This vs That session 2, with MCF

We had a great response to the 1st blog post of this versus that.  I wanted to do another one, again with my folks from Military Circle of Friends.
This vs That is to showcase, that you don't always have to go with the best known names to get the best stuff, sometime handmade is just a better value and a better quality, as well as more unique.

Caramel Pecan Bark from Godiva is $25 for 12oz

Chocolate Pecan Pie from Nicole's Handmade Treats 1lb (16oz) for $18

Personally, I think Nicole's looks better.  I would also bet hers is more fresh, and her customer service more personalized.



Gem Flower Hairclip from Gymboree $6

Pink and White Kanzashi Flower Clip from Hold It $7

I don't think this felt clip from Gymboree holds a candle to this well made, and more substantial hair clip from Hold It. Plus the Hold It shop has countless colored and patterned options.

Brooks Brothers Womens Handkerchief (2) $25

Monogramed Handkerchief from Elegant Monograms is $17

If you are going to use a handkerchief for your big day, or if you just love the old time elegance of it....you are not doing it right, if it isn't beautifully monogrammed, and have a delicate lace edge, like this one from Elegant Monograms. She does a fabulous job of offering a wide variety of monograms and embroidery, to get you the exact sentiment and aura you need for this beautiful accessory.

Has a Fundraiser Ever Smelt so Good!

As some/many of you know, my husband is in the Navy.  And as some of you know, he just found out he is a Chief Selectee.  Chief is a pretty big deal in the Navy.....my husband could tell you the heritage, as that is something he is supposed to know in the next 6 weeks before he gets pinned "Chief".  All I know, is it's a big deal, and in the next 6 weeks he has to do a lot of stuff to prove he is worthy.
One of the things Chief Selectees have to do, is fundraise. Well, unfortunately for my husband he will be out to sea doing, who knows what, for 1/2 of the time period he is supposed to be raising money.  I figured I could come up with an idea, and a means to help him.
So here it is.  I will be doing a candle fundraiser for the month of August.  You can pick any scent you'd like from the below list for your candle.  The candle will be $10, with $5 Shipping (no shipping for locals of course!).  I am so generous that all $10 will go to those selectees towards their fundraising efforts.

This one is scented Oatmeal Honey Almond

The candles are 9oz and ina glass tumbler, with a USN sticker adhered to the side.  After your candle FINALLY burns out (should last 40-50hrs), you can clean out the glass tumbler with hot water, soap and a rag, and you'll have a great little glass piece to do anything you like with. And of course my everlasting love, that you helped not only support my husband, but all the selectees, the US Navy, and America (doesn't that sound patriotic!).

Here is an Etsy Listing for this item. Chief Selectee Fundraiser Candle. You can purchase via Etsy, or from my Facebook page.  If you purchase via Etsy please put your scent choice in the comments.  If you are local, and don't want to pay the $5 shipping, please contact me via my Facebook page or via comment here.

Scent List:
Bayberry
Blueberry Cobbler
Clothesline
Cucumber Mint
Gardenia
Ginger Peach
Green Apple
Lavender
Lavender&Peppermint
Lavender&Vanilla
Lemongrass
Lemongrass&Vanilla
Lemon&Lavender
Mandarin & Coriander
Oatmeal Honey Almond
Pearberry
Peppermint
Peppermint & Vanilla
Pumpkin Souffle
Vanilla Bean
White Peach and Hibiscus

Lessons Learned from Summer 2011

I need to make a mental note to look back at this post, come April/May of 2012.  I know that summer is not yet over.  School starts up here 6 weeks from today.  We have been on summer break for 10 weeks now.  So I think I've experienced enough to reflect on some lessons learned in business, life, and summers as a work at home Mom.

