Hiya Luv

what discourages me from blogging

2012-01-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

I have taken a couple of months off of intense blogging and now that I come back to it, I find that the biggest reason I can't motivate myself to blog is that I feel like I have missed out on so much.

Sure, I have missed reading blogs and commenting and having a relationship with others in the blogosphere. But what really intimidates me like no tomorrow is the vast array of talent that is out there. Talent in making your blog look like a million bucks. The newest most amazing fonts, with fun backgrounds, professional photos, and the list goes on. The pretty sponsor ads are also intimidating because I see how many awesome people are out there that I internally am competing with.

I keep asking myself why it bothers me so much. Why do I let competition with blogging get to me? I don't allow competition to be a major force in my life anywhere else? It is really quite odd.

I used to be able to write without a care. Okay maybe that isn't true. I did care about what I was writing but it seems that now I overly care and am always wondering, "no that is boring. who wants to read about that?" Truth is that the topic could be something really rad and I just won't write about it because I don't have fun pictures to show with gorgeous matching font and wit.

Perhaps what I am feeling is a bit silly? I assure you these feelings are real. I had a super fun photo for this post and of course I can't get it to work. I need computer lessons. I need confidence in blogging lessons. I need...to get a life.

W is for

2012-01-14T17:17:00.000-08:00

There are 2 big W's that are constantly on my mind these days. Weight Watchers and Weddings.
I started Weight Watchers a couple of weeks back and so far am really happy with the program. I am infusing it into my life and finding that eating healthier makes me feel better, happier, and I am down 5 lbs. but am a ways from my goal weight. I have made mini-goals along the way to my "real" goal weight so that I can celebrate on my journey.

Weddings. My wedding. We are in planning mode and this is where I need your help. Do you know of any handmade wedding blogs?

Etsy Showcase: Curiously Wrought

2012-01-07T05:55:00.000-08:00

I have not done an Etsy Showcase post in quite awhile however while I was scouring pins on Pinterest I found this woman's work to be unique and different.

Little Ohio 9x9, $65

Wolverine Michigan Love 9x9, $65

California Love, $75

Eleanor Mathis, shop owner of Curiously Wrought describes the process of her nail and string art.
"Each piece is custom designed from the state, to the colors, to the placement of the heart or team logo over a town that is special to you! Once it is designed, the wood is hand cut and painted or stained, each nail carefully hammered in, and the string is hand strung to create a unique 3-D map of the place you love."

How cool is that?

changes

2012-01-03T04:30:00.000-08:00

Hiya Luv is going through some changes. I am going through some changes. I am still trying to decide where I want my blog to go. If I even want it to go anywhere or if I want it to just be a humble little abode on the net.

I used to have big dreams for my blog. I used to want to have a shop that was bustling and a blog that was just as much my career as was my shop. Then my new job came along and I am in love with it. Ever since then I have really put all my eggs into that basket. I still get joy out of my blog but honestly I have been concentrating more on home and the other job than the blog and shop.

For now the blog will be an outlet for fun. It will not have a set focus like it once did on crafting. It will be about anything...I will not pressure myself to write consistently or often. I will not pressure myself to have the best pictures, fun tutorials, new material that others haven't written yet, or stress about not writing for a week or two or maybe even three or four. I will do what I want.

I am re-evaluating my own expectations. I am reevaluating my own commitments. There will be changes in 2012. I just can't do it all and it is not fair to try to do things halfway...

Thanks for sticking around on my journey friends. :)

It's true...

2012-01-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

I signed up for Weight Watcher's today. And I am freaking out that I have to give up on the abundance of sugar that I eat. And change my ways. It really is a good thing. I just need to take it in stride. I want to change my lifestyle. I want to take big steps to eat healthier and be healthier. I have been wanting to do this for awhile and now is a great time to start.

Now if I could just get D to do it with me...it is so hard to cook for me and then for him...but for now I will make do....

Without my iPhone...

2011-12-27T17:50:00.000-08:00

The past couple of days Dave and I have been in the middle of the mountains in rural Pennyslvania visiting my grandma. We had a great time relaxing by the fire, eating amazing home cooked meals, and besides wi-fi being completely cut off from the world via cell phone. When we arrived at my grandma's I turned off my phone and didn't look at it for a couple of days.

I am glued to my phone. I am constantly entertained by it as the iPhone has my "life" on it. I typically use my iPhone now more than my laptop. I play games, pay bills, tweet, read blogs, etc. on my phone. As I hadn't paid any attention to it in 2 days, I did not feel a sense of urgency if I did not have it on me.

As we were leaving my grandma's today we were rushing. We had just learned that the rain we had been expecting to fall in the late afternoon/evening hours had turned into a wintery mix and was to arrive around noon. It was 10am and the rain had arrived. As we rushed around the house gathering our belongings, grabbed leftovers that my grandma had packed us, I didn't think about looking for my phone.

On the way home the rain was quite a wintery mix with the temperatures dropping. Polo sat on my lap like a good boy and I held on to him and tried not to be nervous about the weather as we drove around the twists and turns of the mountains. Dave drove but I could tell he was nervous driving my little Honda Civic through the mountains. (He is always super nervous driving with Polo in the car anyhow and the weather didn't help at all.)

When we got close to home Dave mentioned that since we now had cell phone reception that I should call my grandma and let her know we were almost home. I could not find my purse anywhere.

Scatter brained.

Sinking stomach.

I had left my wallet, purse, and iPhone at my grandma's 3.5 hours away. I was tempted to turn around and drive back however was talked out of it by Dave due to the weather.

Mad at myself I keep asking, "How do I forget something so important? Why am I always so scattered?"

I don't have an answer. I don't know how to fix my scatter brain. That bothers me.

I am meeting up with my grandma tomorrow half way for lunch. I feel so bad about my mistake.

Without my iPhone I realize how much I depend on it for so many things. It is kind of peaceful not to have it. I have been reading on my kindle, I blogged!, wrapped gifts for Dave's family, cleaned the house!, and am eager to sew. I haven't been eager to sew in weeks.

So iPhone, I love you so...but I have a totally new perspective.

bah-humbug

2011-12-21T15:17:00.000-08:00

I usually love the holidays. I enjoy spending time with family, catching up with relatives I haven't seen in awhile, sharing laughs and jokes over family games, and enjoying great homemade food. This year however I am not excited about the holidays. In fact, I am sad. Very sad. I want to avoid the holidays at all costs. I lost both my grandpa's this year and I am not in a celebrating mood. I just want to stay home and grieve. Yes, lay on the couch and watch movies and sleep Christmas away. I don't want to be jolly and laugh over family games. I don't want to catch up with relatives. I don't want to force myself to be happy. I want to be sad. I want to miss my grandpa's. I want to stay home. I don't want to travel to Ohio. I don't want to leave my pajamas or my house. I know my parents and family are disappointed. I know that it is a good idea to be around others during the holiday who are also grieving. But I don't want to......

sigh of major relief

2011-12-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

The craft fair I have been prepping for is now done! The craft fair was today and I am so happy to be done with it. So much prep goes into participating in a craft fair. I don't feel that I can keep up with both my etsy shop and preparing for a craft fair and thus had closed my shop for quite awhile. I am excited to open back up online and get back into the swing of things.

{a glimpse at my table}

{headbands}

I am still trying to decide if I prefer to sell online or in a craft fair type venue. With working full time, I don't think I can manage both. Those of you that do work full time and manage to sell online and do craft fairs in your local area, how do you do it? I need some tips!

How was your weekend?

Foundation. To wear or not to wear?

2011-12-08T13:43:00.000-08:00

Thanks to L'Oreal for sponsoring my post about my favorite beauty looks, tips and tricks! Check out Makeup.com for beauty advice from the experts.

Since I was a teenager I have been a fan of makeup and perfumes. My favorite genre of cosmetics would be a tie between eyeshadow or blush. I have spent a great deal of time as well as trial and error over the years with cosmetics and have learned what brands work best for me and my skin. I have sensitive skin and find that I cannot just wear any kind of make up. My skin will break out easily so I have to be careful.

I find that on days when I wear make up I feel more put together. I feel more confident about myself and feel that I look better. I like my make up to look more natural than caked on and I prefer natural hues to bright, bold colors. There are some days that I don't have time and I will just throw in the towel or only wear mascara. But when I can, I try to wear make up and I try to take my time with it. Now with that said, I don't like to take a lot of time applying make up in the morning. 10 minutes tops!

The more natural looking, the better!

Currently in my make up drawer I own a variety of eyeshadows from brands such as Avon, Lancome, Smashbox, MAC, and Christian Dior. I have the most eyeshadows of any cosmetic product however I habitually stick to the same color palette and brand. I very rarely switch it up.

I also do not wear foundation. I find that the foundation typically turns to a greasy film (gross, I know-sorry) by the afternoon and therefore I try to avoid at all costs. I have tried blotting papers, various brands and kinds of foundations, face wash and moisturizer systems and nothing seems to work. I am comfortable with out wearing foundation but often wish my skin wasn't so oily and tempermental.

L'Oreal Paris Infallible Foundation
I learned that I don't need to apply foundation everywhere. Just where I need it. With this particular foundation I have a longer period of time to spread the foundation on my face before it sets. I often find that when there is not a lot of time to spread the foundation, there is an "orangy affect" to my skin tone. After watching this video, I tried this foundation and was pleased with the results.
I was also pleased that it was not greasy and oily half way throughout the day. YAY! The best part of this product is that it does not take long to apply and it is well within my 10 minutes of make up time a day! ;)

Have you learned any make up tricks lately? Have you tried a new product lately? What have you learned?

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. Click here to learn more about Makeup.com or become a Facebook fan by clicking here.

Happy Domain Birthday to Hiya Luv!

2011-12-07T17:33:00.000-08:00

Hiya Luv.com is one year old today! I can't believe it has been a year already. In some ways it feels longer. Like she has always been her own place on the web. I have been blogging since October of 2009 but lately have kind of lost my spark because of my new found love with my job. I started my new job in October 2011 and have been head over heels since, thus letting the blog go...

Here are some buttons and blog headers from the past...
It's so funny to look back!

I miss it some. But really I am loving my new found creativity in the workplace. I will be back in due time friends and I do keep a journal full of ideas for the blog. In the mean time, I will celebrate that Hiya Luv the web domain is 1.

So much has happened this year. 2011.

I lost both my grandpas. {Sad. It is the very first and foremost thing on my mind at all times.}
I attended my first blogger conference in Phoenix, Arizona in April.
I wrote more blog posts this past year than in years past.
I joined the Clever Girls Network and love being part of such a vibrant and talented group of women.
I started #Setupshop and created a blog and online workshops to go with it.
My handmade shop was open for most of the year and I was pleased with the amount of sales received. I will reopen shop in the future.
I was asked to start a new blog with fellow bloggers Lauren of The Trunk and Chrissy of Hoot Designs called the Scatter Girls.
I started a new job at the University of Delaware which I adore.
So much to be happy about this past year. I am so blessed.
Thank you for following along on my journey friends!

Yogurt + Veggies = amazing dip

2011-11-22T18:12:00.001-08:00

During fall weekends I love enjoying a crisp apple with Marzetti's carmel sauce. On weekends I enjoy making munchies to snack on while we watch football on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. I typically make fattening dips filled with yummy cheese and some kind of meat. One Saturday I was wondering around looking for a dip to make and feeling particularly lazy so I decided to to try something more healthy and refreshing and thus was really excited to give Marzetti's Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip a try. I had seen it in the store before but had never picked it up. There are so many flavors to choose from but I went with the classic Garden Herb Ranch. I grabbed some carrots, celery, cucumbers, and crackers to have with the dip.

When I first opened the dip I could tell that it was going to have a rich flavor because it was thick in texture and did not look watered down like most dips. The dip was creamy and thick and had tiny pieces of carrots mixed throughout. Dave and I enjoyed fresh veggies and the dip for lunch one Saturday and there was still plenty of dip left over for Dave to have some with his buddies during Sunday football and I brought some to work to share with coworkers.

There are many varieties to choose from. What I really liked about Marzetti's Otria dip compared to other dips is this one is only 6o calories a serving, can be used in recipes, or is delicious on its own with a veggie tray.

Dave and his friends really enjoyed the dip and raved about the flavor and since I served it in a holiday dish, they thought I had made it! Points for me! I also brought some of the dip to work and my coworkers wanted to try it. They also enjoyed the rich, creamy flavor.

I am looking forward to trying other Otria dips such as the Salsa Cilantro and the Chipotle Cheese.

