Giveaway Heads Up: From So Fawned & UPrinting

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday! Today I just wanted to point you all toward a little giveaway going on over at my personal blog, So Fawned. The kind folks at UPrinting are giving away 100 postcards to one lucky winner — perfect for promoting your mama run business!

Click here to visit the post and enter — contest ends tonight at midnight!

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Désirée Fawn is a blogger/doula from Ontario where she lives with her 2-year-old daughter, Gretchen.
She blogs at So Fawned.
Follow @sofawned on Twitter!

Featured Mom: Silly Mama Quilts

Good morning to all you lovely Mom Made That! readers! Today I’m really excited to bring you a little interview with the incredibly talented Brooke of Silly Mama Quilts. It’s not hard to fall in love with her eye-catching designs and attention to detail. Be sure to browse through her Etsy shop (and blog!) to take a look at her colourful pieces. I’d certainly be thrilled to cozy up with one of her beautiful quilts!

01. Tell us a little about yourself!
I am a Mom to three kids at home – 11, 9, 7 and a 24 year old daugther who is married and just graduated with her Masters and working!  I am also apart of Amanda of the Quilted Fish’s design team.  Amanda is a fabric designer for Riley Blake fabrics.  I get to design new projects that are debuted on Amanda’s blog – tons of fun!!

02. What lead you to creating your own business?
I think is covered well in the intro piece I have attached.

03. Describe a typical day in the life of YOU!
During the school year, after my kiddos are off to school, I head out on a morning bike ride to help process my day, come home to chores and errands before heading into the studio to work.  In the afternoons I monitor the kids’ activities and then take care of dinner, homework and such things.

04. What is your best piece of advice for fellow WAHMs?
Find a balance in your life that you can live with.  I have quickly come to the conclusion that if I don’t take care of me, no one else will.  I have learned to take a stand for things I need – a bike ride for sanity, time in the studio to work and or create for example.

05. The best part of being a WAHM? The worst?
The best part is my availablity for my kids and hubby which can also be the worst.  I do love being able to work around their schedules without answering to a boss about how many sick days, vacation time and such.

06. Favourite blog? Music? Book? Movie?
I have several favorite blogs I follow – mostly related to fabric designers, design team members and quilters.  My favorite music is just about anything Contemporary Christian, movie – Return to Me, Sleepless in Seattle.

07. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope to be doing what I am doing now plus maybe more designing.

Don’t forget to visit her shop & blog. You can also catch her on Twitter by following @scrapquiltqueen!

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Désirée Fawn is a blogger/doula from Ontario where she lives with her 2-year-old daughter, Gretchen.
She blogs at So Fawned.
Follow @sofawned on Twitter!

Featured Mom: SmartSeat Dining Covers

Today we’re chatting with Becky — the brilliant mom behind SmartSeat Dining Covers. This take-charge mama loves being able to spend more time with her family as she builds her successful home biz! Way to go, Becky!

01. Tell us a little about yourself!
I am a stay-at-home mom to two wonderful boys, ages 6 and 8.  Last year, I also became an accidental entrepreneur (I certainly didn’t set out to run my own business!)  My family and I live outside of Boston in Newton, MA.

02. What lead you to creating your own business?
We purchased a new dining room set a couple of years ago.  I wanted waterproof seat covers to protect my new upholstered dining room chairs from my two messy boys, but I couldn’t find anything that I liked.  The only waterproof covers on the market were made from plastic or vinyl, which my kids refuse to sit on.  I also didn’t want a full slip cover that would completely change the look of my chair.  The SmartSeat was my solution to the problem — a seat cover that is waterproof, comfortable, and attractive.  After getting positive feedback on my design from friends and family, my husband encouraged me to look into what it would take to have my covers manufactured. One thing led to another and I now run my company with the help of my husband and our third partner, who is a very close friend of our family and also a dad of two kids.

