Poolside

So there really is a valid excuse for my lack of blogging as of late... I'm prepping for POOL! I'm laying low and keeping busy behind the scenes getting ready for my biggest show yet. I'll be in the Cash and Carry section of the Pool Tradeshow in Las Vegas August 31st through September 2nd. As I've mentioned before, I'm working on an entirely new line of fabrics made especially for my one inch dots. I'll be posting about these items in the coming month(s) as they become available in the Vivi Dot Online Store so please continue to stay tuned. Photo credit goes to the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs. I'm dying to sit poolside with one of their alcoholic snow cones in hand, but prepping for POOL is going to have to win out over sitting by one for now.

I've also commissioned Hanna Nation (aka Gadabout Paper) to draw images of my products for my marketing collateral, line sheet, etc. I saw her gorgeous stationary last week and instantly knew I needed to utilize her amazing skills. I can't wait to see what she comes up with! To top it all off I'll be moving the Vivi Dot headquarters (and the rest of my apartment) at the end of June. I'm overwhelmed with everything that has to be done between now and then (plus a weekend away in Seattle), but some how I'm sure I'll manage. Posting will continue to be sparse, but I hope to have some fun before and after photos of the new place and refinished furniture to share soon.

Here's to the hope of great, productive weekend (drinks raised). Happy Friday!

Remember Me?!?

It's been too long! The guilt of not finding the time to post has become quite unbearable and I'm happy to finally clear my conscious. My blog post to do list is long, but I'd like to start by pointing out two lovely new players in the game of Spot the Dot!
Alisha received a free gift with her recent Vivi Dot order because she said the magic words, 'I'm playing Spot the Dot' at check out! See how easy that is to start off the game with ten Vivi Points? She's also following Vivi Dot on Twitter so that earns her another two.Next up is Sandra Sandrus. She's been busy finding blog posts about Vivi Dot (two Vivi Points each) and also follows us on Twitter (+2). I've decided to throw in another two Vivi points for her Spot the Dot tweet as well! Check out her new blog Barbeint.blogg.no for some poetry. Don't speak Norweigen? Google Translate works well for me.
Thanks for playing ladies! Keep it up and you'll earn your free gift in no time.

Save the Date Designs

I have been meaning to post photos of all the save the date magnets I've been making lately and can't ever seem to find time to take pictures of them all. In the meantime I figure I'll post some of the various mock ups I've created while working through the custom designs with each bride. Some people are very specific about colors, design ideas or themes while others are quite vague leaving it up to me to come up with a variety of ideas.

Here are a few to start (click on the image to enlarge it):



(for a safari theme)



And here's one photo I managed to take a while back:

You can also click here to check out the first set I made for my sister's wedding.

:: sufix.abuse ::

Just a quick post to share a delightful blog I came across when checking my referring sources. Suffix Abuse included my Vivi Dot Tiny Dots Watch Necklace in their post last Thursday. Not only am I happy to be in such great company, but also to discover this deliciously captivating blog full of visual stimulation and inspiration.
Make sure to visit her blog often for more photo compilations like the one above.

Back from Afar!

I've returned from afar and apologize for my prolonged absence. I'm especially sorry to Isil from the blog Work In Progress who has been earning Spot the Dot points while I was away. This congratulatory post about her earning her free gift is long over due! Thanks to Isil for posting not one, but two entries with fun photos of her wearing her Vivi Dot purchases (you can find the other on her second blog here.



Ina of Myldretid also deserves a shout for earning 4 more points for following Vivi Dot on Twitter (2 points) and becoming a fan of Vivi Dot of Facebook (2 points). That brings her up to 36 points!

I have lots to catch you up on after returning from an amazing trip to London and Prague with 4 of my best girlfriends (and a brief appearance by a 5th). I'll catch up with vacation photos, the story and snapshots of my adventurous friend the traveling gnome, and other exciting Vivi Dot announcements soon.

Vivi Dot Vacation!

Just a quick post to mention that I'm traveling this whole week. I had a lovely weekend in London and now a week in Prague ahead of me. I'll post photos in the next couple of days!

