Burpies and Bows

This past weekend I did a lot of sewing! I've been working on collegiate product tester orders and I'm so excited that they're almost done! But I also wanted to work on some burp cloth collections. 

The one above has mustard yellow and grey chevron. I think it's perfect for a baby gift if the gender is unknown! It totally goes both ways! 

Gretchen has a dress in this lemon material above and i'm just in love with it! I love the vintage flair the lemonade fabric has. These burpies are sold as a set for $13.00 or $8.00 each, and I have enough material for a matching baby bib for only $8.00! I just adore these colors! Pink and yellow are one of my favorite color combinations for girls!

One of my friends from college just had her baby girl a month ago and she contacted me about ordering  bows for Miss Avi! She let me know the color combinations she wanted, and they were so fun to create! She chose pink and green, yellow and navy, navy and pink, yellow and pink, and aqua and lime! I tried to make each bow different and I know Miss Avi will be so sweet wearing them!

Feel free to pin any of these images and 'like' my facebook page as well!

Shop Update: Bows, Flair, & Collegiate Bows

Over the last week, I have had more time to work on hair bows- I guess that's what having summers off and being home does for ya! I love that I can work while the girls nap or I can bring them to the playroom with me and they play together while I sew and create.

These first two pictures are of infant headbands with rosette bows, both featuring a bling center. I'm partial to the pink one above, and can totally see it on Adalyn if it doesn't sell by the time she arrives. But, at only $6.50, my hopes aren't high!

I also made this 4th of July headband to match the Patriotic Princess dress.

I love this fuschia hair flair headband! It's listed on my facebook page, but I may send it off to a photographer, because it's screaming photo prop to me!

I also have this gorgeous Pretty in Prep pink and green stacked bow listed at just $9.00

And, this super sweet "Little Sister" boutique bow at only $6.00

I started collegiate pre-orders and was able to make another Peace, Love, Hogs hair bow. My ribbon is getting really low for these, so if your honey pie needs one for football season ORDER NOW! The one above is $9.00.

I ordered this spirited LSU ribbon to match a dress my mom and I are working on!

I have this grab bag of bows (seen above) for only $15.00 shipped! If you follow me on instagram (@ewelte) then you would've seen these already and had the first chance to snag them! I haven't yet listed them on facebook, so as a blog reader, you're going to get a second chance to get the grab bag for $15.00 shipped! That's 3.00 a bow + S&H. These bows retail at 6.00 a piece! If you wish to purchase, just leave me a comment with your email address- don't worry it won't be published, and I can send you an invoice.

I also made this red and black football bow for a sorority sister of mine! Her little honey pie will be cheering on the Red Wolves this season!

My daughter is a huge fan of LaLaLoopsy, so I put together this headband- don't worry, it's for sale, and we're not keeping it- she already has a super over the top LaLaLoopsy hair bow- so you can head over to my facebook page to grab this one for yourself!

This Big Sister bow has a bling bottlecap and feathers! It would be perfect for your oldest that's becoming a big sister or already is! I love the pinks and the sparkle!

As always, feel free to pin any of these images and give credit to Honey Pie Accessories! And, did you know that Facebook now allows for hashtags! So make sure you #honeypieaccessories on Facebook!

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Last Week in iphone Pics

Last Wednesday I was motivated to take the girls out of the house to do some shopping and run some errands. I'm not quite sure what came over me, other than the need to pick up oodles of shirt for collegiate pre-orders and maybe just the need to get out of the house.

I made Gretchen a new purple dress to match her Sofia the first hair bow and chunky necklace. That girl had no purple in her wardrobe and every time I tried to find a purple dress in her size I came up empty handed. So, I made one. 

Gretchen decided to wear her new dress on our shopping trip, so of course, I coordinated Megan as well. I even had a purple chunky necklace for her!

Our first stop was the Bass Pro Shop to see the fish (okay, that was an added bonus) and to purchase a gift certificate for my stepdad for Father's day.

G said, "mom, take my picture!" and then proceeded to pose like a senior in high school for her portraits.

We met DJ for lunch at Chilis and then I brought the girls home for what I thought would be nap time. Boy was I wrong! Around 2:00 I packed the girls up again and we ventured out to Target.

