Papa Feather

This week I am preparing to reopen my shop!  It's been a really nice one month vacation and my sewing machine and I are together again at last.  

I think about the end of last year and how much my dad helped me.  Willingly he would come over to my apartment at least once a week and would sit in my little studio space, listen to music, cut fabric and we would talk about whatever it was that was on our minds that day.  We would often joke about the fact that we never thought I would be back in Dayton so soon, running a handmade sewing business with two dogs and making bow ties.  What is even more funny to us though, is that we never thought my dad would have retired from his family business by the age that he did, and become his daughter's assistant with her handmade business sewing accessories for dogs!  My mom and husband get a kick out of it too.

My dad is someone who is very special to me.  I've always felt like he understands me and comes from a creative mindset himself.  He has encouraged me from day one with Little Blue Feathers and has never once told me he didn't think it would work, or that I should wait to pursue my dreams or business.  My dad has pushed me to think about new designs and given me input on fabric types that would sell well in his opinion.  He proudly keeps a stack of business cards in his wallet and has promoted LBF to people like his dentist, people in line at McDonalds, friends at church and just about anyone that talks about their dogs while he is around.  I call him my lead marketer!

Something I always value about my dad is his advice.  My dad and his family ran a successful carpet business for many years.  He is always starting out sentences with, "I know carpet is different than accessories, but I always found that....."  or "I know how you feel.  With the carpet business I would...."

Although our businesses were worlds apart (fun fact, my family ran their business successfully with NO computers!  Craaaaazy, right?!  My business wouldn't even exist without a computer!) he always has a story to compare situations that can help me through a little rut.  My dad has always taught me that if you are going to do something, you do it right.  I've also learned from my dad that it might take a little extra time to do something a certain way, but it's worth doing it right the first time than going back and trying to correct something that would have just taken an extra minute to do the first time.  That dad of mine, he's a smart cookie.

I am glad that my dad is continuing to help myself and LBF.  Around here, Papa Feather has become a big part of my business and I am very thankful to have the opportunity to live close to each other and have this father-daughter bonding time.  I will treasure this time together always.  

Defeated

Above is a happy picture of the pups hanging out the window of my car.  Happy, healthy pups they are in this photo.
Today, this wasn't the case.

You might remember my post talking about Stanlee (the white boston that does all of my modeling) and his anxiety and allergies issues.  Miley and Stanlee are both boston terriers and both have a history of skin allergies.  For some reason, we happen to own probably the two most sensitive BTs and recently the allergies have been defeating me.

After finding out Stanlee had a severe allergy to a specific mold, we began his immunotherapy injections yesterday to help tame his allergies.  He spent the day at the vet while they monitored his reaction to his first injection, and all went well.  Now it is back every 4-5 days for the next month and a half, and then they will slow down to only once a month.

This morning, our other boston, Miley, broke out in hives all over her face and eyelids.  The poor girl just wanted to play with her rope when we came in from our morning walk and after we ate breakfast.  I had a nice little Tuesday planned...quilting lesson with my husband's grandma, orders to fill and inventory to finish and take to new stores tomorrow.  Well, this put a little set back on my day.  Actually, I wish we could wake up and do this day all over again...

I'm honestly not even sure what happened.  Maybe a reaction to a bug bite from one of the plants she was sniffing?  Maybe she touched a plant or grass that had just been chemically treated at our apartment?  The vet wasn't sure, but something this morning happened, and suddenly we found ourselves in the vet office again having to leave her there all day to monitor her eyes and her swelling.

Let's see, that would be two pups, two vet visits and five shots later...and it's only Tuesday.

Today I let the allergies get the best of me, and I feel very defeated.  

We have adjusted everything possible recommended by five different vets to help our pups live an allergy free life.  Special food, regular doses of Benadryl, fragrance free detergents, air tight food containers, fish oil, not leaving them outside....yep, we've tried a lot of different things.

As frustrating as it is, and as defeated as I feel, I can't help but look at their little faces and feel bad for them and realize that it isn't their fault.  They are great pups and I love them no matter what the issue, cost or adjustments have to be.

I'm thankful tomorrow is a new day.

Moving

photo source: Alain Delorme

It was one year ago exactly that my husband started his new position here in northeast Ohio.  