Have you tried any dips lately?

I was one of the bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company and Clever Girls Collective to host a Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip review. They provided me with product to test and compensation for my time. However, my opinions are entirely my own.

#setupshop chat announcement

2011-11-21T16:59:00.001-08:00

Hi friends!
It's crazy town around here! In an awesome and good way. We are getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving as I'm sure you are too and things are rather hairy around here getting everything in order for our travels. The past couple of weeks there have been things at work or I was at a class and have not been able to make it home in time for our weekly #setupshop chat on Monday nights. I looked at my calendar today and realized that during the next few weeks and even month and a half through the holiday season I was not going to be able to makes many of the chats. With that said I want to put it out there that in fairness to all I won't be able to consistently host weekly #setupshop chats until January after the holiday season.

Please do not feel that this means that if you want to chat that you can't. Please do and feel free to use the #setupshop hash tag. I just wanted to be open and honest and let everyone know what was going on with me.

Also, January is #setupshop 's one year anniversary!!! Yay!!:)

Cozy Holiday Comforts

2011-11-18T17:10:00.000-08:00

This post is sponsored by Tempur-Pedic, the brand millions of owners trust to deliver their best night’s sleep every night. Enjoy our Buy 2, get 1 free pillow offer now and give the gift of custom comfort to someone you love.

Lately it has been dreary and rainy in Delaware which makes me want to snuggle up on the couch with hot cocoa, a warm blanket, and my pupster. I love to watch sports and light a Yankee Candle and snuggle all day long. Some days just allow for laziness and gloomy, wet, never-ending rain has been just that lately. The late fall weather lends itself to a feeling that the holidays are around the corner.

A crazy! picture of us last Christmas

I always enjoy making chili around the holidays. It reminds me of being a kid and my dad would made chili for us. The house would smell all day like chili and my brother and I would sneak into the kitchen to get a whiff of the bubbling pot of stew on the stovetop. It was comforting to be at home with my siblings and parents. With no worries.

Now as an adult, I find comfort in making chili for my little family on cold, dreary days around the holidays. I love letting the chili simmer all day long while we lounge around the house. Before I get snuggled up on the couch with Polo and Dave, I prepared some turkey chili in the crock-pot and let it cook all day.

crock-pot turkey chili

The recipe is really easy and is one of our favorite cozy, comfort foods that we enjoy on a cold day.
1 lb of ground turkey
1 packet of chili seasoning
1 can of kidney beans (undrained)
1 can of diced tomatoes (undrained)

I cooked up the ground turkey in a pan and drained any grease before putting it in the crock-pot with all the other ingredients. I also added black pepper to taste, a dash of cumin, and some Tastefully Simple Onion Onion. I brought some chili to work and a colleague of mine really liked it but mentioned that she loves garlic so she might put some garlic powder in it. The recipe is really easy and versatile. You can make it your own.

I cooked the chili on low/medium for about 2-3 hours.

Another holiday comfort that is not necessarily a family staple or cemented tradition but something that I often do and really enjoy is any watching any Charlie Brown holiday cartoon. We own many on dvd much to Dave's chagrin. Watching Charlie Brown with fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and some hot cocoa is a holiday comfort that will be around for many years to come.

On Christmas morning I find it comforting to spend time with family and to enjoy those around me. I enjoy spending time with extended family but find deep comfort in spending time with my small family. There is a sense of peace that I feel when I am at home and I really enjoy taking it all in and relaxing at home.

How do you find great comfort around the holidays?

Comfort is the perfect gift for everyone on your holiday gift list, so be sure to take advantage of Tempur-Pedic's Buy 2, get 1 free pillow offer! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

The Fabric Scrap Garland Tutorial

2011-11-14T06:52:00.000-08:00

I have been working my fingers to the bone preparing for my upcoming craft show in early December. I started to prepare months early because a.} this is the biggest craft show I have ever done with well over 100 vendors and b.} it is near the holidays and I am really hopeful that people will be in a buying mood. *the economy is tough y'all.

In hopes of making my wares that much more appealing to the eye, I want to make sure that my booth is decorated and grabs the consumers attention. I am going to teach you how to make a fun fabric garland that is super easy. In fact I made mine while sitting on the couch watching the World Series.
Here is what you need to do before you get started.
1. Go through all of your fabric scraps. Anything that is somewhat long put in your pile to use for the ribbon garland. I used all lengths to give it depth. You can do all one length; it really doesn't matter.
2. Find your favorite scissors.
3. You will need yarn to tie the fabric scraps on to. The yarn can match but it doesn't have to.

Now that you have all of your supplies, get comfortable on the couch.
Lay out your fabric strips. Start knotting your strips one by one on your yarn. I rotated colors and you can do that too or do all one color. The beauty of this project is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. After tying all your fabric strips you can adjust them. You can spread the strips out our make them tighter by pushing them together. Have fun!

I hope you enjoy this super fun and easy project.

a sunday thought {week 8}

2011-11-06T05:13:00.000-08:00

a sunday thought {week 7}

2011-10-30T06:12:00.000-07:00

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Visiting New York

2011-10-24T04:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends back (time flies) my sister, Allison came to visit during her fall break. It was such a blast having her around and I just miss her like crazy.

I am so proud of my sister and think she is so smart and beautiful. While she was visiting we went shopping and she helped me pick out a couple of new display items for my upcoming craft shows. We also took a day trip to NYC for shopping and to visit the 9/11 Memorial.

We had such fun.

Allison at Crumbs

Our Apple Cinnamon cupcake didn't stand a chance!

***

We were so lucky to get tickets.

I had been stalking the 9/11 Memorial reservation system online for weeks and was finally able to get us tickets at 6am on the morning we wanted to go.

Tickets are free (suggested donation) and are required.

You cannot get in without a ticket.

outside the 9/11 Memorial

Inside the Visitor's Center

The Fountains

It was so peaceful inside the Memorial.

After visiting the Memorial, we needed a pick me up.

Naturally, we went shopping in the Fashion District and stopped by Times Square.

We also had to get another cupcake at Crumbs. {oink, I know.}

By now I was really tired as you can see by the horrendous photo.

Like my new scarf?

I had just purchased it and didn't want to take it off although it was pretty warm outside.

And on Allison's last night visiting we of course had to take her out to watch Monday Night Football at our favorite local pizza joint.

I wish my sister lived closer. We had so much fun.

a sunday thought {week 6}

2011-10-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

My New J-O-B!

2011-10-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

The cat has been out of the bag for a couple of weeks now on twitter and facebook and I really appreciate all the amazing comments and support. I promised I would give you all the scoop and I am finally getting around to it.

You see D's computer is on the fritz and therefore he has been hogging mine. That means that I have very little blog time so I have been MIA.

15 months ago I left the University of Delaware for a job at Temple University in Philly. I was the Assistant Director of Residential Life for Student Conduct. My job at Temple was challenging to say the least however I learned a great deal of skills and was so overly stimulated mentally, physically, and emotionally that I was often pretty worthless at home. I did great work when I was at work but couch potato doesn't even begin to describe my demeanor at home. My relationship with D was quite rocky for awhile because of the lack of time I spent at home and when I was home I was far from a good partner. I was crabby because I was so tired. I experienced more migraines and sleepless nights than I want to count. I had anxiety like crazy on Sunday nights. I didn't want to go out or do anything because I was so tired and I just wanted to be at home resting.

{Fun-loving Temple University Residential Life staff 2010-2011}

Philly

my office building

a glimpse at my office

The 3 hour commute played a huge role in my vegetable state during any free time that I had. I swear I whined and complained for a year about my 5:15am wake up time and the fact that I did not get home until very close to 7pm.

looking out the train window at the water

another view of the water from the train

I have great memories of working at Temple and learned so much. I also met some amazing people who I loved working with and will be able to hang out with outside of work. I feel like I had so much more to accomplish at Temple but I just couldn't do it anymore.

***

The grass is really greener working closer to home.

I am so thrilled to be working at the University of Delaware again. This is such a blessing for which I am so so grateful. I will now be leaving my house at 8:15am as opposed to 6:15am. I will also be home before or close to 5pm. This means that I can get back into going to the gym and having a life. I could just jump for joy and squeal. {oh wait, I already have.}

The Green at UD

I feel like I am dreaming. I am that excited. I pinch myself often to make sure this is not a dream.

YouDee and I circa 2009

I will no longer be working with students in crisis a majority of my time. This is my first job outside of Residential Life. No more duty for me. No more August trainings that suck the life out of me.

My new position is called Behavioral Health Specialist. I will be working on alcohol and substance abuse prevention and education. I will be able to focus on positive action steps instead of working solely in a reactionary state. My new boss is amazing. She is so friendly, honest, forthcoming, and flexible. My coworkers are great and I have worked with them indirectly on committees before.

The University of Delaware is truly beautiful and I feel like the luckiest girl ever to be working there again.

I hope this feeling lasts. I know things will get hairy and busy; but at least I have a 30 minute roundtrip commute instead of a 3 hour commute.

*all pictures are by me

a sunday thought {week 5}

2011-10-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

a sunday thought {week 4}

2011-10-09T05:56:00.000-07:00

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To buy an iPad or a laptop?

2011-10-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

This is just to test how it feels to blog on an iPad. I am trying to decide if I want to buy one or not and so of course I had to attempt to post an entry. One thing that I know is missing right off the bat are USB ports. I did find out that there's a USB port you can buy. Whew!:)

Do you use an iPad? Do you use it instead of a laptop or regular computer or in conjunction? Do you blog on your iPad?

Thanks for helping me with this decision!

How to Make a Picture with Picnik

2011-10-06T04:25:00.000-07:00

I try to use Picnik as often as possible. I love how easy it is to figure out and if you have a paid subscription, the opportunities are endless. You can still do a lot with the free software but I have been amazed at how many more things I can do with a paid subscription.

Andrea of Keepin' It Thrifty sent me a message asking how I made this:

I used picnik to make this fun addition to my post.

In order to make something like this, there are some steps you must follow.

***

First thing to do is go in to paint (I used the mac equivalent) and save a blank page. It sounds odd I know but you will use it every time you want to make a fun picture like the one above.

Now that you have a blank page at your disposal, upload it into picnick.

blank page on my picnik dashboard

1. Now click on EFFECTS. Scroll down to DUO-TONE and select your color.

Bold Yellow is the color of choice in this photo.

I did not like the bright yellow and found it distracting so I changed it to gray.

After you choose your color, you can then create.

2. The apple tree is a 'sticker' and is listed in WHIMSY TREES under the Stickers tab.

You can drag the tree or tilt it side by side for extra affect.

3. I added Picnik Fun because I thought it would be just that; fun.

Click on TEXT and add your words in the box available. Pick your font and click APPLY.

4. I did the same thing for the flower to the left of the tree. I selected Stickers and chose the flower. You can change the color of the items too. I chose aqua blue for the flower.

Give this a try. It is really easy and a lot of fun. Let me know if you have questions.

I would also love to hear about how you use Picnik.

Why I Heart Disqus

2011-10-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I mentioned that I will blog for comments. I just love them so.
Since comments make my day, I wanted to try an interactive comment widget that would make commenting easier for the reader and for me to reply.

I heart Disqus. I can not believe that I have been blogging for almost two years without it.

via

Disqus is a widget that you can add to your blogger (not sure if it works with wordpress) and it is designed to enhance and encourage conversation between you as the blogger and your readers. Disqus allows others to "like" a comment or even post a reply to it. These replies and "likes" open up the conversation and allow for more of a back and forth discussion to take place on the blog as opposed to over email.

What I love more than anything is that I can write back to a blogger even if they have the infamous no-reply blogger email address. Nothing makes me feel more sad while blogging than receiving an amazing comment and not being able to reply to it. I can reply using Disqus and my response will be recorded underneath the original comment in my post. I just love the feeling of being able to respond to a reader. I always feel terrible and go on a wild goose chase to find the blogger with a bogus email address. Sometimes I am successful and most of the time I am not. Disqus is my friend.

via

I thought Disqus was going to be tedious to install. It was not at all.
Disqus is easy to install. All I had to do was copy an html code and place it in an html box on blogger. I was able to migrate all of my comments as well. Migrating the comments can be a little weird. It may appear that the migration is not taking place because it will sit on 0% for a long time. Like a really long time. You may even receive an error the first time you try to migrate comments. Just try it again. The second time you should be smooth sailing.

Do you use a comment widget? If so, what?

I am linking up!

