The Preppy Poppy is the an adorable online boutique specializing in personalized items. A girl after my own heart, Angela Parks loves monograms and personalized goodies and puts her passion into the fabulous finds at The Pretty Poppy.

The Shopping Mama: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Angela: I currently live in South Texas. My Husband is a F-18 pilot in the Navy. Right now he is on a shore tour and is a jet flight instructor. I grew up in Los Angeles, CA. and went to college in AR. After school, I fell into Human Resources and worked as a corporate recruiter for several years before meeting my husband in Jamaica, while on girls getaway. I have a passion for figure skating (and there are no ice skating rinks in this city!!). I’m addicted to the internet. I have two beautiful daughters, Emma (6) and Olivia (2). I live to shop. Silly fact – I adore cocktail dresses. I have an entire closet full and have maybe worn 1% of them!

Monogrammed Onesie

TSM: I must say a cocktail dress addiction sounds very glamorous and fun. Surely you can wear one when you are working or taking care of the kids?
So, when did you start The Preppy Poppy and why?
A: I started The Preppy Poppy a year ago, and instantly found myself very busy. I am so grateful for the positive response. I have an obsession with personalized items, monogrammed items in particular. Being a military wife, I needed to have a career that could move with me. With the frequent moves, obviously a conventional career was out of the question. Plus, I wanted to raise my children and be home for them. With that said, I live to work, and quickly found that I’m no June Cleaver. I love staying at home with my children, but I needed more. So I created The Preppy Poppy and now I have the best of both worlds. I can still care for my children and contribute to the household financially. Actually, I think my supplemental income goes to feed my shopping addiction (I have to be honest). ha!

Boutique Burp Cloth

TSM: Oh, I am right there with you. The (very little) money that I make from the blog is my Etsy fund. What is your favorite item to make or sell?
A: I love creating all of my products, but I get a real thrill out of custom orders. I love when a customer says “Surprise Me.” The tutu outfits are always a joy to make (not to mention all of my customers send me photos of their children wearing them) and I love my unique boutique burp cloths. The entire burp cloth is lined in grosgrain ribbon and I use designer fabric.

Some customer favorites are: The Tutu Outfits, Eco-friendly Lunch Sacks (alternative to the brown paper bag), the Grosgrain Bow Lunch Totes (they make great teacher gifts), the Affordable Personalized Infant Outfits, and the Personalized Travel Mugs. Military folks love the personalized coffee travel mugs.

TSM: Note to self, “Remember The Preppy Poppy coffee travel mug for Father’s Day.”
What is your inspiration?
A: My inspiration (without sounding like a cliche) are my children. I often ask my oldest daughter to test a product. I value her opinion. She is a kid, and knows what other kids would like. I would love nothing more than to pass The Preppy Poppy onto them one day (should they want it).

TSM: Do you have any plans for new, additional products or business expansion?
A: I have a “bucket list” for The Preppy Poppy. Currently, I am focusing on the quickly approaching Valentines Day. I have beautiful personalized tutu outfits, onesies and shirts that I will be putting on the site this week. In addition, I will be placing new personalized Easter/Spring/Summer items by the end of the month. Ideally, I would like to start a Preppy Poppy line of children’s clothing. The wheels are in motion and I hope to make this a possibility in the near future! In addition, once we are settled and my husband is retired from the Navy, I would like to open a children’s boutique.

Personalized Tutu Set

TSM: If money were no object what is one thing you would buy right now?
A: If money were no object – well you may have stumped me. To be honest, I am pretty content. We are blessed to have a beautiful home, healthy children, my husband and I both love our careers and overall life is good! BUT, If I had to choose something, I have always dreamed of having two family vacation properties. One home some place tropical (ocean front) and the other in the mountains (with excellent skiing). I love the idea of annual trips and creating family traditions. The idea of passing these vacation homes down through generations is something that I hope to make a reality one day. :-)

TSM: What are some of your favorite online boutiques or Etsy shops?
A: I have so many favorites! As for Etsy, I adore these stores: Quiltish by Allisa Jacobs (she makes beautifully sewn products from costmetic bags to baby bibs/burp cloths and pillows), Lookout Studios by Patricia Baker (we have several of her vibrant paintings in our home), Little Pea Boutique has adorable and affordable handmade barrettes and hair accessories, Bloomz also had adorable felt barrettes, Studio K by Kailey Hawthorn has damask painted letters that are to die for (perfect for a home office), Rowan’s Room (hand crafted chalk boards and mirrors made of recycled antique material with a very vintage feel – I love it!)

Connect! Keep up to date on all the latest personalized products when you follow The Preppy Poppy on Twitter and Facebook.

Shop! Browse and shop for great gifts at The Preppy Poppy. The Boutique Burp Clothes are $16 and Personalized Tutu Sets are $35 to $42 for shirt, tutu and bow.