Happy Halloween!

I really wasn't that excited for halloween this year, though I never really am. I am however excited for christmas already...

We are here at the shop, waiting for the downtown business trick-or-treating to begin in about 15 minutes. I love handing candy to smidglings!

It has been a few days. First of all, you MUST go to Inside Out in Snohomish. I love it there, and everything in there. I hardly go shopping, and when I do I seldom find anything I want. Not at inside out! I loved everything in there! Check them out online too: einsideout.com And no, Allison didn't pay me to do this! She is wonderful too. A total sweetheart, who I had a lovely evening with.

Saturday was a two dog day:



Simon AND Dandy were here, and got along quite swimmingly. They just kind of slept, like both of them do.... Dandy is now home, she went back on Sunday. We really miss her, and now I just have to convince James we should get our own dog.

A happy discovery was made on Saturday:




The passenger and passenger minis fit ipods, of any size! Yeah! I mean, yes, I planned it that way...

Today we sent out two big wholesale orders to Children's Hospital in Seattle and the UW Bookstore



So exciting! And, I finished this special order to be picked up today.



I have had many requests for black and brown together, and finally someone actually special ordered one. I think it came out really cute. And, someone also finally special ordered a paw print on a bag, I have probably had 57 people ask, and finally I had one ordered.

Well, that was a picturey, wordy post. I have been trying to sit down the last few days, and just haven't made it. With all this, I will leave you with one final picture, just for fun

Oh Comments, how I love thee!

After posting my last blog, I decided to look over past entries, and noticed I had some COMMENTS!! I was so excited. I love them, it makes me feel loved! I always read other blogs, and they get comments, and I feel left out. But not anymore! Thanks.

Today has been sort of productive....I got about 5 bags done that I was out of stock on (that red and white knitter has been super popular!), and a special order done. And, we are off to that trunk show in about an hour- so I have to get packing for that. Dandy has been helpful too, I call this one "Dog in Thread."




Remember that concert I talked about right around a month ago? Well, I have been wanting the cd ever since, but seeing as our constant paycheck from James' work is now gone, we have been really trying to save money and not spend on anything unnecessary. Well, I finally broke down and went looking for it wednesday. To my dismay, no one in town had it, but one shop said they'd order it for me. I just got the call that it is in, so I know what we will be listening to on the way to Snohomish!

And on a rather strange note, can you want something you sell? I mean, I look through the anthroplogie catalogue, and covet many (MANY) things in there, but what if you sell things yourself? Can you covet one of your own products? I am in love with my red and white knitter, and really want one for myself (especially to go with those cute red shoes I have...) but I feel like I can't just take something off the overstock shelves and keep it for myself. Maybe I'll ask for it for Christmas......

Have a wonderful friday, and come see us at the trunk show tonight!

Exciting Times!

First of all, we have a visitor this week:



This is Dandy, and you'll get to see her if you come into the shop this week. She is sitting on my lap as I type.... We are dog sitting for my in-laws this week, and loving every minute of it! She is the perfect shop dog, and after some confusion yesterday, now just sits and sleeps all day.

Second, we have a new employee:



James is calling it "Pfaffy." We got it from a friend who makes clothes, and uses a pretty much only sergers and had this machine just taking up space in her studio. Check her amazing stuff out here: Texture I am so excited to have a second machine, and the other one is working again, at least for now.

I tried really, really hard to get tons done today because we are doing a trunk show in Snohomish this friday. It is at Inside Out. Their address is 115 Avenue A Snohomish, WA 98290, phone (360) 563-0767. It starts at 6pm. Here is what I started doing when I got here this morning:



And here is how it ended....



A pile of appliques glued down. Right, and that took me 6 hours today? Oh well. I did manage to get this up:



They are design boards with the spring line ideas all over them. I am changing everything up thoroughly for spring, how very exciting, but more on that later. I put cork boards above the computer so I can stare at them while I work. It is nice to spread my ideas all over the wall.

Off to dinner! Hopefully I'll be able to get my butt in gear and come back to the studio later and work a bit more.....

Friday, oh Friday!

Hello All!

Friday has been a rather interesting day here at PD, we a have a sewing machine in pieces, a stack of vinyl ready to sew, and a bad attitude. Well, that last one isn't really true. We are still in a pretty good mood, and figure that the sewing machine will get fixed soon enough. We always take those unexpected breaks as they come, and really sit back and enjoy them while they last.

So the sewing machine. It was having problems about 2-3 days before bumbershoot too. The handwheel went flying off while sewing ( and yes, I always have the oddest sewing machine problems no one else has even heard of. Exploding bobbins- look no further...). But, james mr super-fix-it managed to get it to work until now. However, today, it decided it was done. Maybe it heard we were in the process of ordering a second one and got mad. Who knows.

