An Epiphany

Sometimes, I think I'm just a bit too close to my work. You know...can't see the forest for through the trees type of thing.

I make these awesome little drool bibs and have had absolutely amazing feedback on them. I had a client over the weekend tell me that she saw one of my drool bibs on a baby in the airport and asked the mom how to find me. She found me and bought two drool bibs and some car seat strap covers! Now THAT is some word of mouth advertising if I've ever seen it! I was so excited to hear that...but anywho...

I sold four more later that day and the client asked if I would make them smaller to fit an infant (0-6 months). Here's where my epiphany comes into play...why not offer an adjustable drool bib?! Hello...just put another male end of the snap on the bib so that now there are two settings for it?

So, now they will be adjustable! Woo hoo! My husband just looks at me, shakes his head, smiles and says, "You're pretty honey". Yea...thanks babe! :)

OMG...where have I been?!?!

Oh my, I haven't posted in soooo long! Where does the time go? I feel like I have barely had time to sleep lately! I've been so busy with work and crafting and shipping and shopping and cooking and the holidays coming...yikes!

We had some family come into town last night for Thanksgiving and it got me thinking about the holiday itself and what I'm thankful for.

This year, more than anything, I am thankful for my family and the support that they give to me and that we all give to one another.

My grandmother (who is a VERY young 84 years old) was diagnosed a few weeks ago with breast cancer. She had surgery a week ago and it was more extensive that originally thought. I started to fall apart with that news. She was my absolute best friend when I was growing up and now she is my 5 year old daughter's best friend in the world. I can't imagine my life without her in it. I was nervous to see her after the surgery but she quickly made me feel better. She was not upset about the news...she was strong! So much stronger than I had been. She is fighting the good fight and is happy that everything is moving so quickly. She has such a positive outlook and her doctor said there's no reason that she shouldn't recover completely from this. She will be having a complete mastectomy the day after Thanksgiving.

I am so thankful for the wonderful family that I have!

This year, I will remember what it means to be thankful for my health and for that of my family...I will truely think about what it could mean to be without my family and I will tell each and every one of them how much they truely mean to me.

A new fave!!!

So, I was shopping on Etsy again today (and I was actually looking to purchase something today...not just window shop) and I found a NEW FAVORITE SELLER!!!

Truth be told, I'm a science nerd hidden under the likes of Ed Hardy and Marc Jacobs. When I find anything science related in the real world...I get a bit giddy. I know, lame. But check out this new favorite shop of mine!

It appeals to me for two different reasons:

1. The crafter uses ordinary (boring to most outsiders) science terms and items and makes them fun and cute! Like the adorable Base Pair onesie that I chose to place in this post!

2. She does mostly baby/child stuff...ME TOO!!

What was I shopping for you may be wondering...a cute, lightweight jersey scarf. Well, I found an adorable one that has a microscope screenprinted on one end and a paramecium printed on the other....(which, I believe I will be purchasing shortly).

Just wanted to pass along a fun find for everyone today...ENJOY!!!!

Whoa...I just listed like crazy in my two shops, Sass Rocket and TheEmmaline. I feel like all I've done the last two days is sat at the computer and listed new items.

I get so impatient when I'm listing...I feel so idle, like I'm not really doing anything. I know I am...and I know I'm being productive but I just can't help but drum my nails on the desk while I'm waiting for those pics to upload. I ALWAYS have another internet window open...usually Twitter.

Anywho...I've got some great stocking stuffer ideas listed in Sass Rocket and some really fun Christmas items in TheEmmaline. Go check them out! :)

Happy Wednesday!

I'm STOKED!!!

So, I'm pretty jazzed! Late last week, I dropped of a large wholesale order made up of items from both Sass Rocket and TheEmmaline at my first brick and mortar store! Holy Cow!!!

I'm mad that I forgot to take a pic of the display but I think, with minimal effort, I could get one. You see, I am the office manager of a Fred Astaire Dance Studio as is my mother (at a different studio). It is at her dance studio that my fabulous gear is currently featured!

