Orion Cuteness

This is just a few minutes of a typical play session with Orion...

Upgrades!

Though some days it's really slow going, I'm feeling pretty proud of the things I've managed to accomplish lately! My Etsy shopfront is in the best shape it's ever been. I'm still learning how to photograph my work effectively, but they have much improved (especially thanks to Ray and the light box).
I've been working hard to get more products in there; it's mostly jewelry, though there are some tie-dyes, a few baby items, and a few garments. There are now just under 50 items in the shop! I had a few sales last week, and a few things are on hold now, so I'm just hoping to see some response to the amount of effort I've been putting in.
Today I got a custom banner for the shop with the name in it; I think it looks great! I searched forever before I found something I really liked - plus the seller was way fast and I had it up within a few hours!
Take a look and let me know what you think!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SachiIvy

Decisions

After much ruminating, going back and forth internally and in conversation with Russell, and considering responses to Facebook posts, we have finally come to a decision about what to do with ourselves next year!
And the winner is: Western North Carolina! More specifically, Haywood Community College.
Although we really really really want to move out to the West Coast, we had to consider the big picture - our goals, our dreams, and what we want for Orion and our family.
Though I might be able to find a similar program somewhere on the West Coast, the program at Haywood is damn near perfect for what I really want to do with myself. Besides that, committing to a program in NC will save us both time and money. Plus, we're hoping that Russell can find some courses in sustainable applications somewhere nearby, so that he can get his GPA boosted for future grad school applications once we do move out West.
Completing the professional crafts program will enable me to do several things with my variety of crafting abilities; I'll be able to focus my design aesthetic, learn about business (which I'm pretty clueless about), and it will allow me to successfully work from home or at least have a second income from craft work. If I decide later on that I want to pursue a Masters in Costume Design, the associates from Haywood will also give me a leg up during that application process.
Being capable of working from home/being in business for myself is an important aspect of my goals, because we're really committed to homeschooling Orion (and any other kid(s) we might have!) through the early years at least. I have been a victim of the public school system for too many years to subject my own children to it, and this is really important to us as a family. That consideration helped make the decision much easier; the West Coast isn't going anywhere, after all (unless, of course, California really does fall into the ocean at some point ((2012??)) and then we wouldn't want to be living there anyway). Once we finally do get out there, I'll be more prepared to support our family through crafting. I also intend on maintaining a good relationship with Trader Joe's, because it's a company I feel good about working for, and could possibly be hired into a new store out West when the time comes. At that point, Russell can start into a master's program, maybe at Dominican in Davis, and I'll be perfectly outfitted to teach our kids and bring home the vegetarian bacon (although I think that stuff is gross).
We feel like this is a solid plan for us, and for that matter Asheville and the surrounding area is about as hippie as NC gets anyway, so hopefully we'll find the community we're looking for there. At least the climate is a bit cooler, and there are a lot of outdoor activities and tons of music events to consider! I think it will be a good place to live for the first few years of Orion's life as a toddler... And if we live a bit out of town (Haywood is in Clyde, NC, a bit west of Asheville) we'll be able to find a cheap place to live with some land attached to it. I think we can all be happy with that!
So there you have it, folks! Weeks of wrangling over that one question has finally come to an end! We still long for the Pacific Coast, but in the meantime the Great Smokies are a nice place to aim for!
I guess I can start the official application process now... Fun.
We'll be looking to move after our wedding (June 11, 2011) and before the beginning of the school year (usually in August) so my best guess is sometime in July, 2011, we'll be heading west. Just not as far west as we had originally planned. Still, it's a step in the right direction literally, and several steps in the right direction figuratively!

Hello again!

Well now, it's been a while, hasn't it?
I can't imagine why! Actually, I am about to explain why I've taken a bit of hiatus from blogger-land. I even took a few days off of Facebook (gasp!). All of this is due to my recent re-direction of energies. "Toward what?" you may be asking...
Of course if you've been keeping up with us and this little blog of mine you know that Orion is now almost 4 months old - amazing how times flies! I went back to work this week, which was sort of a bummer. I was so sad the day I had to go back. I've never been away from him for that long! But he's at home with Daddy while I'm at work, so at least we don't have to leave him in expensive child care! And the best part is that we live so close to Trader Joe's that Russell can bring Orion to see me on my break, therefore limiting the necessity of me pumping breastmilk at work and keeping everyone happy!
The return to work deadline motivated me in other ways, too, because there was a lot I wanted to get done before so much of my time was taken up with groceries. We are still researching schools, jobs, towns, and options for our move next year. We don't know where we're going yet, or what our plans are; we just know that it's time for the next phase of our lives and there is a lot to do to accomplish it. In order to facilitate that, I've spent a lot of time searching, but there was still a lot more to be done. Both Russell and I need to get our focus narrowed and our ducks in the proverbial row. This includes but in no way is limited to: reworking resumes, creating on-line portfolios, and marketing ourselves. For me, specifically, I have needed to get my ass in gear in regards to my creative work. I have a ton of supplies, a smattering of skills, and a fair eye for design - but very little motivation when it comes down to it. Why? I don't really know. I need to figure out "who I am" as a crafter/designer. I need to develop certain aspects of my skills/talents. And I need to get my work out there, stat!
So I've started working on my own stuff as much as possible with lots of breaks for baby time. This includes working on a wedding dress commission that I'm excited to see completed. I've also started doing more jewelry work, since that's something that is fairly easy to do while nursing (since sewing definitely isn't). But that's not enough - I need to get this work out there. Clearly I need to build a stock so that I have enough items to sell to shops. I'd like to even vend at a festival or two in the Spring, which also means collecting the materials to create a booth, which will then need to be set up and photographed in order to apply to most craft fairs. That requires money up front... And right now we're pretty broke, since I just returned to work. In order to support my craftwork, I need to get it working for me!
So I've tried hard in the last few weeks to update and revamp my Etsy shopfront - it's still in the works - but I have re-shot a lot of the jewelry photographs. And I've been working like a madwoman on a line of hemp jewelry to add. I also finally photographed the line of baby tie-dyes, and actually managed to get the one adult piece of clothing, a corset, photographed and posted. Whee! This effort lead to several sales in the first week. Hopefully that will continue!
If you'd like to see my work (and I sure hope you do!) please check out my Etsy shopfront at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SachiIvy
You can also find me on Facebook under Sachi Ivy Designs - I love all the "likes" I've been getting! Please pass on this information to anyone who might be interested in my work. Word of mouth and support from friends is the best advertising I could ask for!
And now it's time to get back to tying some hemp....