Craftin' Outlaws Show

This past weekend I set up shop for the first time at Craftin Outlaws.  I was excited, exhausted and anxious to see how things would go and what my booth would look like once completely set up.

It was very difficult preparing for this show.  I was so excited to have been accepted, only two find out shortly after that I needed to have surgery on my knee, which resulted in six weeks of crutches. However, I was determined to be there.  With so much help from my dad, (those words don't even do it justice...) I was able to still participate!  Together we had hand cut and sewn/hand sewn 175+ dog collar accessories and set up our booth with four (really cool I might add) spray painted ironing board displays.
I seriously couldn't believe we did it all in time!

The show was a success for LBF and I will keep applying in the future.  I can't say thank you enough to everyone that helped along the way and to my amazing friends and bother-in-law + sister-in-law that drove up from Dayton to see me!  I am so blessed to have such supportive people in my life.  This show was a lot of fun, and I was glad to be a part of it.

Thank you to everyone that has called, texted, or emailed me about my recovery and my show.
My shop is now open again, with plenty of ready to ship collar accessories!

Recovering

This past week I have been recovering from my knee surgery.  It's been a lot of sleeping, a little bit of pup snuggling and a lot of boredom.  

My surgery went really well on Wednesday, despite my nerves getting the best of me.  The doctor said my cartilage was able to be repaired instead of removed which is a great thing for the future of my knee.  This means I am not as likely to have as many problems with arthritis and fluid buildup in years to come.  What this does mean is that my recovery time is 6 weeks on crutches without any weight on my left knee.  Doctors orders, and I am going to make sure I don't let him down.  

With this being said, I think I am going to hang out at my parents house a little longer.  I am going to take advantage of always having someone here to help me with something...just in case.  My parents house is perfect for the injured and the elderly with a first floor livable space, a ramp up to their front door, a walk in shower and a retired dad that is able to help me with anything I might need and keep me company.  Six weeks is a long time, and I think I will feel more stable on crutches and ready to go home after spending the first two weeks here at my parents.  

This means I am hoping to return to my studio space next week!  My lead time will change to accommodate for my gimpy leg, but I will be excited to have things to do and fabric to play with.  

As for now, my dad has a mini sewing station set up in their dining room for me to work on simple projects.  It's so cute; I sew, then he irons.

I'm really thankful for my parents and appreciate all the texts, comments and emails.  The pups and husband visit me and Stanlee even got the special treat of staying the night with me on Saturday.  I think he's really missed his momma ;)

More updates to come.  

Stanlee Smiles

Stanlee is such an expressive pup.  Sometimes I look at him and think, you're so happy right now, aren't you?!  I love this picture of him when we were hiking in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park last spring.  I think this was one of those moments I will always remember as Stanlee looking really happy.  If you look closely, you can almost see a smile on his precious face.  I'm ready for warm weather and more adventures like this one.

Time Off

Starting on Monday the 25th, my shop will go on "vacation mode" for a short while.  For some reason Etsy only allows you to title time away from your shop as a vacation?  Oh how I wish I was taking a road trip to an adventurous town with good food...

What I will be doing is having work done on my knee, and we are unsure what the recovery will be like.  There are two ways it could go, and I won't know the outcome until I wake up from surgery and the doc tells me how it went.  Either way, I am not sure when I will be feeling mobile and returning to my sewing room.  I will keep everyone posted and for now am planning on closing the shop on Monday the 25th to leave me with two days to complete orders and ship before my scheduled surgery date.  The plan is to reopen as soon as possible, but I advise getting orders in this week in case I am away longer than expected.  

I hope the pups are prepared for an extra snuggly week next week.

Keep Trying

Print Via Etsy

This week I got an exciting email congratulating me on being a vendor to an upcoming indie craft show in Columbus.

I couldn't believe it! 

Little Blue Feathers was in.

I applied for this show two years in a row and was denied two years in a row.  Each year I have made improvements in product quality, professionalism and photography, so I tried again hoping these changes would put my application on top.  I think that is important, to always be on the look out for ways to improve.  It not only makes the acceptance email sweeter, but it's rewarding to look back to a year ago and see how much has changed.

Hard work always pays off, and I am so glad I kept trying.  Reading "congratulations" in my email was a rush of excitement.  I hope this reminds you to never give up.
"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try."
And in some cases, to keep trying.

Come by and say hi?  ;)

Show information:

Craftin' Outlaws

April 20th

Downtown Columbus, OH

Veterans Memorial 

10am - 6am