The other day, one of the dance instructors was getting a Starbucks order from everyone...he was buying. When he got back with the liquid productivity, he handed one to the studio owner and her cardboard sleeve was defective. As she grabbed her coffee, the offending sleeve fell off and she nearly dropped her coffee spilling it all over. My mom spoke up and said that I make some really fun and eco-friendly reusable coffee cozies. She took a look at my websites and thought that my stuff would really appeal to her clientele of dance students. She told me to make up at least 15 coffee cozies and then to just make up a few of this, that and the other thing!She was pretty chill about what she received and that made it a really pleasurable first shop experience for me!

This is my personal favorite coffee cozy!

Gobble til you Wobble

In addition to getting some work done this weekend, I also got this adorable shirt made for my daughter, and I also got one done for my niece as well!

I just love Thanksgiving! My family is so small that my Thanksgivings growing up consisted of only 5 total people including myself. Then I met my husband and started being included in his celebration of the day and it was almost like culture shock! There's anywhere from 25 to 30 people every year. It is SO MUCH FUN!!! I just love being a part of a big family now and it's really heightened my love of the holiday! They even include my small family in the special day...because, really...what's 3 (my grandfather passed away...if you're doing the math in your head and it doesn't add up) more people in the grand scheme of things when you're already cooking for 25 to 30 people?!

Because I love the day so much, I wanted to make a cute Turkey appliqued shirt for my daughter to wear for the next few weeks!

Do you want one? I don't list them in my etsy shop, but if you'd like one for someone special let me know and I'll let you know my pricing. :)

This is what I came up with!

I went to the Pumpkin Farm with my daughter's class earlier this week and she just had a blast! (She's the one on the left.) :) There was so much for the kids to do...definitely NOT just taking a hayride out to pick a pumpkin. For the last hour of the trip, the kids got to have free time and do whatever they wanted...from going down a slide on a burlap bag, to racing plastic ducks, to racing pedal cars to playing in a hay-bail maze.

As I was watching her have fun with her friends, I was looking around at all of the gorgeos colors. I LOVE fall anyway but I don't often take the time to look around and really enjoy the largest benefit (in my opinion) of living in Wisconsin, the colors of the season!

It inspired me that night to want to make a new harvest colored floral arrangement for my family room.

Monday Love

I know I might be nuts...but I LOVE Mondays! I feel SO productive! I get so much done before I even step out of the house. On Sundays, I find myself excited that the following day is going to be Monday.

I view Mondays as an opportunity for a new beginning and I just want to make the most of the week and really go out and tackle it! As a friend of mine says...Giddy up!

Here I come Monday...look out, I'm gonna take this week and make it the best week ever!

A Great Day

Check out this cute new bib style that I'm working on!

It's like my typical best-seller, toddler bib except there's one very cool new feature. There's a cute little applique on the back side! Check out the pick of the little skull on the back!

I can do it for fabrics that have actual pics in them and just choose a pic to cut out and turn into an applique, OR I can customize it for you! Just pick out a fabric that you like and I'll hand-cut an applique, out of the fabric of your choosing, of the baby's first initial...like "E" for Emma! Cool, huh??

Check out my etsy shop for pricing info or send me an email with custom requests. :) I totally LOVE doing custom work! There's such a sense of satisfaction in sending out a product that I know is a one-of-a-kind and that it's something that my client is TOTALLY going to love!

I LOVE what I do and am so thankful every day that I am able to keep doing it! What a great day!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Happy Birthday to you...

Every year for my daughter's birthday I make a special shirt for her with the number of the age that she's turning and do something to make it appropriate for what she happens to be into at the time of her birthday. One year, it was Dora, last year it was princesses and this year it was just a simple cupcake appliqued on the front...with a 5 and the words "Birthday Girl" appliqued over the top of it to look like a jersey on the back. Turned out sooooo cute!!

