Summer is here, and we’re so excited for what’s to come. June was a busy month for us in the Valley as Jillian has officially made the move to the quaint Borough of Naugatuck, Connecticut! July currently has us adjusting to a new home office space that has a home for all three JLD brands. Aside from the move, business has been booming!

Jillian Lyons Designs has now become it’s own separate entity, working exclusively with small businesses of all sizes, helping them to market, brand and build their social media presence. We are pleased to announce our newest member of the Jillian Lyons Designs team, Ashley Taylor. As our Administrative Specialist she works hard on helping to create our marketing, posting to our social media, and helping to keep our office up to speed and our deadlines met. She possesses a great interest in both vintage and contemporary fashion as well as blogging. We look forward to seeing what creativity she brings to JLD and it's sister brands, Valley Vintage and The Red Queen.

We have also recently teamed with the film Aaron’s Light, a film about one Autistic man’s journey to reach his dreams, all the way to Yale University. Donations are currently being accepted for this groundbreaking movie that will be filmed entirely at Yale. Please consider making a donation to this film, we strongly feel it will make a difference for people with disabilities.

Valley Vintage is pleased to announce that last year’s beloved Summer sale is back! That’s right -- The Magical Summer Sale -- from July 18th, until August 15th, 2016, save 40% on all festival wear, denim, groovy 60s fashions and summer inventory! Continue to check ValleyVintageLLC.etsy.com regularly for updates. Find some of your favorite Vintage Summer pieces now! We will be featuring new inventory daily during our sale.

Our newest brand, The Red Queen, has now officially started to feature its latest products at The Mad Hatter & Co. shop in Bennett Square at 41-D Main Street South in Southbury, Connecticut! Our latest items are brought to you by Mystic Knotwork, Designer Dwellings, The Red Queen brand and more to come! Be sure to keep checking out our Facebook page for updates and new items and local brands available through The Red Queen! We’re so excited and hope that you are too!

All of us from the Valley thank you for your loyalty, support, and your business. If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to email Jillian directly at JIanBoutique@gmail.com for more information.

Have a wonderful Summer!
-- The Jillian Lyons Designs Family

Some of my customers may remember a time when I sold some of my jewelry designs at a little shop in downtown Seymour, CT. It was called Mad Hatter Boutique. I loved selling in my home town. It was a great little shop. Since then Mad Hatter has regrouped. Joan Tarby, owner of Mad Hatter, has since partnered with Angie Chernovetz. She owned a little shop called Tangie's around the corner. I tell you this was a match made in Heaven!

Over the summer I received a message from Joan. She and Angie were starting a new shop in Southbury Connecticut. This time it would be a cooperative shop. They were inviting a curated selection of artists and vendors to join, share in the rent and responsibility of the space, creating a unique boutique. I was thrilled to join this amazing selection of women. This shop would be called Mad Hatter & Company.

The end result of this grouping features brands that Joan brings in such as Sugar Lips and Umm Gee clothing, scents by Margot Elena, items by JKC and more. Her daughter Meghan brings in a bit of retro flare with curated items under the business name Her Looking Glass - Anne Taintor, boutique gift items by  Demdaco as well as Kelly Rae Roberts. Angie's Treasures uses her creative touch to restore and repurpose vintage furniture, as well as bringing in creative and fun box signs and greeting cards. The shop also features artists such as Re-Designed by Elizabeth, who makes wine bottle lights and Redneck Wine Glasses. Alison Wonderland who creates original wire, enamel and beaded jewelry. BBA Bracelets, which in my opinion, makes some of the coolest stackable bracelets that she fittingly calls arm candy. We also have Bowtique by Alexa, seriously adorable bows and hair accessories for women and children. She also takes custom orders and prints her own fabrics! Black Tabby Studio who makes the most adorable little cards for just $1 each or in bundle packs by occasion! She also makes very clever mugs. Lastly, there is me. Jillian Lyons Designs. I make beaded and rhinestone and vintage inspired jewelry, I also brought in my new line, JK, which is all faerie and nature inspired jewelry and terrariums. I take custom orders using the shop as home base if you'd like local pick up. I work behind the counter quite a bit and even lend a loving hand to the shops social media promotion. In the fall I am looking forward to bringing in my wearable wings for costumes and fun!

Below you can find some images of this gorgeous collaborative shop. The inventory literally changes every few days. It never looks the same twice.









Mad Hatter & Company is located at 134 Main Street South in Bennett Square, Southbury Connecticut. We are open Tuesday - Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday 10am - 4pm and Sunday 10am - 3pm. Regular photo posts of new inventory go onto the Mad Hatter & Co. Facebook page! See something you love? Send us a message! We will hold, and ship!