03. Describe a typical day in the life of YOU!
I usually get an early start to the day (around 5:30) so that I can check email and get the lay of the land before the craziness begins.  It also is the only way that I can quietly enjoy my morning coffee!  Then I pack lunches and get the kids ready for school.  We are out the door by 7:30.  On the way home from school drop off, I swing by the post office to deliver any packages that are ready to go out to customers.
The rest of the day is a mix of emails, SEO time on facebook and twitter, processing orders, and, if I am lucky, a little bit of me time (either to exercise or meet up with a friend).  Around 3:00, I put my mom-hat back on, pick the boys up from school, and taxi them around to their various activities, help with homework, and make sure that dinner gets served.  We try to sit down for dinner together every night, although sometimes that means eating together on a soccer field before a game or practice!  Around 8:00, my boys head off to bed and my work day resumes.

04. What is your best piece of advice for fellow WAHMs?
I think that it is so important to cut yourself some slack.  It is hard to be a working parent!  There are definitely good days and bad days.  But most days fall somewhere in between.  I try not to dwell on the bad moments.  I just pick myself up and keep moving forward!

05. The best part of being a WAHM? The worst?
The best part of being a WAHM is that I can contribute to my family’s financial well-being and still have the flexibility of being there for my kids before and after school.  I love that I am the one who gets to walk them into school every day and the one who gets the big hug at pick up time.  I also feel quite lucky to spend so much of my day with my boys.
The worst part of being a WAHM is that there sometimes just aren’t enough hours in the day.  But I think that is a problem for all working parents, not just those who are WAHM.

06. Favourite blog? Music? Book? Movie?
Oh, I don’t know where to begin!  I’m a big fan of romantic comedies.  I read when I can — I think that my last favorite book was probably The Help or Water for Elephants.  And blog?  I come across too many good ones these days to choose only one favorite!

07. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years, I would love to continue doing what I am doing now, but on a larger scale.  I would love to see my product in retail stores.  And maybe if I’m lucky, we’ll even have a second or third product in our line.

Visit the SmartSeat website, check out their Facebook page and be sure to catch up on all their latest news by following @smartseatcover on Twitter!

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Désirée Fawn is a blogger/doula from Ontario where she lives with her 2-year-old daughter, Gretchen.
She blogs at So Fawned.
Follow @sofawned on Twitter!

Featured Mom: Three Peas Co

Today we’re chatting with the lovely Antoinette Newhouse from Three Peas Co! Find out how this mom-of-three let her creative side lead her to a brand new, fulfilling career!

01. Tell us a little about yourself!
I am a stay at home mom that has three children (2 boys and a girl) and a loving husband that is also my business partner.  We live in Ventura, California which is conveniently nestled between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.  I started my career in Nursing but switched to Real Estate then along came a gift, our baby boy.  This changed my complete outlook on life and what I valued, family first.

02. What lead you to creating your own business?
Three Peas Co was developed during the search to find fun and funky hair bows for our daughter Paisley Jo.  Hair Bows in the mass merchant stores, Baby Boutiques and Children’s Boutiques did not satisfy our style.  Being crafty and creative, I designed some Hair Bows that matched our style and Paisley Jo started to wear them.  During the course of wearing the hair bows in public people (both men and women) were drawn to the beauty of the hair bows and would ask “where did you find them”?  This question led to being asked to make some for others who liked our style and creativity.
Customers loved the style of the hair bows which lead them to ask if we could make baby clothes, kids clothing, tween, teen & women’s apparel along with custom designs for celebrities.  Celebrities that have worn Three Peas Co include Noah Cyrus, Emily Grace Reeves, Brittany Curran, Keana Texeira, Christa Texeira, Sophie Texeira, Allyson Arms, Madison Delagarza, Destinee & Paris Monroe, Ashley Benson, Jackson Rathbone, to name a few.  Three Peas Co apparel has been used for Red Carpet Events, Film, TV and Print publications.

