Gingiber

Product Photography

2012-06-03T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hi! I was so fortunate to receive a shop evaluation from Jan of Poppytalk Handmade. Among the many suggestions for my shop was to frame all of my prints to make them look higher end.

So, I bought this lovely warm wood Ikea picture frame, bought a dollar's worth of yellow buds from a local florist, and and set up a makeshift photo shoot area in my office.

I set up shop with a tripod, some foam board, and some natural light. You can see the bird's eye view here.

Jan also suggested using a children's prop for my more nursery themed prints. So wooden blocks it was! And conveniently, the blocks in this picture spell "BOYS".

Take a look at all of my updated product photography, if you would like.

What do you think?

Thanks,

Stacie

Lately

2012-06-01T07:14:00.001-05:00

Lately, we've been a busy family. I took a quick weekend trip to Tulsa for Mother's Day. Just me and the girls. Nathan stayed home and worked diligently on his dissertation. Hopefully he will be able to defend it this summer. The he will be Dr. Bloomfield.

Side-note: Wouldn't it be nice if when you finished your PhD you were given a crown and a bouquet of flowers while glitter fell from the sky? I mean, becoming a Dr. is way harder than, say, being crowned Miss USA, right? At least that is my opinion. And, Nathan really isn't a glitter and head ware kind of man ;)

Back to life. The trip to Tulsa made me realize 2 things: Violet still needs here afternoon nap, and Lucy is without a doubt the easiest baby on earth. She is friendly and hardly ever cries. She is a doll. I cherish every moment I get to spend with her. She has such a gentle love. You know how when you look at a baby and they give you the biggest smile? It makes you feel good. Love her. So. Much.

The next weekend, I had a booth at the local Block Street Block Party. I shared it with the darling Amber Perrodin of Perrodin Supply Company. The day was pure joy. Familiar faces. Good food. Great music. Decent sales. And honestly, it was a day for me to be away from the girls. Sometimes alone time is good time.

I have to say, the longer I am in Arkansas, the more I am enjoying it. And it has only taken, oh, 4 years! Thankful for a handful of genuine friends. They probably don't even realize that without their support, I would just be floating alone.

Memorial Day weekend we went to Dallas. This was the 1st time my brother's family got to meet Lucy. Violet was finally old enough to really play with her older cousins. She still gets super excited to go swimming, but won't actually get in the pool. Lucy, on the other hand, splashed her little heart out!

A surprisingly good trip. Surprising because my children actually behaved. Like they were rock stars. It is amazing how much more fun you have as a parent when you can sit down and visit with family without your children constantly screaming ;)

In between all of these little adventures, I've been working on new products. A calendar, rubber stamps, a small clothing line for kids, and a few other items. My goal is to have all of my holiday items finished this summer.

Well, that is my life right now. How have you been?

A Study of Bears

2012-05-09T15:31:00.000-05:00

Bears. I don't know why but I cannot stop drawing them. Perhaps because I call the little one "Lucy Bear". Perhaps because bears are just so dang cuddly.

Here's a little preview of some bear doodles I have done today. Thinking that the 2013 calendar might be all about bears.

Also, I always do a 4x6 desk calendar, but thinking of also offering a larger calendar! What say you to that idea?

What animals/things/objects would you like to see in the Gingiber Shop this year?

Stacie

Gingibersnap Reborn

2012-05-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

GingiberSnap has been reborn! Or rather, redesigned. And I love it! I did this on an accidental whim yesterday, as I was trying to fix something in the layout and POOF! I deleted my entire template!

But, I am in love with this color scheme. I took my inspiration from my most recent Confetti Cat Illustration. It feels bright and grounded. Clean and fresh. And I think that it is rather easy to navigate.

I really would love to get back into blogging more regularly. Blogging, however, not as important to me as it used to be. I am really focusing on growing my business, learning to be a more attentive mother, and trying to take better care of myself.

However, I feel the NEED to blog because I love this new layout so much! What do you think of the new layout?

Thanks for sticking around!

Stacie

Cats on the Brain

2012-05-04T18:03:00.001-05:00

Confetti Cat

So cats..... I think they are beautiful creatures. But, my family is allergic to them. So, I can only admire them from afar.

