coming together like puzzle pieces

owning a home is a constant project.  it never seems that everything is "exactly" how you want things.  husband and i knew this before we moved.  and everyday we get a great reminder of that.

our home was a bank owned foreclosure.  and typically those mean lots and lots of projects. however, we did get lucky with the fact that the bank had a company come in and paint, lay new carpet, fix things, before it was put on the market.  we couldnt have gotten luckier.  doing lots of work on the inside is hard enough, but our yard was in dire need of immediate TLC.

everything was so green. and so husband and i have been spending numerous hours revamping our front yard to make it more warm, welcoming & actually give off the impression that people live there.  its starting to come together bit by bit.  we should have taken up stock in all stores that cater to home improvement and landscape needs.  after this weekend we should been finished with the front yard & be able to start on the back, which by the current situation will take a lot more time. 

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i finally got around to unpacking my catch all room.  my sewing, crafting, etsy room.. ladies only, because all the men i know have no desire to craft or sew.  its more sports, yard work & drinking beer.

i have a couple more boxes to unpack and organize & then the shop will be back open.  between the moving & everything else that has gone on the last couple months, my shop has really fallen far behind. i'm deeply apologetic to those that i had to & still am issuing refunds to due to the move. not to mention the fact that my printer went on the fritz and was putting blue ink all over everything.

but as far as the shop is concerned, with all my new "space", its going to allow me so many more opportunities. plus i'm going to be changing up what i'm going to be selling.  still will have a few paper good options, but not like what has been currently offered.  my free time is fixing to be cut really thin due to the implentation of a new computer system at work (lots of overtime!!) so i will not be offering any custom/personalized items.  everything for sale will be as is items.

one of my very first sewing projects. not my best, but i was super proud!

to go along with my handful of paper good items, i'm going to be reintroducing my sewn goods.  i've been browsing and learning (way of pictures) on how to master a bunch of different techniques, which shot up a lot of new, fun & quirky things for the shop. think clutches, totes, headbands & awesome clippies.

more details and photos of all that stuff coming within the next couple of weeks i hope.

our weekend + #febphotoaday: part 1

happy monday friends!!!  this past weekend was absolutely terrific and i wish it didnt have to end, but being lazy doesnt pay the bills.

we spend most of our weekend reorganizing the apartment, which included a fun filled trip to IKEA. the land of pyschos and swedish things.  we got us a new bookcase, which i dont even have the slightest idea why we waited as long as we did, but i'm absolutely over the moon in love with our new bookcase.  eep!

we also spent quality time with family and enjoy lots of awesome food.. my mom has recently become the newest addict to pinterest. but who isnt these days? well besides normal people? lol just kidding.  back to her being an addict, she found a handful of super rocktastic recipes she made for our little dinner party saturday, and i will definitely will be sharing them in an upcoming post.. yummy delicious brisket tacos and melt in your mouth brownies. yum yum!

and my latest venture has to do with the ever so amazing instagram.  i joined up with lots of others in the #febphotoaday challenge & above are my photos going in to day 6 which will be happening this evening. who knows what dinner has in store for the husband and i.. have a few errands to run tonight, so it could potentially come out of a swing open window..  anyone else joining in on #febphotoaday??

oh and ETSY? its busier than ever!! yesterday i cranked out five orders and still have what feels like a million open.  one of these days i will catch up... no complaining from me though.. this is extra anniversary trip and house down payment money.  and i love every minute of it.

what was everyone up to this weekend?

welcome to technology {g} family

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husband and i are taking the leap into 2012 by joining the technologically advanced world and getting iphones. big deal i know. i've been hounding husband for quite some time about how we need smart phones. seriously, neither of ours is close to being smart & i think his current cell phone qualifies for museum artifiact.

my contract is finally up next wednesday (thank the lord!) and am able to upgrade to a cool kid device. so wednesday we are hurrying ourselves over to the sprint store and getting us both an iphone. and if you know me at all, i already began looking at iphone cases..  i wanted an otterbox because im such a klutz. but they are not cool enough for me. and then i met society6. and found this. we fell instantly in love.. but i also love this one & this one & this one too.  and dont forget this one. but i ultimately settled on the one pictured. dont get me wrong, i will purchase those others at some point.

