Ooh Leela!

TGIF Favorites

2012-03-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

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Having trouble prioritizing your tasks? You should check out this post

Is the mess around you messing with you? Gussy, from Gussy Sews shared her take on it.

Can this candle mat bee any cuter? The sweet Mollie delivers once again.

Mini-risks?!? I'm all about challenging myself.

I **love** this dress.

This family is sew cute!

Leela is definitely getting some homemade treats this weekend.

Happy Friday friends!

Business Bits: understanding product cost and learning how to price handmade products - part 2

2012-02-24T11:29:00.001-08:00

Thank you so much for the amazing feedback all of you provided last week! If you missed part 1 of this series, you can find it here.

Before we dive into pricing, I thought it would be interesting to address some of the questions that have come up since our discussion last week.

Q: I am ok with using my profit margin to "pay" myself, instead of adding an additional expense line item, aka labor costs.

A: Technically, a portion of your profit margin should be used to pay for your overhead costs, such as utilities, marketing expenses, and other general and administrative expenses. The other portion (aka net profit or whatever is left after all your expenses have been paid), should be reinvested into the business to allow for future growth: perhaps you would like to upgrade your sewing machine, or buy fabric in bulk?

In addition, if you expect your business to grow, one day you may no longer be able to keep up with the demand for your products (yay!). Such a good problem to have, right?!? This means you will need to hire help, and it is important to pay people, or else they may not come back the next day ;) You can't simply increase your prices when you hire help, so it is important to factor in labor costs, even though at the moment you may only be a one-woman shop.

Q: Do you have any tips on how to keep track of how much time I am investing in each one of my items?

A: I have done a lot of research on this, and I came across a really great time keeping toll, called Toggl. Toggl offers a free 30-day trial and as long as you cancel your subscription before your trial period is up, you will not be charged. You can track time online, on your desktop (PC or Mac), iPad, iPhone, and Android phone. They also have a start and stop watch, and as long as you press "start" when you start working on something and "stop" when you are finished, the system calculates the amount of time you spent on each task, which to me is a big plus because I don't have to deal with fraction of hours, converting minutes to hours and vice versa.

**I am not being compensated for suggesting Toggl. All opinions are 100% my own, based on what has worked for me.

Now let's talk about pricing, shall we?

Pricing is Marketing!

The way you price your product determines how people will perceive it. A lower price, does not always mean more sales. In my experience, and based on the feedback I've received (wink wink, thank you!), if you price something too low, that may imply that you used inferior materials and that you are not an expert in your field.

People who charge more may sell less items, but the higher profit margin will more than make up for it. Plus who doesn't want to work less and make more moola? Repeat after me.... I want to work less and make more moola.

Pricing is very subjective, but the most common formula is:

Let's take the coffee sleeve example we used last week:

Cost: $16.74

Now multiply that by 2: $33.48 --> Wholesale price

Multiply the wholesale price by 2 again: $66.96 --> Retail price

Say what?!?

Pretty crazy, right? If I do a quick search on Etsy, there are coffee sleeves selling for as little as $6.00 (granted, they are not appliquéd), but still, a coffee sleeve for $67 buckaroos?

Give me a minute while I get over this self induced sticker shock.

This means:

1. Handcrafted items are usually underpriced, and that hurts all of us who are trying to make a living

2. I may need to lower my raw materials cost and/or streamline my process

3. In the long run, coffee sleeves may not be a sustainable product, if I want to run my shop as a business

4. I am perhaps targeting the wrong audience. I am not always my target customer and can't price something based on what I can afford to pay. People buying my products may have more disposable income

5. You will still find coffee sleeves going for $15.99 in my shop. Does that make me a hypocrite? Maybe...Once they are gone, they will be gone for good though.

Source: inkandspindle.blogspot.com via Ooh on Pinterest

Are there any other pricing formulas, you ask?

Yes, you can always play around with the markup percentage, both from cost to wholesale and from wholesale to retail. Multiplying it by 2 (per example above) = 100% markup percentage.

Before you go there however, if you wish to sell your items wholesale (and you should always consider doing that, if you want to grow and expand your business), you should know that retail shops will almost always want to make a 100% markup on the products they sell. This means that if they buy your item for X, they will want to sell it for 2X (consistent with the formula above).

The problem may only arise when their price is higher than your retail price. For instance, say that you sold something to a brick and mortar store for $20.00. They will want to sell it for $40.00 (2X or 100% markup). You may be selling that same item for $35.00 in your shop. The retailer may not be happy about that and this is something you should keep in mind.

As promised, I've updated the spreadsheet I put together last week and included a tab for pricing. Feel free to download it to your computer and play with the percentages (cells highlighted in pink). See what works for you. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

As always, please contact me at oohleela{at}gmail{dot}com in case you have any questions.

