Happy Birthday Princess

Happy 4th birthday to my amazing little girl! Princess Peanut, you are the very first light of my life. You taught me how to be a mommy and although along the way we've had some bumps in the road, we're learning it together. Your sense of style has me thinking one day, you could be the next Betsey Johnson! Your smile warms me to the bones and your laughter tinkles like little angel bells. You are a great little girl that reminds me of myself in so many ways, when you sit and read a book, all you ask for is silence and a glass of water. When you make necklaces with mommy, they have to be just right. Your patience with the younger boys shows me what a wonderful person you have already grown up to be. I look forward to the years we have ahead of us together. While often stubborn you fight for what you want and as annoying as it may be to daddy and I, don't ever lose that, There will be many times they you will have to fight to get to where you want to be. Little Autumn-Verona, thank you for making me a better person and I only hope I can mold you into being someone as great as you make me feel. Much love to a girl that makes me feel like a rockstar and may all your wishes come true today and everyday.

Peeking into Myspace!

Gahhhhh! Yup, that's how I feel with the whole Myspace thing. I am going to keep this one pretty short, because I have nooo clue how to do it. I signed up and added my mini in from Etsy, I will be putting in a Lollishops one too. I posted my link in my public forums and I had people add me then. This is me on Myspace and it's as basic as it gets! haha! I have much younger family members that live on Myspace and the way I make this site work for me is to give them free goodies every now and then in exchange for keeping my mini on their page! I have 2 high schoolers, a college gal and a young 20 something. They keep my mini in a prominant spot on their Myspace page and a discount code EXCLUSIVE to their site, so I can see who brings in the most people. I'm thinking of also running some kind of ad on my Myspace to see if anyone is interested in adding my mini to their page in a prominant place in exhange for a gift certificate to my shop, as an incentive for them to keep my mini up after they have gotten the free treasures, if I get a sale directly from their coded site, I will give them something extra! I'm still thinking of just how to do this the right way :)

I mainly promote my shop by using the BULLETIN feature, this seems to work best, since all of my friends usually don't visit my site daily and everyone gets the bulletins, so this way they can choose to click if they see an interesting title. To post a bulletin just click on POST bulletin, type out the details and then follow the prompts to publish it! Use a catchy title! The key here is NOT NOT NOT to be spammy and throw out more than 1 bulletin in a row and I would say 2 max in 1 day. Make sure it's a catchy title so that people will be inclined to click. Be sure you are keeping track of your codes so you know what is working in your promtional blitz! Now get out there and Myspace to the best of your abilities!

Simple Myspace Don'ts and Do's

DO NOT message people about your shop directly! post bulletins, the other way is spammy and annoying it will get you unfriended (I probably made that word up!)

DO NOT post your mini or link to your shop in other peoples comments, it will get your comment deleted and most likely blocked if you keep it up.

DO NOT post multiple bulletins it's annoying and will keep people away from your shop if you are posting 3 or 4 things saying the same thing!

DO DO DO keepy uour avatar EYE CATCHING! When you post a comment, people will be more inclined to click on your avatar and check out your profile, seeing your mini and if they like that your shop too!

In Shop news, buy today in my Lollishops Shop and get a free bow necklace! (In my choice of colors). Buy a bow necklace for you and get a free one for a friend, buy anything else in the shop and get a free bow necklace for yourself! Check it out and get something fabulously sweet!

A Readers Challenge

Tomorrow we will be looking into Myspace and how to work that, so go ahead and sign up for an account if you have one! Add Me and you will have at least 1 friend for now! Today, I wanted to challenge all of us and at the same time test out a still fairly new site! This place is called OWN THE HOUR, I did post about my test with this site earlier and it was still a fairly brand new site and all did not go too well, but it's gaining steam and it's still being chatted about. Everyone has .50 in their paypal accounts right? If so, take the challenge with me! Open up the site and look how pretty it is! It reminds me of the treasury pages and the Etsy front page.

Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and then click on Own The Hour (Sign-Up).

