If you want it, work hard.

I've passed the 1 year mark of working for myself, and I can't begin to tell you all the things I've learned through this experience, but it took me a while to learn the most obvious of lessons: that working hard really does pay off. Since it's my first year, I've still been adjusting to the cycle of things. I hadn't quite learned when my slow times would be, and when business would be booming, but I can tell you I found out pretty quickly that summer meant slow sales. On etsy, locally, everywhere. Things got a little scary without a steady paycheck to rely on, and I saw myself facing a reality that I did not want to accept. I was beginning to think that maybe it couldn't be done, and I'd need to find a "real job". My goal has always been to work for myself doing things that I love to do, and going back to the grind felt like I was failing, like I was giving up on my dream. I felt low. To have finally made it out, and to have to go back.. it was a heartbreaking thought.

My husband suggested that I try out having a booth at a local antique mall. It sounded great, but risky since I'd have to sink money into something that I wasn't sure if it would pay off. He's a very calculated risk taker, so I figured if he thought it might work, then I should at least try it. We went to our first auction together to get stuff to fill my booth, and I'm pretty sure that decision is going to have a gigantic impact on my life. I've been hooked on auctioning ever since, and I've been working really hard on all fronts. Before this scare, I was working, but not at 100%. Once I saw my dream on the brink, it scared me into action and I've been busting ass ever since. And guess what, my hard work is paying off. Imagine that! The antique booth has been successful, and it led to opening a second etsy shop to sell my vintage finds. Just this month I finally earned about the same amount as a paycheck at my old job, and I will tell you that it felt fucking awesome. Can I keep it up? We will see. I sure as hell plan to try.

I want to be an example that shows others who are trying to make it, that it might not be easy, but it is possible! So, your house might never get cleaned and you don't have much time for friends, family and fun stuff.. but you have to make sacrifices for your dream job.

I owe a lot to Bradley, the world's hardest working husband, for showing me what it really looks like to work. He has taught me so much about the importance of taking pride in your work and doing things the right way. Without him as my role model, it would have taken me a lot longer to learn that you really do get out of something what you put into it. Turms out all those cheesy cliches are onto something.

Leather Belt Round-Up!

So, since I've become addicted to going to auctions, I spend a lot of my time with a small group of good old Missouri farm folk over the age of 60. Some tough old birds. They are teaching me a lot. Well, they aren't meaning to teach me, but I am learning. I obviously don't fit in very well with the crowd and most of them don't know me by name yet, so I thought maybe a sweet leather belt tooled with a name was fitting auction gear, and maybe I'd develop a sweet nickname. I hit etsy and fell in love with the perfect belt on page 1, and with a cheap price, it took about a second to convince me to buy it. It fit perfectly with my mostly shaved haircut, plus it had fish, deer AND it was bedazzled with bullet shells! What more could a girl ask for?!

Cut to a few days later as my smiles turned to pouts when I tried it on, and it was nowhere close to fitting. I guess I got a little too excited, and forgot to measure. Oops. It fits my skinny ass husband, so at least someone gets to wear it. TEAR!

While on my continued search for the perfect belt, I found a few gems that I have to pass on. If you fall in love with one, buy it.. but measure first!

This one takes the cake for the longest and most random string of words on a belt. It reads
"Dwarf AKA Whitney + = LineCrossage" WHAT??

"Poodle" from RetroSpecial

"Puddin" from ReclaimedPerspective

"Zandra" from gumbygirl

Or how about "Jedi mind fuck" from MavricksRenoLeather

"Vern" from Funkomavintage

I found so many, I really could go on all day.. but I'll leave you with this batch to drool over for now!

Buttons in Bangladesh

One of my favorite things about selling supplies on etsy is when a customer takes the time to show you what your finds were transformed into. Recently I sold some victorian black glass buttons to a customer and about a month later I received these photos of a puppet show going on in Bangladesh. Those black buttons were given new life as puppet eyes! These pictures make me smile every time I see them, and I'm so thankful that she shared them with me.

Back in Action

My last post was about welcoming a new shop called Ophelia to my town, and since then Peach Parlor has changed a lot. My Etsy shop used to be mostly my handmade goodies, but now I take all of my wears to sell in the store locally, which I really love. I'm excited for the chance of running into someone wearing something I made! I would probably hug them, and they would think I was a crazy person.

