Personal heirlooms

Embrace your innner creativity

2009-10-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

I was talking to my daughter yesterday about the unique quality of art. It's the best thing in the world, and it can't ever be wrong. When I was younger, I never felt like I had any type of artistic talent whatsoever. As I got older and forgot to care so much about what others thought, it began to shine through. I love that my daughter has never been afraid of how people view her artistic work. Whether it's writing, sculpting, painting, or just doodling on a piece of paper, it's all your own. It's art and it can't be wrong. Let it shine through and enjoy it.
Recently, I had an idea for new displays. When you go to a show, it's easy for your jewelry display to look like everyone elses. When you have something more unique, like we do, you want it to stand out and be separate. My thought was to take our great logo and make her our model. A trip to Lowes later, I now am the proud owner of my very own jigsaw! A few practice cuts and were off and running. I figured the worst that could happen is I wold end up paying someone else to make my vision come alive. But it worked and we now have several silhouette models that we are anxious to unveil at this weekends Bay to Bay Stroll. If you are in the Tampa area, stop by and see us. My ultimate massage is this: Don't be afraid to try, you never know what you might be good at!

Columbus Day

2009-10-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

Lately I have noticed that there seems to be a real energy surrounding everyone. People are trying new things, taking risks, tapping into their passions and thinking outside of the box! People are identifying or creating their own opportunities and taking action aimed at realizing it. It is so refreshing! News that might typically have gotten one down in the past can give you the push you need to try something new and different. An Entrepreneurial mindset!

All of the changes and discoveries remind me of someone - Columbus! Over 500 years ago he discovered land that would become the Americas. As he set off on his voyage of unchartered waters, he wasn't sure of what risks he would meet along the way but forged on. His risk was worth the reward, don't you think?

Good Luck as you 'discover' your opportunities!

"Fall"ing into Exciting Times

2009-10-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

Before this week, it had been a while since I had posted a comment on the blog. This summer was a busy one! When summer came and school let out everything was full speed ahead. As a work-from-home mom trying to juggle 2 children at different ages, keeping all of the balls in the air can be an exciting challenge. Pulled in many directions, I was learning where best to invest my own time and what I could get help with.

There are so many exciting plans for this Fall with In the Pink Designs. Like many young businesses we are trying to learn all about social media and trying to juggle it with all of the other responsibilities of running a company. It can be a full time job! Hopefully you will enjoy my musings as I try to juggle all my life and my company!

Inspiration at Starbucks

2009-10-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

I can't help but love Starbucks. Not just the yummy Vanilla Lattes that tell me with each warm sip that all is right with the world, but the atmosphere just lends itself to creativity. I had an impromptu meeting with some of my gals last night at our local Starbucks. As we went over the week and thought of news goals to set for the remainder of the year, I couldn't help but notice the cool flat mannequins they had around the store, promoting their new Via instant coffee packets. As we were discussing preparing for Market, we thought, how fun would those be to use as displays. Rather than seeing jewelry on your traditional velvet bust type displays, it would be much more interesting and eye-catching to have these little gals standing throughout the booth, dripping with In The Pink Designs jewelry. How fun! Now, if I can just get them to relinquish them to me when the promo is over... If anyone has any ideas on this, please feel free to send them my way.
Enjoy this beautiful weekend!

The beauty of help

2009-10-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

I could not have asked for a better day. A little more sleep would be nice but I have come to terms with the fact that a full time mom with a business to run must do so on very little sleep!
When we started a few years ago, it was just me. I had to be the everything. Now, as we have grown, we have Pink Reps scattered across the world as well as our own local support staff. Today, 2 of our gals took to the streets of South Tampa, armed with a fresh Starbucks I'm sure and introduced In The Pink Designs to a couple of Tampa's finest childrens boutiques. We are so excited to say that you will be able to find In The Pink Designs in Giggle Box Couture and Lil' Peeps in South Tampa very soon. So if you happen to be down that way, stop in and say hello. We are truly looking forward to working with such beautiful stores!

As if that's not enough, the weather has been amazing and there was time enough to make a pretzel, peanut butter and bird seed bird house with my 3 yr old. Now it's time to race off again to the post office. We have a new rep in Ohio that needs her beautiful new necklace. Then off to see my little girl cheer for her school's football team.

Just recapping the day makes me a bit tired. But right now, tired feels much better than bored. I hope everyone else is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are getting there so hang tight!