Here is where we choose an hour. I'm hoping all my readers will join me in owning the 6:00 pm(remember this is for TOMORROW and the time is EASTERN) time slot. Let's fill it with MCW Blog readers! Please remember to post a link to the item your are advertising here in my comments, so I know who took me up on the challenge! Also keep us posted here on how you did! When you post here with your item link, let us know how many views you have on that item and then when you post back with results let us know if the item sold, and if not how many views you have on it now. It's super easy to buy an hour!
Your Etsy Item ID Can be found when you open up a listing on the right hand side it says LISTING #. Just copy and paste that into the box! So readers, let's get out there and OWN THE HOUR!

Are You Getting Repeat Business? AND I'm a Featured Artist!

Bacon Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld 13.00

Don't you just loooove when your customers gush about your goodies and then COME BACK for more?? How about when they send their friends back? Be sure you are getting your customers back in the door with a few little tips from moi!

1. Business cards. USE THEM! You would be surprised at the amount of packages I get with no business cards! I buy a lot (shop-a-holic) and that means I am getting 3 or 4 packages a day in the mail, I can't remember where everything is coming from!


2. Turn your business card around, see that blank spot on the back? It's begging to be used! write a discount on it, free shipping, free earrings, 5 dollars off! Something!! Remember to keep track of your discounts! Remember my post on this?


3. Send an extra card AND discount and write: FOR A FRIEND! And let them know that if a friend (different address and username) THEY also get something free!


4. Labels or Stickers. Put them on all of your packaged goodies, baggies, tissue paper, whatever you use! Make sure they see your shop name enough to remember it!

5. Shop stamp! Stamp your packages with something that has your logo on it. I've gotten 1 order (only 1, but heck it's 1 more that I wouldn't have!) from a post office employee! She knew I came in every day and knew there had to be something good in the envelopes and she said she loved my pieces I wore to the post office, so she wrote down the shop from the stamp, shopped and bought! STAMP the inside of your boxes too! I've had one sale from someone that bought something that had bought something from me and re-used the box! (Confusing I know).

6. Have a newsletter that people can sign up for and be sure to not spam them, have it come out once a month! Put pics of some of your hot items, a discount coupon and your shop news! Some highlights and what you are working on next. Offer EXCLUSIVE pieces to these people!


7. In one of your reply emails updating on their shipping let them know about your newsletter and offer a sign up sheet for them to sign up and get exclusive customer discounts!


8. EXCELLENT customer service. Acknowledge their order,let them know when you plan on shipping it out and try and leave feedback in a timely manner. Remember my post on this?


Wafer Cookie Earrings by MichellesCharmWorld on Lollishops 6.00

Don't forget to check out the Lollishops Blog this weekend! I'm the featured seller! I will let you know tomorrow in a teeny tiny post if I finally got any sales in my Candy Colored Lollishop Paradise. Remember, I have one heck of a rockin' goodie bag for anyone that purchases from my Lollishop today! Remember ALL my prices on Lollishops have shipping included in them, NO extra charges here!!

Have a Minute? I Challenge You!

Pink Bracelet by MichellesCharmWorld 12.00

With this one, I think the backround is competing with the bracelet

Somtimes a shop can get stale and needs a little TLC. This can happen to shops that only have a few pages and even ones like mine that have waaaay too many pages!

Take a look through the 'dusty' pages of your shop. Those ones in the waaay back. It's time to give it a little tidy up. Taka a new photo, maybe add a little something to the piece or take something away? Change up the chain? Change up some colors in it? Give 2 pieces in your shop a face lift today and let's see if that makes a difference! It's time to do a little holiday cleaning!

Conversation Heart Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld 9.00

I will add on another heart charm to this and take a clearer photo

Thanks to all the voted for me! I won the contest this month!! Yay!

Fun Mail

Buttons and Cabochons!

I had a fabulous mail day! I love getting good mail and figured I would share it with you!! I got some Awesome Awesome Etsy stuff! Candy, Cookie and Bow Cabochons from XtraStuff and some super cute buttons from PracticalRabbit. My fave is the FREE HUGS one. Read about the Free Hugs Campaign Here. I figure i'm going to try out wearing it while I do my errands and such and see if anyone notices it!

