting to shop the event instead!

By far, one of the best fair line-ups I’ve seen in many years, this Renegade had a little bit of something for everyone. Whether finely crafted jewelry and elegant housewares or kitschy screenprinted posters and fun stuffies, this was the craft collection to end all craft collections.

Bouncing from booth to booth, David and I scooped up some fun items for ourselves and friends, while documenting the many talented artisans whose items inspired, delighted or enthused.  Here’s what we brought home:

Jewelry by Love Nail Tree from RCF 2013

AVP Designs Clay & Pyrite Earrings

Adorable dress by MaryInk

By Mindy handmade baby shoees

The Wind & the Sail happy rabbit baby rattle

To scope out all of our favorite finds at this year’s fair, take a peek at our Facebook event album here.  To see a full list of who exhibited, click here.

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Anniversary Sale Week 4: Buy 2 Get 1 Free!

Pierogi Picnic Week 4 Buy Two Get One vintage handmade custom clothing

We’re concluding our month-long anniversary celebration with a mega deal! Starting today through Saturday night – buy any 2 ready-made or vintage items in the Pierogi Picnic Etsy shop – and you’ll receive 1 item free! We‘ve never done anything like this before!

When shopping, add all three of your favorite items to your cart and checkout as usual. We’ll then go back and reimburse you the price for the third piece prior to shipping things out. 

So if you’ve been eyeballing a new cardigan, dress and layering tank, now is the best time to scoop up your favorites! Help us finish out our 5 year bonanza with a bang and shop today!

Anniversary Sale Week 3: Free Shipping

Pierogi Picnic Anniversary Sale Week 3 Free Shipping handmade custom vintage clothing

As we move into the third week of our month-long anniversary extravaganza – we have another treat for you: Free Shipping! Starting today until the end of the week, enjoy free shipping on all your Pierogi Picnic Etsy purchases. This includes those of you who live ‘across the pond!’

So when checking out with all your favorite Pierogi Picnic goodies, be sure to enter coupon code “saleweek3” during checkout to have your shipping costs deducted.

Happy shopping to you!

Events: Anniversary Celebration Kick-Off!

birthday bash

I can’t even begin to wrap my head around it – but we’re celebrating Pierogi Picnic’s five year anniversary this month! Woot! Woot!

To mark the birth of my beloved business, as well as all things eco-friendly, vintage and handmade, we’re going to have a month-long virtual party! Tune in to the Pierogi Picnic website every Sunday in August for a weekly special which will include deep discounts in the Pierogi Picnic Etsy store. And if you’re not following us on Facebook – make sure you do so today – as we’ll be hosting contests, freebies and more all month long!

To kick-off the celebration, we’re giving away a $50 Pierogi Picnic gift certificate!!! Talk about awesome! Enter for a chance to win by following the directions below.

How to enter:

1. Subscribe to the Pierogi Picnic website. Scroll down and look on the left hand-side of the page. Wallah!

2. Visit the Pierogi Picnic Etsy page and select your all-time favorite item.

3. Comment back on this post saying what your favorite item is, why, and include a link to the original listing!

The gift certificate winner will be chosen at random on August 15th using http://www.random.org. We’ll announce the winner on the site on Friday, August 16th.

Thank you all in advance for helping us celebrate! Let’s get this party started!

A DIY Wedding

Katie & Philip's DIY Wedding 2013

When it was announced that my baby brother was getting hitched – I could barely contain my excitement! Not only was I a mega-fan of the bride to-be, I also knew that this wedding would be different. Between the creativity imparted on Phil by our family, and the uber-crafty cunning of Katie, I had no doubt that this would be a DIY wedding to remember!

The Plan:

First things first, the bride made her own handy-dandy wedding planner in which she would list all the elements that would need to come together for this rustic, meets shabby chic, affair. Delegating out tasks across the familial pool, we each had an important part to play. The Krupinski side of the family was in charge of flowers, bridal party accessories, favors, and a portion of the food and centerpieces.

By inviting family and friends to take the lead in the preparations for their special day, Katie and Philip ensured that their wedding would hold sentiment for them, and all the guests who attended. 

diy wedding

Wedding Favors: With a little elbow grease and some heavy duty diamond tip blades, my father made over eighty drinking glasses for the guests using old soda bottles. Talk about being green! Each one was then scripted with the event date and initials of the bride and groom making them an elegant and functional wedding favor.

Centerpiece Stands: My brother and dad also gathered used wooden candlesticks and wood from a recently fallen tree trunk, and assembled the most ingenious centerpiece bases (which I plan to steal for use in my own home – shhhhh). White washing each candlestick and gluing the top to a cross-cut of the tree trunk, these homemade cake stands were used for elevating the light and whimsical baby’s breath table bouquets.

Katie & Philip's Wedding 2013

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