Category Archives: Blog

Been a Looney Few Weeks

I know it has been awhile since I have blogged, but so many things have been going on.
I put up a new website that is about 75% functional as of this morning:

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It took a ton of time, but I think it is probably worth the effort.

Thank God for a slow week at the news wire or I would have never gotten this done.
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I used a program called Mac Web Site Builder. Long story short– they pretty much give you a blank generic website template and you try to figure out how to make it your own.

After staring at it for 20 or 30 hours now, I am not sure what to think of the final design. Hopefully after some sleep things will seem more clear.

 

Today Noah gets home from WI. He has been there for 17 days already! Wow, how time flies! Auggie kept Dan and I pretty busy the entire time which made it go by way faster than I thought it would. Anyway, I cannot wait to see him tonight.

 

Besides those two things, I mailed out my first big wholesale order last weekIMG_0434:

 

Dan applied for a job in NYC, interviewed last week and we should hear back any day now (fingers crossed)IMG_0439

Aug stared eating like it is going out of style. I don’t think that Dan and I are going to be able to afford to feed both these boys soon!
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My mother in law came to see the boys a few weeks ago

 

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And I got a Tweety espresso maker. Hehe.  The box is hilarious– it is from Italy and there are kids making and drinking espresso with their mom and dad on the back. I can’t wait to show Noah, he thinks that he likes coffee and is always trying to sneak it. Like mother like son I suppose!

 

There is no place like home

poppiesI've been thinking a lot lately about growth. 

I am feeling some growing pains at work which brings up so many new feelings. 

Watching Aug become a little man is both hard and exciting for me. I can't believe that only a few months ago he was a blip on an ultrasound screen and now he has opinions about things, he has places to go, things to see. 

And Noah, well compared to the little boy he was this time last year I barely recognize him. He has transformed out of his baby stage and after today he will be a third grader! I thought I was SO  old and mature in 3rd grade, that must be how he is feeling now too. 

And then there are these beautiful poppies that Dan bought for me at the beginning of Spring. They are finally growing and blooming but there is something quite strange about poppies – 
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These amazing blooms, well they only last a few days. The slightest breeze, the sprinkle of water on their flower, even a very hot day and they are toast. So beautiful and so big, they get like 18 inches tall, but so fragile. 

But they are always growing new flowers. When one dies off there is 2 to take its place. So maybe this plant isn't so fragile after all. hmmm. 

Off to bed I go. Just like Dorothy and the Lion, these poppies have made me really tired. Well that and the fact that I just got home from working the overnight shift I suppose! But comparing my life to the Wizard of Oz just makes me feel cooler you know? 😉

Enjoy the Spring sunshine today! 

Easy Like A Sunday Morning.

Auggie and Momma had such a nice Sunday together. We sat on the couch, ate the most amazing vanilla cinnamon gelato, and watched some TV– what was on I don’t even remember. The taste of the yummy gelato was mesmerizing. One bite for mommy, 2 for Auggie. He went into a total gelato comma.

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But then we went to hidden park and met up with Auggie’s friend Nigel and all was good again.  Picture_120

We napped the rest of the afternoon. Aug has grown 2 teeth in the past week and a half, plus he had his shoots on Friday, so he has been so super cuddly.

Noah joined us at the park for Aug’s play-date, he is such a good big brother. Here’s he and Aug in the tub.  Dan and I are the luckiest parents in the world. I wonder if all parents feel this way. Picture_086

Cessie is a model, you know what I mean….

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Cessie had a bit of a photo shoot today, and she shook her little toosh on the, ummmm, dog walk. You can’t even tell anymore that 2 months ago she was homeless and she had major surgery on her arm. She has totally fattened up and her fur is growing back over her huge scar. Pug -tastic I say 😉

Auggie on the other hand, he didn’t think that this was any fun. Img_1992
I was so excited when I found  this jogging stroller at a garage sale when I was pregnant. Unfortunately, today was probably the 4th time Aug has ridden in it. But considering that I still have 30lbs of prego weight to loose, I think he will be ridding in it more and more now that it is nice outside.

Tomorrow Noah has a concert at the university– he is playing a guitar solo which I am so excited to see. And tonight, mommy and daddy have a date to go see  Wilco in concert.  I am assuming that Jeff Tweedy will be playing a guitar solo also, but it probably won’t be as good as Noah’s. 😉

Craft Show Goodness

I had so much fun at my first craft show. My grandpa made me a super cool display, my table looked pretty good for my first time, and the other artists were really sweet and nice to meet. Img_0370
It was Noah’s idea to bring his puppy;) She was wearing a Mimi Green collar of course. Img_0373

My mom and sister stayed with me all day and Dan brought the kids, including Cessie, down for a bit. But I have to say that it was exhausting. I did learn a few things that may help anyone who wants to do a show.

