Have I said lately...

I ♥ My Job stitch art by Story Book Retro

because I do. I really, really love what I do! :)

Today, I thought about closing up shop. Not thinking about actually doing it, but what life would be like without Lu & Ed to occupy my time. And you know what? I can't even imagine it. Not even a little bit. Lu & Ed fills my life with so much joy. I love all the people it has brought me in contact with, I love creating these wild and colorful eco monsters for people to use and love, I love the smiles on people's faces when displaying my work at fairs.

October marks four years since I started making Mon-stors. And you know what? I think Lu & Ed will be around for a long, long time, because life without this creative, colorful, exciting outlet is completely unimaginable. I feel as if I have barely scraped the surface of my creativity and that Lu & Ed is just starting to thrive and grow in ways I never imagined it would. I am able to monetize in more ways that helps other artists grow, with blog sponsorships and the swag bag program, so that I can keep the prices of Mon-stors affordable for people from all walks of life and take true joy in the creation process. I never went into this business to make money - I do this because I love it!

Each new Mon-stor I create, I fall a little bit more in love with than the last one. If you see me say "My new favorite Mon-stor!" often, it's because they really are! I get so excited by the creation process, get so attached to each one as I make it, that it's kind of hard to say good bye to them when they are adopted. I put a lot of heart and positive energy into each of my creations and hope that as I send them away to their new homes, they carry some of that love and positive energy with them to their new owners and bring them just as much joy as they bring me!

It's so great to have a job I love so much, and to watch it deliver positivity & happiness into the lives of others! ♥

Get schooled on saving the world!

Well, not really! Kinda. Sorta. But I was just browsing Lil Alice Sews shop and I kept coming back to these.

If you are already making your back to school supply lists, add some of these reusable snack bags to your list. You will keep plastic bags out of landfills, reduce pollution from the creation of new plastic bags in high energy plants, and teach your kids it's better to reduce, reuse and recycle than to be wasteful. I have a few handmade reusable snack bags like these we have been using since February of last year and they are holding up great! :)

Do you use reusable bags and containers in your kid(s) lunch boxes?

My profile picture.

I rarely update my profile picture. I just don't think my face is all that important in the grand scheme of things, y'know? I have been using the same profile picture since the day after Halloween last year. Today, I posted it for the #fmsphotoaday challenge on Instagram, and I thought briefly about updating it. But...

This picture... I feel like it really captures me. It has all the most important things in my life in it:

My son (dressed up as Herobrine). My brilliant, silly, sweet son, who is the best thing that ever happened to me, and the reason I do all that I do. 

My fiancé, the person I am looking at in  this picture and is the only person who can make me smile like that.

My bestie Cari, who made the necklace I'm wearing. She is such a bright spot in my life!

My bright red coat from South Carolina, that reminds me of my family there. I miss them so much.

My birdie measuring tape, representing my passion for creation and how my monster business has changed my life. 

My blue monster hat, which reminds me of Daft Crafts being born and how much my life has changed since I came to Missouri.

Yeah.

I don't think I'll be updating my profile picture any time soon. 

This one is perfect.

Go outside with us!

It's a gorgeous morning here! I start every day with a long walk, and now that school is out, that means G gets to come on these walks with me, and today you get to see the highlights this morning's walk thanks to the Vine app!!

As we crossed the bridge on the walking trail in our neighborhood, we spied a baby snapping turtle! How cute is this little dude?!



And here he is on the go!

Gauge was a little startled when the baby turtle walked off the side of the bridge and landed in the water, but I told him that was what his tail is for, it helps him swim. Such a fun discovery!

Do you take your kids on nature walks? If so, do they enjoy them? :)

My son initially met our morning nature walks with much resistance but now he gets really excited about them every morning! I'm glad! It's some fun time to unplug and bond together! :)

Veggin' Out.

Little known fact about me: For almost ten years, from the time I was about about thirteen, pretty close to fourteen, until I was twenty-three years old, I was a vegetarian.

When assessing my goals for 2013 for Lu & Ed, I realized that in order to up production and focus my creativity, and get the energy to create enough inventory for the shows I plan to attend this year, I was really going to have to start taking better care of myself. No more crazy late nights in the studio and no more drinking an entire pot of coffee every day. (It has helped incredibly that Trace has for whatever reason started brewing the coffee crazy strong. I haven't finished a single up in about four days, so I'm well on the road to that lifestyle change!).

Another thing I am going to change is going back to being a veg-head. When I was a vegetarian I had so much more energy than I do now! I know it's better for my body, and better for the environment, to not eat meat. So I am going to make this small lifestyle change to take better care of myself so I can have more healthy energy to focus on my family and Lu & Ed.

