Etsy, Starbucks, and a Shiny New Job!

Well. It's been an unexpectedly interesting few days around here. I interviewed, got, and negotiated a higher pay for a new part-time job and gave my two-weeks notice at Starbucks in the last 48 hours. It's a perfect job for me right now: double the pay, 20 hours a week, flexible scheduling, and weekends, holidays, and summers off.  Plus, it's at a high school, so it lines up nicely with my experience thus far.

I'm sad to leave my fun coworkers and endless supply of delicious beverages, but I am excited for this new adventure! It's really an amazing find - in my 'field,' fits around my schedule, and only 20 hours a week. I'll still have time to pursue my creative endeavors - which are keeping me fairly busy right now. I'm designing four blogs, two wedding invitations, two custom greeting card orders, and have booked my first photography gig, a trash the dress session! I'm so, so excited, you guys.

Since I had a little job update, I figured I'd answer some of the job-related questions I got from this post.

I want to know more about your Starbucks job and how you like working and being a full time mommy too. I bring my 3 month old to work with me so most days I think I have the best of both worlds but some days are harder than others.

Starbucks isn't a bad job for a mom, since I can plan my schedule around Mike's availability - which makes child care an non-issue. I have a lot to say about the job itself - the good, bad, and the ridiculous. That will be a post on its own. Bottom line: It's a fun job and involves a lot of caffeine. But also, some demanding customers. Being a part-time working mom is a great balance for me. I have something to do and contribute to outside of motherhood, but still spend most of my time with Gabe. I absolutely love it.

tell the truth: with all the talk about budgets and frugal living and working for little pay at starbucks, i'd be curious to know if you guys are getting financial help from your parents.

At first, I was quite offended by this question. Mike and I worked so hard to save money last year, and make a lot of sacrifices to be able to work less now that we have Gabe. I don't just talk about living simply on my blog because it upholds some sort of image I want to project. Living simply is far from glamourous, actually. It involves more cooking and less eating out; more staying home and less meeting friends for dinner. We have one car. We don't have cable. Or even Netflix (except this free trial. Woo!) We don't have smartphones. We can't purchase many non-essential items at Target anymore. We can't buy Gabe every cute toy and outfit we'd like. We end up eating beans and rice at the end of the month.

I don't say all of this because I want sympathy or to feel proud of what we've given up. It's just that I'd hate for anyone to get the impression that I'm touting living with less as some sort of fun and exciting fad. Though, for all that we can't do, there is so much that we can. And that is why, for us, we'd rather work less and live more.

We haven't asked for any help from our parents at all, to answer your question. Though, we certainly wouldn't be in this position without our parents' generosity - we both were able to go to college with help from our parents, and my parents provide our (free!) childcare when we need it. Not to mention the wonderful gifts we recieved from them this year. We are blessed with wonderful parents, but parents who know that we are responsible with money and are financially independent adults.

For how long do you plan to work at Starbucks - a year, two years, three years?

I had no plan, which tends to be the way I navigate my life. When I first took the job, I wasn't sure if I'd be there for a month or several years - my career has been fluid and changing as opportunities come along. I wasn't looking for another job, but something came along!

Do you make enough money doing etsy transactions to make it worth your while? I'm a mom of two (the youngest is exactly Gabe's age I think!) and am thinking of starting an etsy shop. I knit and craft banners and things but am wondering if it's realistic

A great question! I opened my Etsy shop since November of 2008, and it's been such a joy to create for it. I've enjoyed a fairly steady stream of business, but it's definitely on a small scale and I probably am guilty of underpricing my goods. For me, I enjoy it enough to keep it open, despite the fact that I don't earn a viable income from it. I love how I can explore my ideas and create new products to sell, especially because most of the products I designed. (Like my thank you cards, hobo bag, makeup pouches, coffee sleeves, and coasters - they were all created because I wanted them for myself!) I've mentioned before that I'm always busy with a million different creative pursuits, so my little shop might be abandoned some day in favor of more time to photograph or design, but for now? I'll happily sew and make jewelry for my little audience. (If you want to discuss exact numbers, I'd be happy to talk to you via email! Etsy also has lots of great resources for getting started. Go for it!) 

Change of Plans.

I expected to return to work today, 12 weeks after August 30th, the day before I went into labor.

From the day Gabriel was born, I found myself dreading the return to work. "Only 10 more weeks!" I'd think, then chide myself for not enjoying my time with my sweet, tiny baby, but counting down instead.

As I started to mentally plan out the logistics of returning to work - it became increasingly clear that we'd either have to get a second car or I'd have to take Gabe to my mom's (yay for free childcare!) each morning - which is 25 minutes in the opposite direction. This would add up to over three hours of driving a day and more than 10 hours a day away from my baby. It seemed physically impossible to be away from Gabe 10 hours a day. 