and as far as the phone itself goes, i cant wait to have it in my pretty little hands.  any apps you recommend getting??

other bits... heartsy went decently, pretty well actually. considering it was my first feature i think i did fantastically. now just lots of hours of preparing orders awaits me.  but i'm super excited to have my name out there to that many more people.

also, i've got a few things i'm going to "work" on when i have a little bit of additional time on weekends - if that exists.  a little bit of garland, a few more cut outs. and maps, lots of maps.  all this and a few more things.  i also want to head outside one day when its nice and reshoot alot of my items for better pictures..

i hope you are all having a terrific thursday!  

its a heartsy kind of life



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 friday, i found out my feature was accepted to heartsy.  i am thrilled.  my feature goes live to the general public tomorrow.  VIP today.

the next few weeks of my life are going to be terribly hectic, busy, and probably sleepless (or not like normal) but i'm totally okay with this.

getting my name out there is something i've been trying really hard to do & found this to be the perfect opportunity. 

so if you're in the market for some paper goods, be sure to stop by before my vouchers are sold out.

its january 18 + a winner

so its been a couple of days since i have posted anything.  my brain has been so tired from all this allergy mess, that i couldnt come up with a darn thing to blog about. nothing was really grabbing my attention. so i just let my little blog take a rest until today.  we have a winner from the jandmseyecandy giveaway and i figured i would just do a little update post.

first updates.  the shop is moving right along.  i actually just got my first custom order a few days ago & i love custom orders. they make me smile - mainly because people are trusting me to make their special day extra perfect. thats what i've been working on this week, plus playing around with a couple of card ideas to put in the shop. trying to perfect the outcome, so it might be this weekend before they go up.  

also i'm waiting to hear back from heartsy on a submission i put a few weeks ago. it would be a huge opportunity to get my name out there, but if i get accepted, its going to be lots and lots of long hours and late nights working to get myself ready for my feature.  hopefully i get selected - i will keep you posted on this.

and now for the winner of our giveaway.......

if your name is kassi and you are the blogger from Truly Lovely, you have won.  please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize. otherwise a new winner will be selected.  

thank you to everyone who entered and thank you to Kristine for this awesome giveaway!
i'm putting together the group feature and i should have that ready to go tomorrow.   
also thinking of hosting a giveaway for something fun.. still working on the details.  should have something soon.

have a fab wednesday everyone!

the shoppe: whats new + some updates

love is sweet - heart confetti - merci beaucoup - thank you

the past couple of days i've been busy making a few things to add to the ETSY shoppe - even have a couple of things for valentine's day.. 

have a couple of more items as well, but just need to get them printed, cut and photographed.  its all about the twitter a few weeks ago that talked about french & kitchen. i can't wait to share them with you.

i'm not sure how i feel about my valentine's day card.  thinking of replacing it with something else.

to look at these and other items i offer, be sure to check out the shoppe!


current events:
i'm currently being featured over at kassi's blog. a giveaway could possibly be involved, so be sure to check that out.

this wednesday is the first feature post of the blog - so stay tuned to meet kristine of jandmseyecandy

little notes #3

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dear 2012,
we are three days in and i've already decided this year is gonna be a good one. full of fun, laughter and adventure.

dear etsy,
i've reopened you, changed some things, and added some new things.  i need better pictures on some of my items, but for now i'm really loving the way you have turned out. i hope people agree.

dear blog,
i've changed you to my own domain.  i like it. with this change, i hope it brings lots of growth, new friends and lots of wonderful opportunities.

dear texas weather,
okay so its january 3. thats winter.  so there is no need for highs reaching 60. its driving my nose crazy and i really dont need to be sick right now.

dear adele,
i love your cd: 'Live At The Royal Albert Hall'  Its absolutely wonderful and I love your accent. It makes me smile.

dear bank account,
you will smile alittle more from now on.  my car is paid off, so that means a little more green for you to see and hold onto every month.  oh don't worry, it makes me thrilled too. you're not alone.

dear husband,
i'm still totally thrilled about our anniversary weekend getaway.  i probably will talk about it til it gets here, but i absolutely loved this place and can't wait to get more of it in my blood. oh and consume massive quantities of german food, beer and wine. yum! i promise to take more photos this time.

new year, new shop

you heard right

Cheers, Bethani has reopened!

some of the same items before, some new items too.

hop on over and check it all out.