By the way, Chili's has this new flatbread pizza that is, in three words. To Die For.

We came home and I had zero motivation to cook dinner, so I let the girls have popsicles.

I did later cook instead.

I can't for the life of me remember what we did on Thursday. I think we just had a lazy day where I may have picked the house up a bit, G probably watched too much t.v. and I worked on bows and shirts.

G had soccer practice that night and I made a super yummy crockpot tortellini, and snapped the above picture of MC eating her dinner roll. She just ate the inside. The best part. Smart girl.

DJ took G to soccer and I was grateful to not have to chase MC around the soccer field. We put MC to bed early since she didn't have much of a nap, and she decided that she wasn't tired. She ended up staying awake until after 10:00.

I thought the girls would sleep late the next day, but boy was I wrong. They were both awake before 7.

So, I spent the morning picking up the house, working on bows, and by 9:30 decided I would bravely take the girls to our neighborhood swimming pool. By myself.

My plan was to swim from 10 until noon and then bring the girls home for lunch, so I only took one more than half way gone bag of vanilla wafers for a snack, and those girls were starving by 11:00. I managed to keep them happy until noon when we came home for lunch. 

And, even though I didn't get any more pictures of the girls swimming they had a blast. G even jumped in.... oh, and so did MC- thank God I had just put her life jacket on her. 

The girls did take naps that afternoon- praise Jesus.

And Gretchen watched a brand new episode of Sofia the first, where decided she needed to dress like a princess and ride on a magic carpet. So that's what she did.

When MC woke up from her nap, she decided that the 'magic carpet' made a better blanket.

DJ went to Moore, OK with the football team on Saturday morning, and for some reason, the girls decided to sleep in until almost 8. I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast (Well, Pillsbury made them, I just baked them) and then we sat around and watched cartoons. I eventually made the bed and took MC upstairs to work on hair bows. You'll get to see what I've been up to tomorrow!

Then I went out to check the mail and found that my copy of "A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet" had come in the mail! I just started reading BooMama's blog about a month ago, and instantly fell in love with her southern personality. And, because I had nothing to read this summer, I traded in some swagbuck points for Amazon.com gift cards and bought her book!

The girls and I also made chocolate chip banana bread and strawberry jello and had a pretty relaxing Saturday afternoon if I do say so myself. And, I do.

"How Do I?" Honey Pie Accessories

Welcome back ladies (and gentlemen) for this weeks "How Do I?" series.... 

Go here to check out my other "How Do I?" posts. I've covered everything from my cleaning schedule, buying groceries, making time for family while still taking care of myself, and this week, i'm going to talk to y'all about how I manage a work at home business while still holding down a full time job, a husband, two little girls, and being pregnant with our third... tired yet?

I started HPA when Gretchen was just 6 months old. She's now 5 1/2 so it's been 5 years y'all!!! When I first started I ran HPA through my personal facebook page, and then through a website, this blog, and finally a business facebook page. 

I started with just hair bows and tutu's, and blinged shirts... I then convinced my mom to make and sell pillowcase dresses for me, and then I branched out with applique shirts, wipe cases, paci clips, and now i've ventured into skirts and dresses- and I'm still not sure i'm done! 

My business has had it's ups and downs, and rather than thinking of it as a full time venture, it's more of a part time hobby. It's how I make "me-time" and it gives me the ability to be crafty, while making my own girls something or creating for your little honey pie's! 

There were months in the first few years where I was so busy, that it was really taking a toll on my marriage, and I knew my husband missed spending time with me. It's then that I decided that HPA had to be more of a part time for fun gig than a real life second job. After all, we had a daughter we also had to take care of! My husbands job is pretty demanding as well, so it's important that we make time for each other when we can!

I read all the time about crafters that have messy houses, or stay up until the wee hours of the morning, and I just decided that I cannot run like that. I need to function on a full nights sleep and I need to know that my house is picked up. I think I had to accept a happy medium, and decide what was best for me and my family... since then, I think we can say that we've been truly happy with what HPA has brought to our family.

So, here's how I get things done.....