These little pretties also arrived from LayerCakeShop. I can't wait to work with them!! Shopping on Etsy is always a lot of fun, and I usually never buy the same supply from the same shop more than once. I like to spread it all around, but I have to say I came across some AWESOME customer service lately and I know of one shop where I will be back!! Please remember how important customer service is in the competitive market of online shopping. If you missed it, check out my post about it here.

Open For Business

So I have finally got some items up in the new shop and i'm ready to roll! I'm going to limit myself in listings right now, because the site is new and a bit buggy still. I am totally willing to give it a chance since it's so fun to be a part of the lollishop community! I am reserving my review of this new selling venue until I have given it about a month. I will let you know how it goes! Don't forget first 5 people to purchase from me over on Lollishops and spend over 15.00 get a free swag bag! But for TODAY DECEMBER 3rd ONLY every purchase gets a swag bag! Yay! Shipping is included in the listings already, so no mystery shopping here!



A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to Ruth of chickedee-chickedee on blogspot for the AWESOME feature she did on me this week! She was such a sweetie and her questions were so fun! Check out her super cute shop of Buttons too!!

Photos...The Be All, End All?

Gingerbread House Brooch by MichellesCharmWorld on Lollishops

Ahhh....we've all heard it right? Go into the forums and ask about being a successful shop and at least 75% of the replies will be about photos. GO ahead, try it, I dare you ;) Yes, your photos should be clear and a bit bright, but don't stress over them! Don't take 10 photos of each and every one of your products hoping for the right one, or your items will end up costing 50.00 each! (Yes, you should be adding in your photo taking time into the cost of your items.) Don't go running out to take photography lessons and buying 50.00 lightboxes. HOLD UP! WAIT! Take a deep breath and have a look around. light boxes and lessons take money. Wait until you have it in your business account to do it if you really want these things. If you don't and just think it's a necessary thing to sell anything, then wait and keep reading.

Tea and Crumpets Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld on Lollishops

I have 1100 something sales or something like that, I do not have a lightbox, take my photos at night in a dark room sometimes, change my backround like all heck and worst of all? My photos are blurry sometimes! Go ahead, I will wait here, Check out my sold items section and go waaaay back to my last page. Did you see them? The blurry, pixelated messes I called photos? They were awful, dark and unedited. I made my first sale within an hour of being open! I knew right off the bat I needed a new camera, but it was not in the budget at the moment. I had a craft show lined up for a month after opening and until then I asked for advice. I started taking photos outside in natural light and that helped ALOT! Then the midwest reared it's ugly head and sometimes it was 100* outside and there was no way in heck I was going to photograph outside, so I started doing it by a window, this was also good!! Then sometimes my kids wouldn't take naps on some days and I was stuck waiting until my husband got home at 430 and sometimes it was already getting dark?! So I started using a photo editing program!! That has been my BEST FRIEND! My photos are still not great, not even good sometimes, but I'm selling regulary and you can at least see what it is you are buying :) MY new camera eventually was purchased after a successful craft show and though it was not the magic answer to my photos, it did help! (Macro setting was a must!).

Conversation Heart Rings by MichellesCharmWorld on Lollishops

Now take a look at some of the shops out there, some of them have THOUSANDS of sales and their photos are so dark, half the time I don't even know what I'm buying without reading the description. (Maybe people like the grab bag idea?! heehe). Some shops have photos that are excellent, but so overpropped, you don't know if you are getting the 5 strands of pearls are part of that bottlecap key chain, and yet they have loads of sales. I think it's all about a catchy thumbnail, combined with a CLEAR, DESCRIPTIVE title. (No need to get creative with your titles, I find my creative titles have the least amount of views). If you've been here yesterday, you will also note that I made the front page too! So see, just try hard, but don't overdo it. Perfect pictures are not always the answer. I've seen some FAB-YOU-Less photos out there in shops that have been open and avtive since 2005 and they still only have a few sales. It's all about your product. Work with what you have and don't stress!

