10th Sale Celebration ~ Plus a New Halloween Bow!

I just crossed another couple of items off my 101 in 1001 list.

#6

Fulfill 1 custom order.

#9

Reach 10 sales.

I am so excited to finally be crossing these ones off my list! It was a big week for my humble shop! I had my first international sale, my first custom order, and my 10th sale all in the same purchase. It was such an awesome learning experience, and I am so happy to finally be seeing my sales in the double digits too! This is what I sent out:

This bow was already listed in my shop, but she asked if I could make her a 2nd one, which qualifies as a custom order! Not only that, it was sent to the UK! How awesome is that! Because of this I also discovered that my shop's international shipping rate was grossly inaccurate and had to change it. Whoops! Well, like I said - this was definitely a learning experience! My lovely customer also told me that these bows are being used by 2 excited bridesmaids at an upcoming Halloween wedding! So cool! I hope she sends me a picture!

So, since this bow was finally purchased, I realized I have NO Halloween products left in my shop! That is just outrageous - Halloween is one of my favorite holidays after all. So, of course, I had to whip up this beauty:

Candy corn bow! Hooray!

I think it turned out pretty stinkin' cute. Have you ever seen those little candy corn witch costumes for little girls? SO cute! I think this accessory would look really cute with something like that.

Well I guess that's it for now! I hope to be putting more Halloween bows up in my shop soon, as well as some CHRISTMAS stuff (yay!) so remember to keep checking out my shop which can be found on the right sidebar over here ------>

Thanks for stopping by!

101 in 1001 Update

Hello again everybody! Sorry I haven't been around lately again, but I recently returned from a week long vacation in Hawaii! 

It was fantastic! But I won't get into the details here. If you'd like to read more about my Hawaiian experience, you can do so on my other blog by clicking here.

While I was there I checked off a few more things on my 101 in 1001 list! It's been a while hasn't it? Here's what I did...

#40
Fail miserably at something and look back on it as a valuable learning experience.

Yep, totally crossed this one off on my Hawaii vacation. The vacation itself was GREAT! But there was just one night that was a total nightmare. It's a long story, which can also be read on my other blog, but to make the story short I left something very valuable somewhere and ended up driving for 2 straight hours to retrieve it with 2 cranky kids in the backseat. Ugh! Lesson learned - I really need to keep better track of my stuff.

#41
Do something COMPLETELY outside of my comfort zone.

Check! The whole Hawaii vacation itself was totally outside of my comfort zone. Ask anyone who talked to me before the vacation - I was a wreck!! I freaked out about every tiny little detail! And it was all for nothing. The trip was fantastic. I definitely need to step out of my comfort zone more often.

#48
Wear make-up and do my hair every day for a week straight.

I vowed to myself that I was going to do this one while we were in Hawaii, and I actually did. And you know what? It didn't do what I thought it would for my confidence. The whole reason I put this on my list was because I thought it would give me a giant confidence boost. But you know what? I felt the same that I do every other day, even the days where I just throw my hair in a ponytail and get out the door for groceries. But that's not really a bad thing - I learned that I have a fair amount of confidence even when I'm not all dolled up, and that's even better in my opinion. I really, truly don't care what other people think of me! Hooray!

#84
Eat at 10 restaurants I've never tried before.

So I didn't cross this one off, but I did add a couple more to the list. Surprisingly, we didn't go to that many new places while we were in Hawaii (mostly because I didn't want to take the kids to sit-down restaurants - yikes!). But we did try out the Plantation Grille at the Dole Plantation, and it was fan-freaking-tastic. Mmm. So good. And we also tried out BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse in Vegas on the way back home while visiting some family that we hadn't seen in a while. That was really great too! Something for everyone there. Eva scarfed down her meal like I had never seen before in my life. Whoa.

So I guess that's it for now. I have been noticing, though, that all of the goals on my fitness/nutrition/food list have been mysterious left alone.... I need to get on top of that!

Guess that's it for now~

Aloha!

Costumes and #50!

Halloween is getting closer!!

I LOVE this time of year. The trees outside our windows are turning yellow, the air is getting cooler, and our hot chocolate supply is running low.... I love the Fall.

