M A I E D A E

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

2012-03-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

This week, I worked on taxes...guh. Jon's and my personal taxes went well, however, the taxes I've been working on for Maiedae are insane. We had to use the professional business Turbo-Tax system since Jenny and I co-own Maiedae as a partnership LLC. I DO love Turbo-Tax, but I'm just not tax savvy and I ended Friday night in a frenzy. I did the best I could and I'm going to have someone look over it for me before I file. First priority plan for 2012?? Hire an accountant asap!! Anyone know an awesome accountant in the Atlanta area?

On to Saturday. I spent the morning sleeping in as much as I could and then got my things together to take a little road to up to Rome, GA, and take engagement pictures of my bestest, Jenny and her fiancé Drew. :) We spent the whole day in the downtown area and on Berry's campus shooting. I'm working on my photography skills so it was a huge, awesome blessing that Jenny let me shoot her engagement pictures.

On Sunday, Jon and I finally had a day of rest. After church, we visited our parents and relaxed. It was much needed!! This week will be crazy fun...Anica is coming into town to help me throw some wedding showers for Jenny! We are having a couples shower on Friday night and then a fun lingerie shower on Sunday. Can't wait!

Snapshot of the Week: Here is one of my favorite pictures from the engagement shoot. I'll be sure to share some more of my favorites later in the week. :)

5 Favorite Posts this Week:
* Souvenir Foto School is Starting by Besotted Brand Blog
* Nailed It by The Beauty Department
* Floral Antlers Necklace Display by A Beautiful Mess
* Win a Spot by DesignLoveFest
* Chocolate Orange Cream Cheese Pound Cake by Joy the Baker

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* Closet Visit - A peak into some stylish and creative ladies closets.

Inspiring Me This Week:
* Dream Job E-Course - Jenny and I have been working hard behind the scenes to re-brand Maiedae with a new logo and site launch. This e-course has been super helpful in the process of thinking through our choices and helping take Maiedae to the next level.

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* Right now, I just want to nap and watch TV shows and eat homemade chocolate chip cookies. I think the high pollen count has me feeling really slow and sleepy today.
* I haven't read The Hunger Games yet. The book is sitting at my bedside waiting on me. I definitely want to read it before I see the movie. :)
* Jon and I are going to Universal Studios in May to celebrate our 2-year wedding anniversary!! We officially booked the trip last night. Ah! Can't wait.

SPONSOR IN APRIL + GIVEAWAY

2012-03-16T19:40:00.001-07:00

Maiedae is now accepting sponsors for April! The large solo feature, and plenty of medium and small ad spaces are available for next month. :) Check out my rates and stats on my sponsorship page here. Email my extremely sweet and helpful ad manager, Leah, at leah@maiedae.com to reserve your spot!

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Giveaway Time!
Win a free medium sponsor spot for the month of April! Don't worry; if you reserve a spot now and find out you win later, I will send you a refund and (if needed) upgrade you from a small to a medium spot. Within a couple days, I will select and announce TWO winners!

Here's all you have to do:
Main Entry: Leave your name and link to your blog//business you would like to advertise!

Bonus Entries (please leave one comment per bonus entry) :
1. Follow MaieDae via Bloglovin.
2. Follow MaieDae via GFC on the left.
3. Like MaieDae on Facebook.
4. Tweet about it! You can copy and paste this: @Maiedae is giving away a free medium ad space to two winners! http://maiedae.blogspot.com/2012/03/sponsor-in-april-giveaway.html

5 THINGS WITH REGINA MORRISON

2012-03-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

Hi, lovely MaieDae readers! I am so excited to be here today to share with you all 5 things I have learned about running a handmade shop.

About two years ago, I opened an Etsy shop, {Acute Designs}, on a whim. I was working at a mind-numbing day job and wanted a little hobby to keep myself from going crazy.

After a few weeks of running my hobby//business, I was hooked and knew this was what I wanted to do full-time. I didn’t want to get up every day and go to a job I hated and live for the weekends. I wanted a life that I felt like living every single day…not just two days a week.

With the support of my husband and a lot of hard work, I left my day job just over a year ago. This past year, as I have been finding my way in the handmade selling world, I have learned SO much. And I am still learning on a daily basis.

Every week, when I read a new 5 Things post here on MaieDae, I learn something new. Today, I am thrilled to be sharing with you a few important things I have learned.

1. It is so important to support the handmade community. ---> Handmade is more expensive and not everyone can afford to buy everything handmade. However, I have found that it is important {and a lot more fun} to spend what I can afford on handmade.

By supporting handmade artists, I am making a pledge with my hard earned money to grow a side of the economy that was forgotten about for far too long. Every day, I am faced with hundreds of cheap store options, and I do buy some of them, but I always make a point to support handmade and small businesses when I have the opportunity.

2. I need to value myself and price accordingly. ---> I wrote a piece about pricing//valuing yourself on my blog and on Design*Sponge and both received a huge response. When I first started selling, I didn’t have a “formula” for pricing; instead, I just pulled the prices out of thin air. Not a good idea.

Since I opened my business, I have learned that I need to factor in all the costs of creating a design + labor cost for all the time I put into that particular design + a profit. On top of that, I need to work to make the price realistic.

Pricing can be a challenging thing to get just right and the biggest mistake I made at first, and I see so many new handmade sellers making, is in pricing. It is tempting to offer super low prices just to get a sale. But I have learned that the right customer will pay what my product is worth. A customer who wants a super low price is not my customer.

Learning to walk away from those customers, and not sacrifice my value or the value of my work, has been one of the biggest things I have learned in the past two years.

3. Treat every order like it’s your first one. ---> I cannot stress this enough. One of the reasons people buy handmade is because they want to support an artist and they enjoy that connection with the artist. I treat every single order like it’s my first. I never skimp on anything and if something goes wrong, or the item is going to take a few extra days, I am honest and upfront with my customer.

If someone is willing to spend their hard earned money on one of my designs, then it is my obligation to give them the best buying experience I can manage.

4. Branding! ---> I struggled with this a lot in the beginning and I finally feel like I am getting it. Having a consistent brand and look is so important. We all know a McDonald’s when we see one. We all recognize their packaging, logos, jingle, etc. Imagine if it was different every time? That would be so confusing and it would prevent the brand from sticking in our minds.

Think of a logo, font, color scheme, etc., and stick to it. If need be, find a graphic designer to work with you and bring make your vision a reality. It is totally worth the extra money.

5. Networking is so important. ---> Don’t ever underestimate the power of blogging and social media. That being said…be genuine. Do your best to make real connections and be yourself.

I think Twitter and Facebook are great places to promote your new products. However, when I first opened my Twitter account, all I used it for was promoting my products. I quickly learned that I was using it in the wrong way.

Once I started using Twitter, Facebook, and my blog as a mix of promoting my business, connecting with customers, and making real friends in the blogging//handmade community, I saw a huge increase in followers, connections, and sales.

Find Regina Here: Blog | Shop | Etsy | Facebook | Twitter

Thank you, Regina, for taking the time to talk to my readers about running a handmade shop! I loved your insights. :) I especially love what you had to say about treating every sale like it's your first and creating a great experience for your customers. Such a powerful and fantastic business strategy!

Savvy about business, blogging, balance, or staying inspired? Consider participating in 5 Things and offering your tips and best practices! Contact me at Savannah@maiedae.com if you're interested. :)

FANCY SHMANCY: GEOMETRIC + BRIGHTS

2012-03-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

This week's Fancy Shmancy is all about lines, colors, and shapes! I am in love with that pink toaster...I don't have any pink in my home and I feel like it needs just a little pop in the kitchen. And those Lila Rice Earrings are sooo great!

Photo Source: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

What do you fancy this week??

On April 1, 2012, Maiedae will be closing up the handmade shop. Take advantage of the closing sale by entering coupon code: CLOSINGSALE at checkout and receiving 35% off of your purchase.

HANDMADE SHOP CLOSING + SALE

2012-03-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

On April 1, 2012, Jenny and I will be closing our handmade shop on Etsy. We have loved making and selling handmades, but have really found our passion and niche to be graphic design. :) We will continue to do a couple shows here and there, with plans to participate in the Indie Craft Experience in Atlanta during the holidays. For those of you who have been customers of our handmade items, we want to thank you for your support and love!!

We are very excited about where Maiedae is headed and we have a lot of great changes and plans for this year. This is a first step in a new and refined direction for Maiedae and we can't wait!

If you would like to purchase a goodie from the handmade shop before it closes, be sure to enter coupon code: CLOSINGSALE at checkout for 35% off of your order!

Thank you!!

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

2012-03-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Jon and I took a mini road trip to Bluffton, SC, to visit my sister-in-law and her husband. Jessica is due with their first baby in July and it was so cute seeing her pregnant belly and hearing all about the pregnancy. A baby is a little ways away for Jon and me, but I'm super curious about the whole process and loved hearing her experiences so far. :) We are planning to visit in July when our sweet little niece is born. I can't wait to hold a newborn! And be an aunt!!

This week should be pretty uneventful, but this weekend, I will be taking engagement pictures of Jenny and Drew! I'm definitely excited to get the opportunity to improve my photo taking skills. :)

Snapshot of the Week: A shot of a beautiful old church in Bluffton. Loved this cute little town.

5 Favorite Posts of the Week:
* 5 Tips for Lifestyle Photography by A Beautiful Mess
* Business Card Round Up by Oh, Hello Friend
* Milk & Cookies Baby Shower by Yellow Songbird
* Weekly Nail by The Dainty Squid
* How Do You Add Handwriting to Your Photos? by A Beautiful Mess

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* Tattoologist -- Looking for tattoo inspiration? Love this site, especially for location ideas.

Inspiring Me This Week:
* Blog Love E-Course -- I took this last year and really loved it. Elsie recently made some updates to the e-course, and I definitely recommend it for new bloggers. I'm excited to go back over it and review the new material!

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* We get free lunches in the cafe at Chick-fil-A Corporate. I usually get pineapple, spinach salad, water, and a chicken filet or a slice of pizza.
* My favorite magazine when I was little was American Girl. I loved doing their crafts. :)
* Currently wearing: Black pointed-toe flats, black skinnies, chevron dress shirt, black corduroy jacket, and glasses.

I hope your weekend was wonderful. :)

5 THINGS WITH JILL MUNRO

2012-03-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm Jill of Lune Vintage. I have loved shopping and collecting clothing from past eras since I was 15 years old. Now,17 years later, I'm still doing it - but it's more than a passion; it's a way to help support my family and facilitate my love for design & small business. Although I've been a vintage seller for over 10 years, bringing my business online has opened a world of opportunity for me as a business owner, and as an individual. In 2009, I co-wrote the first Indie Business online workshop with my friend and fellow creative business owner, Leigh-Ann Keffer of Freckled Nest. Since then, we have developed three more workshops, assisting over 1,500 people start & grow their own small businesses. We've recently unveiled part one of a project that has been in development for most of 2011: the Indie Business: Compass.

I am pleased to be able to share with you the experience I've had in recognizing, valuing, and exercising individual skills. I hope they can positively impact your own business for 2012!

1. Value the skills you already have. ---> Often, when we decide to start a business, we center our goals around one skill or talent we are confidant in. When I started my small business, Lune Vintage, I knew I was experienced at finding great vintage housewares and clothing. It was my initial skill focus. With time, I began to incorporate my other creative loves: jewelry design, dying, sewing, screen printing, graphic//website design and later on, teaching. All skills are valuable and they all have a place in the big picture of my business.

Keep your mind open to how you can use several skills in running your business and what you have to offer your customers.

2. Look in an unlikely place. ---> Buying and selling vintage is easy. I've always loved it, I find it therapeutic. It wasn't a great leap of faith for me to dedicate a good part of my life to this business. On the other hand, my teaching experience came from a less likely source. In 1998, I took one year of post secondary education toward my B.E.. The following year, I took a position as a teacher's aid, working with children who faced physical, developmental, and emotional challenges. I retained this job part-time as my own vintage business grew. The skills I developed in my day job were that of patience, the ability to see the world from a variety of perspectives, helping others overcome challenges big and small, and finding individually tailored ways to achieve success. I am so thankful for this time for many reasons. This is where I found one of my own hidden skills.

Is it possible that your have skills that can help enhance your own business? Look to previous job experience of any kind, situations where you helped others, or donated your time to a cause. What makes you a M.V.P. in a particular situation?

3. Have confidence in what you're good at. ---> When deciding on how to proceed with Indie Business back in 2009, I questioned if I was the right person for the job. I didn't have any online presence at the time, therefore potential students had no previous experience of my knowledge or teaching style. I wasn't very familiar with the world of online marketing. All I knew was that I had valuable working knowledge to share. I decided that I would give it a shot and give it my ALL! If you feel like you have something special to offer the market - don't let your fears stop you from giving it your best. You may be surprised that what you thought was a con was really a pro!

To help build confidence in your abilities, make a list of what you have to offer. For example : I am a fast learner, I try to figure things out myself before asking for help, I am not easily agitated, I am good at making people feel comfortable talking to me. This is a great way to remind yourself of your own valuable skills in times of doubt.

4. Be a student for life. ---> In all areas, we have room for improvement. That's wonderful! It gives us a reason to keep seeking knowledge and building our skill sets! From my experience, whenever I come across a roadblock, I try to take that opportunity and learn from it. This isn't just relating to the skills, services, or products you offer as a business. Rather, it relates to areas where you have less experience. For me, financial record keeping and managing expenses were a great challenge. This important business task involves organization and planning, two skills that are not natural to me. Take each challenge as an opportunity to learn and you'll grow as a person and an indie business owner!

What skills do you feel you need to improve upon? Actively make a choice to strengthen your knowledge in these areas and practice them. If you're a talented, passionate artist, but have a very difficult time speaking with potential buyers, gallery owners, and people in your community - make a small step like practicing maintaining eye contact when speaking to someone you are already familiar with. Even small exercises such as these can make a big difference in what you have to offer as a creative business owner.

5. Value the skills of others. ---> Not many people are good at absolutely everything. But, there are many people who are great at a few things. Teaming up with others in big and small ways can greatly benefit your business. Trades & collaborations can be found everywhere if you keep your options open. In my example, through my collaboration with Leigh-Ann and several others, I have been able to utilize my own skills for teaching, digital work, and fashion design. Another larger scale example, online shopping sites such as ModCloth and FreePeople, or big chain stores such as Target often do collaborations with bloggers and designers to refresh their own collections and bring in a new audience.

Take the lead from big business and look for ways to involve yourself in the creative community. Even taking the step to introduce yourself or send an email can lead to great things down the line.

I hope you enjoyed reading my 5 ways to nurture your skills. I wish you all creative fulfillment and big steps for your business in 2012!

Find Jill Here: Blog | Shop | Indie Business

Thank you, Jill!! Your insight to running a small business is fantastic and extremely valued. I had the opportunity to participate in Indie Business last year and highly recommend it!!

I wish all of you a wonderful weekend. :)

MAIEDAE PHOTOSHOOT SNEAK PEEK

2012-03-07T12:36:00.002-08:00

I just wanted to show you a quick sneak peek from the photo-shoot on Sunday! Danielle was absolutely fabulous to work with. Jenny and I are so excited to have official MaieDae pictures. :) Danielle posted these teasers on her Facebook page yesterday:

Aren't they great?!? I can't wait to see the rest soon. I just love the colors and compositions of these! Check out Valimont Photography on Facebook and this interview Jenny did with her on Pulchritude Fest! I'll be sure to share another sneak peek next week!

FANCY SHMANCY: JORDAN GRACE OWENS

2012-03-06T10:59:00.003-08:00

I'm so excited to share one of my favorite artists with you on today's Fancy Shmancy! I met Jordan while we were both vendors for the Indie Craft Parade in Greenville last year. I immediately fell in love with her artwork. She is so talented and has such a strong art style and branding. I wanted to buy everything at her booth!

I recently ordered some custom paper dolls of Jonathon and I from her, as well as her beautiful "Yes Ma'am" print. I can't wait to see the dolls and hang my print soon! If you check out her website, you'll see that she does tons of custom and commissioned art pieces. Like a life-size portrait?! Her art gallery shots are beautiful. I definitely recommend taking a look at her site or purchasing a beautiful piece of your own from her etsy shop.

