* She Makes a Home *

The Chalkboard Organizational System

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:31:00 +0000

We probably all want to be a bit better organized - I know this is something that I struggle with a lot.

Ever since I started this chalkboard organizational system, I've been a lot better at staying on task and prioritizing my life - both long-term and daily.

How it works

1. I have two chalkboards - a big one and a little one. Using a wall-mounted chalkboard erases (pun intended) any risk of mis-placing my to-do list.

2. Place them in a high-traffic area. I keep both of the chalkboards on the wall in my dining room, where I walk by them about 5,000 times per day.

3. On the large chalkboard I write my longer-term, on-going list of things to do: projects to finish, people to get in touch with, ideas to gets started... even home and family-life tasks.

4a. The small chalkboard is refreshed at the beginning of each day. On my small chalkboard, I write the three things I need to get done that day. Those three things are usually the ones with the most urgent deadline, or maybe just the ones that I feel ready to tackle that day.

4b. Things that go on the smaller chalkboard can also just be a smaller piece of a bigger to-do on the larger chalkboard. For example, painting the dining room could be on larger list, but on my smaller list for that day, I might just decide to "put up painter's tape."

5. As I complete the tasks on the daily to-do list, I erase them from the larger board as well, and replace it with something else in life that needs to get done. It can be as big as painting the dining room, or as small as replying to an email.

With this method, I find myself staying on track, and feeling a bit less overwhelmed in general. Knowing that I only have to do those three things each day makes my bigger to-do list a bit more manageable.

So I am curious - do you have a method for your to-do list? How do you keep everything in line?

Introversion, Persistence, and Creativity

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:31:00 +0000

I've had great feedback to the original post in this introversion series - it seems to have struck a chord among many other creatives and introverts. Before I get into the importance of solitude for creativity, I want to point out that in no way am I trying to say that introversion is better than extroversion, or that introverts are smarter (I feared that heavily referencing Albert Einstein, it might be perceived that way!). This series is meant to celebrate a personality trait that is central to who I am, and is core to who many creatives are inside. After years of trying to change who I was, I have accepted my quiet disposition. I hope to bring light and value to introversion where there might not have been any before.

Imagination

Never underestimate the value of a good imagination. Even Albert Einstein held a higher regard for imagination than knowledge: “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”

It may or may not be a surprise to you that Albert Einstein was a self-confessed introvert:

“Solitude is painful when one is young, but delightful when one is more mature. ”

Creative types are problem solvers by nature. Creativity is all about recognizing possibilities; finding the right way to communicate an idea; and discovering new ways to be entertaining.

It all fits together so beautifully:
▼ Introversion inherently allows for solitude
▼ Solitude allows for introspection
▼ Introspection allows for reflection, visualization, and problem solving.

Introverts process information internally. The much-desired solitude that creative introverts crave give them time to reflect on all of the information they've absorbed: to see problems in a new light, or express their thoughts and feelings on paper, in words, or in music. Extroverts likely need solitude from time-to-time, too - but it isn't the air they breathe.

For an introvert, solitude feeds the soul, and satisfies our inner being.

Persistence

Says Susan Cain in an interview with the Ha rvard Business Review:
"... Solitude is so crucial to creativity. And it is easier for introverts to go off by themselves, to think in this way because it's something that they need to do, kind of for their own emotional peace. And that coincides really well with creative work. But it's kind of beyond that, too.

It's also introverts, they show a kind of persistence, and a kind of level of concentration that extroverts have sometimes more trouble with. So for example, if you give introverts and extroverts a difficult problem to solve, like a complicated maze or whatever it is, you will find that the introverts spend more time analyzing the problem before they delve into it than extroverts do."

This brings us full-circle to the Einstein quote above:

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."

Introverts: do not fall prey to the ideal that you must be out-going, that you must be constantly networking or collaborating to get ahead. You have within you a different, but important skill set. Use your inborn talents and tendencies to solve problems for the world, and in that way you will remain your authentic self.

Kid's Craft: DIY TV Toy from Recycled Materials

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:38:00 +0000

Note from Ashley: I love projects that are not only useful, but recycle materials that would otherwise be trash! This project from Jessica Rebelo is so sweet - sure to be a favorite of your little one(s)!

Hello! I have a very easy and fun project for your little ones today. Like most kids Matias is always playing with empty boxes, especially empty Kleenex ones that seems to be everywhere in my flat lately (blame the cold!). Recycling them seems like a good thing to do and Matias is already loving this. Have fun!

Materials

A small empty (square) Kleenex box
Old newspapers
Paper glue (PVA)
Scissors and paper knife
Medium size brush
Acrylic paints
Black Sharpie marker
White and coloured paper
Crayons or colours markers

Directions

1) Cut long pieces of newspaper (around 7 x 2cm long), enough to cover the entire box. If you want a more sturdy result you will need to add more layers. This was my first time working with paper mache, so I used this tutorial which uses half glue half water for the recipe and it worked perfectly.

2) Start covering the box using the paper and the mix - there’s no real formula. It’s pretty straight forward, just cover the entire box. Use the brush to get rid of the air bubbles (Tip: Try not to use dark pieces of newspapers as you will need more paint to cover it up later).

3) If your box has rounded corners like mine, I found useful to cut thinner paper stripes to get a smoother result.

4) Measure the box window.

5) On the top of the box mark where you will cut the opening for the cards using the measurement from above and add an extra centimeter on each side for extra room for the cards.

6-7) Very carefully cut the opening at the top of the box using a knife or scissors.

8) Using a brush and acrylic paints, start painting your box with your favourite colour! Keep in mind that you might need more than one coat to cover the newspaper. You can still see some of the printing on mine, but I like the unfinished look :)

9) After it is completely dry, draw some extra details with a sharpie marker. The speakers, plug’s holes, etc. Make it very personal, funky or retro, this is the fun part!

10-11-12) Cut some colourful paper or cardboard to fit in your boxes window. These should be the width of your window and the height of the box adding an extra centimetre or so to the top (so you can easily add the tabs – see below). I drew pictures of some of Matias’s favourite things and coloured them on white paper and stuck them onto the coloured papers. Alternatively, you can let your little ones draw doodles (or whatever they like) or you can use pictures of family and friends.

