Really, a year is only 365 days....

We always say, "where has the year gone," or "it's just flown by."  This year has been different for me.  Nope, I'm not talking about our calendar year, but the SLD year.  The year that's come, gone, yet I think I can remember pretty much every single day... that year. 

I started SLD nearly a year ago.  February 24th, 2010 was my first listing.  And sale.  :)  THRILLING day for me. 

This is what I sold:

 There was pretty much no way I was ever going to start a shop had my friend not urged me on.  I am so so grateful to you Ashley that you did. :) Ashley, is the brilliant mind behind the adorable clothing label Lil Blue Boo. 

Yup that's my Finley wearing some classic LBB.  Pretty stinking cute :)

And when the next day I put up another listing.  And had another sale, well, you pretty much could say I was jumping through the roof with excitement.  Really????  You're buying my stuff??  You like it??? WOW. 

Here are a few of my very favorites from that first week:

And check out how this:

 Became this:

(Well, there's one thing that hasn't changed in a year....LOL....my product photography was never very good, and look how much better it looks ON!)  I hear that ALL the time!  LOL


Well, I've been saying 'wow' pretty much everyday ever since :)  Seriously.  WOW!!!!!!  I cannot believe how far we've all come!!!  Hello, remember my unwilling model, my dear Finley, just a year ago?

And now...hello!  The changes she's gone through a year too is outstanding!!!

So, it's time to celebrate and commemorate!!  For the next six days, leading up to my one year anniversary, I'll have some exciting stuff going on....including a giveaway via Project Run and Play, some Facebook fun, and a release of my new anniversary screen print.  Sounds pretty fancy, aye?  ;) 

I'm going to be releasing a new print which will grace tees, skirts and dresses, and a HUGE amount of each sale will go toward funding a woman in a third world country, and EMPOWERING her with a micro loan to start a SEWING business!!  She is SLD in the making.  :)  Not like I'm massive hot stuff or anything, but what I am doing is living my dream!  I'm supplementing my family income, thus providing more for our family and my dear daughter.  The exact same things this woman is reaching for in her own world, under her own different circumstances.

Anyhow, here is a sneak peek:

I am so excited to share it and help get you some cute clothes and raise money for another woman just like me :)  How cool is that??!!!  Yay :)

So, stay tuned...check back here, and on my facebook page...for some fun this next six days.  And I promise some lame trivia too!!!

Thanks for seeing me through these 359 days.  You ARE awesome :)

xo,
Shari

So Finley's Book Party Planning is a go....

It better be, it's only 10 days away!! The awesome news? I hired a storyteller!!! She is a librarian in Riverside that comes out to the desert and is apparently a phenomenal storyteller! Yay!! She's thinking of making the book theme about water, (and maybe frogs) and I like the idea, it being so hot here, we could all use some water stories. :)

I bought these amazing looking blank board books for the little party guests as a craft activity.



I need your help though....what do you think we should do with them? Should I pre-set up collage pieces and pictures for them? Should we ask the kids (4 and under) to draw their own story? Should I write a story in them that they get to draw? Should I just plop them down in front of them and say "GO!"?? I need your help, what do you think we should do with them?

You can buy these awesome little blank board books at Romp, who also has incredible customer service by the way :)

Thanks to those of you who have been emailing me party ideas.....keep em coming! :)

xo,
shari

Planning Finley's birthday party....

I'm a little bit rusty. Finley's party was canceled last year. First she had bronchitis, and then when we tried to reschedule it she flipped out and didn't want a party. So we haven't had a birthday party since she turned 2! Wow, that's pretty crazy, considering she is turning 4 now!

Her 2nd birthday party was a smash Art themed party. I wanted to share a few pictures... I loved it!

For the invitations, I had cards printed at shutterfly.com using images of Finley painting. We had so much fun painting in the grass that day! Here is the front of the invitation:

I made them so that they seemed like an art gallery invitation. So here is the inside :)

I hung art all around the house that Finley created, and then emptied out my dining room and created this giant coloring wall. A friend converted a photo of each kid into a line drawing and each child had a bunch of stickers and crayons to draw with (and of course take home!)

Here it is in action:

An artist themed cake....on top of the tablecloth that Finley and I drew all over :) Oh, plus the painted rocks she worked on as table decor. :)

And while I don't have pictures, I made the food color-centric and each plate or bowl was one color....so pink was watermelon, green was veggies etc.....

For favors, Finley painted a frame for each child to take home, that had their very own photo inside. I also had a wooden letter of each child's first initial, tied up with some crayons for them to decorate.

Here's Finley the night before the party with all her hard work :)

Here is the happy birthday girl...



And her proud Mummy.....



It was a really fun theme and there are SO many directions you can take it. This years theme is BOOKS! Finley adores books and reading. Got any party ideas for me??

xo,
shari