Elsie Flannigan of A Beautiful Mess

By Amy Strauss
Published: March 16th, 2011 | 8:44am

There is an overwhelming allure to the adorable obsessions that Springfield, Missouri-based blogger and boutique owner, Elsie Flannigan, publishes throughout her lifestyle blog, A Beautiful Mess.

Poised and pretty, creative and confident, Flannigan—multiple times a day—premieres fun-loving posts proclaiming her current rendezvous with arts and crafts, vintage dresses, bubble tea, falafel, in-home teepees and her costume-wearing pug, Suki.

Hitting the internet waves in 2007, A Beautiful Mess has documented the now-full-time designer, fashion fiend, self-taught painter and eager entrepreneur as she sought-out to jumpstart her daring dream of operating her own business, which, as of November 2010, reopened in her home town in a space that was once a classic vintage shop she frequented since junior high.

Revealing that the blog's title was conceptualized from what she finds comforting—a messy studio, the dedicated updater suggests that at any time you may find attractive piles of her messes everywhere, whether it is clothes or it is art. “I post pictures of my messes,” she laughs.

Working independently for the last 3 years, Flannigan adores blogging about her business and her creative life. “It has helped me stay goal-oriented and develop a network of people who are always sharing and encouraging,” she says.

Recently celebrating her 28th birthday, the celebrator of homemade couture first began her handmade adventure, now continued under her marvelous moniker, Red Velvet, almost ten years prior, with her sister, Emma, and close friend, Rachel Denbow.

Exploring experiments in fashion-forward trends, the small collective inspired the artsy crusader that she was capable of setting up her own shop, stitching together her love for combing vintage shops for handpicked pleasures, designing outfit-enhancing accessories, and zesting up an interior space with pizazz and originality.

Bred in the Mid-West, which she suggests is the perfect place for antique finds, A Beautiful Mess has encouraged motivated readers to seek out their own success stories like the driven and darling blogger, as well as take trips to her fairly new space, even from out-of-state.

“Every few days people come from other states to Red Velvet,” she says. “It is really special meeting these people, actually some of my bridesmaids are people I have met through blogging.”

As a brand-new bride-to-be (plans are in the works for a May or June wedding) to singer/songwriter Jeremy Larson (and, yes—the tear-jerking details are on the web), A Beautiful Mess has spread to new dewy depths, even spinning off into a second blog, Le Wedding Party, which steeps in similar do-it-yourself mentalities, this time featuring the gifted gal's new wedding collection, both vintage and handmade.

The tempting step-back-in-time wardrobe wonders, both seen on the A Beautiful Mess and Le Wedding Party blogs, can quickly be fetched in from the Mad Men-inspired set-up of Elsie Flannigan's Red Velvet, and she wouldn't trot such a name without nestling a heavenly baked good haven, too, inside its interior.

“I wanted to open a store that was a place where people could sit down and have a girls' date,” she says. “I've been blogging through the years that my business developed and I am really pleased that in just my first month, we have been busy all the time.”

Link: A Beautiful Mess

Comments

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Darling Dashfield (about 1 year)
She is certainly is one talented young lady! Very inspiring.

toshi (about 1 year)
Did an intern write this? There were way too many subordinate clauses! The sentences were way too long and highly unreadable.

Lauren (about 1 year)
I thought it was very easy to read. I absolutely love Elsie's blog!

Toni Brockliss (about 1 year)
I have been reading Elsie for a few years now and she is a gorgeous and inspiring lady. The first blog I read when I wake up.

Portia (about 1 year)
I have to defend/agree with Toshi, this was really difficult to read too!! (But Amy, please accept this constructively,as the content itself is excellent). Love Elsie's blog. Always inspiring. Thanks for sharing this. Px

debb (about 1 year)
I love A Beutiful Mess... this "article" was just terrible.

yoshi (about 1 year)
The writing wasn't great, but the subject matter is all the more boring. Sure she is cute, but too kitschy and overdone to be featured. There is absolutely NOTHING special about this girl. So exhausted of blogwhores and blogista's. Let's strike reality again please.

L.B (about 1 year)
I agree with Yoshi. I read this person's blog often and at first I was really impressed. But her content seems to be very redundant and so similar to many of the young DIY kitschy bloggers out there.

Don (about 1 year)
There are two kinds of people. The ones who create and the others just complain!

laura (about 1 year)
i really like elsie, but i also thought this article was a bit difficult to understand (but i'm german, so it's fine i guess). the people who say elsie is not special are just envious because she has so many readers i guess! (:

violette (about 1 year)
I really enjoyed the article and loved learning a bit more about Elsie. She's a dynamic, motivated and talented young woman! I'm not even part of her target market (i'm 56) but i often pop onto Elsie's blog because it makes me happy - love the fun whimsical art and lovely fashion shots. It's all such fun - makes me feel young again just visiting! Love, Violette

Colleen (about 1 year)
Wow. Where is the love? Thank you Amy for writing about Elsie and all the things that her readers love about her! I too thought it was pretty easy to read. I have only been reading Elsie's blog for a little less than a year but I keep going back because she does what she loves and what she loves is inspiring.