But, I knew that not working was simply not an option. Mike is in grad school for a PhD (which will hopefully pay off when he's a college professor someday and our kids will go to college for freeee) and although it's paid for, the stipend is small. Small, as in, we'd be living on strictly Ramen and still having to dip into our savings to make ends meet each month. 

So you can understand why, when Mike said, "Just quit," on a sunny day during my maternity leave , I thought he was absolutely crazy and possibly a wee bit delusional. A few hours later, thought I found myself  surprised to be wondering if it would be possible, Googling websites like this and this, tweeting about it, and playing around with budgets. 

Slowly, the idea started to appeal to me. I could quit, take the rest of the school year off work, then find something starting next school year. No horrific commute, no worrying about pumping and schedules, no mornings rushing around to get myself and Gabe ready. We have substantial savings and no debt...maybe it could work.

Then the pendulum swung the other way, and I was incredulous with myself for even entertaining such a financially irresponsible decision. Quitting my salaried, big girl, career-type job and living on a THIRD of what we currently live on (which isn't a ton to begin with)? Not to mention leaving my wonderful coworkers high and dry like that. ARE. YOU. CRAZY. WOMAN?

It was an oscillating few weeks, really, what with the "Yay! Mornings to snuggle with mah babeeee!" and then "Whhhhhat? Do you want to sabotage your CAREER!?" and the "Woohoo! We can totally be poor! I rock at being poor! Poor is fun!" and then "I want to be able to afford food! I like food!"

I dragged Twitter into things, as well:

Yep. I annoyed everyone.

On a whim, I applied to Starbucks, thinking it'd take a few weeks or months to get back to me.

Three days later, I was Starbucks' newest employee.

I quit my big girl, career-type job and work part-time at Starbucks. 

We're still going to be utterly poor, but I'm going to be very well-caffeinated. Hey, I said I'd be a bag lady sipping a latte.

The job is perfect for me right now, it's only 15 minutes away and I work 20 hours a week, scheduled around Mike's classes, so Gabe is usually with one of his parents.  It's fast-paced, so I hardly have time to think about missing Gabe. The other baristas are delightful, and the job is (mostly) very fun. Plus, I get to spend the day drinking lattes and iced Passion tea. A huge perk, no?

It's going to be hard to make some sacrifices and tighten our budget even more, but I think it'll be worth it. And we're up to the challenge (we've spent a mere $110 on groceries this month!). To help supplement my income, I'm planning to work more on my crafting and designing.

On that note, hey, look! I have an Etsy shop with pretty things like these coffee sleeves:

And I am happy to design your website like I recently did for Lauren and Angela! Email me!

/end shameless plugs.

So, I guess you could say I'm the happiest, poorest person you now know. Any more money saving tips for me? I need them.

A Long Overdue Shop Update.

It has been a long while since I've done an update on my Etsy shop. Partially because I was tired and sick for a few months (now you know why! yay! openness and honesty!) and partially because I am just. so. darn. busy. and crafting has taken a back burner (to things like freelance design jobs and long work hours and a new class and episodes of Freaks and Geeks).

Well, Mike was gone this weekend and I went on a sewing binge - sewing fourteen coffee sleeves and an adorable throw pillow for our couch. It was glorious. And completely therapeutic to watch  movie after movie while I measured, cut, and sewed my heart out.

Here are some my latest creations:

I Wanted to Blog to Tell You How Awesome You Are.

I wanted to blog to tell you how several people have shared this article with me and that makes me happy.

I wanted to blog to tell you how I went to the dentist for two cavities and ended up getting four filled.

I wanted to blog to tell you how a drunk girl told Mike he looked gay.

I wanted to blog to tell you how wonderful and sweet my dentist is, despite the inordinate amount of Novocaine.

I wanted to blog to tell you how three out the four new emails in my inbox last night were about freelance design jobs.

I wanted to blog to tell you how absolutely hilarious our staff and faculty Christmas party was - and how I won the spa prize. Free manicure and a bottle of White Zinfandel!

I wanted to blog to tell you how excited I am about break. Two weeks of no work and pure family time and laziness.

I wanted to blog to tell you how I'm going to pick up my sister from college today to start our break.

I wanted to blog to tell you how I have another giveaway. It's a big deal and I'm swallowing my Apple snobbishness to do it.

I wanted to blog to tell you how I'm a bit sick of finding out about people's Huge Life Changes via Facebook.

I wanted blog to tell you how I am more obsessed with the idea of giving birth than a squishy little baby face.

I wanted to blog to tell you how brunch is the best meal ever.

I wanted to blog to tell you how wonderful getting cards in the mail is, and how I seem to have misplaced our stack of Christmas cards.

Instead, I'm going to pack up, pick up my little sister, drive 2.5 hours and pick up our other sister. There is a possibility that much baking will ensue. Family time, commence!

Joyful Star - an Etsy shop update.

