Featured Busy Mom - Echo Endeavor

Be sure to check out this busy mom on Etsy or at http://www.orgsites.com/wv/echo

Tell me a bit about your mommy life:
Busy…busy…busy! My little one, Logan Maximus Miller, was born October 2, 2008. I work part time for a non-profit research firm, Mid-Atlantic Technology, Research & Innovation Center as director of the life sciences program there. So, I am blessed to get to spend a lot of time with the little guy, watching him grow and interact with the world around him. There is also a cat and an African Grey Parrot in our home who I suppose claim me as “mom”, too!

Tell me a bit about your shop and your creations:
I have a habit of “dabbling”…I’ll see something I like and think- I could do that! So, off I go giving it a try. I am pretty new to Etsy but my prior dabblings have included handmade jewelry and rosaries, tole painting, iris paper folding, quilling, precious metal clay, quilting, mosaics and even lampwork glass making, which I absolutely adore but find too challenging right now with the little guy and a parrot who periodically flies through the house. I picked up most of these hobbies during my graduate work but decided that the results of my “dabblings” were doing little good sitting upon my shelf or desk. So, as I was doing my graduate research in a cancer center, I decided to donate all proceeds from my handmade items to the local breast care center to help cover health care costs for those who could not otherwise afford them. So far, about $7,000 has been donated. My handmade rosaries are available for purchase at several local merchants (Vittoria & Banks: Art For Your Soul, and Rider Pharmacy). I am hoping that Etsy will allow me to enter a much larger market place, allowing even more to be donated to the breast care center. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Any time saving tips for juggling a business and motherhood? Know your limits and don’t be afraid to gently say “no” to those who inadvertently infringe on what little precious time you have. Remember your priorities and stick to what is truly important to you!

Fun Stuff:

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate? Tea. In fact, my favorite commercial tea concoction (vanilla chai latte) was discontinued so…here I go again…I decided to make my own. With a little bit of trial and error, and bias of course, I think mine is even better than the original! Although, I must admit, there is little like sipping a good mug of homemade cocoa blanketed with marshmallows in front of the fire place on a cold winter night.

I am addicted to smooching my little guy and playing with his feet- but isn’t every mom?

If you could have one super power….make time stand still.

If I were to catch you grooving it would be to…likely Led Zeppelin, although on any given day you would find Logan and I bouncing around the house to any silly song that makes him smile.

Featured Artist: Piou Piou Kids

Be sure to check out the shop of this busy mom!

Tell me a bit about your mommy life:
I’m a proud mum of a little 17 and a half-month-old boy, Tahi. I stopped working just before he was born and haven’t got any plans to go back to work any time soon! In an ideal world, I’d be mothering him full time until he’s at least 5 then possibly start working part time. I previously worked in the film industry as a camera assistant, with unpredictable schedules and long working hours, both of which are unfortunately uncompatible to our idea of family lifestyle. I’m planning on breastfeeding Tahi until he’s 2, and hopefully let him self ween. We have also been practicing Natural Infant Hygiene since he was 5 month, and he hasn’t been wearing nappies since he was 10 month old (except for nightime and naptime), and teaching him sign language (great for communication and avoiding frustrations!). I’m also thinking about home schooling or unschooling him, but need to find out more about it.
We do a lot of activitites together: playcentre, stories at the library, swimming lessons, playing with other little friends (while mums have a coffee!), sing songs and quiet play at home, fewding horses and ducks, …

Tell me a bit about your shop and your creations:
I started sewing some of his clothes a few months ago, because the cool nice stuff is too expensive for us (that’s the downside of not working!) and the choice is very limited as far as kid’s clothes go anyway. There was also a lack of nice, practical clothing for ECing parents (Elimination Communication, another term for Natural Infant Hygiene) so I came up with my own designs. Then I made more for some friends, sold some stuff at a market and then found Etsy and opened a shop! Unfortunately, there are no craft markets where we live so I am limited to Etsy, but I hope to be able to do some eventually (I love craft markets!).
I like clothes that are not too girly girly or boyish, not just pink and blue. I like the idea that kids can wear nice, comfortable and practical clothes, just like ours! I am also a big advocate for the environment and try to limit the amount of waste we produce, so I endeavor to re-use and upcycle as much as possible. And show it’s possible to turn something old into something cool!