13) At the last minute I thought the idea of “channels” so I added some tabs made of the same paper and put numbers on them.

14) Done! Now enjoy and have lots of fun playing with your kids, “changing” channels, learning new words and colouring!

Jessica

Introversion: Using Solitude to Shine in the Handmade World

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:47:00 +0000

This week, we are celebrating introversion, and the benefits of solitude. If this sounds like you, then grab a cup of coffee and meet me back here every day this week!

“Introversion- along with its cousins sensitivity, seriousness, and shyness- is now a second-class personality trait, somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology. Introverts living in the Extrovert Ideal are like women in a man's world, discounted because of a trait that goes to the core of who they are.”
― Susan Cain , Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking"

I am quiet. I am without a doubt an introvert. You might remember me talking about this in my Featured Seller interview on Etsy, or when I shared the video of Susan Cain's Ted Talk about introversion. Well, almost a year after hearing Susan's talk, I finally read her book.

The book is called, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking. It occurred to me through this book that there are likely a lot of introverts in the handmade and blogging world. According to Cain, "introverts are comfortable spending time alone, and solitude is a crucial (and underrated) ingredient for creativity."

In the handmade and creative world, we all know how much work, and how much time is involved in our creative endeavors. I honestly don't know a person could produce so much by hand if they didn't enjoy their solitude. For me, I am alone when I create, but never lonely.

My Story

I so adore Susan Cain. She even added this to her manifesto: "The next generation of quiet kids can and should be raised to know their own strength." I couldn't agree more.

When I was growing up I was constantly criticized for my quiet disposition. I was told to my face that I don't matter because I am quiet. I was told that someday, I will come out of my shell (as in, I wasn't okay the way I was). I was teased for not constantly talking - I got the sarcastic, "don't talk so much, Ashley" comment a lot. Even teachers felt it was okay to point out to the rest of the class how little I have to say.

I was led to believe that there was something wrong with me - that quiet was bad; that thinking before I spoke meant that what I had to say wasn't worth as much as those who speak before thinking. I was promised by family that someday, I would magically, "come out of my shell", and when that never happened, it was a serious blow to my confidence. I thought that I had a problem, and that it needed to be fixed.

The sad thing is - looking back - I was actually doing alright. I was polite. I was thoughtful. I was a conscientious listener. I had friends, and we had a blast together. I had teachers who adored me, and told me to never stop smiling. But why was it the outspoken teachers and students who made the deeper impression on me?

Starting my senior year of high school, I kept pushing myself to be outgoing - to make more friends, to be more social, to talk just to talk. Upon moving across the state to attend college, I found making new friends difficult. I had no interest in leaving my dorm's door open to let the others pop in whenever they wanted. I wanted to curl up in my bed with my schoolbooks to study, undisturbed.

Says Cain in an interview with Scientific American:

"Many introverts feel there’s something wrong with them, and try to pass as extroverts. But whenever you try to pass as something you’re not, you lose a part of yourself along the way. You especially lose a sense of how to spend your time. Introverts are constantly going to parties and such when they’d really prefer to be home reading, studying, inventing, meditating, designing, thinking, cooking…or any number of other quiet and worthwhile activities.

According to the latest research, one third to one half of us are introverts – that’s one out of every two or three people you know. But you’d never guess that, right? That’s because introverts learn from an early age to act like pretend-extroverts."

It felt wrong to be to pretend to be something I wasn't. I thoroughly believe it's good to push yourself out of your comfort zone, but I don't believe it's right to punish yourself for the way that you were born.

My Turning Point

The beauty of it is this: I discovered that I naturally "came out of my shell" when doing something I truly loved. I was completely silent in economics class, but was the star student with my hand raised in geology, because I LOVED it so much. I may be almost silent in large groups, but my husband or sister and I can talk for hours on end. I also discovered that I have a lot to say when it comes to art, the handmade marketplace, or being your own boss. It's easy to be outgoing when you don't have to fake it.

Reading Quiet has taught me that I don't need to be cured, and that I may come out of my shell, but only briefly - I'll prefer to crawl back in after a while. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Accept the true you, and find a way to shine. Use your personality traits - whatever they may be - to your advantage.

Six Year Wedding Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

The back of my reception dress

This weekend is my 6th wedding anniversary, and I realized that I've never really shared any of my wedding projects or photos with you. My wedding was a huge handmade affair, and my wedding stationery was the catalyst for opening my shop.

Above

Getting my hair done. I had a semi-retro updo with a handmade white lily hair clip in it.
You can see my handmade programs laid out before the ceremony. I also made my invitations, RSVP cards, maps, thank you cards, place cards, and signs around the reception.
The back of my ceremony dress. I was in love with the back of this dress. I loved the train, the buttons, and the straps. I hand-beaded the straps.

Below

My wedding bouquet was handmade by me, too. It featured white lilies, a few light pink roses, pearl accents, and was tied with a white ribbon.
All of my reception decor was handmade (except those paper lanterns). I bought many sizes of candles and hot glued pink, brown, and gold ribbons to them. It was a major fire hazard, but there was only one fire the whole night (groom saved the day!)
This cake was the best part. I still dream of this cake. The top layer was chocolate, the middle layer was carrot cake, and the bottom was vanilla (my favorite). It was covered in butter cream (no fondant). I just remember wanting a pearl motif on that cake, and the baker made it happen with the edging and polka dots. Monograms were huge in 2007, so that's what I asked for. I also knew I didn't want the traditional couple atop the cake, so I found this gorgeous pink flower.
Pink and brown were everywhere at my wedding - I went a bit over-board. What can I say, I was 20-21 years old while I planned this huge event. The party favors were pink and brown Neapolitan candies in little pink sacks with a thank you note. The guest tables were decorated with little votive candles and scattered rose petals.
As you may have noticed, I had two dresses: one for the ceremony, and one for the reception. I loved both dresses equally. I wanted something fun for the reception, but this short dress wasn't what I wanted for the ceremony. I set a budge of $500 for my wedding dress, and both of these combined came in at under $400, so I did well.

After the wedding, we took an Amtrak train to Chicago for 5 days. I'm not sure we would have chosen Chicago had we known we would move there 18 months later, but it was a blast.