1. Business is not fractionally slower, it is DEAD.  I had mistakenly thought, that summer sales would be 33%, maybe 50% less than my sales tend so far for 2011.  This was NOT the case.  I found it is not a % less.  There seems to be a glass ceiling.  For instance, let's say my average sales in 2010 were $500/mo, and in summer went to $330. My business instincts were preparing for, if average sales were $1500/mo, that they would become $1000/mo.  When in reality....they were still $330 (numbers not exact, just explaining a point). So next year, instead of completely stressing out about it, and instead of having multiple failure sales and promos, just ride the wave...accept it will be slow and just "Let it Be".
2. See above.....so instead, the kids are home, let's have FUN!  At the beginning of summer, I had been freaking out hoping I could get the kids into camps, so I could work and keep the momentum going with the business. I pushed camp. Although my son enjoyed Lego Camp ($205), and my daughter loved Horse Camp ($245), they were both stressful.  The driving back and forth, the jealousy's, the MONEY.  Worse yet was me trying to pay for a Mon, Wed, Fri morning daycamp (Mom's day out type thing).  Sounded good, but at $90/week for just 9hrs, and no sales coming in, it was STRESSFUL.  It ended up costing me more than $90/wk, since the registration was $170 (all numbers are for both kids together, so $45/wk and $85/ea registration).  This daycamp lasted 3 weeks before I realized we couldn't afford it, and the kids were not enjoying it.  So in total we spent $890 to camp-ify summer.  And it could've been spent better. How???
3. DO Buy all the memberships you can get your hands on! We bought a membership to the waterpark at Little Creek.  It was $125 for the 3 of us, but would've been $15 a visit to go.  The kids love it there, and it is a fairly relaxing 2hrs whenever we go. We got a membership to the Virginia Aquarium for $150...this one is great for days we need to stay indoors BUT get out of the house. We haven't gotten the chance to buy a membership for the Virginia Zoo yet, but it is $75 for military families.  Also movies on base at Little Creek are $2/person. So with the $890 spent on camps for a total of 5 weeks, we could have gotten A waterpark, aquarium, zoo, and over 5 trips to the movies for just $500 (not to mention the beach is FREE)!!! We can also enjoy our YMCA membership during summer, kids using the interactive zone while I work out and just a swim in their pool...at $88/mo it is a bit...but even adding that in to the $500, we still come out cheaper than the camps.  Plus YMCA offers a free parents night out for members. And since we don't need to worry about business too much (see #1) then we could just sit back and enjoy. The kids will only be kids once!

At the Virginia Aquarium

YMCA Mt. Trashmore

Little Creek Water Park

Beach on Dam Neck military base

Happy Anniversary!!!!

Our 1st item sold!

Here we are at our 3rd Anniversary for LilacAve.  I like to tell people just starting out, how when I started LilacAve, my dream was to sell an 2 items a week.  I thought that would make me happy. since then, we've grown to be an income for my family, and that has been a huge gift and a reward. The journey has not been without challenges, but it has been quite a ride.  Cheers to continued growth and always raising the bar a little higher.

To celebrate making it this farm we have been celebrating!  Here is the last of the 3 celebrations!!!

GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Entering is super duper simple! Just post on this blog, your 3 favorite things about LilacAve. It could be a product, it could be something about the values of the company, it could be you like my hair....whatever.  Just name the 3 things you like best!  Tomorrow morning a winner will be picked, and they will get a FREE 3 month Scent of the Month membership!!!!

What is the Scent of the Month membership.  The 1st week of every month, you get to sample the scent of the month, by receiving:
(1) .6oz Soy Tart
(2) tea lights
(1) 1oz Body Butter
(1) 1oz Bath Salt

Who, What, Where, When, is the MCF Auction?

Back in Spring of 2008, I was a newbie on Etsy, and my bud Kristin, aka Moose Threads, convinced me to join an Etsy team of Military spouses. This team was so amazing. Not only did they give me business advice, but they were there for me while my husband was deployed.  I will never forget all our chats and fun and support.  We built long lasting friendships.  Some of these friendships so strong, that I have and they have gone out of their way for us to meet in person.  And with everyone I have met, we have talked non-stop for hours. Never had I been involved with a group so diverse in religion, backgrounds, politics etc, that were so respectful, and non-caddy in a group.
Well, as times change, so did that Etsy team.  So did we...as many of us now have sites off Etsy, no longer have shops, etc.  But we still have our friendships.  So recently we created a group on Facebook where we can chat and stay in touch.  This evolved to also include a business page, where we could help promote each other, whether our shops have their own websites, whether we sell predominantly on Facebook, or even if we just have some great stuff to share. 
To kick off this military friends page, we thought why not have an auction. So many of us do similar things on our business pages individually, that we thought having one as a group, and introducing our clientele to our favorite shops, would be fabulous!  I can vouch for every participant.  Not only are they fabulous artisans, but they are also some pretty awesome women!
I invite you to like our fan page.  And please attend the auction, sometime between 8pm and midnight EST tomorrow (Sunday).  Even if you don't bid (although bidding ends at midnight EST), please just come to see this fantastic sampling of items from this group.  You won't be sorry!!!!