03. Describe a typical day in the life of YOU!
There is “No” such thing as a typical day in my life.  From three kids with each their own personalities to receiving last minute calls from our publicist for a last minute celebrity design to meeting with my husband about business, the day never begins or starts the same.  My focus for each day is to engage with all: my kids through experiential play, customers through social networks and people involved in the business with an email, call or in person.  Finally, I try to each and every day take time to explore creative design ideas.

04. What is your best piece of advice for fellow WAHMs?
My advice is to be centered on family and “Dare to Lead” in your life, with family, personal or in business.  Reach out to those around for assistance but also get others opinions that have an unbiased view for your designs and company.  You will receive advice from so many that you need to learn how to filter this information and have a trusted group surrounding you.  After my near death experience early this year I believe in our business motto more than ever.

05. The best part of being a WAHM? The worst?
The best part is being around my family and being there to experience the children’s milestones and little things that are priceless.  The worst aspect every day is time. How does 24 hours go by so quickly? Our toughest subject is seeing others copy my designs and even marketing strategies. We change the website background than it seems like overnight others have changed to copy ours. The process gets a little frustrating at times; yet pushes us to continue dreaming up leading designs.

06. Favourite blog? Music? Book? Movie?
Favorite Blog: The Graphics Fairy
Music: Jack Johnson, Fleetwood Mac, Keana Texeira, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift
Book: Who Moved My Cheese
Movie: Patch Adams, Miracle on 34th

07. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Wow, I think about this all time because we (my husband) and I constantly are discussing our family and business future and what steps we are taking to make these visions come true.

Visit Three Peas Co online, check out their blog, YouTube, Flickr & Facebook. Also be sure to follow @threepeasco on Twitter!

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Désirée Fawn is a blogger/doula from Ontario where she lives with her 2-year-old daughter, Gretchen.
She blogs at So Fawned.
Follow @sofawned on Twitter!

BlogHer Handmade: Are You Going?

I think by now we’ve all heard about BlogHer and their fabulous yearly blogging conference (which I hope to meet some of you at!) but do you know about BlogHer Handmade?

This year, the lovely folks over at BlogHer are teaming up with the brilliant minds behind The Creative Connection to bring you a jam-packed handmade, social media, entrepreneur and food extravaganza! BlogHer Handmade will run September 15-17th, 2011 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota and promises to be QUITE the affair!

From the event’s website:

We are partnering with the pioneering women behind The Creative Connection to serve two active and eager communities:

• Women who have turned their handmade creativity into enviable small businesses and who want to learn more about how to use social media to promote and distribute their work
• Women who are blogging their handmade creativity and building loyal, enthusiastic supporters, and who want to learn more about how to take their craft to the next level and turn a hobby into a business

CLICK HERE for more info about this spectacular event!

Stay up to date with exciting event news via The Creative Connection’s Twitter & Facebook!

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Désirée Fawn is a blogger/doula from Ontario where she lives with her 2-year-old daughter, Gretchen.
She blogs at So Fawned.
Follow @sofawned on Twitter!

6 Great Books For Crafty Indie Business Owners!

Doing what you LOVE for a living is the dream, right? And if you happen to be a crafty mama, supporting your family via your handmade delights is an incredible testament to what we’re all hoping for. Today I’m excited to share a few of my favourite crafty indie biz books with you!

Hopefully you’ll find a spark of inspiration here today!

Enjoy!

The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and On-Line

A really neat book, recommended by several of my craft-minded pals! This one’s loaded with great information — a must have for your collection.

Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business

Craft Inc. Business Planner

These two wonderful resources, both written by Meg Mateo Ilasco, are perfect for anyone who is just starting to get their crafty business up and running!

The Savvy Crafters Guide To Success: Turn Your Crafts Into A Career

This book is full of tips from those who are making it work — a great one to have on hand!

How to Make Money Using Etsy: A Guide to the Online Marketplace for Crafts and Handmade Products

We’d all love to make our “millons” on Etsy, and some truly are! Get one step closer with this fabulous resource.