DIY Mother's Day Cut Out Card

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:09:00 +0000

Mother's Day is one of the most personal holidays we celebrate each year. If you choose to give a gift, it really isn't about what you give, but what it means. I think especially when you get older, a handwritten note is especially meaningful, and as a mother now myself I can say handmade is thoughtful and appreciated.

Before I get into the tutorial of this post, I want to tell you about the picture I chose. I was flipping through old childhood photos when I realized: there are basically no photos of just my mom and me. Apparently, she was the one who took all of the pictures in our family, so it's rare to find one of her, and even rarer to see one of both of us. I found this picture of my mom, dad, and me at Christmas in 1987, and I made it work. Hopefully others out there don't have the same problem as I do! (Message to moms: get in those pictures, too!)

Materials

Card stock cut to fit your photo when folded in half (mine is 5.5” x 4” when folded)
Pencil
Craft knife
Eraser
Photo
Calligraphy pen or marker
envelope

Directions

1. Hand-draw your tulip design in pencil. Use your photo for reference of where to draw the blossoms.
2. Cut the card along your pencil markings to create a silhouette.
3. Erase any leftover pencil marks.
4. Using a calligraphy pen or marker, write, “Happy Mother's Day”
5. Insert your photo into the card – no need to glue in place!

There is no real need to glue the photo to the front flap – the photo itself is a nice gift, which can be framed. Place your paper cut card in a pretty envelope, to keep the photo from falling out.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mamas out there!

May 2013 Issue: She Makes a Home Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:35:00 +0000

The second issue of She Makes a Home Monthly Mini Magazine has arrived! The best part? My mini magazines are FREE to read! Check out the May issue, including:

► A tulip-themed gift guide
► Pamping gift sets for Mom
► A DIY Mother's Day card
► An Emerald gift guide
► Finds for the Taurus in your life
► An interview with jewelry designer Lisa of Listiques

If you'd like to view or bookmark this issue, or if you'd like to subscribe to all upcoming future free monthly issues, visit me here on Issuu.com.

P.S. Checkout my full-length, holidays 2012 magazine, Snowed In!

Online and In Stores: Realizing my Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:39:00 +0000

It's been 5.5 years since I made my first sale. I opened my first shop in October 2007 with the dream that I might some day sell my work to galleries or boutiques, never certain if that would ever come to fruition.

Things really started snowballing for my paper goods in 2012, after my Featured Seller interview on Etsy. First, I was contacted by Terrain to work with them; then came the Lansing Art Gallery around the holidays, followed by Haven's Kitchen in New York City. I am beyond excited to have my work in stores across the nation (and maybe soon internationally!).

Now, I am happy to announce that my work can be found at K Colette in Portland, Maine! The owner, Karen, and the whole staff have been so wonderful to work with online. I count my lucky stars each day that I've been able to work with these amazing people in these wonderful stores... although I am not one to believe much in luck.

Find my work at:

Haven's Kitchen
New York, NY

Terrain
Glen Mills, PA and West Port, CT

K Colette
Portland, ME

Of course, you can always find me online on Etsy, too!

It's like I said back in Breakthrough Boot Camp: NEVER GIVE UP! I almost gave up on this dream so many times, and look at what I would have missed out on if I had. There are times when I feel like I've taken on too much, even now - but I know that the more I but into it, the better the results will be. There is so much joy and love that goes into every package I send off to a store - it gives me the butterflies. And I have to keep chasing those butterflies.

How about you - what's your dream? Have you ever considered giving up on it?

This n That - A New Dinner Series: Lemon Pasta and Roasted Asparagus

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:40:00 +0000

Now that the dark, cozy days of winter are gone now, I'm feeling inspired to try new recipes again. I tend to get stuck in a lazy rotation in the winter months - the same, easy dishes each week. Once the sun shines again during the evening hours through the window over my sink, I love to open it up to let the warm air breeze in. I turn on the radio and start cooking again.

I'm not claiming ownership of these recipes, but this series does feature my own photos. I find most of my new recipes on Pinterest, and once a week or so I like to try something new to me.

Last week I went with a fresh, lemon-themed dinner: Baked Lemon Pasta from The Pioneer Woman, with a side of Roasted Asparagus from She Wears Many Hats. The combination took me back to my college days, where a creamy lemon pasta dish with steamed asparagus spears was my favorite meal at the cafeteria.

The baked lemon pasta was amazing. I will definitely be making that again. The roasted asparagus was good too, but I think I put too much lemon juice on it. Also, I will leave the spears in the oven for an additional five minutes if I ever make them again.

How about you - what's your favorite meal to cook on a warm spring day?

Plans for a Bedroom Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:32:00 +0000

sources below...

Since moving into our first house about a year and a half ago, we haven't done much of anything with the bedrooms. Something possessed the previous owners to paint every. single. room. in this house a different color, including primary and pastels. Currently, the three bedrooms are a butter yellow, a mint green, and a navy-ish blue. My bedroom is my least favorite of these: blue.

I haven't done anything with this room yet because I don't spend a lot of time in there; however, I don't find it cozy at all. Each night it feels like I'm going to sleep in someone else's room in someone else's house. It's time to put a little effort into it.

At the top of this post, you can see some of the inspiration I have gathered over the last few days. I was waffling between light pink walls, and charcoal grey walls. Charcoal grey won, partly because I wanted something a little moodier, and partly because my husband's reaction to pink was, "oh, God." That's cool. I'll just bring some pink in with blankets and flowers.

Above inspiration sources:

tulips in vase | DIY concrete votives | geometric quilt | Jelle Martens art

I have been reading Holly Becker's new book, Decorate Workshop, to help me on this journey. The book includes not only terrific photo examples, but idea-provoking exercises to help you think outside of the box.

While inspiration-hunting, I have come across a few finds that are in my budget and relate to my "mood board":

sources below...