Spot the Dot Free Gift!

Ina of Myldretid.wordpress.com just received the Spot the Dot gift pack she earned by surpassing 30 points in the game! As the first person to reach this point value I thought she deserved an extra special prize package filled with Vivi Dot items chosen especially for her. I even included a pair of Purple Tiny Bow Hair Clips that aren't even available in the Vivi Dot Store yet! Other items included a ring, a 4-pack of buttons (check out the coming soon prints there too) and some Spot the Dot stickers. I'm very excited to give Ina (and you) a sneak peek at the new custom made Vivi Dot fabrics I designed myself (with Duncan's photoshop help). These and many other fun new prints will be popping up in the ViviDotStore quite soon.It's really quite simple to earn 30 points, so check out the rules of the Spot the Dot game here and join in on the fun today! You too could have a fun, free delivery of Vivi Dot items chosen specifically for you!

Images are all courtesy of Ina's blog, Myldretid.wordpress.com. Make sure to check out her post about her Spot the Dot prize pack to see more of her delightful photos!.

Another Chance to Win Free Vivi Dot!

CollegeCandy.com is hosting a Vivi Dot giveaway to honor the official kick off of spring! All you have to do to enter is comment on their post about which Vivi Dot item you like the best (comment there not here). If you're the lucky winner you'll receive a Vivi Dot gift pack including the favorite item you've selected! You have until 2pm Pacific time on 3/31 to comment so go here now and be entered to win!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

I hope your day is festive and filled with green beer and lucky leprechauns!

Mulitcolored Chrysanthemum Flower Brooch
Seagreen Koi Magnets
Clover Lady Bug Earrings
Dainty Floral Hair Clips
Green Scallop Striped Watch Necklace

Loveology

Sifra is the lovely lady from The Netherlands behind the blog Loveology. She just included Vivi Dot in her most recent post, earning her some Vivi-points in the game of Spot the Dot! Make sure to bookmark her blog for moving photographs, excellent etsy finds and other highlights of simply stunning things.

I'm honored to be in the company of two talented artists Camilla Engman and Yumi Yumi who are featured in the same post. Make sure to check out their lovely shops and blogs as well!
Yumi Yumi's Blog and shop
Camilla Engman's Blog and shop

She's on a Roll!

Ina of myldretid.wordpress.com has earned 34 Vivi-points pushing her into free gift teritory! I'll be putting together a little something for her this weekend that will definitely include some items I'm very excited about that aren't even for sale yet! I've started using my very own custom Vivi Dot fabric so she will get a sneak peek at some of the items.

As for Spot The Dot updates, don't forget to leave a comment about what actions you've completed so I can be sure to tally your Vivi-Points correctly. Don't have any Vivi Dot gear to photograph? There are plenty of ways to earn Vivi-Points without having to make a purchase. Check out the Spot The Dot- How To Play post for more details. You can also email me at SpotTheDot {at} DotGirlBlog.com with questions, ideas or anything else related to the game.

Now I'll leave you with another great photo that helped earn Ina her free gift!

The first Vivi-Points Rewarded

I'm excited that this lovely picture from myldretid.wordpress.com earns the first 10 Vivi-Points! Congrats to you. Just 20 more and a free gift will be coming your way.
This lovely lady is a 22-year-old literature student who lives and works in Copenhagen. I absolutely adore her style and LOVE that Vivi Dot fits into her girly and eclectic wardrobe! I'm also extremely jealous of her ability to knit the cutest hats.

May I suggest Google Translate for those (like me) who can't read this one on your own.

Spot the Dot - How to Play

Let's play a game! The name of the game is 'Spot the Dot' and anyone can play. Think of it as a Vivi Dot scavenger hunt that takes place both online and off! You can easily earn earn vivi-points for spotting Vivi Dot products in person or online, posting photos of yourself wearing or using your Vivi Dot purchases, etc. Top point earners will win free Vivi Dot merchandise and everyone who earns 30 points gets a free gift!

More vivi-point opportunities will be created as we play so please share any ideas you have in the comments section.