Will Blog for Comments

2011-10-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

I love to blog. I love to put words on 'paper' and share how I am feeling or things that I find interesting. Blogging feels like a "free" write of sorts sometimes and when I allow myself to just write, I feel free. I feel that I am producing something genuine and heartfelt.

I blog for me. For you. For family. For friends. I blog for comments. I love hearing from you. When you have taken the time to leave me a comment, you have made my day.

Thank you.

Where I Shop {Online}

2011-10-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

It is no secret that I love a good deal. I also love to shop. With my current job and the amount of commuting that I do daily, I rarely have time to visit the mall for Anthropologie or my favorite discounter Marshalls/HomeGoods.

Although I lack time, I improvise and get my shopping fix online. Thus, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite online shops that offer great sales and quality items. If you are not a member of these sites, consider joining. They are FREE!

Joss & Main-I love this site. Joss & Main is great for housewares, linens, furniture, home decor at discounted prices. I love Joss & Main because I find items that I have never seen elsewhere.

a screen shot of my joss & main page

Are you a member of Joss & Main? If not, join here.

Beyond the Rack
Deeply discounted clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry and shoes can be found at Beyond the Rack. You can also find items for men, kiddos, and home.

a screen shot of my beyond the rack page

Sometimes the sales are up to 90% off. Right now I am gah gah over the handbag sale that features Celine, Burberry, and Chloe. Too bad the bags are a bit out of my price range!
Are you a member of Beyond the Rack? If not, join here.

Haute Look
I love this website because I have been able to find great items on sale. Do you see a trend here? I like a sale! Haute Look features sales on clothing, handbags, shoes, accessories, and housewares. Unlike Beyond the Rack or Joss & Main, Haute Look also features sales on getaways and vacations.

screen shot of Haute Look

I have had my eye on the Hilton in San Diego sale that they have going on right now. I would love to go but I have taken too much time off of work lately. Are you a member of Haute Look? If not, join here.

Shop It To Me
Shop It To Me is a unique site that allows you to choose your favorite brands and search for sales all at once. For example I have selected 50+ brands that I love and am interested in receiving sales and promotional information. Every week I receive an email featuring my selected brands and all the sites with sales featuring my selected brands. Shop It To Me pulls sales from leading websites such as bloomingdales, macy's, and brand websites such as Vineyard Vines.
Are you a member? If not, join here.

Join Shop It To ME!

Where do you like to shop online?

Freebie! UPrinting.com LABELS Giveaway!

2011-10-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

This GiveAway has closed. Thank you to all who entered. The winner is Andrea of Keepin' It Thrifty!

***

Last spring I partcipated in a craft show and one thing that I learned from the show was how important it is to have some type of packaging or bag to give to customers after they buy an item. In preparing for an upcoming craft fair, I have been daydreaming about packaging ideas. Whatever I end up deciding on, I know for sure that I will include custom labels to make my packaging stand apart from others.

http://www.uprinting.com/custom-labels.html

Not into craft fairs? Don't worry. There are many reasons to use labels.

Here are just a few:

*sending correspondance to others

*identify your belongings such as a water bottle

*holiday gifts

*holiday cards

About UPrinting.com

Known for their quality products, quick turnaround time, and great customer service, UPrinting.com is a great company to try out! There are many printing companies out there; but very few offer 24 hour support, live chat assistance, free samples, or print quality assurance.

To Enter the Giveaway:

Leave a comment letting us know how you would use your labels.

Please include your email address.

Extra Entries:

Follow my blog, twitter, or facebook. Follow all three, gain an extra entry.

Follow UPrinting.com on twitter or facebook. Gain an extra entry for each.

*In order to receive an extra entry, please leave a separate comment and include your email address.

The winner will be chosen on THURSDAY, October 6.

Please note:

This giveaway is hosted by UPrinting.com and I did not receive any monetary compensation for hosting the giveaway. I will receive the same giveaway prize as posted for hosting.

a sunday thought {week 3}

2011-10-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

via

2011-10-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

It has been a challenging week. My grandpa passed away on Friday, September 23, 2011 and I promptly flew home to Ohio to be with family.

I spent a great deal of time in Ohio with family members celebrating the life of my grandpa or Papaw as we all called him.

It is really hard for me to talk about. It is really hard for me to describe how I feel other than heart broken.

Papaw was diagnosed with Mesothelioma (lung cancer caused by asbestos) in December 2009.
We knew this was coming but we didn't know when. We had 18 months with him when we were only supposed to have 3-6 months. We have been blessed beyond measure.

But I miss him so....

Posing with Papaw and Brutus on Papaw's front porch, September 2010

Tailgating with Papaw, my cousins, aunt, and uncles before an Ohio State game.

Papaw and I at the Ohio State vs. Miami game in September 2010

R. I. P. Papaw

a sunday thought {week 2}

2011-09-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

via

Tailgate Party: Buffalo Chicken Dip

2011-09-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

Fall weekends are filled with football at our house and lots of yummy grub.

D loves it when I make a different kind of dip each Sunday for us to enjoy while we watch the NFL games.

One of his all time favorite dips is the Buffalo Chicken Dip that I make. I highly dislike anything with buffalo sauce so he is on his own with this dip.

Here is the recipe:
1 1/4 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup of blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup of Frank's Red Hot Sauce (buffalo)
8 oz. package of fat free cream cheese
1 package of shredded cheese

1. Soften and spread the cream cheese in a deep dish.
2. Add hot sauce and blue cheese dressing to the cream cheese and mix together.
3. Add 1/3 bag of shredded cheese.
4. Mix together.
5. I boiled the boneless, skinless chicken breasts and shredded into small pieces. Mix together.
6. Sprinkle lots of shredded cheese on top.
7. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown around the edges.
8. I serve the dip with pretzels, warm tortillas, or tortilla chips. I have also seen it served with celery.

Enjoy!

I am linking up with the Mom Endeavor's Tailgate party!

heavy heart

2011-09-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

It's hard to concentrate when you have a heavy heart. It's hard to do anything for that matter when you have a heavy heart.

Lately there has been a lot of death in my life. Between Dave's family members and my own it feels that we are constantly going to funerals. In the past year we have been to at least 5 but I should probably stop counting because that makes it feel worse. I will be attending another in the morning. 6.

My grandpa who has been battling mesothelioma for almost 2 years is not doing well. It is just really hard right now. When will we get a break?

Tickle Me Tuesday: Sprout Eco-Friendly Watches

2011-09-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I participated in Sarah's Tickle Me Tuesday linky party and I have missed checking out everyone's finds!

Now that I am settling back into a routine, I am optimistic that my blog schedule will follow suite.

I am excited about these new (at least to me) watches that I found.

They are called Sprout: an eco-friendly timepiece.

Sprout watches are adorable and there are a variety of colors to choose from. What makes these watches special is that they are biodegradable and made with organic materials.
Here are a couple of my favorites:

Sprout Watch

I love that this watch is made with a mercury free battery and a certified organic cotton strap.

Corn Resin Case and Caseback, Bezel, Reflector Ring and Movement Holder

Corn Resin Buckle closureCertified Organic Cotton StrapNatural Bamboo DialMineral CrystalMercury Free BatteryApprox. band length: 240mmApprox. band width: 20mm.Approx. case diameter: 44mm.Quartz movement.

Isn't this watch adorable?

You know I am partial to owls. {wink}

Have you heard of Sprout before? Do you have a Sprout watch?

A Place to Visit: The Urban Craft Center

2011-09-19T05:04:00.000-07:00

Next time I am in LA I must visit the Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica, CA. In the mean time I will drool over their blog and daydream about the day I will visit in real life.

a little snippet of the urban craft center website

This place is a crafter's paradise!
A spacious studio with anything you could ever dream of, classes-both public and private, and clubs.
All types of craft genres are represented at the Urban Craft Center. Learn something new. Perfect your craft. Go shopping.

Those of you who live in So Cal, I am so so jealous.

Have you ever been to the Urban Craft Center? What did you think?

a sunday thought

2011-09-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

via

How to Add a Pinterest Button to Your Blog

2011-09-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of attending my very first Philly Social Media Mom's event today and had a great time. I was so excited to meet Madigan of Madigan Made and Diane of In My Own Style. I instantly felt connected to them and inspired by their passion for blogging and their down to earth nature. I can't wait to meet up with them again!

The workshop today was on SEO: Search Engine Optimization and provoked a lot of thought and consideration for where I want my blog to go. While at the workshop, Madigan, Diane, and I shared knowledge about our own personal experiences with blogging and one of the things that I learned today is how to add a Pinterest button to your blog!!

I have admired Madigan's pinterest button on her blog, Madigan Made for quite some time and was pleased to find out how easy it is to install. (Thanks Madigan!)

Do you want to know how to add a Pinterest button to your blog?

Visit Pinterest
In the top right hand corner, click on about.

Find "help" and click on it.

Now, click on "goodies" and scroll down until you find "Follow Button" for your website.

Choose from the button options and click on your favorite.

Copy the HTML code.

Visit your blogger dashboard and click on DESIGN.

Decide where you want your Pinterest button to go and click ADD GADGET.
Select HTML/Javascript.

Paste your code from Pinterest.
Click Save.
Preview.
Save and Enjoy!

Note:
If the button is too big or too small, visit Pinterest again and select a different button.

Happy Pinning!

Where were you on 9/11/01 ?

2011-09-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

Do you remember how you found out?

It feels like just yesterday that I was woken by a phone call at an unspeakable time. I was in college and went to bed at 4:00am on a regular basis. Receiving a phone call around 8:30 in the morning was just plain rude. But on that morning it was more than necessary. I will never forget that phone call.

My boyfriend's mother was calling me. She didn't say hello. She just screamed, "OMG! A plane has flown into the World Trade Center." I rubbed my eyes and said, "Huh? What?"

I remember thinking, "What is the World Trade Center?"

I honestly had no idea.

Still screaming, my boyfriend's mom said again, "OMG! TURN ON THE TELEVISION!"

Still waking up and so confused, I turned on my television just in time to see the second plane hit.

I screamed.

As I was a Resident Advisor, all of the girls living on my floor came running into my room in hysterics. All of us where on the phone calling anyone we could.

Next thing I knew the fire alarm went off in our building. We were only in a 17 story building (nothing compared to the WTC) but just seeing a plane fly into a building on television had everyone's senses heightened. We were scared. Terrified.

Did something happen to our building at The University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio? Was the world coming to an end?

It was insane.

I remember school being cancelled for the day. I hung out with my best pal Amanda and would not leave her side. My boyfriend at the time was with us and we were all glued to the television. We were in awe at what we were seeing. We were terrified. Dumbfounded.

We became obsessed. Glued to the television for days. Focused on the lives of those affected. Searching for something that we could do. We became more patriotic than ever before. Wearing red, white, and blue, driving around campus blasting patriotic songs and hanging flags out our window, getting manicures with the American flag. We bought every magazine and newspaper we could find with stories of 9/11. We promised we would never forget. We talked and talked and talked about 9/11. We felt so raw. It took us weeks if not months to get better. We were so rattled and we were hours from NYC. We couldn't imagine what people in NYC were feeling.

My friends and I had a fall break trip planned to visit NYC on September 21. Our parents begged us to cancel our trip. We refused to cancel our trip to NYC. We were more determined than ever to go. We went down to ground zero. Two weeks after the attack we could still smell jet fuel. There was still debri everywhere; blocks and blocks away from ground zero. There were postings of missing people everywhere. There were choirs singing on various street corners. It was unreal. The fire was still burning. Two weeks later.

After 9/11 my best friend Amanda and I were too afraid to sleep alone. I slept on Amanda's futon for months after the attack. We would stay up so late at night talking because we were so afraid that something was going to happen and we would be asleep and not know it. We were on heightened alert for so long.

As time went on, it got easier.

I will never forget 9/11 or my visit to NYC. I have magazines from 9/11/01 that I refuse to part with no matter how tattered they get from all my moving over the years.

Every year I am glued to the 9/11 tributes and memorials.

9/11 is something I will never forget.
Where were you?
How did you find out?

I am linking up with Blair at Wild and Precious.

Lusting: Tory Burch Flats

2011-09-08T03:59:00.000-07:00

I am totally lusting over Tory Burch Flats.

In Black.

In white.

In all colors.

I just might...

Wear them like this.

***

Tory Burch flats

In Jellies

Instead of Wellies.

I could wear Tory Burch flats

anyway.

***

I will own a pair

of Tory Burch flats

SOMEDAY!

