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?