Friday, December 28, 2012

calicodaisy monogram resale

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As holiday orders were winding down this month, I began sorting through baskets of samples and inventory created in the recent past but forgotten as new ideas and designs took over.  There are several monogrammed items created for orders but put together with the wrong monogram letter set or color of fabric, otherwise no change in quality.  These MisDesigns, as I call them, are in the calicodaisy shop ready to ship and priced at a discount.  Maybe you will recognize a monogram here and find that the item is just right for you or someone special.  A few are listed here and the rest in the shop. 

Kelly's Korner has a link up for a monogram swap, which prompted me to post about my little MisDesigns section and put some photos on review here.   
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Friday, December 14, 2012

calicodaisy handmade gift certificates

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After searching for a pretty printable gift certificate over the past year, it was exciting to finally find one.  My personalized GC file arrived this morning.  Darling!  Several denominations are available in the calicodaisy etsy shop, just right for the last-minute gift or the hard-to-choose-for one.  

The gift certificate can be delivered in two ways: a printed version sent by snail mail or a PDF file delivered by e-mail to you or the recipient.  Either way, the item will have all the pertinent information filled in and a special gift certificate code to keep everything in order.  Expiration date is six months from the date of purchase.  

Interested in MORE for less?  A coupon code for 15% off the face value of the gift card is at the calicodaisy FB page (only to be used on GC orders).  

Monday, November 26, 2012

Holiday Pillow Covers Ready-To-Ship Review


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As the custom order for holiday giving deadline has passed, there are ready-to-ship items in the shop and new ones on the way as I can create them between orders. Here is a review of some holiday-inspired pillow covers ready to travel!  
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Joy!  
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Sunday, November 4, 2012

Deadline For Holiday Delivery of Custom Items

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Happy November!  October just blew by with all sorts of busy-ness ending with a very fun week spent with my dearest friends and family in Atlanta attending The Country Living Fair for the second year in a row.   

Unbelievable as it may seem, that mantra I began saying 11 months ago - "No Custom Orders in December!" has actually been changed to: 

Last Day to Order Custom Items for Holiday Delivery: November 10,2012!  
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I've been on a four-week turnaround treadmill for over a month, and there is no getting off the train at this point.  So, to be sure to get items out in time for holiday delivery and to ensure the post office has time to deliver the items in that crazy time of year, my plan is to be finished with custom orders on 12/10/2012.  My son graduates from college just a week later, so I want to fully participate in that celebration and the upcoming holidays with no studio worries in mind.  
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Last year, I had the merry pillow cover as a calicodaisy 2011 holiday design.  This year, a little more subdued design based on your color choices is "Silent Night" embroidered in a beautiful font and sewn up in a lumbar or square form style.  Up until 11/10/2012, you can choose custom colors for holiday delivery.  I plan to have a few in each size available for ready-to-ship status as well.  Please Pin and FB share with anyone you know who might like this style.  If there is time, I hope to get out "joy to the world" as well, but that might be a 2013 design!  
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Don't forget about the custom embroidered, reversible, 52" Christmas Tree skirt either!  Please order in time, so I don't have to say, "No!"  It will hurt me more than you think, but I have to cut off custom orders at 11/10/2012.  That is only SEVEN FULL DAYS left.  

With that, I will leave you to a pretty Sunday. We are praying for our nation as we go to the polls this Tuesday and praying even more fervently for those touched by Super Storm Sandy.  

Thursday, September 13, 2012

For The Sports Fan

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Monogrammed pillow covers, sports themed pillow covers, appliqued pillow covers!  Client driven requests have been a marvelous path to this current life of mine, but I really don't have anything else to talk about here.  Reading through my favorite blogs, I want to be part of the interesting writing crowd and try to move beyond my studio routine, but only the latest pillow cover comes to mind because, well, that's what I do.  I am off to Atlanta again in October, though, for the Country Living Fair and to hang out with best friends.  I might have something fun to discuss then.  It is crazy to think that a year has passed, especially because, other than a day trip to Charlotte in February and two trips to the fabric mill in the last two months, I haven't left town since I came back on 10/24/2011 from Atlanta last year.  It is stunning how my daily work schedule consumes my whole life.  Seems to be all or nothing.  Not sure how to fix that.  
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On the other hand, out of that "time investment" comes new products for the shop and new plans to be relevant in the handmade market and internet presence as trends change.  