Although I think I already knew this about myself, I am definitely more of a fan of modern and abstract art. I've always been interested in geometrics - it's my personal opinion that since they're such basic shapes and patterns, they can never go out of style. The same cannot be said for this color scheme though - while I like it now, I might not in the future. That is the beauty of neutral gray walls, and a comforter that reverses to a solid color. Art is interchangeable and can be moved from room to room, so overall, I am really excited about this plan.

shopping finds sources:

Bringing it all together: Breakthrough Boot Camp Day 30

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:21:00 +0000

We have reached the end of Breakthrough Boot Camp! The questions asked of you were meant to be deep and thought-provoking - did you take a deeper look into not only who you are, but what you want out of your business? Breaking through to the next level - getting more sales, being recognized - involves changes not only to your business, but to your lifestyle. I will keep all of the lessons posted for you to go through again at your own pace if needed, and you can also use the following 21 questions to propel you forward in your dream career.

Answer these questions on paper, or download the worksheet at the end of of the list. Each question is linked to a lesson for more clarity.

Part 1: Who are you?

1. What is your cocktail line? What do you say when asked, "So what do you do for a living?" (see day 5)

2. What matters most to you? What are your top 3-5 priorities in life? (see day 6)

3. What will you stop feeling guilty about? (see day 7)

Part 2: Your Unique Edge

4. What 1-2 things in your business do you truly enjoy doing, AND get complimented on regularly? What are you really good at, but also love to do? (see day 11)

5. What in your business can you expand on? What additional problem can your products solve for people - what additional accessories relate to your current product line; or, what do you know a lot about that customers would spend money to learn? (see day 12)

6. What do you want to be known for?

Your Unique Edge =

What you enjoy doing + what you're amazing at + what no one else is currently doing

Part 3: Being Perceived

7. What impression do you want to give potential customers when they visit your store? (see day 20)

8. How do you want customers to feel when they visit your store? What is the mood? (see day 22)

9. What separates you from the competition? What do you do better or differently from a competitor's shop? (see day 20)

10. What is your authentic story? What part of your journey might other people relate to? (see day 21)

11. What is the common thread in your products? What ties them together? What do they have in common? (see day 24)

12. What is the style of your visual brand? Does your visual brand match your product style? Are your logo, promotional materials, ads, color scheme, and product photos cohesive and consistent? (see day 23)

13. What do you do for your customers to make them want to come back? What can you do to improve their shopping experience? (see day 26)

14. Are your prices competitive? What is your perceived value? Are you being paid enough? (see day 25)

Part 4: Making it happen:

15. What is/are your main 1-3 goal(s) for the next year? (see day 13)

16. What are your 3-5 quarterly goals for the next 3 months? (see day 13)

17. What will you stop doing? What is currently wasting your time or not paying off? (see day 14)

18. What is something about your work that bums you out? How can you turn an unmet ideal into an actionable idea? (see day 16)

19. What will you do when you're inevitably stuck in a rut? What is your plan to get out of a rut? (see day 17)

20. What are you afraid of? What gives you butterflies? What can you do today or tomorrow to follow those butterflies? (see day 3)

21 Finally: what will you do in the next week to break through? What will you change? What will you do to get started?

The end is only the beginning

While we are at the end of this e-course, it is only the beginning of the journey. I want to add my last piece of advice:

Your mindset is everything. Your thoughts will guide your actions, and ultimately, your reality.

It's like Oprah said: "I know for sure that what we dwell on is who we become."

What becomes of your indie business is entirely dependent on what you believe it can be. Trade doubt for positive thoughts. Always follow your dreams - and confront your fears. Be open to possibility, and never give up. I've wanted to give up so many times, but each time, I stuck to my dreams. If I had given up all of those times, I never would have see my products in local and national stores; in a book; in a magazine, or on globally-known websites. As long as you still truly want it - go for it.

Download

click below to download worksheet 19: Bringing it all together

credits: worksheet clip art by The Ink Nest (affiliate link)

A Refreshing Mojito Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:29:00 +0000

Note from Ashley: This is a tutorial by me that originally appeared as a guest post on Going Home to Roost - check it out!

This is my absolutely favorite alcoholic drink. Now that the weather is really getting warmer, I'm ready for the mojito. Using fresh mint and limes, this refreshing recipe offers a delicious combination of flavors that really hit the spot - which makes it is easy to omit the alcohol for those who abstain.

ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
mint leaves
club soda
quartered limes
ice cubes
rum
lime slices and mint sprigs to garnish

directions

The first step to a delicious mojito is to make minty simple syrup. Bring 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water to boil together in a small pot. Once a boil is reached and the sugar has fully dissolved, remove pot from heat and add a handful of fresh mint leaves. Let steep in pot for 15 minutes or more.

Once the mint syrup has cooled, start on the drinks. Place about 6 mint leaves and a lime quarter in the bottom of a glass, and press the leaves with a muddler or spoon just enough so that the mint oil and lime juice are released. Top with one to two tablespoons of the minty simple syrup, and the juice from another lime quarter.

Fill the glass to the top with ice. Pour in a shot of rum, and top off with club soda. Garnish with a lime wedge and mint sprig.

If you would like to enjoy the flavor of a mojito without alcohol, simply omit the rum, and add in some extra lime juice and club soda. Perfect!

Free Printable Blog Pitch Organizer

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:36:00 +0000

Tomorrow is the last session of Breakthrough Boot Camp! Before we bring it all together, I have one goodie for you: a printable blog pitch organizer. Use this worksheet in conjunction with day 27's lesson: 8 Steps for Building Online Buzz.

You may wish to print multiple copies of this worksheet - one copy for each blog type/niche/theme (food blogs, DIY blogs, advice blogs, art blogs, baby blogs, handmade blogs, etc.).

Download

click below to download worksheet 18: Blog Pitch Organizer

credits: worksheet clip art by The Ink Nest (affiliate link)

Which color should I paint my front door? Poll!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:48:00 +0000

I'm going through a phase where I really want to work on my house. Something about Springtime makes me antsy and I can't wait to get started. This week I painted the bookshelf in the living room; installed new drawer pulls in the kitchen; painted the bathroom; and I'm getting ready to paint my bedroom and dining room.

I have done absolutely nothing with the outside of my house - it looks pretty much the same as it does in the photo above from when we moved in. One very easy way to add some curb appeal is to paint the front door - but which color?

I've been thinking about it for over a year now, and I'm leaning towards a cool green or blue, to complement the neutral tan color palette of the house.

