There are few things greater than a to-do list of orders that is completely checked off. I won't show you the back side or page two, but when I look at this, it fills me with joy. I am coming down with a cold. OF COURSE! Of course I am coming down with a cold, right now, when we are this busy! But I'm going to power through it.

You know, I guess it's taboo to talk about when it comes to blogging. Or as my bestie Danielle said"the unspoken rules" but I'm going to say it, loud and clear. We're so broke. It's been rough. Go to the grocery or ship out orders. Pay the internet bill or buy materials. This or that. What can be put off, what is most important. Can we wait to pay the rent, can we get away with only paying half the phone bill. Do we eat ramen {mmmmm} so we can put gas in the van. Now before you go all crazy and point your little fingers up at that list, let me explain something to you. Our product isn't cheap to make. Of course we have a reasonable mark-up, but it isn't cheap. Our supplies don't grow in trees {err...wait a second.....} and for many of our wholesale orders, we don't get paid until after the product is delivered.

I always took my paychecks for granted you know, they paid a bill or two, or went to groceries. Having our own business is hard, and stressful and scary. We work 12, sometimes 18 hours a day and aren't making enough to buy groceries. Wouldn't that scare you? We are bound to the habits of etsy shoppers and etsy's newest policies/searches/ads have us biting our nails and over-checking the email. It's just the truth.

I'm glad for everything we have and so thankful for certain orders that have been placed recently, because without the support of our wholesale orders, we would be even more stressed out. Thankful isn't even a big enough word. So, yeah, bills suck. Being a small business owner is hard. We are grateful.

That is all for now. I feel yucky and need to finish some work tonight before I can hit the pillow.

xo,

Beca

Big Cartel Shop

To begin with, sorry I am posting so much about our sunglasses and shop lately. I don't want this blog to only be about our shop..boooooring! But it is a huge part of my life right now and thanks for bearing with us. Or is it baring. I can't think straight right now. Boo. So, here is a little itty bitty post on Big Cartel.

I know that not everyone has an etsy account and as much as I like to bully people into getting one (it's so easy!) we are going to open a sister-shop through big cartel and you can shop there just using pay pal or a credit card. It will be a slow process getting everything listed, but the shop will be primarily sunglasses and eyeglass frames. You can still find sunglasses, gypsy treasure, wooden bracelets and more in our beloved etsy shop.

What's your experience with Big Cartel?? I am trying to embrace it.

Anyways, I am on my way to the post office for the second time today! I am glad that I am finally getting caught up. My house still isn't very clean and I have tissue stuffed up my nose. Gross, right.

Also, if you want take a little field trip to some really rad blogs that our shop is sponsoring this month, please do!

Moorea Seal

Merriweather Council

Adventures of a New Mom

MaieDae

Windshield Diaries

And thanks to everyone who has shared my blog button and shop link or featured us on their blog. Ya'll are such good friends and make me so very happy!

And this is for Danielle, I promise I DO look like a zombie when I'm sick, too! BOOOO! Attractive, right? I'm glad I have someone who loves me, even when I'm puffy and snot faced.

xo,

Beca

Getting our shhhhh together!

Because our living room looked like this when we went to sleep last night, we spent all morning organizing our space and cleaning up. (um...those are all sunglass and bracelet orders...holy holy!!!)

Doug's space was easy, but I'm not going to lie to you friends, I have way too much stuff. Like picnic baskets full of leather, material, yarn, paints, papers, stuff. It took me way longer to get orgaaized than it took Doug. Look, he's already working and I'm still putting stuff away!!

I put all of my paints together and I think I am going to start painting more. I used to love it. I don't know why I stopped. I guess life just got too busy.

And finally put all of my crafty junk under the desk and in baskets, all in one place...uhh, I still have too much.

I am still feeling like awful. I didn't sleep at all, and when i did, I had dreams about blowing my nose and red velvet cake coming out. GROSS, right! (I am making a shaped red velvet cake tomorrow and it's on my mind...)

Well, I'm off to the packing supply store and then the post office. SO much stuff to mail out. Yesterday was an awesome day and really validated this huge change in our life. I mean, it's going to be different, but the support has been overwhelming.

We have a friend coming into town for the rest of the week so I need to clean the house so it looks like I have a busy day ahead of me. Thank God for dayquil.

xo,

Beca

PS

Wanna read about what it's like to have three bully dogs. You can visit Crystals awesome blog for the whole shabang.

Sickies go for a Walk

We're both sick now, but I still have work to go to, and after a busy day, I wanted to do something relaxing. We took Charlie to Balboa park and took a little walk. We both go super tired and are back on the couch. Actually, Doug is totally passed out, and I'm working on our kickstarter project, which I will share with ya'll later this week. If I don't die from the flu first. Anyways, I took a few photos on our walk.

The trees are so tall and pretty. And those sunglasses are the newest ladies style in our shop.

It was a nice little break. I have to work early in the morning, and then I have about a million packages to send off. Sorry this is so short, but I'm going to bed now!

xo,

Beca

Little House Pillowcase

My sick day somehow made me feel like holing up in the house with my pups and make lots of little things while watching my favorite movies and eat pizza, and feel no shame. We really really needed new pillowcases, so I got really pretty raw cotton material at the fabric store down the street for $1 a yard, and pieced together some cute little cottages, and tada. It only took my an hour to make this (with lots of breaks) and I'm starting another one now.

If only my nose would stop running and my head would stop pounding. If only. Doug is taking me to the beach when he gets home and then we're getting take-out. I'm looking forward to that. Have a good Wednesday!

xo,

Beca