Winner of The Full Catastrophe CD Giveaway!

We have a winner! There were 26 total entries, and I used www.Random.org to determine the winner: entry #5, Jenna Wood!

Thank you all so much for entering, and many thanks to Marc and Lauren of The Full Catastrophe for sharing their music and their time with us on Indie Pretty Projects. If you're ever in the Grand Rapids, MI or Midland, MI area, look them up to see where they're playing next!

Project: DIY - Make your own Vanilla Latte with syrup recipe

Vanilla is my favorite latte flavor. I almost always order it, the exception being the seasonal peppermint mocha or pumpkin spice latte. Making lattes at home is easier than I ever thought it could be, but that doesn't mean I won't go to the coffee shop for a treat from time to time. It's just nice to stay home and save money sometimes. With this technique, you can have homemade vanilla syrup in less than 5 minutes!

Vanilla Latte Recipe

A latte is a drink that is half espresso, half steamed milk. We are going to add to this recipe by creating homemade, vanilla syrup.

Vanilla Syrup
- 1 cup of water
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, moist
- small sauce pan
- air-tight container for storage

Split the vanilla bean in half and scrap out the seeds with a sharp knife. If you need to see a demonstration, view this vanilla bean splitting tutorial on YouTube.

Alternatively, you can cut the whole bean into segments, split the segments, and leave the seeds in the pod. Both methods will provide a great vanilla flavor.

Combine the sugar, water, and vanilla beans (or pod segments) in the small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, and watch how the sugar melts into the water.

Let it boil for a couple of minutes to really let the vanilla flavor out of the beans. You will be left with a clear mixture with seeds and/or pods floating in it.

This makes two cups of syrup; the extra syrup that you don't use today can be kept in an air-tight container such as a jar, tupperware, bottle, or even a clean soap pump if you want to store it like Starbucks does!

Espresso
For one latte, make 2 ounces of espresso with an espresso machine, or use 2 ounces of very bold blend coffee if you don't have an espresso machine. Steam 2 cups of milk on the stove or with a milk steamer nozzle on the espresso machine.

CoffeeGeek.com has a great tutorial on steaming milk on the stove and with a steaming wand.
Here is another guide to frothing on Coffee Geek.

Blend espresso, milk, and vanilla syrup together, using an ounce or two of syrup to your own liking. If there is any foam from the steam milk, you can spoon it out and put it on top of the drink.

This is a very basic, simplified guide to making your own lattes. There are a lot of great resources out there if you want to learn more about the world of self-brewed coffee.


Other recipe variants
Cappuchino: 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 milk foam (from steaming process)
Espresso Americano: espresso mixed with hot water; add ice cubes for a summer version
Mocha latte: same recipe as above, with chocolate syrup
Macchiotto: espresso topped with milk foam

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Guest Blog: 10 Key Ideas for Improving Your Online Sales

Bobbie from Etsy shop "A Vision to Remember" discussed recently in an Etsy forum post about how she was able to dramatically increase her online sales. Being a frequent visitor of business topics threads I have seen most of the tips sellers have to offer, but I found Bobbie's ideas to be a refreshing, honest, and practical change from the norm. I think that Bobbie has hit the nail on the head as to why many worthy shops are not selling, and if you find yourself in that position, the following tips are definitely worth your time to consider.

How to Promote Yourself (10 ideas)
By Bobbie of A Vision to Remember

I often see people asking why they don't have more sales. They have lovely shops so why are they not getting sales? I have found through selling (I have close to 350 sales to date in a little over a year) that laying a good foundation is the most important part of selling. If you have asked how can I get more sales, then maybe some of the information below will be helpful to you.


Selling anything is a work in progress.

It does not matter how long you have been selling online there is always something else you can do to improve your shop. I am constantly working on my tagging, descriptions, SEO (search engine optimization), and pictures. The more that I improve my shop, the more professional I become.

I also continue to become more effective creator. Six months ago it took me over 3 hours to make 1 car seat tent, today I can make one in 1 1/2 hours. Now I have more time to work online.

Just because you have listed a product does not mean it will sell.

Just because you have listed 5 products in your shop does not mean that they will sell. It takes continued work. Add more items, keep creating. Do not just sit and wait. Action is key.

Now don't get me wrong there are a few that have found success by not doing much at all but remember this is the exception NOT the rule.

Find your Target Audience.