Yes, our Christmas tree is STILL up. I like it. :)

And you know what? It's already been two days since I made the commitment to stop eating meat, and it's been about four days since I drank a whole cup of coffee, and I feel great! I have been chugging water like crazy in anticipation of caffeine withdrawal headaches but so far, no bad effects to cutting out the coffee! My only complaint is the desire for something warm to drink, but I'm not a fan of tea. Any other suggestions?

Any other vegetarians or vegan artists out there?

An AWESOME announcement!!!

Today I want to share a super duper very exciting announcement with you all! It's not really my news to share so I won't post what it is here, but you can see all the squishy awesome goodness over on Monique's blog, Razing Mayhem, in a post where she used my monsters to make a super exciting announcement! :D I am so honored that she used my monsters in her announcement. I mean, I am beyond thrilled. I cried a little. ♥ Such a sweet and special announcement!! Go read it!! :)

Big exciting super awesome announcement is here. :)

*sniff*

So freaking incredible! And sweet! And mushy! Ah! I love it!

Father's Day 2012

I hope all the dads and families out there had a fantastic Father's Day! ♥ Ours was very low-key. The kidlet and I gave Trace his present, a handmade Kindle Fire case by It's Sew Chelle - I had it custom made with QPR blue and white stripes. He loved it!

Sleepy-head daddy opening his gifts!

After coffee and gifts, we mostly bummed around the house. Trace and the kidlet played video games, and watched Minecraft videos on the Kindle.

Then we went to dinner with my fiance's mom, siblings and grandparents. The perfect end to a mellow, lovely day. ♥

I don't think I even sat down at a computer once yesterday, and kept the mobile browsing to a minimum. It's nice to unplug some days and just recenter yourself! ♥ I am feeling more energized today, and I am going to clean up the studio and spend the day working on some Mon-stors. I have been in a bit of a funk since Daft Crafts closed, so I need to just sit down and create and take my mind off of it. I miss that place so much. ♥ With our move impending, my cousin flying in from Colorado Thursday, and a huge mountain of laundry, I have plenty of things to keep me busy this week, and in the weeks to come. I hope I am able to squeeze in monster making between packing, house shopping online, repainting and all that jazz, but just in case, I am going to take today to get some Mon-stors started and let my creativity flow! Happy Monday!

Music Monday - Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson

Music Mondays - where I give you a taste of the music that inspires me while I bring monsters to life in my studio!

Happy Birthday, Trace!

Today is Trace's birthday.

For those of you that don't know, Trace is my fiancè! We have been friends over eleven years and together for three years. You can read our mushy gushy romance story (also the story of the birth of Mon-stors!) here. 

Trace is pretty awesome. But don't just take my word for that. Just now, while Trace is playing Battlefield 3 on the X-box, I am about to conduct an in-depth interview with this mysterious behind-the-scenes character in the world of Mon-stors so that you, my monster loving friends, can rest easy knowing who brews my coffee every morning.

Me: Trace, how does it feel to officially be one quarter of a century old?
Trace: It feels great! Slightly different than 24.

Me:What do you plan to do with the next twenty-five years of your life?
Trace: I'd like to have a job that has a positive impact. You know. Something that has an impact on the community.  And I'd like to buy a boat.

Me: Can it be a pontoon boat?
Trace:  It'll be a party barge. 

Me: Epic. So. Tell the lovely Mon-stor fans what role(s) you play in the production process.
Trace: Initially, I was a "Yes, that looks great. No, I'm not lying, I really like it. Oh, this fabric is soft," guy, then I moved up to a "Those fabrics look good, but, oooh, look at this one!" dude so I kind of became a personal shopper on an as-needed basis. Late night thread runs, that kinda thing.

Me: You do have an amazing eye for coordinating prints. Share what other roles you play in the day-to-day dynamics of Lu & Ed.
Trace: Postal runs. Lots and lots of postal runs. And I brew you coffee.

Me: Will you ever let me teach you to use a sewing machine?
Trace: Um.. Sure. If you supply me with safety goggles.

Me: Haha! Did that guy just head shot you?
Trace: ................

I think the interview is over now, folks. His win streak is over. Hope you guys enjoyed! :)

 ♥

New type of posts...

Latest Monster In The Shop!

Hey guys! Sorry I have been kinda MIA lately. I think in my last post, I promised I would post more? Yeah, total fail on that!

I have been sick, off and on. First a really nasty stomach bug, got over that. Then my son was sick with a really nasty cough, that kept us all up all hours of the night. By day I was too exhausted to consider sewing, unless anyone wants a hand sewn into their monsters. Then I got the nasty headcold, cough, sore body thing my son had. Still recovering from that. Ugh!