• I work on crafting while MC is down for her nap on Sunday afternoons. This gives me 2-3 hours of work time.
• I work when the girls are in the bed, but only for an hour sometimes two.
• Once I manage to get items finished, I take pictures of them, and then upload them throughout the day via my iphone.... whatever did we do without smart phones y'all?
• If i'm not taking the time to make products, then i'm taking the time to write my blog posts, upload and edit pictures, and market my products via my blog, pinterest, or facebook page.
• I state that my turn around time is 2-3 weeks. In all reality, I can get a project complete in 1-2 hours depending on it's size and how complicated, but I need time to work at my real full time job during the day as well as managing my family and household. Now that i'm off for the summer, my turnaround time is down to two weeks. 
• I ask first that my customers understand that this is a part time gig for me. I'd love to turn it into a full time business, but right now, that's not what I feel that God has in store for me. 
• If i'm not crafting in the evenings, then I make sure to spend time with DJ while we catch up on our favorite tv shows... however, my mind cannot just sit and watch t.v. So, i'm typically on the computer posting and catching up with whatever needs to be done.
• I use to run to the post office to mail my orders, but I realized that it was taking so much time and often times I couldn't get to the post office before it closed, or I'd need to run on my lunch break. Then, I decided to purchase a postal scale and ship through paypal and I'm in love! I should've started this method years sooner and I regret that I didn't! Now, I can package my orders, write the weight, and then print out my shipping labels, and throw the packages in the mailbox before I leave for work. 
• Offering pre-orders and product testers has really helped to ensure that I don't waste time making products that people aren't going to buy! I offer discounts on products in exchange for pictures of their honey pie in the shirt, skirt, dress, etc. and then I can gauge how many people are interested. It helps me get orders, and also ensures that my own daughters aren't wearing my own creations 24/7. Although, they do wear a lot!
• I also started a ready to ship album, where everything is posted that i've pre-made. I still welcome custom orders, but my business was based solely on custom orders in the beginning that it made pricing and completing products more difficult. Now, I feel like I can offer the best of both worlds! 
• I take breaks when I need it. If i'm feeling burned out, or have just had a baby, I take a break! I need that time to refresh my creativity and adjust to life's changes. The past few years, I typically take the entire month of July off because that's when we have our family vacations. Two years ago, when I had Megan, I took several months off (we also didn't have the space) and when Adalyn arrives in a few weeks, I plan to slow down again too focusing on ready to ship and product tester orders.

I think my biggest piece of advice, is that if you're going to start a work at home business, you need to love what you make and figure out how to make it work while maintaining balance in your normal every day life!

I'm still working on revamping things, and I try to change things up from time to time to keep things new and fresh for myself and my customers! I've joined craft groups that I can bounce ideas off of, or just vent about how my machine might be crapping out or get suggestions. I'm still trying to figure out my best packaging materials, I'd love to get sew on labels, and eventually start an etsy page, but for now, i'm very happy with where my business is.

I truly love my little business, and i'm thankful that i've made it work for me. I do hope you love HPA as much as I do!

If you own a work at home business, please leave your link in a comment below along with your one piece of advice for maintaining balance!

Dressing the Bump: 3rd Trimester

I told y'all that these posts would get few and far between! I've been saving some of these pictures since May, just so I'd have enough to share! Most of my days are now spent in pj's, sweats, or bathing suits now that summer is here and i'm not working and just home with the girls! And, I couldn't be more grateful because it is hard to dress the bump in your 3rd trimester! 

Here are a few looks I've put together over the past few weeks:

This is a brown sweater dress that came from Motherhood Maternity. My mom bought it for me at the outlet when I was pregnant with MC, and I only wore it a handful of times. I've worn it more throughout this pregnancy and I actually like it much better this time around!

On this particular evening, I wore this dress to G's preschool graduation. It had rained that day and cooled off, so I felt comfortable enough wearing this sweater dress in May. I just rolled up the sleeves a little bit and paired it with a pair of Gianni Binni wedges that I've had for entirely too many years! 

I added a skinny belt just above the bump and chevron bangles. 

I also paired it with a green necklace and earrings.

This is definitely not the most flattering angle, but I paired a chambray maternity shirt (Target) with a pair of green shorts (also Target- not maternity). (Inspiration via.)I bought the shorts in several sizes up, so they fit right below my bump and I should be able to wear them after Adalyn gets here!