Neon Stripe Cat

I get lots of requests for cat illustrations, so I got to drawing! I've added 3 new cat illustrations to the shop! Filled with bright neon colors.

Egyptian Mau Cat

Available for purchase in the good old Gingiber Etsy Shop.

I hope that you like them! I really really had fun with these, and am working on more cats. Cats on the brain, really.

Have a lovely Friday,

Stacie

Gingiber Interview on Lottie Loves

2012-05-01T13:10:00.006-05:00

Today I am thrilled to be interviewed on one of my favorite blogs, Lottie Loves.

Read the full interview here.

Lottie Loves is a blog with daily doses of eye candy, lovingly curated by Charlotte Rivers. I seriously have discovered many new favorite artists through this blog. It is a nice read.

Thanks so much and I hope you get a chance to read the interview,

Stacie

Front Porch Days

2012-04-30T12:44:00.000-05:00

I often find that whenever I am starting to get that "climbing the walls" feeling, you know that emotion that comes occasionally when you are home with 2 kids, we go sit outside on the front porch.

We have actually been outside almost every day that isn't raining. Blowing bubbles, drawing on the sidewalk.

Especially when Lucy is a grumpy teething baby, the great outdoor seems like a magic cure. Seriously, the wind blowing in her face, and she gets all kinds of excited.

This Lucy girl is almost 6 months. Long brown hair, expressive eyebrows. The goofy smile she has when she kicks her legs in excitement because she sees her sister. She is my little joy.

Violet is a ballerina. She wears her outfit every moment she gets. She comes home from her Kid's Day Out program, and the 1st thing she does is run to her room and out she comes with a tutu.

"Mommy", she says, "I am a ballerina girl, and ballerina girls get cherry flavored lollipops, right?"

"Of course, dear."

"Mommy", she says, "I drew a picture of Nana on the sidewalk! Someday when I grow up I will be a Nana!".

"Um... let's wait a few years on that one, m'kay?"

I Went to the Etsy Martha Stewart Show

2012-04-25T16:04:00.000-05:00

Guess where I just got back from? NYC! Nathan and I took a vacation to the city. We had never been before, and we really enjoyed our time wandering around, learning how easy it is to get lost on the subway, and eating tons of food!

We chose NYC because I was invited to participate in an all Etsy episode of the Martha Stewart Show. I got to bring one of my items and see the magic that is the Martha Machine.

The best part is that Martha insisted that all Etsy Sellers who came to the show get their picture taken with their product, and she is having us listed on her own website! With a link and everything :)

I must say I was really sad that I did not plan accordingly for the cold weather of NYC, so I just wore a vintage blue dress that I had brought with me. Everyone else was dressed so colorfully!

Seriously, though, being at this show was amazing, and I think that I had traveled the furthest of anyone, so I was definitely representing Arkansas :)

Now I am back in town, catching up on orders and planning on how to make my business grow.

How have you been?

In case you are interested, the show airs Thursday at 10 a.m. on the Hallmark Channel.

Stacie

A Long Post on 3 Year Olds and Friendship

2012-04-19T05:39:00.000-05:00

"Violet, where did your headband go?" I asked my 3 year old when I picked her up from Kid's Day Out. "Oh mommy, the older boy in the class said he didn't like my hair, so I took it out". Then Christopher and the other girl told me to stop talking so much. And the other girl told me she didn't like me and didn't want to be my friend." Then we went and got a lollipop and instantly Violet was okay again.

But as Violet was talking to me about her day, my heart broke a little bit. She is this little person who now has to deal with the ins and outs of relationships. Making friends, keeping them. Dealing with criticism. Bullies. As a mom, I wanted to just to scoop her up, protect her, and show her that she is loved. But I cannot be with her every minute of every day.

