Busy, Busy, Busy

Oh it's been so long since I've written.  I have been so busy in the shop (WOO HOO) that I have been running out of daylight!  I have so many plans for future posts though and I have found so many awesome shops lately that I want to show off to you guys.

Today though I really want to tell you about my Heartsy experience.  I discovered Heartsy in one of my Etsy Team forums.  I checked it out and applied for it.  The experience was AWESOME!!!  I'm not sure if being a seller on Heartsy is for everyone but it was like a dream come true for me.  For those of you who do not know what Heartsy is it is like "Groupon" for Etsy.  You can buy coupons or, as they call them, vouchers that are usually anywhere from 55-75% off!!  I have already gotten some AMAZING Christmas gifts from other Etsy sellers through Heartsy.

So I applied for Heartsy, got accepted and ran my deal, all in about a month from applying.  I was so nervous about everything.  I was worried that people still wouldn't buy anything from my shop even with the MASSIVE discount.  I was also worried that something might go wrong.  Thankfully everything went smoothly!! It was all a bit confusing in the beginning.  Heartsy VIP's get a first look at everything in your shop but I didn't realize that they also got to BUY early.  Over half of my vouchers sold before my shop even went live to everyone!!  It was so exciting!

My goal for Heartsy was to of course make sales but mainly it was to get my name out to people who may not ordinarily find me.  I had so many amazing customers and did some custom orders as well!!  With all of the sales I had through Heartsy I was able to buy some great new jewelry supplies and some much needed office supplies to keep the business end running smoothly as well.

The shop is a little empty at the moment but I wanted to show off some of my personal faves that stuck around through the chaos.

Gemstone Necklace - Snow White Chalcedony and Rainbow of Gemstones

Citrine and Swarovski Necklace

Disco Ball Earrings - Mirrored Crystals on Sterling Silver

Check out Heartsy it really is an awesome site!!

~ Tracy ~

You know your in the country when...

YOU SEE A HUGE RATTLE SNAKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!!

Jacksonville, GA is not a big town.  I don't even know if it's on a map, haha, but I do know that while visiting my in-laws farm there this weekend, we saw the biggest rattler I have ever seen!

The snake is dying so it couldn't really move very far but boy is it eerie being so close to such a deadly creature!  I have a video of another passerby bludgeoning the head off with a golf club but it is slightly disturbing so I won't do that to you!

Team FEST

A couple of weeks ago I joined an Etsy team called Team FEST (Florida Etsy Street Team).  This team is filled with wonderfully talented Floridians.  They range from artists who have been on Etsy for a long time to newbies like me who are just starting out.  I'm very excited to get to know some of my fellow Floridians and artists!  I created a treasury to show off some of the talent using the colors of a magnificent Florida sunset!

Florida Sunset - Team FEST Treasury

RIP Sony Vaio

So the past few weeks I have been involved in an intense battle with all things computer.  My wonderful Sony Vaio that I have had for about 6 years decided it was time to go.  We had some great times together, my laptop and I, but some things just don't last forever.   I did not want to go out and buy a new computer so I decided to borrow one from my sister, Tina.  She has an old PC that is currently not in use so I figured why not use that until I'm ready to take the leap and get a new one.  That computer was not my friend!  On a daily basis it said "Tracy, I don't like you so I'm going to stop working! You will need to restart me several times today because I'm in a mood!"

Lets just say it didn't take long for me to buy a new computer!

Oh and what a computer it is!  Evil wrongdoers are no match for my super ninja computer!  I will now be able to have more than one application open at a time and as soon as I turn it on, it's on!  No waiting for everything to load!  I never thought I would be so happy to have a new computer but it really has made things so much less time consuming.  I can pay bills quicker.  I can upload photos for my Etsy shop in a snap.  Oh and the photo editing, the music programs, the fun camera...I could be here all day telling you how much I adore everything about it but I will bore you no longer.  I will just say that now that I have my super ninja, I can get back to blogging.

Hope to see you tomorrow with more fabulous finds from Etsy!

By the way, thank you Tina for letting me borrow your computer!!!

Optimist...