Always looking for more masculine items to offer, a sports themed idea has been developing.  Tailgaters and football lovers are always hungry for their team colors all over the place, but that can get overwhelming on the home decor.  These designs might scream "my team!" to the sporty guy, but his colors and cheer are cleverly disguised in current home dec trends like chevrons and color block items.  The lady of the house knows she got to give him some say in the decor, but set on a background of lovely fabrics, team colors are easier to fit into the family room and bedrooms.  
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Color block pillow covers in team colors and then monogrammed or personalized for the sports fan in your life will be a great gift for the upcoming holidays and just in time for any bowl game celebrations.  The idea works for fabric storage buckets tote bags and any number of useful but tastefully designed sports themed items.  

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Heather Ross Lightning Bugs Happy Camper Fabric Find

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A friend recently introduced me to a South Carolina fabric mill that has sales for the public every so often.  Yesterday was my second visit to load up on the twills that I use to create pillow covers in the calicodaisy shop.  

As I was passing by the quilting fabric section, what did I see?  A bolt of Heather Ross Lightning Bug fabric.  Though a fan of her designs and the darling quilts and items I've seen made with her fabric lines, I've never ordered any, as by the time I think of something to create with it, generally the fabric is already sold out.  
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Anyway, immediately I gave my daughter a call and had her google the line:  Heather Ross Lightning Bugs and Other Mysteries - Happy Camper Vans in blue.  We discovered that it is out of print, so I purchased the five yards on the bolt.  

Last evening, I spent some time researching the prices.  Craziness.  I asked advice from a couple of quilting blog friends and a vendor I purchase from regularly, and they were kind enough to reply.  One suggested ebay, but I know I would be obsessed with watching the auction, so I listed the fabric in the calicodaisy etsy shop in both half-yard increments and FQs.  The FQs are a little below the going rate, so the option is more affordable to someone who wants just a bit more.  

With two kids in college and the tuition bills to go with it, this Heather Ross fabric might prove to be a good find.  Please tell your friends who love some Heather Ross.  

Monday, July 16, 2012

Priming The Tuition Pump

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(Please Pin and FB share the collage!)

With two kids in college now, second year running, we've all been working hard keeping up with the growing expenses that come along with the opportunity.   
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In an effort to prime the tuition pump and feeling inspired that "Christmas in July" corresponds with "Pay The Tuition," I have a bit of a sale going on.  Buy 4 / Get 5 monogrammed embroidered 14" pillow covers.  You can start working off your Christmas shopping list, and I can work on keeping these kids in college so they can take care of me when I fall apart doing so!  See the calicodaisy etsy link for details. 

Friday, July 6, 2012

Fresh Coral


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Coral is the new color of the season (at CDH anyway) and ranges from orange/peach to watermelon/pink, and everyone seems to have a different shade in mind. Why do I know this? Three orders for "coral" in a row, and each gal expressed her choice in various ways. One client was pretty specific hoping to match the decor she already had, so I sent her to the internet to find the fabric!  Doing that actually works out well, because the savvy ones know how to find great sources for me.  
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The client found a fabric site that has fabulous shades all around of the fabric I use for my pillow covers, and I was able to order several different shades.  I created a little "Shades of Coral" collage to send around to the coral lovers to choose from.  
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Half the year is gone!  I put the shop on hiatus while covering for coworkers out on holiday, and the idea was to replace studio work hours with the day job work hours and clear up the mind for holiday item preparation.  Best laid plans and all ...  I think I need to add another week of planning time.  The work schedule shows four days off from Saturday to Tuesday this week, so I am going to attempt to bring on a holiday state of mind in the 100-degree weather and pull out the red and green.  Meanwhile, peach ice cream is on my mind.  

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Plump It Up!

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Though the calicodaisy online shop is on a month's hiatus, the work still goes on.  (Orders taken through e-mail.)  Only sometimes I bemoan the fact that the workroom is in the "basement" with no windows, but as it is 107 degrees right now in South Carolina, no problem.  Nice, cool, cinder block walls.  What was a lush, green, velvety lawn that my husband keeps for us just a couple of weeks ago is half parched right now.  Even the dogwood tree has drawn up its leaves against the heat!  