First column from top: lily love 2 - choose a ring. the green pear - a perfect tote. button love - choose a ring. greens and forests - a quilted reusable coffee sleeve. aqua and olive - a quilted reusable coffee sleeve.

Second column from top: maroon and mint - a perfect pair. your name here - custom business card envelope. pears and apples - a quilted reusable coffee sleeve. owls and swirls - a quilted reusable coffee sleeve. big rose post earrings in aquamarine.

I've been busy trying to give my shop a little bit of a makeover - new banner, new packaging, and lots of new products! I also created a new pattern for my reusable coffee cup sleeves - I taught myself how to quilt and they now have snap closures:

I can tell how impressed you are with my quilting skills.

With only five more weekends until Christmas (wait. what?), I look forward to spending a lot more time hunched over my sewing machine...Oy! I'm so not ready for Christmas!

(But, oh, I so am.)

A Tour of My Happy Place.

Welcome to my craft room/office/closet! I always enjoy getting a little glimpse into the homes and lives of others, so I thought I'd treat you to a little voyeurism. Here is my half of the room:

It very rarely looks like this. The floor is usually covered in fabric, stickers, pins, and tissue paper.


Storage and sewing books!


I like to surround myself with things that make me happy...like this...


And this...


And this...


And this...


My latest fabric favorites and a teensy bit of my fabric addiction.


I'm sort of in love with happy tape to give a package a finishing touch. (A package with this tape is far more exciting than an Amazon package, right?)


My front porch is my morning photo shoot spot. It's fun when my neighbors look at me.

Thanks for visiting! I hope you enjoyed your little tour of where all of this is born.

PS: If you look at these photos in my Flickr stream, I have included notes. Fun!

On Defiance…and a Little Special.

I’m not sure why, but last month was the quietest month I’ve had since I joined Etsy. Perhaps it’s because I raised my prices to reflect the actual time and materials going into things and acknowledge that I’m not, in fact, a sweatshop in Nicaragua so I probably can’t compete with Target. Whatever the reason may be, I’ve decided to jump start holiday shopping AND celebrate my year on Etsy (official on November 24^th) with a special: my earrings are buy-one-get-one-half-off for the entire month of November. Find my shop here.

I still dream of being a work-at-home mom in a few years – designing website and invitations and Etsying, and perhaps working a part-time job at Trader Joe’s or a coffee shop while Mike pursues a PhD. (Why, yes, we will be quite poor. Thank you for noticing.) I do adore my job right now – aside from its time-sucking properties – so I wonder if I should count myself as lucky enough to have a fulfilling, wonderful job and leave my little dreams of working for myself behind. (Plus, taxes are scary. I like my easy little W2 forms. Working for yourself = MORE TAX FILING = hives.)

Does becoming an adult mean accepting the restraints of life? I can't help but feel defeated accepting a 9-5 job as my future. Even if it is a really fun job.

So: I refuse to settle.

I refuse to grow up.

I maintain my dreams and desires.

These are my goals. Call me a teenager, but I'm defiant. I will not be defined by my job. I will not feel bad for finding an unorthodox career or career path.

And that is why I signed up for two more design classes next semester at the community college.

Here's to dreams.

What would you do if you didn't care what your parents/friends/family/the world thought?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PS: Yes, I am a broken record. So enter my Starbucks giveaway and shut me up.

Nubbins of News.

• The mouse saga continues! Oh, wait...I haven't told you about our mouse saga? (Unless you follow me on Twitter. Which you probably did and stopped following me after I made you nauseous when I told everyone I found a frying pan FULL OF MOUSE DROPPINGS in the drawer under our stove.) Call me nasty, cheap, or too sympathetic, but until I see one in my bedroom or they eat my food, I'm not calling an exterminator. Because chemicals are scarier than mice, in my book. Unless they are in my bedroom or eating my food, then all bets are off. Until then, we live in peace, little mice.
  

• Work is beginning to feel cozy and homey. My coffee mug, my candy jar, and my friendly coworkers are becoming routine and familiar. This new positive outlook may have something to do with my coming in an hour later. An extra hour in the morning is making a gigantic difference in my sleep and attitude. I finally got up the courage to talk to Boss about it, and she was more than amenable to my remaining a sane, cheerful individual. Hooray!
  

• I went for over two weeks without a cell phone before activating a new (to me) phone last night. It was glorious. Minus the pouring-my-water-bottle-in-my-purse-and-ruining-my-phone part. No one could contact me through my phone was so nice. Being overly-connected is tiring, yo! (We won't talk about internet/Twitter addiction just yet, though. I'm still in denial.)
  

• The last time I can find proof of getting dressed up for Halloween was in 2005. I haven't carved a pumpkin in years and I've never decorated for Halloween. I'm not anti-Halloween, I'm pro-lazy. (And pro-food. I've baked tons of pumpkin waffles, bread, and muffins and made my own pumpkin pie spice lattes. I even sucked it up and ate a few maple donuts.) Since I work at a high school now, I can dress up for work this year and am considering Hermione Granger. Possibly overdone, but I have frizzy hair, a graduation gown, and a stick that is totally wand material. Done and done.
  

