I started to write a post about organizing and then this popped up in my email box.
What?????
People, this is huge for me!
I have been selling with Etsy since October of 2012. There are hundreds of thousands of sellers. To be found among those sellers and then actually sell something is a small miracle in itself. But to have “Etsy” pick your item, and list it in a feature to be seen by millions of buyers?! That is a big deal.
From a seller’s standpoint, more “views” of your item translates to more sales.
For example, Tuesdays are typically one of my lower days of “views”. I average about 100 in a 24 hour period.
Today (Tuesday) at noon, there were 166 views.
Considering that patience is not my strong suit, this just goes to show that patience is a virtue. I’ll work on that. 🙂
Many times when my Mom and I go shopping at home décor stores like Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn or Kirklands, we catch ourselves saying “I can make that!”
And you know what? Many times we do. 🙂
I obviously got my creative gene from my Mom. Not to say that my Dad isn’t creative, but when my Mom and I spend hours upon hours in her sewing room and my Dad goes golfing, let’s just say that he enjoys other things more than he enjoys the hum of a sewing machine.
Besides sewing, let me share with you a couple of other things I love.
I love math. I love balancing my checkbook. I love taking an idea in my head, putting it on paper and making all of the calculations to make it happen. I love organizing. I love throwing things away etc.
Now let’s go to my “I do not like” list.
I do not like cleaning. I do not like ironing. I do not like technical things.
Technology. It’s a painful word to even type. People who can zip thru creating an excel spreadsheet or other stuff like that…. (I don’t even know the lingo to make a list of technology things) …..those people amaze me. (i.e. Spencer)
Besides the photos that Spencer takes for me, I have had to hire him to also do the technological end of my business.
But I have recently taken some baby steps to DIY some technology “things”.
Because I am a visual learner, I am going to visually show you what I have done. Be prepared to be amazed. 🙂
Etsy has offered a video spot that can be attached to your store.
I contacted Spencer to ask if I could attach the video we had made last August. He quickly responded and sent me a link for the video. A link, ugh. How the heck do I get that linked to my shop? I knew Spencer was not going to help me. My definition of help me is “do it for me”. His definition of help:
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
What would’ve taken him 30 seconds to upload, took me hours. I am not exaggerating about that. 🙂
Bottom line is that I did it. All by my little ol’ self.
Here are the results for you to enjoy. I will teach you how to find it. 🙂
Go to OldLakeGeorge.com and click on Menu
Click on Shop
This will pop up next
Slide up through all of the items until you come to this towards the bottom. Click on About This Shop (the words beside my face)
The summer after my 3rd grade year, I turned 8 years old.
My parents, two older sisters and some family friends drove from Iowa up to Minnesota to visit my Aunt, Uncle and cousins farm for a summer weekend getaway.
It was about a four hour drive from our house to my Aunt and Uncle’s house and also a time when minivans or SUV’s weren’t a typical mode of transportation. That being said, seven people traveling together meant that two cars were needed for everyone to travel comfortably.
As promised, the weekend was fun and full of adventure but it was time to go back home.
Communication between the two cars consisted of either pulling off the road and talking, or driving side by side while one car put a note on the window to inform the other car what they wanted to do. Technology had nothing compared to a child’s crayon printed note that said, McDonalds, Charles City, Potty, Ice Cream. 🙂 Ten minutes later, both cars stopped at the McDonalds in Charles City for a potty break and ice cream.
Being the youngest, my two sisters used the one toilet restroom first, then me.
After I was finished, I headed outside to jump back into the car, enjoy my ice cream cone and complete the final 45 minutes of the trip.
But the cars were gone.
Both of them.
I walked around and around that McDonalds for what seemed like hours, looking for those cars. I double, triple checked the bathrooms for my sisters. I kept hoping everyone was just playing a silly trick on me.
I soon figured out that there was no trick.
The cars were gone.
I couldn’t believe that they had left me!
I didn’t panic, I didn’t cry.