Then, there was also the mechanical failures. Bernie, my Bernina sewing machine, decided to start choking on thread. Every inch or so it would go bargblargityblargblarrrrrrrrrrrrh and when I pulled out the fabric, there would be a huge WAD of thread on the bottom. D: Set him aside and started saving for a trip to the repair shop. My friend loaned me an old Brother Pacesetter and it worked for a few monsters, but then it decided it didn't like me. :'( The thread got to a point where I couldn't remove my product from the machine without breaking the thread or jacking up the stitching in my monsters. I'm pretty this is 100% user error on my part somehow, though I didn't mess with the tension at all! Oh well. So, packed him up, teared up a bit. :'( Then my fiancè insisted upon taking me to buy a back up machine so I could continue to work, since it would be a week before I could even take Bernie in, and two weeks for the repair. So, we went out, and picked up the Brother Project Runway machine. It ain't half bad, but I can't tell it won't be able to handle the workload I push through Bernie regularly so I'm anxiously awaiting dropping Bernie off for repairs and then his  arrival back to me in shining, minty condition.

Then, there was also all this beautiful March weather! I don't think it will last, I keep expecting to wake up to a blizzard, but while it's here, we are trying to enjoy it as much as possible when we aren't hacking and sickly! We have been hiking, visiting parks in the evenings, and yesterday, we hit up the zoo! Here's my favorite pic from that.♥

And that explains the very limited amount of monsters you have seen recently! ;)

But now all the beautiful Spring-y colors, flowers, prints, patterns, and birds are inspiring my creativity and I am so stoked to start making new monsters! I am still not officially taking custom orders at this time, so I can focus on stocking my online store to max capacity. My time is so divided right now - 11-6 three days a week at Daft Crafts, and 11-9 two days a week at Daft Crafts. That leaves me a few hours here and there on those days to sew, and then two days off. Sundays are family days, but I squeeze in some sewing when the boys are doing their boy things, and Mondays are full tilt coffee and monster days! :) But, as you can see, with the limited time slots to commit to sewing, I can't really take on custom orders at this time. :[ I miss them!!! But  I have started training volunteers at Daft Crafts so I can have more time off from the shop to handle the business side of things (taxes and such, ugh) and more time to ♥sew♥. So things are in motion, I just have to remind myself to be patient and calm... :)

In the mean time, I have decided to start adding new types of posts to this blog! Some artist showcases, featuring items from my favorite (handmade) online shops, artist interviews, and possibly hosting giveaways for some of them! I can put my two favorite things together - handmade art and my monster biz! ♥ What a great mix. I hope you will all enjoy it as much as I do! First post will be either later today, possibly tomorrow. :) Leave me comments on the posts or click the amount of hearts you think it deserves so I know what content you are enjoying the most! :)

Yesterday, I was filmed!

I have a really neat and fun story to tell you all... About the film crew who came to my house yesterday!

The website Cafemom contacted me about a month ago and asked if I would like to be a part of their "Real Moms of Cafemom" series to talk about my monsters, my store, and my son!! I was flabbergasted and *almost* turned them down. I have never been interviewed or on camera or anything before so it was a totally crazy concept in my head, y'know? But I waited a day, thought about it, and sent them an email back agreeing. Then I didn't hear anything for a while. 

About 2.5 weeks ago, the producer called me and set up the shoot date, and I almost died. IT WAS REALLY HAPPENING! Holy cow! How cool! Nervous, I almost cancelled like 457716432158 times. But I stuck it out. I didn't tell anyone, cause there was a chance due to time constraints they wouldn't be able to film everyone on their roster. Then, I got a call on Friday, and expect it to be them cancelling. I was half relieved, half sad. Until I answered and found out it was my pre-interview so Tommy could write up questions to ask me and film me saying. :) 

So, they got here yesterday at noon. It was the producer, videographer, and his wife who came along for the ride. They set up in my sewing room, and gave me an overview of how it would work. We did some scenes of me introducing myself, talking about my monsters, the idea, the concept of them, what they were for. Then they filmed me making a plushie kinda, and demonstrating how they work, and then talking by my fabric shelves about how I use a lot of found or thrifted fabrics and use all the scraps because I want Lu & Ed to be a green business. Then we talked about how I own Daft Crafts, about some of the artists that sell at Daft Crafts, and then they wanted to go film there. So they shot the front, panned the entire store (ugh, it looked awful yesterday, we had just had a big soap class and I left at like 11:30 and it was a mess, lol) and did some close ups in the shop of stuff. Then it was over. :) 

It wasn't too bad. It was pretty fun. I goofed up a lot and got really nervous every time I got a new prompt. I really hope they can edit out how red my face was! lol 

Anyway, I just wanted to share my neat experience with you all!

