Customer Appreciation Pictures

These photos bring a new meaning to "Customer Appreciation Pictures" because once you view these pictures you'll see why I am so appreciative of my customer for sending them. Without further ado here are the photos I received that left me speechless.

The feedback she left me? Oh my I was blushing!

"I am so thrilled with this purchase, I do not know where to begin! After searching high and low in retail stores and on the internet for sweet and simple, cotton nightgowns, I purchased two good night princess nightgowns for my toddler and a matching bubble for her baby sister. Kristina was wonderful to work with. Each item was custom made to each of my daughter's measurements."

"When the pieces arrived and I tried them on my daughters, I was amazed by the craftsmanship. The fit was beautiful and the quality was excellent. Kristina is a very talented designer and seamstress. I could easy convince my family and friends that I bought these pieces at a high-end children's boutique. In fact, I think they are nicer than many higher priced items that I saw in local boutiques. The value for the money is really unbelievable! Turn-around time was excellent, considering the pieces were custom made. They were well worth the short wait!"

"I look forward to being a long-time customer of Maddie & Me. Thank you so much!"

skirts, skirts and more skirts

I love the length!!!!!!!!!!!! Most of her skirts were getting so short! :) And most today are made shorter, too. They are GORGEOUS! I am in total awe!!!!! Plus--she'll get to wear it probably into next yr!!!!

I completely adore it! The material was superior quality, the stitching perfect, and most of all my daughter loved it so much she had to wear it the next day! Thanks...we'll be back!

Oh --got the skirts this afternoon-- They are AWESOME!!!!!! I was pinging--hubs thought I was nuts! They are very well made!!!!!!!! Love em!

I am in awe of your skirts--you do a very, very good job on them! I could see your whole shop being full of them!

My daughter adores these skirts!!! And I love them because they aren't mini skirts! Great lightweight/quality fabrics that wash well.

Too cute! My niece is going to look adorable in it! Thank You!

Very cute! Just as pictured. These will look cute for summer with a little tank top! I'm glad I got 3 of them!

Feature - Baghdadbum

This week's feature is on another of my Homefront Team members. His shop is called Baghdadbum and is full of lovely items to spoil any woman, which seems to be his goal. He has some fabulous bath teas like this one made for muscle relaxing - something this seamstress needs after a long day working at the sewing machines. He also has some great candles, gift baskets and even a bit of jewelry. A little something for everyone at Baghdadbum's Etsy shop. So without further ado here is my interview with Joe of Baghdadbum

What is your favorite item you've ever made?

Ok the favorite item I ever made? My daughter :) She is a blast and is such a great kid. I couldnt ask for anything better. But as for with my hands it would be the first necklace I made for my wife. It was wooden beaded with silver accents and she wears it still. It is what motivated me to open an online shop.

What keeps you going when your creativity wanes?

Creativity waning? Starbucks. But if that doesn't work I like to look to a notebook I keep nearby. Whenever I dream or think of something I try to and at least write some short details about it. That way if I lose my bearing I can look back on that book for inspiration. Although only 2 things have ever come from it.

If you could do anything what would it be?

If I could do anything. Well I already am. I served in the Us Army for 11 years as a Field Artillery crew chief. Now I have the opportunity to be a stay at home dad, husband 24/7 and be able to make things I enjoy with my hands. I think any soldier would agree that coming home after a deployment, field exercise or just being on leave is the best feeling in the world. Well I get that all the time now.

Who gave you the best advice and what was it?

The best advice I ever received was before our push into Baghdad in 2003, My 1st sergeant told all of the Non commissioned officers that the following hours would be the toughest thing we would ever face in our lives. To strive to bring all of our soldiers back from the mission safe, and that if we made it through then just about anything else that we faced would seem simple in comparison.
So even though I stress from time to time. I always remember that conversation and it brings me back to the here and now.

If you could have super powers, what would you have?

As for super powers, I'm not really sure I want any. For example Superman is super and all, but that brings with it responsibilities like saving Lois Lane, and fighting with Lex Luther. Or Batman, attempting to avenge his family, but all of the sudden all of these super villains show up. He has to work out of a cave and save the city all the time.
So what would happen if I had super powers? I think some villain would pop up somehow always wanting to fight, The city would look to me to save everything from a cat in a tree to some sort of disaster that only happens when a super-hero is in town. So to keep my city safe and quiet and keep my schedule free of villain fighting and city saving I would forgo any super power at present. Besides what would I be, Stay at home, middle-aged, slight bald-spot average dad :)And one last thing, he is having a give away contest in his Etsy shop. Here is the information to enter, do it quick before July 2!