• Several new items are listed in my Etsy shop - including new earring colors and designs. I also have some new packaging. I'm seriously excited to start sending out new orders. Whee!
  

• Free Starbucks goodies - five whole prize packs! - are still up for grabs over here. (Did I mention it's a contest for me, too? So I will continue nagging you!)
  

A Surprise Birthday Special!

My second surprise this week (on today, my birthday, hurrah!) is FREE SHIPPING within the United States and a free card with every purchase over $15 from today through the weekend. This may be a little too generous and ridiculous of me, so hurry up before I change my mind!

Clockwise from top left: daisy chain - a perfect tote. with great love - a set of little notes. teal heaven - a wristlet. funky argyle - a checkbook cover.

Be sure to check it out or get a jumpstart on holiday shopping. (I know, I know - it's only October! Woah, Ashley! Stop being all Target-y and having your trees out in August! But I've started getting some gifts for my family and hope to be calmly sipping eggnog and eating cookies during the last few weeks of December, bragging that I'm totally done. We'll see. Last year I took a day off work to finish up making gifts and still didn't finish until Christmas Eve.)

PS: I'm going on a three day "business trip" tomorrow- which is a total bummer since it's my birthday. But I use the term "business trip" liberally, since I'll be hiking with (surprisingly delightful) teenagers in go to gorgeous Hocking Hills. I think I can handle it. As long as it's not 45 and rainy. Because: ugh.

PPS: Don't forget to enter my Birthday Giveaway!

Six Happy Things.

1. Mike’s birthday was 10 days ago. His present? Going to Ann Arbor for the weekend and getting an amazing Ben and Jerry’s ice cream cake – the fulfillment of one of his life’s dreams. Oh yeah, and this. (Which came with a free this. It’s official, I win Wife of the Year. Sorry, ladies.)

   

2. On our trip to Ann Arbor, I wandered into Urban Outfitters for the very first time and (after gawking at a headband that cost thirty dollars) found what’s been missing in my life: this coffee mug.

   
   If you know the reference, we can be BFFs.

3. Also in Ann Arbor, we visited lots of fun little vintage stores, a vegetarian restaurant (Butternut squash enchiladas; my life is now complete.), and enjoyed a Michael Jackson fan dancing in a graffiti-saturated alley. A city fu ll of quirkiness and coffee shops And creative…eh, propositions?

   

4. I continue to adore the fact that we live close to our family. And that my husband is adorable with small children. And the fact that I feel more and more comfortable with the idea of having children and being a mother. After watching The Business of Being Born and not crying out of pure fear – I think that once we get insurance and jobs that will last longer than a year, I might just entertain the idea of a bun in the oven.

   

5. Tonight, I begin a weekly class called Graphic Design Drawing. I was tempted to forgo a class this semester since I’m adjusting to a new schedule and I stay after school most days, but I want to continue slowly working towards my graphic design certificate. It gives me energy to be doing something that I’m passionate about and that fuels my creativity. So, time will be made. (I have a feeling I’m going to gain 50 lbs by the end of this year, friends.)


6. Finding time to create and list items (slowly, but surely) is rewarding. Most recently, I've made a few laptop sleeves and listed some new earring colors. I've sort of been wearing these earrings like crazy, so I'm excited to finally list some to share! (Don't worry, I'm not wearing YOUR earrings. Hehe.)
   

I Have A Job. Also, Look, Earrings!

I made a quick decision and accepted the second job.

I have a job. At a high school. An all-girls high school. Doing cool things. And hanging out with awesome co-workers. And getting paid decently.

WOOHOO!

In other news, I made some earrings:

Each pair is $4.95 in my little shop.

On Easing Back into Things...

After all my adventures in the past few weeks- Texas! Mexico! Virginia! South Carolina! - I'm going to ease back into this with some random tidbits....

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Vacation News!

A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.

- Robert Orben

As much as I'd love (LOVE!) to have an iPhone, it's important that I have nothing to do beside read, dig my toes in the sand, drink iced tea, build sandcastles, and lay in the sun on vacation. (Although, Apple, if you want to give me a free iPhone and pay the $100 bill every month, I certainly won't deny you that.)

I was able to catch up on the latest celeb mags (how hip am I?), too. My sister-in-law practically begged me to read them - what was I supposed to do? Tell her I don't care about Jon and Kate's "crumbling marriage"? No. I was polite and read all them, of course. (Poor Jon! No, Poor Kate! No. Poor kids. Whatever. I'm totally going to watch their show tonight. I am a terrible, voyeuristic person, okay?)

........................................

Whining News!