{My husband works for a large freight company that originated in Ohio and is located in several cities across the midwest.}  

Today marks the end of my husband's time here and although his service center is proud, they are very sad to see him go.  Yesterday I attended his going away lunch party, and it was very nice to hear the amount of people come up to me and say how much they are going to miss him.  It's a great feeling knowing that the dedication and hard work he has put into this company is not only being rewarded, but it is very visible and appreciated.  And today, I have an emotional heart for my husband's last day, and his good-byes he has to say to some of his favorite employees yet.

This will be our fourth move in four years, and after one year in the Cleveland/Akron area, it is time to say goodbye and move to our next location - southwest Ohio.

It's bittersweet in a way.

This new job offer is an amazing opportunity for my husband, we will be closer to family, I will have more help with LBF if/when needed during busy seasons and we will get to spend more time with our always-growing-too-quickly nephews and niece. 

Although there are so many wonderful things coming from this move, it will be hard to leave our lives here.  The past year we have discovered so many hidden gems in northeast Ohio and made great friends along the way.  It's never easy to leave people you love in a city you love, but I know this past year was more than just a location for my husband and I.  It's our way of life.  No matter where we live, we will find new adventures.  We will seek out local places and friendly faces, and for this I am excited to see what lies ahead in out new city.  In two weeks from today, I will finish packing up our apartment and move into our new place.  I'm 100% sure there will be tears but don't mind them, they will be good tears associated with good memories and faces I had the pleasure of meeting along the way.  I'm ready for the next chapter!

Handmade Print By Vol 25

On my heart: Shark Pups

Last autumn, I started a second blog called Shark Pups.  I had full intentions of creating two separate blogs, shops, FB and twitter accounts; one of which would be only LBF clothing and designs with the other only dog accessories and pup stories.  

What I realized last year was that this idea was not realistic for me at the time, and that I struggled balancing the two and marketing for both.  So, the Shark Pups blog hasn't been touched since December of  last year, even though I have thought about it often.

Last year when I was still very new to blogging, I thought that it needed to be a list of all these specific things in order for it to be considered a successful blog.

Great layout and design.

5+ posts a week.

Consistency.

Quality content.

When I got a little overwhelmed with the two, I decided to let that one go and focus solely on Little Blue Feather {blog, shop, FB and twitter} and thought maybe it just wasn't right timing to start Shark Pups.  What I have now learned is that my second blog doesn't have to sit on the back burner, that I can create with it what I want to.

Looking at the Shark Pups blog now, I have a different perspective.  

Since the beginning of 2012, our immediate and extended family has lost a few very loved pups in their lives; dogs that have traveled with them, shared memories like their wedding, first house and helped get the owners through hard times.  

This week my in-laws lost their boxer in an emergency surgery to try and repair his intestine that was knotted together.  Unfortunately, Louis wasn't able to be saved and I have been shocked by the news all week.  To make it even harder, Louis was the son of my brother-in-laws boxer that passed away of old age a month ago.  Both of these boxers were so loved by the family and it is really hard to think they are no longer with us.

I look at Miley and Stanlee everyday and I am overwhelmed by the love that I have for them.  I was never a dog lover until I joined the Sharkey family and now I totally get it.  They give you a feeling that I never understood until recent years.  I used to have sensitive feelings toward negative comments when people teased me about my love for the dogs, or that I was a little overboard with them, but now it doesn't phase me.  Yes, I am a really proud pup momma.  They are my companions throughout the day when I am working from home and they make me smile, laugh and touch my heart every. single. day.

Because I know they won't be with me forever {and I have a really hard time with that} I want to pick back up with my Shark Pups blog.  This time, I don't care about the numbers, if I am getting traffic to my shop or if my posts are consistent.  I want this other blog of mine to be documentation of our life with them.  I want to share all of the hilarious things Miley does, the jokes we say about Stanlee, share photos of things we do together, write posts from their perspective and overall remember all the things I love so much about them.  And along the way, I want to document all of the other shark pups in our family.  I will still share pupdates on this blog, but I want a separate place to look back and remember.  

I know the next time we are in town, Miley will be searching all over the place for Lou, her first buddy and roommate when we added her to our family.  

And it will break my heart.    

So this is not only an update on Shark Pups, but to also say that if you have a blog, you can create it to be whatever you want.  Document your life, share photos, write notes to your future self or just plain share randomness about your two little pups that you are mildly obsessed with.  

