…to fill in the gaps when you just can’t find a “sorry your plant died” card, for example.

Happy Monday! How was your weekend?

First up is the 3rd DIY Bride Workshop and my second time participating in it. It is a really fun event for girls to get together, drink a little wine, and learn about weddings. What I love about this event is that it’s not a sales pitch – it really is just time to sit down with wedding professionals who know their stuff and ask the million questions you probably have running through your head :-) Here’s what they say about it.

Do-it-Yourself Wedding Workshop

Thursday March, 1st from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM

Just engaged and don’t know where to start? Crafty, but not sure which way to take your design?

Learn from industry experts how to plan and design the Charleston wedding of your dreams, make your event eco-friendly and stay on budget!

Learn how to create a wedding budget and what to expect during your planning process. Get valuable consultation time in an intimate group
setting with local experts.

Learn what questions to ask as you shop for vendors, the range of prices to expect in this area for each service and ways to save in each category.

Get ready, because this is NO bridal show. Be prepared to be inspired!

Click here to visit the registration page.

Lowcountry Artist Market

Saturday, March 3rd, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

This is the event that started it all for me. In a very literal sense. I was so lucky to have been at the very first Artist Market all the way back in May of 2010 and I was a nervous wreck (see the craft show booth I ended up with though, I still love it!).

It was the first time I had shown any of my stationery personally. I had dabbled in putting it in an Etsy shop for a few months, but I’d never stood there next to it and said, I am a stationer. It was a terrifying but empowering experience, and the fact that this event is full of such amazing talent makes it a real honor!

So anyway, it’s hard to believe it’s been almost two years since the first time I participated. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it! The calibre of awesome handmade goods at this event is out of this world. You can find the list on the Lowcountry Artist Market blog.

And it’s not only the vendors. The customers are pretty awesome too – it’s how I met Jessica of Learning.Loves.Life as a matter of fact!

So since next week / weekend is jam packed, I’m kind of excited to lay low this weekend. What your plans? Happy weekend!

It’s called the Little Printer. And it’s freaking adorable.

It’s this little tiny printer that prints kind of like a receipt tape, and you can schedule it to print updates from your feeds (like Facebook, Twitter), the weather, etc. You can print it on demand or you can tell it to print you a daily update of your choosing at certain times of day. It’s like a personal stock ticker! :-)

And it looks like a friendly little face. He could be an office buddy.

I love that it allows you to be engaged while giving you a way to rest your eyes from the computer. And if you’re wondering about eco-friendliness, the paper is recycled, so that’s another plus.

Here’s the video:

Hello Little Printer, available 2012 from BERG on Vimeo.

What do you think? It’s not on the market yet, so not sure how much it is, but I thought it was a pretty fun, unique little gizmo to share! And plus they say on their website, “Graphic design is at the heart of everything Little Printer delivers, making the most of connectivity and print combined.” So you know I had to share!

Happy Wednesday! We’re halfway there! :-)

For someone with the voice of a 6 year old (if you’ve never heard my voice, I’m really not exaggerating, I wish I were), I love to sing even though it sounds kind of silly. Well, very silly. There’s just something about losing myself in my favorite music that makes me so much better able to get into a crazy web coding vortex or wrap myself up in the design process.

But if I’m reading, it’s a no go, because then I start signing and dancing and it’s all over. Comprehension not going to happen.

Let’s put that down for another good reason to keep the home office.

It’s the same reason that I like to work in coffee shops — oddly, the commotion around me gets me more into what I’m doing. Also I guess it prevents me from dancing. If I’m home, I often start organizing and cleaning and never sit down, but it’s hard to do that in a public place — there’s nothing else to do other than work!

So, how do you work? Do you need silence to concentrate or are your favorite tunes a welcome companion? And if so, what are you listening to lately?

Typography print from enduringarts on Etsy. Buy it here!

Introducing a new card today…

…perfect for that person who’s always there for you. Check it out in the Etsy shop here.

Also trying out a burlap backdrop for some of my photos. What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Happy Friday everyone! Joining up with Fill in the Blank Friday today and it’s all about LOVE.

1. The love of my life is

my handsome husband. The one and only.

2. Falling in love is

probably the best part of life.

3. Marriage is

fulfilling in so many ways. We have only been at it a few months, but we have been together so long, I feel like we’re pretty good at it :-)

4. The longest relationship I’ve ever had was

almost 10 years – my high school sweetheart is now my husband!

5. The key to a good relationship is

being best friends. No doubt about it.

6. I feel loved when

you can be with someone and not say anything but they know what you’re thinking.

7. My favorite quote about love is

Kind of at a loss on this one to be honest. I know I have one but it’s not coming to me at the moment! Anyone got one?

HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

It showed up yesterday…and I made sure to photograph it to share with you.

So if you don’t read TiffanyLane Handmade already, you should definitely check it out! She’s a wonderfully talented lady :-)

I was surprised at how few posts I found on this, so I thought it was high time to write one. Here’s how I experienced this process…

1. Your journey begins at the super fun and exciting Social Security office.

You have to bring the actual marriage license with you, as well as your current identification information (Social Security card, driver’s license). Then it’s just a waiting game – my wait time was over an hour.

Like anything with the government, your new card will show up in 7 to 14 business days.

2. To continue the good times, head over to the DMV.

The social security office game me a receipt to present to them to show that I had been there first. Same info otherwise – actual marriage license, ID, etc. While here, you should also be able to update your Voter’s Registration. You should walk away with a new ID from here.

3. To the bank!

Take the shiny new ID over to your banking institution and switch your accounts so that your ID will match the name on your cards. You also have to bring the original marriage license to the bank, at least I did to both of my banks. Same for the credit card company you use.

4. The other guys

Don’t forget about utilities (cable, water, power, rent / mortgage), your passport, cell phone, Facebook (lol), etc.

I am finally somewhere in step 4. I keep finding things I forgot to change. I have a feeling this process will be going on awhile :-)

Picture kind of unrelated, I know, but it's Valentine's Day! Happy day!

I, for one, am pretty terrible about this. I love the challenge of making and creating — whether it’s furniture or home decor or jewelry, almost anything.

But, I’ve finally learned my lesson about applying that mentality too strictly to business.

You may remember how I hated to switch to Quickbooks from my less than sophisticated Excel spreadsheets. I was quite confident my system was just as good as that dumb accounting software – no need to buy it.

Not so much.

I also never really thought any type of inventory management system was going to be any better than my memory.

Wrong again. (thank you Stitch Labs!)

And sometimes, even though you could DIY something, you just might not have the best tool for the job. For example: a single hole punch is not as good as a drill press. Well worth it to either outsource or spend the money on equipment to save my poor thumb and index finger.

Filing a trademark on my own was successful, but I spent a lot of man hours on that that could have been spent on growing the business, doing what I do best. I’m finding that good lawyers, accountants, and payroll services are worth every penny once you get to a point where you have that option. Because I know nothing about those subjects.

Having a business is such a learning experience. I think having that can-do attitude is so important to being successful; unless you have lots of money in the bank to start with, it’s not an option to outsource or invest in equipment at first. But at the same time, I have also screwed up a few times by being a bit overly can-do. What do you think, do you agree?

And of course: Happy Valentine’s Day beautiful readers!

What do you think? Do you agree?