I have no plans to add shutters or paint the brick. I won't say never, but not any time soon.

So - based on what you see above, which color would you choose?

If you don't like any of these, I'd love to know what you have in mind! Please leave a comment below with your thoughts - I'm open to suggestions.

How I finally painted that old dresser

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:37:00 +0000

After having it for about a year, I finally painted the old dresser that was handed down to me by my mother-in-law (who bought it years ago at an antique shop). I LOVED the shape, but HATED the paint job. The yellowing off-white was peeling, and the red flowers were hideous.

I started sanding the drawers a few months ago, but time got away with me. Finally, in the depths of Winter when I was cooped up inside, I went for it. I had just painted my entryway a teal color (reveal coming soon), and had plenty left over. I decided to paint the dresser teal (answers my teal chair across the room), and I went for a metallic gold spray paint on the dresser.

I won't give you the step-by-step of it, because I used this tutorial from Welcome to the Mouse House, and Hayley deserves the credit for the technique. I will tell you my sources, though:

So as you can see, I still need to paint the legs (I wasn't sure if I wanted them teal like the body, or gold like the drawers - right now I'm leaning gold). I need to do one more layer of teal paint on the face of the dresser, around the drawers, and I need to do a finishing coat of polyurethane for protection.

I loved the original knobs, so I kept those. I also acknowledge that the spray paint job on the front of the drawers is a little uneven, but I was dying of chemical smell at the time and didn't really care. My living room gets so little natural light that you can't even tell its uneven in real life. That is my "keeping it real" moment of the day... although I will probably give it another smoother coat some day in the future.

Overall, I am thrilled with the outcome and it's a major improvement!

Materials

Sand paper
Kilz paint primer
YOLO Dream .06 interior latex paint in eggshell
Rust-Oleum Gold Universal Metallic Spray Paint
Polyurethene - clear semi gloss

Daily Networking Plans for Indie Businesses BtBC day 29

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

For indie business owners, we've already discussed the importance of making connections with people who share your values and interests. We've also discussed the importance of priorities and a semblance of life balance, so: if you're not naturally inclined, how do you make time for building relationships online?

Here's a question for you: are you time-oriented, or task-oriented?

To answer this question, create a list of all of the daily or weekly activities you do to make connections. It could be:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Public forums
Etsy
Blogging
Flickr
Instagram
Etc.

Keep a journal for one week to help keep track of your social media habits.

Do you get easily distracted? Are you spending too much time on one site? Is there a platform that you just don’t enjoy? Logging these activities will help you see where your time is well-spent, where you are wasting time, and where those two hours that disappear online every day actually go.

Based on your own journal, do you think you are task-oriented, or time-oriented?

Is it easier for you to sit down for an hour a day and network all at once; or, is it easier to keep a checklist and visit one site now, another site later, and another as you have time?

Time-oriented networking plan

Give yourself an allotted amount of time to network, say, one hour.

Take a look at the networking methods that are important to you - it may be helpful to rank them. Say, 30 minutes of blogging, followed by 10 minutes spent in forum threads, 5 minutes spend on Twitter, 5 minutes spend on Facebook, and 10 minutes spend on Pinterest.

You might find that getting online first thing in the morning distracts you for the rest of the day. You might consider doing an hour or two of work before checking mail and social networking, just to keep productivity levels high.

Task-oriented networking plan

If you are a task-oriented person you will still need to have your list of methods, and have them ranked. Now, take a serious look at your daily schedules and see where these activities will fit in. It would definitely help to keep a checklist.

Here's an example: right after you check your email in the morning, post a new photo on Facebook. Then, during your coffee break, pin a couple of pictures. At lunchtime you might feel compelled to get on Twitter to foster your relationships. After dinner you might write your daily blog post and visit your favorite sites.

If you were feeling overwhelmed with the social networking side of running a business, having a solid plan will help you stay focused.

Personally, I am task-oriented, and I LOVE blogging and Pinterest. I find that I struggle to keep up with Twitter, so it's not a priority for me.

How about you? Are you time or task-oriented? Which one social platform is irresistible to you? Which one platform could you easily give up?

Social Media Anxiety: Why Being Un-Followed is a Good Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:20:00 +0000

Welcome to Breakthrough Boot Camp day 28! I have one lesson left for you tomorrow, plus a day of bonus worksheets, and a wrap-up session next week.

I think one of the main things holding indie shop owners back from greatness is the want to appeal to everyone. The truth of the matter is that you will not appeal to everyone. People have different style, different budgets, and different values. For this reason, it is a waste of time to try to be liked by everyone. You cannot and will not please everyone, but by being yourself you will appeal to those who identify with your story.

So, how can you make sure that you're connecting with those who identify with you? Go out and find them. What are their passions? Where would they "hang out" online? Build friendships and trust on social networking sites, forums, and blogs that are in-line with what you and your products are all about. This is so much more effective than following everyone you possibly can on Twitter, Facebook, and Etsy.

Here's a scenario you might find familiar: you work hard to gain followers on Twitter and Facebook - maybe you even follow people in the hopes that they follow you back; but just as soon as you gain a few followers, you lose a few, too. This might partly be because you're inviting everyone into your inner circle, and when your message doesn't resonate with them, they un-follow you.

You might feel hurt. You might feel like you did something wrong, that you're boring or offensive.

I am here to tell you that when people un-follow you -and when people unsubscribe from you - that this is actually a GOOD thing. When someone leaves your influence, this means that you are doing something right.

When you make connections - and inevitably lose a few connections - the result is a more finely tuned following that does resonate with your message. Which would you rather have? 100 followers that share in your excitement, and that feel passionately about your work; or, 1,000 followers that aren't listening to what you have to say?

The bottom line is this: don't live and die with each follower you gain and lose. It's not how many people you are connected to, but how many people care about what you have to say.

How to Create an Image Gallery Page in Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:57:00 +0000

I've been wanting to update my food and craft galleries for a long time. The main problem was that I couldn't find a fast and simple solution for what I wanted - I knew it was going to involve a lot of photo resizing and some HTML work.

Then in January one of my favorite blogs, 17 Apart, shared how they had the same issue as I had: their craft directory was just a list of links, and not a visual gallery like they wanted it to be. They shared the tutorial they used to transform their directory into gallery with links.