It's your own little space.

Write freely.

A hobby vs. a handmade business

Something on my heart lately is the difference between a hobby and a handmade business, and how to effectively price your handmade items to have a successful business.  Because these are two different posts surrounding a similar topic, I decided to do a part 1 and a part 2.

Handmade dog bow-ties by Little Blue Feather

Part 1: A hobby vs. a handmade business

Lately I have thought a lot about what makes your craft a hobby vs. a business.  Sometimes I find myself stumbling over words to try and describe what I do to people.  I always fear the comments I might receive about my blog and Etsy shop not being a "real" job, or that it might be a little silly that this is what I am working toward for my job.  

  

You see, there is a huge difference in a hobby vs having a handmade business.  The work involved in maintaining an online handmade shop is more in depth than what people might see on the surface.  

A hobby is something a person does in their free time for fun.  It is not their main occupation.

A handmade business is someone {and possibly small team} making items from their own hands, designs and ideas in their workspace with the intention of selling those items to make money.

A hobby is something you do for enjoyment; maybe a craft you give someone as a gift or a small collection of your craft to display at your home.  Usually a hobby isn't an everyday thing.  While I love what I do, I would have to say that repetitiveness can take the joy out of making a specific item.  Screen printing a boston terrier shirt is not as exciting now as the first couple that I made, because you get used to doing it after a while.  This is what motivates a business owner to constantly be thinking about new ideas, designs, colors and fabrics.  Ya know, to keep things fresh!

For an online handmade business owner {like thousands on Etsy} to sell their items, there are several things that need to happen.

The items need to:

• be made
• photographed
• listed to their site with descriptions, photos, and prices 
• labeled
• packaged
• shipped 
• market items through social media, blogs, events and word of mouth.  
• maintain your blog and site
• answer emails and custom request
• .....

In addition to that, a shop owner must always think about what's coming up; holidays, seasonal items, new designs and so on.  It's a balance that needs to happen in order to fill current orders, but add new items for returning customers.

For me, Little Blue Feather is always on my mind.  Updating listings, new designs, blog posts, events, shows, sponsoring blogs, marketing, creating, fabric/supply shopping, answering Etsy messages, and the list goes on.  It isn't something that I easily can turn off the switch.

When you buy handmade you are supporting a person that is putting their passion into a business.  You can look at the work they have done in the items they are selling, but also in their photography, marketing and listing descriptions and pricing.  There is a connection you can make with the handmade business owner and their community when you purchase online.  I hope you discover some talented handmade designers to support in 2012!

Source: google.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Check out these great sites listed below:
Etsy is a great place to shop handmade and vintage.

An article on buying handmade:
http://www.handmadeology.com/reasons-to-buy-handmade/

linking up with Casey's blog:

Why I started a blog

Last Spring I decided to start my blog journey.  When I think back to what prompted my Little Blue Feather blog, it was mainly inspired from discovering so many new blogs at that time.  Before 2011, I didn't realized a blog community existed, let alone the fact that anyone could create a blog.  I stumbled across blogs of all kinds; lifestyle, DIY/craft and fashion blogs that were inspiring to read.  So without much research, I dove into starting my own.  At first, I wasn't quite sure exactly what my blog purpose would be and chose random topics that I thought I could write about.  I can say that I have learned a lot along the way, as with anything you get better with time and practice.   

When I first started my blog, I hoped it would get my name and shop out into the online world, but I didn't realize it would be much more than that.  

Blogging for me has turned into something I really enjoy and want to include in my everyday.  My blog has connected me with amazing women {some that are also handmade business owners}, it has reminded me to take more pictures, try new things and document more of the lovely little things in life.  Maintaining a blog isn't always easy and sometimes I struggle to find ideas, but I am motivated to keep writing.

Today starts a new e-course I decided to participate in to build a blog you truly love with Liv Lane.  I saw a link from one of the bloggers that is included in the interview series of the course and decided spur of the moment to sign up.  With this course I will learn more on how to turn this little online space of mine into something I really love and ways to keep the ideas flowing.  I will be encouraged to find my voice, better define my purpose and share my story through quality posts.   I'm so excited to get started and grow my blog with you!

