Shark Week: Sale, Video & Giveaway!

It's Shark Week!

The Discovery Channel has been celebrating Shark Week for 26 years and this is the first time Rare Dirndl is celebrating these awesome creatures with them. A new "Great White" Blouse Facebook Giveaway was launched yesterday, the Limited Edition Shark Week Apron has been added to the online store and... all spiky or sharky-like dirndls are on SALE! Use coupon code: SHARK to get 10% anything in the Shark Week Collection!

Head on over to Facebook to enter the "Great White" Blouse Giveaway! In 6 days we are giving away 1 Blouslette, 1 Off-the-Shoulder Blouse, and 1 Sweetheart Blouse with Lace! (S-XL) It's super duper easy to enter - Click HERE to for your chance and then easily share it with all your friends on social media, so they don't miss out!



Use Coupon Code: SHARK
This is the perfect time to get a dirndl that has a little "sharky" edge to it like "The City and The Sea" Dirndl and the Blue and Black Trachtenshirt!

Both have that dark, elegant blue like the deep blue sea and when you buy both of these and use coupon code: SHARK , you'll save over $50.00!

We've also made a super fun Shark Week Apron! It's an 18" cotton apron with ribbon apron ties that can go with the In Bloom Dirndl, the Teenage Riot Dirndl, or any mini dirndl that is grey, silver, blue, or black!

CLICK HERE to get yours for $24.99! (only 6 available)








So there you have it... SO MUCH Shark Week awesomeness going on this week, so be sure to take advantage of it all before its gone (like some of those fish I saw on Lair of the Mega Shark last night!)

TTFN ta ta for now!

Oh... and just thought we'd share how Hank, our resident Shark Pillow Pet celebrates his favorite time of year ;-)

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Restaurant Review: Old German Beer Hall

My first time at the Old German Beer Hall in Milwaukee WI, was a few years ago when I went with a few friends to get a beer after the German Fest and it was a blast. We drank delicious beer and took shots from the Shot Ski. This time, I went with my mom on the Thursday before German Fest since we had finished setting up the booth for the day and we were a bit hungry!

The ambiance was nice, it wasn't very busy when we first got there, but when we left the bar started filling up with the after-work beer drinkers. We didn't wear our Rare Dirndls because we knew that we were going to be wearing dirndls all day for the next 3 days… so we opted for something a bit more casual.

Thursday was 1/2 price liters, so if course we had to have a liter of beer. I had the Hofbräu Weißbier and my mom had the Hofbräu Original. Our server was Kaitlin and she was nice and her service was great (however I really, really wish she wasn't wearing a dirndl costume, but she did pull off the look better than most).

 

We ordered the Curry Wurst appetizer, the Schweineflügel -“Pig Wings” which were described as 3 Meaty Pork Petit Pork Shanks Served with Barbecue Mustard Dipping Sauce. We also had a side of Sauerkraut and Spätzle. We were a bit nervous that it was not going to be enough food, but it sure was!

The Curry Wurst was crispy and the sauce was absolutely delicious!!! I did however smell a bit like curry for the rest of the night, but if that's the only side effect I would order the curry wurst again in a heartbeat!

The Schweinflügel were also wonderful. Lovely pork flavor, with just enough fat and crispiness. The dipping sauce was super tasty… a unique blend of BBQ sauce and mustard flavors. I could have easily eaten an order by myself!

Unfortunately, the sides were less desirable then the appetizers. The sauerkraut tasted like it was fresh out of the can. The Spätzle was definitely home-made but the amount of butter was overwhelming… didn't stop me from finishing it, but it was simply too much butter.

Overall we had a lovely time, there was live music towards the end of our stay and like I mentioned the service was great. We would go again to try the other things on the menu and the beer specials are too good to pass up! 

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Our Best of German Fest 2014

This year at German Fest Milwaukee we met a ton of new people and had a wonderful time. The weather cooperated (for the most part) and everything went really smoothly from set up Thursday to the final tear down on Monday!











Three things stood out most! So here is our "Best of German Fest Milwaukee" 2014

#1- Schnitzel on a Stick!!

We met the Graf family who own the SCHNITZELs & GIGGLES food truck. They were parked right across from our booth and we had a great time with them. Not only was their food amazing (the Schnitzel was probably the best I've ever had and their fries were soooooooo good!!) but the family was too! Their energy was contagious and it made "going to work" at German Fest that much more fun! Check out their website by clicking here and be sure to like them on Facebook!






#2- CHIKERIA!

I had been in contact with Sonja from CHIKERIA for a few weeks prior to German Fest working on a custom design for her to wear on stage. Finally meeting her on the Friday of German Fest was so exciting, but what was more exciting was seeing my dirndls on stage! She wore her custom dirndl on Friday and Sunday nights and she wore the "Tell-Tale Heart" dirndl on Saturday night. I was totally geeking out and I felt so proud to have my work on the Harley Stage at German Fest. (probably not many designer's idea of fame… but I'm pumped about it!)

