www.liveluscious.etsy.com

www.liveluscious.etsy.com

A mom contacted me to make two large tote bags for her twin girls who will be born around Thanksgiving. She wants one to be a cupcake and one a piece of candy~~ I am thinking "lollipop" so that she can put all of their hospital papers and things in their own bag. Then, she can direct her husband to the cupcake or the candy bag. She is so nervous and excited. it is really cute. Also, cute that people are just trusting me completely to create items that will be a part of very important occasions~~ births, birthday, and holidays. I love this job! I love what I do. It is really fun :)

Now back to 15 pumpkins onesies! lol

These are the words written by E.M Forster at the beginning of "Howard's End."  I loved that book. I felt it in every fibre of my being. I craved "connection," love, home, family. Everything that Howard's End grew to symbolize. I remember writing a paper in graduate school called "The Practical and the Poetic: An Antidote to the Daily Grey." I compared the Schlegel's to a world of art, culture and color in direct contrast to the dull, grey business like demeanor of the Wilcox's . I wanted to love a Leonard Baste. I needed the practical business acumen of a Wilcox.

I have often spoken of images, of bridges. These are my symbolic hopes for the connection Forster spoke of. I have always felt "alone" even in enormous crowds. Always the outsider, the poet, the philosopher, the observer. I have never felt, except on my mission, any real possibility for "connection in this world."  Love has come to me and left. My heart has been bereft. I have been feeling with all of my health problems that I might leave this earth before I ever felt I was here. My children have been my greatest achievement. But, I don't own them. As much as i love them, more and more I have to let them grow free. They are both now taller than me!

And, then suddenly: Color, I brought color into my own life when I was absolutely down and despondent sick at heart and sick in body. I wondered if I would ever feel well enough again to really enjoy the beauty of the out doors. This past six months has been the most excruciatingly, physically painful time of my entire life. Sometimes I can't even believe it is my life.

And so I chose color to save me. I spent every last penny I had on beautiful fabrics. Each day my mailbox felt like a holiday as i opened the packages and surrounded myself in piles of colorful fabric. I truly had no idea what i was going to do with it.

I just knew it was the antitdote to everything that had become my dull, grey life.

And so, i made things. And on them, I appliqued little pieces of my heart. This heart that has been so teased and taunted for being childlike and impractical and not of this world. And it was as if a floodgate came loose as i began to simply create from my heart.

Seventy orders in 17 days. I have boutiques BEGGING me to wholesale to them. Everybody loves the COLORS!

And, oddly enough, twenty years later, what i had written was almost prophetic~~ I had found an "antidote" to the daily grey and a way to connect with hundreds of people on a heartfelt level~~ through COLOR!

I am astounded and grateful. It's not about the money at all. It is about the fact that I am art and I am creation. We all are, really!

And I have never felt so valued for who I truly am.

This is a week I don't ever want to forget.

www.liveluscious.etsy.com

I got my first wholesale order!!!!!  Yay me :)

I have agreed to make a "mommy" pumpkin t shirt. But, I am putting my foot down on the reindeer. No respectable grown female should walk around with a reindeer on her chest imho :)

www.liveluscious.etsy.com

30 orders in less than two weeks~~ YIKES

So, I was at Carter's tonight buying my usual pile of onesies and painter's pants, and I spied the cutest little boy cords. I don't know why, but I love those things :) And it reminded me of when Hunter was a baby and we used to call him Huntybear :) So, in honor of my little Huntiebear~~ I bought cords and turtlenecks and I am going to do something boyish and bearish and cute! Yep~~ after I get my 30 orders out. haha. Tomorrow is going to be an assembly line day. Go me!

Also much to Emma's consternation, I bought OshKosh denim short overalls. I love those things! She said, "Mom, when was the last time you saw anybody in short overalls?" I don't know. I don't care. I put my kids in those things all of the time, and I think they are cute. Who knew I was in this business to make myself happy?! lol

but such is the way of an online store~~ so, here is my first offering for Christmas. Pretty sweet!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31915435

I am so exhausted. I am barely getting any sleep. Running an online business is a 24/7 thing. I am going to have to set boundaries. I need sleep, food, and rest. I have had 14 orders this week. They run anywhere from one item to twenty. I do not want to think about how many "things" I have to make. I just take it one day at a time; plan out what needs to get out that day, and hope for the best :)

Yikes! My store has been open less than a week, and I am completely swamped. I am not complaining. Just really tired!!! And interviewing sewing contractors this week. I got an order for 20 custom Tiny Totes today.  Now that is intimidating.

my house is a wreck; my kids are living on Cup O Noodles, I have 30 items to sew before Monday, soooooooooooooo woohoo it looks like I am "in business!!!!"

Today one of my customers said that my pumpkin shirt was by far the prettiest one on the entire etsy site. Wow.

Hunter's response to that was, "You are like Martha Stewart but without the evil!" lol nutty boy :)

Just two more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yay!

I'm up to seven sales! I need three more~~ :) And a shout out and heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Picasso who put my link up on her Journal!

www.liveluscious.etsy.com

Alrighty folks I am up and running on Etsy! Just got my first few sales. My goal is 10! Come help me out and do a little early holiday shopping. My surboards sold out. I will re-post them tomorrow for the boysies!



http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7732535&view_type=gallery

ok, now what should I make to go in between? diaper cover? ruffled bell-bottoms? mini skirt out of green corduroy?

Homeschooling Emma is working. She is so relaxed. Today I actually caught her cleaning up a mess I had made sewing in the kitchen. Now that is a first!!!