A Little Bit of Etsy In My Life

What a fun and educational 11 days it's been as I've been fumbling my way through all of this etsy stuff.  I am truly amazed by the team who constructed the etsy idea and site.  Brilliant and creative minds!  How very grateful I am to have an online venue to sell handmade goods and to be a part of a creative community.

A few orders that shipped out this week. 

I am equally thankful to instagram for helping me boost my sales too - I've learned that posting pictures of my designs on my insta page has helped send folks to my etsy site.  I've been using them hand-in-hand this week, and it's interesting to see how one effects the other.  When I post a picture of an item on Instagram, I'm more likely to make a sale from someone who saw that picture than I am to make a sale from someone who randomly found my etsy page on their own.

I am especially excited about this little belt that was made for the tiniest customer yet - a little guy  weighing only 12 lbs.!

Ten little boys and one little girl across SC, GA, AL, and FL have received a High Cotton Handmade belt since the shop opened. The shop and listings have been viewed 464 times and 23 people have "favorited" a shop or a listing. The Nautical Collection of the monogrammed belts sold out in the first week and was re-listed.

You have no idea how incredibly humbling this experience has been.

I remember two weekends ago, sitting at the laptop, trying to work out some of the verbiage I wanted to list on the HCH etsy page, and finally, just after midnight, holding my breath and hoping for the best, I pushed the "publish" button making the shop live.  Then I went to bed.  The next morning, I pulled up the computer to find that I had 3 orders.  No one was more surprised than I was.

And so I just sat at the computer and cried.

People are so kind and so very supportive, and I just absolutely can't believe that there are people out there who like the merchandise enough to purchase it - and then to have their children wear it.  It's so overwhelming in a wonderful, fulfilling sort of way.  A big huge THANK YOU to all of you who have checked out my etsy site, mentioned it to a friend, purchased an item, or reposted an image on your insta page or facebook page.  I am especially thankful to Bo who has an answer for every single one of my business questions, celebrates with me every time I make a sale, and doesn't complain when I show him yet another thing I've sewn. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Been playing around with the packaging and have settled on this combo for now.  The  High Cotton logo is a stamp that I use on everything - packaging, thank you notes, and the labels that are sewn into products - I just use different types of ink depending on whether I'm printing on paper or fabric.

I was searching for something to use for labels on my bags and found so many great options with the Martha Stewart Line at Staples. The boys and I spent way too much time looking at office supplies. 

This Navy Anchor belt from the Nautical Collection is by far the best seller.  I've done it  two ways: using navy top stitching (pictured here) and also with white top stitching (in one of the pictures above) and can't decide which I prefer.  Any thoughts?

Just ordered some seersucker fabric in fun summer colors and some new girly buckles - look forward to adding a Seersucker Collection to the belts with coordinating fabric bows for girls. 

Snow 2013

It snowed on Saturday, February 16th and it was not only Wade's first snow, but the most snow McCord has ever experienced.  Here are a few pictures from our fun weekend.

Here's a picture that Bo took of our front yard. Love that everything is so silent when it snows -  no traffic, no hustle, just quiet. 

Bo and Mc worked really hard on building this snowman (almost as tall of Mc!).  

I totally forgot about the gigantic hill down the street from us.  If it snows next year, I can't wait to take the boys sledding!

Wade is 9 months old

At the maple, 9 mos.  Wade's fist snow!

Bo snapped this photo with my phone without me knowing, and I'm so glad he captured this moment of Wade, freshly bathed and ready for bed.  He is especially cuddly at this moment in the evening, and I soak it up nightly.  

Hanging out at the playground is lots of fun these days!

Wade does this thing with his hands when he's especially smitten with something.  And sometimes I can't help myself, I just have to nibble on those chubby fingers!

A few highlights from the past month: 

- At 9 months old, you've been out as long as you were in

- Wade is growing a new tooth on the bottom (four on top and almost 3 on bottom!)

- Sweet potatoes top the list of favorite foods with carrots a close second

- He's working on crawling, but to be fair, he's a much better scootcher

- I'm pretty sure his favorite color right now is orange, because I see him repeatedly reaching for orange toys over other colorful items

- This month, Wade began sleeping through the night!  Hooray, time to celebrate!  It's been a long time since I slept 8 consecutive hours at night - especially since I didn't sleep while I was pregnant with Wade. And here we are, 18 months later, loving every restful second. 

-The past few nights, Wade has bathed without a baby tub - he just sits in the big tub with his brother now.  He seems to really like having free access to all of the bath toys.

- McCord has started a little game he loves to play at nap time called, "Hey Wade!"  I put Wade in Mc's bed before tucking Mc in for a nap, and McCord gets in Wade's face and says "Hey Wade! Hey Wadey!" And Wade just loves it - arms and legs flailing everywhere.  Then he starts reaching for McCord and McCord starts laughing. It's a special moment between brothers.  My heart doubles in size every time I witness their little game. 

- Wade's been enjoying his Kindermusik class and loves music.  He especially likes it when we sing the blessing "God our Father" or play his Kindermusik CD in the car. 

- Sometimes I think Wade was supposed to have wings instead of arms.  He gets so excited about things, that his arms just start flapping as if he's a bird.  At bath time, I love to hold his naked, rolly self up in the air and "fly" him into the bathtub.  He gets so excited about his bath, and those arms and legs are pushing the air furiously as he is trying to get to the tub as fast as he can.  He looks like a little cherub sending love and slobbery kisses to all in his path.  

  

Opening Shop: Etsy

I little over a year ago, I opened my etsy store High Cotton Handmade, and then I found out I was pregnant with Wade and thought it wasn't a good time to start up a new business.  I've been doing lots of sewing lately and have been dreaming of getting my shop up and running again.