Buy Tory Burch Flats

All images via pinterest

Childhood Memories

2011-09-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks back I was privileged to guest post on my gal pal Autumn's blog called The Pickled Poppy. She asked me to stick with a back to school theme and I chose to write about something that can be relevant at all times. I have revised the post a little bit and wanted to share a rendition of it with you.

Family is super important to me.
In thinking about family, it often brings me back to fond memories of childhood-especially around this time of year-Back to School, fall, days getting shorter, cozy nights snuggled up on the couch...

One of my favorite memories of childhood is something that my parents did throughout the year.

Read.

They would read to me when I was too young to know how. When I was learning to read they would help me along. When I was old enough to read, my parents took my siblings and I to the library weekly, especially in the summer. My parents always encouraged reading and what a gift that was! It made back to school fun because I knew that I would get to read new books in english class!

via

I thought it would be fun to share some of my all time favorite children's books. I'd love to hear about your experience with reading and/or your favorite books!

1. Blueberries for Sal, $6.53
2. Corduroy 40th Anniversary Edition, $13.59
3. First Day Jitters, $6.95
4. I Just Forgot, $3.99
5. The Berenstain Bear's Learn About Strangers, $3.99
6. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, $10.58
7. Harold and the Purple Crayon, $6.95
8. Where the Wild Things Are, $8.95

Are any of my favorites some of yours? I would love to hear what your favorites are!

Happy Reading!

When you don't have it in you...

2011-08-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Lately I just haven't had it in me to write. I don't have writer's block. Trust me there are lots of thoughts.

I don't have energy.

I have been so exhausted from work that the thought of coming home and writing my heart out seems so exhausting. By taking a break for a month (!) I am missing you all like bananas! I miss writing. I miss being creative.

I am slowly recuperating from a month of super long hours at work but am excited for the possibilities of a new school year. I have lots on my mind; thoughts of going back to school for my doctorate is one major thought that consumes my mind. I have missed learning. I want to learn about so many things it is unreal. But right now with my current job, I don't have it in me.

I know that everything happens for a reason. I just want to have it in me again.

What do you do when you feel like you don't have energy to function?

Love Languages

2011-08-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

How do you prefer to be loved? How do you love others? You may have an idea already for how you love others and how you want to be loved but you can take this quick quiz to learn what your love language is.

There are 5 Love Languages:

Loving through Acts of Service

Loving through Affirmation

Loving through Quality Time

Loving through Physical Touch

Loving through Gifts

A colleague of mine recommended The 5 Love Languages book to me recently and I am finding it rather intriguing. I have learned so much about myself just by spending a few moments taking the Love Languages quiz. By taking the quiz and reading a little bit of the book from the excerpts I found online, I was able to get a good idea of how D prefers to be loved. Because of what I know now, cleaning the bathrooms after a busy work week doesn't seem so bad because I know that he feels loved and appreciated through acts of service. Before knowing that, I would get resentful and upset with him. I would wonder why he wasn't cleaning the bathrooms! I have learned that I too feel loved and appreciated through acts of service. That explains why I am on cloud 9 the nights he makes dinner for me and it is ready and waiting when I get home from work.

I only took the quiz and read a little bit but I am so excited for my book to arrive.

I can't wait to learn and reflect on me in order to continue to build my relationship with D.

How have you worked on your relationship lately?

QUIZ :: BOOK

*Please note that this is not a paid post.

Friday Night

2011-07-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Some nights you just gotta veg and do nothing. That is me tonight. I am so exhausted from a long work week and am pleased to have spent my Friday night at home, on the couch, taking a nap.

What are you up to this Friday night?

{aside from naps, you are my favorite.}

Thank you!

2011-07-28T06:30:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in Mandy's Baby Shower yesterday! The linky party will still be up and available for the week so feel free to join the fun!!

You're Invited! Mandipidy's {online} Baby Shower!

2011-07-27T00:44:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to celebrate the arrival of a very special bundle of joy! Mandy of Mandipidy and her dear husband will soon welcome a beautiful daughter, Abigail into the world in early August.
Rachel of The Chatty Mommy and I thought it would be fun to put together a little celebration with her online friends to let Mandy know that we are so excited for her and this new chapter in her life.

We have a number of posts planned for Mandy's online baby shower. Mandy will be able to visit each blog post and enjoy a little bit of mommy advice, momma games, little girl apparel, gifts, and all sorts of creativity. Feel like joining the party?! The more the merrier. Just link up below!

For Mandy's virtual baby shower, I thought it would be fun to post what I would LOVE to do for a real baby shower! Let's just pretend!

bottle favors for party attendees

juice & bottle game to play

yummy diaper snacks

delish rattle cookies

A festive table for desserts, nibbles to eat, and gifts!

Mandy, I know you are going to be an amazing mother. I can't wait to "meet" Abigail!

Much love,

gina

psst, a little something is in the mail for you. xoxo

My Birthday means YOU win!

2011-07-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

This GiveAway is now closed. The winner is Jenn Erickson!!

I turn 30 today. 3 cheers for me! And even more cheers for you!

I am excited that my dear pal Mandy from Mandipidy has joined up to celebrate with me by offering all of you an opportunity to win a $20 shop credit to her etsy shop: Mandipidy

Luck you! I love Mandy's shop and am the proud owner of several prints. The quality and artwork is gorgeous and I know you will LOVE her shop.

She also makes some of her prints into adorable necklaces. I can't get enough of her shop!

SHOP**BLOG**TWITTER**FACEBOOK

To Enter:

Leave a comment about your favorite birthday cake. Please remember to leave your email address.

Extra entries (please include your email address):

Follow Mandipidy blog

Follow Mandipidy on twitter

Heart Mandipidy on Etsy

Tweet, Facebook, or blog about the giveaway and leave a comment with the link.

Happy Day! #GiveAway SO Chick! Handbags

2011-07-19T04:36:00.000-07:00

This GiveAway is now closed.

I am so excited about today's post. Do you know Melissa of So Chick! Handbags? If so, you know that she is awesome! She is so organized, has a fun blog, and a gorgeous shop! She has mad sewing skills y'all! If you do not know her; you are in for a treat.

Meet Melissa, owner and designer of So Chick! Handbags.

Melissa!

Melissa's blog is full of down to earth, funny, tales of mommy-hood, family, sewing, diy projects, and crafting.
Melissa's shop is filled with beautiful bags at very reasonable prices. Her work is pristine. professional. gorgeous.

Melissa is joining in on my birthday giveaway celebration and is giving away the following items!

(I'm so jealous by the way!)

Perfectly Pleated Pouch:

Great as a make-up bag at home or travel.

Measures: 9.25 (at widest point) x 6.5 high x 2.5 deep

Retail: $20.00

Zipped Clutch:

Has two interior credit card pockets.

Fits Cell, keys, cash, cards, lipgloss

Measures:

9in L x 4.5in H

Retail: $18.00

Both are made with High Quality 100% Cotton, interfaced for durability and lined with fleece for a plush, professional finish.

ENTER the Give Away!

Mandatory (please include your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner!):

Leave a comment about your favorite birthday memory.

Extra Entries (Please include your email address):

*Follow So Chick! Handbags blog

**Follow Melissa on Twitter

***Like So Chick! Handbags on Facebook

****Tweet, Facebook, or blog about the giveaway and leave a comment.

Give Away ends on Saturday, July 23.

2011-07-18T00:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

I am so excited to have Annie of Wattlebird here to celebrate. I truly think she is amazing and I am so happy that she is with us to share a fun DIY project with us!

Enjoy!

****

Hiya Luvs! I'm Annie from the blog Wattlebird, and I'm so happy Gina is letting me share a crafty project on her blog as part of her birthday celebration! If you've been to my shop, you know I make silly hats for silly people. I've been creating lots of new designs lately, and the one I'm sharing with you today is my new favorite - a hamburger!

If you can knit and sew, it's pretty easy to make. Here's what you need:

light tan, dark brown, and white yarn
red, yellow, and green felt
thread

Using whatever basic hat knitting pattern you'd like, start with the light tan yarn and knit about 3/4 of an inch, then switch to dark brown for about 2 inches, and back to light tan for the rest of the hat.

This is the fun part. Cut the felt into random shapes. I crinkled the green pieces to make them wrinkly so they'd look more like lettuce, and I made sure to include the corners on the yellow felt so that it would look more like cheese. You can pretty much put whatever you want on your burger. Then stitch all the pieces around the top of the dark brown yarn strip.

Cut the white yarn into a bunch of 2 inch strands. Tie them onto the top of the hat and cut away the excess so that it looks like sesame seeds.

That's it! If you don't feel like making it yourself, it will be available shortly in my shop, or you can email me at wattlebirddesigns AT gmail DOT com for a custom order. And if you feel so inclined, stop by my blog and say hi! I'd love to "meet" you!

oh friends...

2011-07-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

Where does the week go? It is amazing how time flies! I will be in New York with my Dad for the weekend for our father/daughter trip. I turn 30 on Wednesday and this was our fun way of celebrating!

My dad, me, Dave's dad, & Dave on Father's Day a couple years back

I hope you have a lovely weekend!

Uprinting.com GiveAway!

2011-07-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

Giveaway is now closed! Please visit UPrinting.com for great deals on all our printing needs!

Hi friends!

If you are anything like me, I am always looking for an opportunity to grow my blog and shop. I am constantly trying to think outside the box about ways to spread the luv for Hiya Luv Handmade. The truth is that I do at least 90% of my marketing online.

failed opportunities

I need to begin focusing around me too. I am missing out on a wealth of a market. There are people in my workplace, local coffee shops, boutiques, restaurants, everywhere who love handmade.

Why am I chicken? Or am I chicken? Is it just that I haven't taken the time to think about local promotion? How do I promote locally?

Sure I promote by word of mouth in conversation. I wear handmade. But what about traditional methods such as flyers?

I am excited to give you an opportunity to try local promotion by partnering with UPrinting.com.
UPrinting.com is generously giving one Hiya Luv reader a 250 piece set of colorful one sided "night club" flyers of their choosing. This includes FREE SHIPPING!

colorful & eye catching! customize for your shop!

Here are some ways to use flyers:
Advertise your shop and that you will be at an upcoming craft fair (post in coffee houses, shops, college campuses all with permission of course)
Promote sales-try a locals only discount code through your website
Show off your work in pictures
Get creative-the opportunities are endless.

Here is what you can win!

Nightclub Flyers / Flyers

250pcs. Flyers for one winner

4.25" x 5.5", 4" x 6"

14pt Cardstock Gloss, Front Only Printing,

nightclub flyer templates and business flyer templates also available for download

3 Business Days Turnaround, *Free Shipping

Restriction: Limited to *US residents 18 years old and above only.

Want to win? Here is how to enter:
*Leave a comment with your email address stating HOW you would use the flyers.

That is all. Easy!
Fingers crossed. I hope you win! :)

GiveAway will end Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 8pm Eastern.

disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive night club flyers for hosting. For more information about flyers, please visitUPrinting.com If you have won a UPrinting.com giveaway in the last 6 months, you will not be qualified to win.

news to share

2011-07-09T00:55:00.000-07:00

The other day I mentioned that I started a new blog called Connect. Engage. #SetUpShop

I also announced another great opportunity on twitter and I am excited to share it with you; my first loves of the social media world.

(via)

I am now offering handmade business workshops!!! I will still have Hiya Luv Handmade but realized that I so enjoy helping others flourish with their businesses and I wanted to get more involved in doing so. After all that is how the #SetUpShop chat was born. I get emails and skype requests all the time asking for advice about selling handmade wares and I felt it was time to sit down and write out a workshop curriculum. That is exactly what I did. I am so excited and hopeful for these courses! I am confident that they will be beneficial to so many handmade entrepreneur's!

As of right now I am offering two workshops.

The first course is designed for students who are considering owning a handmade business however they are unsure of the logistics and all that a handmade business will entail.
(Click below to read the full course details)

Course 1: Setting Up Shop 101: The Ins & Outs

The second course is for students who are at an intermediate level. Students have a shop and already have some sales however they want to take their shop and business to the next level.
(Click below to read the full course details)

Course 2: You Set Up Shop. Now What?

Register now!
Each course is $25
Mention HIYA LUV in paypal message box and I will refund you $10!
Coupon Expires: Tuesday, July 12 at 5pm.

Classes are limited to 25 students each.

Classes begin on July 26, 2011.

My thoughts on Triberr.

2011-07-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

I have received many invites from friends to join Triberr. As I am usually the first to get excited about trying a new social media goodie, I have been hesitant about this one from the beginning.

Why?

Triberr is sweet! It retweets your posts by all those in your tribe. That is awesome exposure for your posts!!!

