Marketing Op!

I have been wringing my brain clean of any sort of ideas trying to figure out what the most effective method of marketing is going to be to get my blankets "out there" in the public eye. I can't afford to pay for the site right now and I can't afford to print up 100's of brochures to hand out and I don't have enough samples (ok I have ZERO samples right now) to take to boutiques and such. What a dilemma. What a frustrating dilemma. Then I realize - this is going to take some time. Breathe. That is one of the most important things when starting a new venture - take your time. Things are not going to happen overnight. Evaluate what you're going to do and where you want to go and set a REALISTIC goal. Without realistic goals (and realistic is absolutely the key word here) there is no use in going forward because you will fail. There is no doubt in my mind - frustration makes everyone just want to throw in the towel... but don't do it. Keep forging ahead. (wise words of the day alert!)

So, I stopped thinking about marketing and started focusing on making blankets. How can you market if you have no product? Yeah. That's what I said to - you can't. It's impossible. What are you going to sell to people - an idea? Ideas don't get you very far when you're manufacturing something to sell. Brilliant me coming out now.... Marketing AFTER product. Check. And then I open Lucian's backpack....

On February 10th there is a silent auction happening at his school. Apparently it's like this big deal. People donate a shitload of stuff to make up these baskets for people to bid on. My Business hat IMMEDIATELY goes on and I email the organizer - HollyJo. I ask if I can put my cards attached to the blankets and donate them to the auction. She's ecstatic and tells me "YES! Of course! If you want, you can set up a little stand with samples or a booklet and a bunch of your cards!" I almost pass out. COOL! I mean, it's a small thing, but it will at least get my blankets (which totally rock) out there in the public eye... Women who know women who have babies (I don't know any of those women - You need to leave the house to know women who have babies!). So I'm rockin' and rollin' and need to make 5 blankets in 8 days. *gulp*

I started on the cutest blanket last night. I think I'm going to call it the "Patsy blanket" because Sean said "you know - some people probably would want cutesy blankets. Baby-looking ones."

To which I am staring at my minky swirl and pink zebra fur block blanket back and say "what do you mean? This is totally cute!"

His reply "yeah. It's cute. But not everyone wants their baby walking around dressing like Pat Benetar."

*rolling eyes* Then I laughed. Where does he come up with this crap? That's why I love him. FUNNY...

So the "Patsy" blankets are born. I'll post a picture of the finished sample product (that I'll donate for 95% a good cause - 5% selfishness to get my stuff out there!).

I realize that you have to start somewhere. Start small. Work your way up. I LITERALLY just started making these blankets and I'm already getting myself in deep emotionally. Which is great. But I need to understand that stepping back and taking it a little slowly is how to go. If I don't, I'm going to get burned out quickly and I don't want that. I still have my other products to make (unrelated to this venture) and it's time consuming. Focus. Re-Group. Take one step at a time. The product is the most important thing right now. One step at a time.

But that's not my style. If I do something I jump in and jump in the deep end - HARD. I immerse myself into everything that I do and I need to be the best at it. Childhood trauma I suppose. Feelings of inadequacy seeping through. But... the upside of it is that it makes me work harder and be the best I can be at everything I do. Failure is not an option. :)

Until Next Time...

Samples & Sewing

I'm getting the samples done to photograph and put online. My site won't be done until probably more towards the end of the year, but that's ok. That gives me plenty of time to sew sew sew. I have to say, I think that I have finally found my passion. Creating these things really gives me a creative outlet and I just totally love it. It really makes up for all of the things that I was told I couldn't do while growing up... It's therapy of sorts. I recommend it to everyone and anyone that needs something more in their lives... find an outlet and go with it. Whether it is fishing, hunting, sewing, reading, speaking to crowds, volunteering at a shelter - anything that you're good at - do it and do it often. You'll be surprised at how fulfilled you are after you do something that YOU love - not something that someone else WANTS you to love. Ignore any naysayers because you need to make you happy before you can truly live life to the fullest. (Wise words of the day alert)...

I was so inspired this weekend by family and good times. I felt revived and refreshed. We sat around and played Monopoly until 11 (it's unheard of that Lucian stay up that late but he was a trooper and played "big people" monopoly with us!). I should have taken pictures but didn't. Horrible, I know. But it was a blast.

Sunday I woke up at 6:30 and immediately started working on some projects. It took me all day (mainly because I had to figure and re-figure measurements - anyone who knows me knows that math is NOT my strong suit...), but I made a gorgeous blanket for our friends' newborn and I absolutely STINKIN LOVE IT. I almost don't want to give it up. But... I must. I just want to carry it around with me and look at it. It's THAT cute. It's going to DEFINITELY be in my line of blankets.






I found a new way to organize myself.

