Sustainable Thinking....

I've been thinking. And thinking. And thinking some more. Way too much thinking going on around here. ;) But I had to do this thinking to make SLD sustainable for years to come. You know I'm an open book, so here's the dilemma.

There are three things that have been super important to me for SLD. One of a kind clothing, upcycled clothing, and quirky clothing. These are the main tenants of what I am about. But the first and second items are also the two things making SLD currently unsustainable.

How? Take one of a kind (ooak) as our first example. It just dawned on me recently why I am so exhausted. Not just physically or emotionally (what mother with a job or two isn't? ;). But creatively. I mean, there's lots of creative juices always flowing, don't get me wrong. But when my dresses, pants, tees etc are all one of a kind, do you know what that means? It means that I create and design each and every single one of those pieces. Each fabric is selected, switched around, selected again, paired with something else, cut.... That's over 1,000 garments this past year. That's coming up with three new designs, every day, of every week. Phew. No breaks allowed ;)

It also means photographing each and every piece, editing the photos, and listing each one of a kind item. It takes hours of each day. I wish there were two of me. :) Maybe even three so that one can go work out since I never seem to find the time ;)

The next item is upcycled. Upcycling is really important to me. I admire upcycler's work so much, because it's always a challenge. A challenge to hunt for the 'new' treasures of upcycled fabric, then figure out how to best use it, what parts are good, or not so good... It keeps things fresh. It keeps things eco friendly. And it keeps things unique in a sea of mall clothes.

The combination of those two things make for a non sustainable business model though, when I am also primarily trying to keep the clothing affordable and accessible. Sad, I know. And trust me, I am so not trying to be a downer. SO, like I said, I've been thinking, and thinking....

And....I think I've come up with a way to maintain my one of a kind upcycles, while sustaining the business. Yipppeeee. :)

SLD will soon be offering a selection of dresses/tees and pants that are a mix of 'made to order' and at the same time 'one of a kind.' My plan is to create some garments that have predominantly all the same elements so that the same dress can be purchased in multiple sizes, yet throw in a twist of upcycled fabric that will be different in each garment. Say the flutter sleeves, or back panels of pants, or who knows what else just yet! LOL. But my point is, I plan to make it work by combining my old 'business model' (haha, as if I ever had one! ;) with a new one that will hopefully allow me more time for me to create, play, spend time with my family, and not feel too pressured to constantly be re-inventing the dress...so to speak.

I hope all this makes sense. I'll explain more as I start making these items...but I felt that since some of you have been with me right from the very start, you deserve to know what I am thinking about how to constantly improve and grow SLD. In fact, I am participating in three art fairs this summer, which means in just under four months, I need to create over 900 pieces for these shows. Eeegads. Can you see why I need to make some changes around here to make it work?

I hope you will feel free to give me your feedback. You are a huge part of SLD. I would not be here without you. And thanks for all your support by shopping handmade.

xo,
shari

Photo Contest Winner and Dream Big is Online!

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

~Dr. Seuss. 

 

Wow, what an awesome week this has been!!  I've learned so much this week...about you guys, your kids' personality (and whoa do they have some!! ;), about working my tail off for some greater good, for my appreciation of family time (sadly I had too little)...the list goes on and on! 

The Kids personality Contest was a massive hit, and soooo fun!  I look at these photos so much and think about how cool our kids are.  How lucky are we??  And now it's time to announce the winners of the contest!!!

We have a clear winner in the fan favorite category.  With 111 votes (wow!!) our winner is......
Gabby!!!!!

There was no caption on this one...but, as a psychology experiment (or, you know, just for the fun of it), I decided to get a caption from each member of my family. :)  I asked them each "What do you think this girl is thinking?  My answers.....

Mr. SLD: "I think I can get some more of that candy over there."

Me:"Oooooh, I hope Mummy doesn't see the big box of cereal I just dumped into the washing machine....."

Finley: "I think there was a dinosaur in the house"

Hahaha!