Even at the young age of eight, I knew I needed to make a plan.
Plan A: Contact someone in Charles City to help me. Did I know anyone in Charles City? Nope.
Plan B: Call our neighbor Darles to come and get me. Did I have any money for a pay phone to call her? Nope.
Plan C: Did I recognize anyone working or eating at the McDonalds? Nope and Nope.
Plan D: Ask the manager of McDonalds for help.
Plan D it was, but first I walked around the parking lot one more time just incase I had missed the cars.
Still no cars.
I gathered my confidence and walked to the counter to ask for the manager.
As if I was starring in a Hallmark movie, at that very moment my Dad walked into the restaurant.
I very quickly walked to him and burst into tears.
My Dad enveloped me into the greatest Papa bear hug, and whispered in my ear I’m sorry Pooh…. I love you.
I have never simultaneously felt so much anger, joy and love in my entire eight years.
To you seasoned bloggers and blog readers, that may not seem like a big deal.
When I look back and remember stressing about what the heck I was going to write about three times or more a week, entering my 100th post is huge. I’d be lying if I said that there wasn’t an element of stress and nervousness when thinking about what to say, but blogging becomes more and more fun every day.
One of the greatest things about having a blog and selling on Etsy is that I get to interact with customers.
I love it when customers send me pictures of the items they have purchased and how they are using them in their homes.
With Valentines Day approaching, many people are gobbling up the heart pillows I have for sale.
One such gobble was from Shandy. She purchased this cover.
In addition to her purchase, she sent me a conversation (convo) via Etsy once she had received the cover.
Perfect! Using it for my vday sessions! I’ll be sure to send a pic when I do them 🙂
Many times people say that they will send me a picture. People, including myself get busy or plain ole forget, so it was nice when a few weeks later, Shandy sent me this convo with a picture attached from her vday session.
We used your adorable pillow in a quick little fun lifestyle shoot today. I love it!!
Such a fun picture! I wanted to know more about Shandy and her photo.
This is what she shared.
Well my name is Shandy Johnson and I own and operate P. Grey Photography. My husband and I have 4 children. 13, 11, 9.5, and 4. We live in Atlanta.
I am mom first. All mommy duties come first. I do not miss games or practices of any sort. My clients know this and understand 100%. With 4 kids we are pretty hectic but I try to be as flexible as I can be.
I’ve been a photographer for roughly 2 years. I am mostly a children/family photographer. I am a lover of natural light. I do have a small studio inside my home that I use for newborns and small toddlers if the weather does not cooperate but even then I only use natural light.
I’m a total prop junkie. My favorite prop would be a very vintage suitcase. It’s my go to prop for kids. They love sitting on it or carrying it around. It’s definitely my favorite.
I like to go around to antique stores and see what I can find. Sometimes I’ll even stumble upon some goodies at Goodwill. Someone’s junk is always someone else’s treasure . I love vintage and rustic and anything “different” I can get my hands on.
My youngest is my little partner. She endures mini photo sessions frequently, with bribes of course!! No shame in my game. LOL
I absolutely love my job. I do what I do because it makes me smile. I am probably the most affordable in our area. My own clients tell me I should charge more. I guess my thing about it is, the more affordable I am, the more you will use me. I’d much rather see clients multiple times a year vs once a year. I have amazing relationships with my clients. I always joke and tell them after one session, they’ll be hooked. And it always happens!! I just have so much fun doing what I love.I would send my website info…but I don’t even have one. Crazy right?! I have a business page on Facebook. (P. Grey Photography) That’s it. Maybe one day I will build up a website. I try not to stress out about the business part of it. I stay pretty busy. I think for January I have about 46 sessions booked. Which is totally awesome! I love it.
When people ask me what I do for a living I simply say I’m a stay at home photographer. LOL.
Now can you see why I wanted you to meet Shandy? If we lived in Atlanta, she would be my go to photographer for my children and family. Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful photos and words Shandy!
. I love vintage and rustic and anything “different” I can get my hands on. 
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