Crafty Superstar: Make Crafts on the Side, Earn Extra Cash, and Basically Have It All

Love this cheeky book — and yes, we can ALL have it ALL!

Do you have a favourite crafty biz book to share?

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Desiree Fawn is a blogger/doula from Ontario where she lives with her partner & daughter.
She blogs at So Fawned.
Follow @sofawned on Twitter!

Creating Success For Your Business With Scoutie Girl’s Tara Gentile

A good friend recently sent me a link to a fabulous podcast which I’m so excited to share with all of you today! Chock-full of great tips for creative entrepreneurs, papernstitch‘s interview with Tara Gentile (of Scoutie Girl fame) is bursting with insight into creating success for your business.

From the Scoutie Girl site:

Tara Gentile is a thought leader in the DIY culture & creativity sphere. She’s a respected business coach, blogger, and motivator who empowers passionate people to build a business around what they love while laughing their way to the bank.

Listen to the podcast HERE!

Enjoy!

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Desiree Fawn is a blogger/doula from Ontario where she lives with her partner & daughter.
She blogs at So Fawned.
Follow @sofawned on Twitter!

Featured Mom: Rattlecake Diaper Cakes

Today we’re chatting with Michelle Storms of Rattlecake Diaper Cakes!

01. Tell us a little about yourself!
I am 30 years old and have a wonderful 2 ½ year old son.  My husband and I have been married for almost 6 years.  We met in Arizona at college and decided to move to Georgia to start our careers in real estate.  I was in real estate for a little over 5 years before deciding to be a stay at home mom.  I enjoy being outside, boating, swimming, cooking and having fun with family and friends.  I am also a shopaholic!

02. What lead you to creating your own business?
I decided to start my own business after I had my son.  I was in real estate before I had him and the market started to crash when he was born and I didn’t really have much to go back to and wanted to stay home with him.  I then started thinking of what I could do and be able to have fun doing it and stay at home with my little man.  I knew that diaper cakes were a fairly new product and thought…I think I could do that??  I love doing craft projects, drawing and scrapbooking.   We decided it would be a good adventure and my husband started to design the website and I started “collecting ingredients” (SHOPPING).  Thus, Rattlecake Diaper Cakes was born.

03. Describe a typical day in the life of YOU!
Diaper Cakes…Diaper Cakes…Diaper Cakes…LOL

Well, now that the business is growing and I have tons of orders, my son has started going to a small daycare during the day. L  Being busy is good, but I still miss my little man.  We get up and get ready for work/school and ALWAYS have breakfast together.  Then, I take him to daycare and get to the design studio to work on orders and new designs for the website.  Diaper Cakes All Day Long!  I try to get home when my hubby gets there with my little man and we have playtime and then make dinner.  After that, more play time mixed with some diaper cake time until my son goes to bed and then time for hubby and more diaper cakes.  My husband and I are the only “employees” right now, so we do it ALL.  Who knew a fun little venture would turn into such a success!

04. What is your best piece of advice for fellow WAHMs?
Be prepared to grow.  I started doing this as something to do to pass the time and give me something to do during the day because being a first time mom, I THOUGHT I would have SPARE TIME.  Hahaha!  There is no “spare time” when you have a little one!  I wasn’t prepared for the success and didn’t know my “stay at home mom” business would turn into a full time job and I would have to put my son into daycare.  I did get to spend the first two years with him full time and I am thankful for it, but he loves his teacher and learns so much at school that I have to say I am impressed.  I know if he were still at home with me, I would not have much time to work with him and help him to learn the way he has at school with the business taking off.

05. The best part of being a WAHM? The worst?
I guess I am not a WAHM anymore, but the best thing was being home with my little man and the worst was realizing I was too busy with the business to give him the time/attention he deserves.

06. Favourite movie?
My favorite movie right now would have to be “Cars” since I have to watch it daily!

07. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In a successful business with several employees and more time with family.  Hopefully a couple more kids and time to stay at home with them when they are little as well.  The goal is to grow the business so that I have the opportunity to stay home with my kids and focus on them while also having a successful career and a “job” that I truly enjoy.

