EP Designs

How timely is this for me. Some of my blogging friends know about the ongoing saga with my garage. Well at Organise Your Life they have a selection of articles to help you organise your life and home.

The one that caught my eye was How To Organise Your Garage. A lot of it is probably common sense stuff but sometimes you need someone to set it out for you to follow. You think you know what to do but ….. I know that I sometimes stand and stare at the mess around and wonder about where to start, what to do next or how to go about it all.

The article written by Julie McRitchie co-author of Organize Your Life, takes you through it all step by step. Of course, planning plays a huge part - a good plan will see you all the way through. There are also some storage solutions suggested which is a great help.

Now when finished, my garage is not going to be a ‘garage’ as such, but a storage and packaging space for EP Designs….. and possibly a ‘vintage-chic-garage-boutique’  for future Sales & Exhibitions. It will be able to convert back to a ‘garage’ if needed in future.

If you’re needing to organise your life in other areas then take a peek at the web site How To Organise Your Life -you may find more useful information to help you out.

If you like this post Please Stumble it!

~~~~~~~~

Welcome to another Pink Saturday! 

Today’s little collection includes a few fluffy and cute keepsake boxes - One of my creative experiments from my ‘hobby business’ days. The base structure is a round cardboard box with lid. The photos don’t show their actual size but the first two designs are the smaller of the set I used (diam. approx 18 cm, or 7″) and the third design is the largest (approx 25cm, or 10″).

Very Pink on the outside and royal blue inside.

Very elegant and regal looking on the outside with purple to match that royal feel.

Just fluffy fun outside and sunny on the inside.

There were other designs using stronger, deeper colours of vintage red and gold. Of course, most of them have either been given away as gifts or sold, except the purple lidded one above and a gold lidded one (not pictured).

I wish I had a before photo to show you the plain brown cardboard boxes. It’s amazing what a combination of a little paint, crushed panne, feathers and assorted braids can do.

~~~~~~~~ 

There are many wonderful entries for Pink Saturday which is hosted by Beverly at How Sweet The Sound. Take time to visit participants’ blogs and see how Pink  everyone’s Saturdays can be.

~~~~~~~~ 

Happy Pink Saturday!

~~~~~~~~ 

If you like this post Please Stumble it!

~~~~~~~~

After exploring Margarets blog Konstant Kaos and discovering her passion for fabrics, I’ve come across more crafters’ blogs with passion for their craft.

 Your Cheeky Monkey is an Australian on-line store featuring baby products made by Monique. Her blog is a delightful collection of crafty ideas, giveaways, product reviews and more. Monique is a proud supporter of work-at-home-mum industry.

While visiting her blog I also discovered The Aussie Handmade Giveaway - an Aussie giveaway site set up by Aussie Artisan Jessica Van Den.  Aussie crafters donate lots of lovely prizes to be won weekly. The idea is to provide an avenue to help get Aussie crafts out there - Crafters or Artisans can donate a giveaway item and be featured on the site for one week . Monique has donated a prize here previously and has also won one.

If you like this post Please Stumble it!

~~~~~~~~

Konstant Kaos - building a work-from-home business while still having crafty fun. At Konstant Kaos, Margaret has a Passion For Fabric and is looking for screen printing workshops within Melbourne - if anyone knows of worksops available please pop over to her blog and pass on the info.

Tilda Virtual -If you’re needing the support of a Virtual Assistance, then take a browse through Kylie’s site. To find out more on how they can support you in your business, a complimentary 30 minute phone consultation is on offer.

If you like this post Please Stumble it!

~~~~~~~~

Welcome to my first Pink Saturday entry. 

I’m not a great tea drinker as my friends would know - I adore the fabulous aroma of coffee freshly brewing and then sitting down to enjoy a great coffee and something ‘nice’ to go with it, in the company of good friends ….. of course, this little social event is not exclusively for coffee drinkers alone, but is also enjoyed by many at delightful tea parties. This set will add to the fun and enjoyment of a good beverage and good company.

 I never actually planned to collect tea sets but I seem to have a collection building up. This particular set I’m sharing with you today is a delightful, ornate design which would cheer up any home and send away any ‘doom & gloom’ which may be hovering around.

Above Photo:  shows matching pieces which can be added to the set - teapot, lidded sugar bowl, creamer, mugs, large jug and also cup & saucer (which are not seen in this photo).

Pink is not my favourite colour but I do like it and I do use it around the house. The pink background with the white embossing is a cheery and delicious looking combination.

So lets have a cuppa … or strong brew, together as we read more Pink Saturday stories.

There are many wonderful entries for Pink Saturday which is hosted by Beverly at How Sweet The Sound. Take time to visit participants’ blogs and see how Pink  everyone’s Saturdays can be.