All images are from JordanGrace.com

As soon as I get the custom paper dolls, I'll be sure to share! I'm planning to frame them in a shadowbox for our home. Isn't her work just wonderful?!

INSPIRATION FOR YOUR NEST: POP O' COLOR

2012-03-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

Loving these fun pops of color! I'm getting more and more anxious about our move in the summer! I can't wait to start decorating a new space and finally get to hunt down a dining room table. :)

Photo Source: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5-9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

Sometimes I wish I could just get a decorator, show them everything I love, all of my ideas, and have them search down the deals and execute it. Any interior designers in Atlanta reading this?? Haha.

I've really wanted a neutral paint palette for our next place, but I love how the edges of the wall were painted in #2. It's just the perfect touch of wall paint!

What's inspiring your nest lately?

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

2012-03-04T18:47:00.000-08:00

This weekend was amazing. I took Friday off from work to spend time on some graphic design projects. I've been able to work with so many amazing clients lately. I love designing. On Saturday, Jon and I went to Target to pick up some needed things, watched a show, and worked on the new www.maiedae.com website...which is going to be amazing!! I can't wait to launch it! Today, Jenny and I met with the lovely Danielle and had professional pictures made for MaieDae. She showed us some peeks of the pictures and they look stunning...I can't wait to see them all! We will be using them on the new site, social networks, business cards, and other promotional materials. We've desperately needed some beautiful pictures together and these will be the perfect touch to our new branding!

For the week ahead, I will be working a full week and then this weekend, Jonathon and I are heading towards Savannah, GA, to visit Jon's sister and husband. She will be having our little niece in July and we can't wait to spend some time with them and hopefully help get the nursery ready!

Snapshot of the Week: A shot of my apartment complex. Part of the MarchPhotoADay challenge I'm taking on Instagram via Fat Mum Slim. :)

5 Favorite Posts of the Week:
* Mix & Match Madly! by sfgirlbybay
* Blogness Cards by The Dainty Squid
* Win a Tattoo by My Girl Thursday
* New Timeline for Facebook Brand Pages: How to Use It by Fat Mum Slim
* Parker the Puppy Comes Home by Promise Tangeman

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* Elise Blaha -- I love this blog! Elise sets yearly projects for herself and blogs about her craftiness and adventures. She's inspiring and so creative!

Inspiring Me This Week:
* Nasty Gal -- Yes, I know...it's a clothing site, BUT I've really been loving their selection lately and I just scored some sick awesome shoes and dresses from the sale page. I'm definitely feeling inspired to put some new outfits together!

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* Sometimes, when I'm getting my pictures taken, my face starts twitching. I have to smack myself around a little to get my face muscles to relax. :)
* The next movie I'm hoping to see in the theatre is "Chronicle".
* Currently watching "Naruto" and catching up on "Grey's Anatomy". How fun is it to work on stuff and watch a good show?? So good.

I hope your weekend was fantastic, relaxing, and productive. :)

BALANCE: BUILDING COMMUNITY + PINTEREST PARTIES

2012-03-03T14:08:00.002-08:00

Through balancing out family, work, passions//hobbies, keeping a home, personal care, and many other pursuits, I've discovered a great need for community in my life. During college, I was involved in a fantastic scholarship program that involved an amazing group of people and a strong community. Being surrounded in that for four years was invaluable and out of that, I learned so much and developed some of the deepest friendships I've ever made in my life. A week after graduation, Jon and I got married, and a few weeks later, started our careers. Everything changed (for the good!), but the sense of community I had developed in college wasn't there and I certainly missed it. It's a lot more difficult building friendships at this stage in life. It takes more time and you have to be more intentional, especially in the midst of balancing the other aspects of your life.

Before Jonathon and I got married, we both expressed a deep desire to maintain friendships and continue building community despite the whirlwind of changes that married life would bring. We started off by hosting a monthly get-together called "7-11". We invited some of our local (and not so local friends) to come for a Friday night of fellowship, games, and snacks. It has been a fantastic way of staying connected with old friends and we have grown to love our monthly tradition.

Recently, out of a desire to build new friendships with local ladies in Atlanta, Jenny and I started what we call "Pinterest Parties". These parties occur once every other month and our heart is to create a relaxing atmosphere where ladies can do crafts together, talk about life, and make new friends. We've had two so far and they've been amazing. I'm loving getting to know new people and have an excuse to get crafty!

At our last Pinterest Party, we did the Photo Canvas Transfer DIY from Elsie's blog. Everyone brought beautiful pictures and, since it's an overnight project, I got to see the final results on their Instagram accounts. :) After prepping our canvas project, we spend the rest of the evening telling stories, painting, and eating fruit and cookies! Here is a peek at how my project turned out:

I got the opportunity to meet some blogger friends in person at the last party! It was such a neat experience to be able to connect with ladies via blogging and then have the opportunity to spend time with them in person. I'm hoping these "Pinterest Parties" will become a special new tradition. :)

From left to right: Ciara, Jessie, Kate, Me, Jenny and Ivelisse. Beautiful ladies!

Ideas for Building Community in Your Hometown

* Have a monthly Pinterest Party. Invite new people!

* Put together a Bible study or book club.

* Knitting//Crocheting party.

* Dinner party. Have ladies take turns hosting a dinner in their place and have everyone contribute. You could even make it themed every month!

* Game night.

* Love to watch a good show?! Make it a show night!

* Set weekly//monthly dates with your friends for coffee, shopping, or antiquing.

* Get a group of people together to attend events like craft shows, local classes, and concerts.

* Set lunch dates with people you'd like to get to know at work.

* Go on double-dates with couples you and your significant other connect with.

* Host a good ol' fashion slumber party with the works: movies, nail painting, and lots of junk food!

* Road trip! One of the best ways to get to know people. :)

* Scrapbooking night.

* Have a neighborhood pool? Invite friends for a weekly swim.

Have any tips on building community? What are some ways that you like to get your friends together or get to know new people? Please share! :)

BLOG DESIGN: THE LOVELY HUNTER

2012-03-02T08:51:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to share another blog design with you today! This was another one of my favorite designs to work on. Sofia, from The Lovely Hunter, contacted me about re-designing her blog a couple months back. She has great taste and really had a lot of ideas about what types of elements she would like in her design and how she wanted the look and feel of her blog to be. The first preview I designed for her was very busy and contained almost all of the design elements she mentioned in her homework questions. After seeing it altogether, we decided to go with a more clean and simple look, utilizing her favorite design pieces in subtle ways.

I am in love with her final look! I love the prominence of the black and white colors and the little pops of navy, peach, and teal. I love the heavy bars against the stark white background. And my favorite part...the banner, ties everything together beautifully.

The Lovely Hunter is a lifestyle blog where Sofia posts about fashion, her shop, music, movies, inspiration, and everyday life. To take a visit on over to Sofia's blog and check out the full design, click here. :) PS - She also has a way awesome vintage shop you have to check out.

Interested in getting information about MaieDae's blog design packages and pricing?? Email me at Savannah@maiedae.com for more information.

Happy weekend!

5 THINGS WITH ERIN WILSON

2012-03-01T08:53:00.003-08:00

Hi! I'm Erin Wilson and I blog over at Sunshine and Carousels. I'm the designer and owner of the Sunshine and Carousel's shop. I'm really excited that Savannah has asked me to join in on her series, because I'm a firm believer that you can always learn more no matter how much you know. Today, I wanted to share a little bit about what I've learned on how to create a successful small handmade business.

1. Foundation. ---> First things first...I've learned that the foundation to a business is know *who* you want to be. By that I mean, who you want your business (i.e. products) to market towards. Knowing the age group, gender, lifestyle etc. Know this first and create your product *for* these types of people. Do your best to stick to this in all areas of your business; whether it be packaging, where you advertise, how you write your blog, and so on. It's all one full circle and the more you know about your market and the more you apply that to your product the more successful you will be. You can't sell to *everyone*, but you can sell to *everyone* who loves your style.

2. Debt - Finance. ---> Don't go into debt over a small business. This is something I'm very, very passionate about, because I started from a teeny-tiny small business on my kitchen table to a full-on in-home studio with assistants and all. I started making accessories from supplies I had collected over the years, maybe spending 20 dollars of my own money. Then, what I earned from those first 10-20 sales, I used 100% of that to buy more supplies. I used a huge portion of what I made to invest in tools, photo hosting, packaging, business cards...etc. Don't think that you *need* super fancy business cards or the most unique packaging and tools before you start. This is something you will grow into. If you base your business off debt, you won't be successful because you'll always think you need more. Just start small and always invest a portion of your profits towards the tools, supplies, and other fun small business needs.

3. Design. ---> This next part somewhat relates to #1, but I think there are two types of handmade business owners out there. 1. The kind of handmade business owner who simply reproduces an item that is already in existence. A maker. 2. The kind of handmade business owner who *designs* and *invents* an item. An artist.

A handmade business owner that is creating and designing something that has not been done before, has not been seen before, will be more successful simply because you can only find that product from that handmade business. If you are not creating something unique and only known to you and your brand, then you are doing yourself a disservice. When your handmade business is original, branded, and one-of-a-kind, you will be far more successful than you ever dreamed. Don't simply be a *maker of things*; rather be a *designer of things.*

4. Social Media. ---> Social media and online friends can take your business to the next level. I, personally, am a rather shy person in real life. I feel more comfortable chatting away on Twitter and blogging about what is going on in my creative mind on most days. I've learned to step out of my comfort zone and make friends and use social media as a tool within my business. I think all small handmade businesses should have at least one of these things: Twitter, Facebook fan page ,and//or a blog. It is completely human to be curious and see how the person or persons behind a business live their daily life, see the kinds of things they like, take peeks into their handmade business world, and so on. This is also a great way to keep costumers connected with your business. If they ordered your product online, got your business card with your blog, Twitter or Facebook link, and started following you...the next time you announce a new collection or product, they will know about it and there is more of a possible return sale from that customer. Along the same lines, I've made some great handmade business owner and blogger friends throughout my handmade business journey. These friends are a community and love to help each other out. They will freely promote you and love your work which gives you confidence and creates more connections.

5. Hope. ---> If I've learned anything from running a small handmade business, it's that you should never *give up.* There have been times when I am over worked, under worked, fed up, hopeless, confused, and stressed...but I just won't give up. There is never a mountain too large or a goal too small. It may sound cliche, but for some reason, every time I've been down about small businesses, I will somehow, somewhere hear someone say, 'Don't give up.' It can be someone on a TV show, a blogger blogs it, a song sings it...'Don't Give Up.' Sometimes I can't see the next step in my business for a few days and I get a little cloudy or stressed, but I always tell myself...don't give up. It's all the small victories, it's all the small goals being met, it's all going to work out if you just keep trying. If something's not working, just step back and take a look at the whole picture and decide what needs to change. There is always hope in following your dreams and being true to yourself. Just don't forget that.

Thank you so much, Savannah, for having me! I really appreciate the opportunity to share what I've learned and I just hope to encourage others, too. Love, Erin!

Find Erin Here: Blog | Shop | Facebook | Twitter

Thank you, Erin!! You are so right. Hope is such an important part in running a small business. You have to realize your dream and patiently persevere toward it. If you are doing what you love and what you are truly passionate about, don't give up!

ADVENTURES IN THRIFT-TIQUING - PART 2

2012-02-29T13:16:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, after Jenny and I finished working on gathering tax information for MaieDae, I called up my mom and asked her if she would like to meet and go shopping. :) Jon, Jon's dad, my dad, and my brother were all out together watching a movie, so my mom and I spent the afternoon alone and decided we'd rather get in some quality mother-daughter time instead. :)

Since I made it a goal to go antiquing once a month, my mom and I decided to meet at Ally's Attic in Lawrenceville, GA. Overall, I thought they had a good selection of vendors and antique goods in their shop and, out of the small handful of antique stores I've visited in Georgia, I thought their prices were really good! I was able to get all of the items below for $40.00...which isn't necessarily a good thrift store total...but for an antique store, I thought it was a great price!

I didn't go into Ally's Attic with the intention of purchasing only kitchenware items but, for some reason, those have become my most favorite things to antique! I'm planning to try and step outside the box in March and purchase something different. ;)

I loved these two little cappuccino mugs! They had three on display, but I only purchased the two, because I have this thing for even numbers when it comes to kitchen goodies. I loved their vibrant colors and sweet little half-heart handles. I probably need to purge some of my current mugs...I think these will make the perfect replacement.

These tupperware salt and pepper shakers took me a few looks before I gave in and carried them to the front. Being a designer, I was immediately drawn to the charm of the reflective gold "S" and "P"...perfect. :) Fun Facts: These hourglass salt and pepper shakers were made in the 1950's and my mom remembers using them as a little girl!

How cute is this pattern?! I love the colors and vibrant white of this casserole dish. Through some research, I found that they produced this pattern as mugs, bowls, and other types of casserole dishes. Oh, I'd love to find this pattern as a bowl! Fun Facts: This dish is a french casserole dish by Glasbake. It was made in the 1960's and has a beautiful blueberry pattern on both sides.

Loved this cute retro sugar and creamer set! They were in great condition and I'm dying over the adorable font. Fun Facts: This sugar and creamer set was made by Gemco for Corning Glass: the same company that made Pyrex during the 1960's-1970's.

And, of course, I picked up another piece of Pyrex for my collection. :) I found this beautiful divided dish hiding away on a book case and loved the little yellow wheat pattern. It's in perfect condition and I can't wait to start using it in the kitchen! Fun Facts: This pattern is called the "Royal Wheat" pattern and was first sold in the 1960's. It was part of the Cinderella promotional divided dish series.

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I'm loving this monthly goal so far! Now that Jon and I are looking for a townhome//house to rent this year, I might need to start looking for some bigger furniture pieces. I think next month I will visit "vintage village" in Lawrenceville, GA. I think it would be interesting to try new antique stores every month, rather than visiting the same one. :)

Purchase any good antique, vintage, or thrifted finds this month? Do tell! Oh! And by the way, Happy Leap Year! Even though this whole year is a "leap year"...I want to wish you a happy Feb. 29th, since it only comes around every four years. ;)

THREADS 2.28.12

2012-02-28T08:20:00.002-08:00

My red hair is losing it's brightness! It's true when they say that red fades the fastest. You can help prevent it by putting cold water on it to rinse...but I don't think I can give up my hot showers. ;) I've got another box of color sitting under my sink and I just might see if Jenny's up for dying my hair tonight to fix up my roots and freshen it up a little. :)

This is the outfit I wore on Sunday to visit Jon's and my family, look at a potential townhouse and host a fun girls night at my place! Even though this shrug is a little on the large side, I love how cozy it is...and it's perfect for light layering.

You may be noticing the serious bag I'm carrying around. This is my new laptop//work//camera//Mary Poppins bag I purchased from Kelly Moore Bags. I had been wanting a good sturdy bag with lots of room for my laptop and other work accessories and had a difficult time finding something stylish, versatile, roomy, and not too heavy. All of my research led me to two sites: Epiphanie Bags and Kelly Moore Bags. I went back and forth between the Paris and the Libby for a couple weeks and finally decided to go with the Libby. I'm so happy I did! This has been a great bag. It has adjustable velcro inserts and more pockets and slots than a girl could ask for. I currently carry my 15" macbook, charger, notebook, wallet, iPad, smaller accessories, and, every now and then, throw in my camera or my bamboo tablet. I took it with me on a business trip two weeks ago and it was the perfect carry-on piece. Love!

TOP ---> BOTTOM

* Preston Glasses: Warby Parker

* Boyfriend Tee: UO

* Beige Shrug: UO

* Belt: Jon's Grandma

* Jeans: American Eagle

* Oval Ring: Forever21

* Gold Ring: UO

* Timo Wedges: c/o Blowfish

* Libby Bag: Kelly Moore

It's starting to get warm enough to wear open toed shoes and sandals! Bring on the warm!

