Pretty Girl and Bub...my new venture

My banner from my Etsy Shop

So I did it...I took the leap I've been wanting to take for years and started my own business. For now it will be part time as I am still working in a very busy but rewarding job that I love. I am making purses, totes, baby toys, pet accessories, and jewelry that I will be selling online at Etsy, in person to friends and family, and eventually at craft shows. I've made a few things and have a few things stocked in my store. Here are some examples of my work...some are for sale and some were gifts. Please take a moment to check out my website, my Etsy store, and my Facebook.

A beaded Focal Centerpiece using Dutch Spiral

Turquoise earrings on copper wire

The Lucy Tote by AliFoster in a lovely black and white dot print

The Envelope Clutch by Noodlehead in a fun grey, white, and aqua print

The Diaper Bag by Craft Apple in a Marvel Super Heros Print

The Sidekick Tote by Noodlehead in a Alexander Henry Print

Holidays Recap

Ok so I'm a tad behind on this but you'll see why...

•  Christmas Eve - I work in a church so I've often had to work on Christmas Eve but over the past few years my boss has generously given us Christmas Eve off. So I spent most of my day finishing a purse for my mom for Christmas. I finished wrapping gifts. Then I went to pick her up and we went to dinner with my friend S. Then the three of us went to church. Following the service S went home, I dropped off Mom, and I went to my friends annual Christmas Eve party which is always a blast. 
• Christmas Day - I got up and puttered around the house. Then I got ready and went over to Mom's to exchange gifts. We exchanged gifts. Then we watched Charlie Brown's Christmas. Then we headed to Williamsburg for our Christmas Dinner in the tavern. If you have never done this I recommend it. The food was amazing and the service was even better. After dinner we were going to go see Chronicles of Narnia Voyage of the Dawn Treader but it started to snow and Mom was tired. So I took her home for a nap. And then came back to her place to watch The Chipmonk's Christmas. Then I went to my friend's house to drop off Christmas presents. I headed home early because it was snowing pretty heavily. 
• The Day after Christmas - lower VA got snowed in. We got 12 inches of snow. It was pretty but clearing it and dealing with it...not so pretty. 
• The Days between Christmas and New Year's - I had Monday off...then back to work Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We got off work at 3:00 PM on Thursday so I decided to extend the olive branch to my father and go bowling with him. It was pleasant. A tad awkward. Ares had shredded a suede handbag or so I thought...turns out he ate pieces. He threw up on Monday and then again on Thursday morning. I called the vet they said to keep an eye on him and if he threw up again bring him in. He did fine all day Thursday and Friday so no vet trip. 
• New Year's Eve - I spent most of the day home with the dogs sleeping on the couch. Then went to meet Mom for dinner. Then home to check on the puppies. Then off to my friends New Year's Eve party. The party was laid back and fun. We played Win, Lose, or Draw. And I headed home around 3:00 AM. All was good until I was awakened by Ares throwing up at 4:00 AM. So we got up and I tried giving him some food. He got sick again.  
• New Year's Day So I called one emergency vet...they said not to feed him until dinner time and to keep an eye on him. He kept whimpering and hiding in his crate. This is not my dog he is so social it is scary. I decided to take him in. I called my vet and they sent me to a different emergency vet. Ares had a blockage in his stomach and intestine and ended up having surgery. In an effort to keep myself occupied Mom and I went to the outlets to do some returns and some shopping. I got the call around dinner time that he was doing well and in recovery.
• Day after New Year's - I called the vet in the morning to check on him. He was doing well so they said I could bring him home later that day. I called Mom and we went to see Chronicles of Narnia's Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Great movie!! Then we went to Barnes and Noble. Then I went to get my baby!! I had the uphill battle of keeping him calm and settled down. He is on a restrictive diet and activity schedule but he is on the mend and doing well. I'm so glad!!

Baby Steps in Business

So in my family...my brother is the math, science, and business whiz. Which is good because he works in finance and he is good at it. I on the other hand am better with the creative side of things...I hated math and loved English and Art. But he is a great resource for me. As I've mentioned before I want to start my own business selling handmade accessories. So I made up a business plan (which I've never done) and my brother read through it. He made some very good suggestions: keep it simple in the beginning, get a domain name, get business card, keep it legal, set goals, etc. He made a very good point that this is the perfect time to do this since J is gone and I have time on my hands. So I'm going to use this blog to help keep me on task...here's my current to do list (in no particular order):

• Create a business name ~ mncollins designs
• Get a domain name  ~ mncollins designs.com (not live yet)
• Get a tax certificate and a DBA (doing business as)
• Get business cards
• Make purses and jewelry
• Set-up an Etsy site
• Open a bank account
• Set goals for sales and business
• Start spreading the word

So we're on our way to having a business!!