On Being A Mom…

10:30 p.m.

 

“Hey honey, how are you?”

“Mom, I need some money. I am STARVING and the café is closed and I don’t have ANY money for food or gas so I can’t go to Ingles..I’m STARVING!”

“Billy, what happened to all that money I gave you two weeks ago?”

“I have expenses, you know.”

“Yes, I realize that. But I gave you almost $150, that is a lot of “expenses” for someone who has a 10 meal a week, meal plan.”

“It costs $40 to fill up my car and I spent that going to the orthodontist and back yesterday. Then, I had to buy rx at CVS for my mouth, plus the $ I spent on groceries and…..and….and….”

“Billy. Okay. What happened to all of the groceries you bought?”

“My roommates are eating it.”

“WHAT! You tell them your mom is broke and they are essentially taking the food away from HER!” (His roommate is wealthy).

“See, mom, I told you I needed a small frig for my room. I will look on craigslist. I bet I can find one for under $100!”

“Sigh. Then you better talk to your dad about that, cause I cannot afford it.” (I did not tell him I bought Onesoles!)

“Okay, if I can find one for $50, can I buy it? Cause I have $25 in my pocket right now, so that is half!”

“You have $25 in your pocket right now? You just said you were broke. That you had NO money…”

“Mom, $25 is not enough to fill up the car AND buy groceries.” (duh)

“Sweetie, you need to learn how to budget better. Put just enough gas in the car…you shouldn’t be joy riding anyway. Spend the rest of it on groceries…not things that have to go in the frig, but things you can store in your room”

Sigh…”I know. Okay. Fine.”

“By the way, were you in Macon this weekend?” (50 miles away from college at a party and you probably drove…?)

“Um…yes.”

“And you withdrew $40 from some quick stop there?”

“Um…yes. How did you know?”

“Remember, I have access to your account. This will help you learn to budget. If you can spend $40 on gas, and another $40 on (IT BETTER HAVE NOT BEEN BEER!!!) whatever it is that you bought…you can get a part time job. I will pay for your school, you pay for your play time.”

“Fine. I have to go now.”

“Luvyabye.”

“Luvyabye.”

 

 Precious boy…lol I love him to the ends of the earth!

 

On The Subject of New Business Ventures…

Hey Girlies!

Whew, what a summer it has been…. I have been long absent this summer trying to get my youngest ready for college and to nurture my small business into new ventures.

New Venture #1 – Taking in goods from talented crafters – I should soon receive my first shipment of quality hand crafted goods from the very talented Krystine Vermeer at The Purse-Onality Shoppe. Krystine hand crafts one-of-a-kind, unique handbags perfect for any occasion. Although I have never met Krystine personally, we have built quite a nice friendship through our online businesses.  My order from her should arrive sometime this week, and it will feel a bit like Christmas! Up to now I have only been able to drool over her lovely creations in her online store. Krystine’s goods were at the top of the list of “have to have” items for my other new venture…a brick and mortar store.

New Venture #2 – A brick and mortar store – Okay, now, don’t get all excited. I don’t have my OWN store, just a small space in a local store…but a new venture nonetheless. 

Along with items from The Purse-Onality Shoppe,I will have hand crafted hair bows, woven headbands, character clippies and more from a small group have very talented ladies I also have a nice online friendship with. Once their items arrive, I will post more about who they are, and what they make.

This store will in no way replace my online boutique, in fact, I am dedicating some serious time to improving my picture taking skills and getting those pictures on both the website and Etsy site.  I have a few brand new items listed on the site, and even more that are ready to be listed, but still need pictures taken!  Whew, I need a secretary!

New Venture #3 – Presenting the opportunity to purchase raw monogrammed pieces for crafters who do not have an embroidery machine –  Covered buttons are all the rage right now, and gals love them monogrammed! I have yards and yards of fabric to choose from, and for the teeny tiny buttons, I use ribbon as well. My monogrammed fabric circles will be in multiple sizes and will be lined.

As you can see, I have lots to do…but rest assured…I LOVE it!

Later Gals,

CindyB

Consignments & Online Boutique’s

I am trying to step up to the next level in providing goods for my online boutique and to put in local boutiques in my area. There are a number of items I would like to produce, but, alas, my crafty desires exceed my current income. Items that I most likely will either never attempt, or never get around to include the hair clippies, hair bows,flip flops, bloomers, tutus, and most likely the market totes after I embroider the 10 that I purchased.

So…I come to you with curiosity. I value your thoughts and opinions.

1. How do you feel about online consignment?
2. How do you feel about “drop shipping” where you receive the order through another’s shop and ship your finished product directly to the customer?
3. How does one guarantee the quality when using a drop shipper?
4. And any other thoughts you may have concerning online consignment.

*Note* – This is not a conversation about purchasing finished items wholesale, this is about consignment…working together to get our finished products out there for others to see, oh, and purchase, of course!!

With the economy on the downward spiral and gas prices so high, our items are really a luxury. If we can provide these goods to our customers with very little effort on their part (online shopping equals no gas!) than they will be eager to purchase more, or more often.