Nursery and Birth Announcements

 

 

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. 

Stitches

Bo and I were in the hospital shortly after I delivered Wade when one of Bo's co-workers sent a congratulatory text message on having 2 boys in the family now.  He mentioned something about "welcome to the world of broken bones and ER visits." Well, we got a taste of our first Urgent Care visit last week when McCord went flying through the air and bumped his head.  I wasn't exactly sure how it happened at first.  I was in our room folding laundry, Wade was in the exersaucer in the boys' room, and Mc was running back and forth between the two rooms at faster than fast speed, which is how 2 1/2 year old boys travel. He tripped and hit his head on a chair, and came up with a huge hole in his head.  He cried for a few seconds, and never cried again - even when the doctor put 2 shots in his forehead to anesthetize the area and stitch him up.  I was amazed at how brave and calm this otherwise bundle of energy was.

We go to get the stitches removed tomorrow, and I hope that will be our last visit to Urgent Care for a long time.

Before stitches

After stitches

Christmas Eve-Eve after it's had a few days to heal

The other day, Wade was napping and McCord and I were enjoying some rare one-on-one time playing together outside.  He decided he wanted to make a fort out of his slide, so we gathered up a quilt and some books.  He crawled in his fort and said, "Mama come in!"  I am so glad that I had my phone on me because I was able to capture a picture of this moment that makes my heart overflow with joy every time I see it.  He wants me to be a part of his world!  I love McCord's world - it's so imaginative and magical - yes, of course I will come in!  And so I found myself rolling around on the grass trying to fit my 32 year old self into a space made for toddlers because I couldn't stand the thought of not being a part of McCord's world.  I know all too well, that the day is coming when it is no longer cool for Mama to make a fool of herself trying to squeeze into McCord's forts, but for now, he wants me!  And that makes me happy.  

"Mama, come in!" 

We had to replace our hot water heater, and we couldn't get our hands on the box fast enough.  

It made the perfect rocket ship. 

This was the day McCord introduced us to his imaginary friend Taygee.  She flew to the moon with us, and since then, she's been taking naps with McCord.  At night, Mc asks me to blow her a kiss before I close the door.  In the morning, I have to give her a piggy back ride down the stairs.  One morning I noticed that Mc had wet through his diaper and I said, "McCord, you wet the bed last night."  He responded, "No...Taygee."  

Even the inside of the rocket ship got custom detailed.  

Discovery Place Kids

McCord's also been calling me Mom lately.  I'm not sure I'm ready for that.  

Random Phone Pics

Made this dip for a party last week - thank you Pinterest!  It calls for 1 tub of cool whip, one box of vanilla pudding mix, and one can of pumpkin.  Next time I'd like to substitute the can pumpkin for a can of pumpkin pie mix.  Just to add a little bit of spice to it.   

McCord's feet aren't usually this dirty!  

Weed eating. 

Bought this fabric well before Wade was born.  Shame that I made Wade's pants a bit too small and I had to squeeze him in!  Just had to get a picture of them together in their matching outfits, because I'm pretty sure, Wade's never going to fit in his pants again!

Little break with Ernie and Bert while we did a bit of Christmas shopping today. 

My heart grows bigger every time I look at this photo. 

...and this one. 

McCord and I made a turkey out of his hand print inspired by this photo.  I had intended to make one of Wade's hand too, but it would be so tiny, I don't think I could sew around his fingers.  This is one craft that I'll have to save for Wade for a couple of years.  

Brought home a couple of yards of this fabric last week that I found at my favorite fabric store. It was the last of the bolt, and I'd love to find a couple more yards to make drapes for the dining room. I've been crazed trying to track it down!

Mc and I made this turkey t-shirt last week so he'd have a little something festive to wear to preschool. He was dying to put his hands all over it!  He had so much fun!

New Blog Head

Don't you just love how Facebook reconnects you with people from your childhood?  Many thanks to Laura for creating a design for the High Cotton blog.  She just updated it recently and isn't it beautiful?!!  I am so very grateful!  You can check out her blog here.

Photography by Nicole Rogers Photography and Summer Barfield.  

Estate Sale

Sunday's paper ran an ad for an estate sale of a woman who was considered a master quilter and baker.  Estate sale + sewing + someone who loves sweets?  Yes, please.

I just had to go check out this curious adventure!

Apparently the woman had 5 children and she and her husband built their house which was secluded among the trees on 26 acres.  Her sewing room was huge and included french doors that opened up onto a second floor deck with views of the thick woods and large creek in her backyard.  Sounds romantic but the house was a complete mess!  I believe she was a bit of a hoarder!  I expected to be the only crazy person who would travel way, way, out of the way to get a bargain, but the house was packed with lots of other crazy people just like me.  What fun Wade & I had scavenging for a bargain!

Here are a few pictures of the randomness that was this estate sale.

Wrapping paper, anyone?

Vintage sewing machines

There was an impressive sale on fabric. 

Yes, that is a tree trunk in the center of the room. 

I scored two bundles of striped knit fabric. 

Several yards of charcoal gray and red velvet - thinking about making some matching Christmas outfits out of the red for Mc and Wade. 

I fell in love with this childish flannel - it has a little boy dressed as an astronaut and his dog shooting a rocket. It looks vintage, but I have no idea. 

I spun the flannel into a blanket for Mc with soft minky fabric on the reverse side. Wade's matching blanket is in the works. 

If you are as curious about this estate sale as I was, and would like to see the pictures of the merchandise before it was picked over, click here.  You won't believe your eyes.

Making Boys' Clothes

There's so much I love about having 2 boys, but I didn't expect one of those things to be dressing them alike.  There's some odd motherly joy in seeing McCord and Wade in coordinating outfits.  Here are a few things I've made for them lately.

Mc will be starting preschool in September, so here's his first day of school outfit  I made for him and a matching onesie for Wade.  Coordinating diaper cover to follow. 

As you can see in our "all boy" household, we love all things vehicular.

...and here's a little appliqued monogram t-shirt I made for Mc's girl friend Taylor for her 2nd birthday.