The tutorial they used was by Laura's Crafty Life. Laura provided an HTML code that allows the user to customize how many rows in a table they want in their gallery, as well as how many images per row. The default number of images per row is four, but I wanted three.

The tutorial is wonderful, but the format of the images wasn't exactly what I wanted. The original method of coding the images caused the images to be many different sizes - some vertical, some horizontal. I wanted all of my images to be the exact same size.

This was the most time-consuming part of the process. I decided to resize all of the craft and food images I wanted in my gallery so they were uniform - that meant cropping some vertical pictures to fit in with the horizontal pictures.

I then uploaded the smaller pictures to an image hosting site, and plugged them into the code. Because I was only using 3 images per row, I had to adjust the cell width from 25% to 33%.

So here is the before:

and here is the after:

So much better, right? It's exactly what I've been wanting for a very long time. I still want to create a gallery for all of my coffee and drink recipes, home decor posts, and work-at-home / breakthrough boot camp posts. If you're on Blogger and have been wanting an image gallery page, this is the perfect tutorial for you.

Summary

Resize all of your desired images to the exact same size - crop when necessary.
Upload your images to an image hosting site
Paste Laura's HTML code to the page on Blogger your gallery will appear on. Make sure to paste in HTML mode, note Compose mode, or else it won't work correctly.
The code's default is set at 4 images per row. Follow Laura's instructions for adjusting images per row, as well as total number of rows.
Copy and paste in your image URLs, post URLs, and post descriptions.
Save, and add another row whenever you have more projects to add.

See my new DIY Project Gallery | Recipe Gallery

DIY Mini Heart Fridge Magnets

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:31:00 +0000

Hello, dear readers! Today I have a sweet, simple, and very gift-able DIY project for you. It's by Lisa of Listiques, a beautiful handmade jewelry and accessories shop on Etsy that uses recycled materials. Please enjoy this post by Lisa, and don't forget to check out her shop!

This craft activity is easy, fun, quick and can be made into any shape that you can imagine. The magnets are made using salt dough so you can tweak this recipe to make as little or as much dough as you need. I used a small wine glass for my ‘cup’.

Materials

Small baking cutters (the one I used is normally used for icing)
Paint and brushes (I used block paint, poster or acrylic would also work fine)
Small magnets (you can buy these from craft stores or online)
Strong drying glue (such as epoxy resin or super glue)

For the Salt Dough

½ cup table salt
½ cup plain flour
¼ cup water

Directions

1. Begin by making your salt dough. Put salt and flour in a large bowl and slowly add water until the dough begins to come together into a ball. If dough appears very dry add more water, if it appears sticky add a little more flour. You need a soft manageable dough.

2. Roll out your dough to around ½ cm thick and cut out your shapes using your cutters. A finer shape will give a more professional overall finish.

3. Place on a baking tray and put in the oven. You are aiming to dry out the dough without cooking it at Gas Mark 4 (180 degrees) for 5-8 mins. You are looking for a pale golden colour.

4. Leave hearts to completely cool.

5. Paint front and sides of your shapes, you can also paint the back if you wish.

6. When completely dry glue your magnets to the back of your hearts. The magnet should be glued with the side with the dimple glued to the back of the salt dough shape.

7. Decorate your fridge with your lovely new magnets!

About Lisa

I live in the countryside town of Gloucester with a love of tea shops, animals, Russian dolls and vintage. I love to make jewellery using a pick and mix of new and recycled items including beautiful fabrics. when making Listiques pieces I aim to give you a piece of wearable art that will keep you smiling as you go about your day.

8 Steps for Building Online Buzz - BtBC Day 27

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:15:00 +0000

One of the most difficult things for a handmade seller to do is generate interest in their online shop. Regardless of whether you pitch to websites 5 times per week, or you're just naturally awesome and bloggers regularly gush about you online, one thing is for sure: you need crisp, clear, striking photos. We've already covered the importance of product photography in day 23 of Breakthrough Boot Camp. so... what else can you do to get people talking?

Eight Steps for Building Buzz:

Here it is in a little more detail...

1. Re-visit days 23 and 24 from Breakthrough Boot Camp. Make sure your shop is clean, cohesive, personalized, and well-branded.

2. Re-visit day 21 from Breakthrough Boot Camp. Make sure your About page is filled out, and that you are telling your authentic story. Also, list anywhere else you sell or participate: brick and mortar stores, craft shows, art fairs, or trade shows.

3. Have your cocktail line ready from day 5 of Breakthrough Boot Camp - this can be used as part of your introduction to editors and bloggers.

4. Prepare a media page, with links or logos to any past buzz about you: blog posts, round-ups, shopping guides, newspaper articles, magazine features, etc. This page could be on your website or blog.

5. Contact a blogger in your niche. Pitch to them a giveaway of either:

your signature product
a gift basket of products that go together
or a gift certificate to your store

Giveaways create interest and sharing of your shop and products. They also give potential customers the opportunity to sample your work, which could lead to product reviews, referrals, or repeat business.

6. Go after interviews, product reviews, or shop features. About two weeks after the giveaway, begin your pitch to blogs and websites with content and a readership that:

matches your aesthetic
matches your price points
has needs and/or wants that your products can fulfill
shares your values

7. At the same time, consider writing guest posts for other blogs. Guest posts allow you to build credibility, trust, and a reputation within a market. Research blogs that accept guest posts and have a readership who could benefit from your knowledge.

8. Finally, when you've done something of note, have a press release written and share it with local newspapers. Generating a little local buzz can help open the door to your involvement with local events and shops. There are many shops on Etsy that will write a press release for you, if you're not comfortable writing one yourself.

Like Jack Kerouac said, "If you tell a true story, you can't be wrong." Be your genuine self when you pitch to bloggers. When you're authentic, people will notice.

credits: quotes and infographic clip art by The Ink Nest (affiliate link)

Indie Shop Owners: What is it like to shop at your own store?

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:32:00 +0000

Welcome to the last week of Breakthrough Boot Camp! There are only 5 lessons left, plus one wrap-up post next week where we'll bring it all together.