Writing things down. Go figure! Who'd have thunk it? If you write something down, it's amazing what you can accomplish because it's solid. It's there. Staring at you saying "you lazy thing! You can never get me done... Or can you?" And guess what? I scream back "oh yes I can!" and Voila! Stuff gets done. Amazing.

I have set goals.

By the end of the year, I am going to have my site up and fully functional chock full of handcrafted items made by me and other Mom-preneurs (I LOVE that word)

I am going to have stock of fabric and designs for pre-designs and customs ready
I will have learned how to use my embroidery machine (received 1/16/09) by February 15
I will be turning a profit on my custom items by March (or before, but March is practical)
I will also, by March 30th learn more advanced sewing techniques to better enhance my projects
By 2011, I will be designing clothing
By 2012, I will have others manufacturing my items for me

Oh, and did I mention that I wanted to quit my job by the end of the year too? That might be a good one to mention!

Hefty goals you say? Yeah. But it's possible. VERY possible. Even with working a full time job on top of it. I'm strong. I can do anything.

I am woman. Hear me roar.

Inspiration & Easy Bake

I SO need some inspiration today. I'm working and up to my eyeballs in paperwork wishing that I were at home designing and sewing. I worked on my cut sheet this morning to send to a couple of websites to sell on (I needed a break from accounting) and think that I have it perfected. I keep leaning towards whimisical designs for the blankets and pillows and I think that I have an overabundance of ideas that it's hard to corral them all in. So... I need inspiration to lift my spirits and get moving. I found this photo and I laughed so... I'm getting to feeling a little better.




But still... I want to be at home with my Singer alone with Charlotte Kendrick and Priscilla Ahn just singing and dancing around with thread flowing from my earlobes rolling in tons of fabric.

*slap*

I had to get back to reality here. I took about 10 minutes also to edit some photos from when the Boy and I baked some "delicious" cookies with his Easy Bake oven that Granny got him for Christmas. After choking down about 1/8 of one, I insisted that Lucian eat his creation so that he could indulge MORE of the delicious-ness! He asked me to try some with chocolate on it, so of course I did. What are good moms for? Eating yucki-ness to appease our children's creativity. So, for the sake of creativity... mmmmm.



This great memory made me smile too... The inspiration is coming to me...Based on good memories and funny times... The instructions sort of baffled me... Add 1/4 teaspoon of water? To an ENTIRE packet of powder? Uhhh... ok...? So I did it and it was interesting, to say the least. You had to squish it all together to get this tiny amount of water to soak up. Rather humorous actually. Hey, saved me some eggs I guess!



The Budding Photographer... I happen to LOVE Lucian's Photos...So innocent and pure!



The finished product...

I might add... that I had to literally CHISEL these cookies out of the little pans... Yes. I said CHISEL...


and how can we forget with CHOCOLATE??! uhhh...mmmm?




Note to self - get curtains in breakfast area...

It's the start of a new Era!

That's it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to start blogging and no one can stop me. Not even a herd of wild Elephants... Ok. MAYBE a herd of elephants, but CERTAINLY not... LIFE! Which, by chance, can be like a herd of elephants, but I digress.

I am excited about this little blogging venture. I'm determined to quit my day job and start sewing for a living. But for now, this job is what pays the bills, and in hard economic times, it's difficult to justify quitting a perfectly good job that pays pretty well to go into a venture that, let's face it, needs to have financial backing before it gets kicked off. But once it's up and running - you'll LOVE what I have to offer! I'm so excited to be able to start designing and sewing and just loving what I do! Let's face it, not everyone can do that. I do like my job, but it's boring. I want something to do that challenges me and Sedilu WILL challenge me.

One of these days I'm going to be living the dream - one of the luckiest women on the planet! It's all about remaining positive! And I'll need some positive thoughts and inspiration... So, please feel free to post things that YOU feel are inspirational. Everyone needs a little help once in a while!

However, I am determined not to let anything, and I mean anything, deter me. I started writing about my little venture in November but had not posted anything. It's due time my dears. Due time.

I will be posting pictures and dialogue documenting for all to read. I hope that I can be inspirational and allow for all to follow the dawn of the newest Era - Sedilu... Bringing you handcrafted baby and kid items designed by none other than *drumroll please*

ME!

And so it begins...

PS - here we are... :)

This is my soon to be "step-daughter" Kourtnee, me and my son Lucian (aren't those kids good lookin'?)



This is Me and an AMAZING Man Sean (the "se" in Sedilu). I just love him!




Then, it's TAYLOR who's a 15 year old boy with a lot of spunk... He wasn't with us on Thanksgiving when we look the other photos... so he's separate. I spared the gory deer that he's holding that he shot (I'm sorry. They hunt! I can't stop the boys from doing it! I just do my thing while they're out - it's peace and quiet!)



Last but not least... me, Dinnetta, the "di" in Sedilu, and Lucian (the "lu") aka "the Boy". He'll be called that often in this blog. :)