Jan
7
Coaster Bonanza
Filed Under crafts, orange room shop, sewing
So the first things I’ve been working on for my Etsy store are coasters. Waaaay back in April of last year, I made my friend Maggie some coasters for her birthday. It was the subject of my very first post on this blog. I loved those coasters, and I decided that would be a good thing for me to make. But I wanted to speed up the process and do some cleaner, simpler designs to start with. So I’ve been working on all kinds of color variations and patterns, and these six are the first successful batch of combinations I’ve made. I’m really excited about them, and I’m becoming a little obsessed with coasters. They’re incredibly satisfying to make because they’re so quick, and they let me try different fabric combinations without the commitment of a big project.
So I’m sure I will be making more combinations, especially since I have limited yardage on some of these fabrics and may run out if people actually buy them. But I like this set of six designs to start. I’ll be selling them as groups of 4 for each design, but I’ve only made samples to start. I’ll be making most things to order at first, just so that I don’t risk having a houseful of made objects that no one buys. If there’s an interest, then I can start to make more ahead of time.
Adam is going to help me with the photos for all my items since he’s brilliant with a camera. I’ve decided that I want 5 items (coasters, baby blankets, etc.) to start, and I want them available in different color combinations. I won’t make samples of all the combinations, I did that for the coasters because they’re so small and it was so quick. And I want to have things up and running in my store by my birthday. February 10th. Sooner if I get everything together, but definitely by then.
Jan
6
I don’t think I’ve emphasized this enough in the past, but I really love shopping online. REALLY. LOVE. SHOPPING. ONLINE. I have never liked crowds much. I do everything in my power to avoid malls, I know what size I wear for all my favorite stores so I can shop in my PJs, and our Amazon Prime account gets a serious year-round workout. I feel like the UPS and FedEx guys are family at this point. And when the cold weather sets in I spend as much time in my pajamas as possible. Let’s face it, that’s true no matter what the weather is like. That’s why I was so devastated when my laptop broke in September. How would I get through the holiday shopping season without hot chocolate, the couch, and my laptop? It was rough, but I muddled through (and now can get extremely excited about my new netbook).
So I don’t feel too ridiculous to say that since we moved from Hoboken to the Jersey Shore in November 2007, there was always a piece of me that was unfulfilled. I never felt fully and completely at home down here, as much as I love our house and the area. The reason for this is that when we moved I had to give up Fresh Direct.
Let me say that again so it sinks in (sorry, folks-I’m listening to Aretha and feel the need to testify). I had to give up Fresh Direct *gasps and fainting*.
I didn’t know life could be that good. Combining my love of online shopping with my total contempt for crowded stores was the perfect storm. I personally feel that the ability to order groceries from one’s computer and have them delivered straight to your door is the crowning achievement in all of human history. Forget flight or the Human Genome Project. I hate grocery shopping. I have always hated grocery shopping, even as a kid when my mother would send me to the Shop-Rite across the street for milk and bread. As soon as I was hold enough to cross the street alone I took over my older brother’s role of grocery gopher. Blue-haired ladies armed with coupons, poor eyesight, and fierce cases of Cart Rage scarred me for life. I had to dodge and weave through cart traffic jams (we stop people from driving cars at a certain point but not shopping carts?!). And I spent what felt like an interminable part of my childhood on line waiting for pennies to be counted and coupon fine print to be haggled over. So it’s not surprising that even as an adult I break into a cold sweat if I’m in a crowded grocery store.
So leaving Fresh Direct behind was a Big Deal. After 3 years of delivery bliss I had to go back to the store. Then a few weeks ago we discovered that Peapod, Stop N Shop’s delivery service, was FINALLY available in our neighborhood! I almost cried, it was like a Christmas miracle. So tonight, while in my PJs, I got my second glorious Peapod delivery. My only issue is that they deliver in plastic bags; I have an arsenal of reuseable bags, and Fresh Direct always delivered in cardboard boxes that we tried to reuse. That’s a lot of waste that will depress me a little.
But I’ll get over it.
I think I’m gonna like it here.
Jan
5
Today was my first day back after 2 glorious weeks off, and I’m exhausted! It was great to be back, see the kids, and set all my plans in motion for the 2nd half of the year. But I fell asleep on the couch for almost 3 hours when I got home, I was so tired. So there went all my productive plans for the rest of the day.
But it is a great new year, and I have lots of great lesson plans, books to review, crafts to make, things to cook, and things to sell in the upcoming months. I’m working on some winter-themed lessons with pre-k, and this month I’m doing a Laura Numeroff author study with kindergarten. And I have to track down my big book order for the year. It was placed in November and still hasn’t come, and I would love to get my hands on those books for displays, book talks, and lessons. So many things are happening around here these days, but for now I’ve just got to get some sleep!
Jan
4
Everywhere I look these days I see fabric in prints that I’m in love with. These prints are sparking tons of ideas and inspiration, and they’re also sparking a little bit of depression because there’s no way I can buy them all. But little by little, I would love to start getting some of these.
I want Lizzy House’s Set the Table fabric from her Lizzy Dish collection in every single colorway. Yes, I do.
I just bought the last 2 yards of this 2D Zoo print from Alexander Henry on Bee Square Fabrics. When stock is running low in my favorite shops I try to just grab it when I see it. I have learned the hard way that fabrics I’m in love with sometimes sell out everywhere before I can get more.
Another Alexander Henry print, I love love love Traffic Jam.
I’ve also really been into Michael Miller prints lately, like this Kids Cut-Ups…
…and this Word Search.
Jan
3
Making Arancini
Filed Under food
In my New Year’s quest to try cooking new and interesting things, I made arancini for dinner last night. I’ve made risotto before, although not for a couple of years. But I’ve never tried these deep fried risotto balls. Quite frankly, deep frying terrifies me. But last night I got brave, and Adam helped me with the frying.
I used Emeril’s recipe, which was delicious but imperfect. We heated the oil to his suggested temperature, and the first balls burned almost right away.
And 2 minutes is not long enough to heat these through and melt the cheese inside (as witnessed in the photo at right). So we tweaked and finally got these good looking balls in the photo at left, which I served covered in my tomato sauce.