My niece turned 4 last week and her mom asked if I would make a birthday shirt for her. Well, of course I said yes! She wanted it to be wearable for more than just one day though so instead of Birthday Girl over the top of the 4, I did an iron-on transfer over the hand-appliqued 4 to say her name, Mackenzie. It turned out so adorable that I just had to show it off!

My fave part is the 4! I hand appliqued all three layers of the number 4 in all different and fun fabrics. It's quite time consuming but well worth it when you see the finished product...and the excited look on the birthday girl's (or boy's) face!

I absolutely love doing these and have had a few requests for them now, so stay tuned in my etsy baby boutique for some custom order birthday shirts! It seems they're in high demand. :)

Time for a little change

So, I decided that with the changing of the seasons (and fall being one of my favorite seasons) that I would revamp my baby boutique (http://theemmaline.etsy.com) a bit. You should definitely go check it out because I also happen to be having a sale right now! Halloween is coming soooo fast and I still have a few Halloween goodies listed! I gotta get them out of here...so go! Run! Check it out! Quick! Before they're all gone!

You've got to check out this bag! Isn't it adorable??? I just bought it for a friend of mine for her birthday and I was soooo tempted to get one for myself too. I love that it's not a diaper bag but can still hold a sippy cup...and that it has room for EVERYTHING else that a mom needs to carry!

The seller, Colette, from http://bagsbycolette.etsy.com/ was absolutely amazing to work with. She replied to my email SO fast and got it shipped out to my friend in record time, even including a little birthday note for me!

My friend LOVED the bag and said she couldn't wait to use it!

Self restraint

Well, if you read my last post, you'll know that movie theater popcorn is my alltime fave. You'll also know that I'm going to AZ in a few short weeks and don't want to bring muffin tops with me.

Here's the real test...I'm going to the movies tonight. Will I or won't I?

Yikes....

:)

PS...Free Shipping on any purchase today at http://sassrocket.etsy.com and http://theemmaline.etsy.com! I can either refund your shipping charge to your paypal account or you can purchase the item but wait to pay for it until you get an updated invoice from me. Happy Shopping!

Mmmm...Buttered Popcorn

So, one of my favorite foods is popcorn...all kinds...all flavors. I can't go to the movies without getting popcorn. Well, right now I might because I'm going to AZ in 5 weeks and I really don't want to go with muffin top or my theighs rubbing together...but I digress.

There is a factory near my house that makes spices, dry mixes, things like that. My absolute favorite thing is when I come out of my house in the morning and it smells like buttered popcorn outside! Oh, the first time I smelled it, I had to have some microwave popcorn that night! I don't know if they make the flavoring for microwave popcorn or the butter-flavored topping for the stuff at movie theaters but holy cow it smells good!

Birthday Shirts

Be sure to check out my Emmalicious line of Baby Gear...I'm going to start making custom birthday shirts! This was my daughter on her birthday last Monday. On the front is a sweet little appliqued cupcake with BDay Chic surrounding it and on the back is the number 5 (for her age) and the words Birthday Girl curved over the top of the five...like a jersey. It looked so cute and she got so many compliments on it!

In fact, my sister-in-law posted a pic of the shirt on her Facebook and one of her friends contacted me to order one for her daughter!

A surprise

So, I hate surprises. I know...it drives my hubby banana sandwich. I'm just too much of a control freak and surprises are rarely pulled off with great success and they just bug me. I can't help it. With that said, my husband and my BFF just pulled the surprise of my life off! Every year, we have a party at our place and it had just gotten underway and my hubby says, hey Lindz, someone came through the sliding door in the back. I turned around and saw someone that I haven't seen in about a year and was really excited to see him that I started to walk toward him. BJ (my hubby) grabbed my shoulders, turned me around and I saw my BFF!