MCF 1st EVER Auction
Sunday July 17th
8pm-Midnight EST
Direct Link http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=231464313550995

Some of the fabulous shops participating:
www.Facebook.com/LilacAve
www.Facebook.com/Memoriestoyou
www.Facebook.com/TwoSeasideBabes
www.Facebook.com/DancingBearsTeaHouse
www.Facebook.com/BadCatJewelry
www.Facebook.com/wanderingwhimsies
http://www.facebook.com/ReynaRed

5 Tips for Opening an Etsy Shop

Want to open an Etsy shop? Here are 5 tips to get you started. Etsians.....I'd love you to comment on any more tips you have!

#1. At least 30 items, but the more the better. I'm currently at 207, but when the bath line comes out, that may double. Think of it like if you walked into a store, would just a few items likely have exactly what you are looking for? What about if there was a whole table? A whole store?
Keep in mind this is not Ebay, where there is a ton of traffic and easy to sell, at cheap prices.
Having listings is MORE than just on an item of interest, get into your shop, and buy something totally different.

#2. List and/or renew regularly. By regularly, I mean daily. So when you are about to open, if you have 10 items to list, you may want to list 5 right away, and then list 1 item a day after that. Again, it puts you to the top of the search and gives a doorway to your shop.

#3. Photos are SUPER important. Remember you are selling a buying experience, not just the item. Etsy tends to like light colored backgrounds.Taking pictures in a place in your home that gets natural light, on a partly coudy day, is what works best for my camera. Some people need it really sunny, others need to actually go outside, some use a light box. With your camera turn the micro on (the flower sign), flash off, and take the photo. Use photo editing software and mess with the contrast and brightness until you feel it looks fresh. It doesn't cost money to use all 5 of the pics in your listing, so use them all if you like (closeups, side view, art photo).
I don't recommend a dark background, white, bright, or colored is best. Think of what you are selling, and the feel of your shop. Set the stage for that "feel".

#4. Have a facebook or twitter page for your business. Invite your friends and ask them to invite their friends. You can use it as a free prmotional tool when you list something new, want to have a sale, or whatever.


#5. When you can, product branding can help (i.e. avatars, logos, banner), you can still sell without it, but it does set the stage for your shop.

Why Buy Handmade?

to see details about this embroidery stitch or learn more about the movie Handmade Nation, click image.

I have been crafting for "business" for almost 3yrs now. I think I am so far entrenched in Handmade, Etsy, and small businesses that I think EVERYONE sees it like I do. Then I have to stop and remind myself, that not everyone knows what Etsy is, not everyone sees the modern version of handmade. So here are my thoughts.

I'm not saying I never shop at Walmart (although it does make my skin crawl) or that I don't love Target and other mass marketers. there is definitely things there that are not available from online handmade artists (Legos); And I know they rely on the dollars of patrons as well, but there is a huge differences.

#1. As a seller, I know this, and from all the sellers I am friends with, I know this....a sale can make our day. If you decided to go to Walmart and buy a purse, or a hat, or a candle...it probably is just a drop in the bucket. In ways it really would make no difference. There are many many sellers on Etsy (and other handmade venues) that when you buy an item in their shop, they jump up and down, they smile, they scream and shout, they tell all their friends "I MADE A SALE". We celebrate when we hit 100 sales, we celebrate at 500, 600, 1000. Every sale is appreciated. When I buy from a fellow handmade, small business entrepreneur, I'm not just getting an awesome, unique, well crafted item...I get the inner satisfaction of knowing that my buy brought happiness to the seller, and made a difference in their life. And I am not the only one...check out why this blogger loves buying handmade...especially LilacAve ;) http://www.differentshadesofgreen.com/2011/06/things-i-love-lilac-ave.html

BTW, this is not just for online handmade businesses.  Shop Local!!!  We want to support them.

#2. Customer Service. I mean really, these days, even in these hard times, I find decent customer service is hard to find. No one wants to thank you (if they do,l it is a not so sincere, monotone, scripted "Thank you, have a nice day"). Small businesses are obsessed with their businesses and making them work. Their thanks is a sincere "THANK YOU for choosing ME!". Usually their appreciation is shown in little touches of great customer service, like courteous replies, apologies when things go wrong, and the motivation to fix it, little gifts, handwritten notes, careful packaging.

Homefront Photography

I love photography and art. Sometimes I am lucky enough to snap a great photo....but I am no real photographer....that requires skill and study.

Another thing I really love, is the Etsy Homefront Team. This team is made up of spouses and significant others of members of the U.S. uniformed services, as well as military veterans. This team has not only been a huge support of me and my business, and my military life....but they are also inspiring artisans!

