My tutu was on The View!!!

How totally exciting was that???!!! I've been bursting at the buttons to tell the entire world BUT I did not know for sure until today if it would make it on the air or not.

Basically I was contacted through Etsy from a wonderful woman, Tory Johnson ( Feel free to stop by her website http://www.womenforhire.com/). She is a contributor as well for ABC News and was asked to do a segment for The View for their show about How to Get a Job that aired today 4/14/2009. She has done segments and talked about Etsy before so it was totally fantastic that she thought to use Etsy as a topic on The View-the more Etsy love the better right?!

So, after some corresponding via email (nothing extensive just answered some questions) I shipped some items up to NYC. I was THRILLED when she let me know the producers wanted matching shirts as this gave me the chance to include Lisa Ward http://www.isabellaboo.etsy.com/ because we just recently started working together to make matching sets between our two stores.

I was told last night that everything was set to air but to keep in mind that things could change last minute and get bumped so I was anxiously waiting for air time today. Now, it was brief, but my tutu was shown! I could see it better when I watched the episode online this evening so maybe I was just blind by excitement this morning! It was at the very end of the episode when Tory spoke of how Etsy is a place you can "make money" and she didn't have time to give a shout out to all the great stores she had items from but hey she did say, " There is a lady that makes tutus." That's me! It was funny she said it that way because people in my life call me the tutu lady all the time ;-). Etsy even featured a treasury Tory compiled on the front page this morning before the show aired so that was fantastic too!

So, some background on my store-I opened at the end of July 08. I can't honestly tell you it was a huge dream of mine then as it wasn't . I started on a whim. I had made some items and shown some friends online and they wanted to order. So after a couple of weeks I thought well maybe I should set something up to make it easier for them. At the time, starting my own website wasn't worth it, and I recalled stumbling upon Etsy the previous winter. I listed some items and BOOM, sold something pretty quickly. Over time, the orders kept coming so I had to get organized quickly. A studio was built in the basement with custom work tables and cutting tables to fit my short height and I was off and running. By Halloween time, I was so busy, my 18 hours a day work days began. 18 hours a day seems a bit excessive but it's simple to see how it happens when everything is broken down. For instance, each piece I make takes around 2 hours from start, to the finishing touch of packaging. Each strand of tulle is cut by hand with a rotary blade, then each one is attached to the band, then sewn, then the added touches put on. It's a slow process:) In between making them, I have to correspond with customers A LOT, do my advertising and promoting efforts and order all of my supplies. I finish off each night by printing all my postage and lugging the boxes out for the mailman to pick up the next day. I'm in bed usually around 2am. Keep in mind, in between all of this, I have to cook dinner and spend time with the family. SO, to make it a bit easier, a playroom was built off of the studio in the basement so now we can ALL be together down there in my little tutu village. SO for those of you thinking of selling on etsy keep in mind it is work, HARD work. It does pay off however as I get to work in Pjs every day! YEAH! What can beat that?!

It has been fantastic so far and I have had some of the most wonderful customers ever! I work with great photographers and make little girls happy and colorful.

For more information on The View's website you can follow this link:

http://abc.go.com/daytime/theview/info?pn=botvmomjobs

You can also view the full episode here

http://fep.abc.go.com/fep/player?src=abccomjs&show=167365&pn=index&showId=167365

click on 4/14

The segment isn't until the VERY end of the show

These listings are for the items that were on the show

Rainbow Sprite Tutu

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23254995

And a matching beanie hat

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23018170

It was a good day!

More Photos from Letisha-Punk Rock Tutu

The photographs are property of and were shot by the Talented Miss Letisha of Intrigue Photography. If you're interested in seeing more of her wonderful work please stop by her site at http://intriguephotography.blogspot.com/
And if you're in luck and live near Ingersoll Ontario, contact her for all of your photograhy needs!



I can not say enough fantastic things about Letisha as a customer and a photographer. She is such a joy to work with in every way and please please stop by her website to see more of her work. She's super talented and has a wonderful personality to boot!








Here are some more photographs she has shot-Enjoy!

Order A Matching Set-custom Tutu and onesie for birthdays, photographs and much more!

I'm pleased to announce a partnership with Lisa from http://www.isabellaboo.com/ . She offers the cutest onesies and Tees that are quality made-they ARE NOT iron on appliques and she is a total joy to work with. We'd be more than happy to work together to design a matching set just for your special little one!

Stop by our stores to find out more!

http://www.mom2twogals.etsy.com/

http://www.isabellaboo.com/

Order your Tutus now before I leave!