As Violet was talking, I had these flashbacks to when I was a child. I was bullied. Quite a bit. I was tall, had buck teeth. Was called "Bugs Bunny" and was often called fat by the other kids in the class. I remember countless birthday parties that I wasn't invited to. In the 5th grade, my "best friend" toilet papered my house (which my poor parents had to clean up) and then called me afterwards to let me know that this was her way of saying she didn't want to be friends anymore. "Eiffel Tower". "Golly Green Giant". A few of the many names I was given during elementary school. I always have had trouble making and keeping friends. And have never been very good at moving on past the sudden shift in a relationship.

Sometimes, being a kid is tough. And for my Violet, who, like me, is as emotional as they come, all I can do is simply pray for her to grow to be a more strong and confident girl. To be able to brush off criticism and the meanness that simply exists in the world. My husband is so good at simply being himself and not letting other people's opinions get to him. I really am hoping that Violet has that strength of character, and that I can figure out how to cultivate that trait in her.

And, I truly hope that she will be fortunate enough to make and keep good friends. The kind of lifelong friends who grow and change with you. My dad has these types of friends. I remember as a teenager, almost every weekend, my father was on the phone checking in with his 2 best friends from grade school. Seriously they talked almost every week. Dad, Alex, and CW. They were thick as thieves as children and had somehow mastered the fine art of maintaining friendship, even when several states, different jobs, and different paths in life had separated them.

I was always envious of my dad in that regard.

I've been in and out of a funk for months now. A very important and longterm friendship ended abruplty. It happened so quickly, with no closure, and all of the sudden I feel like I am in the 5th grade again. It wouldn't be fair to say that this situation is the whole source of my "funk". And the more I reflect on the whole situation, the more I can see some of the mistakes I made (hindsight is 20/20). However, I feel this enormous sense sense of loss. This person doesn't want to be a part of my life anymore. They don't want to know about my day, my kids, my struggles, my successes. and more importantly, they don't want me to be a part of their life anymore. I guess I am still grieving the whole ordeal. And wishing that it could be fixed.

Seriously, the older I get, the more I realize that it doesn't get any easier, the whole relationship/friendship part of life.

As for Violet, I find myself crippled with the fear of her having to face rejection. If I could I would pull a John Travolta in Bubble Boy and just keep her safe and contained from all of the pain in the world. But being a parent is about teaching your kids how to be, and letting them go out into the world, learn, and grow on their own. Comfort them when they are down, and celebrate with them when they succeed.

My prayer for my children this morning is that they will be surrounded by great, strong, forgiving, encouraging, loving, uplifting friends. And that they will be lifelong friends.

Sorry for the long post. Just something I have been thinking about for a while.

-Stacie

Please Vote: Gingiber Fox Pillow in the Handmade Olympics!

2012-04-17T16:56:00.000-05:00

Hey ya'll! I am so excited that my cute Gingiber Fox Pillow has been nominated in the 2012 Handmade Olympics! Design Mom picked the top items, so it is an honor to be listed with this group of products :)

So would you do me a solid and hop on over to The RikRak Studio (they are hosting this event) and vote for my little fox?

I would really appreciate it!

Click Here to Vote

Thanks!

Chalkboard Silhouettes are BACK

2012-04-10T08:17:00.000-05:00

Hello! Just wanted to drop in and let you know that the Gingiber Silhouette Chalkboards are back in stock!

Gotta say that I really really love these pretty, classic silhouettes. I had been toying with a ponytail version of the girl chalkboard, but am still working out a nice sturdy design that wouldn't have shipping issues.

On a different note, obviously I am barely blogging right now. Thinking of shifting focus to completely blogging about the business and my personal decorating projects. How does that sound to you all? I have also done a little blog "make-under". It is not perfect, but I was going for minimal. And right now it gets the job done.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stacie

They Have Arrived! Safari Decals and Prints

2012-03-30T12:10:00.002-05:00

Okay folks! I know I said I would wait until April 1st, but seeing as how April 1st is on a Sunday, I thought I would go ahead and release the safari line of prints and wall decals TODAY!

Click Here to Check Them Out

I must say that I love this line of decals. Like seriously. I go to sleep thinking about them. I wake up, look at them, and smile. Twittered might be the appropriate word to describe my love for the Safari Decals.

You can purchase the decals as a set of 4, or individually. I hope that you love them!