3 in particular are some of our pro photographers. All with different styles, but all touch you with the single snap of a photo. I have an art wall, and all but one photo is from this team. Here is the wall, containing photos from JrzyGirlPhotography, CreationsAnew, and LEvansPhotography.

The photo wall and Bear and Kitty (can you guess which is Bear and which is Kitty?)

The top right is from LEvansPhotography, the remaining all from JrzyGirl Photography

JrzyGirlPhotography

If you are a pet lover, you'll understand. They were there....they had to get photos take too!

I am remiss in that I have not hung my CreationsAnew photo yet, in this new house. But it is amongst my favorite photo EVER!!!! So it will be up very soon (still looking for the perfect frame...and it was lost in unpacking for a bit).

I also recently got this train photo for my Dad, who is an amateur photographer, and fascinated with trains! I LOVE the colors on this one!

I encourage you to discover these 3 shops! Also each of them does on location photos, so if you are in Germany, New Jersey, or Colorado...you are in luck!

Etsy Lessons for a Newbie (REVISED)

I wrote this over a year ago. I know that there was a good response to it, and thought I would update it and repost...just in case there are any new Etsians, trying to get their start.
First of all what is an Etsian? Etsian (et-c-ann): 1) an artisan (crafter) who has located the handmade site Etsy, and has grown obsessed with it. 2) an artisan (crafter) who has become intwined in a community of artisans (crafters) on www.etsy.com. 3) an artisan (crafter) who may at times get frustrated with getting their shop or business noticed on www.etsy.com .

Well, I started my first etsy shop, BubbaRye, on Etsy Feb 19th, 2008 (although my stats says earlier, this is when I became active). That shop closed in 2009 with 272 sales.

On July 11th, 2008, I officially opened my second shop Lilac Ave, which now has 370 sales. It was 100 times easier to get Lilac Ave up and running, knowing what I learned from opening the Bubba and Rye shop.

I am not claiming to be an expert, or an Etsy hot seller, but I do ok, and there are things I have found that worked. Here are those tips:

1. Your photos are so hugely important!!!!

I went to the critique section in the forums many times over and kept being told my photos were too dark. I tried EVERYTHING!!!! Finally these things ended up being the key for me:

- use the macro setting on your camera if your items are smaller It is the tulip shaped button on your camera.

- take your photos in natural light or in a light box. I do not mean in direct full sun, this will make a glare, and huge shadows. Try different places around your house until you find your sweet spot. However a light box can do wonders, and I recommend that for jewelry photos. Instructions to make one are available through and online search.

- If you don't have Adobe photoshop for photo editing, Picasa is a god send! Go to google and search for picasa. It is a free photo editing program by google and can make a fantastic difference. Maker sure to crop, and give "I'm feeling lucky" a whirl. You'll see a major difference.

2. Scream it from the rooftops!

Send out a Grand Opening email to everyone you know! Most will be very supportive, and even if they don't buy from you, they can talk about you to other people. Even their sheer knowledge that Etsy exists, can be a help. There is not a person, place, animal, rock, that I haven't talked to about Etsy. You'll find as the obsession grows this is a very easy task, and someone may tell you to shut it at some point.

I also make sure EVERY site I go onto has my shop in my signature, and EVERY email that goes out. You'd be surprised how many people click.

3. Be part of the Etsy Community.

Go to www.etsy.com , then go to community, and there are our forums, where so many questions can be answered and info by experienced sellers read. There is also a teams section. There may be a team for you. I am part of the Etsy Homefront Team, which is for military spouses. Not only are these teams a great support, but also help you attack promotion as a team, rather than by yourself. Together you can create treasuries to get noticed. Alot of times you team will help promote you too. This helps a lot since they may have a totally differnet pool of people to promote to.

4. Get your product seen.

This is best done by listing or renewing daily. This helps get your items to the top of the search category and getting new eyes on your product daily. I see it as an invitation to your shop. Having a Facebook fan page and a Twitter account, can also help you gear attention to new listings, sales, etc.

You also want to study your views and hearts. The most awesome tool is Majaba...Mah-who-ba? www.majaba.org (aka as Craftcult). It is a website to help you track views on items, to see how much your views increased after promoting.

In addition, there is also Google analytics. Look at "web analytics" on the left hand side of your shop page.

It's important to use these to see what is working. Is that ad you put on a website bringing in traffic. Did someone blog about you, and that is bringing traffic? Is your SEO bringing in views from google searches. Is renewing and promoting giving you a view bump?

