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| on Etsy |
What do you make and what was/is the inspiration for your shop? I specialize in hand dyed and stenciled onesies, but dabble in some sewing projects like pacifier clips, hair bows, look books & I SPY bean bags. I'm just starting work on a line of fabric appliqué's of my favorite onesie designs. I think about what I like, what my kids like and go from there. I'm not a pastel & puppy dog kind of girl so my onesies are bright & designs usually un-"baby". Though the occasional animal does slip in there. Who doesn't love a baby crawling around in a little cute animal onesie?
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| How cute is this?!?! I love Vespa's. |
Tell us how your creativity has woven itself into your life’s journey to make you what you are today. I worked as an HR Director in NYC for over 7 years. Working until 9pm, having dinner, going to bed and then waking up to do it all over again was not how I wanted to spend the rest of my life. I'll say this though, it helped me realize that if I really wanted something, only I could make it happen. Going from Wall Street to Stay-at-home-mom was tough. My desire to have my own projects and have an identity other than WIFE & MOM is really what fueled me to keep going with Max & Magnolia. I learned from my own mother that having your own "life" is healthy and ok. She managed to have her own activities and hobbies on top of being a wife, mom, sister & friend. Plus, I have a husband who really understands that I need my own outlet and "me" time. I'm convinced providing that for each other is key to our great marriage.
What is your vision for the future of your business? Things are plugging along great lately. If I can continue to earn my own $ to support the nasty shoe-buying habit I picked up in New York, I'm happy :) Oh, & If I could find some time to build my own website that would be wonderful.
Tell us about your typical day. What I plan & what actually happens often don't coincide at my house. I imagine my day is much like any mom who works from home. I aim for:
-Boys up and fed. By their father, I'm not a morning person.
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| Perfect road trip toy... |
-Play time with mom
-Announce "Mommy has to work for a bit". They are usually pretty good at letting me check my Etsy shop, emails and Facebook for about 30 min.
-Stories and train tracks re-built.
-Lunch
-Naps for boys. During their naps is usually when I fill any non-sewing orders that have come in that day.
-Afternoon play date or trip to park
-Cartoons while I attempt to make dinner
-Dinner with Dad
-Family time
-Bed time for boys- usually around 7:30 or 8
-Sewing time . Any sewing can't happen until after the kiddos go to bed, or if Daddy takes them on a bike ride. My machine is in the family room where they play and if I'm in the room they selfishly insist that I be doing something with them.
-Catch up on my taped TV shows
-Bed time for my by 10:30
Are you trained as an artist? If yes, what degree(s) or certificates do you hold and where did you earn it/them? If no, how did you learn to make the items you offer in your shop? Nope. Mostly I’m a self-taught girl dying, stenciling & sewing away. Although I have to say my mother is a great quilter and sewer. She attempted several times in my youth to teach me. I was too impatient to absorb most of it.
In what other areas of your life (or interests that you have) do you see your creativity shining through? I do have a small garden, but I don't enjoy taking care of it. So I guess that doesn't count. Hmmm... probably in my GNO's. I have a fun group of friends and we try to get together at least once a month for a craft night. Projects are selected by the hostess and we sit around and craft, gab & eat. I also like to make things for my boys. Dad's dress shirts or sweaters have become shorts or vests & some fabric from a friend became a Teepee.
What is one thing you will be going out of your way to learn more about in the coming year to benefit your business? Definitely website design. I'm spending time researching how I want my page to look & work.
What steps are you taking to ensure your products follow applicable child safety laws? Thankfully a lot of this is just good common sense. People want to know what your product is made of & how to care for it, and babies should not be chewing on things that are small enough for them to choke on. I put all that in my ETSY listings and on the tags I put on each item. Google search & fellow shop owners were great resources as well.
Where can we find you?
