Thinking Thoughts on Thursday...

As I sit here surrounded by maps and guidebooks and train schedules along with flight information, I am realizing how quickly time is passing. We are headed to Philadelphia, New Jersey & New York in September and are very excited but also very exhausted with planning. There is so much we want to do, that there is no way we can squeeze it all in to 1 week. So of course my mind begins to wander and I am all over the place, because of this, today's post will be all over the place with a few topics that are here and there.

Don't have the time or funds for a vacation? How about a staycation?! Head to a local hotel or museum in your town/city and in the lobby they tend to have free brochures all about your area. Put together a fun itinerary for the weekend, exploring new places and if you have extra funds or plan ahead, stay in a local hotel with a pool, to add on the fun of it all! Can't do that? Make a day of fun experiences and then head home and have everyone bunk together in one room for the night watching movies and chatting or a living room sleepover with some fun, family activities!

 

Thrifty Thursday craft tip is to make an angel out of an old hardcover book, these are a dime a dozen at bag sales and so easy to do! Once you've folded down a triangle of EACH page, just use a hot glue gun to bunch ribbon and glue to the left and right side where the book covers are exposed, these become the angels wings. Do the same at the bottom, so that it defines her dress. Add a styro-ball head and yarn or something similar for hair. Making a triangle pouch up front is perfect for holding a rosary or gift card.

I have a large notebook that I keep with me when I read, along with post-its and pens and highlighters. I like to jot down notes and or quotes that speak to me as I go along and in the case of books where authors feel the need to toss in 100 different characters, then I need to keep track of them somehow. As I read I use the post-it notes to mark areas of the book that I want to look at again or what I think is a pivotal part of the story. Am I the only nerd that reads like this?

Break free & enjoy every minute my friends!

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How Do You Blog?

As I sit here blogging in the morning and of course multi tasking, I begin to wonder if I am crazy or if other people blog the same way? I've mentioned before that I do most of my reading in the early mornings, before the rest of the house is awake. It's a time when I can revel in the silence and get my thoughts together on how to make the most of the 20 hours in front me. (Yes, I stay up incredibly late, or would that be early? haha).
I sit every morning with my MOM CENTRAL organizer (Which I picked up NEW in PACKAGE at the Goodwill for .89!) and my small spiral bound index card notebook and pen, which slides easily into the top spiral.  I like the size of this notebook, because it easily slides into my purse the minute I am done using it, so I always have it on hand. The organizer? It slips into my larger tote bag that I always have in my car (Snacks, busy bag stuff, change of clothes and the like!). Today, I want to take you deeper into my idea notebook!

 The first section, I have cut into 3 row strips, this makes the most use out of each page and allows me to make lists for 3 separate stores if need be or just 3 different lists. I love that the tops are perforated, so I don't have that scraggly mess that ends up in notebooks when you tear out the page.

The See Through Avery tab is perfect for when I needs to flip through sections FAST (COUPON AVAILABLE TO TRY THEM YOURSELF!)! My next section is not torn up and left whole, this is my idea section. If I see something I MUST try, MUST buy or would love to research more, I jot it down! I know that I can use Internet Bookmarks, but I am a fan writing AND this keeps my list accessible when I am out and about and I run across something that would work perfectly or if I want to tweak something while waiting!

Flip to the back and I have taped in an envelope to hold all my coupons! I love how handy this is, especially when I get a coupon at the register! I tuck it right in and always have it handy! On my shopping list, if I have a coupon for something, I put a little *STAR* next to it and write COUPON, so that I can take it out and tuck it right onto the package and I don't forget!

I also love to use this notepad, because it has plain, unlined backsides. These are perfect for sketching out ideas and such that I have in mind. The above sketch is because my CANDY SWEET jewelry is going to be featured in a local runway show this weekend!!

So, the question remains: How do you blog?????

The Faceboook Phenomenon!

MY Facebook Page! Feel Free To Add Me!

Today we are checking out Facebook as a way of social networking. This is a great way to meet up with old friends and new. YES, it is a place where those old pals from highschool and YIKES even gradeschool may find you, but it's fun! I was utterly and totally confused by all the widgets, add-ons and craziness that was in front of me when I started, but afterawhile I started to get the hang of it! No worries, if it takes you awhile to get out there too! Just start by signing up! Ready to add friends? Post the link to your site on the public forums of your selling venues! Mine is on the Etsy forums and the Lollishops ones too! Once in awhile I Tweet my link on Twitter too! (read my blog post on Twitter here).

Alright, on to the promoting! At the top of your HOME page, you will see a little status bar, much like the one on Twitter. You click inside of the blurb and type what you are doing at the moment! I use this to put big sales, Exclusive codes to my shop and anything else that is shop related. But take a look at it right now ^ I ALSO use it to really update about my life. I don't want to spam Facebook either. I want my friends to stay my friends and not tune me out. Yes, i've already had to tune out frequent spammers, they post link after link after link to their shops. Not just blogs, shops, life etc. It's ALL SHOP ALL THE TIME! This is NOT the way to use Facebook! Starting a Group about your business! I had a couple customers ask me if I was on Facebook, then they started asking me about groups so that they could link their friends! So last week I started my very own group! PLEASE join mine and I will join yours! To get started just go to your HOME page ( you can find this at the top of your Facebook page) Then click on the right hand side the icon that says GROUPS.

Next you want to click on +Create A New Group on the right hand side of the screen it will look like this:

Just follow the prompts from there and it's super easy! Post your link on your public message forums too! (Make sure they allow it!) This is a fun way of keeping former customers and new ones in the loop of what is going on with your shop and what is new! Be sure to add SALE information and EXCLUSIVE discounts too! Get the word out quickly and in a fun way too! Invite your customers to share photos of them wearing your goodies or putting them on display somewhere!

So not everyone joined your group and you still want to spread the word about sales right? Well another awesome way to get memos out is through their NOTES function. Go back to your HOMe page and on the right hand side box where you found the GROUPS button, click on your NOTES button. It may not be visible like mine is, so click on the tiny little triangle that says MORE and it will be in that pull-down list. Click on WRITE A NEW NOTE. It's on the right hand side again! Follow those prompts and it's pretty easy! Publish the whole thing and now your entire stream will see it! So see, it's not that hard to get started on Facebook! Hope I helped someone out there!

New in the shop is my line of Breakfast Treats! From 9.00-30.00.