Check out Rattlecake website, blog & Facebook page! You can also follow @rattlecake on Twitter!

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Desiree Fawn is a blogger/doula from Ontario where she lives with her partner & daughter.
She blogs at So Fawned.
Follow @sofawned on Twitter!

Savvy Home Business Women: How Do They Do It?

Personal blogs are always my favourite spots to find inspiration — especially when it comes to learning about the lives and businesses of other women. This week I’d like to highlight three wonderfully savvy business women who have been kind enough to share some of the secrets to their success with their readers.

Making it Lovely‘s Nicole has always struck me as a wonderful example of a mama who’s kicking butt while running her home business. As the brains behind Pink Loves Brown, and her beautiful blog, I’m always inspired by her words. In 2010 she wrote a great post dedicated to showcasing a day in her life.

I’m taking us all the way back to 2009 for this post, because I feel that it’s incredibly useful and I’ve found myself going back to it time and time again, especially when I need a little boot of WAHM confidence! Girl’s Gone Child‘s Rebecca is full of wit and wisdom when it comes to conquering life as a work from home mama. (Now she’s doing it all with two beautiful — and two more on the way!)

Lastly, Kathleen (of Jeremy & Kathleen fame) isn’t a mama, but she is exceptionally busy with her freelance design business while managing several rental properties. Check out her wonderful post outlining the importance of keeping a to-do list, along with some valuable insight into her creative process.

Are you feeling inspired by these business savvy ladies? Do you see any tips that you might be able to work into your daily life?

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Desiree Fawn is a blogger/doula from Ontario where she lives with her partner & daughter.
She blogs at So Fawned.
Follow @sofawned on Twitter!

Featured Mom: Prospering Moms

This week we’re chatting with Gretchen Pritts from Prospering Moms! Gretchen teaches mompreneurs to “take control of their schedule so they can earn more and work less”. Like music to our ears!

Tell us a little about yourself!
I am married with 2 boys, 13 and 10.  I live in State College, PA, the home of Penn State University.  I love to spend time outside, read, cook, and garden.

What lead you to creating your own business?
I have always loved to help people.  I have a social work degree, but after about 9 years in the field, I was burned out.  I went on into Pharmaceutical sales, and really hated it.  I had a first hand experience at doing a job that was not true to who I was.  I did some research and discovered life coaching.  The rest is history.  I received my certification and began coaching in 2008.

Describe a typical day in the life of YOU!
I love my business and what I do.  My typical day consists of talking with mom business owners, and helping them create a successful business.  I typically talk with them on the phone, so I have several phone appts each day.  I also spend time at networking events, and time with other mom business owners, discussing the tricks to balancing a family and a  business.

What is your best piece of advice for fellow WAHMs?
When adding new things to your schedule whether personal or professional, be sure they fit in with your values.  When you have a schedule based on what is important to you, it doesn’t seem as overwhelming.

The best part of being a WAHM?
The passion I have for my business and the women I help.  The flexibility and ability to make my schedule work for me.

The worst?
Sometimes I can feel pretty lonely.  I have to schedule time in my day to get out of my house and see other people.

Favourite blog? Music? Book? Movie?
Blog: I love Sandi Krakowski. Music: I really love so many types of music, but most of my favorites come from the 60′s (besides BonJovi of course). Book:  Wow, that’s hard too… I have so many….Eat Pray Love, The Power of Now, and of course Twilight! Movie: Yeah, love movies too… French Kiss, Slumdog Millionaire, Sound of Music

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself doing lots of speaking at conferences for mom business owners.  I also see myself writing a book.

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Visit the Prospering Moms website, blog & Facebook page! You can also follow @prosperingmomz on Twitter!

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Desiree Fawn is a blogger/doula from Ontario where she lives with her partner & daughter.
She blogs at So Fawned.
Follow @sofawned on Twitter!

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