tomcat tuesday. still a tomboy.

{image via tomboyART}

My friends and family love a good laugh at my expense.
Somehow it almost always ties in with my height. I'm 5'3"- well, almost! ;)
But they all think it's HI-LAR-I-OUS that I have a shoe obsession, sew up all of these flowers and go to the office in my skirt and heels, have a shoe obsession....and then will turn right around and throw on my fav pair of (like UFO) pants, avoid the mall like the plague, will say 'Not right now, baby' to el kiddo when action's going down during a Giant's game. [I know, I'm horrible!)

*sigh*

 {image via LEGO Military Models}

 

more incriminating evidence. triple whammy.
I like LEGOs and Star Wars and planes.  We are LEGO obsessed lately. My BF uses el kiddo as an excuse to buy new kits. He just wants to see what they look like. Next up will be the General Grievous Starfighter (he has a bunch of the Star Wars themed sets). And this afternoon is LEGO club at our library. Guess what the theme is?
Star Wars. *does a happy dance*
We just realized that Legoland is open now in Florida & will have to go soon. But until then, Legoland Discovery Center will open up in March at Phipps.  

Awe-wait for it-some.

{image via F-14 tomcat-last time baby FB page}

And every time we visit family down in Pensacola, el kiddo wants to visit the NAS Museum to check out all the planes. obsessed. I was a military brat, so I never mind checking them out. I think it's cool. I actually have a fav plane...which I suppose some may call odd...but whatever. The LEGO model of the F14-Tomcat / VF-84 "Jolly Rogers" just goes to prove that I'm not that odd. (Isn't that a great plane & scheme?!) And, yes, it's based off an actual plane...

Anywho. I've embraced that inner tomboy (oh, yeah. And total nerd) side of me. It's that same part of me that loved climbing trees, exploring woods & splashing in puddles when I was younger. (Okay, I still like to splash in puddles).

roll with it.

So all those that see this uber-tomboy side of me think it's an absolute trip that I sew up all of these flowers into accessories. Okay. They also get a good laugh just from seeing me with a needle-n-thread in my hand. But that's okay. It is funny. 

what's the point?

This is me. I can't (and won't) pretend to be this overly-mushy mom. I love el kiddo and, yeah, I bring him up in posts. Like today. But. All of the above is still my personality. I sew pretty little flowers all day long sometimes, but I'm still a tomboy at heart that LOVES playing with LEGOS, watching Star Wars and admiring planes. I would have been up the creek had I had a daughter. 

...and here's what I've concluded:

Thinking about where Cardinal House was, is & going...I DO NOT want to be thought of as a mommy with accessories that I sell on the side. Maybe that doesn't seem like a big statement to you, but me recognizing that is a biggie. 

I'll still bring up el kiddo and others on posts, but not just to show you the drawing he brought home from school. egads.

apologies.

Sorry for another long rambling post. I'm getting this stuff out of my system. I've posted these declarations; so shall they be...and all that. ooh. and they are sneak peeks to the post themes (I hope) to keep up with daily. (yesterday was Mastery Monday)

I'll leave you alone for now!

xoxo

-Kat.

on the web | on facebook | on twitter | on pinterest  | on tumblr   

mastery monday. no fear.

{print by Amanda Cherie on Etsy,; found via Krissie Kramer on Pinterest}

2012 is going to be a great year, dammit. 

• Giants are going to the Superbowl.

• Last week, I sent a bunch of goodies (Rosa Earrings) off for a wedding convention, Bridal University, in Columbia, MO on February 19th. 

• Today, I'm shipping out another round of goodies (more Rosa Earrings) for the first 50 guests at The Swoon bridal event in Dallas, TX on March 24th. 

• Giants beat the 49ers last night & are going to the Superbowl.

• Cardinal House may also be providing ICE's Wedding Day Hooray with some goodies. More info to come on this.

• Oh, and did I mention that THE GIANTS WON!!! Giants & Pats rematch (personally, I'd like another repeat of 2008 if you couldn't tell...)

Okay, okay. I'll knock it off. So, what's to come?

If the sun ever comes back out in the small window of time I have to take photos in the winter afternoons...I'll be getting the Rosa Earrings up & running in the shop. Need to nail down which sites I want to run ads on (let me know if you have any good suggestions). Then I'll be working on securing retailers (again, let me know if there are any local shops you'd like to see Cardinal House goodies in). And, I may actually participate in some of the Atlanta area shows this year.

{found on pinterest}

No fear.

Did you know I still work a bit over 30 hours at the design office each week? 

Yup. 

And then come home to el kiddo? (there are no off-hours in motherhood) 

double-yup.   

I have been working my arse off making things, but very little in actually advertising or marketing. If customers can't find you or haven't heard of you, then what's the point?

I've been putting Cardinal house off to the side for a couple of years. It's what I'd do when I had some free-time (ha!). And for free-time, it's been pretty dang good. 

I excused not wanting to promote the site just yet because didn't feel it was ready. Or, I still need to do this or that. Next month I'll be able to finish that and then I can chat up that retailer. *sigh*

One of those resolutions for 2012...slap the perfectionist me across the face. Seriously. Wake up & go get busy just doing. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. 

I've stalked some comparable biz's for a while now. 

I've always loved this shop and have watched it grow. She's fairly religious & the mushy-mom type. Sooo not my speed. It works for her and that's great. 

This one is pretty new. She's young. I tattled on her because she literally copied above's product pictures to sell her versions with. She actually replaced me at one of my retailers (because her costs were cheaper). Pardon my snotness here but, well, the quality is cheaper. I really don't mean that to be catty as it sounds. But it's comparing apples to oranges. However, that girl's got serious game with her marketing. Not shabby at all for a teenager.


So what has my stalking led me to conclude?
I need to stop being paranoid of taking the leap. Any leap. I need to get out of my comfort zone & get to it. Stop putting things off until I have that line sheet perfected. Because I've done tons (TONS!) of research & come across plenty that keep me wondering how they were picked up by "x" retailer. You know what? They made the leap & just went after the biz. 


So. I am plan to 'bring it' in 2012.

xoxo
-Kat.

on the web | on facebook | on twitter | on pinterest  | on tumblr 

freebie friday. valentine's day printables.

{image from dō•de•line}

How cute are these guys?!

Thank you, Sarah, for sharing these Valentine's Day printables. These would be cute to bring in to the office with some cookies.

(download PDF printable directly HERE)