Happy Friday!

Business Bits: understanding product cost and learning how to price handmade products - part 1

2012-02-16T11:31:00.001-08:00

Let me start by saying that everyone who is trying to become a full-time, successful indie biz owner should read this. Hey, even people who sell handcrafted items as a hobby should read this.

When I was starting out, I let my emotions get the best of me. I always put my heart and soul into every one of my pieces so I thought, hey I love this, people will most certainly love it too! There will be a market for it! This is what I'd pay for something like this, so let's price it at "X".

That was one of the biggest mistakes I've made. Not only did I not understand how much it cost to make each one of my products, I did not even consider my time. How can one be a full-time business owner if one does not pay herself? What was I thinking? Very embarrassing to even admit this, considering I have a business background.

While it is important to sell something that you are passionate about, if you are going to treat your little shop as a business, it is important to know whether or not that item is cost effective to make. You should be asking yourself questions such as: How much does it cost? After I factor in my labor costs as well as my profit margin, will people still want to buy it? Mostly importantly, you need to be able to answer these questions.

There are so many things one must consider when costing out their items. Let's take one of my appliqué coffee sleeves for instance:

Pumpkin spice latte coffee sleeve

I am extremely passionate about them and I LOVE making them! Right now they go for $15.99 each (I have recently increased the price, they were $12.99 each all throughout last year).

What exactly do I need to consider?

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Materials cost: we are talking about the cost of any raw materials you use to make your product. In this case it includes the outside fabric, lining fabric, appliqué fabric, fusible web, batting, elastic and button. Based on my calculations, the total comes to $3.00.

**If you have coupons, it is important to consider the cost as if you did not have a coupon. Depending on the demand for your product, you may have to buy more materials at a time when coupons are not available. So go with the worst case scenario.

**If you buy your materials online, you need to include the shipping costs as well.

Total materials cost: $3.00

Equipment cost: I am using a sewing machine, that requires periodic tune ups and TLC, as well as needle and thread, right? So based on the amount of sewing I do, I figure I will add $0.10 to each item I make, to cover these costs.

Total equipment cost: $0.10

Source: joyshope.com via Timalee Sue on Pinterest

Labor cost: You need to make a living and deserve to be paid way more than corporate giants pay their employees overseas. Do not undersell yourself. For the purposes of this exercise, I am going to use $10/hr. as my hourly rate. Now, $10/hr. translates into a $20,000/year salary, or $1,666.67/month before taxes. $10/hr. is less than the minimum wage in the San Francisco Area.

**If you are having a hard time deciding how much money you should pay yourself, check out this hourly rate calculator.

It takes me about an hour to cut my fabric and batting, hand cut and apply my appliqués and finish the sleeve, provided I do everything assembly style. This also includes taking pictures, editing them, listing the sleeve and marketing it on various social media sites. So let's add $10 to the mix, to cover my labor costs.

Total labor cost: $10.00

Listing fees: although it would be nice to sell an item as soon as you list it, it doesn't always happen that way. Based on my experience, I need to re-list an item anywhere between 3-7 times before it sells. That is an average of 5 times/item. Etsy charges me $0.20 every time I list/re-list an item, so we need to add $1.00 to the cost of the sleeve.

Total listing fees: $1.00

Etsy and PayPal fees: every time an item sells, Etsy charges me 3.5% of the sale price, not including shipping. So for an item that sells for $15.99, 3.5% comes to $0.56. PayPal on the other hand, charges me 2.9% of the total price (item + shipping) to process payments. Say shipping is $2.00; 2.9% of $17.99 comes to $0.53. They also charge me $0.30 per transaction. So between Etsy and PayPal fees, we need to add $1.39 to the overall cost.

Total Etsy and PayPal fees: $1.39

Source: decor8blog.com via Isadora on Pinterest

Packaging supplies: this includes shipping labels, printer ink, envelopes, tape, tissue paper and in my case raffia. If I buy them in bulk, I am paying about $0.50 per item that I sell.

Total packaging supplies: $0.50

Marketing materials: I also like to add my own label as well as a nice tag and a business card with each one of my products: I will show you how I arrived at this figure when I post about how I order my labels, tags and business cards, but for now, believe me when I say that the total cost comes to about $0.75 per item sold.

Total marketing materials: $0.75

Let's recap:

Materials cost	$3.00
Equipment cost	$0.10
Labor	$10.00
Listing fee	$1.00
Etsy and PayPal fees	$1.39
Packaging supplies	$0.50
Marketing materials	$0.75
Total cost	$16.74

Do you see what I see?!? So far my cost alone (without a profit) exceeds my price! Some of you may argue that a profit is not necessary when you are already factoring in your labor costs. Wrong! How do you expect to pay for all your fixed costs/overhead, such as rent, utilities, CPA costs, etc, if you don't make a profit?