DIY ROUNDUP + GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

2012-02-27T16:28:00.001-08:00

This month, I asked my sponsors to share a DIY they hoped to accomplish this month. Their answers were great and so inspiring! Makes me want to get craftin'!

BLOG | TWITTER | PINTEREST | DIY LINK

BLOG | SHOP | TWITTER | DIY LINK

BLOG | TWITTER | PINTEREST | DIY LINK

BLOG | TWITTER | DIY LINK

Have you done any fun DIYs this month?? Have any good ones on your list to do soon? Please share!

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GIVEAWAY WINNERS -- I'd like to announce the winners of the MaieDae Ad Space Giveaway and the Sponsor Love Giveaway for February!

MaieDae Ad Space Giveaway Winners -- Stacie from Curious Damsel and Lolo from Respice Finem! You've won a medium ad space for the month of March! Please send a 175x125 sized button to Savannah@maiedae.com. Congrats!

Sponsor Love Giveaway -- #15 Amaris Adventures! Please contact me at Savannah@maiedae.com with your email and shipping information. :)

Psst -- Looking for a place to advertise your shop//blog in March?? My large solo feature spot is open and up for grabs!

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

2012-02-27T09:41:00.001-08:00

This weekend, Jenny and I spent Saturday getting taxes ready for MaieDae. It was a little stressful, but we were able to get everything organized and ready to file in March. I kinda enjoy taxes...and kinda not...

On Sunday, Jon and I spent the morning to early afternoon with our family and then went to North Atlanta to look at a potential town-house. Our lease on our apartment is up in September, so we are keeping our eye out for our new home. We really liked the town-house; it has an amazing amount of storage, it's about 2.5 times bigger than our current apartment, and it's got some old charm to it. AND a galley kitchen, which I love. :) After looking at the town-house, Jon and I rushed back so I could get ready for the "Pinterest Party" which is really like a DIY, chatting, and snacking get-together. I got the chance to meet some great ladies and it was so nice to just have a girls night. I'll be sure to post more details later!

Today, I'm taking off work to have a "me" day and catch up on some to-do's, relax, and get some chores done. A good way to start off the week. :)

Snapshot of the Week: The kitties are loving the new apartment. Kaito has been napping hours and hours a day. :)

5 Favorite Posts this Week:
* Mag Idea: Attention Circles by Pugly Pixel
* Next Birthday Project // 27 Materials by Elise Blaha
* Tools of the Trade by I Just Might Explode
* Advice / 4 by DesignLoveFest
* Let's Talk Monday by Allison Lehman

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* The Wonder List -- I just love these ladies. The Wonder List is a new blog, but it's definitely one to watch. I love their inspiring posts and their writing style. :)

Inspiring Me This Week:
* This inspiring collection of business cards by Sweep Me Up.

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* I'd really love to get a personal trainer and get myself into good shape.
* This weekend, Jenny and I are getting professional pictures taken for our new website!
* Tonight, my father-in-law is coming over for dinner.

INTERVIEW WITH EAGER BEAVER

2012-02-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I’m Sara Kinninmont, a writer, dreamer, adventurer, and, most importantly, an Eager Beaver. I created my website as a means of not only combining my loves, but in hopes of inspiring myself and others to Live Like You Give a Damn!

2. What made you decide to start blogging?
I started keeping a list of fun to-do's back in 2007. It wasn't until December of 2010 that I decided to create Eager Beaver. Once I had the name and the tag line, there was no denying that it had to happen.

Incidentally, the original list now has over 5000 things on it!

3. What are your favorite things to blog about? Favorite post?
I love that my website is interactive and allows readers to dream big dreams or, at the very least, introduce them to something they've never heard of before. Overall, I like to think that my website is about possibilities. Chocolate covered bacon? Who knew? Check out the gallery here: http://www.eager-beaver.com/gallery.

4. What are the top 5 things you hope to-do in 2012?
I want to learn to play the ukelele, get back into running, drive down to Portland, Oregon, go sugar-free for a month, and relax in Bali.

5. What is your favorite pass-time?
I'm in the middle of a hate//love relationship with trying to teach myself to cook. Unfortunately, more often than not, my enthusiasm outweighs my skill level and the result is anywhere from inedible to finding its way into my dog's dish.

6. What is on your current wish-list?
An overnight stay in this sphere hotel.

7. Favorite blog reads?
Kindnessgirl, crazysexylife, bleubirdvintage, delightfullytacky, and Maiedae.

8. If you had three wishes what would they be?
Unlimited travel, the abolishment of pesticides, and a rule that states everyone has to waitress once in their life.

9. Current favorite source of inspiration?
My local library. I'm there at least a couple times a week.

10. What's your favorite meal?
Vietnamese salad rolls filled with avocado and mango, or else a green kale-based smoothie.

Find Sara Here: Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Thank you, Sara, for a great interview!! I love your boldness and excitement to try new things and live life!!

FEBRUARY GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

2012-02-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

This month, I have a little giveaway treat for you! Two of my sponsors are offering some great prizes for one of you to win! See below for details on how to enter. :)

Visit Sam Here: Blog | Shop | Twitter

Find Ashley Here: Blog | Shop | Twitter

One winner will receive a free ad space on Young People in Love and a sweet little bow necklace from Slightly Elegant!

Main Entry:

* Comment letting me know what you are most looking forward to about spring. :)

Bonus Entries: (please leave one comment per bonus entry)

1. Visit these lovely ladies blogs and leave an encouraging comment!

2. Tweet about it! If you'd like, you can just copy and paste this: @MaieDae is having a February Sponsor Love Giveaway! One winner, two prizes! http://maiedae.blogspot.com/2012/02/february-giveaway.html

PS -- The winner of the Darling Ewe Knit Wave Headband is #16 Jess of di Palermo Body. Congrats! Email me at Savannah@maiedae.com with your shipping information. :)

LEAP YEAR SHOP SALE!

2012-02-24T08:26:00.001-08:00

Happy Leap Year! This month, I thought it would be fun to celebrate the odd year with a handmade shop sale! Get 29% off of your entire purchase by entering LeapYear at checkout!

Visit the MaieDae Handmade shop here! --- We have plenty of sparkly geology rings (our most popular item), custom glass necklaces, recycled key and coin rings, as well as some beautiful bullet necklaces! The sale will run until midnight on Thursday the 29th. Open internationally. :)

Treat yo'self!

PRINTING INSTAGRAM PHOTOS

2012-02-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

I love that there are fun ways to print Instagram photos and use them to decorate your home. I'm awful about printing pictures; it's been almost two years and I haven't printed a single wedding photo! One of my goals for this year has been to print more pictures and use them to make our home more sentimental.

We don't have a single fridge magnet, so I decided to start with Stickygram and print a set of nine. I received them a couple days after I ordered them and I'm really happy with how they look and their cute size. :)

Once I collect more pictures on my Instagram, I'm definitely planning on printing more...AND I ordered some 4x4 prints from PostalPix with which I'm planning a fun DIY for later! Now to get on those wedding photos...

Fun Ways to Print Your Instagram Photos
* Stickygram - Fridge magnets.
* Postagram - Send a picture postcard for $0.99
* PostalPix - Prints.
* Printstagram - Instagram posters.
* Canvas Pop - Print Instagrams on canvas.
* Instagoodies - Stickers!
* Casetagram - Custom iPhone cases.

How do you like to display//print your pictures??

SPONSOR IN MARCH + GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

2012-02-23T07:25:00.000-08:00

MaieDae is now accepting sponsors for the month of March! I'd love to feature your business or blog! See below for size opportunities in March and enter for your chance to win a free sponsor spot next month. :)

I have plenty of small and medium spots open for March AND our large solo feature is also available. As a solo feature, you will have your button located at the top of the sponsor bar and have the opportunity to be featured in a sponsor feature post, as well as your own interview and optional giveaway. If you'd like to snag the solo spot for next month, be sure to contact me soon! :)

The rest of the information about my stats, rates and sizes can be found here on my sponsor page. Interested?? Please contact my lovely//amazing ad manager Leah at Leah@maiedae.com to reserve your spot. :)

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Giveaway Time!
This is my favorite part. :) Win a free medium sponsor spot for the month of March! Don't worry; if you reserve a spot now and find out you win later, I will send you a refund and (if needed) upgrade you from a small to a medium spot. Within a couple days, I will select and announce TWO winners!

Here's all you have to do:
Main Entry: Leave your name and link to your blog//business you would like to advertise!

Bonus Entries (please leave one comment per bonus entry) :
1. Follow MaieDae via Bloglovin.
2. Follow MaieDae via GFC on the left.
3. Like MaieDae on Facebook.
4. Tweet about it! You can copy and paste this: Win a medium sponsor spot on @MaieDae for the month of March!! Two winners! http://maiedae.blogspot.com/2012/02/sponsor-in-march-giveaway.html

Here's to March!

5 THINGS WITH KAELAH BEE

2012-02-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

I'm Miss Kaelah Bee and I write the little life + style blog Little Chief Honeybee. I'm a 23 year old freelance designer, mobile retail shoppe owner, maker of pretty things, bulldog mama (and who knows what else!) living my dream life in Nashville, Tennessee! I wear a lot of hats in my home and they're all pretty fun. I get to make pretty things daily and I'm working on fulfilling my dream of a brick and mortar indie retail shoppe. My days are filled with blogging, photography, product listing, package mailing, and inspiration seeking. I'm no expert, but I feel confident enough in my 5 tips for blogging and//or running your own small biz//handmade shop. Enjoy!

1. Try to be as organized as possible. ---> I am a bit of an "organized mess" kind of person, myself, and nothing is more stress-inducing than trying to find an important email, receipt, order, etc., but having no luck. I'm slowly, but surely, learning what organization systems work for me and which ones don't. Certain pictures and files go in certain folders, receipts always go in a pouch, labels go on emails… I vow to make 2012 my year of organization! (Y'all need to hold me to that!)

2. Write everything down! ---> Give your brain a rest. Don't try to remember everything, because it won't happen. Sure as the sun does shine, you'll forget something and that can throw a huge wrench in your day. Get an awesome blog idea? Product inspiration? Packaging design? Write it all down. Even the bad//horrible//awful//dumb//overplayed ideas. Good ones can grow and the bad ones can be marked off.

3. Interact with your audience. ---> Whether they're customers, clients, or blog readers, engage them. Ask them questions. Answer their questions. Network and build relationships. These are the people you count on on a day to day basis. Don't leave them hanging! If they have an issue with an order or have a question about a blog post, be willing to listen and answer! A little bit of love goes a long way!

4. Know when it's time to call it a day. ---> This is one I still can't wrap my head around. I don't know how to stop working, and I feel like I might as well burn the candle at both ends, now, while I'm young and without kids. Still, we all need to know when it's time to step away and spend time relaxing or enjoying the company of others.

5. Never be above learning. ---> We're all students of life and we learn along the way. We may not be masters of our craft, but we can aspire to be better. Never feel satisfied with your current skill-set. Always look for ways to improve on what you already know. Strive to be efficient and concise with everything.

Find Kaelah Here: Blog | Handmade | Honeybean | Twitter | Pinterest

Thank you, Kaelah!! I loved what you had to say about writing everything down! I love carrying a journal around with me everywhere. When I think of an idea or even an action item, I have it with me at all times. It never leaves my side.

I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNT!

2012-02-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

I am so, so excited to announce that my beautiful sister-in-law and her husband are pregnant with their first baby! This will make Jon and I an aunt and uncle for the first time and we are thrilled! They found out a week ago that they are having a sweet baby girl. She is due in July and I can't wait to hold my little niece. :) New goal: be the coolest aunt ever.

Sucking her thumb already; what a cutie. :)

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

2012-02-20T16:52:00.001-08:00

Long time no see!! I got back from my business trip in Orlando last Wednesday and Jon and I spent Thursday through today packing, moving, cleaning and settling into our new place. It was a lot of work, especially since I got a little zealous with the painting in our old apartment, so we had a lot of priming to do. We are finally settled in and enjoying our new space! We will only be here for 7.5 months, but we managed to make it cozy and homey. :) I'll be sure to share pictures soon! I'm planning on getting back to my routine and regular blogging schedule this week. It's so good to be back.

Snapshot of the Week: A little Instagram snapshot from a couple weeks ago.

5 Favorite Posts this Week:
* Red Velvet Heart Shaped Donuts by One Sheepish Girl
* Vintage Label-Inspired Shapes by Pugly Pixel
* These Sure are Special by DesignLoveFest
* Paper & Straw Flower Tutorial by Gussy Sews
* Eternity Bracelet by Lune Vintage

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* Pretty Little Mustache -- Ivelisse is a fellow Atlanta blogger and friend. She has an adorable family and a little one on the way! Her blog is beautiful and her taste is impeccable. :)

Inspiring Me This Week:
* THIS -- Jon and I have been so busy this month, we really want to go on a little vacation to celebrate our upcoming two-year anniversary, have lots of fun and relax!

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* Today, I bought Lucky Charms cereal. My favorite. :)
* I'm sitting on my coach for the first time in 2 weeks.
* I really want to see Chronicle with Jon.

ST. VALENTINE

2012-02-14T06:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to you! Whether you are married, dating, or happily single, today is about celebrating love and cherishing those you care for. :) Jon and I don't usually do much for Valentine's Day...but I do love those little conversational hearts, especially the tart ones!

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite Valentine's Day memories.

Six years ago today, I was a senior in high-school. I was attending a private school in Grayson, GA, and Jon and I were only a little over a year into our dating journey. At the time, Jon was taking most of his high-school classes at a local college, so we didn't get a chance to see each other a lot. That and my parents were fairly strict when we first started dating. ;)

I had just finished class and was walking down to the cafeteria when I noticed some of the students giving me the "a-surprise-is-coming" look. Suspiciously, I looked around the corner and saw my sweet boyfriend holding flowers and a picnic basket. I was completely surprised and overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness. I'm pretty sure my face turned 6 shades of red.

He made croissant sandwiches, chocolate covered strawberries, and brought my favorite drink, cream soda in a glass bottle. It was so sweet and completely made my day. It was one of those moments, of many, that I realized how special Jon was and how thankful I was (and am) to have him in my life. Here's a sweet little dorky picture from that day:

This would be 18 year old Jon and 17 year old Savannah. Jon wore his hair long in high-school and for a good part in college...and I straightened the life out of my hair, but quickly embraced my natural curl when I went to college. What cuties we are!!

Jon and I are celebrating Valentine's Day tomorrow, when I get back from Orlando, with a date night. I can't wait to see him soooon!

Do you have a favorite Valentine's Day memory?? Please share!

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

2012-02-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

It's been a long week! Last Saturday, while Jon and I were on our marriage retreat, I started feeling the "uh-oh-i'm-getting-sick" feeling. I was out with a weird cold//flu thing and missed my flight to Orlando on Tuesday morning. With the help of some airborne, meds, and lots of water, I was able to reschedule my flight for Wednesday afternoon in good traveling health. As mentioned in this post, I've been out of town working on production for the Chick-fil-A Operators Seminar. This year, it's huge! We've been going through technical and talent rehearsals all-day since Thursday. As a matter-o'-fact, I'm sitting in "video village" right now, which is a giant dark room FULL of equipment, computers, and wires galore. I'm wearing a headset, looking at a huge monitor, and on stand-by to create//edit any graphics needed.

It's been a lot of fun, and it's been beyond amazing to come to a cozy hotel room every night and rest. I've been catching up on Once Upon a Time, so I've enjoyed my quiet alone time at night. :)

Tonight starts the kickoff of the seminar! We are opening with a HUGE red-carpet style awards show. It's going to be the longest working day yet, but I'm ready to get the show on the road and see a year's worth of planning all come together.

On another note, I sure am missing Jon. I can't wait to see him on Wednesday. :)

Snapshot of the Week: Morning view from my hotel room.

5 Favorite Posts This Week:
* Our Wedding by Bleubird
* DIY Gold Horses by With an I.E.
* DIY Sugar Lip Scrub by Honestly...WTF
* Souvenir Foto School: H is for Honey by Creature Comforts
* Design Tips: Bad Design Makes Good Design by Tabitha Emma

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* Creature Comforts -- I love looking at her Foto School challenge shots and her blog has such a beautiful and clean design.