Stacie

March

2012-03-24T21:46:00.001-05:00

Hi. Just thought I would pop in. I've finished the decals and just need to shoot their product photos. This makes me happy.

In other parts of my life, the well still feels like it is running dry. I tend to have a slightly depressive soul, I guess you could say. I think it is the artist in me that struggles in vein with being either fully engaged in creating something, or stopped dead in my tracks when the inspiration feels lost.

Yet I've been trying to create some healthier habits in my life the past 2 weeks. I've watched much less television. I've been reading a bit before I go to bed (and if you know me personally then you know that I really don't find reading enjoyable..... weirdo I know). I've been going on walks with my kids, playing outside with them, and wishing we were outside when it is raining.

One of my biggest struggles is parenting Violet. She is without a doubt the most strong willed child anyone in my family has met. She is an utter joy when she is happy. And the most difficult child I have ever encountered when she is out of sorts. And her mood changes so frequently. I've been reading books on strong willed children. Trying to become better equipped to be her parent.

Of course I still feel lost. V is the best big sister. Adores little Lucy. Violet is smart and charming when she wants to be. But golly she can stick her heels in the mud.

She is a lot like me in that way.

Aside from parenting, good things are happening. Nathan was offered a full time job at the local university as a "guest lecturer" once he graduates in August. We will then be on the job hunt during the next year for a full professorship elsewhere. But this job is the biggest blessing, both financially and professionally.

Also, Nathan and I may be traveling to NYC in April! Quick trip. It looks like I might be going to see the Martha Stewart Show :) And regardless of that, Nathan and I really wanted to take a little trip to celebrate his job and all of the small successes in our lives.

Oh, and on a side note. I got a really really bad haircut this week. Never go to the beauty school to save a few bucks on a haircut. I hope that ponytails stay in fashion for a while, because that is how my hair will be for a while :)

So that is my life right now.

How have you been?

Giraffe and Decals

2012-03-15T14:57:00.000-05:00

I listened to you all and made a little giraffe fella to go along with the safari line of illustrations! I will be releasing them in April, along with....

WALL DECALS!

I am uber excited about these wall decals. If you follow me on facebook or on twitter then you saw the sneak peeks I have been posting.

I will be offering the decals as individual animals or as a set! Still trying to decide on the right size of each animal though..... what do you think? Really really big (like 2 feet tall) or smaller?

Enough picking your brains for today! I feel energized creatively like I haven't felt in months.

Thanks for sticking around,

Stacie

New Work is Coming

2012-03-01T07:28:00.000-06:00

Hi friends! I started drawing again. It had been a LONG time, what with the holiday madness and then a general lack of inspiration. But, now I feel like I have found a good direction for my Spring/Summer illustrations: a Gingiber Safari.

Just wanted to show you the 1st 2 illos.

Do you like them? What other animals would you like to see? Other types of products?

Stacie

Limited Time Shop Gingiber Offer

2012-02-24T11:43:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you know about a special offer I am running over at Gingiber. For a limited time, every order of $20 or more will come with a FREE 2012 Owl or Fox Calendar!

Did you read that? FREE Calendar with a purchase of $20 or more! Simply specify which calendar you would like during checkout in the "Message to Seller" section.

So hop to it! Visit Gingiber and enjoy!

Stacie

Silence

2012-02-22T11:14:00.000-06:00

(Lucy, 14 weeks)

I don't get much quiet in my life anymore. 2 growing girls. 2 annoying dogs. Busy husband working away on his dissertation. Me filling orders. Church. Family. Sometimes I can squeeze in 4 hours of sleep and maybe an episode of Downton Abbey.

All good things. But then there really really is never silence.

(Lucy, 14 weeks)

I miss having quiet, alone time. I have been so busy that I can barely think. Thus, the radio silence on the blog for the past few weeks. I think I have said this before here on the blog, but there have been so many changes in the Bloomfield family over the past 4 months. So much shuffling. Shifting. Growing. And I've lost my personal voice in the process.

You know that feeling where when you look at Pinterest and see so many inspiring things that you begin to forget what your own personal taste is? That is me right now. I don't feel confident in what it is that I want or need or even like.

