My new stamps!

I just wanted to start by saying thank you for all your wonderful comments on my last post. It's so reassuring to post something personal like that and then get so much positive feedback. So, thank you! (PS- I'm working my way through responding to all your comments on that one, too!).
So in preparation for Renegade in September I'm trying to get all the odds and ends of my shop in order. I've always sorta had a theme with my packaging and tags, but it didn't really ever look intentional, so I'm trying to get a new look going. I ordered these custom stamps from my friend Ashley of Under Those Neon Lights a couple weeks ago, and they turned out so good! I can't wait to show off the whole shebang, I'm just waiting on a few more things to arrive.

Right now I'm wasting time before heading in to work for the night, watching Parenthood and crocheting on the couch :) Hope you're having a wonderful day!

Thank you!!

[source: etsy via pinterest]

Gosh you guys, thank you so much for your amazing response to Connections! I've thoroughly enjoyed reading all your comments. Whether you have a similar story or are inspired by mine, I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! I've decided to post a new Connections segment every other Friday. I'm not sure how many participants we'll have, but this way we can spread them out a little bit!

I'd like to clarify, too, that if you think you have a story that would fit well in the Connections feature, please feel free to email me at susannahbean@gmail.com!! You do not have to have met your friend in person, and you don't have to have met through your blogs (it could be twitter, livejournal, myspace... almost anything will work!).

I'm also thrilled to welcome all the new followers of my little blog! Hello, everyone!! I'd love for you to introduce yourself, either in the comments below or send me an email!!

I'll be back tomorrow with a new Snapshots, and I'm gonna try to squeak in an outfit post soon!

I love you billions, little dears :)

Milestone!

I've been completely absent from the blog world for the last few weeks, but it's been for a very good reason. I've been knee-deep in Etsy orders! Things really took off the last week of November, and I have been happily busy since then.

Things started to get a little nutty by the second week of December. I had sold all of my backstock, and had to start knitting and crocheting to order, and I've been doing that feverishly since then. I never thought I would get this busy with my little shop! I listed my very first thing back in February, and from February to the third week of November I'd made about 30 sales. Since then , I've reached a HUGELY important milestone! Dun da da DUNNNNN!

[original image via weheartit]

I've seriously been pinching myself because I can't believe I got to 100 sales to close out 2010! I had loosely set a goal to have 50 sales by the end of the year when I opened up, but I had no clue I'd more than surpass that! I guess it had to do with the ads I've had out recently on some well-known blogs, and the fact that I sell winter accessories (mostly) and DUH! People buy winter stuff IN THE WINTER! And I had lots of Christmas orders, too, which makes me feel so warm and fuzzy thinking about people opening up packages with my little things in them on Christmas morning!

It's been an intense few weeks, but I am beyond grateful to everyone who's purchased something from me. And any of you reading right now, thanks for being here and please know that I love you all, and I'll be caught up soon and can get back to my regular old blogging schedule (even though that's not all that much different, I'm pretty sporadic!!).

Check back soon for ANOTHER big milestone post, but this one will be a *leeeeetle* bit different!

Humbled (and some Etsy!)

Thank you to everyone who commented or emailed about my last post. I'm glad to hear that so many of you feel the same way sometimes. I definitely agree with what most of you were saying, we're all on our own paths and comparing ourselves to others isn't healthy. Sometimes my expected path and my actual path are incongruous and I get a little bummed, but overall I'm very happy with how my life is going! Thank you for all the love, it was touching that so many of you opened up about your own feelings. I think I need to make time to talk about these kinds of things instead of keeping them to myself or only talking to Chris. It's nice to hear an outsider's perspective. So be prepared for some more 'real life' posts! ♥ ♥ ♥

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I've had a handful of winter accessory things laying around that I kept meaning to photograph and list in my Etsy shop, but I kept putting it off for whatever reason. Then yesterday I had this 'DUH' moment. Hello, it's December, which means winter, which means I should REALLY list all the cute winter things I'd like to sell! So I shot some photos this morning in my new favorite nook for Etsy photo taking (aka the corner in front of the window where Chris has his drums so I can sit on his stool!) and I just finished listing them! Can you believe I took 337 photos and had a verrrrry hard time picking 30 of them (five for each item)?? Terrible. I am so not a good photographer, especially self portraits!

Apple

Coral

Oatmeal

Cream

Orchid

Pool

This new group of headband/earwarmers is called Bloom. I'm completely in love with wide ribbed earwarmers with a cute and feminine embellishment. I have a lot of trouble during the winter looking feminine, I'll take warmth and comfort over fashion any day, so usually you'll find me bundled up in my huge winter coat with some goofy hat on and my hood up. Now, though, I can wear these guys and look cute AND not wreck my hair completely! Win-win to me!! I hope you like them, and like always, I'm up for custom orders too! Message me on Etsy or email me to see what we can make together!