I also donate a portion of my sales to various causes throughout the year. Yikes! It gets scarier by the minute, doesn't it?

Everyone with me so far?

I just about died when I realized that I am practically paying my customers to buy my coffee sleeves.

Boo, the girly ghost

Is that the case for you too?

What does that mean (to me)? That although I love making coffee sleeves, at their current price, they are not getting me any closer to my goal of quitting my day job and becoming a full time business owner. Does that mean I can't/won't sell coffee sleeves in the future? Hmmm, probably not (there are a few left in my shop, still going for $15.99). But I feel empowered because I know that I am required to change directions (raise my price - provided there is a market for it at that price point - or focus on other products, that have higher profit margins) if I still want to achieve my goal.

I wanted to go into pricing strategies, but I figured it would be too much for one post so I decided to break it into 2 parts. We will cover that next week.

I have prepared a spreadsheet to help you figure out what your product cost is (told ya I was a spreadsheet kind of gal - wink!). Simply enter your numbers in the pink cells, and the rest is calculated automatically for you. It is a Google spreadsheet, and you can access it even if you don't have a Gmail account. You can also download it to your computer if you would like. You may access it by clicking here.

**Edited to add: you will need to download the file in order to populate the spreadsheet with your own numbers. To do this, click on file, then on download as, excel. Or email me and I will send you a copy by email.

Again, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, as well as any other topics you would like to see covered in the next few weeks.

Please email me at oohleela{at}gmail{dot}com in case you have any questions!

Happy costing friends!

To see all the business topics we have covered in the past click here.

Wolfy I love you!

2012-02-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day! May your day be filled with love, the human kind as well as the puppy kind!

Makes me Think....

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

A friend on Etsy posted about this website a couple of days ago and I have not been able to stop thinking about it. It. is. so. freaking. inspirational!

Makes me Think is all about short, thought provoking stories written by people just like you and me. They share stories that have touched their lives in some way.

All I can say is that reading them has touched mine too.

Here are a few of my favorites:

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"Today, an elderly man in his 70’s enrolled in my entry level computer programming class at the University of Miami. He’s a retired, wealthy, ex-business owner in the technology sector. I asked him why he decided to start studying again, and he replied, “I just thought, what does one do between now and the end? I figured I might as well learn something new that interests me.” MMT"

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"Today, I own a party business for which I regularly dress up as a clown to entertain kids. This morning I was hired to visit and cheer up a young girl in the hospital who was recovering from severe burns (from a house fire) that covered her entire body. After I finished my hour long session with her, during which she smiled the entire time, I spent a half hour outside in the hospital parking lot crying… for her. MMT"

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"Today, after spending nearly 24 years of my life self conscious of being a 6’2 tall woman, and being taller than most of the guys, I fell in love and married a guy in a wheelchair. MMT"

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"Today, after nearly 12 years without a intelligible word spoken, my deaf-mute daughter hugged me tight and said, “I love my daddy!” MMT"

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"Today, a day after my 18th birthday, as I was helping my dad clear some old boxes out of the basement, he suddenly exclaimed, “Oh my gosh! I thought I lost this tape!” He held up an old VHS tape. On it was video footage of him and my mom from the year before I was born. My mom passed away while giving birth to me. I have seen several pictures of her, but never any video. So today, for the very first time, I got to hear my mom’s voice. MMT"

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"Today, the man that saved my life 28 years ago when he singlehandedly fought off three other men who were trying to rape me, walks with a cane due to the leg injury he suffered by doing so. And he looked so proud today when he put down his cane and slowly walked our daughter down the aisle. MMT"

Source: jennifermarch.com via Ooh on Pinterest

"Today, I was patiently waiting for a shaded parking spot at the mall when a guy cut me off and stole the parking spot I had been waiting for with my blinker on. I let it go and just parked farther out in an non-shaded spot. While I was shopping, a windy, loud thunder storm passed over the area. When I left the mall, a huge fallen tree branch had crushed the roof of the guy’s car who stole my spot. MMT"

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"Today, I unbuckled my seatbelt (I’m passionate about wearing my seatbelt) for two seconds so I could reach a printed map and directions sitting on the other side of the passenger seat. Just as I leaned over to grab it, I hit a big bump in the road and then my windshield shattered as a steel pipe that was hanging on the work truck driving in front of me shot, like a missile, through my windshield and directly into the center of the driver’s seat. I slammed on the brakes and crawled out of the passenger door. The cops that arrived at the scene couldn’t believe it either – there was an 8 foot steel pipe embedded into the driver’s seat, and it didn’t touch me. MMT"

What inspires you? Happy Friday, friends!

