Too busy to blog

Well, it's April 10th 2010 and I'm finally getting a few minutes to write something. These past few months have just been extremely busy. I have to say that I am completely surprised with how much business I have had ( especially these past 2 months) in a down economy. Perhaps things are starting to turn around? Let's hope so!
As many of you know, I scaled back my wholesale business to just a handful of accounts that are profitable and steady for me. Since I am essentially a one-woman show, it's difficult to manage a wholesale business with a direct retail business going on too. Somehow, some way, I have managed to keep my sanity.
Over the past few months I have also been doing some research on similar businesses to mine. I've found alot of stay-at-home Moms are starting their own businesses which I think is great. However, I don't want to give anyone the false sense that being a work-at-home Mom is easy. Other SAHMs expect you to still be able to do social events and charity work in the middle of the day ( not to mention elderly family members who think you have free time to chat on the phone). Your business is always being interrupted by your stay-at-home status. Whether it's the loads of laundry you try and squeeze in between spurts of work or the cookies you bake for "just an hour" that turn in to 2, you can never do just work. There have been occasional days where I am uninterrupted but I think I can count those on one hand. Working from home is not easy but it does give you the freedom to accept some of those interruptions. I thought it would allow me to spend more time with my children but that isn't really the case. Although I am here when they go to and come home from school, I usually spend and hour helping w/homework and then make dinner and then go right back to my office to paint....although I get "interrupted" many times which is OK with me. My kids are the most important people in my life and are the whole reason I keep working. In just 8 short years, my son will be off to college at a price tag of $200,000! The following year will be my daughter's turn. So I'll take being overburdened with work and all of the interruptions that come with it with a smaile on my face knowing that it's all worth it in the end.
As for the rest of April; well, I have a ton of orders to paint and I really want to get several new designs painted before the end of this month and add them to my website. I also want to do a few new Zazzle designs that I have rolling around in my head but somehow, I have a feeling it won't all get done before May1st. Keeping my fingers crossed...actually my fingers holding a paint brush until next time...

I Love Zazzle

Well it's been a long while since my last entry. I've decided to stay committed to the keepsake chests & boxes for 2 more years while I get some other things under way. I had a great time teaching this Summer at The Phoenix Village Art Center http://www.phoenixvillageartcenter.org and will be teaching some after school classes this Fall. I must be crazy taking on teaching during the holiday season....it's always crazy so this year will just be more so.
The most exciting thing I have been working on lately is designing products on Zazzle http://www.zazzle.com/STACIEDALEDESIGNS . I love how easy it is to design something and put it up for sale in just minutes...it's genius. I'm awaiting delivery of my first product from Zazzle to see if it looks as good in person as it does on the computer screen...fingers crossed! There will be a link to zazzle from my website shortly and I will be emailing all of my customers to introduce them to this new line of clothing and gifts, What fun! Until next time...keep up the creativity!