Big Government Survival Kit

I found this through a link on face book and just had to share it. Funny stuff for sure. Please note these are their pictures and you can click on either one to get a link to the Big Government Survival Kit site to purchase one of your very own!

Congrats!

Congratulations to two of my Etsy Homefront team mates
for making it into the Etsy finds!

LilacAve for her
Ginger Peach Tea Lights

AND TO

SygnetCreations for her
Family Travel Neck Pillow Set.

Way to go ladies!

The Etsy Homefront Team is made up of over 200 shops, all owned by spouses and significant others of members of the U.S. uniformed services. We are male and female, of all ages and several different nationalities and are located, quite literally, worldwide!

Our one common thread is that we are personally involved in supporting our countries on a day-in, day-out basis. Without prejudice, or regard for religion, race, nationality or political views, we keep the homefires burning and our families together, no matter how far apart we are.

Check out our blog at: http://www.homefrontartistryteam.blogspot.com

Feature

This feature is an absolute pleasure for me to do. Deb of LilacAve is one of my favorite vendors on etsy and over the past few years I've come to rely on her to keep my home smelling good. But I first met her when she was making some beautiful custom cards like this one. From the card shop she moved on to open LilacAve. She has a knack for recycling all sorts or containers (including shipping boxes) and I have more than one of her recycled candle tins. My personal favorite is her melting tarts though. She makes some wonderful soy tarts that I don't think I could live without. Most recently she has moved on to add some bath and body items which I can't wait to start trying. So without further ado, here is the interview with Deb - of Lilac Ave!

What is your favorite item you've ever made?

That's hard... I have a bit of a wandering eye when it comes to my items. I think I am totally in love with one on one day, and then become infatuated with another the following day. I DO have a favorite scent...Ginger Peach all the way. But then there is also Blueberry Cobbler, Gardenia, Monkey Farts, Pumpkin Cheesecake...oh my ;)


What keeps you going when your creativity wanes?

I think when creativity wanes, it's a sign you need to take a break or do something new. I usually take a day or two to concentrate on family, and taking care of myself.

How do you balance family duties and your shop?

Normally during the school year it is quite a bit easier. I have found this to be much more of a challenge during the summer. I WANT to get the kids out and explore, but I also need to work. I'm lucky though that they are older (7 and 8) so they don't really WANT my attention all the time, but I have to admit my hours have been cut back quite a bit.

If you could do anything what would it be?

Career-wise- I'd LOVE to open a craft consignment shop. The type of place where Crafters rent out spaces, and have a "mini-store" to sell their items.
Life-wise- I'd love to take a European trip with my husband and kids. I am dying to go to France.

Who gave you the best advice and what was it?

Wow, I've gotten great bits of advice from so many people. I think all of it builds you as a person. I have to say, this quote is what keeps me motivated to never give up on my business:
"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go." ~William Feather
I think it is quite the statement in persistence and hard work.

If you could have super powers, what would you have?

Endless energy!
So please take some time to visit LilacAve and see all the wonderful things she has to sell. You can check her items out on facebook, 1000Markets, etsy or her blog. Great gifts for your family and friends and even for yourself ... and tell her I sent ya!

I'm So Pleased!

I can't help myself. I am so pleased with this one that I just HAD to show it somewhere. Since it is a Mickey Mouse fabric and I am NOT licensed this is NOT available for sale (so sorry), it was made as a gift for my friend's grandson. I had so much fun making it, AND I found the up cycled shorts at my friend Ginger's shop. Don't they just match perfectly?

Newest Items!

First I must apologize for not posting my recipe today, things just didn't flow in the right direction for that to happen, I'll do a real doosie next Sataturday to make up for it.

Now, drum roll please (parumtumtumtutmtutmtutmtum)
I have finally made a boy item. For all of you who have been asking me for the past year when am I going to come up with something for the boys? Well, here it is! The first of many (ok, well lets be realistic I'm only one person so the first of several boy styles). Let me know what you think, I thought the fossilized dinosaur was pretty cool personally.
The puppy onesie is a 0-3 month that was a local custom order.
It is SO tiny!