Blog for FREE jewelry

2009-04-06T08:45:00.001-07:00

I'm finally admitting that I'm overwhelmed. There comes a time in every work-at-home mom's career that she has to come to terms with this. How can you not be. You are the care giver for the family. You are the master chef. You are the personal assistant and the housekeeper. Oh yeah, and by the way, you are also the CEE (Chief Executive of Everything) of your own business. All of this is good and well and manageable in a semi-chaotic, semi-frantic state. But then came Twitter... and Facebook... and Myspace. And all of the groups associated therewith. So after an evening of trying to spend some time with my husband and my blackberry buzzing and beeping all night long as if a swarm of bees was invading, I realized, I can't. I just can't do all of this on my own. It's too much. So, after careful consideration, I have formulated a plan. Times are tough, no one wants to spend money. I get it. So here is the offer of all offers. FREE JEWELRY! That's right. If you are an experienced blogger, social media guru, networking queen, etc, Please apply here. In exchange for helping us spread the word through all of these outlets, we will give you free jewelry. Each situation will be different so we simply ask you to contact us. Once we can establish your level of interest, commitment, and general knowledge, we'll create a plan that works for both of us. So polish up those keyboards and get ready to spread the word! You may contact me personally at jen@inthepinkdesigns.com for more details.

Star Struck again!

2009-03-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

Working at home can be quite monotonous some days. Same old, same old. However, some days can be truly extraordinary. Like when you answer the phone and there is a celebrity on the other end of the line. Your heart skips a beat (or two) and you try to simply make words come out in a cohesive sentence. Nothing you can do prepares you for that moment. The thought "just be professional" keeps running through my head. Candice Michelle was her name. Now unless you are a die hard playboy fan or into women's wrestling, you may not recognize the name. I didn't. But then again, unless it's Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks, I probably won't recognize any other celebrity name either. I had to IM our marketing director (while I was on the phone no less) to find out who this person was. Of course she knew, and that is why she works for us! Long story short, we chatted for awhile and helped her work out which necklace will work for what she is trying to accomplish. Sweetheart of a gal and used a beautiful photo for her necklace. I am anxious to get started on it and hear her reaction when she receives it. I know this photo holds special meaning for her. The moral of the story is that: 1) You never know who might be calling so always answer in a professional manner and be ready for anything. 2) When dealing with a celebrity, treat them as first class as you would any other client, and vice versa. 3) Keep in mind the connections. If there is one order to go the extra mile on and make it Perfect, this would be it.

While not every day is exciting, this was the little bit I needed I push through these tougher times and make the best of it. It's not every day I can say that I spoke with a Playboy Bunny!

A day like no other or maybe just like everyday

2009-03-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

The days events never cease to amaze me. How the house has not been burned down yet, I have no idea. As we scramble to get ready this morning, preparing for another busy day it occurs to me very quickly how mischievous little boys can be. I was on the phone with my mother in law, trying to multi task, brushing my hair when I noticed a very strange smell in the bathroom. Like a forest fire. I happened to look down where my son had been sitting just moments before. He had plugged in the iron that my husband had used that morning and laid it face down on a wooden step stool. Needless to say, there was a nice, neat burn mark in the shape of an iron. Quickly I unplugged it and explained to my mother-in-law what had just happened. I joked "I should date it, saying London was here" I don't think she found it quite humorous, probably wondering where those eyes-in-the-back-of-head were. My only saving grace is that I'm relatively sure my husband was no saint as a child:-) Top the day off with a sick 3rd child, sorry, I meant my husband, a car in the shop (sorry Mrs. Schabes, we don't know why it won't turn on), London sharing food with Michael (Michael is our dog, London is our son) and of course it was Michael's food they were sharing. "One for you and one for London" he says. If I wasn't so grossed out, I would have taken a picture. I quickly removed the food. But then of course, he moved on to the dog treats. My daughter asks, "isn't that poisonous?". Well Madeleine, I'm pretty sure if Michael can eat, it won't hurt London. He did try to eat a live sponge the last time we went out in the boat and that didn't seem to cause him any harm. I knew he was pretty much a vegetarian but what do you call a child that will eat pretty much anything EXCEPT normal people food?
It was an interesting day but watching my daughter snuggled up in bed with my son reading The Cat in the Hat to him was just perfect!