Business Bits: how to create a Facebook page vanity url for your business

2012-02-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

Yay for a new blog series! Starting a handmade business is hard. Running a business is tough. I've been there and done that. I am the type of person who researches everything, writes it all down (spreadsheet style), and then stares at it for what it seems like days before I make a decision. I'd like to think of myself as a risk taker, but truth be told, I prefer to weigh all the pros and all the cons before I make a decision.

Over the past year and a half (since I started Ooh Leela!), I've collected so much information that I thought it would be fun to share it with you guys. I hope that this helps you. I am by no means an expert, so use it at your own risk ;)

When I created a Facebook page for Ooh Leela! it looked something like this: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ooh-Leela/176886285657017

It. drove. me. nuts! All I wanted was a simple, customized 'facebook.com/oohleela' address. To me it just adds a bit of professionalism to my brand.

At first I thought it had something to do with the type of business page I had selected (you know how Facebook asks you to select what kind of business you have when you first create a page?).... Nope, it wasn't it.

So after completely giving up on it for months (I even stopped mentioning it on my business card because there was not enough space to add all of those numbers), I decided to look for a solution.

So, I remembered to ask my friend Mr. Google for help. It turns out that such a thing is called a "vanity url." Fancy, yes?

Do you want to know how to create your own Facebook page vanity url? Here are the steps!

1. Log in to your Facebook account

2. Create a Facebook page for your business (please let me know if you'd be interested in a step-by-step tutorial and I will be happy to put it together)

3. Go to http://www.facebook.com/username/

4. Go to 'page name' (see arrow below) and choose your page.

5. Choose a name, make sure it is available, and you are all set!

**Now, pick a name that you will be happy with for there is no going back friends; once you pick a name, for instance www.facebook.com/THENAMEYOUPICKGOESHERE, it cannot be changed.

Leave me a comment or email me at oohleela {at} gmail {dot} com in case you have any questions!

What sort of business questions have you been faced with lately? How do you use/plan to use your Facebook page? To announce new releases? Sales? Coupons? I'd love to hear from you!

Leela love: going incognito

2012-01-31T10:54:00.000-08:00

Leela was trying to avoid the PUParazzi while shopping the other day. The life of a cute puppy is hard sometimes.

When I asked Leela how she felt, she said "when you are cute like me, you do what you gotta do... now get me some treats and let's get outta here" although I must say that it sounded more like woof wooooooof woooof wof!!!!!

Thanks Annie for the caption <3.

Must love dogs

2012-01-06T10:07:00.000-08:00

Flipping channels, bored out of my mind, I came across this rerun. Though this is more of a story about second chances in love, one simply can't ignore the cute dogs featured in it.

The last canine movie I had watched was Marley and Me - loved the Lab though not so enthralled by the lead human featured in it. Which got me thinking - which movie has a yorkie (Leela as you all know is one) as its lead character? I could not come up with any name even though I have watched so many movies - starting from Lassie, Turner and Hooch to Eight Below. My all time favorite is an animation - the Lady and the Tramp. Its such a great romance!!!!

So if anyone does know of any movie featuring a Yorkie in the lead, my gratitude in advance!

A very Happy New Year and a big wet kiss from Leela!

Love is in the air!!!

2012-01-01T17:40:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012 everyone! I am so excited about the new year! I have a feeling this is going to be a great year! For all of us!

Even though we went to bed super early last night, today started off a bit slow. I woke up with a terrible migraine, but 3 tylenol and a 3-hour nap later and I was as good as new. Super inspired too! I spent all day sewing my little heart out, taking pictures and adding new goodies to Ooh Leela Pets!!!

Speaking of which, I am SO going to miss being on vacation. These past few days have been absolutely wonderful. I crafted, sewed, spent time with Leela, took care of my home, cooked and simply focused on things that bring me joy. Going back to work on Tuesday is going to be hard. Not that I don't like my job. I do. But it is so demanding and stressful, it leaves me with little to no energy to do anything else. Anyone in the same boat? Any tips you can share?

Here are a few pictures of my furry top model, Leela Baleela Stinky Butt Spoiled Smith.

Puppy polo shirt

Look at those cute pink bows, on both sleeves.

Love is in the air purple dog tee

They both say: "Love is in the air." Because Leela told me puppies fall in love too. Leela's heart belongs to a super cute yorkie poo called Wolfy. They've been "dating" for over a year now.

Wouldn't these cuties make an awesome Valentine's Day gift? Yikes! It is the first of the year and I am already thinking about V-Day. Please tell me I am not the only one.

I hope you had as much fun as I did. Again, thanks for stopping by!