Inspiring Me This Week:
* My Style File Board on Pinterest -- Can't wait to start dressing for warmer weather!

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* When I sleep alone in a hotel room, I always keep the TV on for a little extra light. My channel of choice would be HGTV.
* When I was little, I had a baby blanket I named "Dee-Dee".
* I've seen every episode of "Full House".

Hope your weekend has been wonderful!

5 THINGS WITH HELLO HUE

2012-02-11T11:20:00.000-08:00

Aloha! My name is Lindsay and I blog at Hello Hue, formally known as Aisle to Aloha. I live in Hawaii with my husband, Chris, and I'm kind of a bacon freak. I am the artist behind Hello Hue Studio where I sell my bright, colorful acrylic paintings and try to convince people that they need more happy color in their homes! :) I've been selling my paintings since September 2010 and have learned a lot about myself and the business. I love all aspects of this beautiful handmade community and I'm so proud to be a part of it! Here's what I've learned:

1. Comparison only breeds negativity. ---> Countless times I have found myself comparing my shop, artwork, number of sales, even my branding to other handmade artists and wondering "Do I measure up?!" Ugh, I think you know what I'm talking about. This kind of comparison really only breeds negativity. I think as women, as well as creative souls, we have to be careful of falling into the trap of comparing our businesses to others. When I play the comparison game, I can count on being uninspired and in a funk for the rest of the day. I'm learning, bit by bit, to focus on my own goals and let them progress as their own entity instead of side-by-side with someone else's. If I challenge myself to break my own records, instead of yours, I'm far more successful at achieving those goals and I feel much better about that success.

2. Get connected! ---> After opening my shop in September 2010, I resisted joining Twitter for several months. I just thought it was pointless. Well, I was so very wrong. Twitter, Facebook, even the Etsy forums and Pinterest, are great ways to connect with potential customers and wise business owners with a wealth of knowledge to share. They are also great places to gather inspiration. I've been encouraged, inspired, and challenged through all of these social media platforms and they all have so many different things to offer as well as unique audiences to access. If used correctly, they are the perfect platforms to grow your business as well as grow as an artist!

3. Success is hard work. ---> Ok, this is kind of a "duh" moment. Of course it takes hard work to be successful. But that's kind of something I had to learn. I know; silly. For a while, I would spend my days, a lot of time, lamenting the fact that I wasn't selling anything, or my products weren't fresh enough, or my stats were low, yada, yada. Then, I would go into my studio, work my butt off, and I would see improvement in all those areas! And the light-bulb went off. Hello! When I spend time actually creating new products and bettering my shop, I grow more successful (even if that was in small increments.) That in itself inspires me to create more and come up with new, fresh ideas. It's a cycle that really works well, if I can only get it started instead of sitting on the couch!

4. Looks matter. ---> We've all heard that you can't "judge a book by its cover" and that looks don't matter. Well, in the handmade world, people do judge a shop by its appearance and looks do matter! It took me almost a year to get to the point where I was 100% happy with my branding. It took time to develop the feel, look, and aesthetic that I wanted my customers to see! It was worth it, though. Now I feel like everyone who looks at my shop or sees my paintings "gets" me. I hope they see a bright, modern, and fresh shop. What do you want your space to feel like? Spend some time brainstorming what you want to come through that computer screen when a potential customer clicks into your shop. Work on bright, clear photos and a professional looking branding and create a shop that effervesces with "you".

5. Do it your way. ---> So, confession time. I don't carry a sketch book with me everywhere and as much as I'd like to say I have lists and lists of great ideas-- that's not me. Usually when an idea comes to me, it's in the shower, or while I'm painting. And I don't write it down, I just let it percolate in my head. After a bit of internal brainstorming, I get really excited about it and start forming a plan to carry out my awesome idea. Obviously, not everyone deals with new ideas like this. And for a while, I felt bad about this. But you can only function properly when you do things the way they work for you. Sure, we can always work at being more organized or whatever, but make sure you feel free to create, think, dream, plan the best way that works for you!

Find Lindsay Here: Blog | Shop | Facebook | Twitter

Thanks so much, Lindsay, for all your helpful tips on running a handmade shop! It's so true what you say about spending time on your branding and really developing a strong look for yourself. You want your customers to really notice your product and making it stand out with a good look, fresh pictures, and strong branding is key. :)

BLOG DESIGN: THE WONDER LIST

2012-02-10T12:09:00.000-08:00

I have been itching to show you this blog design! I met Emily at work and we both discovered we had a mutual love for blogging, beautiful things, and hard work. We soon became fast friends. Last year, we started the process of re-designed her current blog and after a little break from the design and some deep-thinking about the future of what it would become, Emily decided to join forces with her best friend Allie, to form The Wonder List.

These girls have impeccable style and a unique voice that really shines through in their posts. I was so inspired by the colors, patterns, and textures they loved, that this quickly became one of my favorite blog designs to work on.

The Wonder List, in their words, is "an unabashed guide to discovering genuine adventure and pursuing reflections of the inner self." This is definitely a blog to watch and I'm so looking forward to following along with Emily and Allie's journey. Checkout the full design or perhaps add a new blog to your reader by clicking here! :)

MaieDae has been busy, busy, busy with blog designs and we are loving every minute. We currently offer two great blog design packages, as well as a comprehensive À La Carte Menu for those of you just looking for a custom banner or simple addition. Shoot me a message at Savannah@maiedae.com if you're interesting in getting more information about our packages and pricing!

INSTAGRAMIN' IN FEBRUARY

2012-02-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to drop in! Things are going great in Orlando. I'm having a wonderful time and I don't feel like the wide-eyed new person that doesn't know anything anymore. Last year's seminar was definitely a crazy overwhelming experience and this year, I feel very relaxed and excited about my design work. :)

Let's get to the good stuff...Instagram! If you have an iPhone, I'm guessing that this might be one of your favorite apps?? I love it. It's my go-to app. I love seeing all of the beautiful pictures from peoples' lives (nosy much?) and I love being able to easily record memories myself. I just recently jumped on the Instagram train toward the end of last year and I have loved looking back on my little collection of pictures.

Last year, I completed Project 365 and I thought seriously about doing it again for 2012, but decided to wait until the one day, maybe faraway, maybe soon time when Jon and I start a family. SO...when I saw that there were some fun monthly photo taking challenges floating around on Instagram, I knew it was something I'd be excited to take on.

I looked at a couple different photo challenges for February and decided to go with Instafa. I liked their interesting//challenging daily prompts and I'm having a lot of fun doing another photo challenge. :)

Above are my pictures for the first nine days. I've always loved dabbling around with photography so this challenge has been good for keeping me thinking outside the box on a daily basis. BTW -- I'm @maiedae on Instagram if you'd like to follow! :)

Are you doing any photo challenges this month//year?? What has been your favorite photo challenge??

Goodnight to you!

TRAVEL TIME

2012-02-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

Photo Source

Tomorrow afternoon, I leave for Orlando, Florida, for a one-week business trip. I work at the home office for Chick-fil-A Inc. in Atlanta as my 9-5 job. I'm on the Media and Technology Team which produces a lot of videos, technology implementation for training, and graphic design (which is what I do!) One of our big roles as a team is to help produce the annual Operators Seminar. This particular event is a huge deal in the CFA world. Every operator from every Chick-fil-A restaurant is invited to attend, as well as corporate staff members. We have an awards show, interesting speakers, a huge EXPO area, and a few surprises here and there.

My role is to develop the look and feel of the Seminar. From the logo to the walk-in look, I put together most of the designs and develop a "brand standards" guide so we have consistency throughout the event. I'll be there to participate in all of the rehearsals and develop any graphic needs along the way.

It's going to be a long week, but I'm definitely excited about it, especially now that I'm feeling much better after being sick all weekend.

If only I could have Jon come with me and we could sneak off to Disney!! -- If only. Jon and I are scheming a potential trip in April, so hopefully that will work out and fill the Disney void for a little while. ;)

It might be a little quieter than usual on the blog during the next 8 days, but I'm definitely planning on some fun inspirational posts and another 5 Things! I hope you have a wonderful week!

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

2012-02-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

I gave you a little recap of our retreat getaway in my previous post here, and today, Jon and I are taking a little break from our normal "family day". We're catching up on chores around the apartment, resting, and I'm mentally preparing for my business trip and our move coming up within the week.

We are so looking forward to moving into a bigger apartment; it'll be great to have a little more elbow room and a place for everything until we make our big house move in September. :)

Snapshot of the Week: One of the pictures from my February photo a day challenge on instagram. If you'd like to follow along, you can find me @maiedae.

5 Favorite Posts this Week:
* White Chocolate Confetti Popcorn by The Glitter Guide
* Sweater Makeover by One Sheepish Girl
* Desktop Freebie: February by Tabitha Emma
* Moleskine Notebook Transformation by Kyla Roma
* Welcome to the Revolution by Amy Morby

Favorite Blog of the Week:
With Lavender and Lace -- Kelsie has an adorable blog and is a boutique owner in Norfolk, Virginia. :)

Inspiring me this Week:
The Best Designs -- Web design inspiration goodness from the best.

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* Currently wearing: grey sweat pants (borrowed from Jon), blue t-shirt, and a turquoise hoodie.
* Currently feeling: a little overwhelmed and stressed, but happy and restful.
* Currently craving: a fruit smoothie.

How was your weekend?

MARRIAGE RETREAT GETAWAY

2012-02-04T17:47:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, Jon and I took a half-day at work and left after lunch to attend a marriage retreat in Rome, Georgia. We loved being able to reflect on our marriage, spend intentional time together, and get away from the busyness of life and our routine at home. We came back this afternoon, and even though I'm coming down with some icky bug, I'm feeling refreshed in my personal life and in my marriage. :)

I try not to be too mush-mush on here, but I'm seriously crazy about my husband. ;) We have nothing close to a perfect marriage, but I am so thankful and honored to walk hand-in-hand through the trials, best of times, and everything in-between with him. Love that man!!

The Winshape Retreat area is seriously one of the most beautiful places in Georgia. I didn't capture nearly enough pictures of the retreat area, but here are a few quick snap-shots:

In a classic Jon and Savannah fashion, as soon as we got home, we snuggled up to our latest show obsession. Sadly, we finished the last few episodes of Firefly and topped it off with watching the follow-up movie, Serenity. So good. I really love watching shows with Jon, but it makes me so sad when they come to an end! We are trying to decide what our next show will be...any suggestions??

Well, my mission for the next two days before my (almost) 2 week business trip, is to rest up and kick this sick bug in the arss so I can be well and do good work!

Be back tomorrow with a weekly wrap-up. :) Hope you have a wonderful evening.

5 THINGS WITH SCENIC GLORY

2012-02-02T05:25:00.000-08:00

Hello, MaieDae readers! I am so honored to be a part of this amazing series today. I was excited to share my experiences in blogging with you all for so many reasons, but most of all, because blogging has presented me so many different opportunities to follow my dreams and maybe it can do the same for you as well. A year ago, I started Scenic Glory for fun, 4 months later I was able to put my 2 weeks notice in at my 9-5 job to work at home full time. Getting up in the morning has never been easier and never have I been so inspired. :) P.S. Thank you, husband, for being my number one supporter.

1. Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. ---> I read that saying soon after I started my blogging journey just one year ago. It is a saying I have never forgotten and one that I have always held close to my heart. With blogging, I think it is easy to lose yourself, get discouraged, and everything in between. When I find myself starting to feel this way, I know it is time to refocus...remember the reasons I started blogging in the first place and get back to that happy place. Keep in mind, your readers love you for you, not because you are the next blog in their reading list!

2. Stay motivated! ---> I recently went through a period of about a month or two where I severely lacked motivation and my readers could tell. I received several messages throughout the week from some of my most loyal readers wondering if I was okay and if I had fallen off the face of the planet. At that moment, I realized I needed to make a few changes for the better. When you find yourself in a similar situation, go back and remember the times that you felt your corner of the blogging world was at its best...why was it this way...do you want to keep focusing on that? Or perhaps new content and inspiration is what you need. Whatever it may be for you...just find what makes you happy. In the end that is what is most important.

3. Take a breather every now and then. ---> Okay, this may seem contradictory since my last piece of advice was to stay motivated. But it is possible to take a break and still remain motivated. When I first started blogging, I quickly found I spent too much time working on posts, blog hopping, checking emails, tweeting, etc. I then realized that too much of this would completely drain me which would result in a lack of interest rather quickly. I'm a strong believer in balance and when I saw that I was missing this, I made the changes that made sense for me.

I stop working on the computer the second my husband gets home from work and I give myself the weekends off. Find what works for you and your schedule and take some time off. The second I did this for myself, I found I was more productive and creative. Perhaps you will have the same results. :)

4. Social media is your friend! ---> I believe that blogging and social media go hand in hand. Never did I think I would have a Twitter account (don't forget about Facebook too), but as soon as I did...I saw that it had so much to offer. I have met so many amazing blogger friends through twitter and most importantly it has brought me business. I am a full time blogger & graphic designer (soon to be food truck owner!) and because of Twitter I have had the opportunity to create designs for so many people. Obviously, everyone that is reading this is not a graphic designer, but perhaps you have a small business that can benefit from the same things I have. Even if you don't have a small business and blogging is just your focus, you can still achieve SO much from social media...the friendships are worth it all on their own!

5. Network, network, network! ---> When I first started blogging, the first thing I did was find other bloggers out there that had the same interests I did...kind of like speed dating. ;) I learned so much from other bloggers in the beginning and I still continue to learn so much. When you find those people out there that you can really connect with, I can guarantee that many more will follow. Word of mouth is an amazing thing and I believe in the idea that what you give comes back to you as well. So next time you're on a blog that you love, leave them a comment...let them know you stopped by and why you like what they're doing...maybe even share them with your blog followers, Facebook, and Twitter. You never know when someone might return the favor. :)

Find Lindsay Here: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Lindsay, I so agree with you on taking a break from it all. Doing what you love can be so thrilling and motivating, but if you're not careful to rest and step back, you might become completely drained from the things you love. Balancing your passions, family, friends, responsibilities, your time...is so important AND key to staying inspired and joyful. Thank you for your wonderful tips!!

FANCY SHMANCY: A TOUCH OF GOLD

2012-01-31T17:41:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about this week's collection of fancy goodness. Lately, I've been inspired by color, pattern, and of course, gold! I've been thinking about thrifting some furniture and spray painting it gold to add a little metallic bling to our home. :)

Photo Source: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Goodbye, January!! What are you looking forward to in February?? I'm excited about moving, cozying into a new place, and creating a cat-free mini studio space. ;)

SOLO FEATURE: THE DARLING EWE + GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

2012-01-30T18:09:00.000-08:00

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I’m Megan and I started up my blog and shop just a few short months ago. I had never really considered that I would be able to keep up with this amazing creative community, but then I figured I should at least try to prove myself wrong! So, here I am. I was born and raised in New Hampshire and now can be spotted wandering the streets of Philadelphia. If you see a rather tall gal with mismatched socks who is sporting a lovely sling and colorful cast then, well, you found me!

2. What made you decide to start your shop & blog?
I have always been interested in the world of crafting and making, but never thought that I could have my very own shop. Then I started getting back into knitting and was making things faster than I could give them away! A friend hinted at some awesome blogs out there that I should check out which took me on an evening internet tour of tons of inspiring and creative people. I noticed that maybe even I could give this a shot. What’s the harm, right? I still have that voice in the back of my head saying, “who would read this?” “you are not nearly interesting enough to have a blog” and things of that nature, but that’s kind of what keeps me going! You never know who’s going to find your blog, enjoy it, and stick around!

3. What are your favorite things to blog about? Favorite posts?
I like blogging about other crafters and makers that I admire. I am also the proud new owner of an awesome camera and absolutely can’t wait to take more pictures of the average day to day happenings. That may be my very favorite part of having my own blog and now that I have a functional camera I can do a lot more of it.