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Out of the workroom, though, some lovelies have shipped out to new homes.  Requests for larger and larger fonts sizes come in, and I think I'll be running out of hoop space soon!  Goodness, I don't need to be tempted to look at a machine with bigger hoop size, but my mind wanders down that path more and more.  
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Meanwhile, I have been honing my design skills and have learned more and more about creating lovely fonts at nearly any size.  It is very tedious.  There is still so much I don't know, but several colleagues have been willing to share skills in the last few months that have moved me forward leaps and bounds.  I'm so grateful!  
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On the subject of lovelies, we happen to be watching the US Olympic Men's Gymnastic Team trials.  Okay, the guys aren't lovelies, but they are beautiful and magnificent.  The digital photography is so sharp and focused, it just brings out the mightiness of a body that has that much strength.  Most of the routines makes me nervous to watch, but the rings event is just mesmerizing.  
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As the late afternoon sun begins to warm up the sitting room, I feel ready to head to my cool studio and plump out a few more pillow covers.  Hoping for a good chick flick or HP movie to keep me company!  Stay cool.  Drink lots of Diet Coke -- uh, water!, and give this Talenti gelato ice cream a try (lots of great flavors).  Fantastic!  My faves are the mint chocolate chip and the coffee chip.  The screw top containers are excellent for reuse, so more than one reason to give in!  

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Hello June!



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June!  It is an unbelievable beautiful June weekend in South Carolina.  Half the year gone by, though.  A week is a day is a month … When I lay my head down at night, I wonder where the time has gone and what I accomplished during the day.  The calicodaisy shop is buzzing right along and I have great hours at my part-time day job, so mostly I just wish I had a few more hours in the day to fit it all in.  
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Meanwhile, with my shop assistants’ help, I am busy organizing and reshuffling and throwing and sending to the thrift and organizing again in the sewing studio.  My husband is building two sewing tables right now from repurposed counter tops, so I can line the machines up in a row and move down the line for sewing piping or labels or serging, as the process requires.  I’m anxious to see how this will streamline my process.  I tire of switching out the machine feet, especially on the manual machine.  While I don’t think the place will be pretty enough for my personal goal of a feature in “Where Women Create,” it will be very organized when we are finished! 

Last month, I ordered something I’ve wanted for years but never jumped in, but for five easy payments with QVC, a digital pressure cooker is mine.  However, now that I’ve read up on pressure cooking in general, I think I wouldn’t be afraid of the new manual ones available now.  My mom is an expert with the "old" ones, but they are a bit scary. Anyway, success with the digital PC (pressure cooker) so far.  Last week, a whole chicken and a batch of Boston Baked Beans; yesterday a quick whip up of Italian Wedding Soup of sorts with my own ideas here and there.  This can be made stove top, of course, but it took just 6 minutes in the PC!  Recipe below. 

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Cherries are in season in the South - well, shipped in from California.  All the pie making stars aligned for me, and I had time, inclination, fresh fruit, and company to spur me on to making a cherry pie.  I even remembered to use a pie bird bought years ago at George Washington’s place - Mt. Vernon gift shop - with cherries painted on, too, so appropriate for the day and no soggy pie bottom. 
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What else?  Well, embroidered pillow covers, of course.  Clients have been sending in great ideas, and I just follow their instructions to new products.  I do love the appliquéd state pillow covers, as seen at the top of the post.  Everyone has a great idea for their states and color combinations.  A Louisiana one is up next in the orders in gold and purple.  I think a little heart added at the spot of the client’s town would be a good addition.  Must think on that.  AND, I am still surprised at the custom pillow cover “packs” ordered to decorate wedding reception sites.  It’s lovely to create an item to be part of the special day.  The best part of having custom pillow covers created for the day is that they are still useful for years to come in the home and add to the memory keeping. 