I'm ready for 2012

2011-12-31T09:29:00.000-08:00

Regardless of what the Mayans say about 2012, I am so ready for the new year! Don't get me wrong; this year has been good, but good ol' me always believes that a new year has the promise to be BETTER!

Some of my accomplishments in 2011 (you can see last year's posts here and here):

Continued to work on and improve my sewing skills. Learned the ins and outs of screen printing!

Visited my family & got to spend 6 weeks in Brazil and Argentina

Helped my Mom take care of my sick grandma for a week. This was such a humbling experience.

Spent quality time with my grandpa. Have I mentioned that he is such an inspiration to me?

Went horseback riding

Continued to go to the gym and maintained my weight. Even though I had to work hard to lose the 8 lbs. I gained while on vacation. It was sort of like an Eat Pray Love type of va-cay!

Planned my first baby shower ever! You can read more about it here.

Made dinner on Thanksgiving (all by myself)

I am kicking off 2012 with operation happiness! I just need to be more positive and generally speaking happy. I know it is possible and I just need to train my mind to see that the cup IS half full.

Here is the scope:

1. Control freak no more! I need to trust those around me and accept that everyone is different and as such, does things differently. I will try to be ok when hubz does the dishes and be grateful that the dishes are done instead of looking at the grease left behind.

2. Be more disciplined: If I don't like the way those extra pounds make me feel, perhaps it is time to get up a little earlier and go jogging? The point is, I can't just wish certain things were different and don't do anything to change them. I have the power to change most of these things. It just requires compromise and sacrifice.

3. Be more forgiving. Allow myself to be perfectly imperfect. Love myself for who I am.

4. Work on my relationship: again, be more forgiving, less selfish, and believe in it again. This has been a very difficult year for me relationship-wise. We need to get on the same page. We owe it to ourselves to give it nothing but our very best and try to make it work.

5. Remove the mental roadblocks: ok, this is a big one. I have huge dreams. But I am afraid of pursuing most of them because this crazy little head of mine comes up with thousands of excuses and reasons as to why making my dreams a reality will be hard and impossible. I've realized I am my worst enemy at times. Gotta change that.

6. Realize/believe/understand that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

I hate to be such a downer, but writing this all down helps me focus on what needs to be done.

What are your plans for the new year? I would love to hear all about it.

Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, for stopping by. Thank you for coming along on this journey with me.

I wish you and your loved ones a New Year filled with success!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T11:11:00.000-08:00

Source

Dear Friends, first and foremost, thank you for visiting. We hope you and your loved ones have a Wonderful Christmas! We wish you lots and lots of happiness, health, family & friends and love, lots and lots of love. Because everything is so much better when there is love.

Do remember the true meaning of Christmas, say a prayer and thank God for all the blessings in your life.

Tis the season!

2011-12-21T08:43:00.001-08:00

I feel a little weird this year because I am a person who loves Christmas and looks forward to it and yet.... I have not even gone shopping, sent cards or finished decorating our Christmas tree.

This cute video might just give me the inspiration I need. How is the Holiday season treating ya?

Xo's,

Doggie tees

2011-12-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

Let me start out by saying that starting my own line of dog apparel and accessories has been a dream of mine for years.

I started sewing on a regular basis 3 years ago... Kind of a funny story actually... I had been eyeing a sewing machine at Costco for quite some time, but I could not ~~sell my hubby the idea~~ justify spending money on it because {back then} I never seemed to finish anything I started, when it came to hobbies.

But I must say that I wasn't entirely happy with that rationalization..... I wanted a sewing machine period. So, I started looking for alternatives.... I had a {rather fat, thank you very much} piggy bank.. So I broke my piggy bank, found a coinstar machine, dumped all my change, watched the machine count my coins only to find out that I was still $25 short. Friends, all I can say is that persistence pays off. Seeing my disappointment, hubby kindly offered the contents of his piggy bank....

Well, let's just say that the rest is history. Many equipment upgrades, youtube videos, online tutorials, cussing sessions, and sewing classes later, I am still going strong. For the past 3 years I had one goal in mind: I wanted to improve my skills & learn garment construction. And learn I did. And it feels so good =)

So without further ado, I must tell you about Ooh Leela's dog apparel & accessories line!

It is here people!!! For realz!

I don't have any {human} kids yet, but I am pretty sure this is what giving labor must feel like. There was so much thought, love, sweat and tears put into this line. It truly feels like it is my baby.

These awesome {and stylish} tees are now available in my shop. They were hand printed by yours truly, using eco-friendly water-based inks. They have fun little messages that portray your dog's ~~attitude~~ err personality. This {LIMITED EDITION} cutie says: This is ALL I got for Christmas! ™

These super soft, high quality 100% t-shirts were designed with Leela in mind. They are soft, comfy and were cut & sewn in a way so as to provide plenty of room for potty breaks.