4. What are your favorite things to make for your shop?
My favorite things to make for my shop are probably headbands at the moment. I unfortunately recently did a rather graceful (and very unintentional) cartwheel off my bicycle and landed safely with a broken wrist. Needless to say I’ve been on a knitting hiatus, but before the fall, I couldn’t make headbands fast enough and wanted to make every color combination ever! Hopefully my enthusiasm picks back up when I can get back to my needles.

5. Favorite pass-time?
I feel as though I go through pass-time phases. One month I will be reading non-stop and the next I can’t stop knitting. I might get really into baking and then I’ll switch to making a quilt. I get super into movie watching and then I will switch to painting. I’m not certain there is one consistent and stand-out favorite.

6. What is on your current wish-list?
Hmmmm, tricky. I am generally impressed by most things which makes my wish-list never-ending. Lately, I’ve had my eye on a few vintage items… day dreaming really.

7. Favorite blog reads?
la petite choue, one sheepish girl, The Dainty Squid, <3elycia, A is for Ampersand, sock monkey & gee, Tea Talk, and, of course, the always wonderful MaieDae!

8. If you had three wishes what would they be?
Oh goodness, I’m afraid I would be one of those people who would hold onto those wishes, content that I had them but way too indecisive to ever use them. Even today when I see a shooting star I give my wishes away to the people around me. If forced, I guess right now I could wish for my wrist to be healed!

9. What's your favorite meal?
All of them? Do you get a sense for my indecisive nature yet? I love goat cheese just as much as I love spicy Thai food. It may be between the two (yes, I am implying that goat cheese is a meal. Wishful thinking.). Or fruit salad! I do love fruit salad.

10. What inspires you the most?
People! I get people crushes on just about everyone I meet. I love surrounding myself with awesome, creative, inspiring, wonderful people. It keeps my brain working and it keeps me happy and feeling lucky.

Find Megan Here:
Blog: http://thedarlingewe.blogspot.com/
Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/darlingewe
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/DarlingEwe
Tumblr: http://darlinginspiration.tumblr.com/

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Giveaway Time! Megan is giving away a Knit White Wave Headband from her shop! Details on how to enter are below.

Main Entry:
1. Leave a comment letting me know what your favorite item is from Megan's shop!

Bonus Entries (please leave one comment per bonus entry):
1. Take a visit to Megan's blog and leave a sweet comment!
2. Tweet about it! You can copy and paste this: @DarlingEwe is giving away an adorable knit headband on @maiedae! http://maiedae.blogspot.com/2012/01/solo-feature-darling-ewe-giveaway.html

One winner will be selected at random and announced within the week!! Thank you Megan!

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

2012-01-29T18:50:00.000-08:00

This weekend, we spent Friday night having a get-together at our place and played "the game of things," which is now my new favorite game. :) On Saturday, Jenny and I got together for coffee and then spent a couple hours, inspired by the "No Brainer Wardrobe", purging her closet. We ended up collecting 7 trash bags full of clothes to donate to Goodwill! And today, Jon and I became an official member of our church! We've been attending since we got married, but finally made it official today. :) AND we moved in our new roommate for 8 months.

We are still living in our quaint two-bedroom, but are planning to literally move across the hall to a three-bedroom in a couple weeks to make more room for Glenn. When our apartment lease goes up at the end of September, we hope to move into a rental house for a little while. THUS the two moves I mentioned in previous posts. :)

Snapshot of the Week: An instagram picture I shot after work on Friday. I. LOVE. Weekends. :)

5 Favorite Posts this Week:

* February Photo-a-Day Challenge by Fat Mum Slim

* Alt Summit Highlights by DesignLoveFest

* Chalkboard Mug Restyle by Amy Morby

* Adding a Crochet Edge to Paper by One Sheepish Girl

* Quick Challenge: Your Day in Photos by Fat Mum Slim

Favorite Blog of the Week:

Oh My Deer -- Chelsea is an extremely talented artist and does the most beautiful lettering. She designed my tattoo and also did some exciting new work for MaieDae. To be revealed soon!!

Inspiring me this Week:

Tabitha Emma -- This girl can design! I love all of her work. :)

3 Things About Yours Truly:

* Currently watching: "Firefly".

* I get travel anxiety.

* Attending a marriage retreat with Jon next weekend!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

2012-01-28T17:41:00.000-08:00

Time to announce the winners for the Sponsor Spot and Geology Ring Giveaway! THANK YOU to everyone who entered!! I'm definitely thinking we should have more giveaways from the shop. Check below to see if you've won. :)

Winner of the Geology Ring Giveaway is #125 Lydia! Please email me at Savannah@maiedae.com with your color preference and shipping information!

Winners of the Sponsor Spot Giveaway are Ciara of Glass and Sable & Michaela of Michaela Rae! Please email me your 175x125 sized button before the 31st!

Congratulations to the winners! Hope your weekend has been wonderful. :)

5 THINGS WITH KYLA ROMA

2012-01-26T18:41:00.000-08:00

Hi there! I'm Kyla Roma- I write a creative lifestyle blog at KylaRoma.com, and I'm a web designer, puppy mama, wife, and a partner in Freckled Nest, a boutique web design company. I live in the middle of the Canadian prairies and love thrifting, making things with my hands (crafts, food & baking!), analog photography, dreaming and turning those dreams into plans.

Today I'm excited to share five things I've learned about one of my favorite things -- setting & accomplishing goals!

1. Dream Big and Set Expansive Goals. ---> It's important to start out dreaming big -- don't limit yourself when you're coming up with ideas and possibilities. My favourite way to do this is to write in my inspiration book, which is a journal I use just for dreaming big and gathering images that reflect my personal style. From there, I start focusing on what part of my dreams that I'm excited about, that line up with the year that I'm envisioning for myself, and that I feel are achievable if I work hard. Just make sure you start from a place of possibility before you hone in and limit your options.

Once I've decided on what part of my big dreams I want to focus on, it's important to do a litmus test. Examine your feelings and trust your instincts! I love Marie Forleo's video post about recognizing time wasters vs. opportunities where she talks about asking yourself if your goals make you feel expansive or limited. Once you've moved past the dreaming stage, it's really important to ground the dreams that you're going to move forward on. If your dream or goal makes you feel trapped and worried that could be a sign that you're taking on too much at once. If your dream makes you feel nervous butterflies, like you're 20 feet tall, and that you can't wait to make it a reality, that's a great sign that you're on the right track. Keep going!

2. Break it Down -- Then Break it Down Again. ---> Big dreams mean lots of little steps to follow along the way, so be sure to break each of those steps down to the last detail. It will look like a lot at first -- don't freak out, lady! You've got this! Making sure that you account for all of the little steps along the way will make sure you can move steadily from stepping stone to stepping stone towards your bigger goal.

Do you need to do a photoshoot for a blog post? That's a big topic- break it down again! Do you need to borrow a friend's camera equipment? Do you have a location in mind or do you need to scout one? Do you know how many different kinds of shots you need to have the post you want, and did you count photo editing as a separate task? It might take a while to achieve the bigger dreams on your list, but breaking your plan into bite sized To Do items will help you know as much of the path in front of you as possible. That's powerful!

3. The Trick is the Timing. ---> Now that you have an idea of what you'll be doing, think about when you'll be doing it and how long your steps will take. I can't tell you how many times I do one of these things but not the other- I'm great at planning when I'll get things done, but unless I force myself to estimate how long each task will take, I leave that part out and will be left scrambling when time runs out at the end of the day.

The reality is that some things take no time and a little effort to get done and some things take a lot of time and all your effort! Knowing yourself and how you work best will help you make a successful plan. If you work best under pressure, don't give yourself all day for a big task. For some personalities, limiting your time will get you working fast and furiously and keep you from procrastinating. If you love planning in advance and taking your time (hello, that's me!) then start a week earlier than you need to so you can feel great about being ahead. Make sure to vary what you're working on too- if you have too many difficult tasks back to back, you could burn yourself out and come to a standstill, but planning could have navigated you through it.

4. Talk About it & Help your Support System Understand. ---> Enough of the internal work and goal setting -- once you have a plan and you know how you're going to get there, tell people! Share your project with your friends & family, post about your progress on Facebook, or blog about what you're learning along the way. Talking about your hopes and dreams breathes life into them and makes them more real -- both to you and your support system. If the people around you know what's important to you and what you're working on, they can better support and understand you while you're on your journey.

While your friends and family might not get the whole picture of what you're doing, or might not be as comfortable with blogs and social media as you are, when you speak passionately about what's in your heart they will see that it's important to you. If you know that some people who are important that you share with won't get what you're doing, explain it in terms that they will. When I explain my blog and working on client web designs to my grandmother, I focus on the similarities to print branding that she's familiar with, and compare it to making a wedding invitation design or magazine design. Once we get past the terms that she's not familiar with, she understands exactly what I'm doing -- I'm telling stories, being creative, and loving what I do. A perfect understanding of what you're doing isn't necessary for the members of your support system to support why you're doing it.

5. Make a Regular Date with Yourself for Check Ins & Rewards! ---> Working on long term projects can wear even the most motivated person out, so a trick I use is to check in on my progress every week or month, and tie an immediate reward to how I do. It's a simple way to add perks along the way to the big reward of getting your dreams made into a reality! Maybe if you finish that photoshoot on time, you can treat yourself to daily Starbucks for a week? Or you could set up a video call with one of your best far away friends for the day after a project launches! (Maybe two days after, so you can catch up on sleep!).

Your rewards don't have to be things and even if they are, they don't have to be expensive -- this is about knowing who you are and what makes you tick. If you can reward yourself for little pieces of hard work along the way, you'll be more likely to stay on track for the long term. The best part? That staying on track means realizing your dream, which is a reward in itself!

I hope this has been helpful for you -- do you have a trick for setting goals and accomplishing your plans? Share it below!

Find Kyla Here: Blog | Freckled Nest Design | Twitter | Pinterest

Kyla, I get super pumped about this topic too! This was a great way to really break down the process of goal setting and doing!! I loved your thoughts on tip #2 about breaking it down. I read an extremely helpful book called, Getting Things Done by David Allen that touches on breaking down your to-do's, setting up easy systems, and understanding your action items. Great read! Thank you for taking the time to contribute your advice (and passion!) to my readers!

3 THINGS YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH IN 2012

2012-01-26T06:37:00.000-08:00

January is always a big time in my life to reflect on the new year and the things I would like to accomplish, change, or keep doing. I had so much fun putting together a list of things I hope to do in 2012 and I love hearing about the goals others are making for the new year. :)

For this month's sponsor question, I asked my sponsors what they hope to accomplish in the new year. Melisa, Amy, and Jenny are definitely go-getters and I really enjoyed reading their answers! I look forward to following their blogs throughout 2012 and seeing their year unfold.

FIND MELISA HERE: Blog | Shop

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FIND AMY HERE: Blog | Twitter

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FIND JENNY HERE: Blog

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What are the top three things you hope to accomplish in 2012?? Be sure to check back later today for a new "5 Things" post by Kyla on how to set and accomplish goals!

THREADS 1.24.12

2012-01-24T11:33:00.000-08:00

Look at that red!! Woah baby! I put some fresh color on my head last Thursday. I wanted something a little more vibrant and complimentary to my fair skin. I feel so sassy! -- If you've been following me for any amount of time, you might have caught on that I dye my hair...a lot.

It all started my senior year of high school...blonde, platinum, red, brown, light auburn, blonde, REALLY blonde, too blonde, black, brown, light blonde, practically purple (oops!), brown, red, RED. It's a never ending cycle. It gives my friends and family a little whip-lash, but I love it. I have so much fun changing my hair style, color, fashion, make-up. I'm also like that with our home decor. One minute decorations are adorning the kitchen counter and the next...they're in our bathroom. I'd paint our walls twice a year if it was easy! ;)

BTW - My little sister, Kelsie, is amazing. She is usually the one to take pictures for my outfit posts and she's just as adorable as they come.

TOP ---> BOTTOM

* Dolman Pullover: UO

* Cherry Blossom & Origami Crane Brooch: c/o Under the Shade of a Bonsai Tree

* Jeans: American Eagle

* Lace Socks: UO

* Brown Boots: Forever21

* Square Black Ring: Forever21 - 6.5 years ago, I wore it at my senior prom!

* Phoenix Ring: Forever21

* Oval Ring: Vintage

What about you? Does change make you nervous or do you experience a lot of joy in it?

BALANCE: NEVER STOP DATING + DIY

2012-01-23T16:16:00.000-08:00

Let's talk about dating. :) One of the things I most treasure about my week is Wednesdays. Every week, Jon and I set aside a day, currently Wednesdays, that's dedicated to spending time and dating each other. We started this tradition early on in college and decided it was important enough to continue into our married lives together.

Having a date night once a week allows both Jon and I the comfort of knowing that no matter how busy and overwhelming a week can become, we always have date day to unwind, talk, and spend intentional time together. I can't tell you enough how important this has been for our relationship and marriage. This time has allowed us to participate in each others hobbies, find interests together, talk about issues that might be pressing from the previous week, and work on us. It's too easy to get stuck in a routine and forget about investing intentional time in the most important person in your life.

We've challenged ourselves to continue dating each other once a week, for the rest of our lives together. :) Because one day we will start a family. We will continue to be busy and pursue our dreams and we always want to be accountable to "us" time.

3 Tips on Dating Your Spouse//Significant Other
1. Set a Day. ---> Sit down with your schedules and figure out one day of each week that works the best for the both of you. This can be an evening after work, a morning time, or an entire day. Just find at least 4-6 hours each week you can dedicate to each other. Once you decide on your time, schedule it into your calendar, phone, agenda...whatever will remind you that every ________ is date night//morning//day.

2. Non-negotialble. ---> In order to be accountable to your date time, come to a "non-negotialable" agreement. This means that other events, parties, errands, to-do's will not come in the way of date time unless you decide as a couple it will be part of your date. Of course, some weeks will slip due to sickness, travel, and other life circumstances...but make it a priority for your week.

3. Get Excited! ---> Make your date time something you look forward to each week. Make a list of fun ideas, take turns surprising each other each week with a planned date time, budget for date time each month so you have a little extra to go out if you want to, make 3 weeks out of the month simple and FREE and then spend one night each month going out and making it a bigger date!

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One of my goals for 2012 was to make a date night calendar with Jon. We often find ourselves going out to eat and cozying up on the coach to watch our "latest" show, which is GREAT...but we wanted to get a little creative over these next couple months and grow our date nights into something even more exciting. AND of course have our dinner and a show nights sprinkled in here and there. :)

Date Time Calendar DIY
Over Christmas I was inspired by Naomi and Elsie on their "12 Dates of Christmas" posts. I thought this would be a great idea to apply to our date nights with a little twist!

STEP 1: Each of you get 6 index cards and 6 envelops. Secretly, so the other doesn't see, write out your six date nights. They can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish. Jon and I split up some of the gift cards we received over Christmas to go in our envelops...you can also add cash limits, rules (have to hold hands, 2 minute make-out sessions every 30 minutes ;) ...etc.), topics of discussion and, of course, fun things to do! Get creative and have fun!

STEP 2: Once you write out your dates, slip each index card into a blank envelop. Put all 12 envelopes together and take turns shuffling to make sure you don't know the order.

STEP 3: After shuffling, mark your envelops 1-12 and hang up in your home. :)

This is a great way to add some excitement to your date time. Each week will be a surprise! Jon and I just finished our first date last week and we'll be opening envelope #2 on Tuesday night to know what we will be doing Wednesday evening. I can't wait!

Do you have a regular date time? How do you keep accountable to that time? Don't have a regular date time, but wish you did? I challenge you to commit to once a week in February! Never too late to start a new tradition. :)

Happy dating!

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

2012-01-22T17:23:00.000-08:00

This weekend we celebrated Jenny's birthday on Friday night with dinner and a movie. On Saturday, Jon and I intended to get up early to get some errands done, but the thunder and sound of rain put us back to sleep for a couple more hours. ;) We spent most of Saturday working out the details on our move in February and taking measurements for a trip to IKEA. Today, we spent the rainy cold day in-doors with family for our Sunday "family day". The next couple weekends are going to be insanely busy with travel, moving, and more travel! But I'm really looking forward to February and to moving into a temporary new space. :)

Snapshot of the Week: This is what it's looked like in Atlanta for the past three days.