My blog posting time is up.  Must move on the next thing on the to-do list, and that would be Walmart.  You’ll have to give the soup recipe a try.  Even though it’s summer, the fresh lemon juice keeps it light and bright. 
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Mish’s Italian Wedding Soup 

2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 yellow onion diced
1 cup of celery diced
6 cups of chicken broth
16 ounces of small meatballs
1-1/2 cups of uncooked piccolini pasta (small bowtie pasta) 
2 cups chopped baby spinach
1 clove minced garlic
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon of sugar 
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper

In the Pressure Cooker (my amateur instructions): 
1.  Heat the oil and sauté the garlic a bit, add the onion and cook until translucent. 
2.  Add everything else. 
3.  Lock the PC cover, set on High (15 psi), and pressure cook for 6 minutes. 
4.  Quick release at the end to release the pressure. 

On stovetop, this is what I would do: 
1.  Heat the oil and sauté the garlic a bit, add the onion and cook until translucent. 
2.  Add everything else but the pasta.  Bring to boil and then turn down to simmer for a while so everything can cook together. 
3.  Bring back to boil, add pasta, and cook for the time noted for type of pasta used.  

Monday, April 30, 2012

calicodaisy + destination wedding

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I may not get out of South Carolina much lately, but calicodaisy items are getting all sorts of invites to destination weddings lately!  Last week, monogrammed pillow covers and bridal accessories made it to the Bahamas for a wedding week of fun!  Incidentally, that's where I met my husband, but that's another story. 

The event coordinator for this island destination wedding came up with the "wiggle" design for the oversized lumbar pillow covers at the top of the post.  Natural linen and shades of blue, very soothing.  The lumbar pillows were created for a seating area on a boat. 
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The monogrammed pillow covers were designed in shades of navy and tan, and then a number of accessories were ordered to show up as treats in the new couples' suite each day.  Towels, tote, bridal shoe / lingerie bag. 
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This is the third wedding pack of items created for spring wedding decor this season.  One more set of lovelies in navy and coral were sent out last week for another destination setting - can't reveal until June!  Navy must be the current wedding color trend.  My stash of navy twill and navy embroidery thread has dwindled fast this month. 
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Planning custom designed, home dec and accessory items themed for the wedding and reception is so smart really as the items serve a dual purpose:  They augment the wedding theme and then go home with the couple or serve as gifts to friends and family who helped with the wedding as a long lasting and useful memory of the special day! 

Friday, April 27, 2012

Fresh

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Fresh, client-driven designs are showing up in the calicodaisy studio and shop.  Recently, I read the color green is in this season, and, sure enough, two client requests came in for fresh greens this month.  One set of monogrammed lumbar pillow covers bound and embroidered in a lovely shade of grass green shipped out for two little boys' shared room.  Their stylish mom wanted this Garden font "as big as you can fit."  Looks just great.  You can find a listing here:  Large Font Monogrammed Lumbar Pillow Cover.      
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While pinning earlier today, I noted fabulous leather foldover clutches, $158.00.  I thought, of course, "I can make those (in cotton and home-dec fabrics) and monogram them for far less than $158."  Here is my prototype mockup edited out on PicMonkey.  So sad Picnik is gone now.  I understand it went over to Google+, but I don't know enough about G+ to follow yet.  PicMonkey is very similar to Picnik, so I'm can edit, thank goodness, and I like the fonts offered. 

Anyway, monogrammed, design-your-own foldover clutches at calicodaisy etsy.  I haven't made one yet, and I'm hoping the mockup graphic will spark a clever girl's imagination to make the first sale so I don't have to make a sample bag.  Time is so precious right now that everything sewn must have a purpose!  Wouldn't these be great for a bridesmaid gift pack? 

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Three Ripe Bananas

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So, after the Banana Pudding Pie extravaganza Friday, I had three very ripe bananas left that were crying because they missed out on the creamalicious party.  Something had to be done.  Luckily, I came across the following recipe that required Three Ripe Bananas making one simple loaf.  Done!  Well, with one most important addition.  I might have gone Banana Pudding Pie sans chocolat on Friday to follow the recipe just right, but that wasn't going to happen in the next baking event.  I tossed about 2/3 cup of chocolate chips in some flour, shook them off, and added to the batter just before panning.  Perfection!  -- But I'm done with bananas for a while now. 