Relying on each other

It is funny for me to think back to when Justin and I got engaged.  I was finishing up my 5th year at Ohio State (I was a little slow to graduate ;) ) and we were excited to be married and start life together as Mr. and Mrs. Sharkey.  We got a puppy, I finished school, we signed a lease for an apartment near our hometown and we planned our wedding for the summer of 2008.  What we didn't know was that 7 months after we got engaged, we would find out we were moving.  

One month before we got married, Justin was offered a new job 2 hours and 40 minutes north of our hometown.  Two weeks after our wedding, we moved.  Two additional moves and another job offer followed and brought us to where we are now.

Although we did not plan to move to any of the places we have, it has turned our relationship into something really great.  We have forced ourselves to get out and experience our new towns.  We have relied on each other to make the best of where we were.  This meant looking up things to do in our area, stepping out of our comfort zones, networking and talking with every new person I could.  We have experienced a lot of new things, been on lots of dates and enjoyed our new area.  We hike, bike, attend farmers markets and explore the Cuyahoga Valley National Park often and then switch it up and head to downtown Akron or Cleveland to get a little city life.

We are a team.  We rely on each other so much.  The best thing about us is that we have a really great friendship that sets our foundation.  I really feel like all the change, new places and new jobs has made us even closer. In the beginning, I didn't like the idea of moving around a lot.  I was a little uneasy with all the unknown ahead of us.  We knew our first location was short term, but how short term?  6 months, 1 year, 3 years?  Our first two places we lived after we got married were not the type of places for us.  With very little to do in small farm towns, and a lot of hard work and hours for Justin with his new job, it almost seemed like our lives were on hold for a little bit until we moved to our next place.

The funny part though is looking back three years ago with the point of view we have now.  We joke about how awful it was the first year, but the fact we can laugh about it now is a good thing.  We have ended up in the northeast Ohio area for now, but who knows maybe we will end up somewhere else sooner than we think.  All the moving, new jobs, new friends along the way, new experiences have formed us into the couple we are now.  We aren't as anxious about where we will go next, or when that will be.  We have adjusted.  We are so thankful for the last two places we lived because we appreciate where it took us.  Where we live now is so wonderful in our eyes.  With things to do, less stress at work, city life, outdoor life, a national park, art life and now friends 30 minutes away, we sort of feel like newlyweds again!  Looking back I wouldn't change anything.  I wish I could tell my "old self" to enjoy it because blessings I wouldn't understand at the time were going to come from this situation.

I remember someone telling me when we were engaged "If you think you are in love now, just wait until you have been married 5+ years."  I didn't quite understand it at the time, but I see the truth in that so clearly now.

Learning to slow down

This past month I have been learning to slow down.  It always seems that we (people in general) are hurrying.  We are cramming as many things into our day and stressing more than ever before.

I have always worried and been an anxious personality type, and thankfully my husband is opposite of that.  He teaches me every day to slow down, relax and stress less in my everyday life.  This is great because I believe it helps when you have loved ones reminding you of what's important and what can wait.  I love and appreciate him more than I could ever express.  This month we have spent a lot of quality time together.  We've been on vacations, attended weddings, went on more dates and spent time on the weekends exploring new places, restaurants and parks.  It feels great to slow down and just enjoy things a little more.

Before now, I would spend Saturdays trying to finish as many orders as possible in the mornings and run (literally) to my car and speed off to the post office just before they closed for the weekend.  As soon as my phone beeped telling me I sold something, I would start working on it ASAP, even if I had plans or wanted to enjoy a relaxing breakfast at home with my husband.  

What I have learned:

• It is OK to start on an order later that day, or even the next day.  
• It is OK if I don't blog as much as I "should".  
• It is OK if you get a little overwhelmed, just don't let it interfere with important things in life.
• It is OK to put my shop on vacation mode while I take a week off to spend time with family.

I think about how fast time flies by, and how before we know it, so many things change.  I am learning that even though my blog, social networking sites, my shop and designs are very important to me, I shouldn't let that come before everything. 

I read a post last week from my friend Natalie at NS Pottery and she said "Are we spending quality time with our loved ones? (As in, not trying to have a conversation while doing umpteen other things- ya know, multitasking?)"...
"We aren't really enjoying life and the small, everyday blessings we have"

This is just something that has been on my heart lately.  No matter what we do for a living, I hope we can learn to slow down and enjoy more!

Source: sayingimages.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Source: weheartit.com via Michelle on Pinterest