Wordless Wednesday - Latest Vintage Finds

Tuesday Treasury - Have a Peachy Day!

'Have a Peachy Day!' by shemonster31

Tea Stirring Spoons: WI... DoTDoCandy $5.80	SALE Perfect Peach Fabr... ffflowers $3.00	Bicycle photography, ru... CarlChristense... $155.00	Shower Curtain - Peach ... SwirledPeasDes... $69.00
Orange/peach/burnt oran... BohoRain $4.00	peach bracelet beaded g... BeaKez $18.00	Fire King Lusterware Pe... HouseofLucien $38.00	Orange scarf - Cotton S... cynosurestar $15.00
Mineral Makeup Eyeshado... BeneficialMine... $4.99	Les Amis Half Yard Bund... PinkDoorFabric... $28.50	Coral Peach Owl Decor L... ModernSwitch $10.00	Mid Century Peach Haege... WiseApple $22.00
PAINT CHIP NOTEBOOK / R... ivylanedesigns $6.00	summer nature flower ph... shannonpix $17.00	Molly Bag 3917 sassygirl $44.00	12 - 10 mm Peach Pink C... colorstones $9.00

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Week In Review - Family Day and Too Much Stress

 

Family Day - Indoor Playground!

 

Week In Review:

It's Friday everyone! It's the weekend, and my daughter is super excited to be able to stay home and play with her mommy (me! Aren't I a lucky duck?).

Home life is still tense right now. There's a lot on my mind; school, my living situation, money, and work. I feel bad because I haven't had much time to blog and work on my Etsy shop this week, but I enjoy this online life so I keep up with it as much as I can. 

 

Personal Life:

Parenting - My patience has been really short lately. With all this added tension in the house and the silent arguments, my mind hasn't been in the right place. I feel awful for not being mentally here right now for Sidney but my stress levels are about to explode right through the roof.  

We did go out for family day though. We went to Funworx, which is an indoor playground. It was so busy there! Kids on top of kids. Seriously, you could barely get around the place without knocking into a bunch of people, but Sidney and her cousin Faith had a lot of fun.

Growth - My entire life feels like it's on hold right now. Where did the week go? Honestly, I haven't done anything lately...

Health - My goal for waking up earlier hasn't been working out too well. Instead I feel like I just want to sleep forever, and ever, and ever. 

Professional:

Work - I'm still applying to a bunch of different places. I haven't gotten one single call back though. It is a bit discouraging, but what other options do I have? I need to find a job. 

My college funding application is almost complete! I just have to send in a couple more bits of information and off it will go. How exciting is that? Very!

Etsy - Little Shop of Hemp made it's first sale this week! A custom key chain. I was beginning to think my hemp store was a waste of time and money, but that one sale has encouraged me to keep trying. Besides, I enjoy making hemp jewelry.

As for Little Shop of Treasures, no sales this week. I do have some new items I need to post though. I'll get around to it soon. Been taking a mental health break this week. I have been approved for the Bloomin Earth festival though! In two months time I have to be all ready to set up a booth and sell some awesome vintage treasures. This will be my first sale, and I'm really nervous. That's why I've been doing a ton of research.

Writing - I've been feeling uninspired lately, so instead of writing much I have been reading a ton! Magazine articles, ebooks, blogs and novels. Just filling my brain with other people's work. Of course my journal has been getting a lot of attention this week, I should call it the Whine Diaries. 

I hope everyone's week has been going better than mine! Sorry for the pity-party-post, but that's all I have to say this week - wah, wah, wah. 

Thanks, 

Week in Review - Not So Good

Decluttering my belongings. Good bye magazines!

 

Week in Review:

I just want to start off by saying that this week hasn't been the greatest. Everyone in the house has been sick, there's been a lot of tension and my head just isn't where it should be and instead is completely lost in space or something. I've been having a difficult time staying positive this week, and my temper has been really short. 

Well, it's Saturday now and a long weekend so I'm glad to be able to put the past behind me and enjoy the now which includes laying in my bed watching Monsters Inc.

Personal Life:

Parenting - Sidney got her report card this week and she has been doing so good in school this year. She also got invited to a birthday party which she attended today, little miss popular ;). 

Growth - Remember how I've been weeding through all my junk? Well I managed to continue with that and today I got rid of all my magazines. And by got rid of I mean I put them all in a box and out of my room. So technically they're still around but I've been putting things aside for our annual May yard sale. Magazines aren't a huge seller, but it's better than throwing them all out (recycle of course). For 10 cents each I'm sure people might buy them for reading, scrapbooking or crafting. The process of simplifying my life is a long one.

To be honest, I would just donate all my stuff but my debt keeps demanding I pay it off. Whatever I don't sell at my yard sales always goes to charity thrift stores though. Win-win for everyone.

Health - We have all been sick here! Tired, groggy, snotty and coughing. My mom and sister also had the pleasure of accompanying the flu. Needless to say, it's been a rough week. I missed two appointments and some sleep. Sidney missed some school and has been driving me crazy. I have been drinking a ton of water though, so that's good.