Craft Show Tip #1 — Dress in layers. I would have been doing a bit better in the morning if I had brought a jacket and a bit better in the afternoon if I had worn shorts. Yes, it is still cold here in NM in the morning time – can’t wait till we are over that!

Tip #2 Have a game plan about what you are going to say about your product. I didn’t think too much about that, and I am sure that even if I had it would have needed to be tweaked in practice, but at least I would have had somewhere to start. I may have sold more if I had “sold” my collars and leashes better.

Tip #3  Make sure to network with the other vendors. I met a lot of really cool women that I hope to work with again– plus now they have my info which is key. Sometimes it is about who you know.

Tip #4  Go in without expectations. Just like anything else in life, if you don’t expect things to happen you won’t get disappointed if they don’t. I wasn’t sure how it would go, which I was glad about later when I realized that I had a massive show/sewing  hangover of sorts.  I was so tired, I am still getting over it!

Tip #5  Have a colorful display. I looked at craft displays on Flickr before the show and got some great ideas. The more attention you can draw to you the better– this really means color and multi level views. If your display is flat you might find that your sales are too. And you can quote me on that one;)
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Sewing Hang Over

Yes, this is me avoiding getting ready for tomorrow’s show. And it’s not because I am lazy, it is because I am so TIRED! Yesterday i whipped up 8 leashes, 3 collars, mailed orders and took care of a teething baby who is really hurting bad. Poor Auggie. Today I need to go to the bank to get change, go to the post office to mail packages to Canada, and fax my letter of driver improvement school completion to Albuquerque  Metro Court (don’t ask;) That is all before I complete my goal of making 15 more collars today and painting my leash stand, green of course.

So I better run, but I will leave you with this:  This odd couple has finally bonded, look how cute they were this morning sunbathing together. As soon as this madness is over  the first project on hand is making Miss Etta a new bed 😉
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Mimi Green Turns a Month Old!

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It’s been a smashing month for Mimi Green!  There have been lots of developments since our birth on the interwebs.

Lori Marie at Pretty Little Things featured her French Bulldog Matilda wearing a Mimi Collar. It is adorned with one of Lori’s beautiful flower pins that she sells in her wonderful shop  Matilda2

An article that I wrote with two other Etsy sellers was featured on Etsy this week. It is about the Dog MafiaDogmafiastorque

The Dog Mafia is a team that I recently joined– all Etsy sellers who love dogs, donate to dog charities, and support one another in our efforts to make the world a more dog friendly place.

Then Yesterday I got an email from Erin who featured Mimi dog collars on her blog.

 

It still makes me super excited to see my work on the web!

I have met so many nice people, sold lots of hip collars and leashes, and I get to do what I love.

Things are good on this front;)

Saturday is my first show at Cup O’ Joe in Albuquerque. It is a super cute coffee house and only about 10 of us will be selling our goods there. It is perfect for a first show– not so scary when it is a small event.

I will post lots of pictures from there, but try to come out if you can!

And thank you to everyone who made my first month full of sunshine.

How much my husband loves me…

New baby! Yesterday Bernina was having a sale  and after watching my constant frustration with Constance (my very hard working Singer)  Dan  told me to go pick  up this very beautiful Berinina Activa 220!!Img_0349Yahoo! I am so excited! It goes through straps like butter and it makes such a pretty purring sound. A very sweet woman named Margurette sold her to me, so I figure it is only appropriate to name her after the Bernina sale woman.

Now to work! I finally got my mailing labels, post cards, business cards, and magnets in:

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So I will be spending the week loving my machine up, mailing post cards to every pet store whose adress I can get my hands on, and finding ways to thank my husband– he is the best in the world;)

Pug-nic 2008

Today was Pugnic at Bow Wow Blues. Noah, Cessie and I went and had a pug load of fun;)

There was a costume contest

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Pugs bobbing for hot dogs (here is Cessie, she didn’t really think a wiener was worth getting her face all wet for, I agree)

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Some pugs looked like they were having way too much fun, he will feel it in the morning, I’m sure…

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It was so super great getting to spend time with Noah, he couldn’t stop telling people that his momma makes dog collars (taught the boy well, hehe)Img_0328

Cecilia is so lucky to have Noah as an owner, he is so super in love with her.

And isn’t she smashing in her Mimi Green collar?