5 Favorite Posts this Week:
* Photoshop: Toolbox Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet by Pugly Pixel
* DIY: Shapes Business Card by Oh, Hello Friend
* Something in Particular by Design*Sponge
* Typography Crush by My Best Friend Jules
* Hello Adulthood: Buying a Home by Show + Tell

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* Sunday Crossbow - Emerald is way adorable and has the cutest sense of affordable and creative style.

Inspiring me this Week:
* Altitude Summit - Seeing all of the tweets, pictures, and updates from the summit this year has me itching to save up and go next year!! Seriously. I gotta go...soo much awesome in one place.

3 Things about Yours Truly:
* I'm thinking about reading The Hunger Games while I'm traveling for work in February. I heard it was really good. :)
* Dyed my hair. Again! Pictures coming this week.
* My sister is 17 and my brother is 19.

How was your week//weekend??

PS - My large solo feature spot for February is still available!! Let me know if you are interested! :)

GEOLOGY RINGS ARE BACK + GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

2012-01-20T09:04:00.000-08:00

Laura & Kaylah wearing our Geology Rings!

After a little hiatus from our shop, the Geology Rings are finally back! I've gotten a couple requests asking about when these sparkly little rings would return and I'm excited to announce their arrival in six colors. :) Each ring is set on an adjustable brass plated setting and is nickel//lead free. I love wearing this ring paired with other rings like Laura above. It's the perfect touch of sparkle!

Giveaway Time!
Want to add a little glimmer to your outfit? Win a Geology Ring in your choice of color! Details on how to enter are below. One winner will be selected at random and announced within the week. :) Giveaway is open internationally.

Here's all you have to do:
Main Entry:
* Leave a comment letting me know if you won, what color you would choose. :)

Bonus Entries (please leave one comment per bonus entry):
* Follow Maiedae via Bloglovin.
* Follow Maiedae via Facebook.
* Follow Maiedae via Twitter.
* Tweet about it! To make it easy, you can copy and paste this: @MaieDae is giving away a sparkly geology ring! http://maiedae.blogspot.com/2012/01/geology-rings-are-back-giveaway.html

Three cheers for sparkles!! Best of luck!

SPONSOR IN FEBRUARY + GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

2012-01-19T18:45:00.000-08:00

MaieDae is now accepting sponsors for the month of February! If you are looking for a place to advertise your business or blog, I would love to work with you!

You can find all of the information about my sizes and rates here. Looking for other ways to be part of MaieDae? Additional opportunities for promotion can also be found on my sponsor page. ALSO the large solo feature is available for February; please email me at Savannah@maiedae.com if you're interested! :)

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Giveaway Time!
Win a free medium sponsor spot for the month of February! Don't worry; if you reserve a spot now and find out you win later, I will send you a refund and (if needed) upgrade you from a small to a medium spot. Later in the month, I will select and announce TWO winners!

Here's all you have to do:
Main Entry: Leave your name and link to your blog//business you would like to advertise!

Bonus Entries (please leave one comment per bonus entry) :
1. Follow MaieDae via Bloglovin!
2. Like MaieDae on Facebook!
3. Tweet about it! You can copy and paste this: Win a medium sponsor spot on @MaieDae for the month of February!! Two winners! http://maiedae.blogspot.com/2012/01/sponsor-in-february-giveaway.html

5 THINGS WITH OH, SWEET JOY!

2012-01-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

Hi MaieDae readers! My name is Kim and I'm the gal behind the blog and shop, Oh, Sweet Joy! I am a Personal Shopper by day and a blogger//handmade veteran by night :) I live in colorful Colorado with my handsome husband, Chase. One day I will have an Airedale Terrier named Toby. You can read more about me here!

I'm really excited to share some things I've learned since starting this whole handmade thing. Running a handmade business has been one of the most difficult, yet rewarding experiences of my life. There have been so many ups and downs -- and thankfully more ups than downs! It's been quite an adventure and I'd love to take you along for a bit of the ride and share a little bit of insight into the world of Oh, Sweet Joy! and owning a handmade business.

1. Take a Day (or Two?) Off. ---> It is so important to take breaks....and guess what? It's okay to take a weekend off! It's vital for your sanity, for your marriage, for your inspiration level, and that's just the beginning of it! Take a book to your favorite coffee shop and snuggle up reading all day. Spend a day blessing others. Make something for yourself. Take a long walk. Whatever relaxes you, do it. And don't think about the orders that may or may not be piling up while you do so. They'll still be there Monday.

2. Quitting Your Day Job Isn't All It's Cracked Up to Be. ---> It's okay to love your 9-5 and want your handmade biz to be nothing more than a hobby. I learned this after a mere 5 months of doing the whole "handmade thing" full time. ((more about that here)) I was burned out and missed interacting with people IN REAL LIFE. Don't get me wrong, blog//handmade friends are great, but I don't think God created us to live behind computer screens. I think in the handmade world, somehow the standard became "you aren't successful unless you are full-time." It's simply not true. Only you can define what success is to you. Is it $100 a week? Is it $1,000? That's your call & only you can make it what YOU want it to be. Hobby, part time, full time, a vehicle to bless others, you name it.

3. *sing with me* Money money monnnneyyyy ((money!)) ---> Keep your finances straight. SET A BUDGET. Know how much you're making. Keep receipts. Buy Quickbooks or use Mint.com to track your business expenses. Tithe. Be generous. If your intentions are to turn a profit, you are a business and need to pay taxes. Set up an LLC and play it safe by doing things right from the get-go. No one wants the IRS knocking on their door!

4. Grow. ---> It's important to set goals so that you don't become bored or uninspired. This also helps you grow your business and push the limits! Don't be afraid to push yourself or try new things. I did a series back in the day of how to increase your sales. Part 1 and Part 2 might be helpful if you're just starting this handmade journey or if you're in a slump.

5. Treat yo'self. ---> Go ahead and FIRST click here and watch this 20 second clip, giggle, and then come right back. Wasn't that silly pants? Okay, moving on.

This goes back to setting goals. I am a very goal oriented person. I tell myself often, "If I make ((this much)) money in the next month, I will treat myself by purchasing ((this really special thing I couldn't live without that usually comes in the form of shoes that I'll probably take to Buffalo Exchange in 3 months)). It's okay to buy something fun using the money you are earning. In fact, it may just motivate you to work harder and make more! This can work on a smaller scale, as well. I would often times tell myself that if I made & packaged all my orders by noon, that I could go get Starbucks and walk around the mall & window shop. Is it because I *deserve* it? No. It's because I wanted to and that's all that mattered. Hrumph. Being a business owner has perks and we've GOT to take advantage of them! (*WINK*)*note* it's even MORE fun when you buy something special for someone else. Last year, I was on a clothes buying hiatus and I bought my husband a new camera with the money I'd earned from Oh, Sweet Joy! rather than something for myself. It was so fun to treat him with something he will enjoy for years..

I could type forever & ever on things I've learned. I hope this was helpful and that you are inspired to GO FOR IT if you are on the fence about starting a Handmade Biz. It's so fun & rewarding and if you're just waiting for a "push," well, then friend, CONSIDER YOURSELF PUSHED! :)

Find Kim Here: Shop | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

Kim! Seriously, you are so inspiring. :) Thank you so much for offering such great advice! You are SO RIGHT about taking time off. It's so, so important to have days to rest, be with family and friends...and make sure your life is in check and on balance. Also, you are hilarious...thank you for making my readers and me giggle!

THREADS 1.18.12

2012-01-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I finished reading "The No Brainer Wardrobe" e-book by Hayley Morgan. It was a quick and definitely a perspective-changing read. Hayley's book explains how to shop intentionally for your closet, purge your current wardrobe, build your wardrobe up over time with pieces you feel great in and how to create a lookbook to keep you inspired. Her steps are extremely practical and helpful. I'm currently in the "purging" phase and trying to figure out what pieces I need to add.

If there's anything about my personal style I know, it's that I love layering and mixing texture and pattern. I especially love pieces with a unique touch.

This outfit is one of my favorites for three reasons:
>>> 1. I can't stop wearing these fancy black blowfish booties. I love how edgy, seriously comfortable and easy to wear they are.
>>> 2. I'm wearing my new prescription sunglasses from Warby Parker. This is a big deal for me, because it's the first time I've been able to wear sunglasses...and actually see! I don't wear contacts so I'm strictly a glasses girl. I. LOVE. THESE. Best thing ever to drive down the sunny road and not have tears streaming down my face from the brightness.
>>> 3. This jacket goes with everything, and has the best pockets.

TOP -----> BOTTOM

* Everett Prescription Sunglasses: Warby Parker - Call to order their sunglasses as a prescription.

* Tweed Jacket: Urban Outfitters

* Zig-Zag Dress: Forever21

* Brown Braided Belt: Grandma's

* Coyote Ring: Buffalo Exchange

* Satin Leggings: Express

* Rust Thigh-Highs: Urban Outfitters

* Camera Bag//Purse: JoTotes

* Hanakis Booties: c/o Blowfish Shoes

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday! Tonight is date-night, so I'm looking forward to starting the first week of Jon and I's special date-night calendar. DIY post coming later this week!

PS - Some of you have mentioned checking out the "No Brainer Wardrobe" e-book...you TOTALLY should. It's only 7.99, an easy read (I read it in one sitting) and has very helpful//practical action items and tips. :)

FANCY SHMANCY: DREAMY & FEMININE

2012-01-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

Tuesday is here and we are over half-way through the month! This month, I've been really inspired by soft color palettes and photography. I've been working on improving my photography skills so I love browsing through my favorite photographers websites and Pinterest to collect ideas and new perspectives.

Here are a few more things I'm inspired by//fancying this week:

Photo Source: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

The Wing-tipped eye liner how-to above is so perfect. I love doing cat eyes and I think this method makes it a lot easier. :) AND that Kelly Moore bag?! It fits everything. Totally eying the Libby in sapphire.

What do you fancy this week?

PS - The winner of the peony necklace giveaway is #3, Rae Veda of Eclectic Heap!! Please email me with your color preference and shipping information. :)

ADVENTURES IN THRIFT-TIQUING - PART 1

2012-01-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for 2012 was to go thrifting//antiquing at least once each month. I'm surrounded by so many amazing antique and thrift stores in my area, I'd like to take more time to do some treasure hunting AND be more intentional about my vintage purchases. Last year, I started a few new collections, so when I'm "pillaging" the shops I try to keep in mind the items I love to collect so I don't spend unnecessary money on items I'm not in love with.

In order to keep me accountable to my thrift-tiquing adventures, I thought it would be fun to share my favorite finds with you each month. :)

This weekend, Jon took me to the Atlanta Expo Center to attend Scott's Antique Market (a new-to-me place//event in Atlanta). The Antique Market is an annual event that has hundreds of vendors and so many unique and mostly expensive pieces. My favorite part was looking around and appreciating the beautiful finds. I only made a few purchases at Scott's:

I was able to add this beautiful Imperial Debonair Camera and its original box to my collection. The above picture also has a few more of my favorite cameras from my collection in the background. Fun Facts: The Imperial Debonair was made in Chicago during the 1960s and was used as the official cub scout camera.

These sweet little glass owls are called Boyd Owls. Jon picked out the black and I picked out the white one. Fun Facts: Boyd Glass is a family glass business passed down through four generations. Each piece is manufactured the old-fashioned way, with a mold and not a machine.

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The very next day, I stopped by my favorite antique mall in Lawrenceville, GA, on our way home from my parents' house. We only had 15 minutes to shop before closing, but seriously, it's amazing what you can find in 15 minutes. ;)

On our way up to the register, Jon called me over to a little section of the store and showed me this light blue typewriter beauty. It was such a great price and is still in great working condition. It came with an adorable matching blue case attachment. So pretty!! Fun Facts: The "Smith Premier Typewriter Company" was establish in 1886. This particular model was made in the 1960s.

My final find was this set of beautiful vintage Pyrex mixing bowls. I love the steel blue color and sweet little flower details. Fun Facts: The name of this pattern is called Colonial Mist and was first introduced in 1983.

I love learning interesting facts and history about the items I purchase. I feel like it gives each item more character and life. :) Do you have a recent favorite find? What do you look for when you're "thrift-tiquing"?

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

2012-01-15T16:13:00.000-08:00

I'm so thankful for this long weekend! On Saturday, as part of my Christmas, Jon took me to Scott's Antique Market in Atlanta. It's an annual antique show that is only around for a few weekends, so there are a TON of booths, and bus loads of people. I scored a couple of great pieces and also picked up some amazing finds at a local antique mall today. I'll have to share pictures on the blog this week! This weekend is also my mother-in-law and dad's birthday, so we've been doing little birthday celebrations and spending some time with our family.

Tomorrow, we get a day off, so I'm definitely hoping to get some cleaning done and possibly prep a DIY for later this week. :)

Snapshot of the Week: A few of my favorite things.

5 Favorite Blog Posts of the Week:
* Maps, Globes & Telescopes by Sincerely, Kinsey
* Less Fuss Memory Keeping by The Tiny Twig
* Embellished Tee DIY by OhRenee*Design
* Bridesmaids Hues & Hems by Pulchritude//Fest
* The Art of Planning by Pie N' the Sky

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* Tiny Twig - Inspiring women to create lives of more passion and less fuss. Just read her "No Brainer Wardrobe" e-book and LOVED it. Fantastic blog.

Inspiring me this Week:
* The No Brainer Wardrobe - As mentioned above. All about getting dressed with more confidence and less fuss.

3 Things About your Truly:
* I never have cash on me.
* My legal middle name is just the letter "K"; it doesn't stand for anything. :)
* I prefer parking to the right. I am seriously a horrible lefty parker.

5 THINGS WITH LOVE ELYCIA

2012-01-12T15:37:00.000-08:00

Hello there! I'm Elycia from the blog ♥elycia. I am a vintage loving cat lady living in a cute house on a quiet street with my husband and our two sweet little cats. I absolutely love to blog, it adds so much to my life and I am very excited to be here today to share some things that I have learned about blogging over the last few years.

Hopefully blogging is something that gets you excited; it definitely does it for me!

1. Blog about what you Love. ---> My favorite, and therefore most repeated, piece of advice related to blogging is to blog about what you love. I always blog about things that I am interested in, feel passionately about, and love. I feel like the best blogs are the ones where you can tell that the writers are excited about the things they are writing about. If you are having fun with what you are doing, other people will be able to tell. Excitement is infectious!

2. Have Fun. ---> Try to use your blog as a tool//reminder to have more fun, not as something that you feel like you have to do that is stopping you from having fun. I'm not sure if that makes sense to everyone so I will give you an example. I love putting together fun outfits, even on days that I am just hanging around the house. I use outfit posts as a way to encourage me to go ahead and wear something fantastic even if I don't have anything special planned. I also use my blog as an "excuse" to set aside time to do fun little DIY projects. It's not just for me...it's for my blog!

3. Negativity. ---> Never let negativity get you down. 100% of people will not love 100% of what you are doing 100% of the time. It is inevitable that eventually someone out there is not going to love something that you shared on your blog. If someone goes out of their way to leave you a nasty comment, don't stress about it. For realsies! I bet you a kitten that in most cases these Negative Nancies are just looking to get a response from you. Never let a faceless internet someone ruin your day.

4. Photos. ---> Great photos make a blog. I have learned over the years that the better my blog photos are, the more I like visiting my own blog. Because hey, if YOU don't want to visit your blog everyday how can you expect other people to want to? I love taking photos and over the last few years I have been using more and more of my own photos on my blog. I really prefer blogs where people use their own photos instead of images that can be seen all over the internet. It is just a little something that makes a blog more unique and enjoyable to visit.

5. Make Friends. ---> Get friendly with other bloggers. My absolute favourite part of having a blog is the people I have met and the friendships I have made. It took me a while to really make some great connections because I am pretty shy with one on one interactions with new people. I am so glad that I decided to put on my big girl pants and get to know some awesome people that I would not have met if it wasn't for my blog. Don't be afraid to reach out to bloggers you admire//feel you have a connection with; they might just feel the same way about you! Having blog buddies just makes blogging that much more fun!

