Opinions Please

Please, do not rate my space. This is where I do all of my creating....the kitchen table. Hence the reason we've been "picnicing" on the living room floor a lot lately....I can't wait to move to have a better space to work.

Have any of you been to a crafty/arty boutiquey show type thing? I really don't know what to call them because they each have different names. Here are some popular local ones....
Oh, Sweet Sadie, Beehive Bazaar, Piper & Chloe, Tom & Lucy's Art Shoppe, just to name a few.

If you have been or have not been your opinion would be appreciated.

As I am madly preparing for my first ever, the Tom & Lucy Art Shoppe, a smaller, newer Utah County show, I am wanting to create the best display to not only attract the shopper's eye but to get them to actually buy my stuff. That is the whole point of doing these, right? I am not so altruistic that I want to inspire others with my original and some not so original ideas, that they go home and duplicate them on their own....which they probably will do anyway. Anywho, the philosophy of my shop is about staging or presenting things in way that tell a story or create a particular atmosphere, whether it be fun, serious, beautiful or a combination of all three.

So, why this tangent? Well, I want the presentation of my items sold to share this message, in addition to the actual items themselves. Soooooo....I need your opinions, not on the items themselves . I am very vulnerable right now. Sensitive about my work so even constructive criticism is painful sometimes...even if it is to better my product I am still in that newborn, not quite confident baby phase, does that make sense???...I am scared out of my pants :)

So, what do you think of the following? Due to chances of theft at these shows I wanted to the small items in a bag to decrease being slipped into a purse or otherwise taken. However, I am unsure if it makes the items look less attractive, and less likely to sell. Please note too, that I will have a sample of everything on the table that the customers can touch, feel and see up close so they know what they will be purchasing.

So.....Bag or no bag? I am selling these bookmarks for around $4. They took a while to make and I paid attention to detail down the very last thread and gromet. (did you notice I started the last three paragraphs with "so"....I am in deep thinker go on tangents mode...). Either way they will be sitting in a pretty box that they can comb through to find their favorite one :)





And do you think they should have my logo tag on them? I believe I should have my tag on every item I sell (except for the cupcake flags) because, well, it's great advertising. Or do you think it's too distracting?

Next question: one tag or two? My birthday banners are separated so that they can be hung tied together or separately. So, because they are separated should I put my logo (which is folded, obviously, see photo w/my manly hands demonstrating) on both pieces or just the end of the second? The logos are marked where it says "here." (I couldn't figure out how to photoshop arrows in). Oh, the tags were purchased from the Etsy shop Custom Couture Label Company.





Thanks for your input. I am assembling some of these tomorrow and throughout the week (set up is on Thursday....eek!). By the way, if any of you are wanting to get out for some girl time on Friday night at the Tom & Lucy show mentioned above, they are having giveaways and some fun girly stuff. They'll be great Mother's Day gift ideas as well :) So come on down!

Hair cut

I was ready for a change in the physicality department. Tyler suggested I "surprise him" in the hair category. Well, there wasn't much that you could do with my hair except have it permanently straightened. There are several reasons why I wouldn't want to do that including high maintenance and my curls are my "one beauty" so I wouldn't want to lose them. I didn't want to bleach it because I don't want fried hair. And highlights would be costly to keep up. So the only other option is to go short! So I did surprise him....sort of. And he doesn't really like it. Three years ago I had it cut this short, right before we moved to Paris (and I had a much fatter face then too) and it has taken 3 years to get to this length.

So here is the before:


And after:


Well, I love it. Thanks Melanie for doing such an awesome job! And thanks for trading hair cuts over the last 18 months for one of my birthday banners! It was kind of weird because I received just as many compliments from men at Church than women. Plus I have enough to donate it to Locks of Love! I hope it can make some other child happy :)

Don't try this at home

I forgot that I forgot my camera over Easter weekend and had to take photos on my mom's camera. So it'll probably be a while before I post them. Don't hold your breath though because Jocelyn wouldn't coorperate. So in the meantime.....

This is what happens when you forget to poke the potato: explosion and messy oven.

Featured

I am stressed almost to the max but I am blogging. Makes sense, no?

I just wanted to make a shout out to all you local Utahn's. Come by the Tom & Lucy Art Shoppe on April 30-May 2nd in Lehi. Make a girls night out of it! Attend Women's Conference and then go to it. On Friday night they'll be having give-aways and fun stuff like that.

One of my favorite artisans Tres Sucre will be there among other talented people!

Here is a feature about my shop on their blog.