Yes! It sure is. But is it positive exposure?
I will say that over the past couple of weeks as many of my twitter friends have joined Triberr my twitter stream has been inundated with tweets, tweets, and more tweets of the same thing from various people.

{etsy}

No matter how great the tweet is, it just looks like spam to me. And quite honestly it makes me sad. I know people work really hard on their posts and all they want is for people to read their posts. But honestly, I am less likely to click on a link if I see it a million times in a blank RT without any comment before it or after from the person doing the RT. I skip over it. And it is not like the tweet is timed to go out minutes or hours apart. The tweets go out at the same time so in my stream it appears like 5-10+ of the same thing. ( I would show an example but I don't want to hurt feelings. That is not my intention here. My intention is only to say why I haven't joined any tribes and why Triberr isn't for me.)

Perhaps it all depends on how and why you use twitter? I use twitter as a way to connect one on one with others. I am more likely to click on a link if I see it one time. From you. I enjoy responding to you about your link.

Am I missing the point about Triberr? Maybe you can help me understand.

powerful.

2011-07-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

powerful.

Snippets of Information

2011-07-05T00:31:00.000-07:00

Real quick...

Polo is having a second surgery today. His tail did not make it through the first surgery and was so damaged from the amount of tissue that needed to be removed to get all of the tumor that the circulation to the bottom of the tail was not sufficient. Polo's tail essentially died. It has been really sad to see his tail turn brittle, curl up, and stop wagging. Polo will have his tail amputated today and Dave and I are a mess. We worry so much because the first surgery did not go well. Thank you for your continued support, prayers, and sweet comments.

Although I am really sad about Polo and all the stress that he has had to go through, I am excited about the debut of the #SetUpShop blog. Stop by and visit, follow along, and join the conversation on Monday evenings at 8pm Eastern. I am so pleased that the chat has grown so much that the demand for a blog was needed! I have some great ideas for the blog and am really looking forward to this new adventure. Hiya Luv will still be kickin' as will Hiya Luv Handmade!

I hope you all had a blessed weekend.

4th of July Shopping {Sponsor Discounts}

2011-07-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends!

Happy 4th of July weekend to you!

Are you ready to shop?

Some of my sponsors are offering some great discounts for the 4th of July holiday!

Blog::Twitter::SHOP::Facebook

please note discount code is excluded on custom orders

Blog::Twitter::SHOP::Facebook

Blog::Design::Twitter::SHOP::Facebook

Blog::Twitter::SHOP::Facebook

Free Shutterfly 8x8 Book!

2011-06-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!
Winners:

jackie (sweetest petunia)

shabbylife

kara-mine for the making

Amanda/Damien

Lauren-elephants trunk

I heart Shutterfly.

Like a lot.

I make photo books like they are going out of style.

I can't help it.

I have always been partial to picture books.

{via}

I love how easy it is to make a photo book on Shutterfly.

*Pick your theme (there are so many to choose from)

*Upload your pictures

*Decide the lay out of your book

*Add captions

*Choose hardcover and even label the spine

*DONE!

Photo books make amazing gifts. I love giving them away and making them for myself.

{via}

Have you ever made a Shutterfly Book?

If the answer is NO, you are in luck!

I have 5 to give away!

YES, 5!

You will receive 1 free 8x8 hardcover color photo book with up to 20 pages of your photos.

{Want it?!}

Leave me a comment telling me why you want to win.

Please leave your email address.

**Please note this is only open to new shutterfly customers who have never made a photo book.

**This is not a paid or sponsored post. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

today is a better day

2011-06-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

I feel like we have done a total 180 since yesterday. Or would that be 360? I dunno.

Polo took us on two LONG walks today. He has ate like normal. Went potty like normal. Is trying to itch and scratch his tail through the cone. He even saw his neighborhood puppy friends today and did not mind that he was wearing a cone. I love his confidence. I love his determination. I love his resiliency.

Thanks for all of your well wishes, tweets, emails, and comments.
You kept me going and encouraged me to hold my head high.

Tomorrow will be an even better day.
God is good.

scraped knees, wounded heart

2011-06-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

I was not prepared for what happened to my Polo on Wednesday. Dave and I picked him up from the vet to hear him crying and shrieking. His tail was completely cut up as the tumor was larger than the vet had originally thought. The vet said, "If the tail doesn't get circulation or gets infected, we will have to amputate and that surgery is much more invasive than this one." I have never felt such pain in my heart until that moment.

What?! He made this surgery sound like a simple procedure during our check-up. I was not prepared for this.

Dave and I have no children. Polo is our child. The love of our lives. Some people can't understand this because he is a dog; a creature. He is. But he is so much more. He is a little boy in his four-legged body. His personality shines. He is just so unique.

To say the last few days have been rough would be an understatement. I haven't showered in days. Food-not sure what that is anymore nor do I care. Polo's tail won't stop bleeding. He won't go to the bathroom. We have to try to clean this large wound and spray it with hydrogen peroxide and he looks at us with the saddest puppy dog eyes as if we are intentionally trying to hurt him.

He wants to go outside and go on "the route" around the block. He wears his cone with pride. He can't walk that far but he won't take no for an answer. He will try and then stand there panting wondering, "why?" Sometimes I have to carry him home. Today I slipped and fell while carrying him; scraping up my knees. As I stood there with blood on my knees I looked up at the sky with tears in my eyes, and whispered, "why?"

Polo doesn't understand what just happened to him. He doesn't understand why there is a sheet covered in his blood in the family room that he must stay on. He doesn't understand why he can't sit on the couch or lay in bed. He doesn't understand why...

He doesn't understand why I cry all the time.
He is a my child in a four-legged body.

The pain I feel is unbearable. Unreal.

I turn to the scripture. Looking for hope. Looking for positivity.
I'm trying to trust.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. {Proverbs 3; 5-6}

Dave tells Polo and I, "One day at a time. Tomorrow will be better than today."
I can only pray.

{What is on your heart?}

Prayers Needed

2011-06-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on twitter, you know that today Polo is having surgery. We found out this past weekend that he has a tumor on his tail. We have been full of emotion in our house since we found out.

polo playing with his favorite bone

His tumor has been there for a little while. Growing. I noticed it about a month ago and I sent out a tweet wondering what it could be. I thought it was a blood blister or a cut from playing. It hadn't healed and he began to lick it. When he began licking it, I knew it was bothering him. Deep down I think I knew and maybe was avoiding it. I feel terrible.

If you have a minute, please say a prayer for my little Polo today. And hug your furry friends.

How to Keep Your Nutrition on Track

2011-06-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

It is no secret that I have gained weight since I started my new job. It is obvious from the way my clothes fit to how I feel about myself. I feel like it is time to take control and have been talking to a friend of mine who is very knowledgable about healthy living and eating. His tips educated me a great deal and gave me a new way of looking at my calorie intake. Because of Tom, I am more cognizant of what I eat. Let me introduce you to my friend Tom who kindly agreed to do a guest post for Hiya Luv readers.

{Tom}

Getting on track:
One of the first questions I get asked by friends and co-workers is what kind of diet I’m on. The truth is, I don’t follow any particular diet. I tell people that I follow very simple rules that help me keep my nutrition on track. These tips aren’t revolutionary by any means, in fact you’ve probably read/heard them reading an article on diet and fitness.

First, I eat lean meat, complex carbohydrates, and good fats 90% of time. Second, I allow for cheat snacks (not days!) . Third, I‘m consistent about the numbers of calories I consume each day.

It’s that third rule that I want to address today and I want to start with a little confession. I’m a calorie counter. I have been for years. I look at the nutrition label on just about everything and in some cases have most items in my house memorized. Now the reason I do this is so I can keep my daily caloric intake consistent. For me, I look at my caloric intake like a budget. With that theme in mind, I’d like to talk about how you can find out what you can spend and how to do it wisely.

What’s your daily allowance:
There are a lot of ways to figure out your daily caloric needs and what you may need to eat to lose weight. The easiest method would be to look at a calorie calculator. There are a lot of them online and what I recommend is looking at two or three of them to get a general idea of what your budget may be. Now each calculator may take different factors into consideration. For example the Mayo Clinic will give a range of calories based on your activity level. Another great one is located on WebMD. Now this one requires you to join if you want the full plan, but before that it will give you an estimated daily calorie count and an idea how many calories you need to burn via daily activities and exercise. With tools like these you’ll be able to get a general idea of what you’re budget would be.

No credit cards:
One of the biggest mistakes someone can make with their diet is saying “I’ll work it off tomorrow” or “I won’t eat as much tomorrow”. Yes, you can potentially do both those things but there are better ways to prepare for those extra expenditures that don‘t require your future self to make sacrifices. One way would be to count that dessert, slice of pizza, mozzarella sticks into your budget for the day/week. If you count it into your week as opposed to your day, you don’t have to make as big as a cut in every day. For example, Friday night is pizza night. You know you’re going to have two slices. Well the average slice of a large cheese pizza is 240 calories. So you’re looking at a total of 480 calories. So instead of cutting that amount of your diet on that specific day…you may cut 80 calories out of your diet for 6 days. It’s more manageable and keeps your budget in line.

Spend wisely:
You’re on a budget, so it’s important to get the most out of it. Just like when you are on a financial budget, it’s all about shopping smart and picking foods that will help you get the most bang for your buck.
One way to do this is substitute food you currently may include in your diet with healthier (and potentially tastier) alternatives. One simple guide to follow would be Michi’s ladder. This is a nutritional guide that beach body (the company responsible for p90x, insanity, Turbofire) recommends for it clients to look too when trying to follow the nutrition plans that comes with each specific program.

Now that you’ve figured out your caloric budget and have an idea of what to spend it on you have the frame work for your daily nutrition plan. Next step if figuring out where exercise can fit in to this plan and help you achieve your health and fitness goals. If there is interest, I’d be happy to address that in another blog.
Keep getting stronger every day.
Tom Johnson

Isn't Tom great?
To connect with Tom, visit him on twitter or facebook!
He not only gives great tips but also encouragement to keep up the great work.

Thanks Tom for guest posting and sharing your knowledge with us!

Engage Your Brand: a book review & GIVEAWAY

2011-06-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

This giveaway is now closed.
The winner (Emerging Em) has been contacted. Thank you for entering!

Weeks back I got home from work and as usual began talking to Dave about how I would just love to work in social media as my full-time job.

Since 2009 I have interacted with social media on a regular basis in so many ways.

I have used social media to grow my blog, network, grow my handmade business, and learn.

Because of social media, #setupshop was born and has been a huge success leading to a blog launch within the next few weeks.

I could go on for days about social media and the impact it has had on me.

On this particular day Dave turned to me with a huge smile on his face and said, "Oh! I won something for you in my CPA class!" I looked at him with a blank look. I am the last person on earth who would want anything from his accounting class. I am terrible with numbers and am lucky to be able to add 2+2. Beaming, he turned to me and said, "We had an interesting presenter today, Lee Mikles, the author of this book. I won the book on social media by answering questions. The book has your name written all over it! It is called Engage Your Brand and I thought you would like it!"

Now I was interested! All this time I had been talking to him about my blog, twitter, #setupshop, facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest. I swore he tuned me out. But he caught on. I love social media and finding a niche for my brand of handmade items in my etsy shop is so important to me. My heart was bursting because he had heard me and I was overjoyed at this amazing resource in my hands!

I took the book and began to read. I was hooked. Engage Your Brand is written for a corporate business person however I was unable to put it down because I could apply everything to my business.

Co-Authors Lee Mikles and Patrick Callahan fill Engage Your Brand with real life examples on how to engage your brand in social media marketing through networking and building relationships. Specifically, the authors give examples through case studies that show you exactly how one company may engage and build relationships with their clients whereas another merely answers questions or handles complaints. Building relationships is key as you are creating value and a long-term customer. The book touches on motivating your customers to spread the word about you! Creating your own fan base creates word of mouth for you; your product. Your Brand! Your fans are marketing you on facebook, twitter, face to face and are helping you build up your brand.

Engage Your Brand discusses how to determine your return on investment (ROI) with social media, how to build your best A-Team, and how and when to be transparent with your business online.

During #Setupshop we have discussed branding, marketing, and utilizing social media to help your handmade business.

I truly believe in this book and know that you will not only enjoy the read, but will also learn a great deal.

I have purchased one Engage Your Brand book for one lucky Hiya Luv reader.

Here is how to enter:

Mandatory: Leave a comment telling me why you want to win this book.

Please include your email address so I can contact you if you win.

