I’m back from our island hopping holiday! (Doesn’t calling it a “holiday” make a vacation seem so much fancier? Those Europeans know what they’re talking about.)

We had a lovely time learning how to cook Mexican cuisine, climbing Mayan ruins in Belize, ziplining in Honduras, and sunbathing on Grand Cayman. 

I have a few hours at the airport before our flight back to the Bay area, so thought I would share a few handmade things perfect for a sunny holiday that I wish I would have picked up before our trip. 

[sources clockwise from top left: Independent Reign, Amy Lehfeldt, Beverly Swimwear, Tumbleweeds Handcraft]

Do you have any fabulous plans for a holiday this summer? I’d love to know where you’re off to! Let me know in the comments!

xo,

Lauren

• Tags
• handmade
• holiday
• sunnies

Rules:

1. Create a new Pinterest board with the words Umba Box in the title.
2. Pin handmade items that you love from Etsy, Cargoh, Big Cartel, Artfire, or any other handmade site/blog. Be sure to credit the artists in the pin descriptions!
3. Post a link to your Umba Box Pinterest board as a comment on this blog post OR as a comment on this Facebook post. If you leave a comment on the blog, be sure to leave your email address.
4. Follow our Pinterest board, if you aren’t already.
5. Contest closes at 11:59 PM EST on Tuesday, January 24.

Notes:

• Pinterest is currently accessibile by invite only via their site. If you don’t have an account yet, you can usually get an invite on the Pinterest Facebook page, but no promises!
• One winner will be chosen randomly from all submitted entries. 
• We may choose another winner if we find a product via submitted boards that we end up featuring in an upcoming box. Because this can get complicated with a lot of people pinning the same item that we love, we reserve the right to choose one winner at our discretion. Keep in mind the monthly price of our Umba Box (aka- we won’t feature an item that costs $100)!

Questions? Email contests@umbabox.com.

Let the pinning begin!

[The contest is now closed. Congrats to Dawn L.!]

• Tags
• handmade
• contest
• etsy

The moment is here! We’re ready to reveal the contents of the January delivery now that all of the boxes have arrived at their destination.

Subscribers who joined before December 10, received a nautical-inspired necklace by Alyssa of BROOKLYNrehab and a wintery-scene fine art photography print by Meg of September Wren.

In each shipment, we include a little bit about our featured artists, connecting consumers with the people who make their new handmade goods. 

Alyssa of BROOKLYNrehab grew up drawing, crafting, and making elaborate pop-up cards, and then sculptures when she was old enough to use her father’s power tools. She always preferred to work in 3D, which lead her to study industrial design. She loved the creative problem solving, but found she missed working with her hands. After she graduated, she realized she’d become obsessed with the idea of handmade, and kept learning new crafts to keep her idle hands busy. Originally, her creations were just a hobby, but as the demand has grown, she’s made her business official. It now bears the label BROOKLYNrehab, based in-you guessed it-Brooklyn, NY. Check out Alyssa’s shop for some awesome handmade & vintage goods. We also love these custom silhouette mugs! 

Meg of September Wren was inspired by her mother’s photography skills, as she grew up looking at perfectly composed family snapshots. She started taking her photography more seriously she she became a parent herself; she knew she didn’t want to loose a single memory! In fact, she just welcomed another precious little one into her family, so she’s been capturing even more memories these last few weeks. Meg’s shop September Wren features photography prints that are modern with a vintage feel, capturing little bits of nostalgia in everyday life. Her “Sweetheart” print would be such a cute Valentine’s Day gift. 

• Tags
• handmade
• gifts
• etsy