Okay okay not for good! But I have about one week left to take orders before I jet off for vacation. It has been a LONG time since I saw sunshine as it's been a horid winter in Ohio this year so I am looking forward to squinting for a while and relaxing around the ocean. My mother surprised me with a cruise for my birthday gift so we'll see how much I enjoy a big boat! I prefer land but she insists it will be a hit!

So, get your orders in if you need them before the end of March. Stop by my store and check out the goodies! I now carry matching beanie hats and plan on included more add ons after my trip.

Custom Tutu Heaven-and the illnesses that ruin my sunshine

Wow have I lost contact with the outside world! I've been hiding behind the sewing machine like a mad woman, schelping up to bed everything to wake in the morning and find thread, and tulle stuck to my slippers sigh. It's been a whirlwind and fun and exhausting all at the same time. Illness in this house has rained on my parade though, making production time difficult. I swear my kids have been sick with one thing or another since October-yes October. How I wish I kept track of how many boxes of Kleenex we've went through or how many trips to the doctors, multiple ERS and stat care we've penciled in. March is nearing and I thought for sure that meant it was all over. WRONG. Saturday Trinity was diagnosed with pneumonia AGAIN and well Sunday Caitlin was told at the ER it was indeed Strep Throat AGAIN. The ironic thing-the last time Trin had pneumonia Cait had strep, odd! So we play the game of charting medicine dosages so I don't confuse who had tylenol and who had their antibiotics yet. Caitlin is feeling better but Trinity is coughing along without missing a beat. She is so grouchy, it has been three days of a lot of fussing. Yesterday she cried for three hours straight as I tried to work while dad chased her around. I was never so happy to go grocery shopping Sunday before, I needed to get away from the noise. Now i'm REALLY looking forward to my cruise in a couple of weeks-if I can only pencil in time to pack! RIGHT after I finish my tutus:)

I wanted to share some photographs from a wonderful Canadian Photographer. Please feel free to stop by her blog and see her other fantastic work! Every night when I go to bed aching and tired I smile and remember I do this because of my customers such as her. Reading the feedback from the people that buy from my store is the highlight throughout my day and keeps me sitting at that sewing machine and standing over my cutting table as long as my almost 31 year old body can take it!

The first two photographs are property of and were shot by the Talented Miss Letisha of Intrigue Photography. If you're interested in seeing more of her wonderful work please stop by her site at http://intriguephotography.blogspot.com/And if you're in luck and live near Ingersoll Ontario, contact her for all of your photograhy needs!

Almost vacation time-free headband with custom tutu purchase ending soon!

It has been a LONG cold Ohio winter. Years have passed without having this much snow, ice and cold so mother nature sure socked it to us this year. I don't remember what sunlight looks like *sigh*. The power has gone on and off for the past month due to ice storms and go figure, wind storms too! You'd think by the sounds of it, I lived near Lake Erie but the truth is I live nowhere even close to deal with lake effect weather. Needing a break from this lovely weather, my mother and I will soon be leaving to board our cruise ship to sunshine. Yup, bye bye Ohio, hello Carribean! I can not WAIT to sink my feet in the sand and soak up some of that sun as we enjoy some yumppy tropical drinks with nothing better to do than waste the day swimming and shopping. As long as I remember to take my sea sick pills, we'll be all set:) So, no tulle, no tutus, no nothing for days! I can't even call my kids, at nearly $10 per minute, I think I'll use email instead! It's my birthday present from mom and I plan on enjoying it as it's a celebration of me turning 30. Funny thing is, I turned 30 last year and she is just now getting around to celebrating a week before I turn 31 hahaha. If going on vacatin becomes the way to turn 30, I'll be 3o every year!

Before I leave, I've been busy putting up some new tutu designs and working on getting all of my orders sent out in the mail. I've so enjoyed each of my customers that I won't know what to do not being able to talk to them and well everyone else! Be sure to stop by the store as my free headband giveaway will be ending soon!

www.mom2twogals.etsy.com

Birthday's Are so much fun when you add a tutu!

I have enjoyed working with my customers so much the last six months. Some days, I'm not sure what I would do without them. I imagine i'd be forced to REALLY clean my house!

I love hearing from previous customers. First birthdays are always special to me and are the one event I get so happy to make tutus for. Today in my in box I received this adorable photograph from a customer and I just had to smile. So THANK YOU to all of you for keeping my smiling into this new year!

So if you need a special tutu for photographs or for those wonderful birthday memories be sure to vist my store www.mom2twogals.etsy.com and I can custom design one to match your theme.