Summer, Family and Etsy

I think I might be just as excited as my kiddos about the start of summer. Lazy mornings, lazy afternoons, lazy evenings...I think I see a pattern here! I always start the summer with such great intentions of having somewhat of a schedule, designated craft times, chore times, etc., but then summer just sort of takes over and well...things just sort of happen at will. I guess that's what summer is all about though - throwing all those schedules out the window for a few short weeks and just enjoying the time with the kids. I remind myself (daily) that these years go by so quickly and by the time our kids are teens, really, our job is almost done. A couple of our neighbors just graduated from high school this year...it seemed like yesterday when they were selling lemonade on the curb and ringing our doorbell to sell girl scout cookies. Where did the time go? E. turned 9 this year and as quickly as those years have passed by, I know the next 9 years will go even quicker.

So, time with family is of utmost importance to us. We took the girls camping over the weekend and lucked out with gorgeous weather. K. woke up the first morning and as she was stretching says "ahhhhhhhhhh, I love camping". And E. told me her favorite thing about it is waking up in the tent in the morning - cool air, sun peeking in. I'm just so glad we are giving our kids these experiences because it's those times I remember most with my parents and brothers.

Looking at my sparse Etsy store and feeling somewhat like a failure, I remind myself that my family does come first. And so does the laundry, dishes, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, bills, etc. I bring this up because while I truly enjoy sewing handbags and giving them to family and friends, I would still like to sell some of them (I have to find some way to support my fabric addiction!). I opened my Etsy store sometime last year and it took me forever to get anything into it. So, after several months and no sales, I decided to give Ebay a try. I put 3 of my bags on Ebay and they sold within 4 days. Those same bags had been on Etsy for 3 months (same pricing). Go figure. Maybe having to fill a "store" is too stressful right now and I should just list items as I make them on Ebay or focus on stocking up for the holiday craft shows in the fall. I know Etsy is all about marketing, but honestly, I don't have the time and it's not doing wonders for my confidence. I'm curious how you all have handled this. I'm thinking I should just put my store on vacation for the summer...that would take some pressure off, don't ya think?

Don't forget the giveaway in the previous post! Be sure to comment there to be eligible.