I've been out of the office and my daily routine for three weeks, and I'm feeling a little rusty. This 8-hour work day seems so looooong. Help.

........................................

Job News!

I got a second interview at a REALLY awesome high school. I loved the principal. I loved the position. I loved everything about it.

I also go an interview at another high school. That's two interviews in one week. I'm so excited about the potential jobs - they are fabulous. And so glad I followed my instinct and didn't just take the first job that came my way. Even if these don't work out - it gives me hope and reassures me that my dream jobs are out there.

........................................

Etsy News!

After about eleventy billion people commented on the card wallet I made for myself (similar to this one), I'm determined to create some more for my shop. Seriously. I love useful things that happen to involve cute fabric.

........................................

PS: My sunburn is now peeling, in case you were interested. The rest of me is tan - SPF 8, you are my lover.

Drumroll, Please...

A tiny post, just so you don't have to wait for a week to find out:

I'm not taking the job.

My mom and husband think I'm making the right decision, so I'm happy about it. A little scared about letting the employer know, but a sense of relief is definitely a good sign, right?

Thank you for all of your comments, Tweets, and emails. It's much appreciated!

I still have two months to look for a job - part- or full-time - before this one ends...so it's all good. I hope.

I just have to have faith that my future holds something else equally as wonderful...

Now to finish sewing, pack, make the declining-the-job call, and leave for El Paso-slash-Mexico!

PS: Just got my new business cards:

Things You Don't Want to Hear in an Interview...

As job hunting, cover letters, and resumes have taken my life captive, let's just continue the fixation!

A few things you so don't want to hear in an interview (but I totally did):

• "You have no experience to speak of..."
• "Well, if we start you off at the really low end of the pay scale..."
• "...there are other candidates who have WAY more experience than you."
• "It would sort of be a risk to hire you..."
• "There are 1,000 high school students you would be in charge of. And there are middle school students, too."
• "Would the daily [45-minutes-each-way-with-no-traffic] commute be a problem?"

(In full disclosure, these were usually accompanied with things like, "We love your personality" and "You have so much passion and energy." But STILL.)

At least my next few weeks are so jam-packed I won't even have a chance to think about my impending poverty!

This weekend: Two bridal showers and a graduation party. Plus, seeing my sisters. Yay!
May 19-27: El Paso, Texas for a border awareness trip! (No more Mexico, for obvious reasons.)
May 29-June 5: Myrtle Beach for a beach vacation. Totally looking forward to sunshine, waves, and my new bikini.
June 6: A's wedding back in Cleveland!

*************************
Shop Talk:

There's a giveaway from my store happening until Monday on Oh! How Lovely! Shops and I put several new bags in my shop recently, so be sure to check them out!

On Success...and My New Business Cards!

My designs for my business card. I cannot wait to get them.

A few months ago, my sister and I were chatting on G-chat about my Etsy shop and graphic design aspirations. I confessed that I started my shop on a whim and was quite excited that I had actually sold things.

"That's great that you've been so successful," Mel said.

I quickly corrected her: I wasn't successful, not yet. I've simply sold a few dozen goodies on Etsy and have been lucky enough to use my passion for design on a modest scale.

"I won't be successful until...," I stumbled. When would consider myself successful? When I've sold 1,000 items? When I can quit my day job? When I make more from my side "job" than my day job?

"It depends how you define success," Mel pointed out.

This conversation resurfaced in my consciousness while reading a fabulous book this weekend. I completed an exercise on my measures of success - things like, "I'll be able to work less than X hours a week." and "I'll be able to spend 75% of my work time designing."

Five-and-a-half months after opening my little shop - and four months after "starting" my design business - I am hardly to the point where I feel successful.

So I've decided to come up with some different parameters for how I measure success right now:

- Selling that bag I put my heart into.
- Creating a note card set that I love.
- Capturing that wallet just right with my little camera.
- Hearing from my dad that "it is way cool" and "shows an entrepreneurial spirit" that I sell things I make online.
- Hearing that people actually USE the things I make. And like them!
- Being asked by my current employer to submit a proposal to design a program for them after I leave.
- Being affirmed by all the wonderful people in my life and on the internet.
- Making 25% of my (albeit crappy) monthly salary in Etsy and design sales.
- Spending my time doing things that I love. Period.

This list makes me feel better about where I've come and where I'm going, and it's far less daunting than aiming for numbers and statistics. I got an email from a student today that was sweet and encouraging. She ended with, "Just don't stop looking until you find something you love doing!" Maybe that should be my definition of success: Looking forward to work every day.

Please, follow your passion. Whatever it may be.

On Ikea, Etsy, Babies, and No Candy for Easter.

A long weekend is a glorious gift. A long weekend with a holiday? Even better.