Here are some of the easy ways you can earn vivi-points:
1) Post a photo of yourself wearing your Vivi Dot products on your blog, msypace page, etc. Post the link in the comments section of any Dot Girl Blog post and earn 10 vivi-points. I'll post your photos here and link back to your blog post too.

2) Spot someone wearing Vivi Dot products or stop by a show or store where you'll find Vivi Dot items for sale. Post a comment here with the details of your Vivi Dot encounter (where, when, who, what item, etc). Earn 2 vivi-points for posting your details and 10 bonus points if you get a photo (with permission from the subject of course). If you don't have a photo I have to take your word on this one so please play fair, be specific and no cheating.

3) Find Vivi Dot in the news or blogosphere and earn vivi-points. Get 2 vivi-points for posting a comment on the article or blog post (if it's possible) and then post a comment here about what you found. Get 5 extra vivi-points if it's something I didn't already know about.

4) Make a Vivi Dot purchase. If you make a purchase from the Vivi Dot Online Store make sure to say "I'm playing Spot the Dot" in the comments box at check out to earn 10 vivi-points AND get a free gift with that order.

5) Post about the Spot the Dot scavenger hunt on your blog or website and earn 10 vivi-points. Tell me about your post in the comments section.

6) Post the 'I'm playing Spot the Dot' logo in your blog sidebar (link it to http://www.dotgirlblog.com) and earn 10 vivi-points.


7) Stay in the know- Earn 2 vivi-points for each of the following:
Follow Vivi Dot onTwitter
Join the Vivi Dot Mailing List
Become Vivi Dot's friend on Myspace
Become a Fan of Vivi Dot on Facebook

8) Limited time vivi-point opportunity (Must be completed by March 22nd). Register at Paper N Stitch and leave a comment on the Vivi Dot item you like best. Make sure to click on the heart icon on my profile page as well to cast a vote for Vivi Dot. Let me know which product you made a comment on and earn 10 points.

Please make sure to use the same email address/user name each time you comment, purchase and email so I can tally your points correctly. Feel free to comment or email me with any questions you have (info (at) vividotonline.com). Happy hunting!

UPDATE: Please make sure to post exactly what items you've completed in the comments section as well as where I can confirm each action.

Catchup!

I've recently returned from an extended weekend road trip down to LA and Santa Barbara. Now it's catchup time as I have about 3 days to sweatshop myself after my day job and crank out as much inventory as possible for my first show of 2009 (Noise Pop N Shop). I've also been very busy designing and producing many sets of save the date magnets for people who have happened upon my post about my sister's magnets. I'll be posting about that entire process as soon as possible with lots of photos to each of the designs I've created for many lovely brides to be. To top it off our hardwood floors are being refinished so we (Duncan, the kitty Olive, the pup Indy and me) are all quarantined to our bedroom. Interested in keeping up with the madness? You can now follow Vivi Dot via Twitter!

Noise Pop And Shop

I’m thrilled to announce that I was accepted to be a part of the Noise Pop & Shop event for the second year in a row! It's exciting to feel that in a tiny little way I'm a part of this 17 year tradition of independent music, arts and film. For those of you who are unfamiliar…

Noise Pop prides itself on bringing exposure to emerging artists, many of whom have gone on to widespread acclaim, including the White Stripes, Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins, Bright Eyes, The Donnas, Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco) and Silversun Pickups. The festival has also featured underground music legends such as Bob Mould, X, Frank Black (of the Pixies), Sleater Kinney, and Television. A sincere willingness to experiment over the years has yielded results like the Noise Pop Education Series, the Noise Pop Film Festival, gallery art shows and more.

The Pop & Shop portion of the festivities will feature over 40 Bay Area designers and artists selling clothing, jewelry, limited edition screen-printed concert posters and more. There will be delicious refreshments (both edible and drinkable) as well as the obvious stellar music.

Saturday February 28th
Noon-4pm FREE
The Verdi Club
2424 Mariposa St.
San Francisco, CA

Quote and Noise Pop Artwork credit go to Noise Pop Industries