Macaroni and Glue Corporate Headquarters (aka The Craft Closet)

I keep meaning to share these pics as I find them, for some unknown reason, endlessly amusing... About a month or so ago, I turned one of our pantries (yes, we have two - why??) into a little office for myself. I say "little" because it actually is VERY little - 4' x 3' inside. But I was going crazy trying to keep my supplies neat and tidy on the kitchen counters and my back was killing me from being hunched over my laptop on the couch all the time. Plus, my husband has an office at home, so why shouldn't I? He doesn't even work here! So, I re-organized a bit and... voila! Welcome to my new corporate headquarters.

Here's the view from the outside:


And the grand foyer... Oh no, wait, that's the whole office.


Supplies and lighting (note the laminated first aid posters on the wall - a nice touch, don't you think?):




More supplies. Are you getting a sense of scope?


Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, that completes our tour. Luckily, I'm a fairly small person (5'0" on my tiptoes), and not too terribly claustrophobic. Can you imagine if I made something really big for a living rather than nice, compact notecards? Sheesh.

My friends and family think the arrangement is hysterical, particularly when I tell them that sometimes I actually close the door just to get a little peace and quiet (like now). My husband said I wouldn't last a week in here, but I'm proud to say I'm still toughing it out. I confess, though, that it does get a bit stuffy...

Pretty Little Paper Things

A custom order this week allowed me to briefly return to my cardmaking roots (no cracks about those other roots please) - pretty papers, glue, ribbon, brads... Although I adore digital design, it's soooooooo much fun now and then to break out all the old scrapbooking stuff and start punching holes in things, pounding on eyelets, stacking papers, rounding corners, and generally being crafty. Although the mess I made to create just one 5 x 7 card was truly astounding, I love the way these congrats cards turned out.


I liked them so much, I've added them to my Etsy shop.

In other news, you'll notice the updated banner and page layout to go along with the updated avatars and ads. Blame it on insomnia and OCD, but I just couldn't walk away from the computer til I'd pulled off a complete and total image makeover. Now I can move on and get to work on the new invitation line...

Extreme Makeover - Trunkt Edition

I took advantage of the holiday downtime by giving my newly-upgraded Trunkt portfolio a facelift. I got my images in order, finally tagged everything correctly, and added more detailed product descriptions.



I also updated my wholesale info and even (shhhhh.....) created a "Deals and Discounts" ad for Trunkt shoppers.



While it's certainly flattering to have been accepted, I confess that I've found this whole Trunkt business a little intimidating and slightly confusing. I've had click-throughs and views, but not many, and I was starting to wonder if maybe I was missing something. Well, I must have done something right this time because my portfolio views increased by 23 in about 12 hours. Hopefully that's a sign of good things to come!

P.S. Five posts in five days. Aren'tcha proud of me?

Happy 4th of July from Texas!

This morning we braved the 95 degree heat and blazin' Texas sun to attend the Plano Independence Day parade, which never fails to thrill and amaze (especially if you're three...). As usual, the parade route was packed, the flags were flyin' high, and the locals were positively bursting with patriotism.


I'm happy to report that this year the Dems had a decent presence, there were actually a few cheers when they came by (besides just my husband and I), and no one gave me any grief about my Obama Mama pendant. Happy 4th to you and your family!

Identity Crisis

Procrastination? Maybe. Completely necessary image makeover? Probably not. But fun, anyway!

I spent last night avoiding some "administrative" Mac & Glue stuff by playing around with my avatars and ads. After a great conversation recently with my PR/marketing guru friend (a great friend to have, by the way), I determined that I needed to work on my branding a bit. The goal is to use those little square images to a) compel someone to click, and b) offer a glimpse of what can be found behind the click. I determined that the vintage-y writing hand (see image top right) may not be doing the job. Plus, I've been feeling like I'm simply taking myself too seriously. My friend (let's call her "Linda"... you know, 'cause her name's Linda) suggested I choose one of the graphics from my boxed sets and work on connecting the vintage concept with the idea of a paper product. The result?



What do you think? I love it, actually. I updated my Project Wonderful ad with the new look and saw an immediate increase in clicks, so apparently it's more appealing than my same old, same old. Stay tuned to see if the banner gets a makeover too. Like the next time I'm supposed to be doing the books...

Flourish Boutique Blog - Wicked Cool Fashion Coming Soon to South Bend

Flourish has officially entered the blogosphere! Check out info on store happenings and recent events at http://flourishboutique.blogspot.com/. Yesterday's post showed off some of the fabulous Flourish fashions recently featured on the WSBT morning news.


Flourish will feature such fashion forward brands as Betsey Johnson, Rebecca Taylor, Yoana Boraschi, Tarina Tarantino, Style, Body Language, Samuel Dong, La Cite, Level 99 Denim, Love Quotes, Spanx and more. All available in-shop and online.

Um, yeah... did I mention that Flourish will also be carrying my stationery line? Can you tell I'm excited?

The Lame List

1. Morning tantrums = lame
2. Starbucks lines = lame
3. Screwed up drink order = LAME (and that like never happens at the 'bucks, right?)
4. 170 ribbon-closure invitations to finish = lame lame lame (but oooooh sooooo pretty - take a peak...)



5. Non-functional wifi = super lame
6. Post office lines = lame
7. Mystery fatique-causing illness cropping up in the middle of extremely busy week = really really really lame

And now, the LOVELY list...

1. Forgetting the diet and getting a (corrected) rare and yummy iced mocha = lovely
2. Getting that large custom order I'm so proud of out the door = definitely lovely
3. Finishing the 170 ribbon-tie invitations and getting them ready to ship = lovely!
4. Two hours of virtually free childcare at my gym = soooooo lovely
5. Finally getting my Project Wonderful ad finished = lovely lovely lovely
6. Getting my AWESOME new laptop bag earlier than expected all the way from the land down under (thanks, glorydaze!) = beyond lovely



7. Having all my chores done, my daughter asleep, and finally having a chance to get to work on those new invitation designs.... love it, love it, love it, lovely.