Otherwise, we got lots of internet research done. This has been the main progress all week. We have a pile of wholesale packets just waiting to be put in the mail as well. That is pretty exciting- they are going as far away as California and Kentucky, and Rhode Island. I love sending bags around the country, it is also so exciting to think of people in other states seeing them and using them.

Oh dear, I said I would have pictures today and I don't. Did you look on etsy though? There are halloween bears listed in the Mon Cher Ami Shop. I am pretty excited about them. I think I'll list a couple more before I leave too! Yay! So the pictures I promised exist, they are just on a different page.

Have a good evening, and remember to come to Project BHam tomorrow!

Hello Wednesday!

Oh goodness, yet another computer work day. Yawn, the only thing keeping me awake is the thought of Project Runway this evening. Yes, I am hooked. Yes, we don't watch tv except for this show. Yes, I am probably one of 100,000,000 people blogging about it tonight. Oh well, we all have our guilty pleasures.

I think we will be back to the more picture-filled bloggings tomorrow, as while I type, James is cutting like crazy. We have a big list of things to get done, since christmas is approaching rapidly!

So, why, you ask, are those bears $36? Let me tell you! I worked on bears last night, while watching movies. I went through RV with Robin Williams (which I don't know how it was reviewed in the theatres, but we laughed until we cried), Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (hey, it was 99 cent day, and I'd never seen it), and The Muppet Movie ( one of my favorites), and only got 9 bears done. They were all sewn, and just needed faces, and it took me how long?!! A couple of them I had to do the nose 3-4 times before I was happy with it. So now you know why they are $36, I am a perfectionist.

The funniest thing all week in the shop was the lady who came in yesterday, and proudly announced, "Oh, you are going to be the next Kate Spode!" Yes, Kate Spode. The infamous designer. Oh dear, how funny! James suggested she might be canadian?

Happy Wednesday, and may the best designer win! Carry on.

I hope your Tuesday was as productive as mine!

I have been doing all administrative work today. How boring. It certainly doesn't make for exciting pictures! It really wasn't a very good day this morning- I am completely disorganized (which drives me bonkers), and couldn't find anything I was looking for. But, after coffee this afternoon, everything perked up, if you will. We did have about twice as much foot traffic today because we moved our sandwich board sign to a new location. That kept me on my toes all day, and the door bell continually ringing.

We got our wholesale packet postcards about 3 days earlier than we were planning. That is good, but nothing else for the packets is ready yet! So, we quickly got those out to the printers today. You darling boutiques watch out! They'll be headed your way soon.....

Well, that is about all there is to report here- I told you, very boring. Off to 99 cent day at the video store- I'll be working on bears to the wee hours tonight!

Yeah!

I just added the first bears to the Etsy Shop! I am most excited. They are even dressed up in halloween costumes. Oh, I am just too cute for myself sometimes.....

I redid the halloweenie table in the front, it looks perfect now!



Today, I have done lots, and lots of internet research. Amazingly enough, I generally feel like I got nothing accomplished when I do that, but today I feel empowered! I was looking at some marketing outlets, and some magazines and blog submission things.

We are now going to be closed on mondays- something strange for me since I wrote earlier about being closed Sunday is odd. Wow, 2 days off a week? But, I will be running not-in-shop business errands, so I will probably still be working.... But hey, I can say I am sane, and take 2 days off a week!

Happy saturday, sunday, and monday, since I wont be back until tuesday!

UPDATE: Are you missing some of our spring and summer designs, suddenly gone from the site? Check out our Other Etsy Shop
We just listed some one, and few-of-a-kinds, and leftovers from the spring line there.

Hullo!

I certainly haven't been getting many purses made this week- having James here has way sped up the process! So, I have been working on bears instead-which I thought was a bit of a waste of time until I found out today I got excepted to Allied Arts Holiday festival with the bears. I was already in with the bags, but now the bears too! Yay! So, production has begun in a big way with them- here are pieces lined up on the sewing machine




And some without faces



And, this morning, I got in halloween mode, and started decorating the shop, and giving bears halloween costumes






And yesterday, James was sent on a mission to take some fun bear photos for some new projects, and my etsy store. Here is one I thought was pretty cute




He was getting some pretty odd looks in the building, since he is 6'5", and carrying around bears and sticking them in the bushes, and taking pictures of them. But, you know, when he gets a camera in his hand, he is kind of cheesy



Ah, self portrait!

