Grand Opening

Well, September 1st is finally here...

My new Etsy shop opened today!!

Introducing my newest project, Long Live Handmade.

I linked to it on Facebook, and all of my wonderful friends have been showing their support. Many of them even shared the link with their friends, and so far today my Etsy site has had over 100 views. Wowza! 

Here are some of the items I have listed... 

This is the Foldover Bag. It converts from a tote to a messenger to a shoulder bag. Making up the pattern was a labor of love, but this is the bag that my friends and family have shown the most interest in. I already have requests for custom orders! I made a product video for this bag, and even though I think it's embarrassing, I put it on Facebook and the Long Live Handmade blog.

I guess I can share it here too.

 This is the Large Pocket Tote. It is a very simple tote with a big ole pocket on the outside. Ideally this would be a school bag or a tote to take to the library or bookstore. I'm obsessed with corduroy right now.

This is the Foldover Clutch... It's similar to the Foldover Bag but small enough to take on a night out. There is a detachable wristlet too!

The list is short for right now, but I'm working on new designs and translating them from paper to a real thing is sometimes daunting. But soon I will have some time to really get crackin' on this stuff.

For the grand opening sale, I'm offering 20% off. Just enter this code at checkout:

GRANDOPEN2011

A more sophisticated me

I'm 23 years old.

I'm 10 units away from my bachelor's degree.

I live away from home.

I have a dog.

I'm a grown up.

I have no idea when that last thing happened, but whether I like it or not, it's the truth. I made some promises to myself that I was going to start making a few changes. Most of these promises stemmed from the new beginning, which I posted about recently.

I'm taking on a lot of new responsibilities on unfamiliar ground, and risk-taking is now something I'm doing daily. 

So why do I still roll out of bed every morning and throw on a tshirt and jeans? Because it's easy, it's familiar, and it's safe. Part of having a successful business is being mindful of how others perceive you... and haphazardly pulling on too-casual clothing is no longer going to cut it if I want to be happy with myself and say honestly that I'm trying my best.

Very recently I started filling in my eyebrows and wearing lip stain (not lipstick people, I'm nowhere near ready for that). I also started waking up early enough to apply it in front of my bathroom mirror and not while sitting at a red light on the way to work. It's going well so far.

But I'd still like to step it up a bit in terms of my appearance. I'm talking about outfit planning, accessorizing, and wearing my hair in styles other than a ponytail.

You can check out my entire style pinboard in Pinterest, but here are a few of my favorite items and outfits that I use to get inspired...

Source: polyvore.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: None via Amy on Pinterest

Source: alternativeoutfitters.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: None via Amy on Pinterest

Source: us.topshop.com via Amy on Pinterest

Well, we will just have to see where this goes. Baby steps folks.

The Upside

I know, I'm blog lagging again. 

It tends to happen in the Summer. When you return from a trip and your mind stays on vacation. Yeah, that's me right now, and for the last week or so.

I'm writing today about a positive side to some bad news. And about new beginnings. And to wish my sweetie a happy 23rd birthday (love you, Bub... hope you're having a fantastic day!).

So, you may know this, you may not, but I've been working as a nanny for the same family for three years. Their youngest was three months old when I started, and now it seems like he's all grown up. The mother told me a couple weeks ago that he will be starting preschool sometime this year. It could be as early as September, or it could be pushed to January. Either way, I'm looking at a significant pay cut, or a complete career change. 

I was pretty sure I didn't want to go through this with another family, and I know that jobs in my field (creative writing) aren't always guaranteed steady income. So I had some thinking to do.

After sulking a bit, talking to my mom, my boyfriend, and some other wise folks, I found a positive solution that should keep me satisfied and allow me to keep making enough money to live on (or possibly more).

I'm going to stay where I am. I'll work afternoons when the little guy goes off to preschool, and I'll live knowing that my hours will be cut in half, and I'll watch these kids for as long as they need me to stay. 

With my new surplus of spare time, I'm going to work my little ass off building up my new Etsy shop. WHAT?!

That's right. 

I'm starting over from scratch.

Remember that new-ish and big-ish thing I was working on? It's a complete overhaul of my Etsy shop that will be totally focused on hadbags, purses, clutches, etc.

I'm going to sew, market, promote, sell, and build this thing so that it's a fully functioning business that will one day be my only job, and my only means of income. How scary is that?

I know it will be hard. Trust me, the loudest voice in my head telling me I can't is my own voice. And I can tell her to shut up any time I want.

Making bags is what I love to do, so I'm gonna go ahead and do it. Ok?

I'll have some more details on the new shop coming soon. And if its alright with you guys, I'd like to also post a little here and there about the process of building a [hopefully]successful online shop, and what I am dealing with along the way.

Cheers to new beginnings :)

30 Day Photo Challenge

Hi there readers!

I just came across this fun photo challenge hosted by Oh So Lovely and Jenn & Tonic.

It looks super fun, and it will give me a chance to be extra photographic, and maybe get in the habit of taking more pictures.

I'll be on vacation the whole first week of August, but I will of course have my camera with me, so I can share when I get back.

Here's the list. All of these are super do-able and I can already see myself getting creative with them.

Source: sherryturley.blogspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

Well... wanna join? Let me know if you're participating too and I'll stop by your blog to see what you've got!

Nerd Alert: Harry Potter T-shirts

I'm sure I have mentioned it before, but it's worth saying again-- I am a huge Harry Potter fan. The books and movies have been a part of my life since they first became popular in like 1999. I was 11, Harry was 11. We grew up together, and the end has finally come. 

We're grown ups now, Harry.

But that doesn't mean I can't still express my love of magic through crafty projects.

For the midnight premier of The Deathly Hallows Part II, my mom and sister helped me make these t-shirts:

We used freezer paper stencils and fabric paint for the front, and free-handed the back. We were all pretty impressed with how well they turned out.I'll be using the freezer paper again.

Although we had a lot of fun, the whole night was very bittersweet. I can't think of any other time I will get dressed up and go to a midnight release for something. I've read every word of every book and watched every movie. I know the whole story from beginning to end. I don't know what to do with myself now... and I'm sure most of the Potter fans are having similar feelings.

This video describes it in a funny way. This girl speaks for a lot of us.

As for the movie, I was pretty satisfied. Since I read the books I had all the extra info that the movie never addressed, but that's ok. I understand that movie makers have limitations that our imaginations don't. I did get really emotional though... like from the moment Harry walked into Hogwarts until the credits... just about an hour of constant tear flow. 

Even though the movies and books are finished, I will always love Harry Potter. I will read the books to my children and grandchildren, and the magic will live on forever. And in the meantime, I'll just embrace all the real-life magic.

Source

My First Guest Post!

Hey you guys, I'm guest posting today over at The Mrs. I'm sharing a quick little tutorial for this magnetic chalkboard. 

I'd love for you to go check it out, and let Megan know you stopped by!

Blagging? And a Shop Update

I know, I've been blog lagging. We'll call it blagging.

I'm blagging because I've been extra busy. At the beginning of Summer I immersed myself in these awesome books...

Source: amazon.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: amazon.com via Amy on Pinterest

I'd like for my Etsy business to be my full-time job. So I'm working on something new-ish and big-ish. You'll find out soon...

In the meantime I thought I'd give my shop a little bump, and offer free domestic shipping for the rest of the month. Enter the code FREESHIPJULY11 to get it!

Here are some of my best sellers:

Carry-It Wallets!

Coffee Cozies!

So stop by in July and pick out your favorite thing!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer... it is flying by.