I also got a new Kindle book called Luxury of Less: The Five Rings of Minimalism by Karol Gajda which I found not only very entertaining but also informational and inspiring. It seriously made me want to just throw out all of my belongings and take off on a world adventure. My goal towards a minimalist lifestyle is beginning to seem more real now.

Professional:

Work - Job postings have begun to increase finally! So I've been emailing and handing out resumes like crazy. I really hate those online applications, but have been doing those, too. There's this job down the street from here, a bakery, and they're hiring, again, and I REALLY want that job. I walked in there with my resume and smiled and was polite and told myself I was gonna get the job! I'm hoping for a call back next week. 

Etsy - Up to 22 sales for Little Shop of Treasures, with some great new items on the way! And Little Shop of Hemp is about to get it's first sale - a customized key chain. So all is good there! Plus, I registered for a table at Bloomin Earth Festival which is an outdoor market for upcycled items and vintage treasures. They also have ecofriendly crafts and information booths. My shop needs to get approved still, but I have my fingers crossed. I think  I could really use an event like this to boost my confidence. 

Writing - I have a book idea. I don't want to say anything about it yet, but I'm going to start doing some research this week. 

How's your week been?

Thanks, 

Week In Review - College Application Accepted!

Week in Review:

I've seen a lot of blogs do this and I love reading them! So I thought it would be fun to start doing it.

Personal Life:

Parenting - The weather has been strange this week. The beginning of the week was warm and raining. Now it’s freezing out and snowing - a lot! So basically, we’ve been stuck inside. Doing crafts, watching TV and lazing about. And FYI - I am so sick of the movie Hotel Transylvania.

Growth - I am in the process of organizing my life and everything in it. I want everything to be clean, organized and simple by the time I start college. So far I’ve weeded out my movies, books and music and filed all my paperwork but there is still so much to do.

Health - There’s a chance that I may have a thyroid problem. I’m showing a lot of the symptoms. Plus my sister has a thyroid problem and I’ve read that it’s genetic. Which could explain my weight gain, or maybe I just want something to blame other than my laziness... Anyway, it’s almost time for that dreadful annual check-up, so I’ll bring it up to my doctor when I see her. It’s also time for a dental check-up, too. It’s always one thing or another…

Professional:

Work - I've been doing the awful January job search. Anyone who has ever tried to get a job within the retail industry in January knows what I'm talking about! All I need is a job that pays me by the hour until I can go to college this September.

College - As far as college goes, my next appointment is in a week. I'm still working on that paperwork. There are all these questions on it! Like, "Tell us about your educations plan." and "How did you come with this plan?"

I don't really know what else to say other than "I want to go to this college, because it's close to home." I'm pretty sure the answer can't be that simple though. And then I have to prove that upon receiving my diploma I will be able to find a job within that field and not have wasted their money. I’m really stressing out about this. If I can’t write killer answers to these questions, there is a good chance I won’t get my funding application accepted.

Good news though. I’ve been accepted into the college program of my choice, and just confirmed it!

Etsy - We’ve got a bunch of new items we plan on listing within the next week. I’ve also finished retaking all the pictures, too. Or at least almost finished. I have a few more items that I need to retake.

New Items:

Libbey Glasses

Anchor Hocking Candy Dish

Hand Crafted Ontario Wooden Bowl

Mid Century Square Wire Bowl

Pyrex Percolator

So that’s what’s going on right now.

What’s new with you?

Thanks,


PS - Today is our 6 year anniversary. No biggie. :)

My Etsy Shop Branding Tips

 

Etsy Shop Branding

Having my own Etsy shop has been both fun and rewarding. I first opened in October of 2012 and so far have made 16 sales. Considering it's only been three months I'm actually quite thrilled!

Just recently though have I realized the importance of branding. I go from shop to shop and ask myself, "why does this person have twice as many sales - even with similar items and prices?" Then I finally answered my own question, "Because their shop looks nicer." 

When you first click on an Etsy shop you're (hopefully) greeted with a banner. Next thing you're most likely to look at is their items, which means their pictures. If your banner is lacking, or not very pretty, it's already disappointing. If their item pictures are blurry, too busy, not well lit or overall just not appealing to look at, there's another disappointment. 

People are more likely to purchase something from a shop that looks clean, organized, professional and pretty. 

But it takes a lot more than a good banner and pictures to have successfully branded your shop. You need to ask yourself some important questions. 

1. What are you selling?

This is probably one of the most important factors. If you're selling mid-century vintage items you need to reflect that in everything from your banner, business cards, avatar, and even your descriptions. You wouldn't want a dark, gothic banner if you sell handmade baby clothes, unless you sell gothic baby clothes.