Until recently I have blindly been promoting. I have not taken the time to research who I should be promoting to. I had not figured out a plan of attack. I often hear people saying that they are promoting for 8 hours a day and have had no sales. If this is you STOP! Do you know who you are trying to reach? Is what you are doing reaching those people?

In the last year I have been promoting on Etsy forums, in some yahoo groups, through my blog, others crafty blogs, facebook business page, and twitter (it is attached to my facebook page). These places have brought me a few sales, but am I really promoting where I should be? No I was not.

I specialize in BABY things mostly. I should be promoting in places that mommies will be. In the last few weeks I have been switching my presence to places that will be more efficient (hopefully). Time will definitely tell.


What is your Point of View?

I am a fan of "The Next Food Network Star" The thing that I hear from the judges the most is "What is your point of view?" The people that do well on that show are the ones that know where they are at and know where they are going.

For me my point of view is often changing. It is not always the same. Plus, there are a few items in my shop that don't fit with my main point of view, but that is ok. When you know your point of view, then you will also have a better idea of where to promote yourself.


Do you have a network?

We all have many different networks (work, family, friends), but do you have a network for selling? This includes your suppliers, your buyers and everyone in between. When you do a sale who do you tell? When you add a new item who do you tell? If you don't know then figure it out. This goes back to promoting blindly. If you don't know your network then who are you going to tell those important things to?

Also, keep track of your network and what is working for you and what is working against you. This is very important. We have all had friends that are more work then they are worth and we have had to let them go. Same thing with networking. If you have something that is taking to much from you and is not returning anything LET IT GO!

Do you promote wisely?

Now that you know your network and your target audience and point of view are you using all those things to promote wisely? If you only have 1 hour a day to promote do you know where that 1 hour is mostly wisely spent? You need to. This information can be found through your analytics. Track where most of your sales are coming from. Track where your hits are coming from. Then you will be able to promote wisely

Be current.

Make sure that you keep up with the most current trends. Your items, your promoting, your shop. All of those things need to stay current.

Know your weakness and make it a strength.

For me pictures are very difficult, writing is very difficult, as is telling people that I know what I do.

My pictures have definitely improved since beginning a year ago, but I know they can be 100 times better.

I know that my descriptions are not perfect. I often feel that they are mumbled jumbled, so I often go through and perfect them even more. Proof reading is very important.

I don't like to talk about myself. At all. I don't like bringing attention to myself... So telling people that I know that I make patterns, car seat tents, and rag quilts is very difficult for me.

The most important thing about figuring out your weakness is to figure out how to fix that weakness. I often consider having a real photographer take pictures of some of my items so that they will be better presented. Right now that is not in the budget but it definitely is an option.

I am a part of a few etsy teams and they have really helped me improve my descriptions and other parts of my shop that I am not really good at doing.

Etsy will not promote you

Etsy does do some promoting, but DO NOT expect Etsy to sell your products for you. There are so many sellers on Etsy that you will get buried and never found if you rely totally on Etsy to get you sales.

Sell something that people need.

There are other factors in play that are beyond your control: We all know what there are some things that are beyond our control. The economy is a big factor. Remember people are being wiser about their purchases. So sell the item to them. Make sure that people need your product.

In conclusion, if you follow these few principles then you will definitely see an improvement to your sales. Remember those first few sales are by far the hardest to get. To this day I am ecstatic with each new sale. Preserve and don't give up. Take a break if needed, but don't give up. 

***
Thanks to Bobbie for sharing this information with us at Indie Pretty Projects. If you would like to see the original forum thread with its discussion, click here.

See Bobbie's Etsy shop.
See Bobbie's blog.

See Bobbie's Facebook page.
See Bobbie's Twitter profile.

Sarah Darling's Theatrically Vintage-Themed DIY Wedding

Sarah Darling, owner of Etsy shop Darling Girl Designs, had an amazing wedding that many brides can only dream of. What makes this wedding even more special? It was a handmade, DIY wedding on a budget! Through a lot of hard work, creativity and inspiration, Sarah proved that it doesn't take tens of thousands of dollars to have a meaningful, gorgeous wedding that everyone is sure to remember. Sarah documented her wedding-planning journey in her own wedding blog, and was kind enough to share some of her photos and projects with us.

Indie Pretty Projects: How would you describe the visual style and/or theme of your wedding? What was your inspiration?
Sarah: I've always been one for drama and romance so we decided on a visually striking black and crimson colour scheme with some damask thrown in for fun. Our musical inspiration came from the greats like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and the Glen Miller Orchestra. We used a lot of candles, crystals and rose petals to amp up the romance factor and add to the overall ambiance of the hall. If I had to narrow it down to a specific theme I would say is was a “Swinging Soiree”.