Any time saving tips for juggling a business and motherhood?
Lists, lists, lists.
I’m a list-o-maniac, a compulsive lister, a serial lister.
I used to live in an appartment in Paris that was on the 4th floor, no elevator… And I always ended up going up and down 5 times because I’d realise once at the bottom that I’d forgotten my scooter keys, cheques that needed to be banked, my jacket, my purse,… Same goes for shopping, I always ended up shopping every couple of days because there was always something I’d forgotten,…
So now I write lists for everything. When I was working, I’d write a list of everything I needed to do on my days off (which could be rare, therefore time was very precious), and now I still do it so that when Tahi’s asleep or with his dad, I can get all I want done. I’ll sit down for 5 minutes in the morning before I do anything else, and write a list of what I need/ want to do, and then place them in order of priority. I sometimes end up with 3 or 4 different lists! (daily to do list, shopping list, long term to do list, and usually an old list still floating around). I know, I sound like a freak, but I strongly believe it ends saving me time and energy. Except when I forget my lists at home.

Fun Stuff:
Coffee, tea or hot chocolate? Tea, usually herbal and from our garden: peppermint, verbena, chamomille, echinacea, elderflower,…
I am addicted to…. Nature
If you could have one super power…. Bring hapinness to all people
If I were to catch you grooving it would be to… many things! Last night it was George Benson’s “give me the night”!

Craft Show

As if our lives are not stressful enough we have to go and decide to do a craft show. So our crafting has gone into overdrive. I have 4 (I think) onesies just waiting to be sewn and 3 (again I think) hair clips needing to be finished. And those are just the things I have started. There will be bibs, burp clothes, onesies, hair clips, wipe cases all over my dining room table by D-day. Well hopefully before D-day so I can ship them to AL for the show. So So So glad Monday is a holiday! I hope it rains!

Blog Feature

ChickenTattoo has been featured in another blog. Go take a look!!
http://www.busymomsteam.blogspot.com/

Treasury

It's official, I have become obsessed with getting Treasuries.
Bethany and I (via phone) snagged one up. We choose mostly (all but 2) undiscovered baby item sellers. Go take a look:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=58445

Featuring...

Wanted to let everyone know about a great giveaway! About the third post down on this lovely lady's page:
http://sosplendid.blogspot.com/

Blog Spot

ChickenTattoo is being featured in a blog!
Thank Kate!!
http://www.katerydesigns.blogspot.com/

TREASURY

ChickenTattoo is in a TREASURY!!!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=57615

Bib

I just finished an order. It feels so great to know that someone liked my designs enough to purchase one. The person bought the First Birthday Bib. I hope it looks as cute on their baby as it did mine!!

Can't believe...

I think it has finally hit me. Emery is one. I couldn't sleep the other night just thinking about him and how he has grown so fast. I wish I could spend more time with him, (like every waking second)... His birthday party went GREAT!! He loved the attention and his (organic) cupcake. His eyes just lit up everytime we sung to him, like he knew what we were saying and knew we were singing to him. Matt's parents surprised us and were able to come for the party. It was so nice to have both sets of parents there to celebrate!

Now about the store.

ChickenTattoo is doing well. We just got our 10th sale (thanks Meredith!!). I have been trying to think of other items we can make, and not getting very far with that. If anyone has a suggestion please tell me! I did find some time last evening to make a applique on a bib and a shirt. I am not too happy with the bib, it will be one that goes right to Emery. But the shirt turned out great! I will take pictures of them tonight and set up a listing too.