(Optional) Extra entries:
*Follow my blog and leave a comment.
*Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment.
*Blog about the giveaway and leave the link in a comment.
*Follow me on twitter and/or facebook and leave a comment.

The giveaway will go through Thursday, June 16, 2011.

Another great resource: Engage Your Brand also has a great blog: Engage Blog

A New Endeavor

2011-06-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the tweets referencing @scattergirls?

Have you wondered what are they talking about?

Months ago my gal pals Chrissy of Hoot Designs and Lauren of The Elephant's Trunk began brainstorming together and decided to collaborate on an awesome new project. We are really excited about this new endeavor that we will be launching into the blogosphere {soon} and wanted to share a sneak peek with you.

Interested in getting involved?

Email me: gina at hiyaluv dot com

just a few words...

2011-06-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

If you are discouraged today or have a block in creativity,

let the pressure go.

Etsy Showcase: Mine for the Making

2011-06-09T00:33:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for an adorable shop full of goodies with great prices?

Look no further!

Check out Mine for the Making for adorable felt hair bows, headbands, and fun necklaces.

I just love the color palette in this shop.

Here are some of my favorite goodies!

See something you like?

I'm not surprised!

***

Don't be shy!

Stop by and say hi!

Check out the SHOP!

Check out the BLOG!

Check out FACEBOOK!

Etsy Showcase: TBlendings + a GiveAway!

2011-06-08T00:54:00.000-07:00

This GiveAway is CLOSED.

Hi friends!

I have a treat for you today!

Check out this great shop:

My new friend Tara from Beautiful Blendings and I have teamed up to offer you a giveaway!

Yup!

True story!

Tara is offering one Hiya Luv reader a $20 shop credit to her shop Beautiful Blendings!

Check out these cute hair clips.

and this fun headband...

Want to win a $20 credit?

I can't blame you!

Here is how to enter:

Mandatory: Visit Beautiful Blendings and leave a comment with what you would use your credit towards. Be sure to leave your email address!
***

Extra {optional} entries [please be sure to leave a comment after each entry]:

1. Visit Beautiful Blendings on Facebook, "Like," & leave a comment with your email.

2. Follow TBlendings on Twitter and leave a comment.

3. Follow Beautiful Blendings blog and leave a comment.

4. Blog, tweet, or facebook about the giveaway and leave a comment.

5. Follow my blog, tweet me, like me on facebook and leave a comment for each.

***
Visit Beautiful Blendings Blog to enter to win a $20 Hiya Luv credit! Yee Haw!

so much going on!

2011-06-07T00:20:00.000-07:00

There is so much going on at Hiya Luv these days!

On Saturday, I submitted Hiya Luv Handmade to possibly be picked to run a super discounted deal on Heartsy.

I will be in Columbus, Ohio visiting family the weekend of June 19 and would love to meet up! Are you available? Here are more details.

I am seeking feedback. Would love it if you could spare a few moments.

Click here for the Hiya Luv survey.

AND-I received a custom order request this weekend and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

I just love this bag!

What do you think?

{Nautical Blossoms On the Go Tote}

inside peek

Do you want to see more like this in the shop?

Etsy & Blogger Showcase: The Pickled Poppy

2011-06-06T00:54:00.000-07:00

Nothing gets me more excited than finding new, fresh talent. I love the creative community and all the beauty that we create in our wares. I was so thrilled to meet Autumn of The Pickled Poppy through SNAP!

Autumn is so clever. The first day I visited her blog, I stayed for awhile reading all of her tutorials, about her littles (including a newborn baby girl!), and drooling over the goodies in her shop.

Autumn is just as sweet as can be and so dedicated and driven to succeed in the handmade community.

The day she gave birth to her little darling Lucy, she emailed me.

She is quite a saavy lady and one that you definitely want to check out!

***

I can't wait to make this ruffled onesie for my friend's baby. Or painted mason jars?!

OH yes, so many great DIY projects to try!

The Pickled Poppy has a shop on etsy. The shop is full of fun wares such as wristlets, crayon rolls, and reusable snack packs! Here are a couple of my favorites:

Hampton wristlet

lola clutch

crayon roll

***

Autumn is re-opening her shop TODAY!

You can use code: thanksabunch for FREE SHIPPING!

Stop by and say hello to Autumn:

let's have coffee! in COLUMBUS, OHIO

2011-06-05T00:18:00.000-07:00

Are you in Columbus, Ohio or close by?

Want to get together for some coffee and chat?

Oh the possibilities!

We could chat about: life, blogs, handmade, #setupshop, YOU!, or whatever else suits our fancy!

Sound like a lovely time?

Let's get together.

Please let me know if you plan on attending so I can plan accordingly.

Can't make it but want to be involved?

If you are unable to make it to the Coffee Talk in Columbus, Ohio but are interested in sponsoring the event, email me: gina at hiyaluv dot com

Oh my Heartsy!

2011-06-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

It is no secret that I am trying to grow my handmade business.

I am trying to get the word out about Hiya Luv Handmade.

In doing so, I find such joy and motivation.

I am so excited to be working on new items for the shop based on input from you!

I love custom orders and am so thrilled to be working with Andrea of Bubblewrappd on a custom order.

***

Now-for those of you who love a deal...(that should be all of us, ay?)

I have applied to Heartsy and hope that my wares make the cut.

What is Heartsy you ask?

Heartsy is a handmade website full of great deals to amazing shops.

A shop owner applies to Heartsy and lists a projected deal.

The deal is not made live to the public until the shop is officially accepted on Heartsy.

How do you get accepted?

The first step to getting accepted is by getting 60 votes for Yes, Definatley will buy a credit for this shop. Who votes? You. Me. The handmade community!

Take a peek-I would love it if you voted for me.

What happens next?

If you get 60 votes, Heartsy will view your shop and your credentials. They will then decide if your shop is a good fit. If it is, they will call you and work out a good time and a great deal.

My fingers and toes are crossed! I hope to make it!

I will keep you posted.

Input Needed & Wanted

2011-06-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

I would just love your input...Thank you for the few seconds you can spare! :)

<p>Loading...</p>

a mind full of ideas with nowhere to go

2011-06-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Do you ever experience creativity overload?
A million ideas running through your head but you are not sure which one you want to conquer first?

Lately I have been feeling this-
I have a list of things I want to do...several lists...scattered throughout my house, purse, craft room, everywhere.

I could be in the middle of something and an idea will pop into my head.
A great, brilliant idea!
This has been happening so often with my blog lately. So many ideas for posts. I want my posts to be intentional; not fluff.
But when I sit down to write, these ideas are gone. Maybe not the ideas because they are written down but the soul of the post. Does that make sense? I don't write just to write. My posts come from my heart.

I begin writing. I even get half way done.

And then I lose all motivation.

Why?

I sit down to create. I sit down to write.

It's always the same. My mind goes blank. I lose motivation. I get caught up in family life. I get tired from working over a 12 hour day. Sometimes I want to just lay on the couch in quiet. Often I just surf Pinterest.

Why do we lose motivation when we have a mind full of brilliant ideas? Is it fear of failure? Is it fear that there are other products out there that are somewhat similar? Blog posts that are similar?

I often forget that what I create and what I write is not the same as what is similar to another's. In fact they are totally different. My thoughts, my heart, my time, and personality is in all that I do.

I am my blog. I am my craft.

*pictures are from here

{Fabulous Bloggers You Don't Want to Miss!}

2011-05-24T00:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Trop50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 Fabulous Wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous!

***

Blogs provide a wealth of knowledge in a variety of genres. Today I am highlighting five fabulous blogs that are written by amazing, successful women. These blogs are fabulous because they are great resources, are fun and full of personality, and all bring something extra special and unique to the blogosphere. {They are in no particular order.}

Oh My Handmade Goodness-This blog is full of useful information for all things handmade, creative with posts, posts are easy to read and are enjoyable. Resources are often provided such as printouts to projects for kids, or organization tips. I have also provided a couple resource links from this blog during #setupshop such as this post. Oh My Handmade has great posts on being a handmade shop owner, how to price your products, market them, taxes, etc. This blog is a collaboration of many lovely ladies. Take a look and bookmark it for later!

Wendy Brandes-Wendy is fashion forward, a gorgeous jewelry designer, is open, honest and straightforward, comfortable in her own skin, professional, and shares knowledge about a variety of topics in fashion, jewelry, journalism, and life on her blog. Wendy is in tune with her readers and makes a point to always visit her readers' blogs and comment back. Her posts often make me laugh and I have learned about jewelry making and the customer work process from her posts. When I first started blogging in October 2009, I had no other commenters but Wendy Brandes and if it had not been for her encouraging comments I would thrown in the towel.

Katie Armour {The Neo-Traditionalist}-full of stylish fun. Think classics. Think Audrey Hepburn. Style for you, the home, your pups, and inspirational posts about vintage finds. Katie is also co-founder of Matchbook Magazine.

La Petite Coquin: writer Lena has an eye for a gorgeous wedding! I love this blog and visit it daily to find the most beautiful wedding inspiration. La Petite Coquin is a mix of real life weddings, inspirational ideas, cakes, clothing, places to wed, and in such a variety. Lena is just as sweet as can be and is talented in many ways.

Tara Gentile Blog-Tara describes herself as a life coach "leading passionate people to produce & profit." I truly enjoy reading her posts about goal setting, blogging your passion, woman entrepreneurship, running a business and having a family, and personal balance. Tara writes as if she is talking to you and her ideas are useful and often doable.

Who are your favorite bloggers?

Why do you love their blog?

***

Don't forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.

style icon: jackie

2011-05-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

There are women throughout history that are iconic.

Miss Jackie is one of them that epitomizes style and grace.

I have been thinking of her lately because I recently watched the mini-series "The Kennedy's" and have since been infatuated by the Kennedy family history.

Jackie was not only stylish but had an inner strength that I so admire.

Is there an iconic woman that stands out in your mind?

What is it about her style or character that makes an impact?

my name in lights...

2011-05-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

Well not really...

but it is even cooler to see my name in paint!

Check out my amazing painting from Lauren of the Elephant's Trunk!

I love the yellow and gray paint and the subway art theme...I couldn't be happier.

{my name in paint...by elephant's trunk}

I am smitten. The second I received it in the mail I raced upstairs and hammered a nail in the wall.

That is why it is hung too high-you see-I had no time for measuring.

I wanted that baby on my wall!

And then I stared at it.

For awhile.

Just like I do every time I am sewing in my room.

It's a wonder I get any sewing done.

I just love seeing my name in paint.

See my wine bloom? I love wine but bought this bloom to go around my lamp! She's gorgeous!

Do you have an Elephant's Trunk original yet?

{this is what love at first sight looks like}

I only have one but give me some time and I will have a collection.

But first, I must go readjust my painting.

Etsy ShowCase: Hoot Designs & Hoot Photography

2011-05-16T00:44:00.000-07:00

Hiya Readers!

Meet Chrissy of Hoot Designs Blog and of Hoot Designs Photography Blog.

I had the pleasure of meeting Chrissy at the Creative Estates Conference in early April and can not say enough about how sweet and fun she is.

{Chrissy}

Her blogs depict her personality well; cheerful, upbeat, bright, and fun.

Have you ever visited Hoot Designs?
I encourage you to do so if you enjoy crafty projects, recipes, and creative inspiration.
Chrissy is also known to find great handmade shops and post about them.

Have a passion for photography or want to learn more about photography?

Visit Chrissy's up and coming blog all about the topic.

Chrissy is creatively talented and has an etsy shop. She is most famous {she has sold thousands over the years} for her keychains. Chrissy sells her awesome keychains to local schools, colleges, girl scout troops, and even offers fundraising opportunities to her local community.

I have a key chain and love it so much.

{Personalized keychains}

{Kiss lock purse}

{loadable/usable gift card note pad}

Chrissy also makes other items, so be sure to check out her shop.

Chrissy is offering a great discount in her shop for Hiya Luv readers!

20% OFF!

Enter code: LUVHOOT20

Quick! The discount code expires on May 22.

Follow Chrissy on Twitter.

Check out her the Hoot Designs Handmade Shop.

Check out the Hoot Designs blog.

Check out the Hoot Photography blog.

*all photos from Hoot Designs or Hoot Photography

{marketing your blog and shop}

2011-05-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting article in our paper this morning about the local racetrack. The article talked about how the attendance at NASCAR races has been down exponentially in the past couple of years due to the economy and people losing interest.

D and I had a conversation about the topic and it got me thinking about how it relates to handmade.

I'm not crazy; really-bear with me.