How much of the wedding planning did you do yourself? Who was your biggest helper?

I planned the entire wedding myself, with Jeff being the biggest (and best helper). Our family and most of our bridal party lives over an hour away so it was up to me and Jeff to handle all the wedding tasks ourselves. Luckily, Jeff loved being involved and we were really able to have a wedding that truly reflected who we are because we were both so hands on.

What flowers were in your bouquet and bouts? 
My gorgeous bouquet was a mix of all red flowers. There were carnations, roses, anenomes, ranunculous and parrot tulips. Jeff's bout was a red rose and red carnation with some red feathers. All the other bouts had one red carnation and some red feathers. We went with simple carnations for the bouts because back in the 1940s (where a lot of our music came from) carnation bouts were the norm.

What elements of your wedding ceremony were handmade?

I designed and printed all the ceremony programs myself. I work in theatre so I designed them to look like old style playbills with a Synopsis (how we met), Cast of Characters (our bridal party) and the evening broken into Act 1 (the ceremony), Intermission (cocktail hour) and Act 2 (the reception).

I also sewed about 100 fabric handkerchiefs with a little note on them, “For your tears of joy, tears of laughter, tears of happily ever after”.

Jeff and I completely wrote the ceremony ourselves, including writing the vows together. We knew it would be an emotional moment and we were worried about not being able to really focus and listen to the vows so we shared them a couple weeks beforehand over a glass of wine. It was so special to hear the promises we were going to make to each other it gave us something more to look foward to.

What elements of your reception were handmade?

In the six months leading up to the wedding a  lot of time was spent DIYing elements for all parts of the wedding. In the reception I sewed all the damask table squares and runners, I made the table numbers and the menu cootie catchers. I made all the cupcake wrappers and the cake topper and designed and made all the wedding favours.

Was there anything included in your wedding that was handmade by another artist?

My flower fascinator – Custom designed by http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrepePaperCreations Cynthia is amazing, totally talented and an absolute sweetheart!
My veil - http://www.etsy.com/shop/MarlaJDesigns
Cufflinks for the groomsmen - http://www.etsy.com/shop/GrouseandBadger

al

Your vintage photo wall was amazing. How long did it take you to make it, and where did you find all of those frames?

My mom and dad actually made the photo wall for me. I live over an hour away from my parents so they didn't really get the chance to help with a lot of the wedding stuff until this project came along. I showed them a picture I found online and told them to do whatever they wanted to it. It took my dad about a week to construct, my mom had a great time checking out wallpaper stores and they both dug through vintage and consignment shops for all the awesome frames. The final product completely blew me away!

What did you include in your favors?

Our favours were red cotton tote bags with a silkscreen design that I designed and silkscreened onto the bags myself. To continue with the theatre theme the design was a big old fashioned ticket with all our wedding info as the show info. I loved handmaking so many things for the wedding because it made me feel so much more connected to the whole process and our guests could really tell everything was made with love and good energy.

 (DIY silkscreened tote bag tutorial - click here!)

Tell me about your wedding paper goods.

I designed all the paper goods myself and was very conscious of keeping them cohesive. The two main fonts I used for everything was Chopin Script (very swirly) and Market Deco (very blocky). I loved the contrast of the two fonts and thought they complemented each other very well.

Was your cake topper inspired by any pop culture reference, or was it all a product of your imagination?

My husband is a mechanical engineer and mentors high school students in robotics and I wanted to make some small part of the wedding totally about him...which is how the robot cake topper came into being. I actually used the base of my parents cake topper from their wedding and built the little robots from wooden pieces and painted them to look like robots. The huge grin on my husbands face when he saw it made all the work completely worth it.

(More about the handmade robot cake topper!)

(Damask cupcake wrapper tutorial)

What did you write in the Cootie Catchers?

I had 4 versions of cootie catchers at the wedding and each one had 8 fun and quirky questions about Jeff and I. In the middle was our menu so as the guests answered each question they revealed a little bit of the menu until the end when the entire meal was revealed. The best part was during the dancing portion when we had guests come up to us and say, “your favourite book is my favourite book!” or “I didn't know you said I love you” first. I think guests got a kick out of getting to know us more.

(See Sarah's selection of wedding Cootie Catchers on Etsy!)

Since you and your husband are both non-religious, what elements did you add to your ceremony to make it more personal and memorable?