~~~~~~~~ 

Happy Pink Saturday!

If you like this post Please Stumble it!

~~~~~~~~

      I’ve added a new banner in my sidebar and it’s one I’m quite excited about.  A great network of lovely women who either run a small business, work from home (WAHMs), don’t own or run a business or a thinking about it.

Connect2mums is an interactive magazine connecting mums to mums. Full of friendly, happy, supportive members who you can connect with via various groups. As a member you have your own customised member page, access to the forums, Connect Cafe, Shopping Directory, Product Reviews and heaps of other benefits which I am discovering as I wander through the site as a new member.

There’s a sense of excitement about this site which I loved from the moment I joined. So do take some time to visit ….. then grab a cuppa and something ‘nice’ to go with it, join up and take more time to enjoy the experience. Go to the Home Page to find ot more.

Come and visit me too on Connect2mums - I’ll give you a nice warm welcome - just like I received when I joined.

If you like this post Please Stumble it!

~~~~~~~~

You Are the Kitchen

You are creative and inspired. You have a lot of projects going on.You are also a homebody who enjoys a cozy night with a nice home cooked meal.You are generous and giving. You enjoy taking care of people.You have a knack for knowing what each person needs most.

What Room of the House Are You?

I’m not sure about being a ‘home body’ as I do enjoy getting out and about ….. but these quizes are fun to do

If you like this post Please Stumble it!

~~~~~~~~

Three branch candle holder trimmed with Victorian beaded fringing

The creative room has been silent and still for a long time. I know I’m not far off from picking up a paint brush …. for creative purposes instead of painting walls.  In fact, I am eager to get going again. I remember when the paint, brushes fabrics and embellishments were used in full swing and how all I had to do was pick up one of them and the inspiration would flow. Will this happen the again, the same as before? I hope so ….. I believe it will.

Shabby rose jug-vase

I haven’t posted my creative work for a long time, mainly because there haven’t been new pieces to show. For now, I’m reminiscing, and thought I’d post some pics of favourite pieces I’ve recreated in the past …… This is probably for my benefit more than anything else but I hope new visitors will enjoy what I have to show.

Heart trinket box with matching roses tray

Pot-planter for precious blooms

Organza shawl trimmed with hand dyed lace

Am I inspired? …… Yes.

If you like this post Please Stumble it!

~~~~~~~~

I never thought of using a blog planner to plan my blog posts. I usually blog when I have something to say or share. A blog post planner sounds like a handy thing to have and would cetainly help to shorten the gaps between posts. You could jot down ideas and then slot them in on certain day s of the month.  You can then view the whole month of posts and even prepare them ahead of time.

Ann from The Tall Poppy shared her findings of a site with free downloads of Blog Post Planners. Take advantage of the download and give it a try - I’m going to see if it will work for me.

Take some time to browse through Anne’s blog too and have a read of her About Me page and make note of all her blogs and web sites. Anne writes …

One thing you will notice throughout it all is that it is all about encouraging women to make the most of themselves. Why stay like a weed when you can bloom like a poppy?

Enjoy your browse.

If you like this post Please Stumble it!

~~~~~~~~

               I enjoy visiting Donna-Marie Coggins’ blog as I usually find great business tips or something to encourage me along. Donna-Marie is a fan of Anthony Robbins so with my latest visit I found this video on her blog. The timing was right for me to see this.

If you’re needing a bit of a push to get things done whether it be business related, a project or an idea you’ve been thinking about, then take a look at this video - I think you’ll find this encouraging.

If you like this post Please Stumble it!

~~~~~~~~

   The Business Mums Network is a unique group of business people who support and assist each other to flourish in business and life. The network welcomes new members and is known to be a great place to share ideas, encourage, support and learn from other members.

Their blog is also full of handy tips for running a business whether it’s small, home based or not home based. Each day of the week you will find posts on anything to do with running a business and managing time between family and work. The posts are not long but just the right size for my liking with enough information to get you ‘in the know’ with all things business.

Take a peek at these -

Marketing Monday - general tips on growing your business. Many marketing ideas don’t have to be huge ideas with huge budgets. There are many ideas that can be tackled simply, daily and in small ‘doses’ - and a little each day can do more than you might expect.

Friday Five - BMN reports are short reports, available on Fridays! Each report is $5 through PayPal and will be available for download right away. Some of the topics so far have been on - compiling an ebook,  growing your email list, ideas for newletter content … and more.

In Between Days - snippets on branding, competitions, finance, publicity, reviews …. the list goes on.

If you’re running a business of any kind or thinking about starting one then do yourself a favour and check out what Business Mums have to offer.

If you like this post Please Stumble it!

~~~~~~~~