Now, you may be thinking, great...it's your BFF. The thing is that, I haven't seen her in a year and a half because she lives in Arizona and I'm in Wisconsin! Well, I screamed and started crying and could barely believe who I was seeing. And, one of the best parts was the satisfied look on BJ's face because he actually pulled off a surprise...ON ME!!!

She's here for the whole week and we had just the most amazing day yesterday hanging out together. We had a total girly day. We took my 4 year old, Emma, to get her ears pierced (which she LOVED), had an awesome lunch together, took her to a movie and then got to enjoy some cocktails later in the day. It was absolutely perfect and I needed it so bad! When I got back to work today, I was able to focus and concentrate and actually get some good creative time in!

I can't wait to see her again tomorrow for the Brewer game and some tailgating!

Daisy Dreams

So, I'm totally lovin' on chocolate brown right now! I just did this cute note pad holder and I'm tempted to keep it for myself! I know...I don't need ANOTHER one...so I listed it. Go check it out!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25913332

It looks a little something like this...

Today's the day! A winner will be picked from couponclippinmama! One lucky reader will receive one of my fabulous coupon wallets for free! Woohoo!

She's been getting some great entries and is excited to pick the winner. For those who didn't get picked, swing by my shop, pick out a coupon holder and buy it today! In the notes to seller, mention couponclippinmama and I'll ship it for free!

I'm a big fan of this one...

Tomorrow is the last day to win one of my fabulous coupon wallets from http://couponclippinmama.blogspot.com

If you like saving money like I do...you definitely want to have one! Check out her blog...check out my shop...and enter already! :)

Even better...you get to choose which one you want! Might I suggest this one...it's one of my faves.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25589887

Good luck!

Dinner

Sorry...not a great post but check this out! I just made this for dinner and it was awesome!

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/quick-easy/10-quick-easy-recipes-from-your-pantry-00400000037886/page10.html

Redistribution

Did you ever notice that when you start cleaning or reorganizing a room that you almost always have to make it more untidy before getting it into an order that you can live with? This happens to me all the time. Right now I'm reorganizing my "office" and at the current point in time (half way through the project) it's no longer even usable! Now, I'm fine with that...I realize that every great novel goes through a few rough drafts but this is what really bugs me.

For some reason, right around the midpoint of these "cleaning" projects, when things are at their worst, I just lose all motivation, something shiny catches my eye and I end up walking away! That's frustrating but by no means the worst part. The worst part is that when I come home from work tomorrow and I'm totally motivated to get started on my next project, I'll see this and I won't be able to...two days, now ruined. Yuck.

I leave you with this...see the wine rack standing in the back corner of the room? That's no coincidence. :)

This is my kid! She's great! Her name is Emma and she's 5. She talks A LOT!!! The majority of the things that come out of her are hilarious though. She was the inspiration for my first Etsy shop, http://theemmaline.etsy.com it's all really fun, some funky, some pretty and of course some princessey stuff.

This morning she seems to be particularily chatty...so check back later for a pic of myself...bald...from having ripped ALL of my hair out. :)

Coupon Wallet Giveaway

So, check this out! I make these awesome little coupon wallets and sell them in my etsy shop, sassrocket.etsy.com

They are now being featured in coupon clippin mama's blog

http://couponclippinmama.blogspot.com/

She's having a giveaway for one because she loves hers so much. Check out my Etsy shop and then check out her blog to enter to win one!

A Learning Experience

Wow. So, now I know how my mom feels. She's not quite so, how do I put this delicately, technology savvy. She JUST learned how to program a VCR. That's just perfect, now that no one uses them anymore. I don't even OWN one anymore.

Anyway, I'm new to this whole blogging thing and it seems like an aweful lot of info to take in all at one time. Just when I start to think that I get it looking ok or that I like some of the changes that I've made...I see someone else's blog and I think, "Wow! How did they get it to look like this?!?!"

Moral of the story...check back, it'll look better soon. :)

Oh, and FYI (for all of you keeping score)...I have a Twitter account too but haven't figured that out either.