As a sidenote...you can go to http://www.socialmention.com/ to see if anyone has blogged or talked about your shop in a social network.

Also if at some point you decide to promote via sale, try Saturday Night Specials...also known as SNS. This is a group of Etsians that promote in the promo section. Imagine 20-100 people all promoting the same promo thread. It is a good way to kind of have strength in number to help people find your sale. Here is info on SNS:

You can find the Frequently Asked Questions here

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6305201

And you can read more info in the Storque http://etsy.com/storque/section/thisHandmadeLife/article/etsy-community-projects-saturday-night-specials/1112/

5. The more the merrier.

In both shops business increased after I had more than 30 items in the shop. Even better after 50 items. Even better after 100 items! Why? Because your customers have choices. They feel like they are shopping and are sure about their purchase when they check out. I know this sounds unimportant, but it really does matter, it somehow gives the perception of established, professional business. Imagine if you walked into a boutique and there were 10 items for sale, how likely are you to buy, versus if you had 100 choices?

6. Get in touch Locally!

See if there are any craft shows in the area. Any shops that sell consignment or wholesale. Maybe even get a group of friends and their friends together for a home show. It's worth a try. Some of these work well and some don't, but no matter what, you are meeting people, learning, and making local connections.

I used to not heed this so much. But I was lucky enough to really get out there last year, and found that local business can attribute to 30% of my business. That's worth a try, isn't it?

All this info is for you to take in and digest, and spit back out the right formula for your shop. These are the things that have helped me, and will hopefully help in your Etsy business as well.

Etsy LOVE

So I just can't stop sharing! Here are some more favorites, I love to love!

I love the work at LevanPhotography. I own one print, and look forward to ordering more.

I have also bought from Wordboards, and cannot wait to buy one of her military "places" signs.

Nicole's Handmade Treats, has some incredible delights. I've bought granola, in the past, but this time I'm looking to get something much sweeter for my sweets for Valentines Day!

If you are a tea drinker, this is a fantastic place to get rich teas, with incredible flavor. Great for these chilly days of winter! DancingBearsTeaHouse is a favorite amongst my Etsy Homefront Team.

Last but not least, is CreationsAnew. Her shop has gorgeous nature photos, and many other treats for the eyes. I love her work!

Etsy Buys Put to Good Use!

So not only am I an Etsy seller, but also an Etsy buyer!!!

I wanted to share just a few things (of many) that I have gotten on Etsy that I love.

Originally I bought this wall sign from WordBoards for what would be my office, as a reminder that the simple 'big picture' in my life is incredible, and not to dwell on the small worries. Then we moved into this new house and it just looked so perfect in the kitchen, that I had to make plans for it to go in there. We don't have a hammer yet to hang it, but you see where we are going with it!

I bought this dish towel from FrayBabyBibsandMore with no idea how it would work. But I couldn't resist the awesome towel design, and the incredibly "my style" fabric. Well guess what??? My new kitchen is red, and even my new plates match the red, blue, and creamy yellow colors perfectly. I think it makes the kitchen look more home-y.When we moved from Hawaii we didn't know what to expect for the cooler temps here in Georgia. We bought a hat for my daughter, from TheYarnChick to prepare. Good thing we did, because waiting outside at the bus stop is chilly!!! And the added value that she looks absolutely adorable!There are MANY MANY more Etsy items I have purchased that I am in love with, and anxiously awaiting our house hold goods shipment in our new home, so I can have them to have and to hold again :)

Etsy LOVE

So there are many things I LOVE on Etsy. I can't buy it all. Some are for babies, which I no longer have (instead I have crazy grade schoolers). Some I have my eye on, and 1 day, WILL be mine....mu-ha-ha-ha! Some I've already bought similar and LOVED from the seller!
I'll be doing a little blog post to share, every so often. I hope you enjoy looking as much as I do, and I have a sneaking suspicion buying would be even better!
Enjoy!

These are the most wonderful aprons in JenHarruff's etsy shop. Figure flattering and in sophisticated prints. I love it! She also makes some incredible brooches.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE everything in this shop. BlueRoomGems has jewelry right up my alley!
I LOVE this line of flirty skirts from 1MaddieAndMe on Etsy. My daughter has 2, and I love them! High quality fabrics, easy to take on and off for my daughter, and a ton of fabric choices!

I got a towel set like this from MonsterBugBlankets and LOVE them! Want more!