Handmade Sampler

It Arrived!! All The Treasures Inside

I was lucky enough to be a reviewer for this months Sampler from Handmade Sampler.I received my package today and it was in a large box! One of my favorite things to receive is packages, so I tore into it right away!! Pretty tissue paper made me feel as though I had opened up a gift! I received a letter that had the info of what was enclosed and a note about Handmade Sampler and then some promo items! Many jumped at me right away!! What is Handmade Sampler? It's a monthly package that goes out to buyers filled with promotional information from vendors of handmade products. It's a great way to be seen and bring business into your shop.

The Stand Outs. Only 2 active shops out of all these treasures. (One of themis HandmadeSampler.Com)

There were many items that popped out at me right away and lured me to their shops, others not so much. There is definately a way to do the handmade Sampler right and this is reaching a great audience! Business cards are great for getting the word out about your business when someone asks about a piece of yours, to package when you are sending out an order or gift, to drop into boxes to win free sandwiches and at craft shows when people want to remember something they saw in your booth!

The Business Cards. Keep In mind how the MOO Cards get lost in the bundle.

Handmade Sampler is not really the time for business cards. This is Shopping time! When people buy these boxes, they are looking to buy and you want them to step into your shop. I will be the first to admit that I kind of lumped all the business cards together and tossed them aside. I loved the ones that had goodies attached to them though! Remember to also toss a coupon on the back of your card with your treasure! Give them more incentive to visit your shop. Think of it this way: The person the receives your box can only buy from ONE shop of all the ones in the box. Will yours be the one? How can you make sure of that? Have a professional product that you are promoing. If it's a paper product, the ends should be straight and the printing should look good, not stretched and faded. Be sure your promo item is of something you actually sell.Be sure you have an actual site where you are selling your goodies. The one purchase I would have made out of this box was definately going to FUNKY PENCILS. It was an AWESOME little Turkey pencil, but alas, just an email address. I don't like to wait. I like to see, look, buy, pay and get my treasure! Creativity Award goes out to Scrapbook Business Cards, I loved the little business card notebook idea, but once again went to the site only to find a CONTACT ME button. There was a gorgeous Origami Tag included that was by HawaiiMonkey. Once again though, an empty shop sits. Maybe nobody wants my money? There was a stunning photograh included that I actually put on my refrigerator right away to remind me of vacation! It was by VIEWS FROM PARADISE. Just an email address here too though. Too bad, I would have loved to see what other prints they had on hand. Remember, you are doing this for PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES! Trying to get the word out about your goodies, you want to make money, make sales and get people to fall in love with your stuff! LOVED the quality of the cupcake toppers from Stick'Em and wanted to see what other designs there were on hand. Yet another empty shop. I used a cute little clip that came from ART PINS, to clip up the photographic print I got in the box, on my refrigerator after I added a magnet to it. I wanted to see what other cute cilppes they had on hand...well i'm sure you know where I am going with this right? Empty. These were not the only empty shops I came across in this package of goodies. I was beginning to get a bit discouraged here. All the GREAT promo items that were catching my eye seemed to not want more sales. I'm wearing a cute little floating ring that was in the box from Floating Jewelry Design, but since it led to another empty shop I guess I may have to find some of these cuties elsewhere.

Remember this is the time to SHINE! If you sell pretty and intricate things, don't just toss in something simple to promo out. you want people to see what you do. This is NOT the time to send in something because it's cheap and easy. Yes, it must be cost effective, but it must also draw the customer in. If I were doing the Handmade Sampler, I would send in one of my Lollipop Rings or Tiny Lolly Earrings. It should definately be something that can be found in your shop, so that the person feels like they really got a piece of your shop!