Also, here is another of the other items I do, an up-cycled shirt dress. I take a shirt and make a dress out of it, it really is as simple as that. Some have a matching appliqué as my Christmas one did and others seem to look best without. I just take my cue from the shirt and fabric that I'm using as to how to do it. Some have a drop waist and others empire. If you would like me to make one of these custom shirt dresses, just drop me a line and I'll give you a quote.

I'm being featured!

WOW! If you'll look to the left you'll see the "I've been featured on Dashin Fashion" button... well as a matter of fact I AM BEING featured currently. If you haven't seen it, please click on the bright pink Dashin Fashion button to your left. Halfway down the page right in the middle is a lovely feature of Maddie & ME, Handcrafted Children's Couture. I'm also currently in the top spot on the Dashin Fashion blog. I'm very proud to be in such company as those others on this lovely website. If you haven't checked it out, take some time and bump around Dashin Fashion and see what all you can find. Lovely items for children from all over the globe, who knows you just might find something you can't live without!

My Newest Product for Spring

So here they are, a bit earlier than the rest of my spring line 2009, but I couldn't help myself. I just had to go ahead and introduce the "Shabby Chic Skirt" for spring

These skirts are fun, easy and go with tights while its still cold. They'll work well through the summer and are great for play time as well as casual dress up. They come in the fabrics pictured and more are being added all the time. The floral ones are only available as is, the Laura Ashley up-cycle and the Summer Stripes are available in other sizes as requested.

Small, 2/3 is approximately 10" long
Medium, 4/5 is approximately 13" long
Large, 6/6x is approximately 15" long

All styles have elastic waist that is quite liberal in the size child it will fit. If you need more description or dimensions please contact me and I'll be happy to oblige. All items include clothing tag with care instructions and as of the current CPSIA requirements are compliant.

I'm happy to announce that I've already sold one skirt and have been featured in a treasury! These skirts are currently available in my shops on etsy and 1000Markets and will arrive in the America's Handmade Homefront on Hyena Cart very soon. Take some time and check out all that I've been up to and please note that more is coming soon!

Can't Help But to Brag a Bit

I received this message earlier today through Etsy's messaging system and I was so pleased with the thoughtfulness of this lady that I wanted to share. Not every customer takes the time to tell you what they think, especially so long after the purchase. So here is the lovely compliment I received on my We Three Kings Soap and Kaldi's Dance Coffee Soap.

"Hi,
I bought this soap months ago as a gift for my friend. I never even opened the package when it came because I didn't want to be tempted to use it for myself. The other day I finally opened the envelope and I noticed you added some samples. I tried the three kings soap. I've never used handmade soap before. Even though I'm not crazy about the scent, I did like the way the soap made my hands feel. They felt clean and soft at the same time. I just want to let you know that I think you make a great product and I'm sure my friend is going to love the coffee soap!

Elizabeth
Lazy Bone Creations"

NEW SERVICE OFFERED!

I am now offering Gift Wrapping and Drop Ship Service in both Maddie & ME and Mommy's Little Helper on both etsy and Hyena Cart. Here is a description of what I will do for you, my wonderful customer, to make your holiday's easier even if just by a bit!

I will gift wrap any purchase and ship it to the desired recipient for a small packaging fee. This is a standard service that I offer that I am upgrading for the Holiday Season.

Although I prefer kraft paper with beautiful ribbon I will also offer a small selection of gift wrap (photos of selection to be added). I will be using hand tied wire ribbon bows tied by me (as taught by my mother, and her by her mother) in either red, green, white or light blue as you select. Additionally I will even hand write a gift tag with any small (10 words or less) note for no extra charge.

I will be sure that all prices are removed off of all tags and corresponding paperwork. Attached I've shown pictures of the packaging styles I will use to gift wrap your very special Mommy's Little Helper gift or Maddie & ME dress / set for your very special Princess.

This package will be enclosed in a box or shipping envelope as required for shipping and I can and will even write "Do Not Open Until Christmas (or ____ day of Hanukkah)" on the outside if requested. This is a new offering for me and I'd love to accommodate my customers as much as possible. Please feel free to contact me with any requests and I'll do my best to fulfill them.

** Please note that for each gift wrap / drop ship even if going to the same location a separate listing must be purchased.

I've Been Featured!

Maddie & ME has been featured on the America's Handmade Homefront site. Please take a moment and read the lovely interview that was put together by our wonderful and fearless leader, Emily of EllaBearBowtique. Thanks!

