getting back into the swing of things

for this post, i'll be keeping things short and sweet since i have tons to do! i was very slack over the last month and am now paying for my laziness with a seemingly endless list of things to catch up on! i've decided to start my own website and online shop so i'm doing all the research for that that i possibly can so that i can get some good results throughout the year...i don't hold out hope for becoming a huge success, i would just like some business and gradual growth. i've taken the first steps and bought myself the domain name for the next 2 years, just have to get around to creating the site and finding a web host!

also, i've decided to increase my inventory so i have more to offer. with that decision, i've signed myself up for creating more so that's going to keep me busy for the next month as well. with all the creating, making, and eventual picture taking and editing, my house and blogging may just fall by the wayside at least temporarily! i'll try my best to keep the house at least livable for my families sake and well, the blogging has always been sporadic so i make no apologies for not keeping up with that!

so, now i'm off to make up more bows and headbands, as well as more necklaces and bracelets...maybe i'll get to some earrings, too! i'm gradually getting back into the pre-holiday swing of things!

i'm really lazy and that's not good!

i have so much that i need to do before christmas and i'm just not into doing any of it! i had grand ambitions of making quilts for all the nieces and nephews, but didn't get them started in time and have now changed my mind and plans! i've been spending more time working on hair bows, headbands, and clips for my shop so i've been neglecting all other things...including the house! (hubby's not terribly pleased with the house neglect!)

today is already starting to seem like it will be one of those lazy days when i just don't want to do anything, but i know that i need to since i have a showing tomorrow night! i also have some sewing projects to get to for gifts they just aren't quilts so they won't take nearly as long. i also have an order for some crochet food that i need to get done this week, with a possible order for more. so i have things to do i just put them off as long as i possibly can and that's not always a good thing! oh well, guess i should get to it all, that's always the first step to change...just get up and do it!

i'm so excited, my business cards arrived today!

my really nice, professional business cards came today so i'm off to a pretty good start with my crafty little business! i've had a good month with a couple sales in my etsy shop and a home show at trisha's house, i'm hoping for at least one more home show in december, possibly two.

now, i'm not expecting to be completely profitable for at least 6 months and i'm alright with that. my eventual dream would be a booth at some local craft shows. i'm headed to one tonight to get some inspiration, ideas and possible tips! i'm just so excited! i try to pimp my products as much as i can! there's no real point to this post...i just wanted to say that i'm so excited!

visit my store! http://chunkybugdesigns.etsy.com

i've been busy...really, i have!

well, i'm finally updating my blog and there's just so much that i've been doing and i don't know where to start! i did finish the wedding quilt for my brother and his wife, just in time for the wedding. luke was driving up to the pre-ceremony picture site as i was finishing attaching the binding, but it was done and that's all that mattered to me! it seems to be the way quilts work out for me when they are gifts...i'm always finishing them literally right before handing them over! it's prograstination on my part and i know it, as hard as i try i just can't (or won't) change that part of me! i can always say that i do my best under pressure!

my newest craft obsession is hair bows, included in that would be hair clippies and headbands. i'm not really sure why i decided to try my hand at hair accessories since my daughter doesn't really wear them, but now i've started them and i love making them. so logically the next step was to start selling them and i finally opened my etsy shop on november 1! i need to add more items and plan to this weekend, but at least i have a few things to get me started!

my etsy shop, www.chunkybugdesigns.etsy.com, has my hair clippies and some of my jewelry. i couldn't quite decide what to sell and had just planned on the hair clips but a friend asked about my jewely so i figured i'd throw that in there, too! so now my store is a little hod-podge of jewelry and hair clips...soon to have tons more things after i take more pictures! i've already sold a few things and "hosted" a showing last night where i sold more things and have the potential for putting on another show next month! yea, for me, i'm finally going to be able to support my craft habit!

searching for an iron

well, my iron died sometime yesterday so all my fabric projects are on hold until i can get to the store and get a new one. i'm not looking forward to that since i'll have to take jordan with me and it'll be one of those hurried trips to target or walmart and i'll just pick something that will work without worrying about any bells or whistles. i'd really like a nice, pricey iron that will never die, but sadly can't justify the cost right now. guess it's always that way for me...all the things i want are high priced and never in the budget!

so i'm off to the stores to get a new iron and will hopefully be back to work on clothes and quilts tonight. i got some new fabric to make jordan more dresses and am very excited about getting those done...it's amazing how much fabric excites me these days!

remembering when i just had one child

yesterday my hubby had me dig through some of our boxes of stuff in the overcrowded abyss we call the garage, to find him old pictures of when he was young and unmarried! as i was looking i came across some of our old family pics, too and started remembering what it was like with just one child and way less stress and noise! so i just wanted to share a couple pics of my first born being silly, modeling one of my first crochet hats, and eating on the couch that i obviously didn't care about getting dirty! the days were much quieter but i really wouldn't change the way things are now...even as the children yell at each other while i type this!

so i'm off to the garage again to find more pics since i didn't find exactly what my hubby was looking for...so much for resting on my butt all day! you know at some point i really should clean out the garage and go through everything we have in there...but it just overwhelms me so i'll wait til we're ready to move again in about 2 years!

i love pillowcase dresses!

my little model, showing off the "olivia" pillowcase dress!

i finally got off my lazy butt, started making dresses for jordan for the upcoming fall/winter seasons and found that i love making pillowcase dresses! they are super easy and quick to make, the three dresses i've made so far only took a couple days...i would have been done sooner if i didn't insist on doing a million other things at the same time! i still have a few more dresses to make for her in the coming days and fully plan on getting them done by the first of oct only because it's getting colder and that damn wedding quilt keeps calling my name!

now, since i do have a "knack" for making super quick and easy dresses for my daughter and she's still at the age where mom clothes are just fine with her, i plan on taking full advantage of that! it saves me a ton on clothes for her since she insists on wearing dresses and in most cases i can just use the fabric that i already have. i will confess that i do tend to overbuy, whether fabric, beads, yarn, or whatever craft related thing i'm into at the moment so there is virtually no shortage of supplies in my house at any given time! so that makes things much easier when the mood strikes me to be creative, it drives my husband crazy but it keeps me happy...and that's really all that matters sometimes! for example, having extra fabric came in handy this past summer when i decided on july 3 to make a july 4th dress for jordan! see, further proof that i wait until the last minute to do things!


the orange and purple dress is for clemson, we're not really clemson fans but my hubby wanted something for jordy to wear to aggravate his dad and i just couldn't bring myself to spend $40+ on a cheerleader outfit! the pink dress has little pink ribbons for breast cancer on it and was supposed to be an actual pillowcase but i, obviously, had to make it into a dress!