So, congratulations to Gabby and her mum Kimmy!  It just so happens that Gabby is wearing SLD...how cute is that dress on her!  Gabby is the winner of $40 in SLD store credit.  :)

 

Now, when it came time to selecting our 2nd place and 3rd place winners of $10 in store credit, there was no clear winner.  You would think we were deciding on who to award the Nobel Peace Prize to, based on our debating about the potential candidates.  :)  

 

But, after some significant time and thought, the panel of four selected the following two winners:

 

Congratulations to Karsten and Michelle's little girl!! We really were totally digging how these kids embraced their individuality and personality! 


Winners, email me at shari@sorenlorensendesign.com!!


Thank you all so so much for playing, and I'll hope you will head over to my Big Cartel Shop where at 7pm PST/10pm EST I am releasing the Dream Big Collection!  You can read more about the collection here.  90% of each sale from Feb 24-March 6th will go to help fund a micro-loan for a sewing business.  Fun, aye?


Happy One year birthday to me!!  I cannot wait to see what's in store next!!!


xo,
shari

Dream Big Release is coming up....

So, I've been talking lots about my one year anniversary of Soren Lorensen Design (February 24th!!) and wanted to do something REALLY special!!!  Soooooo.........I am so so excited about this.  The clothing is almost secondary to me right now when I think about how great this can be. :) 

I've always been a fan of micro-loans.  I don't care so much about the repayment aspect (which is about 98% if you can believe it!) But what I just adore about this concept (and am so thrilled it's become a popular method of giving) is the fact with considerably little you can help empower someone else around the world in massive ways.

We all have different needs, and most of us are lucky enough to be able to take care of them without too much hardship.  But there are some folks, for whom $50 may make a massive difference in their lives.  It could buy them a sewing machine to start a new business.  A woman, somewhere around the world, just needs a sewing machine to help her family and empower herself.  It's a beautiful thing, because I happen to know where I can find $50! Yipppeeee!   :)

I am going to sell my new screen print titled Dream Big to help raise funds toward a sewing micro loan for women around the world.   When you shop the Dream Big Collection (Will be released in my Big Cartel Shop initially) between February 24 and March 6th, 90% of each sale (before shipping) will go toward funding a loan at Kiva that benefits women in the sewing community.  Yay!!! :)


Each and every garment in the Dream Big series is exactly like your child, and the rest of SLD; one of a kind and fun!  I may add a few screen prints to blank tees and onesies later if there is interest...but the initial offering will be of one of a kind, ready to ship garments sized up to 5/6 (please let me know if there is interest for larger sizes and BOYS garments!).
 
Giveaway alert: Also, as a bonus, on March 6th I will randomly select two sales from the two week period, and refund them completely for their purchase! :)  Just as my way of saying thanks!  So it's possible that your purchase will be free :) Fun!!!

So, get ready to preview  the Dream Big Collection on February 23rd in my Big Cartel shop, and then see it's release in Big Cartel the following day.  Pieces will then be moved to my etsy shop after three days.

Thanks for helping me make this happen!!

xo,
shari

The Kids' Personality Contest is ready for voting!

I am OVERWHELMED by not only how many entries I received, but also how CUTE your kids are!

I realized something that I think was the true purpose of this contest.  It's not about how pretty their hair is styled, or how colorful their clothes are, or even a professional photographer or brilliant lighting....  Instead, these photos SHINE because it's a moment captured where your child is simply being him or herself.

I absolutely love seeing the photos, and being able to think "Oh my, My Finley is EXACTLY like that!" or "Whoa, my Finley would NEVER dream of doing that!" because it means that each picture touches a nerve, something that you can relate to with your own childhood, or your child's.  Anyhow, I think it's pretty cool! :)

There are terrific entries of kids showing their own unique sense of self, and I encourage you to look through them all and share with your friends!  I hope to make this an annual contest because it's pretty fun.  Although staying up until past 1am was not quite as fun as it used to be when I was 18 ;)  LOL.  Next time I'll make the deadline a more 'awake' hour ;)

Here is where you can find the album....and here are just a few random shots from it that I think are so cool :)

I love this one because it was described by her Mum as her daughter being stubborn because she didn't want to take her picture and stand on the bridge.  So instead she took her skirt off and threw it in the air!  (I wonder if it landed in the water?)  I love it because I bet you anything this is something I probably did to my parents when I was little!  LOL.  (Um, Sorry Mum and Aba!)