Vintage Bell Christmas Ornaments from OutOnAWhim 10.00

I have been dying to start an ACEO collection, but could never decide where to begin. I received an AWESOME vintage looking one from Out On A Whim and YAY! She actually had a shop out there! She's running an fabulous *Cyber Monday* Sale too just like Me!! Such a fun shop with a cozy feel. Stop on in and buy something from this fabulously sweet shop! See what happens when you have a shop?? People can write about it! Promote YOU! And of course BUY FROM YOU!

Vintage Button Jar from OutOnAWhim

I loved the little tote that everything came in, I plan on using it to carry around my portable goodies that I work on while the kids are in Dance class or quiet time at the coffee shop!All around, I loved the idea of Handmade Sampler, but there was just not enough product behind the box so to speak. This could be a time to get in and get that sale if you have an awesome promo item, great coupon to add to it and catchy business card all packaged neatly! You would probably get that sale! Hmm...I may be sending out some samples soon! Maybe if only people that had active shops were allowed to contribute, this could turn out to be an awesome thing. I loved how it was packaged, how speedily it arrived, how sweet Tricia is and many of the goodies inside!

Sneak Peek at My New Line

A Treasure Trove of Wearable Sweets from MichellesCharmWorld on Lollishops

So it's almost time for the grand opening of Lollishops! The site opens up on Friday the 28th, i'm on vacation and my shop will not open up for business until December 1st. I'm giving you a little sneak peek at some of the goodies that you will find in my shop when it does open!

The first 5 customers to spend over 15.00 in my NEW Lollishop store will get the cutest little purse full of goodies! These swag bags are limited to 5 because there is over 25.00 in merchandise here!! A perfect stocking stuffer!! You get one of my bow necklaces, a rhinestone heart cell charm, Lollipop Ring, lollipop bracelet, pink pearl earrings, pair of bow barrettes and a discount card off your next purchase!

Shop MichellesCharmWorld on Etsy or Lollishops a virtual dollhouse of treasures and sweets for your body!

Laundry Day Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld on Etsy 20.00

My Etsy Shop is all about the funky and chunky with pieces that are sure to make people turn twice. Pieces for the truly bold and daring! This accessories are all about conversation pieces! Large and colorful!

Sweet and Pretty Bow Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld on Lollishops and Etsy 8.00

My Lollishops Shop is all about the dainty feminine girl that likes a little bit of quirky to her everyday pieces. I still use a lot of bright colors, but this line is more towards the sweet and pretty! Bows, candies and dolly goodness are what you will find in this candy shop of wearable sweets!

Social Networking....Do You?

Retro 80s Computer Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld 16.00

With the dawn of the computer era being a great place to shop, it seems that most of our advertising if not all should be online. There are just such a sea of places, it's difficult to know where to start! The easiest of all of these was the blog! It's easy to set up, but the difficult part about it, is keeping it fresh daily! I usually spend breakfast time and clean up of the dishes thinking of what to blog about. If I have a thought in mind, but i've blogged that day, I will usually type it up and save it for posting another time :)

On to happier thinking! There was once a time that I had no clue what-so-ever Myspace and Facebook were and in fact I really wanted nothing to do with them, they were a hodge podge of stuff I just didn't understand. Then there is Flickr, Of course just as I get into the swing of it all a new thing comes up and it's called Twitter. I feel like they are popping up everywhere and anywhere! (feel free to add me on anything by just clicking the links to my profiles).

The question then becomes, how do I make these sites work for ME? I know you all are thinking that! To me, Myspace is still a black hole and I needed a lot of help for my site to still look as less-than-stellar than it does :) To make this site work for me, I really had to find someone that knew the ins and outs way better than I did and that's my cousin! I have several people that are in my niche market that i'm related to and see quite often, so in exchange for putting my Etsy mini in their profiles they get free goodies every now and then. This has helped me a TON! They have loads of friends and the time to spend hours on this site! For my part, I send out bulletins on sales or really interesting blog posts, but I try hard NOT to spam my friends with too much of the bulletins. I remove people that seem to post them non-stop. The newest thing i'm trying is switching around my profile picture every now and then, What make some people click may not work with others! I'm going to start copying and pasting my blog posts from here onto the blog there too, just to give it a little more of a not abandoned feeling! Myspace gets me some pretty good sales from first time Etsians.