Feature Seller - dawnberries

This is my first real featured seller. I came across dawnberries on Cafe Mom and am absolutely fascinated with her allergy jewelry. My child does not have food allergies, but 2 of her cousins do and so we are very sensitive to the issue. I decided to do my first interview with Dawn because I really wanted to feature what she makes and help promote the allergy jewelry. So, without further ado here is our interview:

-How did you come up with your shop name?

My name is Dawn Berry, and I thought dawnberries was funny because it sounds like my little fruits.

-What inspires you to create?

I've always made things. Since having my son, it has just changed to things like diapers and allergy jewelry. It's just something I have to do!

-How do you juggle time between family, friends, and running your shop?

I find this pretty tough, actually. My son sits on my lap sometimes while I'm on the computer. He loves to try to figure out how the sewing machine works. And his favorite thing of all is "sorting" my beads.

-Tell us what one of your products we shouldn't be without and why.

Here is my son in the first allergy necklace. We had got some of those stainless steel bracelets for him to wear when we were going to visit family in Africa. We wanted a reminder to them of what they mustn't feed him. Although they were somewhat interested in the bracelet he was wearing (& so made the effort to read it), I wanted something more obvious, nearer his face, and something cuter. Now, he always wears an allergy necklace when we go to a party or play date. He also has a couple of charms attached to his diaper bag with the names and phone numbers of his pediatrician and allergist, as well as all his allergies.

-What is unique/sets you apart from the rest about your products, materials, process?

Most of the other allergy alert items on the market are the old, metal, medical alert id bracelets. And they are geared toward medical personnel. Mine are more for people the child sees everyday. They are reminders for family, friends, and caregivers. And they are cute and stylish and use engraved wooden beads, along with things like natural amber beads (double duty for teething) and sterling silver findings.

-What is your favorite handmade possession?

It's got to be something from my grandma but I'm not sure which thing. I have beaded Xmas ornaments, crocheted-top tea towels, several knitted sweaters and an afghan. I cherish them all!

-Besides on etsy, where can we find your products?

I also have a store on hyenacart at www.hyenacart.com/dawnberries.

-What new items should we be on the look out for from your shop?

I have some anodized aluminum dog tags that will be listed very soon. They say "I have food allergies" on one side and can be personalized with the specific allergies on the other side. They come in a variety of colors and can be attached to almost anything. I have also been making leather wrist bands, both engraved and hand tooled, which are about to be listed and feature colorful plastic snaps.

If you want to add anything what so ever that you think would benefit this feature please feel free to do so.

I love to buy hand-made also, and have started some collaborations too. I have used some beautiful one of a kind, hand-made, glass lampwork beads made by The Purple Triangle to make some allergy charms. I am also currently working on a collaboration with another etsian, The Eli Monster, to make some silk-screened fabric badges that say FOOD ALLERGIES.

Hand & Body Cream Release

The newest product to be unveiled by Mommy's Little Helper will be released for purchase on Hyena Cart at NOON today, November 10th, 2008! Mommy's Little Helper will also release the same product for purchase on etsy later the same day. Please come to Hyena Cart to get the first available as it is first come first served. Once the first batch is sold out it will be about 5 days before the second release.

HAVE YOU ENTERED?

My friend, Smokey Mountain Scents is having a featured seller and give away on her blog! Since I'm not currently
giving anything away I thought I'd promote hers.

Go check it out at Smokey Mountain Scents and enter to win!
And since you're on my site looking I thought I'd show you a few
of my favorite items that "Smokey" makes.
Links provided, just click on the pictures!

Hope you've enjoyed this little interlude. Since I haven't anything else worked up to blog about at this time it seemed reasonable to promote her work. After all she IS a friend.

HAND & BODY CREAM

"Intensive Therapy, Hardcore Moisture"

ALL NATURAL!

I don't need to say too much about how fabulous this new product is; I'll let my product testers tell you in their own words.

ArmyWifeWYO says: The hand cream was great it soaked right into my hands which is great for me, as it is so dry here in Wyoming. After about a hour I didn't have to reapply like I do other lotions which is great! I also like the fact that you didn't have to use very much to rub all over onto my hands! As for anything I don't like? ... nothing, this lotion is great!! And the best lotion I have had in a long time to help my rough dry hands!

TannerCustomCraft says: The healing hand and body lotion felt so good and creamy putting it on and smelled so refreshingly minty. It even reminded me of Doublemint gum!