I don't think I would have taken the leap so soon, but I put a few pictures on Instagram of some boys' belts I've been giving as birthday gifts, and one of my followers wanted to buy one for her nephew's 2nd birthday. And just like that, a custom listing was put on etsy, purchased from someone in TX and mailed to a little boy in FL.  And that was my first official High Cotton Handmade sale.  I will be forever grateful for my first client.

First sale on my etsy shop to an Instagram friend who used to work for Kate Spade

packaged and ready to ship

In order to get the order listed and mailed in time for the recipient's birthday, I scrambled to figure things out like shipping cost, packaging, and branding.  I'm still figuring out a few things like my shipping and return policy and I need to create a banner for my home page, but I hope to officially open the shop by Monday.

My plan is to only list a few monogrammed boys' belts (and a few bad boys' belts left over from the craft fair last year) at the start and then I hope to branch out from there: more giraffes, girly belts with tortoise shell buckles, pillows, and fabric bows.

My main items at start include monogrammed toddler/children's belts ranging is xs - large (12 mos - 10 years).  The seller can choose fabric (three collections: Nautical, Gingham/Check, and soon Seersucker).  Belts are $17 with $3 shipping.

Nautical Collection 

Sailboats & Seersucker option, block monogram

Whales, Swirl monogram

Checks & Gingham Collection

I can't wait to add some seersucker options to the mix too!

All of the above options are custom made and take 1 - 2 weeks for production.  However I have a few boys' belts that I plan to list this afternoon or tomorrow that are ready to ship. 

These belts feature a classic military-style buckle in nickle finish. 

Cheers! 

Wade is 8 Months Old

Wade will be 9 months old in a week and a half, so here I am trying to squeeze his 8 month post in before it's too late!

One thing about Wade: Wade hugs back.

I've never known a baby to be so cuddly.  Wade is such a lover - grabbing your face and hair to pull himself closer to you.  He loves to press his face into your neck - and he doesn't discriminate - he shares his love with whomever is holding him. Wade has been scootching backwards all throughout our house.  I put him down to practice crawling a couple of times a day, and before long, he's backed himself up against a wall somewhere.  I'll find him as happy as a clam, hanging out underneath a chair, under the dining table, or under the ottoman.

I think I will remember 8 months as the Month of the Mouth.  I'm not sure if it's because he has 4 teeth coming in on top at the same time (so he's more aware of his mouth now), but just recently Wade's been very curious about other people's mouths.  If I am nursing him or rocking him to sleep, he has to put his fingers in my mouth.  It's sort of like a prerequisite.  He'll just hang onto my teeth until he falls asleep - I am fully aware of how weird this sounds, but it's become so normal around here.

Winthrop played PC a few weeks ago, and we squeezed Wade into this onesie all in the name of school spirit!

Children's Museum

Wade and Bo standing in front of Wade's Maple, 8 mos. 

This is just for my memory - an audio of Wade's voice.  I had just finished nursing him and here he is having a big conversation with me.  Love this sweet little voice!

Wade is 7 Months Old

My oh my!  How time flies!

Just about as soon as I get this post up, Wade will be 8 months old already.  How does time speed up as soon as you have a baby?!

Here is an overload of photos of Wade this month.  I'm well aware that this is entirely too many photos of one person to publish in one post, but I can't help myself.

Wade and Daddy at Wade's Maple, 7 months

Your first real meal: oatmeal and breast milk

Wade, here are a few highlights of you at 7 months old:

• You are such a lover.  One of your favorite things to do is kiss.  You give out kisses freely and without discrimination.  Kisses for everyone.  And you don't even mind what body part you get to kiss.  Nose, check! Eyeball, check! Kiss, kiss, kiss! Sometimes you even sneak in a little nibble. 
• You've been eating some solid foods now for about a month, and you seem to prefer your Daddy's tastes.  No sweet stuff for you.  You'd rather have spinach, brown rice, and potatoes. The nastier and messier it looks on your bib, the better.
• You enjoyed your first Christmas.  
• A few months ago, you preferred the exersaucer as your favorite toy to exercise with; now, you love the jumperoo the best.  You will hang out in that thing - sometimes 15 minutes at a time -  just giving it your all, bouncing higher than I'm sure it's intended to go, smiling the whole time.  
• You are very grabby at this age.  You want to touch everything and squeeze it in your hands.  The other day, I was holding you on my hip and walked by the kitchen counter where a pot and a few platters were drying.  In half a second, you managed to hook your finger through the end of the pot handle, and as I walked by, you pulled it with you - almost bringing a pot and a few breakables clattering to the floor.  It would have been quite a calamity. You also love to grab my cheek, nose, and chin as I nurse you.  It hurts sometimes when you take a fistful of my skin in your hand, but in a weird mama-sort of way, I kind of like that you want to hold a piece of me close to you.  Love is painful sometimes. 
• You have become quite efficient at creeping.  You want so badly to crawl and are trying desperately to figure it out. I let you practice several times a day by putting you down on a quilt with a few toys and watch you rock and roll yourself all around until you get where you intend to go.  The other day, Bo found you completely under the ottoman, just hanging out on your belly.  All we could see were your feet sticking out.  How you managed to work your way under there, we'll never know, but you were quite content until you realized you couldn't get out.  

Wade, we love you dearly.  You have absolutely stolen our hearts, and your brother's too, who has recently been saying "love Wade" at night when we say prayers.  You are sweet and cuddly and perfect in every way, and I thank God every day for you.  You, Wade, are special, and loved beyond measure.