I have lots of great stuff coming up this month that I am looking forward to! But the thing I'm most excited for is Halloween. Especially since my costume arrived in the mail! My husband Max and I are going as SWAT team members. Here's some pics....

Just in case you were wondering.... Those are BB Guns. Don't freak out. Lol! (I'm terrified of actual guns.) We look pretty awesome, though, don't we? We had way too much fun trying them on. Halloween is going to be a blast!

So, here's some even cooler news. I have crossed another item off my 101 in 1001 list!!

#50

Pull an all-nighter for fun.

My husband and I stayed up all night just spending time together on Wednesday. There was no school on Thursday due to Fall Break, and he also had Thursday off of work, so we figured.... Why not? We felt like we hadn't seen each other in days with everything that has been going on, so we stayed up and watched shows and played video games and drank hot chocolate and Mountain Dew and just enjoyed each other's company. I'm amazed that I wasn't even that tired. We ended up going to sleep at around 5AM, and by some MIRACLE the kids actually slept until about 10, so we managed to still get about 5 hours of sleep! It was crazy. We had such a great time. I wish I had pictures to show you all, but we were having so much fun I just completely forgot.

Well, that's it for today. Got a busy week ahead that includes Vincent getting glasses, Eva getting her ears pierced, and my first pedicure ever. Be sure to check back in so I can tell you all about it. =)

~*~Gela~*~

101 in 1001

The Mission:

Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:

Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?

Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

The Start Date:

September 24, 2012

The End Date:

June 22, 2015

completed
in progress
Completed so far: (33/101)

For the biz….

1. Organize craft supplies.
2. List 25 items in my shop (17/25)
3. Have a booth at a fair or craft show.
4. Get Photoshop and learn to use it.
5. Have my shop or an item from my shop featured anywhere.
6. Fulfill 1 custom order. (9/13/13)
7. Organize photos on computer. Seriously. (3/18/13)
8. Try 10 of the amazing tutorials I always see online. (6/10)
9. Reach 10 sales. (9/13/13)

For the blog….

10. Have someone guest post on my blog.
11. Guest post on someone else’s blog.
12. Post a pic on my blog of what I normally look like every day. No make-up.
13. Completely re-vamp my blog.
14. Learn some HTML.
15. Write my 100th blog post.
16. FINALLY start up my “family” blog. (3/26/13)

For me….

17. Go to 3 social events for fun, not because I have to. (2/3)

18. Go without the computer for 1 week straight. (9/24-30/12)

19. Get my 1st pedicure.

20. Get my 1st massage.

21. Try out 10 new hairstyles. (3/10)

22. Follow 1 season of football. Identify my favorite team.

23. Fire a real gun.

24. Learn enough Japanese to say that I’m “fluent”.

25. Learn 1 more complete song on the guitar. (June 2013, "Just Give Me A Reason" by P!nk)

26. Try sake.

27. Order a martini.

28. Buy a bottle of wine.

29. Drink champagne. (8/24/13)

30. Read 10 books cover-to-cover (2/10) (Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker)

31. Sing in public.

32. Learn to knit.

33. Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years. (4/24/13)