Otherwise, we put a bell in the shop on the door today, so we know when people come in. We are always in the back, and I think we miss some customers because they are quiet, and it is hard to see out. It was on the fritz earlier, and freaked some poor girl out. It just kept dinging, everywhere she went in the shop.

Also, I have finally found die cuts for my appliques. I hand cut each one right now, and the Jolly rogers take me FOREVER. So, today we did some research, and found the perfect machine. We are just waiting to get quotes on custom dies.

Today was the first really, truly, fall like day yet here. It was was completely foggy and chilly, and the fall color was beautiful on the way down here this morning. Having the shop, I am feeling more excitement for the halloween holiday, and fall in general, and christmas. I already have my theme planned for christmas, how embarrassing! I can't believe it is almost november though, so it really isn't that early. And, I haven't actually bought any decorations yet.....

Oh Tuesday

Well, today wasn't very productive. I made a doll. It is cute, but it isn't a bag. I probably should have been sewing bags, but oh well.

James is full time, as mentioned, and helping out a great deal. Yesterday we finished up a bunch of custom orders, and it took half the time it should have because he was sewing linings and such. Ah, it is so nice to have a helper.

I now have the bears officially in the shop:







James helped me make jewelry tags for some jewelry I made for the shop. They came out great, and I am very excited to have a bit of matchy-matchy jewelry and bags going on in the shop. Yes, I am hopeless, and love matchy-matchy.....



Wont these be perfect with that little Hopper Mini Cherry?!

Well, off to finish that doll. I am never happy if I am not doing something!

Working on Sunday?!!


In the last year of Persnickity Designs, life has been hectic. I mean, I worked at least 12 hour days, generally more, and never take a day off. The most I have had have been some half days off. So, when I opened the shop, I decided it was time to make a change.

Sundays are officially my day off, yet today I find myself in the studio, typing and working. Oh dear. I actually just came to drop off the stuff from the not-so-hot fashion show last night so I can ride my bike down tomorrow and not pay for parking, and find myself updating the site, vacuuming, and e-mailing. Sigh. C'est le vie.

Since I haven't written in a couple days, I thought I would check in. James is now officially full-time with me, and everything seems to be headed in a postive direction. But, more on that later.

Happy Sunday!

What a day!

Shortly after my last post, I was doing one of my 65,000 daily laps around my cutting table, when all of a sudden: SNAP! And I can't see straight! I managed to catch my pinky toe on the leg of a stool. So, my toe went one way, and my foot went the other, and now I have a broken toe. I can't believe how much it hurts. So, here I am, limping around my studio! How fun.

Anyway. I have been productive, even though my toe has made me cranky, and my website has made me cranky. I am obviously not as amazing as my web designer, and am working on the challenge that is updating my site.

I did manage to get sewing some bags this morning to get ready for the trunk show. I even have proof:



And, I have managed to build a pretty good stack that just need topstitching:




And what is that in the front, you ask? A stack of old clothes? Why yes. I have started a new project: Sweater Bears. I am ready to admit to the world that I am making little stuffed toys from recycled sweaters. Some are acrylic, some are cotton, come are even cashmere. They just feel so unsophisticated next to the purses, but gosh they are cute!



The one on the left is Thomas, and the one on the right Amelia. Yes, they do all have names, and little tags that say what they like and what they don't. They'll soon be available in the shop, or I am starting an etsy.com store with them. Here they are in full view:



So, the moral of today is: "When the going gets tough, the tough make bears."

Someone shoot me now


My web designer is still piled with work, and ended up not having enough time for my site updates. So I am doing it myself. Brilliant idea..........

It is not that it is not going together right( not that I have uploaded and tried anything out yet). It is just that it takes so much darn time! Oh my goodness, I have been working on it non stop since 10am this morning, and I am probably only half done. UGH!!!!

Well, it appears to have been awhile since I last posted. Saturday was rather hectic. I ran some errands while James held down the shop. Then I went and got my hair cut, which took twice as long as I thought it would. But, it looks awesome. We went to the Andrew Bird concert at the Nightlight in Bellingham, and it was a pretty good show. I saw a friend of mine I hadn't seen in awhile, which was good. I really want the Andrew Bird CD now.

Yesterday was pretty uneventful. Myra was helping me out, and we talked about project runway for half the day. I never think I have enough for her to do before she comes, and then I keep her busy all day, and have more for her to do when she leaves. Oh well!

James slept through his alarms this morning. This has never happened. He has to be at work at 7am, and I woke up at 8am and he was still sleeping away. But, what are you going to do- he only has 3 days left there anyway!

Well, I guess I better get back to the site. Or maybe I'll go sew. It is definitely a rare day when I sew to avoid doing something else!