2. Who is your target audience?

An important factor for every business. If you sell baby clothes, your target audience is going to be parents. If you sell dog collars, you want to appeal to dog owners. Take a look at what you are selling and try to think of who would buy it. Even make a quick survey to find out if you want to. 

3. Who are your competitors?

It's a good idea to check out shops similar to yours to find out what works and what doesn't. Like I mentioned above, I would find shops that had thousands of sales and some that had less than a hundred and I would compare them. Etsy is a community based site though, so while we want to learn from the Etsy-greats, we don't want to just copy them or try to sabotage them. 

4. What personality or emotion do you want your shop to have?

I sell mostly 1960's and 70's housewares. It's colourful, fun and pretty groovy. I want to show that more in everything I do. If you sell eco-friendly vegan soy candles, you might want to mention that and try to evoke a very relaxed, earthy feel to your store.

5. What makes your Etsy shop different from others?

You sell knitted hats, and so do a bazillion others on Etsy. So why should I buy your hat over that other sellers? What makes it special? If you use organic cotton yarn, that would make it different than the person who only uses sheep wool. 

Compare my items to my shop banner:

My Etsy Shop Banner

Hopefully I have portrayed my items well.

A few more tips:

Another thing you really want to consider is your brand's colours! Mine are green and yellow. Why? Because those were very popular colours from the decades my items were made. I wouldn't have a baby pink banner if I were selling leather biker jackets. 

Send out the right message! Don't have a super busy pattern with rainbow colours on your banner if all of your items are very neutral and plain. 

Don't forget to be original! The best way to become successful is to just be you. Don't bother with trying to copy other people or act like something you're not because it will show through and you will look like a phony. 

And finally - incorporate your branding in everything that you do! Your banner, avatar, shop description, business cards, logo, packaging, tagline, pictures and profile. 

I hope this was at least a little helpful! 

Thanks, 

Cole

Applied To College

A little update:

Etsy Shop Branding

I’m in the process of retaking pictures for all of my items for Little Shop of Treasures. I’m also redesigning the business cards so they look prettier and go with my banner. I'm even trying to get this branding thing right, and because my items are very 60’s/70’s retro I want to work off of that. It’s complicated, for me anyway, but a great learning experience.

College Funding

Besides working on my Etsy shop to pass the time, I went for another appointment about college funding and got some pretty good news. I guess I misunderstood before and there is a chance of getting full funding for everything, and living allowance for full time students - if my application gets approved. So I applied for the program I want to get into today and hope to hear from the college within the next couple of weeks. I'm confident I will get in - because I actually got accepted into the same program last year but had to turn it down due to lack of money.

In the meantime I have some paperwork to fill out which means some research and writing is involved. I want to knock their socks off and show them how awesome I am at it, and that journalism is the perfect program for me and I will be successful. That way I will look confident in my decision, and then they will hopefully feel confident in my decision, too.

It’s been an exciting week!

Thanks,

Tuesday Treasury - Birds of a Feather

This Week's Tuesday Treasury - Some Adorable Bird Items From Etsy               

                      

'Birds of a Feather' by shemonster31

Bird photograph: The Ar... SmallMysteries $22.00	Light Blue and Beige Bi... LeilasLoft $19.50	Crazy - bird RECTANGLE ... MincingMocking... $4.50	Wedding rustic guest bo... pastinshs $39.00
Bird, Gift tags, Green,... Wcards $2.85	Bird with Heart in Beak... jewelrycollect... $90.00	We Are the World (8x10 ... enrouge $24.00	Fabric Bird, GREENFINCH TheCottonPotte... $45.00
Bird business card hold... riricreations $13.50	Crochet pattern bird by... ATERGcrochet $2.10	Bird pillow cover - App... ClassicByNatur... $34.00	20% Off Valentines Day ... RemindedDesign... $18.00

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Tuesday Treasury - Inspirational

 Today's Tuesday Treasury Features Inspirational Items For Sale On Etsy

'Inspirational Chic' by shemonster31

Inspirational Hand Stamped C... DelilahBadappl... $5.95	iphone 4 and iphone 4S case ... evaricci $22.00	Valentine Hearts- Black and ... CassieVision $8.00	CREATE Vintage White Plasti... MonkiVintage $12.00
Hakuna Matata Cotton Shoppin... KindLabel $24.00	Life Quote Typographic Poste... SimpleSerene $10.00	Vintage Metal Grate Photo Ho... ThirdShift $22.00	How to Win Friends and Influ... wildharebooks $4.00
LAUGH 36pt Vintage Metal Let... RuggyDesign $6.00	Inspirational Embroidery Hoo... EggbertAndTurk... $20.00	Infinity Earrings , 925 Ster... HeartCoreDesig... $15.50	whimsical painting of a woma... corid $20.00
Engraved Beach Pebble Kanji... AwesomeStones $8.95	Happy Thoughts - Hand Lette... ohchristen $10.00	Peace & Java tall ceramic mu... Mudcakes $16.00	Not All Who Wander Are Lost,... rainnua $14.45

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