Out To Sea Inspiration...

I'm sorry guys but I had to get away.

From Pinterest,

from blogging,

from the crowd.

Because it is getting crowded 

all up in the crafty, DIY world isn't?

Don't get me wrong-

I LOVE how my personal favorite style of living has

really, come into fashion.

Can I say that?

Yes,

cause it's true.  

It is much more socially acceptable to shop at thrift stores,

maybe even cool (although I still catch my mom purelling her hands secretly after she touches anytihng

and my sisters think it seems funny)

People are pinning like crazy

and I have never seen more cute homes, eaten more yummy meals and snacks, or seen better looking hair in the Midwest.

It just got to the point though

where every time I was creating something

I couldn't tell where Pinterest/ internet inspiration ended

and I began.

Let me make this VERY CLEAR:

there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong

with using ideas from Pinterest.

It's just,

I have been doing the DIY thing long before Pinterest

came around and I will be doing it

long after it has come and gone.

It's my goal to give YOU great stuff to pin!

Not just copy what other creative people are giving you to pin.

I want to compete in the pin market,

I want you to see my tutorials,

or recipes,

or photographs

and be compelled to pinned them.

Thus the Pinner becomes the Pinnie-

you get me?

First step was to take a step back.

I had to get back to my inspirational roots.

I went old school 90's style.

Sketch pad,

magazines,

and my mind.

It was like an internet vacation

but without giving up Instagram

and Facebook-

cause a stay at home mom has her vices

and as another blogger put it,

we {stay at home moms} don't have a water cooler to stand around 

and shoot the crap with coworkers.

So we Facebook,

so sue us.

#goiphonemoms : )

So if you missed me that is super sweet!

If you are new to 906- welcome!!

And if you are just wanting some new tutorials all ready

don't worry cause I have you covered

cause you know you want a Carrot Garland for your kitchen too...

Piece of Carrot Cake Garland Tutorial coming: 

Wednesday March 27, 2013

HAPPY MONDAY!!!

How To Start An Etsy Store {Vol I}...

Aqua Vintage Pedestal Bowl for sale now at 906 E. Chic @ Etsy

Here are a few things

that I have learned 

since starting an Etsy shop...

01.

Take good pictures!  This is the difference between being noticed and falling into the abyss that can be Etsy.  You pictures should be in natural, bright sunny light.  

02.

Use a neutral background for your pictures.  You don't want the background to compete with the item you are trying to sell.  This is not the time to use your phone and take a picture any random place in your home.  

Pick a sunny place in your home with a plain background.  I use a plain white sheet.  When all your  items have a similar background it gives your shop a cohesive feel. Thus making you seem ultra profesh. You want your shop to feel like a collection, not a yard sale where they have to dig around to really find a good deal.

03.

Renew, renew, renew!  A couple days ago  I was all  "hows come one day I was getting hundreds of views and now I'm getting none???"  The best way to get noticed on Etsy is to be on the recently posted page.  Although there is a small cost to renew {$0.20} the sales I get from it are well worth it.

I give myself a daily budget of $2.00 to invest in renewing listings.  This keeps fresh views coming in.  Think of peak times such as 7-10 pm, a SUPER popular time for perusing Etsy.   Don't forget  about your overseas customer base you will want to renew at other times too so that you are including all your potential customers.

Submit, Move, & Prosper...

Bookends on sale now at The Chic Shoppe

Happy New Year!!!

We had a merry holiday

and then I got the cleansies 

and then Charlie got sick,

sick,

sick.

So

I'm back

and ready 

for this 

brand new year.

I love 

the new year.

I love the reflection 

of the past year.

I love the goal setting

and the way you feel inspired

to change things up.

Last year

I was preggo

and my only resolution

was to try and put the toilet paper

on the actual toilet paper holder.

Yes.

I am one of those people.

I grew up in a house with six people

toilet paper didn't last long enough

to make it worth your time.

Needless to say,

it drives Ryan cray-cray... 

: )

"How did your parents let you get away with it?!"

He always exclaims.

"Cause there were four of us

and two of them.

duh."

I say.

With four kids I imagine 

that putting the toilet paper on the holder

were the least of my parents concern.

My mom had other things to worry about.

Things like

whether or not 

my three year old sister

was hosing down

the golden retriever

with the kitchen sink sprayer.

Or 

if my brother and his friends 

were having a cherry tomato fight.

But anywho,

where was I?

Oh yes,

GOALS!

I love 'em

and I just wanted to share 

my plan for 

2013...

I am going with a 

Star Wars

or Star Trek 

theme.

I am not sure

which one Spock 

comes from.

I think it is Trek

???

I have to google it.

Instead of:

Live long and prosper.

My mantra for 2013 is:

Submit, move, and prosper.

Three words.

Big job.

Lemme explain...

***

Submit

***

There are a couple different areas

that I want to work on this.

Such a scary word

with such a bad rap.

I hope to change both your mind

and mine on that one.

I have felt for a long time

that I needed to submit this blog to God.

But part of me just doesn't want to.

It is mine.

I want to have final say

in what I write,

take pictures of,

and immerse my creativity in.

Those are my things

and as a christian woman

that mind set is wrong.

I don't know how 

this will affect the blog

and I think that scares me.

I do not want to change 

the content that I provide

but usually 

those fears we have of change

is just the enemy trying to put doubt 

into my mind.

I have to remind myself of that.

God wants only good things

for me,

for this silly little blog,

for everyone.

And then I was reminded of this verse:

Jeramiah 29: 11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Does that sound

like a Father

that wants to change my content?

No.

It sounds like one that

wants to help me to the best of my ability.

It is time to let go of the control,

hand it over,

and see the wonderful places

that He can take 906...

***

Move

***

We need to move this year.

We have been saying it 

for far. too. long.

It is just time.

And that is all 

I am going to say 

bout that...

***

Prosper

***

This is the one that I really thought about.

I hate having the goal

of more $$$

Seems to greedy to me.

We are very lucky

and extremely blessed

and honestly 

it felt wrong to me.

But we do 

want to move

and we do want more kids.

Both of which require more $$$

I want my business

and my blog to do well.

To earn money

to help my family

but I also do not want

to compromise the integrity

of either

for the sake of a sale.

I want to build 

a great business

and also along the way 

make a little money.

I want to prosper.

Seemed like the perfect word.

Prosper.

Doesn't sound greedy

or $$$ driven.

It says,

I want just enough.

I don't know 

what that amount enough is

but I feel confident

that with hard work

and prayer

it will be provided.

So that is 2013

for me in a nutshell.

Well,

that and to put 

he toilet paper

on the toilet paper holder

...

Yup,

still working on that one...