Etsy Progress

Phew! I have a pain in my elbow from sitting at my Mac for 30 hours a day but it's worth it! It would be great if Etsy would let you work on your listings without them going live, as far as I know, you can't save a listing in progress, so it can be tricky if you need to change something... stressful.
Well after I listed my first few dresses, I quickly realized I would basically be losing money, until I found one website that lets you buy fabric in small amounts! Sew Mama Sew is a GREAT online fabric store! Most others only let you get a half yard at the least.
So I had to do some swap outs here and there and I found some REALLY great new fabrics I had never seen before.
Sadly some of the fabrics I had my eye on just didn't exist outside of the designer's website (who didn't sell it him self, bummer) glad to find that out a head of time though!
There is this fancy tool called the Etsy Fee Calculator that does just that! You fill in the cost of supplies and shipping and it helps you figure a fair price so you can still get a profit. It figures in the fees that Etsy and Paypal take out (which to too much in my opinion).
Thats why my prices differ slightly, I am paying myself the same price per dress plus the cost for supplies!

Well, thats how it's going so far! Smoothing the kinks and having a blast!!

Darcy Doodles cookie recipe

Aww... pretty sister! She let me do her hair and make up all 40's-ish. Good sport that one. Ok, so my chocolate chip cookies are soft and sweet and perfectly delicious! The dough isn't bad either! ;) We added easter M&M's today, something about baking M&M's... yum

My chocolate chip cookie recipe has absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Darcy, other than they are both tasty! ;)

I got to use my little flowers.. I always forget to use them.

She posed for me and everything, see her apron? guess who embroidered it!

Darcy Doodles

1 c butter flavored CRISCO

3/4 c white sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 t MEXICAN vanilla

2 1/4 c all purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

2 c milk chocolate chips (or whatever you want to put in)

1. Preheat 350, grease or foil cookie sheets
2. Cream crisco, sugar and brown sugar
3. Add eggs one at a time, mix one in well before you add the other :)
4. Add vanilla
5. Combine flour, salt and baking soda in separate bowl
6. Add flour mixture gradually until well mixed
7. Fold in chocolate (or nuts, M&M's, toffee whatever!)
8. Drop by spoonful onto sheets, flatten a bit with fingers
9. Bake 10 min EXACTLY! Don't worry if they don't look done, they firm up as they COOL ON SHEET for 10 min. I usually have one sheet cooling while the other bakes, this keeps everything timed perfectly!

The important ingredients of this recipe are the BUTTER FLAVORED CRISCO and the MEXICAN VANILLA... makes all the diff! These just happen to be dairy free for us who are lactose intolerant, didn't mean for that to happen, just did! Magic.

Copy Cat MJ Dress

Here's my target, The MJ Peach Knot Dress. On eBay its 68.99... wouldn't you like to have it for HALF that?? I have found all but two of the exact fabrics! The yellow bodice fabric and blue shoulder straps have eluded me online but I'm not giving up the search. So far the other fabrics are from Heather Bailey and Amy Butler... top shelf designers! Heather Bailey may be in my top 3 list of favorite designers.

I really think it would be cute to move the apron fabric to the bodice and use a hankie for the apron, then I just need shoulder straps... who made you blue graphic fabric??

So when I find the last two pieces to my puzzle I will list it on etsy (www.embroidiva.etsy.com).

My Open Etsy Shop EmbroiDiva.etsy.com

Happy to announce that my NEW etsy shop is open and stocked with 6 dress options. As things (hopefully) take off I'm sure there will be kinks to smooth out and all that frustrating stuff, so if you think something would work a different way or sound better please let me know!
My many thanks to Leslie for letting me use Nellie Grace in my banner. Nellie Grace and her little friend Mary Meadows are my current models and they look FABULOUS! Thanks ladies!

Bubble Dress Success!

Ta DAAAA!!!!

My design worked! Most online tutorials used elastic for the bottom, but, yuck! How annoying would that be? SO I came up with a much better way to get a pouffy bottomed dress. I used some sparkly pink fabric I have had forever and made a mini version. Here we have my faithful servant Charlemagne modeling it!

What a sport he was to wear my sparkly pink dress, thats why I love you Char!

This Just In!

I know what I am going to do tonight!!!!

I am going to try to make a BuBbLe SkIrT dress! Somthing I have been pondering for weeks now! How cute will your little lady will look this summer in a poof!

What to do with my free time? or MY PAPERS ARE DONE!

Has this day actually aproached? Yes dear reader, I have about 13 pages of Times New Roman 12 point font waiting to get proof-read by some crazy women who actually like writing. yuck.

So now, I have but to wait for my revisions and print it out! Oh how my heart will sing when I turn it in! Now the question remains, what do I do now? It's too late to go anywhere tonight so I have resigned to eating a chocolate chip rice cake, and watch part 3 of the A&E Pride & Prejudice. While I shudder at it's low quality production and her creepy voice I am just happy to share my special moment with Jane Austen!

I know, I know, I just prefer the more visually apealing 2005 version, it's shorter but... Matthew MacFadyen!

...not Colin Firth

no

YES!

*sigh*

Have I converted you yet?

So I guess I did find some way to enjoy my first free hours! Scouring google images for Darcy!