34. Attend a concert. (Backstreet Boys - 9/7/13)

35. Get my upper ear pierced.

36. Complete “50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind” (9/30/12)

37. Make a new friend. (1/16/2013)

38. Use entire teeth whitening kit.

39. Wear a sexy costume on Halloween.

40. Fail miserably at something then look back on it as a valuable learning experience. (7/14/13)

41. Do something COMPLETELY outside of my comfort zone. (7/11-17/13)

42. Be in a position of authority for anything.

43. Attend a class or seminar.

44. Write 5 chapters a fiction book. (6/5) (8/23/13)

45. Grow out my nails and try 5 awesome DIY mani designs on them. (1/5)

46. Win a contest.

47. Tell someone face-to-face that I’m atheist 5 times. (4/5)

48. Wear make-up and do my hair every day for a week straight. (7/11-17/13)

49. Sew something. ANYTHING.

50. Pull an all-nighter for fun. (10/10/12)

51. Fill up another entire journal. (10/14/13)

52. Do another “Deaf for the Day” – only this time really do it for a WHOLE day. (9/25/12)

53. Bawl out of sheer happiness. (8/11/2013)

54. Submit a postcard to Post Secret.

55. Write a list of 101 things I’ve already achieved in my life.

56. Write another 101 in 1001 list when this one is over.

Family/Home/Organizing

57. Go on 5 FREE dates with Max. (1/5)
58. Have a romantic candle-light dinner with Max at home. (8/11/2013)
59. Plan our dream vow renewal.
60. Unpack all boxes from moving. (February 2013)
61. Fill up photo albums.
62. Take a nice new family portrait. (December 2013)
63. Teach Vincent 10 new words in ASL then quiz him to make sure he knows them. (4/10 water, please, milk, potty)
64. Buy a new vacuum. (November 2013 - got a new one, didn't buy - still counts!)
65. Go on a family picnic. (February 2013)
66. Finish Eva’s 1st Year Calendar. (10/11/13)
67. Put an emergency kit in the car.
68. Plan our 1st family vacation. (Hawaii!! Planned in March 2013)
69. Take a legit family “staycation”.
70. Do whatever Vincent wants to for a whole day (no TV or video games).
71. Create a night-time routine for myself and my kids then stick to it for 30 days.
72. Buy coasters and then USE them.

Nutrition/Exercise/Food….

73. Get down to goal weight.
74. Try a juice detox for 10 days straight.
75. Exercise for 30 mins a day for 30 days straight. (0/30)
76. Go 7 days straight without sugar.
77. Meditate for 10 mins a day for 30 days straight. (0/30)
78. Go 30 days straight without fast food or restaurants.
79. Do the splits. (Must be able to hold it for 10 seconds with little-to-no pain.)
80. Try a new recipe once a month for 12 months. (12/12) (2013)
81. Make Thanksgiving Dinner by myself. (11/27/2013)
82. Make real, homemade lasagna from scratch.

Culture

83. Visit 3 museums (0/3)
84. Eat at 10 restaurants I’ve never tried before. (4/10) (Breakfast at Tifiny's, Red Robin, BJ's, Plantation Grille)
85. See a show at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre.
86. Explore the Saint George Mountains. (5/12/2013)
87. Vote in an election and actually KNOW who I am voting for and why. (11/5/2012 - Obama)
88. Watch 5 of the past Best Picture Oscar movies. (0/5)

For others/For the Earth….

89. Donate to a charity. (February 2013, Dumb Friends League for Pet Rescue)
90. Donate blood twice (2/2) (1/4/2013)
91. Send a snail mail birthday card to each of my 6 siblings (2/6)
92. Start recycling again.
93. Crochet another baby blanket. Donate it to a hospital or family in need.
94. Throw a surprise party for someone.
95. Write 10 Operation Beautiful notes and leave them in random places. (0/10)
96. Crochet something made entirely from recycled items.
97. Send all my neighbors Christmas goodies. (12/20/13)
98. Leave a 100% tip.
99. Send someone flowers.
100. Smile (big & intentional) at absolutely EVERYONE I pass by for a whole day.
101. Start a “Phantom” exchange in my apartment complex near Halloween.

What You Made Wednesday #3 with Linky

Welcome back to What You Made Wednesday, everybody!! I look forward to this day every week. Let's start off with what I did today.....

Duct Tape (Duck Tape) Headband!

I know, you're probably sick of me saying it, but I have to...... - I'm pretty much in love with it. It is made ENTIRELY out of Duct Tape (or as most people call it, Duck Tape..... I still call it Duct Tape, call me old-fashioned) and also Electrical Tape. Electrical Tape is great for the headband because on the off-chance that the headband size you order is too snug when you receive it, electrical tape can be stretched to your desired size! I still have a few more touches to add (maybe rhinestones? We will see....), and some model photos to take of it before it goes in my shop, but when it does it will be going for $4!! Such an awesome deal in my opinion.

And now for What YOU Made. Last week we had 7 entries, but the one that got the most likes was.....

Toeless Yoga Socks by Made by Meg!

Click the photo above to be taken directly to the listing. She has some other really neat stuff - ceramic tiles coasters, super cute coffee cozies, etc. So go show her shop some love!!

And now it's YOUR turn! Show me what you've been working on all week, I love looking at them. Remember that this Linky will be open until April 10 at 11:59PM, so if you don't have something to share yet you can always come back later in the week to share your stuff! Just remember to follow my blog -------------------> so that you can find your way back here later on. Also remember that the link-up with the most likes gets a special mention next week just like Meg did today, so tell your friends to vote for you!