I will be adding more items as I get them completed.

For now, I'm offering readers and friends 10% off all items.

Discount code = REVAMP2012

drum roll please: winner of the free ad space in January

happy 2012 friends!  i hope everyone had a terrific last couple of days in 2011 and got their healthy dose of blackeyed peas today.

and now for the winner of the large ad space in january..

congrats Kristine!!!  

please email me for your winnings.

a little other news:  

-i will be updating my sponsor page.  i've changed my widths on the blog, so now the ad spaces are alittle larger, but still the same price.

-cheers, bethani is back open.. just a few items right now, but i will be adding more over the next couple of days... maybe another giveaway will be taking place too :) just saying

the beginning of the ice age..

dawn of the ice age

Good lovely morning folks.. Yep I'm just getting to work and settling in.  Its been quite a chaotic scene in DFW today..Single digit temps, rolling blackouts & icy parking lots!  Yea I said rolling blackouts - in the WINTER!  Currently our north tower has no power, so hopefully it doesnt move our direction; I'm currently enjoying the heat.

I was hoping to finish another clutch last night for Cheers, Bethani, but I decided to hit the hay at the usual time in case I had to struggle to find my way this morning.  So MAYBE tonight I will get it finished and up for tomorrow.

Stay warm & safe my friends.  Hopefully, Texas will be back to normal soon, even though the forecast calls for more nastiness and snow Thursday night. Bleh!

xoxo
Cheers,

Cheers, Bethani!

I tweeted yesterday that I would be posting some updates on the opening of my ETSY store.  Its been somewhat crazy in my brain lately, thinking about this and thinking about that, because I want to make sure that I do all the right things to ensure my store is a hit.  And I must admit, its stressful.  From the name, to the simple shop banner, to the pricing, to even my ETSY button to link you to my store. But its coming along & it makes me extremely grateful that it is..

With a little thought and creativity {well I suppose its creativity}, my mind stumbled across a store name.  I wanted it to be something catchy, but not super cheesy.  I also wanted it to be something that's totally me and when you hear the name or see the name, you don't have to think twice about who the owner is.  It also needs to be a well-rounded, all encompassing name.  A store name of Needles & Thread wouldn't be such a great idea for someone who sells photographs, would it?  Well for me it wouldnt.  So without further ado, if you haven't figured it out already, the name of my new ETSY store is.......... *drum roll*

Cheers, Bethani!

clutch by Cheers, Bethani

What do you think??  I hope you like it as much as I do.  The name is extremely fitting.. I love signing my blogs that way, & if it wouldnt drive people mad, I would say cheers all the time.. I just love that word, such a happy word..

I have also decided, I'm going to start listing my items as I get them completed, which hopefully will be next week.  I'm planning on have my first couple things ready this weekend. The weather is forecasted for ickiness, so that gives me plenty of ETSY project time. 

Along with ETSY listings and ETSY names, I want to throw an idea out there.  I did via twitter yesterday and with much fail, {yea I said fail}, got one response... Maybe I don't have many followers or people who a rat's butt, but thats okay with me.. I'm putting it out there via the good 'ol blogosphere now..  

Custom made clutches??  You choose the pattern/color of fabric used, along with button color/size choice, thread color & I put it together for you..  Yes it would be priced more than the regular items in store, but its more time consuming to go find what exactly some is wanting.... Opinions?  Good? Bad? Let me know..   If you are interested in a custom clutch, contact me via email and we can talk further.

