hodgepodge

good morning!  how was your weekend?  around here, we started to get into Baby Ramp-up mode.  we have about 6 weeks until the arrival of Little #2 and i'm into the nesting phase so i'm VERY ready to get organized!  Hoss, on the other hand, is not exactly feeling the same so it's taking a little push from me to get him there.  we actually have quite a bit we need to accomplish in 6 weeks but the tasks seem so daunting that it's kind of like, where do we start?!

one major overhaul in the works is that i'm losing my craft studio :(  we're a little scattered in our house and poor Mr. Bagubian, up until now, did not really have a bedroom.  he sleeps in my craft room, his clothes are in our bedroom, and all of his toys are in the family room.  he's about to make the switch from a crib into a toddler bed and it's agreed that he can't be free to move around the office as he likes because there are too many things in there that he could destroy or hurt himself with.  and with the addition of Little #2, it's just time for them both to have an actual bedroom.  

that means that while my fledgling business is starting to grow, i'm actually downsizing my space and moving into "community" office space with Hoss and my father-in-law (we live with my in-laws, if i've never mentioned that before).  that will be very interesting!  i'll keep you posted...there are a lot of other factors and plans involved in all of this moving around and as things progress, i'll share them with you.

for today, i wanted to show you a few things i recently listed in my Etsy shop.  the first is a Valentine mini kit for treat packaging.  it features super-cute washi tags, glassine bags, and heart-stamped mini clothespins.  it's a really easy way to package up some goodies.

and i have some Valentine-inspired washi clothespin sets, too...

i am loving this light pink and gold color combination right now.  it is so sweet and i have been working it into a few different projects i'm working on, which i'll be sharing in the coming weeks.

you can't do Valentines without hearts!  isn't the red and aqua heart set perfect for this holiday?   

pink and red...

purple and red...(love, love, love that purple lace washi!)

Valentine packaging...my mom was saying the other day how pretty Valentine crafts are and she's absolutely right.  the mix of colors and hearts and sweetness is so beautiful--you can see examples all over the blogging/crafting world and Pinterest.  it's incredibly inspiring!

a couple of other short notes before i leave you...

speaking of Etsy, i also want to make mention that the USPS has significantly raised their international shipping rates--by a shocking amount.  that means i also had to raise my shipping prices in my Etsy shop for customers outside the United States.  i have had some of my best customers coming from Australia, the UK, and Canada and i feel terribly sad about having to charge so much to ship items there now.  i wish it didn't have to be this way!

 for the new year, i've decided to try a more open approach to blogging.  there are certain blogs i follow and i know that, for me, i enjoy "getting to know" the ladies i visit everyday through personal stories on their blogs.  it definitely makes them more real to me and i appreciate that they want to share their stories with their audience.  so i'd like to start opening up a bit, too.  i have a couple of upcoming segments planned that will help you get to know me a little better.

coming up tomorrow...i will finally have some cards to show you!   until then, have a terrific Wednesday!