#3- The Footsie Wootsie Foot Vibrators!

Working German Fest is tough on the ol' feeties… we are on our feet from 8am-1am and so by Sunday, we are ready for a serious foot massage. Luckily German Fest has these strange foot massager things all over so we decided to give them a try. For 25 cents you get about a minute of ridiculously weird foot vibrating action and it worked! Our feet felt much better… for about 30 minutes and then they hurt again, but it was so fun! We made sure Meagan from SCHNITZELs & GIGGLES tried it too because the feeling is hard to describe and it's just too funny!

And the top seller this weekend… you could probably guess… The Limited Edition "Weltmeister" Dirndl! We still have a few left, but the beautiful yellow dirndl was hands down the best seller of the weekend.

Well, that was one busy weekend down… are on to the next. We are setting up tonight for the Edelwiess 100 Jähriges Jubiläum this weekend! We will be a vendor along with a few others for this wonderful celebration of the oldest Schuhplattler Verein in the country!

Be sure to follow Rare Dirndl on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see pictures from the weekend and keep up with all the fun goings on.

TTFN ta ta for now!

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3 MORE German Fest Secrets Revealed!

German Fest Milwaukee starts tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited! My mom and I are heading up there later today to start setting up and so I'll be brief since I should go start packing the car soon!

I've been going to German Fest for a long time, however every year, I talk to some of my good friends from Milwaukee and I learn of MORE little secrets, events, and things to see at German Fest that I didn't know about! This year I chatted with my friend Kevin who is not only a long-time German Fest goer, but also works as security all weekend (I wave as be flies by on his official golf cart) Anyway… he has 3 musts that you might not have known about.






#1- Sprecher's German Fest Bier! - Kevin said it is a must try! "It's a special brewed batch only available at German Fest!" How awesome is that?! Along with so many other German and local Milwaukee beers, they have a German Fest Beer... I will be trying this FO SHO!









#2- The Glockenspiel - Accodring to Kevin… "Don't miss the Glockenspiel!" Every year they have a live Glockenspiel performance. Last year the Glockenspiel was performed at 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Friday; 2, 6 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2, 4 and 6 p.m. Sunday… I'm not sure of the times this year, but I'm sure there is an event schedule there that you can check out.






#3- CHIKERIA!! - When I asked Kevin if there was anything else that was a must see he said "CHIKERIA of course!" Every other year, Milwaukee welcomes CHIKERIA and this party band has performed for more than 25 years for communities, festivals, and celebrations all over Europe and North America. I'm so excited to listen to the them play original songs, classic fan favorites, upbeat Volksmusik and new cover songs that are sure to keep us dancing all night long in our booth!
AND… Sonja, one of the singers from CHIKERIA, will be performing in a Rare Dirndl!

Her custom Rare Dirndl is silver, black and hot pink and is sure to be a hit on stage! I can't wait to see it outside of my studio and on stage!











Last year we asked another German Fest regular, Erika what her top 3 German Fest Must Sees were and if you didn't get a chance to see her's Click Here!

Also I have one to add… You should come visit me!!! The Rare Dirndl pop-up Boutique will be set up on the Southeast corner of the Marktplatz and we will have free give-away bags full of fun goodies, all the new Spring/Summer 2014 Dirndls and the Limited Edition "Weltmeister" Dirndl that is on Sale this weekend only for $199!

So quick recap… just come to German Fest and have a great time!!! See you there!

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DEUTSCHLAND !!! WELTMEISTER !!! DIRNDLS !!!

What an AHmazing world cup! Yesterday I spent the afternoon with my best friends and some of the biggest Germany Fussball fans I know. Watching the game with them was so much fun and celebrating the big Germany win was even better! Schnapps all around!!!

But one of my favorite things about this world cup is that I was able to track Germany's trip to the top with the In Bloom Dirndl in the Design Studio windows! Check out how the In Bloom Dirndl was able to represent so many countries in 1 month as well as be the last one standing!

Start out with the Group of Death!

Game 1- Germany vs Portugal: 4-0 WIN

Game 2 - Germany vs Ghana: 2-2 TIED

Game 3 - Germany vs USA: 1-0 WIN

Game 4 - Germany vs Algeria: 2-1 WIN

Game 5 - Germany vs France: 1-0 WIN

Game 6/Semi-finals- Germany vs Brazil
(we all remember this score): 7-1 WIN!

Game 7/FINALS - Germany vs Argentina: 1-0 WIN!

