COULDA WOULDA SHOULDA

Well, I made it through my first holiday season with Pine & Boon! Thank you to all my lovely customers and partners for supporting my small business!  While, I am celebrating the success, I also am so happy to have learned so much.  Let me explain... I felt fairly relaxed in November, since I was out of town for Thanksgiving, and did not offer any promotions because of it. I am still recovering from moving my living space and studio in November as well. Then, there was a big restock order that I completely unexpected. Now, I am writing this having just cried for dropping an order in the mail slot at the post office without a stamp. I literally shed blood AND tears for these orders.  I stayed up until 2am last night, and boy did I learn a few things.  I thought I would share the following tips for other makers and customers who want to know what it is really like to be a maker.

Holiday Survival Tips for the Small Creative Business

1.  Remind customers of your shipping polices.  Trying to rush for a few customers quickly turns into a big mess....like losing an order to the post office gods.  Currently, I state on my website every item is made to order and ships out in 5-7 business days.  However, I have never taken that long to ship an order.  But in times like this, sticking to my policy is much needed.  Be clear about order deadlines, and even communicate to stockists re-stock order deadlines for around the holidays.

2.  Do not stay up late working on orders.  This may be okay for makers who paint or make jewelry, but my work is a little hazardous at times.  I use a lot of hammers, razor blades, and a very strong industrial sewing machine.  I sliced through half of my finger with a razor blade, and punched a major hole in the tip of my other finger.  I am typing this very slowly....

3.  Stay on top of supply and material orders.  This can be hard to do if you do not have a a steady cash flow. Twice my  leather supplier messed up my order.  Keep priority mail boxes on hand around the holidays, sometimes the post office runs out.  Change my December order deadline to the 5th, not the 19th.

4.  Get help and prepare stock.  Think about training a holiday intern and get a supply of stock ready and ship orders.   Also, prepare coupons and PR to stuff in each order.  I may not be fast, but I can be generous.

5.  Re-think my designs to make them more efficient.  How can I be more realistic about production but also keep my design aesthetic?

6.  Sacrifices will have to happen, but remember to take at least 5 minutes to meditate and do a little yoga every day. Nothing is worth not taking care of yourself.

DOMESTIC BOON

Yikes!  I have been neglecting the blog.  I am in the middle of moving so that means my free time is spent working on our house and moving boxes.  We are working wonders with paint in the kitchen right now so I thought I would share some kitchen inspiration.

+enamel coffee pot  +ceiling light (similar here)  +house rubbish bin   +yellow mini cocotte

You may have noticed this napkin set snuck into my shop last month.  This hand painted napkin comes in a set of two.  This would make a great hostess gift for all the upcoming holiday dinners and parties you are looking forward to.

PREVIEW + GIVEAWAY

In January, I plan to launch a new selection of colors for some of my bags.  I have a very special launch lined up with one of my favorite online retailers that is full of wonderful independent makers.  Save up your holiday monetary gifts to treat yourself!  Be sure to like Pine & Boon on facebook and follow my personal Instagram for instant details when the time comes.  For now, this is a special preview of the Dot pouch in Electric Blue to match the Electric Blue Suede Tote.

The Bright Side Project is giving away this blue pouch to one lucky follower.  Enter to win here:  http://thebrightsideproject.com/giveaway-pine-boon/

Good luck!

NEW DAYS

This year, I have made an intention of exploring new experiences based on my interests.  This may seem like a simple concept to many of you...but not for myself. I am a passive person, so it is easy to lose balance in this area.  I realized I was not doing much I thought was fun.  I tend to work work work and then just forget what I like to do during my free time.  Foraging and gardening is something that has always sparked my interest.  I love being outside, I love eating good food, and I love learning new things.  Yeah yeah, this is super trendy right now.  But really, why should we not learn how to grow and gather our own food?  Why should we not spend more time outside and learning from other human beings about Mother Earth?  More time away from the screens please!  So...I went to the Mycological Society's Annual Wild Mushroom Show.  There were a ton of people.  Hence the somewhat blurry photos from being bumped and squished by the crowd.

Speaking of doing what you love...mushroom dyeing....next on my list.

SCRAPPY

You may have noticed new necklaces slowly appearing in the shop....I made these leather and fimo clay pieces with no hardware or clasps for extra comfort.  These days I am all about comfort and practicality.  These pieces are lightweight and will not snag on any of your sweaters. Everything can fit over your head easily.  These are great statement pieces to add interest to a casual outfit or a plain dress.

    CRESCENT NECKLACE                                                                          LEATHER TAG NECKLACE (more colors)

    LEOPARD NECKLACE

LOOKBOOK F/W13

Yay so happy!  I have so many more beautiful photos that I will keep sharing as time goes on.  Thank you Cristie for making this happen.

PENDING

I am a little late to release a lookbook for fall....but I will anyway....I am still working on getting a layout to work with my website.  This has proved to be VERY challenging.  The template I use is not updated to support a slideshow, so I now need to be creative and display the images a different way. Be patient, it will come!  Better late than never right?

(photo by:  Cristie Schrader)