I hope that sharing what I have learned about blogging over these last few years gave you something to think about! Blogging is something that I feel passionately about and I love chatting about it. Feel free to come visit my blog or say hello to me on Twitter! ♥elycia

Find Elycia Here: Blog | Twitter

I love what you had to say about photographs. They really are such an important aspect of the blog! Thank you Elycia!

25 GOALS FOR 2012

2012-01-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to finally post my goals for the new year! I can't tell you how many times I edited this list, took things out...added them back in, changed my mind. After over a month of tweaking, I think I'm finally at a good place and I'm so, so very excited about accomplishing these items in 2012. :) This year, I'm really working on learning and development by taking some e-courses, reading, and attending a workshop. I'm also really wanting to work on our memories as a family by creating blurb books, taking more pictures, printing, and framing photos that have been sitting on the computer for way too long.

I also have some business, home, organizational, and health related goals that I'm stoked about. :) Hello 2012! Are you ready?

>>> 1. Take the DIY Dress-Up E-Course. -- I've always wanted to improve my sewing skills and be able to alter my own clothing and possibly make a couple cute pieces for myself!

>>> 2. Read 3 business//development-related books or e-courses. -- It's important to me to constantly grow and challenge myself personally and professionally. Gaining insights from others is one of my favorite ways to do that.

>>> 3. Learn to bake French Macaroons. -- I had my first taste of these little treats in Seattle last year. They were delicious! Especially the lemon ones. ;) I've heard they are a challenge to make, so naturally I decided to give it a shot myself.

>>> 4. Start going to bed earlier and waking up earlier on weekdays. -- I would like to get my body into a better sleep routine, so I have more energy and won't feel rushed in the morning. I would like to be able to have quiet time, take my time getting ready for work and naturally feel like going to sleep and waking up.

>>> 5. Do project HIS & HERS. -- Coming soon!

>>> 6. Move into our first house! -- We will be making two moves this year. The first is to move into a temporary bigger apartment due to housing a friend for a couple months. The final move is hopefully into a rental house for a couple years. Can't wait!

>>> 7. Take 2-year anniversary photos. -- We have made it a tradition to take pictures for our wedding anniversary every year and this year, we are looking into hiring a professional. See last year's here.

>>> 8. Pay off 2 of my final 4 student loans. -- Workin' these bad boys down! Can't wait to be completely debt free!

>>> 9. Have at least five Pinterest parties this year. -- Jenny and I started an every-other-month Pinterest party in order to have an excuse to do something creative and build community with some of the ladies we know in the Atlanta area. Our next one is in February!

>>> 10. Organize all of our family documents, memories, and MISC paperwork. -- Everything is so cluttered right now.

>>> 11. Attend a marriage retreat with Jon. -- Jon and I try to be very intentional about our marriage and constantly trying to "date" each other. Since we've been married for going on 2 years, I think this would be a great opportunity to continue being intentional.

>>> 12. Complete first year of 5-year journal. -- Jon gave me the Q&A a Day a 5-year journal for Christmas and I just love it. It only takes 2minutes of my time every day and it's great for capturing little memories.

>>> 13. Become an official member of our church. -- We've put this off for too long. Time to get to it!

>>> 14. Have at least six 7-11's. -- We started doing "7-11's" right after we got married in order to stay connected with our friends and have a time to fellowship. We usually aim to host it every month, so whether we do it 6 or 12 times, I would love to continue this tradition.

>>> 15. Print and frame wedding photos for our home//make blurb books for our home and for our family. -- Seriously...it's been almost 2 years. Time to do something with those beautiful pictures!

>>> 16. Explore 5 new places in the Atlanta area. -- I tend not to really explore the area I'm living in; I'd like to change that this year by going on some new adventures.

>>> 17. Take a summer workshop at SCAD. -- I'm dying to do some more professional learning! Hoping to take a jewelry making, printing press, or some other creative workshop.

>>> 18. Launch the new re-design of www.MaieDae.com. -- Jon and I have been working hard on the re-design and development of the new site. I can't wait to show you when it's ready!

>>> 19. Go thrifting or antiquing one time each month. -- I have a thrift store literally 3 minutes away from where I live and I rarely go. I need more treasure hunting in my life.

>>> 20. Put together special date night calendar with Jon. -- Ever since Jon and I went to college in 2006, we began having weekly date nights. We continued this in our marriage but want to get a little creative and come up with at least 10-12 unique date nights to pick from randomly each week.

>>> 21. Start and develop new Balance series on blog. -- This has been a big one on my mind for the past year. I'm working on how to properly approach it...I'm really excited with the plans so far. I think it's going to be an extremely useful series and//or maybe e-book?!

>>> 22. Participate in another craft show. -- Last year, Jenny and I participated in our first two shows and it was amazing! We really loved our experience in Greenville at the Indie Craft Parade and hope to go again this year. :)

>>> 23. Read the "No Brainer Wardrobe", purge my closet, define my style, and begin to shop more intentionally. -- Found this amazing blog and e-book via Moriah yesterday and just had to add it to my list. I have been wanting to work through my wardrobe for years and this year is the perfect time to start.

>>> 24. Create an organized dinner menu with easy//healthier recipe options. -- We are so bad with our current dinner menu. Jon and I tend to stick with quick meals that aren't always very healthy since we both work full-time. Hoping to get a little more organized, gain a little more cooking knowledge and get a little healthier this year.

>>> 25. Make artwork with our wedding vows. -- I've been wanting to do this for awhile now. We wrote our own vows to each other and I'd like to create something beautiful to put in our home.

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I am so thrilled about this list. It's going to be a great year. :) Have you made goals or resolutions for 2012? I'd love to see your post about it! Please feel free to leave your link in the comment section below.

SEVEN YEARS

2012-01-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

Seven years ago today I was 16; a junior in high-school and officially the girlfriend of my sweetheart, Jon. :) It's been an amazing seven years of growing up together, experiencing life, graduating from high school, encouraging each other through college and the pursuits of our passions, getting engaged, planning a wedding, college graduation, marriage, honeymoon, first home, first year. :) My heart is so full of joy and I am thankful everyday to have such an incredible man in my life.

Thank you, Jon, for your leadership, encouragement, love, and character. I am so blessed to know you and honored to call myself your wife. Looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you. :)

INSPIRATION FOR YOUR NEST: MOSTLY WHITE

2012-01-09T11:50:00.000-08:00

As Jon and I have been planning and thinking through 2 possible home moves this year. With the final move being the final for at least 5 years *crossing fingers*. I've been thinking through inspiration for our new nest and how we can merge his sense of style and my ever changing taste. I started noticing that a lot of the home pictures and ideas I was drawn to are rooms with a majority of neutral colors, varying textures and pops of color. I think this idea is brilliant because, for people like me, who love change and like to redecorate with the seasons, this is a much better and less expensive solution.

I can invest in good quality neutral pieces of furniture and necessities and then sprinkle color and pattern throughout with textiles, small decorative items, pictures, and some re-vamped chairs and smaller pieces of furniture from the thrift store. Changing the look of one room will be as simple as buying a new throw blanket and adding a painted wooden chair from a thrift store. :)

Photo Source: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

I am especially drooling over the idea of having different colored//styled chairs in the dining room and open shelves in the kitchen to display some of my colorful dinnerware. AND the fact that Christmas and holiday decorations would look so perfect against a neutral palette. Love!

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

2012-01-08T15:21:00.000-08:00

Spent the week getting over the holiday laziness. Feeling very tired, but Jon and I had a great slow-paced week to help us get back into the swing of things. We spent Saturday with one of our favorite married couples, watching a little "Portlandia", playing board games, going out to eat, and watching a way creepy movie called the "Mothman Prophecies". I love having restful time with friends. :)

Snapshot(s) of the Week: A few pictures from the week. 1. Blurry driving picture. 2. Bedding. 3. My new 5 year journal, Q&A a Day, loving it so far! 4. Disco ring.

5 Favorite Blog Posts of the Week:
* How to Make Glitter Shoes by A Beautiful Mess
* DIY Rigid Ribbon Headband with Here's Lookin at Me Kid
* Roots & Feathers Spring 2012 Lookbook by Violet Bella
* Film vs DSLR vs iPhone by Show & Tell
* Blow Drying Heavy Bangs by The Beauty Department

Favorite Blog of the Week:
Sincerely, Kinsey - A photo, DIY, and Fashion Blog

Inspiring me this Week:
Jessica Hische - Letterer, illustrator, and designer.

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* I was an Art minor but decided to drop the minor once I took all of the fun hands-on classes and had only art history left. I took the opportunity to take extra design, pottery, and photography classes.
* My first official job was a team member at Chick-fil-A in high-school.
* My current favorite snack is kettle cooked chips. So yummy!

5 THINGS WITH SOCK MONKEY & GEE

2012-01-07T11:41:00.001-08:00

Hello, MaieDae readers! My name is Megan. I run a style blog called Sock Monkey and Gee and a little vintage etsy store called Vintage and Gee. I am a 28 year old girl from Tennessee living in the-middle-of-nowhere, West Virginia, with my wonderful husband. A few things about myself: I am a bookworm, I love all things floral, a collector of vintage dresses, and have a degree in Art.

Since I am inspired daily by all the beautiful things surrounding me, I decided for this post to write about the things that inspire me.

1. Tumblr and Pinterest. ---> These two sites are nothing new. Most people who blog or read blogs know that these two websites are addicting. I have always been a collector of pictures and have knick knacks laying around all over my house. So, when I discovered that I could basically make a whole blog of things that make me happy//inspire me, I was hooked.

The wonderful things about "pinning" or "reblogging" pictures is that 70% of the time, it does not have anything to do with fashion. It could be a color of a wall that makes me realize that you have never thought about wearing that color before or seeing a photo from the 1930's of two girls wearing a certain accessory or hairstyle and inspires you to try it yourself.

2. Blogs/Bloggers. ---> The most obvious things that inspire me are Blogs//Bloggers. This is the main reason I started a blog to begin with. I had been an avid reader of fashion//style blogs for a year before I finally found the courage to start my own. I follow a lot of blogs. I always have and probably always will. It can be overwhelming, but I like to have a wide variety of blogs on my blog roll.

I believe each blog that I read has its own style and inspires me in different ways. Some of my favorite blogs at the moment are (there are many...I always hate choosing): Heres Looking at me Kid, Bawk Bawk Bawk, Hummingbird Girls, and Steffys Pros and Cons.

3. Thrifting. ---> One of my favorite hobbies is going shopping at the thrift store. I think it is the thrill of not knowing what you are going to find that keeps me addicted. I try to go at least once a week. The thing that inspires me at the thrift store is finding a pattern//print that I have never seen before and I then begin to start daydreaming about all the colors that I can match with it and all the outfits that can be created from one random shirt for $2. I do love shopping at big "modern" when I can...but living in West Virginia, there is slim pickens when it comes to shopping.

4. Art. ---> I think this is the hardest one for me to explain. I have always been in love with Art. It is just a part of me. I believe I sometimes do not realize how Art is so much a part of my daily life. I have been taking art classes from the time I was in first grade all the way up to graduating college with a degree in Art. The color//paints//techniques are always surrounding me and inspiring me in my artwork...which I think just bleeds through to my fashion//style. I hope that makes sense. My favorite artists are: Gustav Klimt, Robert Rauschenberg, Helen Frankenthaler, and Marlene Dumas just to name a few.

5. Quotes/Books. ---> I love to read. I am one of those crazy people that have 10 books by their bedside and still have nothing to read and then proceed to buy more books. If you have ever read my blog, you will know that I use quotes quite often. One reason I do this is because I am a horrible writer. :)

But the main reason I use quotes is because they inspire me to create a certain post in the first place.
I have always kept a notebook full of quotes from my favorite books or poems that make me think or put a smile on my face. In my mind, when picking a quote, it makes me set the mood of an outfit or pick a certain location I would like to be for an outfit post.

Thank you, Savannah, for asking me to do a post for your amazing blog. I really hope this random gibberish of a post made sense and inspired you a little bit. xx

Find Megan Here: Blog | Etsy | Twitter | Tumblr | Pinterest | Bloglovin

This is great, Megan! I especially love your perspective on art and how it influences your fashion posts and whole creative process. :) Fantastic insights!

FANCY SHMANCY: LOVING RIGHT NOW

2012-01-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday morning! Jon and I have planned a relaxing weekend with friends and hopefully a little catch-up on our home chores. Since the holidays, we've gotten a little behind on our regular routine. We've been working on getting up earlier for our work days and having a regular bedtime so we can get better sleep and have more energy throughout the day.

As I have been playing catch-up, I took some time to read my favorite blogs, see what's new in the shops, and check out one of my favorite sources of inspiration, Pinterest. Here is my Fancy Shmancy list for this week. :)

Photo Source: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

I'm really loving the custom Wedding Day Print. Sad to say, Jon and I haven't done anything with our wedding photos or other memories from that special day. I think it would be so beautiful to have a piece of artwork commemorating our wedding. :) What are you loving this week??

5 THINGS WITH ONE SHEEPISH GIRL

2012-01-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

Hello MaieDae readers! I am Meredith from One Sheepish Girl and I am so excited to be here today! I am a huge fan of Savannah's blog and jewelry, so I was completely honored when she asked me to share 5 things I've learned about blogging.

Here's a little bit about me: I am a senior in college and I love to knit and crochet. I'm a bit obsessed really. I have a knit and crochet accessory shop on Etsy too! There are just so many new stitches and techniques to learn that it never gets old. Knitting and blogging have truly become my passion and inspire me to get out of bed each morning...along with a giant cup of coffee...and the desire to graduate from college. ;) I also love bright colors, listening to my Frank Sinatra records, and baking. I'm a bit shy, or "sheepish", but through my new found passions, I am slowly coming out of my shell.

I'm still a newbie when it comes to blogging, but here are a few things that I've learned along the way.

1. Be confident. ---> This is a toughie for me. Nine times out of ten, I second guess every single post I write. Even the simplest posts bring me anxiety! "What are they going to think of me?" "Who's reading this?" "Why are they reading this?" I'm sure I annoy some of my fellow bloggers when I repeatedly ask them, "Are you sure this post is ok?" That's why I started my Blogging for Confidence series. I use this to get me outside of my comfort zone and try something that would typically scare me. Then I open up on my blog, share my experience, and don't look back. Maybe I looked like a goof in my swan sweater or with blue in my hair, but I did it, I tackled my fear and I have no regrets.

2. Post about what you love. ---> I may spend a little too much time blogging about my love for crazy sweaters or my hermit-like plans for the weekend, but that is what I like! I like cozy sweaters and staying at home with a good book. I'm not going to turn myself into something I'm not just for the sake of gaining followers or appearing more interesting. When I read my favorite blogs, I can sense their honesty and passion about the subject. It makes the whole experience more enjoyable!

3. If you have one, blog about your shop! ---> This may seem obvious, but it is so important to keep your blog updated on what's going on in your shop. I used to forget to update my blog when I Introduced new styles and color combinations. Also, it's nice to offer your blog readers a special coupon code every once in a while that only they can use!

4. Get rid of the guilt. ---> I feel guilty when I don't post for a few days because of classes and homework. I guess it's the people pleaser in me, but it's something that I've really struggled with this semester. Finally I decided, enough is enough. I already have enough pressure in class that the last thing I want to do is make my passion another stress in my life! In the end, homework comes first. If I lose a few followers because I have to write a 10-page paper, that's just the way it goes.

5. Respect the "big time bloggers", but don't idolize them. ---> I have to admit stumbling on this one earlier in my blog career. There are so many amazing, talented, beautiful, model-like, super-bloggers out there that it's easy to think they are superior and get down on yourself. They have talent and work hard for their achievements, but they aren't better than you. I try my best to learn from them, ask questions, and not put myself down because I feel inadequate in comparison. You are an amazing blogger and have something completely unique to offer this community. :)

I hope you enjoyed a few of the things I've learned about blogging. Actually, that's my favorite part about the blog world...getting to learn something new everyday! Thanks for having me Savannah!