Now this is a two person and one dog show, so while we haven't added too many items just yet, we will be doing so throughout the month.... There will be polo shirts, hoodies & cute accessories. I can't wait to share them with you.

Remember, Ooh Leela's Pet Collection™ is the ONLY one that contains a puppy seal of approval, issued by Leela herself!

To show my appreciation for your support {thank YOU}, I am offering free shipping {and free upgrade to Priority mail} today. Enter SHIP2ME at checkout! These would make great stocking stuffers and your furry friend will love you for it!

Happy Friday friends!

Puppy no-no's

2011-12-13T14:50:00.000-08:00

If your puppy is anything like Leela, you need to be extra careful during the Holiday season. Leela likes to explore the depths of our trash can. Occasionally I will give her a "human" treat but it is important to know what puppies can and cannot eat.

Garlic! May I have some food in my garlic please? Seriously I love garlic and it makes everything taste so much better! But garlic, in any form whatsoever (powdered, raw, salt, etc) destroy your best friend's red blood cells and may lead to anemia.

Source: flickr.com via Ooh on Pinterest

Raisins add just the right amount of sweetness to any dish be it stuffing or a nice spinach salad. Raisins may lead to kidney failure and no one wants to put their furbabies through that now do they?

Fat trimmings are pretty harmful too! Here I thought I was giving my baby a real nice treat! Fat trimmings may cause pancreatitis.

So what to give your favorite child this season ?

Source: squidoo.com via Ooh on Pinterest

Well a dog treat goes a long way in making your loved one happy!

And if you want to go all the way, how about something from Ooh Leela's OwnTM collection?

That's right folks, this cute bone shaped bed is the only one that contains a puppy seal of approval issued by Leela herself!

Cupcakes are very trendy right now and your baby deserves to be fashionable!

Check them out! Enter SHIP2ME at checkout for free shipping! They would make great stocking stuffers!

Happy Holidays friends!

Tutorial: holiday/winter DIY centerpiece

2011-11-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is almost here! I will be hosting it this year and unlike last year I will be doing all the cooking myself. Wish me luck.

What will you be doing tomorrow?

If you are in the US: May you, your family and friends have a great Thanksgiving.

This was a very popular tutorial last year so I thought I'd share it again.

DIY holiday centerpiece

Material list:

Red maple tree leaves or any red leaves you manage to find in your yard
Pine cones (smaller ones are better): this can also come from your backyard
1 tall vase
Tree branches: I got mine at Michael's a few years ago

Directions:

1. Clean your vase, and add the pine cones to the bottom

2. Arrange the red leaves nicely, so that the red part actually shows. Mixing smaller and bigger leaves works really well.

3. Play with the branches. See what works best.

4. I chose to display a couple of candles on both sides of the vase because I think they compliment the design quite nicely.

And because the leaves are red, you can leave this up until Christmas. The only thing I would change is the candles. Perhaps use red candles, or Santa/Frosty?

Toga party costume re-style

2011-11-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I were invited to a Toga party last weekend. Having never been to a toga party before, I started panicking right away. You see, jeans (and pants in general) contain my love handles and all that extra goodness I ~~sometimes~~ carry around my waist. Wearing dresses and skirts on the other hand scares me to death. The last thing I want to look like is a hot air balloon ;)

I also wanted something more creative than a white sheet wrapped around my body. So I decided to hit the costume and party stores. I found this awful looking thing on sale for $14.99 at Party City.

As it turns out, taking pictures of your own self is really hard!

Anyhoo, it was a step up from a plain white sheet, but not by much. It was a sleeveless, long white dress 3 sizes too big, with a diagonal sash looking thing-y.

So after a quick trip to my local Joann's and 4-5 hours in front of my trusty serger, I transformed it into this:

Here is what I did:

Shortened it
Made it a bit smaller so that the shape was a bit more flattering
Adjusted the shoulder seam (as you could see way too much when I moved my arms)
Added tons of trim
Total cost: $25.00 (I already had the sandals)

I got so many compliments at the party that I have decided to make all of my costumes from now on. I like being unique ;)

Happy Friday Friends!

Treasure Hunt time!

2011-11-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

November is a special month, since it is this little blog's anniversary! I can hardly believe it has been a year since I've started blogging.

I have learned so much and met so many wonderful people! More on that later though!

To celebrate, I have put together a little treasure hunt! Who doesn't like a good treasure hunt right?!?

Etsy allows me to add up to 5 pictures to each one of my listings. I have added the picture above to one of my shop listings. Go to my shop, and click on all the listings until you find the treasure chest.

**HINT: Look at the 5th picture....

The special: you will get 50% off the item in the listing! 50% is a huge discount! What are you waiting for?!? Check it out!