'Til next time, thanks for reading! <3

~*~Gela~*~

Etsy Success Symposium

Well, originally my plan was to wake up on Friday morning, eat breakfast, then let the hubby take care of the kids while I bust out my notebook and watch the symposium all day.


........That didn't happen.


Life happened instead, and the hubby had one of those rare days where all he wants to do is spend time with me ( =O ), so I had to take him up on the opportunity and ended up spending most of the day with him. Not complaining! But because of this (and 2 screaming kids) I didn't catch as much of it as I would have liked. But this is what I caught.....

Storytelling: I don't know how much this relates to my product. I sell bows...... Not much of a story behind that other than maybe the decision that got me to choose to fabric and the style of the bow..... Not very interesting. I do think I need to go into more detail about how the bow is made though.  Like.... how I heat-seal all my bows' edges by hand from a candle to avoid fraying. That's important! It means that it's going to LAST. I should be telling my customers that. Definitely something to think about.


Prices: People don't buy into the "I'm selling amazing items for super low prices". I was selling bows for about $5 a piece..... That was almost no profit. But I thought to myself "I'm just starting out, people won't want to buy my stuff if it's too expensive, maybe I'll raise the prices later when my shop gets busier." ......But honestly, my customers are probably looking at my prices and saying "Wow, this bow must have been stapled together for that price." So I went back and repriced EVERYTHING. I gave them prices equivalent to how hard I worked on them instead of how much they costed to make. I need to start paying myself fairly. And you know what? I went back later and looked at my inventory in my shop with the raised prices, and magically felt BETTER about my work. I was definitely shortchanging myself. I also need to be able to hold sales and give out coupon codes without worrying about losing money on it. They need to be at a price where I will still be making profit even if I sold it 25% off or something. One person at the symposium pointed straight at the camera, and said something like "YOU ONLINE. Go to your store and double your prices right now. I'm serious." So I took that to heart, and I feel like my prices are more fair to me and also give proper credit to my bows and their quality now.


Photos: .......Oh my lord I have been over-exposing my photos to light. They all of a sudden look terrible to me!! One person at the symposium mentioned that if you're not sure if your photos are up to par, you should take some frequently Front Paged items and put them all in a treasury with one of your items to see if they blend together nicely. Mine totally don't. I feel like my bows are really like... IN YOUR FACE close to the camera. No bueno. Also, there was a little "commercial" between sessions that teaches you how to take proper and professional photos. I was already doing most of her techniques, but she said "Don't be afraid to experiment with props." And that is something that I haven't really done. I generally put the bow on the white paper, take a bunch of different angled photos, then slap it on my daughter and take some more photos. I should be trying them on teddy bears or in the foreground of some pretty jewelry that could work with it or something. I need to play around with it more and have fun with it.


Pinterest: ......Apparently a lot of Etsy traffic comes from Pinterest. I just barely joined this site myself.... And I still barely know how to work it. I need to figure it out. Seriously. If anyone has any tips or tricks about Pinterest, or just wants to teach me how to use it, I am open and thankful for your advice.


Craft Fairs: I really am interested in doing these some day, and those folks from Crafty Bastards really helped me see what will and won't work when that time comes for my business. How to decorate your booth, what to plan for, what to bring, what's important and what isn't, etc. I wish I had written down more notes about it to refer to later when my 1st craft fair comes up, but I didn't because I was busy holding a baby in my arms while watching. Bummer!! But hopefully with their guidance, my first attempt will be a fairly successful one. There are no craft fairs around these parts (I sound like such a hillbilly right there), but there is one in SLC every year. The deadline is coming WAY too soon for me to participate this year, but maybe next year I will attempt it. It should be a good starter fair before I (hopefully someday) move on to Renegade or even the Crafty Bastards showcase.


Well, I learned a lot. If you didn't catch it they still have all the videos available on the online labs page on Etsy, so you should check some of them out. Hope they help you as much as they have helped me so far!!


Remember to join me again tomorrow for Made of Money Monday #2!! I have some great stuff lined up. Thanks again for reading~! <3


~*~Gela~*~