LPD Headquarters

I've had my new office up and running for almost a year so now is a good time to show you. I must have been making sure it was really functional before I showed it to you....yeah we will go with that.

It's pretty crazy but I'm already thinking of moving my office into a bigger location. I've been expanding and doing so much more lately and it's just getting so cramped. I'd like a dedicated cut room BUT (insert very whiney voice) I'd have to walk all the way down the short hallway and back just to cut something. I know - even I want to slap me right now.

My previous set up was shame full. Down right embarrassing. In fact I can't believe I'm going to show you befores. It was the guest bedroom in my home and it started with a desk and an ironing board...in the room with the bed. So I had approximately 4 feet of work space. One day I just realized the bed was only used a handful of times a year and needed to go. If need be I can sleep in the chair in my office when I have company!

{Go Vols}
Can't help it I saw the cup and it just came out

 

 

 

I have a pretty good set up now. I use an embroidery machine, sewing machine and a serger. I also could not live without my laptop and cutting machine. So I kept all the things that I can't live without on my big L shaped desk. It's really nice to roll back and forth from machine to machine. All of the furniture was purchased from OfficeMax and I love my white leather chair. (My children are banned from touching them though)

 

I'd show you a current but it's very very messy. So next weeks blog will be how to get organized. I'm going to spill the beans a little here but the amazing Lisa Kay Designs is designing a To Do printable that she is going to allow me to share to yall as a free download! :)



{No clue why those sandals are there and I forgot I even had those!}



The second desk is technically for the little petunia. It has her sewing machine on it. But my assistant uses this desk to package and work on social media "stuff". But we make sure we call it little petunias desk because she gets jealous.

 

 

Cry a latte....

You know how when you are in those last few weeks of pregnancy your body starts waking you up every two hours to go pee? Or how you can only sleep upright in a chair because laying down is impossible or you feel like you are going to die. I have this theory that it's your body's way of gearing you up for those every two hour feedings and the nights where you are too tired to crawl back to bed so you sleep in the chair. Because honestly you got used to it while pregnant.

Well school getting out for summer is the same way.

We are about three weeks away from d-day and the fun is already starting. Today someone had the bright idea of having a half day. Now I know it's the schools way of preparing you for - these belong to you, take them back now. For the record that's just cruel! Quit taking away our free time and keep them with you till the very end! So not only do we have half days but then your own children do goofy things like forget where they left their shoes. So you guessed it - they miss the bus! Now you have to take them to school.

I'm not looking forward to the summer. It's full of I'm bored and why do you still have to work when it's sunny. Because mommas business is built around vacation season. You like nice things like food and clothing so go cut those strings and make me another coffee. Please. :) it's also full of eating out because I've forgotten how difficult it is to buy groceries with three kids! 

So I am off to drop shoeless joe off at school. I'm going to go to Starbucks and get my burnt chalk diet coffee and sit in my car and cry that school is almost out. 

Happy Mother's Day

The older my kids get the better Mother's Day becomes. As I'm typing this I'm sitting on my patio watching my three littles clean out my car while I drink my Starbucks that they got for me. In just a little bit I'll be eating lunch that they helped prepare. And they are going to plant the flowers I haven't gotten around to putting In pots. A few years ago this would not be my Mother's Day!

So for all those new moms out there....it gets so much better. You may be covered in food, puke and poop right now but in a few years those same kids will be giving you a massage. 

Happy Anniversary

Today is a very special day for me! Five years ago I decided to take a journey into running my own business. Now there are days that I don't want to be legit and file my taxes and keep up with receipts. (I should show you my filing system - so shameful!) But I wouldn't trade the satisfaction of knowing that I am helping to provide for my family and raise some pretty awesome little humans at the same time. Best of both worlds!

Anywho..

My 1K Giveaway starts TODAY!! It will run for a week and I am celebrating some pretty big milestones. I've just gotten 1000 facebook followers. My shop turns 5 today! AND yesterday my shop made it's 1000th sale! Talk about perfect timing.

Onto the guts of the giveaway. You can check out the amazing raffle prizes here..

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To enter you have a ton of options that you can do every day until the end of the giveaway. You can tweet, like on facebook, pin a picture, follow a pin board, comment on this blog!

 

Pin this Picture

After the giveaway the winners will be drawn at random and contacted. Have fun and thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the amazing support.