So, where does this leave Peach Parlor in the online world? Now it's mostly a vintage button heaven. I'm still falling in love with every old button I see, and spreading my button love all over the world. I'm loving my life, and my job.. in all it's incarnations. I've moved past the uncertainty of not having a "real job" and I'm fully embracing the road I'm on. This doesn't mean I'm not still dealing with issues that come from working from home, like time management and how to deal with distractions, but I'm working it out. I have missed blogging. I guess I've been trying to do more, instead of just talking about doing more, and I needed a blog break, but I'm back in action now.

Here is what my life has looked like since I've posted last. Lots of crafts, love, birds and cats. All the important things.

Welcoming Ophelia

My beloved town is a little on the small side, and I can't say there are many great places to shop, especially if you're looking for something unique. As far as clothes and accessories go, you get a handful of chain stores, and that's it. Although we feel like a real grown up town since we finally have a coffee shop, and have recently added a music venue to the line up, something that has been missing is a clothing boutique to offer up something different. Ophelia opened a little over a month ago and is filling that void perfectly! Stephanie Mason is the fashionista responsible for this new store, located on the most charming block in town. It's full of gorgeous clothing, scarves, jewelry, perfume, candles, and as of recently, she now carries some handmade pieces by yours truly! I get a lot of pride when I see local shops like this flourishing in my town and I wish Ophelia so much continued success.

Ophelia is located at 3 North Jefferson Street

Farmington, Missouri

Superpowers Activate!

We aren't usually party kind of people, but Halloween is the one time of year that we pretend that we are. Yeah, so I'm 30.. I still like to play dress up and act a fool with my favorite people! We throw a themed costume party every year, and this year's theme is SUPERHEROES! I'm still working out the details of my (super secret) costume, and I'm excited to see what this theme will bring. Do you throw parties, or dress up for Halloween? What themes have been a success? And has a theme ever totally bombed?

In the past we've had an 80's Prom:

Robots:

And most recently, a Fetish theme, which I thought might scare guests away, but instead it was the best turn out so far!

Since I have super powers on the brain, today I made a treasury full of my favorite super goodies! Click to see the treasury in action. Check back after the 22nd to see what costumes we came up with :)

Bedroom Update!

It's time for an update on the ongoing bedroom remodel! Things are finally starting to get furnished, and we've been sleeping in the new room for a few weeks now, which feels like a giant accomplishment. Still much to do, like doors and trim and I have to find stuff for these bare walls, but overall it's come so far from where we started!

We scored a giant, comfy bed (thanks Craigslist), and I finally decided on some hanging bedside lights (thanks Ebay). The lights got a paint job, and we switched out the old school hanging chain for the sleeker look of the metal rod.

The focal point of the room is the gorgeous old window that is being used as our headboard (thanks antique dealing in-laws). The window was once a part of the school across the street from our house. They replaced them a few years back, and sold the old ones, and this one eventually trickled it's way down to us. I love that it ended up almost right back where it started.

The other new features are the night stands that Bradley made. The metal bases were old tool stands, that got a little tweaking, and he made the wood end grain tops, which turned out beautifully!

As always, mad props to my husband, because without all of his know-how and hard work, all of our ideas would never become reality.

Mug Monday!

Pretty sure this might be the cutest mug in all of mug history!

I picked this one today in celebration of the Fall Festival I had a booth in this weekend. It was my third time participating, and it's always my favorite craft fair because of the beautiful fall weather, and the fact that it takes place a few blocks away from my house doesn't hurt. I've done well before, but this time it was better than ever! I shared the booth with two old friends, and we stayed busy all day.. busy enough that I didn't even get a chance to take one single picture! I want to give a gigantic thanks to all the local people who stopped by the booth to say hi, shop, and show their support. It means so much to me.

Recovery

I was trying to think of a theme for a new treasury, but my thoughts are completely with my dad right now, who is stuck in the hospital recovering from his bone marrow transplant. I figured I might as well make one about what's on my mind. I'm so grateful for all the nurses and doctors who are taking great care of him. I'm a positive thinker, and hopeful that things are on the up and up, and he'll get to finish recovering from home soon. Props to all the other families out there, holding it together through a trying time <3

Shipping Sale!

This rare in the world of Peach Parlor, but I'm feeling a little fiestly, so how about a sale! I'm offering free worldwide shipping on all of my buttons, photography, and collage prints. This weekend only! No limits. No exceptions. Sale ends on Sunday, Sept 11th at midnight, so pounce before it's over!