Typewriter Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld 10.00

With Facebook, I feel a bit more comfortable, though this is NOT the place to start if you don't have anything else. People cannot view your profile unless they are your friends and customers usually don't want to add you as a friend since Facebook is a lot more personal than any of the other sites. I pretty much use this site to connect with my friends (old and new) Family (far and near) and Etsy shop owners. To get the word out about sales or new items I use the status bar at the top and I also post a NOTE to my profile. Facebook gets me a lot of blog traffic in the end and a few sales if that from sellers.

Camera Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld 13.00

Flickr is defiantely my friend and where I have been most successful! Be sure to follow the rules though! No shop information or links, no for sale verbiage (sold, see my profile, for sale) and not a strictly commercial site (only things for sale photographed). If you break these rules, you risk getting shut down. YES it happens, and it has happened to friends of mine. AND I was one of the lucky ones that got a warning before being shut down. I was able to fix it all up straight away and i'm doing much better now! Just keep it personal too! There seems to be no rhyme or reason for the warnings vs. the shut downs, so play it safe. The admin on this site is verrrrrrry verrrrrrrry slow in getting back to you about anything, so be sure you allow yourself enough time if you need to get a hold of someone. It seems that my studio shots and ones of my supplies seem to get me the most traffic and people into my store that do in fact lead to sales. (remember my previous post about where my sales came from). I keep alot of my family photos visible to only certain people though, just to keep it on the safe side. The key here is to be active in the community. Don't be greedy! I love to join groups, add my photos (Not millions at a time, that is a huge turn-off) and chat in the discussions! (I really dislike seeing tons of photos from someone in group pools and no active participation at all in the discussions). COMMENT on other peoples photos! If you like when people write nice stuff about your goodies, wouldn't you want someone else to say the same about yours? It's common courtesy online people :) That's all! I think the networking aspect of this site is what makes it my favorite, but oft neglected little pearl in the oyster.

Tweet Tweet Bird Bath Ring by MichellesCharmWorld 7.00

Finally Twitter! This one is super easy to use, once you figure out there is no deep down secret! haha! You just post what is on your mind, what you are doing, what you re looking at etc. and read what everyone else is doing. Tweeting is a lot fun this way. I can say for sure this one has lead to 5 sales in the month or so that I have been there. With here try NOT to spam everyone with your shop link and items 24-7. That gets annoying and gets you unfollowed. Don't add people and then unfollow them and then add them again when they unfollow you. It's not a game on who can add the most people.

Movie Queen Video Camera Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld 15.00

Next on my list is testing out You Tube, I need to make a video first and then I will see what happens from there! That's about it for me! Have any other sites that I should be checking out????

Wasting My Time...

Hourglass Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld 10.00
Sometimes do you feel like promoting is wearing you thin? You don't know where your sales are coming from? You are thinking that some places are a waste of time? There are some ways that we can figure what is working!

Notebook and Pencil Ring by MichellesCharmWorld 7.00

I leave codes in a lot of places, but the codes are each individual codes that I keep track of in a code notebook. In this notebook I can tell where I left a code, what the code was and who redeemed it. I leave these little codes on posts in forums, in my email signatures, on my blog (code corner)signatures on message boards, on fliers I hang up in places and on business cards.

There are also non-coded places I advertise such as blogs, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and social networking sites like this. I also consider relisting and renewing a form of advertising and I can't put a code there :) Feel free to add me as a friend or heart me on Etsy!

Taco Night Earrings by MichellesCharmWorld 10.00

How can I keep track of who is buying what other than my notebook? When you purchase something from my store, a little blurb pops up that is a message to seller. I have something like:

**TELL ME HOW YOU FOUND MY SHOP AND YOU WILL GET A FREE PAIR OF LOLLIPOP EARRINGS!!**

Not sure on the exact wording, but buy something and you can see it! haha! I will soon photograph a pair of the free earrings and put it in my Flickr account, I will keep track of the clicks there to see who is actually checking them out AND it gives the customer a chance to see what they are getting for free!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...

