Embroidery designs....

I have some adorable embroidery sets up for sale!  Check them out on my website
www.bellableuembroidery.com

Sewing machine.....

I dropped off my wonderful Viking Designer 1 sewing machine yesterday to get it checked out.  Now what I thought would be a simple timing issue since my needle position was off center turned into finding out the mother board was dying a slow death. 
This makes me so sad for three reasons.  
#1:  Not a simple fix today but will require major overhauling surgery (like my body lol)
#2:  When my Grandmother passed away I took the $3,000 that was left to me and bought this machine so I am very attached to it!
#3:  The thought of purchasing a new or a new used machine doesn't thrill me and I don't want to spend big bucks to get another machine.
So I made a few calls and decided to invest in my inheritance and get good ole Jasmine fixed but that won't be until next week when she can be scheduled in for her appointment.
Sad but fixable!
Many hugs to my Grandmother who taught me her passion of sewing for it has made me a very happy person...

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Ok, I haven't had a Mother in a while so it was really cool to buy a Mother's Day gift for my new Mother-in-Law this year.  Of course, my hubby isn't into shopping so he said get whatever! lol  WHATEVER!!!  So I searched and searched and came across this etsy designer who is amazing to work with!  If you need a hand stamped personalized necklack then check her out!  She is making my item into an ornament instead of a necklace because my MIL would appreciate it more...she is not a jewelry person!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61452772/hand-stamped-large-mothers-ring-sterling

I currently have some Mother's Day shirts up on etsy as well.  Check them out!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/5794052/mom-custom-my-fan-club-mouse-ears-tee
http://www.etsy.com/listing/72609591/mothers-grandmothers-day-family-child

What is Motivation? Inspiration?

I ran across this quote while searching for positive quotes this morning.
To succeed... You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you. 
~Tony Borsett


So it got me thinking, scary I now but it did.  I started to think about what motivates me.  Well the chance to stay at home and work on my business full time is a huge motivation.  I would rather work my own hours and be more satisfied in my end product then work for someone else and gain them satisfaction.  At one time I was able to stay at home but when the economy went into the bucket so did my days of staying at home raising the children.  So I am working my way out of that bucket and to me it is a long drawn out process but I keep doing it.  Each day I tell myself that I need to keep myself motivated in order to be positive to get back to where I once was....at home doing what I love and what I love is embroidery and sewing and having customers love my stuff and come back for more.


Inspiration...what inspires me?  Anything, everything, my moods, my day and my dreams.  When I was a child I wanted to be a lawyer and a fashion designer.  Weird combination but ok I went with it.  Well the closest I got to law was my business law class in college.  Which I loved and dreams of being a fashion designer well..........I get to play with that each time I get into my fabric closet.  Closet is an understatement...ok so closet, boxes, bins, fabric stashed here and there calling me to pull them next and cut them and turn them into something fun and crazy!


I completed a couple dresses last night.  I have to take my sewing machine in since it went off center!  I am hoping for just a tune up and it will be ok.  My machine is like my baby.....when my Grandmother who taught me how to sew passed away and left me a little money I went out and purchased my sewing machine.  I think that is a great tribute to her and I don't want it to stop working for it would make me very sad.  This holiday weekend it will take a break and she will go into the sewing machine hospital and get looked at.  I know I will have withdrawals since I am just starting to sew again!
Here is what I made that will make it to etsy soon! http://www.etsy.com/people/littlechaz

European inspired Women's skirt size large/xl

Back view: European inspired Women's skirt size large/xl

Adorable Pillowcase dress out of retired Merrimeko fabric

Another view of the pillowcase dress size 12-18 mths

Fun European fabric Women's skirt size Small-medium

Today was customer request for embroidery design day!

I had a very fun customer that wanted me to create some embroidery designs for her.  So I spent the weekend having a little fun and then testing them out today.  She loved them.  So I will add them to my website soon!  Here is what I digitized....please no copying and having other digitizers make the work....respect goes a long way and it says a lot about a person who buys from the original digitizer.

Inbound Marketing....

I know the wave of today's marketing is in bound marketing...you know social media!  it is the best and most cost effective way to market now days.  Sometimes I find myself spending hours and hours on the computer and for what?  I hope to get a return on my investment (=time) to get people to come to my website, my blog, or my etsy account and show people what I have to offer.  I hope that I can spark an interest and get a follower, fan or someone who loves to comment on my work and I hope that leads to a customer aka buyer and designer aka seller relationship.  They do not need to buy every time they come to one of my sites but maybe they will see something that they send to a friend and boom.....another relationship happens!  I watched a really interesting power point presentation about "in bound marketing" and it inspired this blog today.
How many people market on facebook?  how many people are successful on selling off facebook?  I am in the early stages on facebook with my business and I have very few followers or likers if you wish to call it that.  I have watched others come into the game and boom they have 1,000 followers in a month.  I keep wondering how that is happening and what in the world I am missing!!!  usually I am banging my head against the wall during that time but it doesn't  help.  Then I see those very same people who rise to facebook like success start tooting their own horns.  Does that make a customer want their products more and they are willing to pay more?  Does price really make a customer think either the product is cheap if it is inexpensive or better quality it's very over priced?  Questions Questions Questions?

Belly Baby & Beyond Show

I am very excited I have a show coming up this Saturday called Belly Baby & Beyond.  It is here in Rochester Hills, MI and I am looking forward to cleaning out some of my blank stash and embroidering it up and sew some new stuff that I have been wanting to!!!

For you chocolate lovers....EASY Mississippi Mud Pie

Sharing a fantastic recipe for Mississippi Mud Pie:


Ingredients
·         1 store-bought chocolate pie crust
·         1 quart coffee ice cream, softened
·         1 tub whipped cream
·         1 package slivered/sliced almonds
·         1 can chocolate syrup   

Instructions
1.      Put softened ice cream into piecrust and smooth.
2.      Pour chocolate syrup over smoothed ice cream until the top is covered with a layer of the syrup (you will not need the whole can).
3.      Place in freezer until set (approx. 20 min.).
4.      Spread on whipped cream (enough to cover pie).
5.      Drizzle with chocolate syrup, and sprinkle with almonds. Return to freezer to set for about 1 hour.  

Hippity Hoppity and Floppity

No, I am not a Beanie baby fan but it sounded cute for my new easter shirts....which btw are NOT bunnies but rather adorable little chicks.
Ok, so every year I start singing that song...you don't the one...Little Bunny Foo foo hopping through the forest, picking up the field mice and bopping them on the head....yeah I know I am a dork but it's ok it keeps me sane! lol
I have created two adorable silly chicks just in time for Easter!  You can find them on my etsy page and I hope to get them up on my website soon.....my goal is by tomorrow!
These are available in ss white shirts and onesies!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/70134107/custom-applique-personalized-easter

slacker

ok, so I am a slacker only on this blog...however I am not a slacker in real life.  I find myself working all hours of the day and night and sometimes I don't know if I have gotten anything accomplished.  Do you ever feel that way?
Anyhow, I am off and running I signed up for my first show of the 2011 year!! Yeah!  I am so excited and it also means I need to get myself in gear and start doing that thing that I love to do......EMBROIDERY!!!  I have been working on some fun burps, onesies and throwing in the special orders I get from customers and trying to find my way into having enough stuff to sell at my little show.

It seems that whenever I want to sit down and look for some design to embroider I tend to get carried away looking at facebook, searching other design websites and I really need to stop myself....am I the only one that does that??  I am sure I am not but it would make me feel better if I knew someone else was a bad as me! lol