Here is the info for this shop:
You can find something great for your mom for Mother's Day!

The Shoppe will be open:

Thursday, April 30th 4p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Friday, May 1st 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 2nd 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Ivory Ridge Country Club

32 East Clubview Lane

Lehi,UT 84043

You can find a link to a map and directions on the Tom and Lucy Blog.

A lot going on

I am in Denver right now. More like "stranded" in Denver right now due to inclimate weather. I came out w/my mom to help my sista Jennie with her firstborn who decided to come 2 weeks early. He's a cutie. They named him Warren Grant (it's a family name). I "got" to do the night shift last night. And today I was able to clean her bathroom and mop her floors (if only I enjoyed doing my own housework so much).

In other news.......we've had a few calls about our apartment but no lookers (darn being out of town). We have to be rid of our contract by June 1st so we can happily move to Colorado and not worry about paying rent. Any takers?

We are for sure going to be living in Provo this fall. The decisions have been made for us and we will embark on our journey back to Utah Valley this August. Off to Law school.

After getting Strep I developed a nasty cold. My head feels like it's swimming and I can't hear out of one ear....plus I discovered I am allergic to Ammoxicillin. I haven't taken it since I was a kid but two of my siblings are allergic and so I should have suspected. I hope the itching stops sooooon. I think my body is telling me to slow down. That's my excuse for not exercising. It's valid, isn't it? I just have get through this last month, if it doesn't drive me into the ground first....but I am so excited about these shows :)

I was featured on my wonderfully talented cousin's blog Sarah Jane last week and one of the art shoppe blogs, Piper & Chloe. I have orders slowly coming in for my own Etsy shop in addition to friends orders that are keeping me very busy. I hope I can produce enough for these shows as well!!! I think I'll be having a lot of late nights in the next few weeks...look out for grumpy Hannah.

Next post: Easter.

Look out!

I finally had my FIRST sale this week!!! Wahoo! It was so thrilling! Now, I just anticipate her response! I really hope this New York City gal loves her banner and garland for her son's 1st birthday!

I am a little happy that I have had only one sale (other than the one's for local friends--thanks friends!) because I am feverishly preparing for these:

This show is in Lehi on April 30-May 2nd. Here is the link to their blog that offers more information on other vendors, location, etc. They contacted me the day my shop opened and offered me a vendor position! I was so flattered!

This next show is in Farmington:

I am excited about this one because it has a classy and yet hip style to it with a bohemian twist.
The dates for this show are May 8th & 9th (yes, right during Tyler's graduation).

I would love for you to come and visit these shows. I know there will be great stuff at each one! Eye candy, drooling and inspiration for your own projects may stem from coming and I would love the support as well! I hope to see you there!

Happy Hunting

For Easter eggs, that is!

We are headed out to my parent's home down in rural Sanpete County for the holiday weekend. I will freely step away from the sewing machine and try to relaaaaaaax.

After we have our Easter egg hunt on Saturday morning I think we're going to try to make these beauties. from Twig & Thistle. Homemade marshmallow peeps! Yes, I know, they only cost $1 at any store and are way too sugary for my taste. But the kids love them and I thought it would be so fun to make them for a change. Plus, who can resist when these photographs make them look so good!

Hopefully, I can take some decent pics and post them when we get back!

Happy Easter!

You know you have strep throat when:

{Streptoccal pharyngitis}

Symptoms:

• SEVERE sore throat
  
• body aches
• fever of at least 101 degrees
• chills
• headache
  
• fatigue
• loss of appetite (until it comes back when you are starving and de-hydrated but can't swallow anything)
  
• Worse than that 1990's commercial when the kids says, "It hurts if I swallow." Seriously, I'd rather spit than swallow
• no other cold symptoms such as cough, runny or stuffy nose
• sometimes stomach cramps
• sometimes vomiting
• loss of weight, from not eating (wahoo! at least one good thing came out of this!)
  

Passed on by:

• A very sly and nearly mysterious little bug passed onto by an unsuspecting friend trying to help another friend out (thank you friend for trying to help!) probably by using the same computer mouse! Seriously, it's not like we exchanged straws or anything.
  

Effects:

• severe grumpiness
• unsympathetic husband (because he had it when he was a teenager and remembers what a pain it is...I'm so sure it was just "as hard" back then when you had only yourself to think about!!)
• tonsils the size of golf balls
  
• messy house, including Samuel's shredded kleenex bits everywhere. You see, the kids had a viral infection before they got the strep and so they have massive cough attacks and runny noses. And Samuel has a fetish w/kleenexe's and consequently they end up in a little bits all of the house.
  