Find Meredith Here: Blog | Etsy | Bloglovin | Twitter | Pinterest

Thank you so very much Meredith! -- I absolutely loved what you had to say about blogging for confidence and blogging about who you are and what you love. :) If you haven't already, you should definitely check out Meredith's Blogging for Confidence series; it's very inspiring and super cute!

INSPIRATION FOR YOUR NEST: UPGRADE YOUR DINNERWARE

2012-01-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

I love being able to take simple and inexpensive pieces, put a little creatively into it, and make it into something new and completely unique! For this week's Inspiration for your Nest, I've collected a series of easy DIY dinnerware inspiration for you to get creative with your plain pieces. These ideas make perfect wedding//home-warming gifts. Thrift some plain glassware or white porcelain pieces from your local thrift store and let the creativity begin!

Photo Sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

In early December, Jenny and I decided to start an every-other-month "Pinterest Party" get-together for local ladies in the Atlanta area to build community and get crafty. :) Our first project was decorating white porcelain pieces with porcelain paint. They all turned out super cute! I highly recommend using "Pebeo" porcelain paint. You can find it at Michael's and most craft supply stores. (Photo source #3 has great tips on using porcelain paint!) To get the full directions and step-by-step process, click on the photo source links above to be taken to the original DIYs and inspiration posts!

CELEBRATING 2012

2012-01-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in my previous post, Jon and I had a little get-together to ring in the new year with a few of our good friends. :) When Jon and I visited Fort Mill, SC, for Christmas, we stopped by one of those huge castle fireworks warehouses with his dad and loaded up on fireworks. We spent New Year's Eve launching beautiful fireworks and playing with sparklers.

Since Jon got me a tripod for Christmas, I was able to play with the slow shutter speed and get some beautiful shots of the pretty lights and celebration. :)

How did you celebrate the new year?? :)

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

2012-01-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

Happy new year to you!! Jon and I celebrated the new year with friends, board games, pizza, and lots of fireworks. We are very excited about what 2012 will bring and now that our little holiday break is almost over, we're wrapping our minds around heading back to work and getting back into the routine of things.

During our New Years party, I spent some time experimenting with my new tripod and wide-angle lens. We took loads of beautiful sparkler pictures, I'll share one with you now...and more later. :)

Snapshot of the Week: Jon and I drawing the moon and stars with our sparklers.

Five Favorite Posts this Week:

* DIY Shoe Fringe by The Dainty Squid

* 7 Ways to Add Sparkle to Your Home by The Glitter Guide

* DIY Easy Sheet Quilt by I Just Might Explode

* 5 Tips for Making and Keeping Your New Years Resolutions by A Beautiful Mess

* 4 Festive DIY Projects by Oh The Lovely Things

Three Things About Yours Truly:

* My favorite board game is Clue.

* One of my two favorite Christmas presents was a new wide-angle and fish-eye lens for my camera!

* My nickname in high-school was Savvy.

Oh!! And what do you think of the fresh new blog design look?? I wanted to launch something fresh and clean for the new year and I'm really happy with how it turned out and some of the new features! My favorite part about the new design is how organized it looks and the fun new "MaieDae News" and "Loving this Week" widgets on the left column. I'm also planning some new features for the new year and I can't wait to share! Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read. It truly means so much to me and I have so enjoyed blogging, reading your sweet comments, and all of your support!

I hope your new year is magical. :)

LOOKING BACK ON 2011

2011-12-31T12:01:00.000-08:00

2012 is nearly here!! I am really excited for 2012. I feel like every new year is a good time to rejuvenate my self-motivation and reflect on the things I would like to change and accomplish. I've had a lot of fun planning new adventures for MaieDae with Jenny and creating a new list of goals for myself in 2012, which I plan to share within the next few days. :)

Here is a little check-up on my 22 before 2012 list. I didn't accomplish everything, but I feel very satisfied with what I was able to check off. Sometimes when you set goals for yourself, you have to realize that you might change your mind about projects and items you want to accomplish. Don't feel pressured to accomplish everything if you lose passion for something or decide it's not the right timing.

22 Before 2012
1. ~~Go on a skiing trip with Jon & his family.~~ -- Had so much fun!
2. ~~Start a collection (or two!).~~ -- Records, vintage dinnerware, and cocktail rings.
~~3. Read five business/development books.~~
4. ~~Have an amazing one year anniversary!~~
5. ~~Finish~~ ~~Project 365~~ & put together a tribute coffee table book. -- Haven't put the book together yet; hoping to do this soon!
6. ~~Participate in my first Arts Fair.~~ -- Participated in the Indie Craft Experience and the Indie Craft Parade.
7. Buy a mandolin and learn to play. -- This did not happen. Maybe in 2012?
8. ~~Decorate & create an inspirational studio space.~~ -- Check and then un-check. I was able to put together something nice, and since we are planning to move and have needed extra space for storage, it has become un-inspirational again.
9. Try five sewing projects. -- Only dabbled in a couple projects, but I'm planning to take the DIY Dress Up E-Course in 2012.
10. Create a line of print design for my Etsy shop. -- Decided to go in a different direction.
11. Start putting together and drafting rough draft of my book. -- Putting this project on the bookshelf for a little while.
12. ~~Start new photography project.~~ -- Didn't do any projects per-say, but I got a new SLR and took time to take lots and lots of pictures.
13. ~~Get a new camera for blogging, photo-shoots and products.~~ -- Yes!!
14. ~~Develop & grow blog.~~ -- I'm so excited to see how it's grown since January 2011. I can't wait for 2012! I'm planning to kick off the year with a fresh design and new features!
15. ~~Refine & define Etsy shop.~~ -- Even though Jenny and I spent lots of time refining, we are planning on doing even more in 2012.
16. ~~Collect art, frames and photographs for wall collage in living room.~~ -- I've collected a lot of great pieces! When we move, I'm planning to hang everything up.
17. See "Rocky Horror Picture Show" in the theatre. -- Had plans on doing this but it ended up falling through.
18. Design a font. -- Sketched out designs, just haven't created the font. YET!
19. ~~Pay 50% of my student loans.~~ -- Paid 5 loans of 9...only 4 to go!
20. ~~Keep Madi as my pen-pal & "little sister".~~
21. ~~Re-decorate bedroom.~~ -- See post here and here!
22. Have sister and mother dates on a monthly basis. -- While I've gotten to spend some good time with mom and sister, we haven't been able to schedule date time. Hoping this will change soon!

Other Exciting Happenings in 2011

* Saw Beauty and the Beast at the FOX Theatre with Jon

* Celebrated 6 years of being with Jonathon!

* Did a little project restyle on my dresser.

* Started my business partnership with Jenny!

* Started offering blog design.

* Created a cute little dining nook.

* Got my first tattoo.

* Visited the WB studios in California!

* Celebrated our first year of marriage and took some cute pictures!

* Went to Chicago with Jenny to attend a Design conference and explore the city!

* Welcomed a new member of the family. :)

* Beautiful ladies wearing MaieDae goodies!

* Celebrated a wonderful Thanksgiving with family.

* Had a holiday DIY blog party!

* Created the first MaieDae Holiday Lookbook with Jenny!

* Went to Seattle to visit Anica!

* Started the new 5 Things post series.

* Went Red!

Check back later for my 2012 goals AND a brand new blog design to go with the new year!! I can't wait to show you the new look! What was your favorite part about 2011??

Solo Feature: Ever So Lovely + Giveaway!

2011-12-30T17:14:00.000-08:00

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Hello all! My name is Brandi Moody and I am the founder of Ever So Lovely® which is a small design studio just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina.

2. What made you decide to start your shop & blog?
Well, ever since I could pick up a crayon, I have always loved art and design. It is something that I have to do and after going to college for Graphic Design and working in the industry professionally for fourteen years, I decided to start up Ever So Lovely. When I was at Meredith College (an all women's college here in NC) I minored in Creative Writing and I've always loved interviewing people about their craft. Naturally, I decided to start up Ever So Lovely as a blog where people could go to be inspired by all of the talent that is around the world.

I also used to have a shop under the name Creativ*Bee Designs where I sold my handmade jewelry designs and art. I just decided to rebrand my company and have everything under one name.

3. What are your favorite things to blog about? Favorite posts?
That's a tough one. I would have to say all of my posts become my favorites because of what different designers share about their journey as artists and designers. What inspires them. What drives them. It's just all so intriguing to know what motivates everyone since everyone's craft is so different. I totally understand what each person goes through, because being an artist myself, it's great to learn about others.

But if you would like to know a couple of my favorite interviews, I would have to say interviewing international photographer Lara Jade was amazing! I have always been a huge fan of her work and the fact that she took the time out to talk with me about her work was amazing. I interviewed her last year and she had 17,000 Facebook fans. In just a year, she's grown to almost 70,000 fans which is astounding since she is just 22 years old.

Another interview I loved was with the two sisters, Jessica and Gwynne, who are the talent behind the label Rosella Resin. They make the most unique resin jewelry with feathers and found objects and they are really great people!

I absolutely LOVED interviewing with Adrienne Berry of Dingbat Press who is one of the most talented letterpress designers I have ever known. She really dives deep into her craft and creates some gorgeous work for her clients.

4. What are your favorite things to make for your shop?
It varies depending on my mood. Some days I really love making my hand-painted silk scarves because it's an art form, while other days I really love spending time surrounded by various vintage findings and gemstones which light up my work station with color.

I also love, love, love creating logos for my clients. That has to be one of the most rewarding things I do since I get to learn so much about someone else's company and what they want for their business. It's the best creative journey you can go on and in the end you help someone else create something they love so much that they use it for their business. That is probably my most favorite thing to make.

I also love to create custom illustrations for weddings and anniversaries. People give me some of their favorite photographs and I combine everything to make a unique image for their special occasion. The framed oval illustration was a design I created for two of my best friends who were getting married. They both loved the beach and I created an illustration of the bride in the dress similar to the one she was wearing when her fiancé proposed to her. They really loved it and I was really excited about the finished design.

I also am working on several new projects that I will be unveiling in 2012 which will involve some of my hand illustrations.

5. Favorite pass-time?
That would be spending time with my husband and taking weekend trips out to the Outer Banks of NC. I also bake some mean cookies! (photo attached). I gave my famous chocolate cookies away for Christmas and my friends said they were the best cookies ever.

6. What was on your Christmas wish-list?
Well, I had a long list to give my husband, but he made my year with three things I really wanted. The first was a handmade Amethyst Heart Necklace from Moorea Seal, the next was a beautiful Black Quartz Necklace from Pole Star and he knew I love pretty vintage bags...well he searched all over and found the cutest vintage Louis Vuitton satchel from the early 80s in pristine condition. Yes, my husband is awesome! :)

7. Favorite blog reads?
There are so many out there but some of my favorites are Oh Hello Friend, Design Sponge, Indie Fixx, Style Me Pretty, and 2Modern Blog.

8. If you had three wishes what would they be?
Hmmm. 1) I would say - win the lottery 2) buy a house at the beach with said lottery money where I would keep designing and blogging 3) just live a long and happy life

9. What's your favorite meal?
My husband and I just discovered a dish this week that Carrabba's makes called Chicken Bryan. OH MY GOSH! That was the best meal EVER! It's two grilled chicken breasts topped with goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes and a basil lemon butter sauce. If you haven't had it, you owe it to yourself to try it....It's probably my favorite dish of the year.

10. What inspires you the most?
I would say nature. There are so many organic things out in the world that have pattern and shape which at some point or another has helped to inspire my work. That and a good cup of coffee. :)

Find Brandi Here:
Blog: http://eversolovely.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/eversolovely
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EverSoLovely
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/eversolovely
Design Services: http://eversolovelydesign.com/

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Giveaway Time!! Brandi is offering one person the chance to win one of her peony necklace in either blue or pink! See how to enter below.

Main Entry:
1. Leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite item from Brandi's shop!

Bonus Entries (please leave one comment per entry):

1. Take a visit to Brandi's Blog and leave a sweet comment!

2. Tweet about it! Just copy & paste this: Win a beautiful peony necklace from @eversolovely on @MaieDae! http://maiedae.blogspot.com/2011/12/solo-feature-ever-so-lovely-giveaway.html

One winner will be selected at random and announced within the week! ALSO, I'd like to announce the winner of the December Sponsor Love Giveaway! Congratulations #37 Ragnhilds Cubicle!! Please email me at MaieDae@gmail.com with your shipping information. :)

5 THINGS WITH VIOLET BELLA + ROOTS & FEATHERS

2011-12-29T15:08:00.000-08:00

Hi MaieDae readers! My name is Laura and I run two small businesses, Violet Bella and Roots & Feathers, and a blog. I'm primarily a jewelry designer and photographer. From time to time, I make handmade clothing. Besides my big dreams and big love for art, I live a pretty small, simple life. When I am not designing jewelry or taking pretty pictures, I'm usually hanging out with my husband and animals. I have mad love for nature, coffee, good music, and for real people... people who are not afraid to just be themselves.

Today Im going to highlight 5 things I've learned while running a small business. I'm very passionate about what I do and I see so many others who have such passion for creating but don't know where to begin. So just maybe, one of these will help you.

1. Patience. ---> I have learned you must have patience in business. Things do not just happen overnight. The beginning of this journey was very rocky and slow. There were several times I thought I was going to have to give up and go back to waitressing. My desire to do what I love (instead of going back to that) kept me going. Don't stop creating just because things are not selling. Just keep stocking that shop and pouring your heart into what you are doing.

2. Perseverance. ---> This one ties into number one. Not giving up. Even when things are tough. Nobody said that running your own business would be easy. It will most likely be harder than any 'normal' job. You are no longer just an employee, you are the everything. I have found that during the hard, slow times, I become the most creative. You have to create ways to get people to visit your shop. As with most things, good things come with time and slow growth.

3. Marketing. ---> You can make some of the most beautiful things in the world, but if it doesn't get marketed right, it won't be seen. There are so many people starting their own small businesses, epecially since widely used online marketplaces like Etsy have started. This makes for lots of competition and a much smaller chance of being noticed. Take advantage of the social networking that is out there for us, such as Twitter and Facebook. For a long time, I was anti-both, but I can honestly say that they have changed the face of my business. And I have formed some amazing friendships along the way because of them. Another biggie is blogging. I personally love to know the history of an artist I am buying from. It makes the peice so much more special to me. Maybe I'm just a sentimentalist in that respect, but I do. There are several artists I have come to know on a more personal level through these social networks that have made me want to buy more of thier work. Just to name a few: Moorea Seal, Poor Pitiful Pearl, and definitely MaieDae!

4. Authenticity. ---> Be yourself in your work. Don't make something because it's trendy or you think you will make money from it. That is so far from what the handmade small business should be about. Look within yourself and find that thing that personally makes you tick. And if it's something that someone else is already doing, that's fine, just do it your own way. There is not much in the art world that has not already been done, but there are a million ways to make things your own true authentic work. Trust me, the more true you stay to yourself' the farther you will go. Those kinds of things last.

5. Balance. ---> This is one I personally struggle with all of the time. Find balance between your work and your personal free time. Time just for yourself to re-coop and relax. When you are feeling burned at both ends or simple out of inspiration, step back away from it all. Go for a walk, take a bath (or a vacation)! Spend time with friends, go on a date. Just simply check out for a while. And the most important part, is to not feel guilty about it or spend the whole time thinking about work while doing it! Remind yourself that the time away is just as important as the time spent working. You will come back to your work with fresh eyes and renewed vigor and work that much better.

Thank you so much for reading! If you want to get to know more about me, visit my blog. Or come check out my two jewelry shops, Violet Bella and Roots & Feathers. My adorable hubby also runs a part time screenprinting shop called Skyline Fever. You can also follow me daily on Facebook and Twitter. And for some simple inspiration, Im a bit obsessed with Pinterest.

Peace and Love,
Laura

Find Laura Here: Blog | Violet Bella | Roots & Feathers | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Laura, this is GREAT advice on running a small business. I think all of your tips are very, very important to remember...especially patience and perseverance. :)