Barbie Girl Pouch by NinisHandmades 12.50
Pretty Pink Beads from ProdigalProgeny 2.00

Super Kids Cape by MyBohoBabyStore 10.00

Gadget Travel Case by SmileRecipe 18.50

Get to know me! There are many people out there that don't disclose their favorites, don't want anyone to know what they like or why they like it. Not me, i'm an open book! I'm going to share with you what's on my ultimate Etsy Wishlist! I want to eventually buy each and every one of these! With the holidays coming up though it stinks that I have to buy presents for everyone else! haha! If any of you sellers featured here would love to trade, let me know! This post of Fridays Fabulous Favorites is short and sweet just so you can see the goodies!

Vintage Avon Bottle from RusticDivaDesigns 2.00

Sweet Treats Coin Purse by SWWM 10.00

Fuzzy Navel Relaxation Set by LushMommy 23.00

Polkadot Tote by SidQuilts 35.00

Thankful Times

Lolita Glam Cake Slice Bracelet by MichellesCharmWorld 20.00

WARNING ahead of time, this is a looong one!

November is usually thought of a time to give thanks, and celebrate with family for all we are thankful for. Unfortunately for me it's become a time to think about stuff that I should always be thankful for and not just in a certain month of the year! I wish it wasn't so hard remembering to give thanks. There are so many people in real life that I would love to give thanks to daily. How about you? Don't let time pass you buy and then you will be filled with regrets! Let's let Thanksgiving be a year round thing, not something just reserved for a date on a calendar.

Mainly my dad, my hero. He is the kind of parent that I hope I can be when my kids are grown and married. He's the guy that's always there with his hand out to help you out when you are down, the guy that you can chat with no matter what is on your mind and the guy that can make you laugh no matter how heavy the drama in your life is. I always remember to be thankful that I have an awesome husband at home that doesn't believe in women doing all the housework or cooking or what not and if not for the business he would be a stay at home dad in a heartbeat (or so he claims! heehee). He's the kind of husband that rubs your back at night and snuggles with you in the morning. Yes, I'm thankful for him; but sometimes I forget about the basics. The people that raised me into who I am today (pretty darn fabulous). I take those people for granted so much, because they will always be there. I never forget to tell my dad I love him, because I do, but sometimes I just want to say: Hey dad, thanks for all you do, you don't know how much it really helps! He really is my hero.

As far back as I could remember November would bring it's chilly air to the Chicagoland area and my grandmother and grandfather would be there to take us to the store and get us our yearly winter coats (my sister and I, not my whole family haha!). It was so fun and glamorous picking out a great coat to spend the winter in! So many colors and choices and it was all up to us! I miss my grandma and wish that before she passed, I had told her how much I was thankful for little moments like that. She made me feel like I was the center of her world and I'm sure it gave me the confidence that I have today. She was a great pillar in keeping my self esteem high. I wish she truly knew how much I loved her and was grateful for all she did. Now my grandfather is getting on in years and quite a busy man, so I use that as an excuse to not pick up the phone as often or not make plans for a visit. I don't want to regret all he did for me as I was growing up. He picked me up on days the bus abandoned me at school, drove me home when I didn't have it in me to wait for a late pick up. He was a grandfather that my dad has become to my kids, amazing and wonderful. I only hope that they will be thankful to him every day.