Yes, I love working from home. Gingiber full-time. But strip away the work, and who am I? My identity is so deeply intertwined with the success and growth of my business. If I didn't have it, well, I would be completely unrecognizable to myself.

(Violet, 3 years)

Nathan and I have been going at a pace to where one of us is staying up until about 2 AM every other night working. Then Lucy wakes up for a feeding. Then we sleep if we can get her back to bed. Then a few hours later I feel someone breathing over my head, and lo and behold Violet is staring at me, wanting breakfast and Blue's Clues. And if I say no to the later, she cries. And Lucy cries. And I want to cry.

Work/life balance is non-existent right now. And that is my fault. And Nathan's.

(Violet, 3 years)

You know what is the most ridiculous part of living a life like this? Not realizing that there is life all around me, and I am sometimes too busy to notice. Lucy is growing. She smiles. She desperately wants to roll over. She is cutting her 1st tooth. Violet is maturing. Her hair is longer. Face is thinning. She wants her nails painted. Wants to dress like me. Still is small enough that she wants me to hold her. Just be near her. She wants bedtime prayers. She prays every night to poop in the potty instead of her pants.

My precious daughters. My selfish, busy self.

Priorities. I need them. A routine. I crave it. Quiet time? I have to find some for my own personal sanity. Hulu? Time waster. Pinterest? Identity-sucker.

My family? The most precious gift that I have been given.

My heart has been heavy, feeling the ever growing distance between who I am and who I need to be. Wife. Mother. Friend. Business Owner. That is the goal today.

If you've ever talked with me in real life, then you know I don't know how to end a conversation. So I will try to end this post by saying thanks for reading, and will ask if any of you ever feel like this? Just so I know that I am not crazy.

Stacie

Gingiber Fab.com Sale Starts TOMORROW!

2012-02-11T18:57:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! The Gingiber Fab.com sale begins TOMORROW! It runs from February 12th-14th. This is your chance to purchase a bunch of Gingiber goodies at a lovely discounted rate!

Click here to see the preview of the sale!

Thanks so much!

Stacie

time for a new sewing machine

2012-01-31T10:45:00.000-06:00

I was smack in the middle of sewing a huge order of animal pillows this past weekend when I heard an unpleasant grinding sound in my sewing machine. I broke a gear, or at least I am assuming I did. I have had my little Diana Singer sewing machine serviced a few times over the past few years, and I decided it was finally time to purchase a new machine.

I purchased for myself this Singer 7258 Stylist Model sewing machine. It had really great reviews, and was said to be a "workhorse" of a machine. Sounded good to me! I wanted to buy a machine in town over the weekend, but found that the price was much better online.

Then, I saw this really cute 3/4 sized Janome Hello Kitty Sewing Machine! Oh, how I wish Violet was old enough to use it. She has been wanting me to teach her how to sew. But, a 3 year old handling a needle and thread doesn't sound too smart.

I am so tempted to buy this machine for her now and give it to her in oh, 4 years? I have visions of us sewing animal pillows together, side by side.

Not that I would make her sew my Gingiber pillow....er.....um.... yeah...

My machine will arrive on Thursday, so I have had to take a break from pillow making. Which is nice. I feel like I am regaining some of my sanity.

So Much To Do, Never Enough Time

2012-01-27T20:37:00.000-06:00

Mini Goals Chalkboard by MaryKateMcDevitt

It is Friday night, and both girls are asleep! I have a million things that I should be working on. So I thought I would share my weekend "to-do" list with you! Ya'll ready for this? (The #'s in green are really just things I want to do, but alas, I doubt they will actually happen)

Sew 300+ animal pillows (that's right, 300 for my upcoming Fab.com sale .... le sigh)
Finish laying out as much of issue 7 of La Petite Magazine as possible
Ship wholesale samples to Australia
Clean my pee stained carpet. Yes, every person under the age of 7 (that's how old Wallace is) has peed on the carpet in the past week
Cook a main dish and dessert for a church potluck
Clean the house..... it is looking mighty rough
Get oil changed in car
Clip Schroeder's nails... he has to look purty if we are to find a new home for him!
Cut husband's hair
Exercise! Mama still needs to drop 10 pounds!
Enlarge the waistband on this AWESOME vintage skirt I purchased!
Read my new House Beautiful Magazine
Spend quality time with Violet... she had her last day of daycare today and she has been a sad clown
Work on my NEW blog layout
Begin work on my wholesale order for Ruche!