When the cats away...

Generally when someone uses that analogy they are speaking about when the adult is away. I wonder if this eludes to my maturity level that I am saying my kids are the cat and I am the mouse...

At this moment my children are eating their hormone free turkey sandwiches on whole grain bread. The sandwich is accompanied with cucumbers, strawberries and carrots (all organic of course). They are washing down their little lunches with a bottle of water.

Meanwhile I sit here with my ramen noodles, venti Starbucks and a handful of oatmeal raisin cookies while I email back customers.

Hmmm I'm such a hypocrite.

LPD version 5.0

Well we've been here before...

Once again I sit in front of a blank screen with my head held in shame that I've neglected my blog...AGAIN.

Ehh you guys don't really hold it against me though, right?

It always amazes me that I let the fun stuff go once I get really busy. I'm going to try my hardest to be better. In the interim though I'll catch you up on what's been going on with me since May.

I took my family to Disney - shocker right! Now it's no surprise that we visited that Magical Place but what is the surprise is that little ole me bank rolled that puppy. I am completely humbled that people trust my abilities enough to order from me. I can't thank you enough. And the ones that keep coming back for more - yeah you are my Venti Raspberry White Mocha. {yes I relate happiness to full fat Starbucks - I'm on a diet - cut me some slack}

I was going to insert a really cute photo of my family from said trip but my little gremlin has the strangest face in the photo - so I will refrain.

Speaking of little ole me...I've gone on a diet. My profile pic on etsy was really, really starting to make me want to puke. You know how some people say they always see themselves as overweight even after they lose a lot. Yeah not so much for me. I have always seen myself as the size 0 that my high school sweetheart met me as. Now I'm guessing that on some level that is probably a great thing for me in some self image sort of way but yeah I haven't been a 0 in a loooong time. So this past May I decided to eat less and move more. As of today I have lost 45 pounds and gained a terrible shopping habit ;) I still have a lot more left to go but I feel amazing and I'm insanely proud of myself. 


Now for the love of all things holy I can't believe I'm doing this but...here is my most recent B/A.

If you can't tell a difference - keep it to yourself ;)

I've rekindled my love of reading. Wow I can't believe I went 10 years without reading a book on a regular basis. Now I'm reading every day. Seriously mothers out there - take time for yourself. It makes you a better you when you take time for yourself. Hmm I used you 4 times there. I'm sure I'm breaking some poor writers heart with my terrible grammar and sentence structure...I'm sorry.


Now in the next weeks I'll be doing my gigantic giveaway. More on that later. 

A few of my favorite blogs

I love reading blogs. I wish I had more time to read them. I always think when life slows down a little I can find some new ones. Yeah I know who am I kidding! It's never going to slow down!

So I thought I would share a few of my favorite ones and if you get a chance you can share a few of yours. 

Oldie but Goodie..

Pioneer Woman - I know you love her or hate her but her iced coffee idea of keeping the cold brewed coffee in the refrigerator changed my life! You must try it - and try the sweet cream if you have an extra two hours a day to work out. Otherwise you will gain 5 pounds in a week drinking that stuff! Ask me how I know. ;)

Organizational Wonder...

Happy Money Saver - Karrie is amazing! She is one of those routine ladies that has a schedule and sticks to it all while saving money. Now the whole couponing thing is above my skill level but just reading her blog makes me inspired to organize my life. 

Do it yourselfer....

Blissfully Ever After -  Jennifer is one of those gals that just does stuff. She wants a new wall collage and she just makes it happen. She has some great ideas and I love her detailed photos. 

On to Little Petunia news

LPD facebook page is 86 likes away from my gigantic giveaway. I know you are getting sick of hearing about it but it is so close I can't believe it. Woohoo!!

I'm busy sewing like crazy to get caught up on orders after a whirlwind month of Teacher Appreciation Week, Baseball and Field Trips. Before anything else - my kids come first - even before Little Petunia Designs. I don't ever want my kids to be resentful of my business because I missed something important to them to sew. That's what coffee is for...to keep me awake while they sleep to finish up orders. :)

Check out my new blog signature - If you haven't started ordering yet from Lisa Kay Designs - what are you waiting for!!! She is fantastic to work with and is so creative. I love just being able to say I want a "blah blah blah" and she gives me a proof like she was in my head!