My weekend, in bite-sized morsels:

- Ikea. Need I say more? The nearest Ikea is two hours and nine minutes away in Pittsburgh. Mike's parents are merely an hour away from an Ikea in Michigan, so we took a little trip up there on Saturday so I could satisfy my fabric obsession. We also stopped by Ann Arbor, a delightful little college town complete with cupcake shops, a fair trade coffee shop, and a gigantic paper store.

Yes, my first trip to a real, live, HUGE stationary and bookbinding store with an entire room with floor to ceiling shelves of paper.

Heaven. I may just learn how to bind some books, watch out.

- Etsy. I spent most of Thursday and Friday off work and sewing. Lots and lots of sewing. Most of it is up in my store now, including four little boxy pouches, a card wallet, and my proudest accomplishment - a hobo bag. (Look, Ma! No pattern!)

I also had my first pick up order last week - I met her at a coffee shop and we ended up talking for nearly two hours. Turns out we're both fairly new to Cleveland. I was afraid I was going to have to make a policy, "Shipments only, no local pick ups" if it turned out badly. Now, I think I will say, "Let's be friends! Come pick up your order!" Etsy is all kinds of wonderful.

Even though this has been a rather slow Etsy week for me, it's still quite exciting that when Mike and I are making plans for next year, I can seriously consider working less than 40 hours a week and supplement with my Etsy and design work. Amazing.

- Babies. At Ikea, every third woman was pregnant. Another other third were pushing strollers with adorable, mushy little babies. Pregnant bellies are amazing to me, and I try not to stare, but they are SO BEAUTIFUL. Mike had a dream where I was pregnant and then we played his adorable twin niece and nephew who are almost two-years-old. And THEN I started doing math in church (Sorry, God) about how old I could have baby before I'd feel like an Old Parent (as opposed to a hot, young mom in yoga pants.) (I hope you know I'm kidding - I'm not really that superficial.) (Mostly, anyway.)

So, we pretty much want a little squishy child of our own now to cuddle and kiss.

(Don't get too excited - we still have the reality of health insurance, grad school, and general poorness to face. But, yes, babies are cute. And, yes, we want one, eventually.)

- No Candy. That's right, my very first year without an Easter basket. Apparently I'm a grown up or something? Whatever. My mother-in-law apologized for the lack of Easter treats, but I brushed it off.

This is good, I thought, I can focus on the real part of the holiday now. Candy, shmandy.

Two hours later we were at the grocery store, with Cadbury cream eggs, Reese's peanut butter eggs, Mounds, Jelly Bellys, and dark chocolate peanut M & Ms.

Guess I'm not ready to grow up.

Hope your Easter/Passover/weekend was fabulous and full of relaxation! (And...candy!)

On Earth Hour, Michaels, and Other Tomfoolery.

My weekend....in Six Morsels.

(Since you're in on my six obsession now, I'll be randomly posting with six morsels. Yum, morsels.)

1. A China-free shopping trip to Michaels craft store left me frustrated and angry. With a 25% off coupon in hand, I eagerly skipped into the store, determined to get some adorable goodies.

I left 45 minutes later, with this:

I spent, like, $3. At least this no-more-Made-in-China extravaganza will make me spend less money. Sheesh.

My 45 minutes in the store went a little like this:

At first...

Lah lah lah. I love pretty things. Oh, look! Martha has some adorable baker's twine. Yay!...Oh, silly Martha, it's made in China. Well, how about this cute adhesive ribbon? Hmm...more made in China. Oooh, cute paper tags! PleasedontbemadeinChinapleasedontbemadeinChina... Boo! More China.

Later...

Darn you, Martha. You're so great, why would you source nearly EVERYTHING from China or Taiwan? You make me sad. Well, how about some scissors? Fiskars!...are all made in China. Great. Why did I decide to do this? No one will know if I...no! Ashley! Stay strong! Fiskars, how the heck can you charge $13 for a tiny, tiny pair of scissors from China? They probably cost you like 30 cents to make, you little thief. I shake my fist at you, Fiskars.

Finally...

Time to check out. All I have are these pins. Made in Malaysia. Whatever, at least I've lived in Malaysia. And it's not China. Wait, let me dig through this pile of adorable ribbons...China...China...China...(x 1,000)...Finally! Brazil. That will do. Here you go, cashier, your stupid store should be called Michael's Stuff from China. I hate life. Bleh. Oh, wait - a 40% off coupon? In that case, I'll be back next Saturday - plan on a frustrated and frazzled Ashley.

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2. For my grandpa's birthday, we went to an Italian dinner put on by the Sons of Italy. Combine Sons of Italy and Knights of Columbus and you get a lot of adorable old Italian men named Guido who have the secret recipe to the sauce.

One of my 3-year-old cousins took a liking to photography, leaving me with dozens of shots like this:

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3. We participated in Earth Hour, an hour when people all over the world turned off their electricity for one hour. I love candles, so I was all about this...

Using a camera doesn't count as electricity does it? Shoot.