Well first, it was very important to find an officiant who wasn't going to push their beliefs onto us or try to force us to follow any sort of conventions. After we found that officiant they emailed us a whole bunch of information and reading suggestions to help us plan. We wrote our vows together, which I think was very important and we pulled a lot of the material together from conversations that we had and promises that we had made in the past.

We got a little stuck on what we wanted for the readings portion of the wedding so we asked our friend to choose his own reading and surprise us with it at the wedding. It was a total surprise when he got up to platform and read, “Oh the Places You'll Go” by Dr. Seuss. It was a complete surprise and totally awesome. It got everyone laughing and made a moment I will never forget.

A lot of our family and friends are religious so for their benefit we had a groomsmen at the door of the ceremony holding our rings in a small bowl and asked our guests as they entered if they would like to hold our bands for a moment and say a prayer over them. It was our way to keep religion out of the ceremony, but not exclude our religious guests.

More DIY and tutorials from Sarah:
Handmade garter instructions 
Pearl ribbon necklace tutorial
Her DIY Tears of Joy basket

You can read more about Sarah and Jeff's gorgeous DIY wedding at her blog. Thanks so much to Sarah for taking the time to share her stories and projects with us!

Create Your Own ad tutorial on meylah.com

I came across this tutorial on Meylah.com for creating your own business web ads - great idea for those with a small budget or a DIY attitude! If you've given it a try, post a link to your new, self-made ad here in the comments to share with everyone else!

Tutorial on Meylah.com: How to Create an Ad For Your Business

Fabulous Freebies of the Week :: Graphics. Planners. Fonts. Organizers. Art.

I have spent a LOT of time scouring the web, trying to find the best and brightest in the handmade and design world. What have I found? Artists and indie business owners are generous. Check out my top freebie picks for the week:

Free Printable Card and Mailing Label Set from Create Comforts

Free candy packaging from design. wash. rinse. repeat.

2010 Top Ten by House of Three

"We want to help you 'plan with the END in mind'...in other words... this exercise is not specifically writing down GOALS... but more writing down, amd thinking WHERE you want to be in a year from now."

Miss Your Exit - a free font from KevinAndAmanda.com

Complete Blog Makeovers - by I Love My Blog Makeover

Get a free blog makeover. This isn't just a background or a template - in addition to the free background, these kits include accessories such as post dividers, section headers, sidebar buttons, and blog headers.

Free seed packets template downloads from Modish

Free printable art download - Irena Sophia art at IndieFixx.com

Free French Macaron Clip Art from The Pugly Pixel

June Artist of the Month - The Full Catastrophe: experimental indie rockers

 photo credit: Alicia Heximer

The Full Catastrophe seems to have exploded onto the Grand Rapids music scene over night. This once quirky, local cover band appears to have made the transition to an eclectic, musically-daring ensemble effortlessly; however, The Full Catastrophe has been in hot pursuit to share their music with the world, and as a self-made band, they are no stranger to hard work and endless hours perfecting their sound.

A recent Grand Rapids Press critics' pick for the best of Festival of the Arts 2010, The Full Catastrophe has been reaching new ears, gaining fans, and increasing in popularity since moving the band's home base from Midland Michigan, to Grand Rapids, MI. The band never turns down an opportunity to play, appearing in coffee shops, city festivals, bars, and wherever else a musical edge is needed. On top of that, they have just released their first album, Terra.

 Pictured here: Lauren Thomas, vocals; Marc Kelley, guitar. Photo credit: Kimberly McCray

Lauren Thomas is the lead vocalist, while Marc Kelley plays the guitar, keyboards, sequencing, and provides additional vocals. I recently had a chance to converse with Lauren about the band's journey from two kids who just loved music, to two innovative, highly talented recording and performance artists.
  

Ashley: How did your band come together?

Lauren: We started playing music together about 6 years ago and have been playing live for 3 years. We initially got together because we were both interested in music and thought it might be fun to get together and try some songs. We did some talent shows in high school together and after graduation we started playing in bars and coffee shops.

How would you describe your musical style? Is there a specific genre you would place yourselves in?

Experimental Indie Electronic Acoustic Post-Post Pop Punk Americana Garage Folk, also known as alternative.