TulipTreeBaby says: This has a very nice scent and is very moisturizing. My only complaint is that it has a slight greasy feel on my ultra dry finger tips. I am not sure how to accurately describe why this is, I think I would just like it a bit smoother. But it goes on much better after a shower or washing hands. It definitely makes a great night cream. I think I am going to try using the rest of it up by using it more frequently. I think part of my problem is washing my hands too many times during the day and not always putting lotion back on, because I haven't found a lotion yet that ever really heals the deep cracks. Based on that I would say that my review of your lotion is not as accurate as it could be. Other than that, I am really liking the lotion more and more as I use it. The smell is so refreshing and feels good on my upper hands and arms.

SMOX says: The lotion- LOVE it! You may want to let people know that it takes a little while for your skin to soak it all in... took about 5 minutes for me... but once it did... i was amazed. I have extremely dry skin, especially my hands. I often suffer from cracked knuckles and cuticles which is extremely painful, and even more difficult to combat! Within 5 minutes of using Mommy's Little Helper's Healing Hand and Body Cream my hands were supple and soft. I used it a couple times each day for the next couple days and saw marked improvement in my skin, even after washing a whole sink full of dishes! I may never go back to store brand lotion ever again!

GingerlyDressed says: Lovely hand cream! I love the scent, it's not too overpowering, yet lingers in a subtle way. A little greasy when first applied, but you'll notice you don't need to re-apply lots of times throughout the day. The oils settle in to give you a nice soft, moisturized feeling all day. And, even better, when we purchase we are supporting a military family, and a hard-working mother! That is worth the purchase in itself!

EllaBearBowtique says: A little bit of this goes such a long way! I truly love the smell and it keeps my hands super soft and moisturized for so long. Not only is it great on hands that are dried out but feet and heels as well. I started using it on my feet as soon as the weather turned colder and it has worked wonders for me.

Ali of Designs Etcetera says: I have used this for some time now. Sometimes once a day, sometimes twice a day. I like the way it makes my hands feel, smooth and silky. It is a little greasy at first but if you rub it in a bit more it will not be greasy for long. It also leaves a nice shine on my hands. I will definitely continue to use this through the winter.

I was asked by a friend HomemadeZen about it spoiling. Here is our discussion:
"Mommy, nice new item! Just wondering, does the cream spoil easily since it is all natural? Creams in an open jar usually goes bad pretty quickly in my experience (starting to smell funky)."
My response:
"Zen, I've kept my personal stash in an open ramekin for the past month and had no issues as of yet. I don't know how long it might take to spoil, but being left in the bathroom for a month with the steam, etc and it's still just as good as day one."

The container pictured is a 2 oz. and will be sold for $5 plus shipping. Each container will be labeled with the Mommy's Little Helper label as well as the basic product description. All of the hand creams are sealed with an inner seal for your protection as well as shrink wrapped.

Basic Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Bees Wax, Almond Oil, Spearmint and Lavender Essential Oils.

This product is set for release in my shops on both etsy and Hyena Cart on November 10th. I will take pre-orders (which is helpful to know how much product to make and have ready to ship on the release date). Please contact me at Mommy's Little Helper to place a pre-order.

Please note that these responses have only been edited for grammar and spelling, not content!

Twitter?

OK, I'm officially signed up with Twitter. I'm still figuring this out so if anyone has any advice please leave it in the comments. You can find me on Twitter at 1MaddieAndMommy (same as here). And a couple pictures for good measure...

In the sunflowers before the Pumpkin Patch and Halloween Costumes. She was a cowgirl and her best friend was a horse. Totally unplanned too!

And Yet Again!

This time though its Maddie & ME, children's handcrafted couture! It is a lovely interview on Izzy-IT which is a site dedicated to introducing etsy shops. If you leave a comment you will then be in the drawing for a feature of your own! Please check it out and enjoy.

WOW! I've Been Featured Again!

Can you believe it? I have been featured again. This time on Lucky Girl Trading Company - Make Every Day Your Lucky Day!
She has done a fabulous feature on my 2 in 1 loofah and my Cinnamon - Irish Oatmeal Soap.

She has also put my We 3 Kings Plus on her wish list so if any of you are wondering what to get her for a gift, it seems that would be a good choice. Also if you read her feature and the comments you'll find a promo code in there to get a discount in Mommy's Little Helper.

Thanks to all my loyal readers and customers,
"Mommy" of Mommy's Little Helper