The above look is pinterest inspired. I had pinned a picture of khaki shorts, with a black top and leopard scarf. Well, I don't have a leopard scarf and for the life of me never found one this spring, so I used a thin ivory scarf, paired with a black maternity tank (Target) and brown linen non-maternity shorts. These have a draw string waist, and I purchased them from Meijer (of all places) right before MC was born in a size too big, but they fit perfect under the bump, and again, i'll be able to wear them after Adalyn is here.

This is a horrible picture, but I found this jersey blue and white stripe skirt at Target- again, non-maternity and went ahead and purchased it. I paired it with a simple white maternity tank and a blue chunky necklace.

(I'm laughing right now because these angles just keep getting more and more awkward!) Above: I'm wearing a navy and white stripe maternity tank from Old Navy (purchased this spring) with a pair of green non-maternity shorts from Target- also worn above. Inspiration via. 

This spring I've really been inspired to wear color and to mix colors thanks to Pinterest and Pinterest Told Me To blog- thanks Sheaffer!

It was so hot today, but this is another pinterest inspired look! I had pinned it this spring knowing that I use to have a green maternity shirt but I could not find it anywhere! Finally, when going through items for our garage sale, I found a box half full of maternity clothes that I thought I had gotten rid of and this shirt was in that box! I was so excited that I could finally recreate the pinterest look!

In the original look, she's wearing a scarf and has her belt below the bump. I decided to forego the scarf (after all it's above 90 degrees today) and wear my belt above the bump.

I paired it with simple brown jewelry.

I wore the above look today while the girls and I went shopping and I found the look below at Old Navy. I'm determined to start buying a few pieces for after Adalyn arrives (because who wants to still wear maternity jeans after baby?) and I found these coral draw string shorts and I purchased them in a few sizes up! They do button, but I was able to button them, and then tie the drawstring. I love the coral color! 

I also purchased this aqua non-maternity shirt (and picked it up in navy too)! It's a size medium, and even though it's a bit tight with the bump, I'll be able to wear it after Adalyn arrives and that is the running theme right now!

 

We are only about 3-4 weeks away from meeting her, so I don't want to buy any maternity pieces! I just try to buy a size up from my normal size so i'll have plenty of months to wear the pieces afterwards until I loose the baby weight!

I'm also glad that a lot of these looks work right now, because i'm so tired of wearing the same pieces! 

Again, i'm thankful that i'm wearing color again! It's so much fun and I kind of feel like i've been missing out by all the black in my closet!

Just Some Fun in the Sun

Just some fun in the sun for y'all today! The girls and I have had a blast playing outside and enjoying the sunshine!

It's times like this where I am so thankful for working in the public schools, although i'll admit it's a love hate relationship, but i'm so thankful to have a job where I can be home with the girls in the summer!

Father's Day 2013

Last night the girls and I had ice cream for dinner! We had spent the later part of the afternoon in G's room/playroom and it was a mess! I told them to clean up, and totally did not expect that either one of them would touch a toy as I ran downstairs to put something away. I decided to give them some time (and me some peace and quiet) before heading back upstairs to find the entire playroom picked up and clean! I was so shocked that I decided that they deserved ice cream for dinner! Yum!

The girls and I woke up this early and spent some time hanging out in Adalyn's nursery. I had hid DJ's father's day gift in her closet, so we went in to get it, and then just decided to play in there for a bit. MC climbed into the exersaucer and had so much fun playing!

We woke up DJ and G sang him a song and then we gave him his Father's day gifts: two football cases for his bowl footballs and told him he could go play golf in the next few weeks when he's off. 

Afterwards, I made breakfast and we got ready for church.

After church DJ decided that he was taking us out for lunch as a Father's day gift to himself. I really wanted Los Cabos, but DJ actually had to go to the office this afternoon, so we didn't have much time to wait, so we went to Chili's instead. 

After lunch we came home and after MC cried for a bit, she finally fell asleep and I turned on The Lion King for Gretchen, and then I took a nap too!

It's been a nice relaxing day! I wish DJ could've been home this afternoon, but i'm thankful we were able to spend this morning together, and that he's finally on his way home now!

I think tonight calls for a simple dinner and a movie! (It's raining outside or we would've made it to the pool!)