Cheer Bear Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld

We all have a silent cheerleader that doesn't make themselves too well known, maybe they don't want the credit, maybe they just know all along that you can do it and feel they don't need to tell you. For me, it's my mother. She's an amazing woman who has come head to head with me all these years. We don't mesh well personality wise in our views and standpoints, but no matter what I choose to do, I know I make her proud. She doesn't tell me, but I can see it in her eyes, her smile, her voice. When I made captain of the cheer squad, there was no party, no excitement, just a smile that seemed to say 'Well, Duh of course you did'. When I wanted to go study in Europe for college, there was never a No, it costs too much or I will miss you. She let me go and she worked hard to send me, never complaining just doing. She wasn't the type to lavish gifts on me while growing up. In fact the one time she bought me a gorgeous red coat out of the blue that I had my eye on, is a memory I carry still to this day with me. (She doesn't know it, but I still have that coat that doesn't fit and is a bit faded, it's part of a memory that I will always forget). Big ticket things are things we sometimes forget to be thankful for. (home down payments, college, trips to Europe, Disney World). She had an amazing impact on my life and I too hope upon hope that I will one day become that mother that she is to me. (Gasp! Did I just say that?! heehee). Mothers are not made to be your best friend, they are made to nurture you and make you ready for the world and she did that, she made me ready for a world that was so big I never knew it. They were strict parents and at almost 30 years old, if I still lived at home, I bet I would still have a curfew too! That discipline is what I needed and what I know I will carry on as a parent as much as I hated it!

Then there is the online world of people we don't really know, yet helped us out! I want to thank those people!

Mod Business Card Holder by MissKnits 5.00

MissKnits she was a customer on Ebay that pointed me in the direction of Etsy, without her, there would be no online world for me! She had a hand in the success I carry right now! It's been awhile since i've spoken to her, so I will take this moment to drop her a message.
MelissasMagicSpot Missy has been a friend since I met her over on the Dis Boards , she helped me when I need to sound about online problems and I hope that I have been the virtual friend to her that she has been to me!

Gumdrops Kilt Pin by MelissasMagicSpot 3.00

Lists like these can go on and on, so I better stop now before I get carried away more than I already have. I'm thankful for so much this time of year, I wish I could remember to be this thankful year round.

Inspiration...

Little Tikes My Size Dollhouse bought before she could even hold a doll!

I am asked about my inspiration a lot of the time when being interviewed about my work. I would love ot have something incredibly deep to say like 'the weather moves me to work in mysterious ways that even I have only begun to figure out' or whenever I hear a piece of Mozarts work, I envision creations coming together in my head. Instead my motivation comes from cleaning. Yup, I said it, cleaning. Not anyplace though, only one special and very colorful room. The playroom! It's bright, beautiful and best of all it's PLASTIC! From tea parties to tower building, dress up to race car racing, I can always think of something to create!

My Little Pony Pile of Fun

I always find it so fun that something like playing My Little Ponies can turn into something like a funky necklace. My Pretty Little Pony Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld 15.00

I love cleaning up after a tea party when everything is a mess and then suddenly I see something out of the clutter.

Pretty Party with Dessert Treats

When something as simple as tea cups and cupcakes can become a kitschy new bracelet.

Cupcake and Donuts Bracelet by MichellesCharmWorld 30.00

Legos are a favorite piece of inspiration for me! The colorful and bold pieces of plastic seem to hold magic in them for me!

Lego Duplo Building Blocks and Table

A pile of discarded legos shows me rings, necklaces, hair pins and bracelets. The colors and textures of toys make creating so exciting when I can look at little things like that and turn them into this:

Lego Fun Bracelet by MichellesCharmWorld 22.00

My daughter has the cutest Little Tikes vanity that i've coveted since before I knew I would have a baby girl in my life! I think we bought it for her when she was like 2 months old! Playing dress up always gets my brain working and makes my hands itch to get into the studio. I love to set up her perfumes and mirrors and other goodies in creative ways to make her want to play with them whenever she passes them!

Disney Princess Vanity Set

Since I can't play with her vanity all day, I knew I needed something for the big kids in life! The adults that love a little dress up in their own wardrobes!

Little and Sweet Vanity Brooch by MichellesCharmWorld 13.00

This post could go on and on, I find so much inspiration in my children and their goodies, that I don't ever want to stop playing with them! I hope this post inspires you to find something that truly gets you motivated into doing what you love! If you are already inspired by something, share it please! (Unless it's deep then I may get jealous again! hahha! Just kidding!)

I find that when I get into a rut, just going and tidying up the playroom does wonders for my brain! Now my husband is hoping I find inspiration in the bathroom next!