A lesson in VALUING your time (for small business owners + creatives)

I keep debating whether or not I should post this but my heart is heavy this morning and I'm sure many of you can relate (especially if you are a small business owner or creative) and if not, maybe gain some perspective.

This morning, I received an email which sadly was the first thing I woke up to and read. There were words in there from someone who wanted to express her feelings (which I respect) but said things that went a little too far because they were statements that she knew very little about.

Statements such as "I know that once you've made a crown or 2 should only take up to an hour at most to perfect a crown. And while you do have embellished flowers with pearls in the center....there's no way your costs are that high." & "While your crown is gorgeous, a price tag of...seems to me highway robbery." As well as several other VERY HURTFUL statements.

Although, I DO NOT need to explain my business, my passion and why things are the way they are, I feel like I need to speak out for those who DO own a small business as well as many of whom who are juggling several roles as a wife, momma, care-taker, home-keeper, student and many other titles all at once.

First off, my prices aren't just the way they are because of supply costs. Yes, they are in there BUT my time is what I value the most. I am a stay at home momma (one who is also currently trying to potty train my son which is not an easy task in itself), I am a wife who needs to make time to spend with my amazing husband, I am a home-keeper who is trying my best to make sure that the dishes are clean, laundry is done, the floor is swept, the same messes are picked up every single day amongst SEVERAL other things that go on throughout the day.

I run my shop the BEST I CAN because I LOVE what I do but I can't do everything all the time. Each floral crown piece DOES NOT take "an hour at the most". In fact, it can take double that if not more at times and triple that time on many other pieces. There is quite a bit of hand-stiching involved, petals taken apart to create completely new flowers, measurements taken, trimmings done, etc. etc. This all takes time-time that I choose to take away from my family to fulfill my customer's needs. Not only that but I love creating and working with brides and many other women who want a special piece created for them to celebrate important moments. It also takes time to list items, schedule photo shoots, market items and the shop, schedule collaborations, package items, ship items as well as the time it takes to get supplies. 

Supplies in itself is not a one stop shop and go. My supplies do not come from one store. In fact, there are 3 retail stores and several online stores that I order from. The retail stores alone take me about an hour round trip (EACH) to drive to and from and many times, I have to take several of these trips a week so I can get the supplies needed for custom orders as well as stocking up for current ones. Many times, I even drive up to a 2+ hour round trip to get supplies.

Running a small business is completely different than creating something for yourself or even a friend once in a while. Keeping up on inventory, marketing, emails and SO MUCH MORE is a full time job in itself. Most handmade sellers pour their hearts into what they create. There is no dollar amount that can equal the value that we give into our passion.

Handmade DOES cost more and if it doesn't with some sellers, it SHOULD. Our creations are NOT created by machines. Most handmade shops consist of ONE person. Two hands to create. One mind to think and One heart to give. 

Not everybody knows the story behind each piece that is created. Many assumptions can be made but unless you are in that makers shoes, it's unfair to make hurtful statements devaluing someones time and effort they put into their pieces. Who is one to say how much something is really worth unless you poured your heart into it?

Yes, opinions are opinions but they don't have to be unkind. 

Creators, VALUE your time. You only get a certain number of hours in each day. What are they worth to you?

Recently (San Fran, Mohawks, Kite Dates and Summertime in the Water)

Happy Friday...evening!! It's been a while (long while) since I've done a "recently" post so I grabbed my computer and headed to Starbucks once the husband got home (since he has projects to get done) and the babe is asleep. 

I have an iced green tea in hand, a comfy Ninja Turtles shirt on ($4 at Target...heeyy!), messy hair and my prescription glasses on. I probably look like I just got out of bed but honestly, where I live, super casual is the norm.

Anywho, I thought I'd give a little update on life recently other than the shenanigans in the craft room-that will come later.

First things first, I've been watching Creative Live for quite some time now. It's usually playing in the background as I'm working because these workshops are so incredibly enriching in knowledge when it comes to the handmade market and small biz. Seriously, if you are looking to grow your skills and learn new things, turn into CL pretty much at anytime and you will get just that! Best thing is, it's free education too!

Here's the best news yet, I recently signed up to be a part of the live studio audience for one of the workshops coming up and just got an email of approval to attend! I will be in San Francisco next month for a few days (my first time going to San Fran)!! I'm so excited to go and get some serious brain food to feed into my shop! I also get to go with my friend Tara from Laila's Charming Pieces who also got accepted. This is pretty amazing for the both of us!

This trip lends some major guilt though because this means I will be away from my family for a few days. I tried talking my husband into going but since I will be gone pretty much all day at the workshop-every day, he decided that it didn't quite make sense...I guess he's right...I will miss him but it is too great of an opportunity to turn down. I am so thankful for such a supportive husband and family!

Since it's officially summertime-& HOT, we've been spending a lot of time outside playing in the water. Whether it's on the slip n' slide or spraying the hose, these moments make our home feel like HOME.

We had a "kite-flying date" in the backyard. It ended with my kite getting stuck in the neighbors tree with pink streamers tangled around the branches. Maybe next time I will tie my kite strings around Levi's pant loops so he can't let go of it. Ha ha!! It was so much fun while it lasted though!

We made strawberry, banana crepes with walnuts one afternoon. YUM!! This makes me want about 5 more.

This momma's heart stopped when I walked into the living room the other day and saw that my husband gave our son a mohawk! When I agreed to a hawk, I was leaning more towards a little "fohawk" but lo and behold, our baby turned into a little man with his new do.

I'm not going to lose sleep over it though because his hair will grow back and honestly, if he's going to have a mohawk, I'd rather give him one now rather than have him walk through the door as a teen with one! LOL

Ay yi yi!