That's all the updates I have for now regarding ETSY.  Stayed tuned for more happenings on Cheers, Bethani...  Oh yea, almost forgot, I have a little temp button up on the left sidebar that will shoot you over to my shop, so you can stay tuned for item posting and such that way..


Cheers,

a hint for things to come...

Good Monday morning!  I hope everyone had a terrific, productive, yet relaxing weekend..  I know the mister and I sure did.  Between winning at Winstar, lots of sewing/ETSY projects, & football, it was extremely wonderful.

Here's a peek at what's to come for ETSY - a fold over clutch for any occasion. I'm planning on having several styles/colors available.  Let me know what ya think & any ideas/suggestions for style/color options - send them to me via email (sugarbearbear@live.com).  I would love to hear all your ideas and suggestions that you might have!

Also today is the LAST full day to enter the Bake It Pretty giveaway!  Tomorrow at noon (central time) the giveaway will end and I will announce the winner soon after.  So if you haven't entered and would still like to follow the link above and leave a comment with your favorite items from the Bake It Pretty shop, for your chance at $30.

Until later, have a Marvelous Monday my lovelies!

Cheers,

thinking and daydreaming ♥



oh i can wish



I can only imagine what I would get done if I had a sewing one room like this.. One day people, one day, even if its a garage, it will happen!


Other news, things are coming along,  though i did have a minor road bump, but an extra fabric store trip was able to fix that. 


I also hope everyone is having a Terrific Thursday and that it continues.  I'm hoping to stay bundled up in my cubicle at work, while the sleet/freezing rain and 30 degree temps blow in. Hopefully, it doesn't create too much chaos on the roads.  Otherwise, poor Bruce will be spending the night at work and I will ride home with someone else.

Cheers,

...jumped, now it's time to soar!

♥

Since deciding and announcing that I'm going to be opening an ETSY store, I feel like I can accomplish anything.   I know I have plenty of hurdles ahead of me, but the biggest one was finally taking the plunge in this crazy adventure & just deciding to do it! 

If you follow me on twitter, you will see that I have figured out the store name, which I will be leaving a surprise for a time, until I get my banner made and some items in the store.  I hope to have some items completed and in the store within a few weeks.  A full time job, a mister, kitties & wedding planning consumes alot of my life, so nights and weekends are pretty much my only time to create. 

I'm setting a goal of the first weekend in March as my store opening - that would be March 4-6.   That's totally flexible, but I think it would be a good starting point to have a date in mind.  And the 5th is my bridal shower, so its going to be a crazy weekend, but what a sentimental date to open my store.

Stay tuned for more updates on my opening!  I love you all! Have an amazing Tuesday friends! ♥

coming soon to a household near you...

You read it right, I'm coming to ETSY!  Its going to be a few months, I'm hoping like one or two, before its open, but its happening.  This has been a goal of mine for awhile; to open a shop on ETSY. And I'm finally doing something about it & accomplishing it.

I'm going to be dropping little photo hints along the way of the items that I will be selling so keep your owl like eyes open.

Details are coming... I'm still working on those, like..

•  my shop name (the hardest part)
• my shop banner (another hard part)
• what all I will be selling (I'm finalizing my list, but knowing me it will change based on well everything!)

Stay Tuned!  I hope you are as excited as I am.  ♥

ETSY - The Soap Addict

The company I work for held a Craft Bazaar last week, and I purchased some items from The Soap Addict!!  She also has a website outside of the ETSY shop that you can visit as well.   

One of the items she has that I LOVE is the Lemon Poppy Seed soap - smells AMAZING!

All of her items are animal and people friendly as well as completely free of all the fillers, artificial colors, fragrances, preservatives.

She sells soaps, lip balms, lotion bars (which are totally awesome! read more about them here), & scrubs. 

All these items would make great gifts and stocking stuffers for all the lovelies in your lives.

  Please be sure to check her out and show some love!

ETSY Store >>>> here

Website >>>>> here

all photos on this post courtesy The Soap Addict ETSY shop