I never did post the rest of my photo series with Julia Karen & Abstract Koncepts. We've actually had a second photo shoot since then focusing on my collection of vintage clothing from Valley Vintage. After receiving a rather surprising Anonymous comment, I thought maybe it might be time to post more.

The dress featured has since been sold. The wings however are still available.

There has been a few deaths in affecting my life recently. I guess that is all the more reason to come back to this angel session.

The little girl featured here was playing in the park the day we took the pictures. Her Dad allowed her to join us. I can't credit her, simply because I don't know her name. I just know she is from the area.

The idea behind this is that Wednesday passes her power on to this little angel. When she touches her, the littlest angel comes into color - and into her own.

Here we go.

















Photos by: Abstract Koncepts & Jillian Lyons Designs
Model: Julia Karen
Hair and Make Up: Julia Karen & Jillian Lyons Designs

This year I added a new product to my small accessory business. I decided to start making wearable angel wings. And the results have been nothing but positive. For Halloween I received a slew of custom orders and have already started taking custom orders for Christmas. Believe me when I say I have been a busy girl this month!
So busy in fact that I started stressing over my own Halloween experience. I was making all of this super fun stuff for everyone else. I was inspired to make my own Halloween costume. Something, believe it or not, I have never done before.
I started by making black wings. I had wine colored feathers for detail and a large red rhinestone for the center. Then by shear luck I found a few paper mache skull masks at a local craft shop. I have spent the last few days making my costume to morph into a winged day of the dead girl.

This part we can call Halloween Phase 1. Me with gigantic Tyra lashes and make up for my mask.

Dia de Los Muertes... you better work bitch.

Halloween Phase 2 - rad sugar skull inspired mask.

Do my bidding!

Tinted to attract Skeletor.

Halloween Phase 3 now complete!

My wings are fly.

Welcome to Hell, now serving candy.

Hope you has a wonderful Halloween!!! ~ Jillian

I LOVE HALLOWEEN! Like to a ridiculous degree. It is my favorite holiday. My kitchen is decorated for Halloween pretty much year round. (The only time it comes down is for Christmas!) Really I love everything about just the month of October. It's Fall in Connecticut and the leaves have started to turn those dazzling shades of red, orange and gold. This is also my birthday month. So the whole month is filled with horror movies, fun events and birthday celebrations!

Back in July I was already thinking about All Hallow's Eve. Sara Kenny, a friend and sometimes model ha an amazing idea for a photo shoot. I had said I wanted to do something period themed. Like Pride and Prejudice. Sara said she wanted to do period piece zombies. That was it. I was in, we had a plan and a photo shoot was born! Sara orchestrated the entire project. A huge team was assembled to take on this shoot. Sara brought in her best friend and friend to Jillian Lyons Designs, Shelby Threloff. Shelby brought in her mother, super dress maker Beth Threloff who also makes costumes for Wallingford's Trail of Terror! Shelby's boyfriend also joined in as our male model, Duke Davis, another alumni of the Trail of Terror. I added in Caity Taylor, a very natural model who has a regency look to her ala Pride and Prejudice to round out our modeling team. Having just graduated from UConn and about to start spending most of her time in NYC, I was lucky to book her! But I had an in - she's also my cousin!

This shoot took weeks to plan. We all messaged each other regularly. I designed pieces around the concept of period piece zombies. So for me the key ingredient was going to be the photographers and the make up. I wanted nice close ups I could use to promote my business for the Fall! Sara and Shelby were no strangers to the world of prosthetic make up. Being fans of cosplay and conventions of all kinds they jumped head first into this task. They brought on Deidre Deth for all of our prosthetics. Her work took about 2 hours, and so completely rocked my socks off! To add a touch of glamour make up artist Sarah Mrazik came in and applied a beauty to the zombies. Pretty zombies! Glamorous, period piece pretty zombies!

Deidre Deth and Sara Kenny.

Shelby Threloff is one adorable zombie!

Sarah Mrazik with model Caity Taylor.

Caity is ready for her close up now Ms. Lyons.

Deidre Deth creating a nasty bite wound for Duke Davis.

There was a serious buzz in the air the day of our shoot. Everyone dove head first into this project. Photographers Brooke Cadett and Shawn Baskum were brought in. We all met at a beautiful location chosen by Sara in the woods of Wallingford. It was perfect. Then the magic happened. Matt and I sat back and relaxed in the summer sun while Brooke captured some amazing shots.

All photos below are courtesy of B.Cadett Photography.

An amazing shot of Caity Taylor.

The best picture of the day!

You can find many of these items pictures in my Etsy shop! Thanks for reading!