The advertising gig

2009-03-04T18:16:00.000-08:00

The economy must be bad, real bad. I have had so many advertisers call me today slashing their prices (and I do mean slashing!), desperate to have anyone to fill these vacant spots. It's hard to resist, especially when some are truly wonderful deals. However, I found that running an ad a few times in a magazine doesn't get you far. Except maybe further in the hole. They want you to believe it's the best thing for your business and they'll sell it hard but beware. If you are a small business, most of the time advertising budgets are tight. Think long term. 3 times is the minimum I would run an ad for in any publication. You have to be able to get in front of them repeatedly. It's tempting to run an ad 1 times, just to see what you get. But most likely, you'll get nothing. For our company, I know the best advertising right now is excellent customer service. So much of our business is created by developing a relationship with our customers. They purchase something for themselves, it's wonderful. By the end, we know their life story and could easily call them a friend. What do you think happens when they need a very special gift for someone? Who they call? Bingo! True, it may be a slower development but it doesn't cost you a thing. And personally, there is just something gratifying about a customer returning multiple times or someone coming to us because their friend raved about our company. It makes me smile, big smile:-)
So the next time you fill an order or speak with a client, remember, they are your present AND your future. Treat them well and they will return. And hopefully bring friends!

Home office woes

2009-03-02T15:49:00.001-08:00

Ahh, how I'm wishing for an office outside of the house right now! As I sit in my office, the Wii is singing along in the background with the giggles of my kiddos as they try to hula hoop. My typing is briefly interrupted by a plastic boat zinging by my head. The 2 yr old doesn't seem to understand that I gave up my large office space to accommodate a playroom. For some reason, I actually thought the toys would stay there. And maybe, just maybe, my open office arrangement would make them less likely to try to join in and more likely to happily play next to me, in their own space. How silly of me! Sitting next to my stapler is a plastic Disney monorail that doesn't see to have an off switch, chanting "Please stand clear of the doors". And then there is the spool of ribbon, laying completely unraveled in the middle of the floor. There is no closing the door to concentrate, it's more like a daily trial of focus. How many interruptions and distractions can I handle while composing an e-mail that sounds like a person over 5 wrote?

Tip of the day: I have found it to be completely unrealistic to isolate yourself while trying to work. The best way to make working at home easy on yourself and your family is to find ways to mesh the two. Have a laptop with a wireless internet connection. You can sit outside and be with the kids as they play and still sneak in a few e-mails!

How to work with a 2 yr old

2009-02-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

I would hate to fool you, there is no real answer to this! I have a 9 year old little girl that for all intents and purposes, is perfect. Since she was 2, she has been quiet, polite and was very easy to keep occupied. I started working at home when she was born. Then, 6 years later, our little boy came. There aren't words to describe how different they are. Today, for example, we had to make a simple trip to the store for nighttime diapers. I have not been feeling well so my intention was to get in and get out. I had a list, stick to it and then go, that was the plan. No sooner do we walk in the door, the whining starts. Still not feeling well, I'm willing to give him just about anything to appease him. So, a can of black beans in one hand and kidney beans in the other seems to do it for the moment. Then, the phone rings. It's a new potential rep so I try to remain business like and carry on a conversation. The whining continues. Finally, the sweet gal on the other end of the line finally says, "would another time be better?" Thankfully, I said yes. The trip does not end there but rather goes on to include London pulling his pants down in the aisle and then me forgetting the one item I really had to get, diapers. My husband, a businessman himself would cringe at the thought of working under these circumstances. But to me, it's just a normal day in a work-at-home mom's life. Life will go on and tomorrow will be another day. Adventure might be a better word!

Working at home... in PJ's!

2009-02-18T06:01:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen those commercials for the at-home college degree with the spokesperson in her pajamas? Sounds intriguing but I say, if you don't have to do it, get off the couch and go to a real school with a real classroom. I love working at home sometimes but other days, I would give anything to get dressed up and actually go to an office. I can certainly get the same things accomplished here, but it's just not the same. A good portion of our house has become the "office". Although, most offices don't have Disney channel playing in the background. All of our staff has young children so on meeting days, it looks more like playgroup. Never a dull moment around here. But I know all too soon that my last baby will go off to school and I'll be here alone. Sounds nice right now but I think the days will grow quiet and I'll long for the chaos that ensues each afternoon. As the phone begins to ring and my fingers fly across the keyboard, I don't have time to think about how hard it is or how it's all going to get done. I just do it. And I wouldn't want to miss a moment of it!

For all of the WAHMs (work at home moms) out there I'll try to share my days experiences and remind you that you aren't alone. For everyone else, maybe this blog will help you appreciate your quiet office space. Or maybe you'll decide to join the craziness and work at home too.

Thanks for reading!

Perk-Me-Up

2009-02-13T05:51:00.000-08:00

My Perk-Me-Up of the day is: Buy a new pair of shoes in an unexpected pattern or color. I was at Dillards last night and found the cutest pair of black and white giraffe print loafers with hot pink tassles and trim. And even better, at 70% off. It feels good to be a little eccentric sometimes, I think DH appreciates it a little too! Makes me feel a little more daring...

2009-02-11T06:58:00.000-08:00