In need of a little optimism!  I am a big believer in words, actions and attitude having a major affect on a persons day.  There are studies somewhere that show that simply smiling when you feel down can brighten your mood.  This works for me.  I'm not saying that if I am totally bummed about something in particular that I feel completely better if I just smile, but it definitely doesn't make me feel worse!  I love that if I am in a crabby mood I can turn on some music and dance with my kids and all seems right with the world for at least 3.5 minutes.  This all may seem a bit off course to you but I do have a point to this rambling.  Lately I have been feeling a bit...discouraged.  At times it seems as if no matter how often I say, "Everything will work out" I myself have a hard time believing it.  In search of renewed optimism for family woes, financial woes and just life woes in general, I of course turn to Etsy!  So I give you my optimum :) optimistic choices!

Ahhh, delicious.  Be you.  Because who could do it better?

More amazing pieces at http://www.mbartstudios.etsy.com/

My son LOVES fruit loops.  He would eat them at every meal if I let him.  This art speaks to me because in a world where every teenager is trying to fit in with the "popular" crowd, this says "Hey it's cool to be different, duh fruit loops rock!"

More quirky and fun art at http://www.candidate.etsy.com/

I want to shout from the rooftops how much I love this print.  These words mean so much to me it is hard to explain.  Sometimes I think as women we get so caught up in the everyday tasks that we forget how truly unique we are and if we just believe we can do it...we can!  Love it!

Check out more uplifting items at http://www.valentinadesign.etsy.com/

Well I feel better already!  Thanks for coming along with me in my search for the optimist in me!



New Craft Area

Today I spent most of my day cleaning up our play room to make myself a little craft area!  I am so excited to have my table under the window so I can see my son playing outside.  It is still a work in progress.  I used a door we had left over from our bathroom renovation as my tabletop.  It needs a little work but until I have time to do that, it is serving its purpose.  My husband makes music on his computer in his spare time, so that is his computer in the corner of the cabinets.  Mostly I will be making jewelry on my new table but at Christmas time it will come in handy.  Every year the kids and I make something new for all the family members so they know how good it feels to make something that someone really appreciates.  I can't wait to sit at my new desk area tomorrow and start creating!  Here is a pic of the new area.

Goodnight all! - Tracy

Ironing is not fun

Today was a day of filled with "what ifs".  I try not to ask myself that question too much because I really can get carried away.  My morning started out with a question of "Why don't you iron my shirts?"  After the bickering that I won't bore you with, I really started to think about "time" and "what if I had more".  I quickly came to the realization that even if I did have more time I wouldn't iron because ironing is not fun.  This is the point that I had my "Ah-Ha" moment.  We should all have more fun!  I'm not saying to forget the responsibilities that every grown up faces, but we need to leave more time for the fun stuff.  The stuff we truly enjoy doing.  For me, that is hanging out with my family and making jewelry!  Since my husband was working and 2 of my kids were at the museum with their aunt I chose to make jewelry ALL DAY!  It was great!  Sure I had some interruptions with the baby and had to watch "Bolt" again, but that was great too!  In the midst of all this fun I started dreaming about "What if I made it as a jewelry designer?" I'm not talking multi-millionaire but having a good steady business.  How amazing would that be??  So then... Like I said, I can get carried away with the "what ifs".  I started thinking about what my husband and I would do if we both ran 2 successful businesses (he's an Electrician with the plan to take over his step dad's business).  Oh talk about fun!  Think about the date nights we could have!  That is when the search began.  Etsy is my Google so naturally I went on a search for some fabulous date night attire.




This is the dress I would wear to an amazing night out with my hubby!  Isn't it so beautiful. 
See more stunning dresses at http://www.riverofromansk.etsy.com/

I thought this headband went perfectly with my "Roman" dress.
http://www.ingenueb.etsy.com/ has this amazing work of art

Such a breathtaking change (normally I'm carrying a diaper bag)!
Check out more spectacular clutches at www.tbtcwedding.etsy.com



Life should be about enjoying what you are doing as much as humanly possible.  Are you having "fun" in your everyday adventures?