We began talking about the marketing of tickets at said racetrack and how we never know when there is a race coming to town. I am not a NASCAR fan however D enjoys a good race every now and again. If he knew about a race in advance and of ticket specials he would be more inclined to purchase tickets. However, he is not going to go out of his way to do research on tickets to purchase them because we enjoy the Phillies and other sports more to be quite frank. And we often forget about said racetrack because we never hear or see anything on it.

Activity: Take a moment to think of some great marketing campaigns.

Here are some that come to mind: Apple. Starbucks. NBA. McDonald's.

What makes them stand out?

Apple. clever commercials. clean, sleek design. quality.

Starbucks. fair trade coffee, help the environment.

NBA. "where amazing happens." great tagline. community service efforts.

McDonalds. "i'm lovin' it" a great tagline.

Now think about your blog and/or your shop. What makes them stand out?

How do you market your shop and your blog? Do people know about it? How do you know? Other than sponsorships on blogs, there are no large billboards online that scream your blog and shop name. You can tweet away on twitter but how often do people click to visit your shop or site?

There are the usual ways to market your shop such as business cards, packaging, and having a streamlined branding but let's try to think of little things that you can do that do not require a large marketing budget to make a statement.

Here are some ways to market your blog and shop:

Get involved online. Chat it up on twitter. Be active on pinterest. Leave comments on blogs. Do guest posts on blogs. Offer to do giveaways. Offer discount codes to bloggers you have never worked with before-reach for a target market you never dreamed of working with. Build relationships. Know of upcoming conferences-look into sponsorship/giveaway opportunities. Work with others. Promote others. Join chats on twitter. Send a card with your business card in it.

Did you brainstorm other ideas? What did you come up with? Does marketing change with the seasons?

{Join us on twitter for #SetUpShop Monday night at 8pm eastern to discuss summer marketing}

*all thoughts are my own

*photos from weheartit.com

a heart to heart

2011-05-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

I wear my heart on my sleeve.
I have a hard time hiding how I feel.
I tell the world I am well however
my non-verbals give away my true feelings every time.

You see I have not been taking care of myself the past several months.
I have let myself go.
I have not gone to the gym.
I have gained 20+ lbs since I started my new job in July 2010.
I have not ate healthy.
I lack sleep.
I have been stressed beyond capacity.

I recently went on vacation and realized that I had been pushing myself way too much.
Working and commuting totaling 60+ hours a week, blogging, tweeting, etsy, and all the immense amounts of pressure I was putting on myself while trying to have a personal life was becoming to be too much.

During my week vacation I spent time reflecting.
Why do I blog?
Why do I tweet?
Why do I have an etsy shop?
Because all 3 bring joy to my life. I started all 3 as an outlet {away} from my stressful work life.
As I often do, in work and in life in general, I pressure myself to be a perfectionist. I began doing that with my blog. My etsy shop.
I have forced myself to step back and re-focus.

on me.

I haven't been around as much lately online because the hours I would spend on here I have been spending either at the gym or with Polo and Dave. In order for me to do my best work, I need to be at my best. I have not been at my best for some time now and I am taking the much needed time and energy to get there.

I will be here. on twitter. on etsy. I will slowly build up my time to be back to normal again. I am not going anywhere. I am just being more intentional and more purposeful with my time.

Thanks for understanding.

Do you ever feel like this?

{Where I Buy Fabric}

2011-05-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

Hello friends.

Sharing resources is one of my favorite things to do. That is why I love hosting #SetUpShop so much. I love the exchange of ideas and support given to others. After all, we are working together to help promote and grow the handmade community.

Recently a twitter friend asked me where I purchased my fabric. It took me quite some time to find fabric places other than my local Joann Fabrics. The 40% off coupon is really great but it is difficult for me to find time to go to the fabric store so I prefer to order online and have my fabric arrive in the mail. After all I love mail!

I love to order from the following shops and will share some bits about why.
{Please note that these shops are not listed in any particular order.}

Above All Fabric:
$5 flat rate shipping and really quick turnaround. I am on the east coast and Above All Fabric is in Tucson, AZ. I usually receive my order in a couple of days. Average selection, good prices and sales, fun to interact with on twitter, and great customer service. Loyalty program also makes me remember to check them first for fabric before I go elsewhere! I also enjoy chatting with Melanie on twitter!

Hawthorne Threads:
Great selection but sells out fast. They do have a feature where you can sign up and be notified when the fabric is back in stock but by then I have already bought it elsewhere. I don't like to wait long for my fabric. Pricing seems somewhat high compared to others. There is a discount the more yardage that you buy. Shipping is really fast. I ordered and received in 2 days because the fabric came from New York and I am in Delaware. They also have a twitter.

Fat Quarter Shop:
Amazing selection and reasonable shipping rates. Interactive on twitter and customer service is good-quick turnaround with orders placed. I am waiting to receive my recent order to report back on how quick shipping is. Twitter sales are great; often 50% off certain fabrics.

Ribbon Retreat:
Good selection of fabrics, reasonable shipping rates, okay sales. The selection that is offered is good and I have been pleased with what I could find on the site. They also have oodles of ribbon and sometimes offer free project patterns. I just found this site because of the Arizona Girls Night Out event and I recently placed my first order. The Ribbon Retreat has a twitter although I have not connected with them just yet.

Some things that make me continue to buy fabric on a particular site:
*Fabric is in stock and the selection is wonderful. I want to have different fabrics from the norm.
*Shipping is a quick turnaround and for a reasonable price.
*I love a loyalty program. The idea of getting "credit" for my purchases makes me feel valued.
*Connecting with somebody from the shop on twitter makes the shop personal to me. I think of that person and am more likely to buy from them than a competitor.

Where do you love to buy fabric? Please share!

catching up

2011-05-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

I am still playing catch up from my vacation.

I have a to do list a mile long.

I feel like I can never keep up.

I only have a dog.

I admire all the mother's in this world because they manage it all.

They keep it all together.
Themselves, the kids; the family.
With love, compassion, ease, and little complaining.

How do they do it?

I don't know.

I admire, respect, and look up to every mother for all that they do every day.

Happy Mother's Day.

hiya luv hoop art

2011-05-05T18:39:00.000-07:00

A week or so back I did a guest post on Mom Endeavors.
I thought it would be fun to share here in case you missed it!
***

So recently we converted our spare room into a crafty space for me.

My sewing and craft supplies had begun to take over every nook and cranny in our house and so it was time to find a little space I could call my "crafty home."

Now that the paint and carpet are done and I am slowly adding furniture, I need to add inspirational decor to the walls as well.

My walls are a light gray and I have some yellow in my furniture.

I also love the color pink and want to have that represented throughout the room also but I don't want it to over power the room.

I thought it would be fun to create some hoop art for the walls.

Oh yes, I have fallen to the embroidery hoop bug that is going around!

I made this lovely felt flower piece not too long ago and wanted something that reflected my shop.

So I made this:

{i heart sewing is by paint me a pic}

{silly owl hoop art, by me}

Supplies I used:

8inch hoop

felt

fabric

thread

needle

googley eyes

hot glue gun

ribbon

STEP ONE:

The first thing I did was pick out the fabric I wanted for the background.

I love the gray birdie fabric and thought it would go great with the pink.

I then chose my felt colors.

I traced an owl. Originally I only had one owl but then decided to make a second owl to be like my blog and shop header.

I added a heart and my Blog name across the top.

I hot glued the felt onto the fabric but did so carefully because I knew I was going to outline some parts with embroidery.

I also added a bow to each owl.

One has a bow tie and the other has a bow in her hair.

I like bows.

STEP TWO:

To give the hoop art a more finished look, I tucked in the extra fabric on the back and hot glued it to the sides.

STEP THREE:

I cut out a large circle of felt and hot glued it down on top of the embroidery stitches.

I wanted to keep the stitches secure and also hide short parts of the fabric that wouldn't stay down.

STEP FOUR:

Hang up and Enjoy!

Other uses for this type of art-

baby nurseries

children's room

children's playroom

bathroom

your crafty space

Can you think of anywhere else?

Have you made any hoop art lately?

Etsy ShowCase: C. Jane Create

2011-05-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

I love Etsy and the handmade community.

One of my favorite aspects of the etsy community is getting to know people, what inspires them, and building friendships.

Christa at C. Jane Create is a phenomenal woman. Her shop is filled with lovelies.

Here are some of her adorable items captured by Ashley Hasty of A Hasty Life.

stationery

hairpins

journals

Christa is really talented!

Her items have been on my wish list for quite awhile.

To introduce you to Christa, I asked her a few questions so you could get to know her:

Your favorite color is? Turquoise!
What are you most excited about? Working on new products and re-vamping my shop!
What is your favorite aspect of creating handmade items? I love seeing the finished product and packaging it up all pretty.
Do you have a favorite tool/utensil? X-acto knives can do amazing things, but I love my Xyron!
Do you like to read? If so, what are you currently reading or what was the last book you read? I love to read, but haven't found as much time lately.

Do you like music? What is your favorite group/person to listen to? I like music a lot, but I don't want to have to pick out what I listen to. The radio and Pandora are my BFFs!
If you could choose one superhero power, what would it be and why? I would love to slow down time and make the day a little longer. Sometimes I don't have enough time to accomplish everything on my list!
Do you have new products coming out? Do you have a favorite product? If so, what is it? I have some fun new products that are about to launch! I love my journals. They are the first products that I made and I love sending them off to their new homes. :)

Today I plan on taking photos of my new products.
Tomorrow I will start editing and re-vamping my shop and website.
Next week I hope to relax a bit after the crazy week I just had!
In a month I will attempt to re-design and re-vamp my blog.
In a year I will be looking at houses to purchase...? We are really hoping so!

Visit the Shop

Visit her on Twitter

Visit the Blog!

in the know

2011-04-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

This week has been glorious.

D and I have been able to spend some great quality time together and we have had a lot of fun.
While we have had some great times, I have experienced withdrawal from my sewing machine.
I have been dreaming of new designs.

New items to create.

I want to sew and sew and sew some more.
I have come to an understanding that I can no longer pressure myself to try to work 40+ hours a week, commute 15+ hours a week and manage everything at the pace I have been.

I am not taking care of myself.
I am unhealthy.
I am unintentional.

I want to take time with my work.
I don't want to feel pressure.
I don't want to compare myself to others.
I want to start over.

Anything in my shop is now 50% off with code: INTHEKNOW50
If it is not in my shop, it is not 50% off. Sorry no custom orders.

my meltdown

2011-04-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

We have been together for only 2 weeks now.

However I am more attached and infatuated by you than I have ever been with any object in my life.

When you ~~left~~ blacked out on me, I felt a meltdown coming on.

In a split second I felt lost without you.

I didn't know what to do.

I didn't know who to turn to.

I couldn't get you to restart.

My entire day was ruined.

Why did you do this to me?

I need you.

I used Dave's phone to call a friend, fingers fumbling and shaking as I dialed a number I barely remembered.

The number to my ihero.

He didn't answer.
Frantic.

Shit! What do I do?

My iphone isn't working!

Wail!

Dave tried to calm me down, "It is just a phone. It will be okay. We will get it fixed."

But I wanted to use the camera today!

I left my DSLR at home.

I need to check my email; I am expecting something important.

What about my twitter?

What about....the list went on....

We stopped in any phone store we could find.

Nobody could help me.

We stopped for some lunch.

Dave said, "Why don't you call Steve again."

Yes! Yes! Let's call Steve again!

Ring.
Ring.

"Hello, this is Steve!!!"

Gasp!

ME: "Steve, my iphone isn't working!!!!"

Steve: "What is it doing..."

ME: in desperation and making no sense at all, I quickly described the situation.

Steve: "There is a very simple solution for this. Hold down the middle button and top button for a few seconds and it should reboot. I will stay on the line."

ME: I tried that! Wail...

Steve: Just try it.

ME: Quiet while trying...

Me: OMG! OMG! It is working. Thank you, Thank you!

Steve: No problem! I love being an ihero!

I have had my iphone for 2 short weeks and am dependent on it for everything just short of breathing.
I learned a lesson the other day...I need to step back from technology and embrace the realness of life.

a quote to live by

2011-04-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

tickle me tuesday: easter vacation edition

2011-04-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

I am linking up to Yes, Teacher's Tickle Me Tuesday's but this week my sharing is particularly special.

I am on Easter Vacation and everything just seems so sweet.
starbucks latte sprinkled with a cinnamon heart
starbucks cake pops
swimming at dusk
lots of baseball
and sleep. lots of sleep.

