back to my roots!

Over the holidays I didn't have enough time to make all of my clothing from scratch to fulfill the amount of shows/inventory I would need. (Again, reminder to self for next year: DON'T SIGN UP FOR SO MANY SHOWS!!)  I had a lot of fun doing applique to hoodies, shirts and tees but never thought it would be a main focus for me. I will be scaling down on my inventory of those items and most likely not reordering to make more.  I'll be listing them in the etsy shop over the next few weeks, so if you see something you like, snatch it up because chances are that I will not be making them anymore. 

 While weighting the pros and cons I really can't tell you how much I enjoy making my clothing from scratch but that being said, who doesn't enjoy a nice fitting cozy hoodie?  I have quite a few different sizes, styles, colors, etc. that will be listed over the next few weeks.  I *may* keep one style/color of hoodie but haven't decided if it's something I want to continue carrying. 

I'll also be working on my spring line! What are some colors you'd like to see for spring? 

Mistakes and Why I'm so bad at blogging

Consistently I set a goal for myself to blog once a week. And. Well. It just doesn't happen. I don't know why I can't find the time to keep things up to date on here. I find time to look at craig's list 10 times a day, check my e-mail 20 and stare at etsy for hours on end.

I HAVE set a goal for myself for the new year: Not to bite off more than I can chew! This past holiday season year was absolutely insane. I learned a lot! I try not to look at my mistakes as mistakes but to learn from them for next year. I signed myself up for too many craft shows this past year. It left me tired, weary, disorganized, tired, unprepared, and tired. I had too much inventory. I bought WAY too many supplies that I now have to figure out what to do with.

Things I need to remember for this year and especially next holiday season:

• Stick local during crazy times of the year! This year I traveled to Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago and San Francisco all within two weeks of each other.  I closed my etsy shops down during the busiest time of the year.  While I had a super duper awesome time, I was way too stressed out about traveling (hoping there were no cancellations), mailing my stuff to other states (and crossing my fingers that it would get there without any mishaps), finding my way around an unfamiliar city (luckily my awesome friends + Mike's family made this super easy).  Next year I need to focus on etsy, apply to local shows, and even consider renegade again if I can find someone local there to vend for me.

• Avoid facebook! I spend way too much time dilly dallying around social networking sites.  Sometimes it's pertinent to work, most of the time I am just farting around, looking at pictures, lalalalalala and there goes an hour here, half hour there. This is valuable time that I could be using in much more productive manners. 

• Stay neat and organized. I can't tell you how much time I've wasted looking for my scissors, tape, etc. It is so much easier to function in a clean and tidy space.  I have definitely been getting better at this since I moved this past year but I am just naturally a messy person. What can I say? 

• Make friends.  I don't mean for this to sound as pathetic as it does. I really am not pathetic but I live in rural Vermont, you have to actually make plans and stick to them to see other people. When you work from home like me several days can go by where the only people I interact with are Mike, Liane at the post office (Hi Liane!),  and my dogs. See, I just called my dogs people.  One thing I really miss about having a regular job (probably the only thing I miss) is awesome coworkers. During the summer and holiday season I do enough craft fairs where I feel like I have coworkers. Awesome coworkers that are all super talented. I miss them. Um, hey guys. Want to come over for dinner? 
• EatDrinkSleep Ahhhh. Winter weight and brain fog. It's definitely hard to convince myself to go outside for a walk on certain days. Especially when it happens to be -10 or so but that cold air (maybe not that cold) keeps things running!  I've noticed after several days without much exercise that not only does the the physical activity help me during these cold dark days of winter but the fresh air really helps my brain feel a little less like a pile of mush. I am signing up for yoga classes today and also physical therapy!...which brings me to my next point also about taking care of yourself. 
• Invest in things that lighten your load. Before I do one more show, I am buying a push cart that makes sense. I remember my friends Jess and Moe saying that if you have to make more than two trips to load in or out, you're doing something wrong.  Oh.. so.. you mean my at least 5 trips unless someone is helping me could be improved? Duh. I need a push cart that holds a lot!  I need to pack my things better, but I really need a big push cart. I need to lift things properly and adjust my posture when sitting at the computer or sewing machine for hours on end. Take care of yourself.  You won't say to yourself "Oh I shouldn't have signed up for that physical therapy or yoga class" 10 years down the road but you might catch yourself saying the opposite. 

Anywho! That's it for now. I will try to blog more!