20 Things I'm Thankful For.

I categorized. :)

Family:
 
1. My adorable, brilliant, hilarious son. He can always makes me laugh. Just moments after he makes me want to scream.
2. My fiancè. I moved half-way across the country on a whim to be with him after being good friends for about 9 years, and it was the best decision I ever made.

3. My family. They're all crazy, but I love 'em anyway!

4. My future in-laws are all very epically awesome and I love them dearly. I really lucked up. ;)

5. Denise, my future mother-in-law. She taught me the basics of sewing and loaned me her machine to go on a monster making frenzy with. Plus she's an amazing writer and gives me new copies of her books to read. Eep!

Friends:

6. They're all awesome, and put up with my crazy ideas and off-color sense of humor. ^_^ Friends make the world go round. ♥

7. A special little thankful section here for Jessica, Chris, Barrek, and Sharolyn. You guys totally just rock my socks and I am so appreciative of all the help and support you have given me this year. ♥

8. My bestie Rob. Been around for years, always puts a smile on my face. ^_^ Love you dude!

Business:

9. I am so thankful for Bernie, my sewing machine. He always gets me through the monster-making day, he's very low maintenance, and he is always ready when I get a creative burst of energy.

10. Every single customer and fan of Lu & Ed. You guys fire my creativity and empower me to live a creative lifestyle.

11. Modern technology, which enables more people to provide for themselves as entrepreneurs in today's world.

12. Storenvy.com - being a free e-commerce site that is easy to use, looks great, and makes it possible for indie artists to have a great starting pointing for their business.

13. I'm so thankful that my dream of owning a real, brick and mortar store, became a reality this year, and that the launch of Daft Crafts has went so smoothly.

14. I'm thankful for all the customers and fans of Daft Crafts and the indie artists and crafters who make the shop possible!

Misc. Things

15. My garbage disposal. Seriously. Until three years ago, never used one. These things are amazing.

16. Central heat and air. I grew up in a house with no heat. I am beyond thankful for living in a home that is warm.

17. Shoes. I have five pairs, when so many have none.

18. Food, clothing, shelter and transportation. I wish everyone in the world had these.

19. Art. It inspires, it can make people smile, it can give people an outlet.

20. My kitties. If it weren't for my fiance, I would totally end up being a crazy cat lady. ;)

And there you have it, 20 things Cody is thankful for. Hope you enjoyed!


Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunshine!

Is it possible spring has sprung?! I'm going to ignore that the forecast says snow later this week, ditch sewing for the day, and walk to the park, basking in the semi-warm sunshine, possibly with some hot tea in hand! Normally a coffee lover, I'm trying to cut back and indulge in new habits and trends.

Ah, I just love having the liberty to pause, stretch my legs from beneath my sewing table, and enjoy life on a whim. I find so much creativity and energy in these little breaks from sewing! It reaffirms my choice to throw caution to the wind and explore the sometimes-scary world of being a small business owner. I work my one day a week at the fabric store for now, investing the money back into my own business, and six lovely days a week I delve into something I am passionate about, something I can see actually bringing joy to people all over the world! It is such a wonderful experience and I have so many people to be grateful to for giving me the foundation to build my business on!!

I most certainly owe a lot to my loving fiancè, Trace, without whom I wouldn't even be in the Midwest, which means I never would have touched a sewing machine, which obviously means I never would have started sewing monsters! The sewing machine was borrowed from Trace's mom, for a one-time project that started ripples of requests that grew into waves! The machine was loaned semi-indefinitely to me when we moved from her basement into our own home, and it has served me well on it's thrifted desk with a broken drawer. My studio quickly out-grew the tiny middle bedroom and was moved into the larger 2nd master bedroom, where fabrics are stacked and crammed haphazardly into the walk-in closet and a mix-matched row of desks and tables line the walls, providing work sewing-cutting-ironing spaces. And the clever crafting protegè, Jessica, happened into Lu & Ed just recently after the studio upgrade, but has already given me a plethora of new ideas, new products, and new services. She had proven indispensable in such a short amount of time and inspired to me explore new business ventures.

Dropping my full-time job to sew monsters seemed crazy at first, but I did it and my life is completely different than it was 2 years ago. I am free of so many restraints I never even knew I had! If you have passion and drive, but don't know where to start, look around you. There are people there just waiting to help you! There are so many resources just waiting to be tapped into, people with advice to share, tips to teach, tricks to show you if you just ask. Put your inhibitions aside and let your passion and inspiration drive you! It is such a wonderful life experience to share fun and beautiful things with other people that you created. Do something you love for fun, not for the money, and you will find happiness in it no matter what!

I'm going to walk in the sunshine today! What are you going to do? :)