In other completely unrelated news, I miss writing on this blog. I don't have the time to invest in making it a "real" cool DIY/decorating/all-around-awesome blog at the moment. So it may just become my online journal again. I am feeling a bit stuck in my own head. Does that ever happen to you?

In all honesty, I have had a lot of change in my life. Had a baby. Quit my job. Now Violet is home with me the majority of the time too. Gingiber has taken off in a great way, but golly I am feeling stretched thin. I didn't take off much time for maternity leave. And am feeling a bit burned out. Yet I am compelled to work as much as possible.

Workaholic much?

Definitely.

I need a vacation.

Any advice on work/life balance? I know I need to take 2 days a week off, but my plate is so full now I don't feel like I can afford to, ya know?

Thanks for listening to me ramble tonight,

Stacie

Gingiber Shop Update!

2012-01-25T11:41:00.000-06:00

Hi! I know I showed you the new Fox Tote Bag last week, but I completely forgot to show you a few other new items in the old Gingiber shop :)

I've released a new bear pillow in 2 colors, plus a sweet mini love bear (a great little Valentines Days Gift). Also, since February is a love month, I have released a sweet love themed owl Illustration and some mini love notes (a set of 20).

You can learn more about the new products over at the Gingiber Shop :)

What do you think of the new products? I am dying to get back to drawing and creating more fun stuff for 2012 :)

Need Some Input: Vintage Letters

2012-01-24T09:10:00.000-06:00

So I purchased these awesome little letters from Etsy shop OhSoRetroVintage. They are super cute, about 3 inches tall, and I really want to put them in Violet's room! Now the only problem is how to mount them?

They are super thin, vintage, and I don't know if I need to glue them to a board then mount that? Or should I hang a shelf and just set them on top of it? Shadow box? I need suggestions because I am at a loss!

What do you think?

Saturday

2012-01-21T13:52:00.000-06:00

This is the best photo I could catch of the Bloomfield girls. Oh Saturday. I long for the day when weekends are restful again. Having 2 kids is simply exhausting. But I can honestly say I am happier than I have ever been previously.

Momma needs a haircut. And to buy some makeup as I have been out of everything but mascara and concealer since December.

Oh, and sleep would be nice too.

And maybe a date night with the husband. Heck, even a night when we are the only ones in our bed! The girls have a habit of wanting to sleep with us....

I have been working so much that I finally made myself stop on Friday and relax. It was much needed and a reminder that even though I am working from home I need down time.

How has your Saturday been?

Some Vintage Clothing!

2012-01-19T05:39:00.000-06:00

On my birthday last week, I decided to wander over to a cute new vintage clothing shop in Fayetteville called Vintage Violet. Obviously, I could not resist their adorable moniker, so I did some real shopping! I tried on clothes and everything :) Now, I still have 10 pounds to go until I reach my goal post pregnancy weight, and golly even then I will still be a size 12. But the great thing about vintage clothing is that it is cut for real women!

Take this adorable 1950's vintage Apron Dress! I love the orange gingham check and the embroidered pocket. But must of all I love that it was cut for a woman with curves, not a stick!

The dress is thin so I have to wear a slip or some sort of camisole under it. But I think it is cute as a button. And it was less than $20 clams, so I do I do love it!

Okay, so I am not a fashion blogger. And don't expect regular outfit posts from me. But I just loved this cute dress enough that I had to share!

Do you wear vintage clothing? Or even a few pieces mixed into your daily wardrobe?

My 1st VLOG With An Announcement

2012-01-18T12:26:00.000-06:00

Hi friend! I made a VLOG! It is really short, so feel free to watch and here some great Gingiber news!

I never get used to seeing myself on camera! Oh well :)Now is not the time to be self-critical, but golly do I need a hair cut!

Stacie