For this last week, we are going to think about our reputation and our platform. We've already talked about how to stand out from the crowd, and how to create a visual experience for customers, but - what kind of shopping experience are you creating for customers?

I'll tell you a secret:

It's all about the details.

Every little detail that you put the slightest amount of effort into is going to create an experience for your customers in some way.

Quiz

Here's a little Q & A to help you figure out what kind of experience you are giving your customers:

A. When you package an order, do you:

Put your product in a shipping envelope or box with nothing else except maybe a receipt - no wrappings, thank you notes, freebies, or promotional materials of any kind
Put your product in a shipping envelope or box with a little decorative packaging, such as tissue paper, a label, business card, coupon, or a short thank you note
Put your product in a shipping envelope or package, but the product is first: wrapped in a gift box with wrapping paper or a bow; freebies are included; a personable, hand-written thank you note is included; additional freebies, coupons, promos, or business cards are also included

B. When a potential customer messages you with an inquiry, how long does it take you to respond?

2-3 days or more
1-2 days
0-12 hours

C. When you do respond to a customer, what is your messaging style?

No salutations or friendly "thank you" - a short, one sentence reply with only the necessary information.
A template response with fill-in-the-blank answers for what ever question comes my way
A friendly, 2-4 sentence response, complete with a "hello", "thank you", "best wishes", as well as additional contact information if there's anything else you can do for them.

D. In your online shop, what is your profile and/or About page like?

1-2 sentences about the type of products I sell; I may or may not have my name and location listed
I have a paragraph filled out about what I make, and why I make it
I have filled out 2-4 paragraphs about my background, what I make, where I make it, and what I believe in

E. Are you active online, socially?

I am only active on the site I sell on, such as Etsy
I am active on a site or two, such as Twitter or Facebook, and I may or may not have a blog
I am on every site I can find, from Twitter to Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and anything else that might build more connections; I also blog and work hard to grow its readership

Now it's time to tally up your points:

5 - 8 Points
Your business style is short and simple - but may not be sweet. If that's reflective of your own personality, there is nothing wrong with that, but it might be hard to build relationships with customers. If efficiency is your main objective, then you are doing well; however, if you would like more repeat customers and more media buzz, ask yourself: where am I lacking? What are two things I could change this week to create a better shopping and customer experience for my online guests?

9 - 12 Points
You have an efficient and friendly business style. You put in the effort to make connections, but you don't spend all of your waking hours online. You want to make an impression on your customers, but the quality of your work - and not the extras - is your main priority. You are comfortable sharing a little about yourself with the handmade community, and try to build positive relationships.

Ask yourself: what one thing could I do to improve my relationship with potential customers? Where can I give just a little bit more?

13 - 15 Points
Wow! You care a great deal about the details. You bend over backwards and go out of your way to create a friendly, helpful, memorable, and pleasurable shopping experience. On the other hand, is it possible you are over-extending yourself in business? Ask yourself: do you ever feel burnt-out? Are you getting enough sleep, sunshine, and physical activity? Have real-life friends or family ever taken a back-seat to internet obligations? If you feel well-rounded with a balanced life, then congratulations! You have done what we are all striving for; however, if you feel like you have taken on too much, or if your life is a spiral of websites and packaged food, ask yourself this: where can I cut back? Where can I ask for help?

If there is anywhere that you are putting in a lot of effort for very little return, that might be the first place to scale back.

This activity was just to get your wheels turning and to take a look at your business from an outside perspective. There is no right or wrong answer here. I do not have all of the answers, and I trust you are doing business as you see fit; however, if you feel there is room for improvement, then start small. Make a small change once a week and see how people react to them - you just might find yourself dealing with more inquiries, more sales, more referrals, more repeat customers, and better feedback.

credits: quotes clip art by The Ink Nest (affiliate link)

Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:35:00 +0000

I was never a fan of whipped cream until I started making my own. I think it had something to do with a pie eating contest in elementary school (which I lost) - I was never able to enjoy it after that... until I tried this recipe.

This homemade whipped cream recipe is perfect for hot drinks, cold drinks, pie, ice cream, waffles, or whatever your sweet weakness may be - mine is a vanilla latte and blueberry pie!

Ingredients

8 ounces whipping cream
2 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 - 2tsp vanilla extract

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, beat whipping cream on high.

When stiff peaks form, add vanilla and powdered sugar.

Continue to beat for another 30-60 seconds on high. Use now, or refrigerate until needed. Enjoy!

- Ashley

DIY Geometric Mobile Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:12:00 +0000

Hello readers! Today is the first in a new series of DIY posts from an incredible spectrum of guest contributors. Our first project comes from Jessica Rebelo, a visual designer from Caracas, Venezuela, currently living in London. This tutorial is wonderfully descriptive and in-depth, so I think anyone could do it - especially since Jessica was kind enough to include templates! Let's get started:

Hello guys, I’m sharing with you today a very cool project that will make your favourite room at home pop with colour. I always wanted to try to make my own mobile, so I combined that with my recent obsession with geometric’s and here is the result.

This project can be a little bit fiddly, involves lots of cutting, folding, and gluing, but most importantly it’s all about balance - something I found out in the process. Take your time and bring extra pair of (little or grown ups) hands for help if you can - the result will be worthy. I made a few mistakes (Oops!) but corrected them as I went and hopefully the instructions below will help you avoid making the same ones (like putting all of the shapes on the ring only to realise that the balance wasn’t quite right). I think I got it right at the end.

Materials

Colourful papers
Sharp scissors or knife
Paper glue (PVA)
Acrylic paint. I used gold paint.
Different size brushes
Invisible thread
A plastic or wooden hoop (I used a spare embroidery hoop)
Jewellery wire (and cutting pliers)
Cutting mat (optional)
Measuring tape

Make it

1) Print, cut and fold the templates in A4 colour paper, cut along the solid lines and fold the dash lines. Glue together the folded parts to create the 3D models. Before closing them completely don’t forget to pass through the invisible thread (around 30cm long) from top to bottom. I also secured the bottom with a couple of knots (see pictures below).

2) Once you have all your paper models together it’s time to paint them! I like the idea of giving them some texture so I add some patterns, using the back and tip of the brush will help you create that.

