*Video* Small Business Saturday with Rare Dirndl!

Black Friday gets a lot of attention, but I'm more excited about Small Business Saturday and the fact that it coincides with our 1 year anniversary! (approximately) So, In honor of of that, I've put together a quick video featuring the evolution of the now Rare Dirndl Design Studio. See how it went from real drab to super fab in less than 5 minutes!

On Saturday November 30th, we will be open from 10:00am - 4:00pm. Come early to get the best selection of our new winter items such as the Loose Knit Scarves, Slouchy Hat with Peacock Feathers, Lederhosen Bow Bracelet, and my personal fav the new Ushanka with Lederhosen Details (Russian Style Hat)

Ok… so the studio will be open on saturday, but my favorite part is that there will be a German style breakfast from 10-12… wurst, käse, semmel, eier …. omg yum (you should come early otherwise I might eat it all! I'm getting hungry just typing this!)

And there's more!! Starting on Black Friday (which i'm not particularly a fan of, but everyone keeps asking me if i'm doing something for it… so i'm going to start by calling is Schwarz Freitag… anyway) I'm giving away a Rare Tote bag packed full of goodies! 

Inside the tote will be:

•  A Rare Dirndl Sticker
• A Germany Scarf
• An adorable Children's Beret
• A New Lederhosen Bracelet

Thats a $60 value and it can be yours when you spend $100 with Rare Dirndl anytime between Schwarz Freitag and Cyber Montag (while supplies last)

So thats about it, so much going on… I better got to work making all the things I'm going to give away to you for free ;-)

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here  

Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight: Connie Gartner

Connie Gartner - Williams Bay, WI

When my mom and I went to Germany to pack up and sell my Opa's condo, our favorite thing to do on the weekends was to sit in the town square and watch all the ladies and girls walk by on their way to church in their dirndls. We both agreed then that when I got married, we would fly back to Germany to have mother and daughter dirndls made. 

Unfortunately, when I got engaged, my mom had recently passed away. It was important to me to honor our agreement and find a drindl for my wedding dress. I was incredibly lucky to find Erika - so close to where I live and so willing to work with my ideas! She took my thoughts and wishes and created a beautiful wedding drindl that my mom would have loved.

My one-of-a-kind wedding dress was exactly what my mom and I had in mind so long ago when we saw the girls in their dirndls on the way to church. The best part about my dress is that my mom and I had the idea for it, and Erika made it a reality.

- Connie Gartner

Do you want to be next month's Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight? As the winner you will recieve a $50 Coupon Code for any online purchase, a feature on the Rare Dirndl website and blog, and a gift package worth approx $100!! Click here to get all the details!

See Terms and Conditions for complete rules

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here  

*Video* Designer to Baker? Let's See!

Sunday is the 2nd annual International Market and Wine Tasting and its the perfect time to get a jump start on your Holiday shopping and support small and local businesses! Vendors include Pampered Chef * Baubles & bags * Rare Dirndln * Thirty One Gifts* Homemade German Christmas Cookies * Tastefully Simple * Handmade Jewelry and 10+ more!

I volunteered to make some cookies for the event, however I'm not a very good baker nor do I know any German cookie recipes. So I contacted my good friend from mybestgermanrecipes.com and she told me about a great Hazelnut Macaroon recipe from her Christmas Cookie Cookbook. Check out this video to see how I did with sugar and eggs instead of fabric and thread!

For my first attempt making a christmas cookie, it wasn't too bad, but I didn't whip the eggs enough… they needed to be more firm. The best way is to use a hand mixer, but I don't have one. That way the batter will be thicker and then when you place them on the pan, they will turn out much better. I also baked them too long, so make sure you keep an eye on them after that 10min mark.

I had such a fun time baking and hopefully I will slowly but surely get better at the craft and be able to try more of the cookies from the cookbook! The Christmas Cookie Cookbook is only $4.99 and you'll be able to download it and try the recipes instantly! Just in time for the holidays!!!

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here  

New Bavarian Hats!

I'm soooooo excited about the New Bavarian Hats! They are made of straw, so they are more lightweight then traditional German Hats and they have lots of details like lace, feathers, ribbons, bows, buttons, flowers, pins, broaches… I could go on! There are 4 styles to choose from and they are all approximately a size 58.

Check out the new video featuring the new hats and then head on over to the online store to grab one for yourself!

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here