AHOY MATEY!

Domestic Bliss: Vinegar

2011-10-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

Source: imperfecthomemaking.com via Ooh on Pinterest

So today we will take a closer look at what we can do with Vinegar, besides the usual salary dressing and marinade...

Speaking of salad dressing have you tried EVOO, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper and diced onion? D-I-V-I-N-E! And low in calories as well!

But I digress.

To make it easier, let's divide the uses into categories, shall we?

Kitchen

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Ooh on Pinterest

Clean your dishwasher! The other day my dishwasher was a bit smelly I must say. This is caused by the hard water film as well as food debris. Simply pour a cup of vinegar in the bottom and run the dishwasher.

Since we are cleaning why not clean out your coffee maker? Use equal parts vinegar and water and run it through the brew cycle. Finish it off by running through the brew cycle again, this time using only plain water.

Laundry

Source: madebymunchiesmama.blogspot.com via Ooh on Pinterest

To remove stains, mix equal parts dishwashing liquid, water and vinegar in a plastic squirt bottle. Squeeze it onto stain and leave it for several minutes before rinsing it.

Remove yellow age spots by sponging them with a mixture of one tablespoon of vinegar and a pint of water.

Beauty tips

Source: rainydaysandblankets.tumblr.com via Ooh on Pinterest

Vinegar can do wonders for your hair! Mix a half a cup of apple cider vinegar with 2 cups of warm water and pour over your freshly washed hair.

Apple cider vinegar is really good for oily skin too! Spritz it on after thoroughly cleaning your face and let it air dry.

Housekeeping tips

When mineral deposits build up inside your shower head, simply soak it in a bowl of vinegar. This will soften the deposits. Brush them away.

I have a pretty stubborn glass top coffee table. The only thing that will not leave streak marks is white vinegar. It smells so nice and clean as well!

Pour white vinegar into your toilet bowl and let it sit for about 1 hr. It will be as good as new!

Source: tidymom.net via Ooh on Pinterest

Earlier this week (and you would know this if you followed me on Twitter) I had a clogged sink (it turns out you should never ever throw artichoke leaves in the garbage disposal). Pour 1 cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of hot white vinegar down the drain. Wait a few minutes and pour boiling water.

Attack and "kill" soap scum. Use 4 parts water to 1 part vinegar!

Do you have any tips you would like to share? Or any household products you would like to know more about? Leave a comment below or email me at oohleela{at}gmail{dot}com.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Laptop sleeve

2011-10-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

I have finally gotten around to finishing my laptop sleeve. Hey, it only took me 7 months, but I am proud to say that this UFO (unfinished project) is done! Woo-hoo!

I used Amy Butler's Temple Tulips in Azure/Soul Blossoms that I got for 7.99/yard. I lined it with some yellow flannel that I had on hand and to make it extra sturdy, I used fusible fleece. It was a bit bulky, but my 100/16 needle made it much much easier to get the job done.

I used velcro for the closure....

Is this one of my own patterns you might ask? No, I used Sew Mama Sew's pattern. You can find it here.

A few notes about the pattern:

I love the measurement part and how you can customize it to fit any laptop. The formula looks a bit daunting at first, but it is super simple and it works.
The pattern has lots of pictures and they definitely helped me since I am more of a visual learner.
The instructions are clear for the most part, but I must admit that I got confused at times and ended up fusing the fleece to the wrong panel.... An easy fix, but a frustrating experience nevertheless....

I love how it turned out though! It took me about 2 hrs., from start to finish. A perfect "mind candy" type of project.

PS: have you seen my new blog signature?!? Andee Eve from Bearing Fruit inspired me! Check out her blog for awesome blogging tips and tricks!

Thanks for stopping by!

Domestic Bliss: The coffee filter

2011-10-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

I was absolutely amazed to learn that coffee filters can be used in so many different ways!

Source: lovelygirlsweddings.blogspot.com via Ooh on Pinterest

You can make beautiful light fixtures and wreaths....

Source: thevirginiahouse.blogspot.com via Ooh on Pinterest

They make excellent covers when cooking. No more oily and messy splatters!

Why spend lots of $$$ in paper towels when you can use coffee filters to clean windows and polish your shoes? They are lint free!

Source: Uploaded by user via Ooh on Pinterest

How about those expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters.

Source: sp.life123.com via Ooh on Pinterest

Put a few on a plate and put your fried bacon, french fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.

Use as a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliquéing soft fabrics. Now this is thrifty! Much cheaper than stabilizers too!

Source: google.com via Ooh on Pinterest

Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

Use it to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car. Good luck convincing hubby though! Guys can be so set in their ways!