This one is so so awesome.  It's pure happiness captured doing something so simple...jumping on the bed.  But it makes this little boy SO happy, and I think the moment is captured so wonderfully!  Can't you just hear him!!!?? :)

And this one makes me smile so much, because I can tell that this little girl is so comfortable here and just pleased as punch about something.  She looks carefree and at the same time maybe cautious to let it all go? Who knows, I'm not trying to play psychologist or anything, LOL, but just imagining the moment in time captured.... :) 

In fact, in my home, a smile that looks this amazing, usually means there is often a breakdown following close behind. My little one gets overwhelmed by big emotions!!
 

So head on over to my Facebook page to vote (by 'liking' a photo) and please chime in with comments on the photos.  I bet the happy and proud moms and dads would love nothing more than to hear what you think! 

Share the love :)

xo,
shari

Changes....Memories...and Going forward......

I love reminiscing.  I love old books and vintagey junk items that other people would just walk right past.  SO, although none of these pictures or memories have that same flair by any means, it's still a great moment for me to reminisce on the past year of SLD, and our own lives.

A year ago we lived in sunny, hot La Quinta, CA.  Worlds away from where we are now.  Golf courses abound, sunshine, manicured lawns and a large geriatric community. ;)  I had some wonderful friends there that I miss dearly...but there was always a proverbial  cloud hovering over us in such a sunny place.  Even the start...Moving into our new home there and my water breaking that night, 5 weeks early, surprising us early with beautiful little Finley, even though we didn't even have gas to our house yet!  Surprise!!

We struggled with a lot of sensory issues with Finley, who was going to weekly Occupational Therapy and Child Psychology and the whole thing just bummed us out.  That memory remains a dark cloud over us in California.  We remember the day we had to admit Finley in the hospital when she was 14 months for strange 'zone out' and 'seizure like' behaviors.  Yet we received no answers....

We remember her refusing to play with other kids, or go to the playground, or run screaming from group events and so on.   And we still got no tangible answers.  We just had to deal with daily meltdowns and avoiding public places and hanging out on our own lots.  And lots of alone time does not make for a happy family.

The decision to move back to our home in Jackson Hole did not come easy, but somehow, it did come quite naturally, five years after moving to California.  My husband lost his job at a prestigious golf course in CA because they went into foreclosure and the entire staff was let go.  I had just started SLD and had no clue where it was going....so we knew it was the right time for us to consider moving out from under that cloud that persistently followed us....  We always worried about changing up Finley's routine...but she embraced the move with open arms.  Here she is walking up to our WY home the very first time....

It was the best decision of our lives.  Not only was it easy to move right back into our old home, but it was even easier to move back into a neighborhood.  One full of friends we had left behind, with kids all over the place knocking on our door asking if Finley could come and play.  It was as though I was back in Israel, living on a Kibbutz.  There was camaraderie and friendship from the instant we stepped foot on Wyoming soil again.

And Finley flourished.  We had 'warned' some friends that we were having some 'issues' and that it may take a while for Finley to warm up and play.  But something happened in this mountain air...it was like she got out from under that cloud, and could feel the sunshine again.  She flourished in ways we never expected, and are completely still in awe.  She relished in all the new seasons she never grew up with (It was basically summer year long in CA).  She grew out of her shell.  She made friends easily.  We didn't recognize our child.  Now it's our turn to feel ok about not having answers.

And the growth my little business took also surprised us.  I used to have a little corner of a room, where Mr. SLD helped cut fabric for me.....

I grew into my very own room, and expanded my stock of fabric.....

I am always in awe when I get ready to pack up sales for the day and think that there is a kid, somewhere, whether it's in Arizona, Connecticut, Italy or Norway, that is going to be getting a package in the mail soon....and then be strutting their stuff in SLD!  I often get emails that go something like this:

"The dress came today! It's so gorgeous!!! Kinda freaking out over it." I read each and every single one of those emails to Mr. SLD.  It NEVER gets old!!! :)

A year has taken us to SO many incredible places; personally and professionally.   I can't wait to see what changes are in store for Finley and me and Mr. SLD. :)  I can tell you now, there are a few new styles coming for summer (think: halter!!!) that I CANNOT wait to share!!!!!

Thanks for coming along for the ride.....


xo,
shari