Our musical style is based on electronic instrumentation and very vocal influenced. We have limited resources; we don’t have a full band but we do have electronic music programs that we can use so we base our sound on what can create. The cool thing is that while we've been using electronic sounds to make music for over 5 years, electronic music has become popular in modern music (Lady Gaga, MGMT). We didn't start doing electronic music because it was popular, we did it because it's what we were able to do and now it fits with modern music so we think that that's cool.

 photo credit: Alicia Heximer

Who are your biggest musical influences?

Vocally, I’m influenced by Gwen Stefani and KT Tunstall. When we record, I take over harmonies and background vocals and I think both artists are exceptional at harmonies so that’s what influences me.

As far as our music goes, influences are probably John Mellencamp, KT Tunstall, John Fogerty, Emmylou Harris; MGMT is our main influence over the electronic sound but we started doing electronic before we listened to them.

What are some musical styles that you have yet to try, but would like to?

We really want to do EVERYTHING and show that we’re capable of it. I don’t know if we’ve ever tried a genre and it didn’t work. For not having a full band it’s hard to do real rock songs but sometimes if we make the song our own, it works. We do have some country songs on our album because for a while we considered being country artists. We both like the older country. I’m really into Emmylou Harris. Modern country is really just pop nowadays so we could have done that but we sort of abandoned that idea when we decided to stick with our resources and make electronic music.

What is your song-writing process like? Is it a collaborative effort?

Marc wrote all the songs for our first album. He writes them and I record them and add vocal layers that I think fit. It’s fun to just mess around and try new things. For our next album, though, we are for the first time writing together.

What are your long-term plans for your band?

Right now we’re really just taking everything a step at a time. We want to do music professionally but we know we have a long way to go and we prefer to take the time to perfect what we’re doing before trying to prove ourselves. We’re working on getting the album out and generating some buzz. Eventually we’d like to move to Nashville or another music-based city to expand our fan following. The main plan is just to do music for a living; to write, perform, tour – that’s pretty much all we’ve ever planned on doing.

Photo credit: Kimberly McCray

If you could perform live with any artists, who would it be?

Marc: Paul McCartney, John Mellencamp
Lauren: I agree with Marc but I’ve also made it a lifetime goal to sing with Celine. I would totally be downstaged by her but I would definitely die happy.

For other bands out there trying to make it, how would you suggest you approach venues to get them to let you play?

If you’re trying to get into your local bars, restaurants, coffee shops, etc., what you need is a guaranteed fan base. Most places like this generally just want to know that you’re going to be bringing the people in. We have a ReverbNation page which keeps track of your fans, your song plays, page views, etc and all that adds up to your rank on the charts. Having a good page like this shows venues that you have fans and that you are capable of bringing people in and entertaining their crowd.

 photo credit: Alicia Heximer

Which marketing tool has been most effective for you?

Demo CDs, and my dad because somehow he can get us booked most of the time. I don’t know how he does it.

Where are some places that you have played over the years?

The coolest place we’ve played was Mackinaw Island. We’ve generally played in the tri-city area of Michigan and in Grand Rapids, MI.

Do you have any up-coming shows?
We are playing in a couple of art festivals this summer in Midland, MI and Grand Rapids, MI

 
Where are some places that people can find the Full Catastrophe online?

• You can find The Full Catastrophe at www.fullcatastrophe.net
• www.reverbnation.com/fullcatastrophe - here you can listen to and purchase downloads of the album songs.
• www.myspace.com/fullcatastrophe
• Facebook – here you can become a fan and stay updated with our show schedule and other news
• On last.fm
• www.youtube.com/fullcatastrophe - we have a music video and some other short videos we’ve done to promote the band

The Usefulness of Business Cards for Online Business Owners

Business cards - are they even useful anymore? In the age of the internet, this question is recently being debated. Many people say that when they see something they like online, they bookmark it. When a friend wants to know where something was purchased, a link is forwarded; however, business cards are still useful in many social situations.

When talking about your business to people face-to-face, it is easy to simply hand over a business card. A business card is still the most professional way to present your business, in a way that a URL link can never compete with. Additionally, business cards can connect with the brand image you are trying to build, in the form of a logo or an overall design.

Make your business cards useful - the visual aesthetic can be powerful

For example, your shop theme can be continued on your business card, so make sure they match! Is your business aesthetic shabby chic, modern, or industrial? Is it simple or flourished? If your business card does not match your online shop, people will wonder if they are at the right website when they look you up.

Finally, when people order from your shop first and then you send them a business card and packaging materials, they should match your website to further the consistency of your brand image.