We sat out on the front porch, Mike playing his guitar and me with my feet propped up on the railing. Drinking up the 60 degree weather and enjoying his music - it was a perfect opportunity to savor spring.

Until...the rat sighting.

Yes, apparently that's why our basement literally smells like crap. There are rats living in the space between the first floor and basement. And they crawl in under our front porch. Awesome. Reason #483 I'm glad we're not homeowners. Someone else can figure out how to get those little suckers out.

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4. We watched nearly the entire third season of How I Met Your Mother. An excellent, excellent show if you've never watched it. So much like my favorite show, Friends, only there's a YOUNG MARRIED COUPLE. (!) Unheard of on most sitcoms, they are so adorable and my favorite part. I dismiss all the crazy amounts of casual sex on Friends - but it's kind of awesome to see a couple that doesn't have to be depressingly unhappy or slut-faces or whatever. Just complete and total adorableness. Plus, the rest of the show is hilarious. And filled with slutiness, so you can still get your fix if you like that sort of thing.

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5. Two hours in Urgent Care on Friday (a long, weird, night guard-swallowing incident - something that would only happen to me), and I left with an order to suck on cough drops. Or go to the ER. It was my choice.

I chose cough drops, obviously. It was a happy ending.

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6. Sewing has officially taken over my life. I blog less, I cook less, I read less, I see Mike less, and I dream about fabrics now. I have half a dozen sewing books checked out from the library. It sounds sad, but I've never been more excited to get home and work on my projects. Between that and my Photoshop class, all my downtime is spent creating. Which I love. Putting my creativity to good use has been a gigantic blessing this year. I can't explain how happy it makes me to be able to create and share.

While it makes me really sad that I haven't quite figured out how to balance this with blogging and personal life, I'm working on solutions. Maybe getting a part-time instead of a full-time job would be a possibility - leaving me with, *gasp* free time once again. Stay tuned and remain patient with me.

Meanwhile, check out my latest sewing obsession - little card wallets!

Available (or soon available) in my shop.

I have been using these myself, and am in love with how small and convenient they are. We went to a pub on Saturday, and I just threw my ID, a tiny bit of cash, and my credit cards in there. Better than sticking it in my back pocket an hoping it doesn't fall out. (Let's face it - I have every reason to be afraid of things falling out of my pockets!)

Second Day Fail and Other Odds and Ends.

1. On Day Two of my I'm Going to Only Shop Made in the USA Hooray! extravaganza, I bought something made in China.

It was a digital converter box and technically I didn't buy it (thank you, Mr. Government). It was the only kind at Target and I could either waste time and money looking (likely without success) for a digital converter box made in the US, not watch TV ever again, or buy a new TV-slash-get cable.

Anyway, it made me realize - along with several wonderful comments from you all - that I need to set some more guidelines for myself. :)

* When given the option, I will choose made in the US, even if it's more costly.
* I will not stop drinking coffee, I'll just purchase fair trade coffee! (And other fair trade things are okay, too.)
* If I cannot find my item made in the US, I'll consider if I could do without it.
* Sometimes, instead of finding Made in the USA, I'll have to be happy with (as a very minimum) not Made in China.
* We drive a Honda Accord, and I have no apologies. It was assembled in Michigan, actually, which is very close.

2. I heard a dad in a parking lot today say to his little girl, "I'm your dad, I'm supposed to buy you everything you want."

Um, no, dude. That's actually not your job. It made me a little sick.

3. I got a 25% off coupon for Michael's today. Get excited. If I can find anything in there not made in China! :)

4. I'm leaving for Juarez, Mexico tomorrow and I'm equal parts nervous and excited. Excited it's going to be in the 80's! I can't wait to wear my Tevas. Nervous because the State Department put out an alert last month about traveling to Mexico, with special mention about how Juarez is insanely dangerous. (almost 2,000 murders since January 2008. Great.) There have been firefights and shootouts in PUBLIC, leaving some American tourists trapped. My coworker who's going with me waves my fear off, "We're gonna be fine. Media hype!" Uh, what? Please, please, please pray for us, cross your fingers, light a candle, send us good vibes, anything! And if I die? Um, don't let this be the last post, okay?

5. I've seriously been awful at commenting and keeping in touch in general. What with traveling and work and Etsy and design jobs, it's been tough. Be patient with me. I still adore all of you.

6. I made a laptop sleeve for my shop and I couldn't be more excited about it. Seriously, just ask my sisters and Mike. All weekend, I've been stroking it with delight. Stop judging me.

pretty padded laptop sleeve.

A Shop Update and Accepting Who I Am.

(clockwise from top left): pink star key chain, $3. chocolate chip rainbow butterfly boxy pouch, $5. wearing my heart on my sleeve - reusable felt coffee cup cozy, $7. strawberry kiwi argyle key chain, $3. sky blue and brown argyle - resuable felt coffee cup sleeve, $7. i love coffee, fuchsia circles + i love lattes - reusable felt coffee cup cozies, $7 each. blue and green argyle key chain, $3. bright circles note cards, $4.50.
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Things in my shop have decidedly taken a turn for the BRIGHTER. It's all been a part of my accepting the limitations and reality of being truly me.