Source: thepinupfiles.com via Ooh on Pinterest

Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and to clean up small counter spills. I feel liberated! I am no longer the queen of paper towel land! Hooray!

Instead of using tons of different bowls (and having to wash them later) use it to hold dry ingredients when baking.

Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

Source: weheartit.com via Ooh on Pinterest

Needless to say they can also be used to brew your favorite cup of coffee, lol.

So what did you think? Did you know that these guys were so versatile?

Be sure to come back next week, when we will take a closer look at our dear friend Mr. Vinegar.....

We hope you have a great weekend!

Domestic Bliss!

2011-10-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Ooh on Pinterest

Although I love taking care of my home, domesticity doesn't always come naturally to me. Let's just say that instead of cleaning the bathroom or doing other household chores, I much prefer to spend my precious leisure moments watching the Housewives of {insert location here}, a night out, sewing, kissing my pooch, driving hubby crazy by criticizing his favorite football team.... You get the idea.

Source: Uploaded by user via Ooh on Pinterest

But I must admit that a clean & organized house makes me happy and allows me to be more creative. So I am always thrilled when I learn about housekeeping tips that are cheap, creative and make my life a whole lot easier.

Source: squidoo.com via Ooh on Pinterest

I have been carefully researching and collecting cleaning tips & testing said tips for about a year or so. Now that I have had a chance to test each and every one of them, I am ready to share them with you!

Thus the new blog series: Domestic Bliss! The first tip I have to share is how to look this sexy when you clean your house:

Source: Uploaded by user via Ooh on Pinterest

Not really!

But seriously, I hope you will join me every week, starting tomorrow when I share uncommon uses for our beloved coffee filter!

Do you have any cleaning tips you would like to share? Email me! oohleela{at}gmail{dot}com.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Halloween project ideas

2011-10-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hello blog friends! This is my 100th blog post, so I'd better make it extra special!

While browsing the interwebs I came across these cute Halloween projects and had to share!


TP rolls party favor pillow boxes by Crissy Crafts


Felt trick or treat bags by Homemade by Jill

Easy pipe cleaner spider by Homemade by Jill


Pumpkins carved with a drill by Crafty Nest

Do you have a fun Halloween project you would like to share?

Xoxo's!

Meet Boo, the girlie ghost

2011-10-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

October is Think Pink month. We celebrate Halloween in October. That got me thinking.... Why not make a coffee sleeve/cup cozy with a pink ghost on it?

Let me introduce you to Boo, the girlie ghost:

I used osnaburg on the outside. Osnaburg looks very similar to linen.

The hand cut ghost applique was done in a super cute pink/white polka dot fabric, with 2 black buttons for her eyes and a pink bow (because every girlie ghost has got to have a pink bow).

I used a super cute floral back on the inside. You may remember seeing this fabric on the blog before. I used it in the fabric bunting I made for the baby shower.

20% of all sales this month will be donated to support Breast Cancer Awareness.You can find Boo here.

Have you made any new items to celebrate Think Pink month or Halloween?

Thanks for stopping by. Leela says hi!

Think Pink BNR

2011-10-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

And we are on! Come say hi! Ooh Leela is donating 20% of all sales proceeds to help support Breast Cancer Awareness and Research.

We have a very special BNR tomorrow!

2011-10-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

Prayer box by Maranda

I have recently discovered the joys of participating in a BNR. What is a BNR you ask?

BNR stands for "BUY AND REPLACE." Someone creates a treasury on Etsy and if you want your item featured in this particular treasury, you have to buy one of the items featured in the treasury. It is so much fun: you get to meet a lot of wonderful sellers and it is a great opportunity to get some exposure.

If you are not an Etsy shop owner, it is still fun to participate because sellers usually offer tons of discounts, so you may end up getting a great deal that you would not haven gotten had you not participated.

Based on my experience, if you are a seller, the key to a successful BNR experience is:

1. Great product photography
2. Don't have the most expensive item in the treasury. You want to see what the other items are priced at and try to stay in the lower end if possible
3. Participation is super important: when I am able to participate and interact with the other people who are participating in the BNR, I sell more items.
4. BNRs are a great way to get hearts. Don't forget to heart other sellers' items and add them to your circle!
5. If people invite you to attend a BNR (and chances are they will send you invitations after your first BNR experience), go and say hi! Even if you can't play, people do appreciate the fact that you took the time to visit and favorite the treasury.

Why am I telling you all this?!?

Because tomorrow, my dear Etsy Angel sisters and I are hosting our very first BNR! We are raising money in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

I would love if you joined us between 5pm EST - 8pm EST tomorrow, Thursday 6th, 2011.

Would you like to learn more about Etsy Angels Team? Please click HERE.

Please feel free to leave a comment or email me in case you have any questions.

Thanks for stopping by. Xoxo!