*Don't forget to enter the 2Sis Cosmetics GiveAway.
I am also including a Hiya Luv Handmade make up bag in the GiveAway!
Enter to win before these awesome cosmetics go on sale on Beyond the Rack this afternoon!

2SiS Cosmetics Sale & GiveAway!

2011-04-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: This GIVEAWAY is now CLOSED.
The Winner is:

Congrats Collette! I will email you!

My cousin Ashley is excited to debut her cosmetic line:
2Sis {2 sisters} on Beyond the Rack beginning this Tuesday, April 26.

Beyond the Rack is a website that offers great brands at deeply discounted prices.

2Sis will be offered at a deeply discounted price beginning on Tuesday.

Here are some of the goods you can grab for a great deal:

1. lip gloss offered in a variety of colors

2. lip pencils that look great with the lip gloss

Here is a sneak peek at some shades available:

3. bronzer, my personal favorite

{Can't wait for the sale?}

I don't blame you!

Enter to win a set of 2Sis goodies here:
3 Ways to Enter the GiveAway!

1. Simply leave a comment letting us know your favorite make up item! In your comment include your email address.

2. Follow 2Sis Cosmetics on twitter & leave a comment with your email address.

3. Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment. Feel free to use this:
"Check out the @2SisCosmetics #giveaway for a chance to win a set of lipgloss, lip liner, and summer bronzer! @hiyaluv http://www.hiyaluv.com"

Please include your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner!

Remember to check out Beyond the Rack on Tuesday for the 2Sis sale!

An online favorite: Matchbook Magazine

2011-04-23T22:14:00.000-07:00

{photo credit}

I am the kind of girl who loves to hold a book or a magazine while enjoying its contents. I am known to keep special magazine editions that I love because I can't imagine parting ways.

It is hard for me to read on a kindle or on my laptop.
I prefer to print articles out and read them so I can doodle, highlight, and make remarks in the margins.

I, however, love Matchbook Magazine that is only available {online}. If you identify with any of the "matchbook girl" statements, I am confident you will love the magazine like I do.

To read more, check out Matchbook Magazine.

Like what you see? Be sure to check out co-founder, Katie Armour, of Matchbook Magazine's personal blog, The Neo-Traditionalist.

Handmade Online Resources with Lauren of Elephant's Trunk!

2011-04-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

Hi there sunshines!

I have a special treat for you!

I am so pleased to have Lauren from Elephant's Trunk sharing some tidbits with you today from a #setupshop twitter chat that she hosted for me a couple of weeks back!

She did an amazing job and she doesn't give herself enough credit for it!

Without further ado.. (i seem to like that lately:) )

here is Lauren...

Hiya Loves ;)... For those who don't know me, I'm Lauren.

And I blog at The Elephant's Trunk. Last week Gina was unable to make it to Set Up Shop Chat because of work issues so I lead the chat in her place. We talked about online resources for handmade shop owners. I was told once that it isn't how smart you are but it's how resourceful you are. Ever since then I have always tried to soak up all the available information on the internet that might assist me grow my shop. I'm here today on Gina's blog to give you all a little re-cap of some of the websites discussed from last Monday's Set Up Shop chat on handmade resources. The resources listed below were brought up by many different people participating in the chat and since the transcripts for Tweet Chats are no longer available I can't provide proper "credit" to everyone who suggested certain resources. I want to say thank you to all who participated in the chat and thank you for your online resource suggestions.

1. Etsy Calculator

An online fee calculator that will let you calculate in everything from fees from Etsy, shipping, price, postage and ultimately what will be your profit.

2. Handmadeology
One of my personal favorites, Handmadeology is a blog full of tips for those with handmade shops. There is everything from ways to market, ways to track traffic, ways to manage your finances, and so much more.

3. Craft Marketer
This is a great resource for craft shows coming up in your area and also a great resource for how to prepare for craft shows.

4. Unanimous Craft
Unanimous Craft is described as an online resource for indie business owners. They offer online e-courses, areas to lists your products, ways to vote on others products, advertising on their site and much more.

5. Groop Dealz
A Groupon for handmade shops. Get your shop featured as a daily deal.

6. Money Box
A tool that calculates all your Etsy fees, Etsy sales and allows you to enter your expenses.

There are numerous resources out there and if you know some I would love for you to share them here with us all! Thanks for having me Gina.

Yay! Such awesome resources.
Thanks Lauren for sharing. I hope you will consider stopping by #Setupshop chat on Monday nights at 8pm eastern. The chat is all about starting a new handmade shop or sustaining the one that you have. If you do not have a shop or if you just want to come and meet new people on twitter, this chat is the place for you! We welcome all so feel free to jump in the conversation! All you need is the hashtag #setupshop

Vintage Rose Wraps GiveAway Winner!

2011-04-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

Hooray!

Vintage Rose Wraps are absolutely amazing and I wear mine every chance I get.

I know that YOU know they are amazing because we had over 130 entries to win a $50 gift certificate to Vintage Rose Wraps store.

So without further ado....

is it you?

Celeste, I will email you the details!

Thanks so much for entering the giveaway fun!

Meet My Friend! Monique of M.E.G's Confessional!

2011-04-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

I am privileged to introduce you to my dear friend Monick or Monique! I met Monique in January of 2002 when we were both studying abroad in England! Monique is one of the most amazing and courageous women that I know. I am so privileged to call her a great and dear friend.

Monique and I at the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot in the Fall 2010

Hello Hiya Luv readers! My name is Monique and Gina was kind enough to offer me a guest spot on her wonderful blog. I have known Gina since 2002 when she moved in across the hall from me at the University of Reading in England. We became fast friends and traveled all over Europe together.

I recently opened an Esty shop, pearls4pompe, for my handmade jewelry and I am donating a portion of the proceeds to Pompe research. Right about now, you’re probably wondering what the heck Pompe is and why does it need to be researched? Don’t worry, there are plenty of people who don’t know what Pompe Disease is - many of them doctors. Well, unless of course they saw the 2010 film Extraordinary Measures, which tells the story of one father‘s fight to develop a treatment. I was diagnosed with Pompe Disease in January of 2010. It is a very rare form of life threatening Muscular Dystrophy (MD) that effects only 5,000 - 10,000 people worldwide. I am fortunate in that it is the only form of MD that can be treated. I have to sit through 4-5 hours of an IV infusion every two weeks - this is what inspired me to create jewelry. In addition to my infusions I also hook myself up to an electro-muscle stimulator for several hours a week. With all this time in a chair I wanted/needed a creative outlet - and ta da my dream of opening an Esty shop emerged. I also thought it would be a good way to help spread awareness and give back to the community if I donated a portion of my sales to Pompe Research. While there is currently a treatment for Pompe, there is no cure - not yet. But I faith in the researchers who are slaving away in the laboratories because they are really doing amazing things and anything is possible. After all, the treatment for adult-onset Pompe was only approved by the FDA less than a year ago and I was the first US patient to receive the newly approved drug!

My Esty shop is brand new and very simple, but I have been working on it for several months now. I have been running ideas and designs by Gina the whole time and she has been incredibly supportive. I never realized just how much work goes into a project like this, and I now have an even greater appreciation for all the other crafters out there. And I totally understand how hours and hours (along with $ and $) can be spent in craft stores - it is addictive. I have to say, my favorite part of the process has been coming up with creative names for each piece. Is that strange? I would love to expand my horizons and learn new skills, but with my limited amount of time and energy, for now I am happy with developing my jewelry line. It has been a long journey to get me here, and I look forward to the road ahead.

My girl Monique & her gorgeous necklace

Pompe has taken a lot away from me, and doing things like opening this shop and donating to Pompe research is one of the ways I fight back. I am also a Patient Advocate and serve on Genzyme’s (the biotech firm that manufactures my infusion drug) patient advisory board. They also send me to various speaking engagements around the country and I help patients understand the journey they are going on. I also help educate doctors about diagnosing a rare disease. It is all part of giving back to the patient community as well as taking back the power in my day to day struggles with Pompe. So as you can see, crafting for me is not only somewhat therapeutic, it is part of my fight! And I will keep fighting!

If you’d like to know more about my journey with Pompe please feel free to visit my blog M.E.G.'s Confessional

Isn't Monique amazing? She inspires me every. single. day.

Personal Branding-What Makes You Stand Out?

2011-04-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

There are so many brands to choose from at the grocery store, mall, and in the handmade community.

What is it about a brand that makes you feel connected?

Do you pay attention to brands?

Do you like some brands over others?

What is it about your favorite coffee?

Is it the taste of the coffee or the fact that the barista knows your name, knows how you want your skinny, sugar free, french vanilla latte extra hot without even asking and delivers it to you with a smile on their face minus the coffee cozy because she knows you have your own?

{via}

Again, is it really the coffee that matters or is it what stands behind the brand?

As I spend more and more time with my etsy shop, I revisit my brand.

What do I want to be known for?

I want to make a quality item.

I want to have my personality shine through.

I want happy customers and good customer service.

I want my customers to feel good.

I want them to come back.

A brand is more than just a logo or a font.

A brand is the entire shopping experience.

A brand is an email. Do you delete or read an email based on a brand? I do.

A brand is a blog comment, a tweet, or a facebook note.

A brand can be anything that involves the shopper in an experience that could potentially lead to a sale.

{my business cards made by Lelan of Good Gravy Designs}

A brand keeps the customer interested. If you do not deliver as promised or have bad customer service, a customer may not come back. I think about an experience that I had once at a retail chain that is no longer in business. I had ordered my friend a wedding gift. A week before the wedding I received notice that the gift was on backorder but would arrive a week after the wedding. I informed my friend who said not to worry. A month after the wedding, no gift. I contacted the retailer who told me my order had been cancelled however I had not received a refund nor had I been notified.

Needless to say I would never shop there again. Bad business. To me the brand was tarnished after that and I was not surprised when the company went out of business.

{via}

What is important to you in a brand?

How do you ensure your brand is in every aspect of your potential shopper's experience with you?

Psst: Have you entered the Vintage Rose Wraps $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway?

Hiya Luv

what discourages me from blogging

W is for

Etsy Showcase: Curiously Wrought

changes

It's true...

Without my iPhone...

bah-humbug

sigh of major relief

Foundation. To wear or not to wear?

Happy Domain Birthday to Hiya Luv!

Yogurt + Veggies = amazing dip

#setupshop chat announcement

Cozy Holiday Comforts

The Fabric Scrap Garland Tutorial

a sunday thought {week 8}

a sunday thought {week 7}

Visiting New York

a sunday thought {week 6}

My New J-O-B!

a sunday thought {week 5}

a sunday thought {week 4}

To buy an iPad or a laptop?

How to Make a Picture with Picnik

Why I Heart Disqus

Will Blog for Comments

Where I Shop {Online}

Freebie! UPrinting.com LABELS Giveaway!

a sunday thought {week 3}

a sunday thought {week 2}

Tailgate Party: Buffalo Chicken Dip

heavy heart

Tickle Me Tuesday: Sprout Eco-Friendly Watches

A Place to Visit: The Urban Craft Center

a sunday thought

How to Add a Pinterest Button to Your Blog

Where were you on 9/11/01 ?

Lusting: Tory Burch Flats

Childhood Memories

When you don't have it in you...

Love Languages

Friday Night

Thank you!

You're Invited! Mandipidy's {online} Baby Shower!

My Birthday means YOU win!

Happy Day! #GiveAway SO Chick! Handbags

oh friends...

Uprinting.com GiveAway!

news to share

My thoughts on Triberr.

powerful.

Snippets of Information

4th of July Shopping {Sponsor Discounts}

Free Shutterfly 8x8 Book!

today is a better day

scraped knees, wounded heart

Prayers Needed

How to Keep Your Nutrition on Track

Engage Your Brand: a book review & GIVEAWAY

A New Endeavor

just a few words...

Etsy Showcase: Mine for the Making

Etsy Showcase: TBlendings + a GiveAway!

so much going on!

Etsy & Blogger Showcase: The Pickled Poppy

let's have coffee! *in COLUMBUS, OHIO*

Oh my Heartsy!

Input Needed & Wanted

a mind full of ideas with nowhere to go

{Fabulous Bloggers You Don't Want to Miss!}

style icon: jackie

my name in lights...

Etsy ShowCase: Hoot Designs & Hoot Photography

{marketing your blog and shop}

a heart to heart

{Where I Buy Fabric}

catching up

hiya luv hoop art

Etsy ShowCase: C. Jane Create

in the know

let's have coffee! in COLUMBUS, OHIO