• horrible hostess to out-of-town guests who assume I have just a really bad cold (sorry family)
  
• no food preparation beyond PB sandwiches & all the goldfish and oreo's they could sneak out of the pantry
  
• lots of sleep, whenever possible
  
• avoidance of doing anything that one normally wants to do like Etsy shop or playing outside in the beautiful weather
• increased fatigue
• lots of movie watching
• no bathtime for kids
• only being able to watch half of General Conference
  
• annoying calls to insurance trying to find providers
• gratitude for antibiotic's
  
• a great excuse to eat frosties and popsicle's
• Several missed appointments like sewing class, play date and visiting teaching
  

I will no longer be contagious after 3 pm today. But I have still kept Samuel from pre-school which sort of stinks because he has spring break later this week so he'll only have one day of school this week.

Sickness, go away!

Remember

If you want a discount for BYU Women's Conference you need to pay by today!!! After today the price goes up a little bit.

Here is the link to my previous post to get details.

Fool's Rush In

Je suis enceinte! (I am pregnant!).

gotcha! just kidding!

That was my attempt at being foolish. Fortunately today I was not the one who was fooled. I am fairly gullible and I have a small sense of humor and so I would have been fooled by just about anything today. BUT Tyler didn't try anything....not yet anyway.

But I am reminded of an incident when I was fooled exactly 11 years ago. Tyler and I had been dating only a few months. He had already asked me to Prom and we were planning on attending together. On this day, 11 years ago, he pulled me aside right before early morning Seminary. He started telling me that his parents didn't feel comfortable with us dating so seriously. That he had reconsidered his decision to ask me to Prom and that frankly, his parents wouldn't let him go with me and finally, that we should break up. I was crushed inside. I didn't know what to say. But I stayed cool and polite and told him that if he and his parents had come to the decision that I would respect that. I was not happy about it and nearly in tears until he said, "Hannah, what day is it?" And I probably reacted like, "Um, Thursday, I don't know." and he probably said, "No, Hannah, what day of the year is it?" And then I saw the light and probably slugged him. He did get me! Since then, I've become less gullible and less comical. Oh, sigh.

Here's the scoop

Some of you been asking.....

1---No, I haven't sold anything yet. But it's okay because I was contacted by two local Art Shows to be a vendor. So, I 'm down with that! I'll be posting about those later.

2--We still don't know where we'll end up this August. There are possibly two options.....the first is Provo at BYU Law (with scholarship and basically free housing in my grandma's basement, where we first started!). OR we are waiting to hear back from UCLA's PhD (in Philosophy). He is on their wait list and there is a strong chance that he'll be accepted there. If he is, and with all the fellowships/funding, then we'll go to L.A.

So, we play the waiting game....We have to let BYU know by April 15th, so hopefully I'll have a better answer then!

3--We may be moving out of our apartment as early as mid-May!!! Eeek. We think it will be more profitable to live with Tyler's folks and work for his dad and grandfather and then head off to where we are supposed to be in August. Anyone know of anyone that would like to finish our contract for the summer???

4---Ummmm, I still like American Idol. I am voting for Adam, Danny, Megan and Allison. They're my faves! It's one of my "relaxing" things to do lately.

Okay, that's all. Bye now.

My husband

[Photo taken by Liz Draper]

I thought I should mention my husband. He thinks I don't like him anymore due to my new "friend" the sewing machine. My mind is almost always on creating my designs, updating my shop and coming to bed late. So I thought I should mention to him and everyone that I LOVE him!

After I had driven 8 hours from Colorado back home I dragged my feet to the front door, slugglishly pulling luggage and the kids with me. I was beat. But I opened the door to a CLEAN home (ie, mopped and vacuumed floors, clean table, counters, and even laundry done!!!), PLUS the smell of dinner cooking and a vase of tulips and a note placed on the table. It was so relieving! He had to run off to a fireside thing for BYU Law. But when he came home he didn't expect anything from me other than to take a nice loooooooong bath. I haven't done that in years, literally. I lit the candles, blasted classical music on the ipod, shaved my legs, and relaxed (as much as I posssibly could in our little tub). Ah, it was a perfect ending to a stressful day. Thank you Tyler!!!!

This is just one thing he's done lately to help me and show that he loves me!

He has been a trooper with me and my "lifestyle" change. It's been a whirwind of emotions and he's been really supportive. The more reason to love him!