Thomas Milkovic, Creative Director & Author of BRANDING TO THE POWER OF 5, gives the following advice about creating business cards on his website. Follow these guidelines to make the most of your business cards

1. Your business cards should match the look of your Web site.2. Highlight the benefit your product or service provides to customers (a photo or illustration of your product(s) on the backside of the business card can do this).
3. The Web Address should be clearly separated from the other information.4. Use a professional email address.5. Use the area code of your phone number.6. Use a separate fax number.
7. Show a physical address only if customers will be visiting your retail store and/or if you have a physical office space.8. Be specific with titles. (Be clear and recognizable - don't be silly)
9. Avoid glossy cards (Milkovic argues that these give off a cheap impression and cost more, too;however, this is debatable).

Business cards don't have to be flashy, should never be busy, and should not only construe the value that you  provide your customers with, but also, should connect you to your logo and online presence. While a website bookmark or emailed link may be convenient and commonplace, the social value of a business card has yet to be replaced.

Time Management Tips and Tools from a Momtrepreneur

Get Organized Gift Set - Almost Done To Do List and Mini Memo Sticky Notes

Do you ever feel like the minutes are slipping away faster every day? Like there just isn't enough time, and you become further and further behind? That's how I've felt lately. Luckily, when I asked for time management advice, Zoe Rooney, owner of A Quick Study on Etsy, emailed me within minutes. This I loved, and her promptness immediately made me want to take her advice. There are actually people out there so organized that they can respond so quickly!

Zoe is a self-described list-maker, which she says is, “one part of my strategy.” A browse through her shop itself inspires me to make lists - it’s full of convenient planners and to-do lists.

Amazing Time-Saving Weekly Planner, To Do List Printable PDF

Zoe, like me, is a mother of an infant, and she made an excellent point: before baby, it’s easy to remember everything. After having a baby, it’s really important to write things down! “If it isn’t written down, it might not happen,” - is that ever the truth!

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New mom? This will come in handy! Baby Log Printable PDF

Next, Zoe recommends making use of technology to stay organized. Zoe says that she uses iPhone apps for convenience, but for people like me who don’t have an iPhone, you can just use the regular applications. Paying bills online, using an RSS feed to keep up with your blogs and sites rather than visiting individually, are already great time savers, but especially on iPhone with its portability, a lot can be done in a short amount of time with technology.

Finally, Zoe says to just, “get things done.” Simple, true, and obvious, yet it is the one tactic that gets overlooked. Often times when I have a free moment, I want to just relax, and I will do what needs to be done later. Zoe actually recommends the opposite: when you have a free minute, do something that you know will only take 2 minutes or less. “Don’t write it down,” she says. “Just do it and it will be done.”

Pretty Scalloped Household Chores Scheduler - Printable PDF

Wanted: Summer Sunshine Giveaway Week Sponsors

Bright in time for Summer: Yellow Lace Stationery Set

Don't you just love giveaways? I do, especially if they are handmade! In early April, Indie Pretty Projects hosted the Spring 2010 Week of Giveaways to celebrate the arrival of Spring, and at the end of June, we'll be celebrating the Summer Solstice with another week of giveaways highlighting the beauty, quality, and uniqueness that is handmade.

Indie Pretty Projects is now looking for lovely online shops that would like to participate in the Summer Sunshine Giveaway Week. The prize and prize value will be up to you. During the last giveaway week, we had almost 500 entries and created quite a buzz! I promote these giveaways relentlessly, hoping to bring as much attention as possible to shops and artists.

If you are interested in sponsoring a giveaway for the Summer Sunshine Giveaway Week, please contact me by any of the following methods:

• Leave a comment to this blog post
• Email me at Ashley@IndiePretty.com
• Convo me at my Etsy account, AshleyPahl

A wonderful Memorial Day Weekend

Hello! I accidentally disappeared over the long weekend - I thought I would have better internet access, but alas, could not connect well.We went back to our hometown, visited our parents, and introduced our youngest to many relatives who had yet to meet her. There was something to do every day - visiting parks, having cookouts, bon fires, playing in the garden, taking my mom out for a pseudo-bachelorette party and my sister out for her Sweet Sixteen.

Now that I'm back, I have so many great articles and features to post this week, such as:

A cool shop of the week featuring amazing packaging supplies
Time management tips from an experienced web designer, Etsy shop owner, mother, and career woman
A shop found via pounce that creates amazing glass jewelry
A taste of color on Friday, featuring gorgeous coral finds for summer
plus more!

I hope you all were able to take a break over the long weekend - did anyone do anything fun?