It was an incredible thing to watch and last night (Sunday) my Facebook newsfeed was flooded with things like this:

Sooo much Germany love going around and I intend to help continue to spread it with the current window display! Not only are the In Bloom Dirndl and In Bloom Vest in the window but also the Limited Edition "Weltmeister" Dirndl! 

I'm in love with the Bright Yellow/Gold Dirndl (like the World Cup itself) with the German Flag screen printed cotton apron and red and black ribbon lace up bodice. For the window display, I paired with a black off-the-shoulder blouse with gathers but it can be worn with just about any blouse, including the new Blouslette on hot summer days!

Click here to pre-order yours today for only $249! Also use coupon code: GERMANY2014 to get FREE Shipping and a FREE Germany Scarf! (expires July 20, 2014)

While I'm sad that I don't get to stream anymore Germany games in the studio while I work, I couldn't be more proud of my heritage and the team that is putting that 4th star on the jersey!

YAY! Deutschland!

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Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight: Lena Bauman

Lena Bauman - Kitchener, Ontario

My name is Lena Bauman, I am 24 years old and newly married to my husband Bryan Bauman of a year and a half. We currently live in Kitchener, Ontario and I am a proud Donauschwaben and a member of the Kitchener Schwaben Dancers.


I first saw Erika Neumayer's Rare dirndls at Tag Der Donauschwaben 2010 in Philadephia, PA and I instantly loved them. When I got home from the long weekend event, I immediately e-mailed her and asked her to draw me up a sketch with some ideas I had. She was so quick, helpful and I instantly loved her ideas.

Over the years I have purchased 4 Rare dirndls and many aprons and blouses from Erika on the side. I love mixing and matching them as well as accessorizing with different flower or feather hair pieces and different coloured shoes.

 

With all that being said, my favorite Rare Dirndl, and the one I hold dearest to my heart is my custom Germany soccer dirndl. I absolutely adore it and it's the one I will get stopped constantly and complimented on! I could tell instantly when I received it how much hard work and time she put into it and it fit so perfect! As seen in the pictures I mostly wear it to Kitchener- Waterloo Oktoberfest yearly but, with being a part of the Kitchener Schwaben Club I have worn it to many other events as well. With my families German background I couldn't have asked for a better dirndl or Oktoberfest accessory than my Germany Dirndl!







Do you want to be the next 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!

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It's Getting Hot Out There… So Take Off Your Blouse?!

As the 4th of July approaches, we are reminded that the Summer is in full swing. We're feeling hot, hot, hot! With this in mind, the past 3 custom dirndl clients I've had were very adamant about having a dirndl that they can wear without a blouse. However, I only have a few dirndl styles that can be worn without a blouse. For the most part, Rare Dirndl styles are meant to be worn with a blouse, why? Simple… I love the look of a blouse! I think the addition of a blouse can change the entire look of a dirndl in seconds. Here is a quick overview of some of our best blouses and how & why they can make a dirndl take on a whole new look.

The Off-the-Shoulder Blouse (our most popular blouse) is a classic dirndl look and is the perfect blouse for an Oktoberfest! Whether it is gathered in the center or ungathered, it is a great choice for pretty much any dirndl. Pop on some comfortable little heels and your ready to go to Okotberfest. And… if you're worried about the Off-the-Shoulder Blouse annoyingly popping up onto your shoulders, Forgetaboutit!! This blouse is designed to stay off the shoulder and this video proves it!

For a more elegant look, I have two favorites… the Sweetheart Blouse with Draped Sleeves, or the Sparkle Organza Blouse. Both have a flattering adjustable sweetheart neckline and sleeves that are classy and unique. This past weekend I was at a wedding, and I wore the Sweetheart Blouse with Draped Sleeves with my dirndl, some fancy high heels, elegant jewelry and I certainly didn't feel underdressed!

The last blouse I'm going to mention that can totally change the look of a dirndl is the newest blouse in the Rare Dirndl collection, the Blouslette! This is a sleeveless blouse that is not only comfortable, but can give you the feeling of not wearing a blouse without showing off your bra ;-) Pair the Blouslette with your dirndl, some flip flops and you're ready for an outdoor festival or picnic. This blouse is great in all 4 colors and I think it is a must have for the summer months.










So just with these blouses, you can give your dirndl an Oktoberfest look, Elegant and Classy look, or a Casual Summer look! Hence why I love blouses!! A dirndl worn with a blouse gives you the opportunity to mix it up and design it to fit any event. If I still haven't convinced you that dirndls and blouses go together like spätzle and gravy, then check out these styles that can be worn without a blouse. If you need to add another blouse to your collection… use Coupon Code: JULY4th this weekend and save 10% on your entire order! Click Here to shop this sale!

"The Tell-Tale Heart" Dirndl

Campfire Dirndl

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