I've always been the type to admire and emulate others. This happened with Elizabeth Wakefield. Or that cool girl at school. Or anyone who seemed tragically awesome. It's odd, actually - since I was the girl who didn't wear makeup and was a complete dork in high school. Nonetheless, it was me. I'd read a book and begin to mimic a character. I'd see a popular 8th grader wearing her hair a certain way and copy her. Although emulating wonderful humans can be a positive thing - in my case, I was losing myself when trying to be a different person.

And when I opened my Etsy shop, I didn't give it much thought - just "Hey, I like sewing and crafts. People always tell me I'm creative and encourage me to do something with that. So, I will."

I had no sense of what my style would be. I saw so many pretty things on Etsy and sort of aspired to be that. To be Anthropologie-esque with elegant and classy things. With muted tones and femininity. I created items I thought might fit into that genre. That might be pretty with a little twist of fun. A little twist of me.

That "little twist" has grown - and now there's a whole lot of playfulness going on in my shop! Although I love the elegant look, it's not totally me. This whole process has taught me more about myself. I am fun, bright, and friendly. I want my products to embody that. I will still create pretty things - but for now, there's going to be a whole lot of bright color. Because color makes me happy.

With that in mind, I began to come to other conclusions about myself and who I am. Instead of apologizing for who I am, I want to own it. It's not that I'm making excuses for myself - I'm just going to let me be me without beating myself up for not being who I think I should be. (Worst sentence ever. Way too many pronouns. But I'm letting it go....)

I will always make a mess and I will always be late. I will always clean up my mess. Eventually.

I am a square (does anyone even say that anymore?). I thing doing shots is silly and typically don't enjoy bars.

I complain too much. Am working on this.

I am a brunette and will always be a brunette.

I wear hand-me-downs and thrift store and discount clothing. Any article of clothing that costs over $30 will ALWAYS make me cringe.

I can't paint my fingernails because I do dishes. A lot. That means my nail polish lasts approximately 2.4 seconds before chipping. So my nails will be bare and my cuticles will be slightly ragged. Because I am a real woman who really uses her hands.

I'll always allow myself that cookie. Deprivation and diets are not my thing.

I don't get the fancy handbag phenomenon among women. Coach, Kate Spade, Loius Vuitton and any other handbag that costs more than $25 completely disinterests me. Even if I had the money, I am not cool enough to even desire a fancy handbag.

I am strong enough to be different than my family. It's not easy to be different in my family. Trust me. I never thought I'd do anything that would make my parents upset. But I've learned that being me is more important than gaining their approval in everything I do. This is huge.

I can stand up for myself, but will always avoid being pushy. If there's anything I hate - it's impatient, angry people. I want to be assertive without being impatient and angry. It is possible.

I am a passionate person and have values. I care about the environment. A lot. I think everyone should live more simply and be more open-minded. Judgment, discrimination, and condemnation make me sad.

I'm 24. I'm learning to accept me. And I will try not to pretend to be someone else.

What have you learned or accepted about yourself lately?

{ETA:} Oh! PS: I am giving away a free sheet of stickers with every purchase from my shop this month. So you have six more days to order!

And PPS: Six more days to blog about your Etsy purchases for Spreading the Love February.

PPPS: It will be March soon! That's almost spring, right? Right!?

Better Than That Weird Private Practice/Grey's Crossover.

Today is 20 something bloggers second video-blog day. And it's a Wednesday, so I combined Worth it Wednesday + video blogging about what I love.

Get excited.

Show + Tell from Ashley Marie on Vimeo.

• "Happy day" in a sing-songy voice. What?

• I don't complete the corn husks explanation - I was going to say "I don't think corn husks are a bad thing."

• Mike was seriously staring at me as I sat there and recorded myself. (Or, at least I felt like he was.) Sorry I was so distracted.

• Here is the link to those earrings. I seriously cannot stop wearing them. And have gotten TONS of compliments. Thanks, Danni!

• It's super dark and I don't know how to lighten it. At least I don't have a lisp in this, right?

• I definitely didn't mean to shove my boobs in your face. I apologize for that.

• I ended quite abruptly because I was going to turn the computer to show you Mike. But I accidentally pushed the 'stop' button. It's just as well, since Mike was covering his face with a textbook when he figured out what I was doing.
  

• I have 247 unread items in my Google Reader. I refuse to get stressed out by blogging, but I'm leaving for the next two days for a work retreat and going to my parents this weekend. The number of unread items I'll see on Sunday scares me. Already.

• Oh! Here are the felts in color. So happy, right?

• I just made several new Etsy items with it!