I went out for a quick mommy date with my friend Tara. We went and saw "Mom's Night Out." After seeing it on Mother's Day and balling my eyes out, I knew it was a must see for Tara as well. As young mothers, this movie is so incredibly relatable! Again, the tears came and the laughs were had.

My husband and I got to spend time with some of our favorite babies (ok, so maybe they are too old to be called "babies" now but they will always be babies in my eyes)! Our little Caleb and Julia came over for the night to visit as they all jumped on the bed and ran around the house with Levi. They are his "besties". 

Summertime in the desert brings evenings that feel like paradise with the warm breezes and cotton candy painted skies. Every night, the Lord's canvas doesn't disappoint.

These nights remind me to breathe and trust as I gaze up at the vast skies.

So thankful for this life.

Productivity=Sprinkle Donuts + Coffee

Planner by Sugar Paper

Today has been a productive day and yet I can still say, I just woke up from a super quick nap (yawn). With a sprinkle donut and coffee in hand, I took on this morning's tasks that included a bit of training (I have my first creative shop helper), shipped out a couple orders and still working on others. (Since the husband is off work today, he has been amazing in helping watch our son for the first part of the day to crank out the "to-dos". Thank you so much babe!!)

As I sit here, I am reminded of this past Saturday when I attended my second year at the Elevate Blog Conference. Catch up on the first year I attended. It was so inspiring to be immersed in a creative and encouraging environment of unique women-each with their own story.

I am still at a loss of words to share the wonderful day I had but I can't wait to share the experience very soon!

Just a tiny bit of the sweet swag from Elevate. Printable by Bluebirds Creative. Patterned clip by Paperflora.

What does your productive day look like?

NY Post ONE: Sunrise over Manhattan and Magic in Central Park

After a few weeks of being back home, I am finally getting around to the FIRST post of our trip to New York. With over 2,000 photos to go through, it's quite a struggle to pick and choose which ones to share. Since it is impossible to cram everything into one post, I will split up the photos into days and experiences. 

With so many moments, feelings and historical attractions to capture in writing and photos, I will try my best to share and re-live this trip as best I can.

Here it goes... 

On the morning of April 26th 2014 at 8:00am PST, my mother and I were leaving LAX and on our way to New York! It's been a dream of mine for quite some time to visit NY and around 3:50pm EST, we had arrived to our much anticipated destination! It was such a blessing to finally plant my feet on the grounds of the Big Apple and to share this experience with my momma. In just 5 days, we had done so much! I'm happy that we had this time to bond and turn some of our plans into reality. 

Goodbye Los Angeles.

After we had landed and managed to figure out how to get a taxi to our hotel in the Upper West Side, we were able to soak up the experience of our first taxi ride a.k.a. wish you took a Xanax, stinky back seat and sleepy cab driver ride....needless to say, that was our first and last cab ride on our trip but more on that later. 

It was a gloomy day as we drove through Brooklyn and into Manhattan eyeing over our new surroundings. Immediately, you could feel the difference in culture than what we are used too. Life is vertical and fast paced in NYC. The buildings reaked of history all around us, the sidewalks were bustling with people and the streets were filled with transportation, noise and haste. We were certainly not in California anymore!

As we pulled up to our hotel and checked-in, I realized that I had left my favorite burgundy peacoat in the taxi which had just driven off. Side Note: since we didn't check bags, I had to hold onto my coat as it didn't fit in my suitcase which ultimately lead to my loss...Next time, I'm checking a bag! The concierge had made several phone calls in attempt to get it back but another note to self (& all who live or plan to visit NY), if you leave ANYTHING in a taxi cab, kiss it good-bye, sayonara, adios because you won't get it back.

Finally arrived to our hotel

The loss of my coat started us on a hunt for new jackets to keep warm since it was quite chilly in the evening. After some success in Urban Outfitters, we had our first dinner in NY at Serafina's-YUMMY!! I had the gnocchi with tomatoes and savored each bite. As we ate, the atmosphere of this restaurant was also quite different than what we were used to. To start, the workers were like little busy bees nearly running all over the place yet their attitudes seemed friendly rather than stressed like I expected. The place was also very lively-filled with chatter and communication over delectables and wine. The most noticable difference of having dinner here was the seating. Everyone was seated rather close to one another...pretty much right next to another guest. It felt like family style seating which added to the social hum and festive ambiance. 

After dinner, I had my first chai tea in New York as we walked down Broadway and enjoyed the night life.

The next morning, my mother woke up around 4am which in turn, lead me to getting up at the butt-crack of dawn as well. We ended up leaving our hotel room around 5:20am which was even too early for the local coffee shops! I didn't get my caffiene until a couple hours later but we were able to explore the Upper West Side at sunrise with quiet streets and empty sidewalks as we made our way towards Central Park. So serene. 

These are just some of the moments captured on the first early morning in Manhattan. Enjoy.

At the Belvedere Castle in Central Park. I set the camera up for self timer which captured us totally out of focus but I didn't get any better ones! :(

The prettiest restroom I've ever seen! I could live here!

Marionette Theatre in Central Park

On our way back into town, we spontaneously stopped to ride our first Subway and headed to Times Square where we had breakfast got scammed...twice and visited the top of the Empire State Building....
View Post Two of New York here

Happy Earth Day! Bringing the outdoors inside today...

Happy Earth Day!

I went outside this morning with my son and picked some pretty garden roses that just bloomed right by our front door. He helped me put this little arrangement together so we could bring a bit of outdoors inside today.

I think we will do some relaxing on this windy and chilly day. Hot tea, vanilla candles, fun songs and yummy Annie's Mac n' Cheese...

Have a beautiful Tuesday my friends! 

How will you spend today?