3) Now that you have all your shapes, use a measuring tape to measure your hoop and divide that number in 5 equal distances, mark with a light pencil the position the shapes will be tied. Also mark the middle of the hoop where the wire will attached so you can hang it from the ceiling.

4) Cut a long piece of wire with cutting pliers (depending on the size of your hoop), leave some extra wire in the middle to create a small loop for hanging and leave a few extra inches to tie around your hoop, making sure the ends are inside and no visible. You could also drill small holes in each side to make this a little neater (unfortunately I’m not an expert at drilling!).

5) Now with an extra pair of hands for help (that can hold the hoop steady), start tying the shapes around (using the marks you made earlier for guidance). This part is tricky, if you want some of them to be longer than others you will need to adjust the length until you find perfect balance, or if you want the easy way just make them all the same length and voilà!

6) Cut any excess thread, tie another piece of invisible thread to the wire loop in the middle and hang it in your favourite place at home! I hope you have enjoyed my first DIY project of this series, and if you have any question don’t hesitate to email me at contact[at]jessicarebelo[dot]com . Thanks!

Until next post,

Jessica

Pricing Formulas and Perceived Value for the Handmade Indie Business - BtBC day 25

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000

This is one of the last posts for Breakthrough Boot Camp, and it's one of the most important posts, in my opinion. I originally wrote this post in 2010, so you'll see some older comments down below.

For handmade business owners, there often is a bit of a struggle with pricing. I believe artists and makers are unsure about pricing because they want to make their craft affordable to shoppers - but they also want to pay themselves for their time.

First, let's look at some of the top reasons for buying handmade products:

Handmade is quality
Handmade is unique
Buying handmade is important for supporting independent businesses
Buying handmade can also mean supporting local businesses

People who shop handmade usually aren't doing so because they think they can score a deal. Some handmade businesses will offer bargain prices, but that is the exception, not the rule.

If you are an indie business owner, you are trying to turn a profit, and you must price your products accordingly.

Pricing a product

Consider the following factors when pricing a product:

- cost of materials
- website fees
- time it takes to make that item and an hourly wage
- packaging
- any other unique costs (overhead such as office space, electricity, advertising, etc.)

Some sellers fear that no one will buy their work if they charge too much. The truth is, handmade items will sell well if:

there is a market for it
There is little competition
it is the best product among the competition
if the products are effectively marketed to the target audience
if people trust the artist or business
if the indie business has a great reputation

Many of those examples go hand-in-hand and cannot exist without another.

Indie businesses who have a product that people want, and who have found their niche market, should never need to sell their products at a discounted rate. A simple way to make sure all of your bases are covered is to create a pricing formula unique to your own business.

determine the hourly rate you want to pay yourself
determine the cost of materials to make one item

A basic formula for pricing items is as follows:

- (hourly rate x time to make the item + cost of materials ) x 2 = wholesale price
- Retail price = wholesale price x 2

Multiplying by two to get the wholesale price is necessary to make sure all overhead, packaging, and website fees are covered. Wholesale is almost always half of retail price.

For example, let's say you want to pay yourself $18 an hour, you can make one necklace in 15 minutes and it costs $4 to make one necklace. Your pricing formula would look like:

($18 x .25 + $4) x 2 = $17 wholesale price
$17 x 2 = $34 retail price

Remember: different crafters might require different formulas. This is a basic guideline, and it may need to be tweaked to your own specifications.

arrow card paper cut

Perceived Value

I have advised before that if an item in your shop isn't selling well, it may be worth a try to raise prices, and not lower them. What this does is increase a shopper's perceived value of your products. I want to make it clear that the idea is not to overprice; the purpose of raising prices is to price them correctly, since many crafters and artists are currently underselling themselves.

When a shopper is comparing two products, they look at the pictures, the description, the price, and the cost of shipping. They might look at feedback, too. An item that is priced much lower than the other might be perceived as being made with lower quality materials, or put together hastily. When someone is looking for a quality, unique gift, there's a good chance they could go with the higher priced item, based on the perceived value. If you take a look at some of the top sellers on Etsy, you will see that their items are not low-priced; they are charging what those items are really worth to make.

Here's the snag: if you know you are already paying yourself for your time and your items are priced fairly, this idea might not be for you. Shoppers can also recognize when an item is overpriced.

Homework

Breakdown the pricing of your best seller in your own shop, as well as an item that isn't selling well. Try plugging in their components to the above pricing formula. How do their current prices compare to what the formula says you should be charging? Do you need to raise your prices?

Alternatively if you are already using a pricing formula, how is it working out for you? How do your prices compare to the competition's? Are there any costs that you're not covering? Are you making enough profit for your taste?

Want more food for thought about pricing? Read Part 2: Tiered Pricing Structures

My Indoor Rock Garden - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Pahl) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:59:00 +0000

It was in the warm summer months when I built my indoor rock garden into the planter/room divider that I had no idea what to do with. Check out this "before" picture to get a sense of what it looked like in our living room when we moved in:

This picture was taken in January 2012, so there are Christmas lights in the planter. We lived in this house for almost a year before I attempted to do anything real with the planter. You can read the entire story/how-to of the rock garden (which got picked up by the Huffington Post!) here. This is the basics of what I did:

The basic idea was that it was to be a relaxation corner, or somewhere soothing to read a book:

But, as most of my plants do - this "Lucky Bamboo" died when we went home for the holidays, shut the curtains, and turned the heat way down. This is what I came home to in late December 2012:

(As you can see, I've moved the furniture around a bit, but more on that later.)

Well, that sad, dead plant sat there for almost six weeks when my husband brought me my Valentine's Day present - a bigger "Lucky Bamboo" plant, shaped into a heart.

So my little indoor rock garden is newly bright and optimistic for the new year. This time, I will be sure to take the plant with me on Winter vacations.

I've taken the crystal and the bread ties off it it.

And as you can see, there is a table in that corner now - my husband is an accountant, so that's where he sets up shop to work from home in March and April.

So that's the rock garden for now - I'd love to add a few more plants to it - maybe an air plant or two? I have my eye on a few here and here, and here and here (to hang down over the garden)...

What color should I paint my front door?
	Cool Mint
	Robin's Nest
	Pistachio
	Juniper
	Other

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