3-Banana Banana Bread Recipe 
(Banana Bread Recipe from Simply Recipes)
  • 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Yield: Makes one loaf.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Pinning and Making

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Oh, I'm loving my daily dose of Pinterest. My own little customized virtual magazine bringing me lovely photos and new ideas of my favorite pastimes.  It helps on the homefront, too.  In our endeavors to revamp the family room, I can show my husband what I'm talking about rather than trying to just explain it to him again. 

On the other hand, all that pinning and no action becomes just another bunch of great ideas piled one on top of the other, and last week's brilliant find gets pushed out of the memory to let in the new one. 

However, every so often something pins across my eyes, and I must get on with the making.   So, with a new personal challenge pin board to remember and share a recent "brilliant find" and to prove that it does work and/or actually tastes good, I begin. 

In the pie-love department, my first entry is Banana Pudding Pie as spelled out by the blog Lick The Bowl Good.  Despite there not being one iota of chocolate involved, this tastes like a dream!  Homemade vanilla pudding - so, so easy - made yesterday, and the pie assembled today.  Due to my lactose-intolerant, wheat-intolerant family, no one here other than me may fully partake, though my husband did suffer a few bites.  Thus, I saved out a couple of pieces and brought the rest to a friend.  Ah, well, I have the photos to remember and one more piece of pie to enjoy before bed tonight! 

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Hello? Hey, How Are You?

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Hello, Little Blog.  How’ve you been?  Me?  My goodness, constant movement from one task to another for months on end, which has really left me with no words!  I know.  Unbelievable but true.  Things have been moving right along in my dream of a working home studio, embroidery design projects, sewing up orders, new website and new product plans, and carrying on with the “real job” and family and homekeeping all at the same time.  If it wasn’t for Pinterest and quick blurbs on the calicodaisy FB page and the contacts there that keep sending my photos and links and comments around, I fear I would have fallen into social networking obscurity.  
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What have I been making in the studio?  Well, pretty much creating embroidered pillow covers directed by my customers’ great ideas and which turn out beautifully.  I certainly would never have traveled the road to large pillow shams without one gal’s request last year, and, since then, these have been such a popular item. 
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The absolute most popular item in the place has been the large font pillow covers originally requested by the ever-chic California Girl who found me last summer. 
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Lately, the large font applique covers have been requested, and this set of lettering is created with the same fabric the client used in her nursery.  Lovely! 
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Oh, yes, there have been other items created in the studio as well.  A “Down on the Farm” skirt for my little pageant friend.  Aren’t the farm animals darling?  I learned to use the ruffler, too!  I can’t believe I’ve owned that little piece of equipment for probably seven years and never learned to use it.  Thanks to a free ruffler tutorial from You CanMake This, I figured it out pretty quick.  Now it is just about practicing the methods and not forgetting how to use it.  
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And, when I have too much on the mind and become afraid of the schedule, I start a completely new, unrelated project, like the “I must crochet a baby sweater - NOW!” decision I made a few weeks back, and then I did thanks to a Ravelry pattern.  My calicodaisy Ravelry is here.  
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My new website and product line?  Yep.  I’ve been working on carrying a new line of already-manufactured-products-that-I-don’t-have-to-create-myself!  I’m a bit nervous about all that, retail license and everything, you know.  However, a business must march forward, and I just physically cannot make anything else with my current schedule.  
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Since the product line items aren’t handmade, it doesn’t really suit to have the website called “calicodaisy handmade” as I do right now.  Nope.  I have a new name for a new website that doesn’t really peg the shop into anything specific – you know, if, heaven forbid, personalized items aren’t so popular anymore down the road!  I plan to still blog here – hopefully, I will have words again, still be known as calicodaisy, and still keep my handmade items in the calicodaisy etsy shop.  I don’t want to confuse folks about what is what, and I certainly could never have accomplished the website presence I have on my own without etsy.  I love that place!  At this point, I think I’ll just put a button on the sidebar when the time comes, and just let things flow naturally.   

Oh, okay.  I have to go, too.  It’s Thursday, and one of my lovely shop assistants will be here soon helping me carry on and get out the orders.  Hope you have a good day.  Hope to see you here again soon.