Wreath Update #5 - New Fall Wreaths in the Etsy Shop!

New to the Etsy Shop! Fall Wreaths for Halloween, Day of  the Dead, and any type of fall activity you may have going on.  Let's start the countdown to the return of Pumpkin Spice lattes, which are addictive as crack cocaine, peeps!  (I mean, so I have heard.  Not about Pumpkin Spice but about crack)

I have appropriated name this one, Pumpkin Spice.

I also have a new, bigger and better Wedding Wreath in the shop, a new Happy Birthday Wreath and an end of the Summer - Nautical Themed Wreath with a hand-made octopus made from polymer clay.  Dudes, that octopus took me, like, two weeks to made since my earlier attempts looked more like weird spiders cause I didn't know how to make the tentacles curl just right.

Shiny in all the right places....unlike my face.

I named this one Life Aquatic.  Yes, Wes Anderson reference ftw!

What other themed wreaths would you guys like to see?  Are you excited for Pumpkin Lattes just around the corner?

Mmmmm.............Pumpkin Spice (drool)

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(W)Reef Update #4 - Etsy is the Besty

Welcome back from the Mother's Day Weekend!

I had two wreath orders for shop last week, customized for the recipients and shipped out successfully.

Ya like?

I also made one of my first big purchases this week from Etsy as well, from SongForWolves. It's this amazing artist Lorena out of Mexico, that hand sews plush dolls and other whimsical creations.  It's like the cartoon Adventure Time put into plush form.

This lil' fella arrived on my doorstep, Saturday, while I was out day-drinking with my mom's side of the family for my cousin's graduation.

Later Saturday night my mom made a super yummy potato salad, fruit salad, and cucumber salad along with brisket sandwiches for the graduation after-party at my parents house, where the day drinking turned into night drinking.

Also popular were my pair of music festival going sunglasses, which I had mistaken for my regular sunglasses, (I know, how did that happen, right?) and wore during church and Mother's Day Brunch.  My mom was amused but not surprised. ; )

How about you guys?  How did the weekend go?  Any cool projects?

Let me know,
Marg

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Just What Kind of Blog Do You Think This Is?

Tell me, because I have no idea.  Seriously.

I originally started this blog as an outlet for my wreath shop on Etsy, appropriately named SugarSkull Industries' (W)Reef Shop, because I love a good pun. I read online that the best way to build up an audience of which to introduce my wares was by casting a wide net into the blogosphere.  Fair enough, I thought.  Plus I love writing and telling funny stories about my childhood, like that one time I found a dead bird in our backyard playhouse that my mom took great lengths to sew little fabric curtains for, which made me believe for a short time that we actually had an evil, Satanic playhouse that was murdering small animals.  Turns out we just left the little front door open and an an old bird was looking for a quiet place to pass on.

So maybe I started this blog for the wrong reasons.  I mean who hasn't heard of a wreath.  "Oh excuse me, ladies and fine gentlemen!  Allow me to introduce the newest thing, straight from Paris, you have never seen anything like it, I promise!  Behold--the wreath!"

I started with a bold direction for my blog.  Nothing exactly new or innovative but tried and true.  I enjoy reading Radical Possibility and thought, hey I like decorating my house, I love exploring the nearest city, I love drinking gin! I settled on posting some fun home decor DIY projects, artistically impressive photos of my travels, and the occasional think piece on whatever my little dorky heart desired, like books, music and/or anything comic book related.  The readers would surely flock.  I am and will forever be an optimist. Fatally optimistic is what my paternal grandmother once said.  I, of course, was like, "What the hell, Granma?"  (She prefers the spelling without a "d")

I'll be honest, I did have fun posting.  Even though my DIY projects were sadly short-lived.  I have neither the imagination nor skill to come up with successful DIYs on a regular basis and forget taking successful photos of the whole enterprise.  Seriously, are there any night owl bloggers?  And if so what do you post?  Do you take your pictures at night, after work like I try to?

I don't travel enough to take beautiful landscape pictures of things like an abandoned cemetery or like, a duck pond.  I don't have a mate or children to take pictures of or, conversely, to take pictures of me while doing DIYs.  Sorry if I left  you with the impression that I may or may not be left handed.

So what is left then?  The funny stories, I guess?  I could try cooking but come on, not even I'm optimistic enough to beat that dead horse.  Also, I'm like a remedial cook at best.  I know how to cook some stuff, like spaghetti, meat loaf, tacos but I'm not adventurous and at the first mention of a food processor or mixer, I give up.  I got a rice cooker, an 18 year old toaster, a blender and a panini press.  I mean I can't even make rice unassisted.

I could try the fashion angle.  Taking pictures of every single outfi---nah, scratch that.  I'm too lazy.  I got bored halfway through that last sentence.

So what are your thoughts?  What do you look for in your favorite blogs?  After 6 months of blogging, I'm asking you, dear readers, what do you like to read about?  What gets you interested and engaged?  Just curious.

; )

Marg

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Fear of Missing Out

Last weekend, yes Easter Weekend of all things, I was experiencing some FOMO or the Fear of Missing Out.  There were so many free activities I had planned after a particularly stressful work week.  The was the free Late Night at the Dallas Museum Art on Friday night, the Dallas Etsy Spring Bash outdoor market Saturday morning, and of course Record Store Day with food, festivities and music all day at several shops in Dallas and Fort Worth.  There was also the grand opening of Melt Ice Creams Saturday night in Fort Worth.

But……………………………….

I really needed to mow my backyard.  And sleep in some.

After the work week I was ready to have tons of fun but my backyard was severely overgrown with weeds, tall thick dandelion stalks, home to a million plus mosquitos.  I also couldn’t wake up before nine, instead awaking at 11:30 am, rubbing my eyes in a weird foggy daze.

Shit, I thought.

Now I was going to have to hustle to make the Etsy Spring Bash.  As I slowly awoke over a cup of coffee, I noticed my dog, Lil Mama, had virtually vanished behind a huge patch of weeds.  I had been given a notification by the city the spring before, telling me my lawn was overgrown and I would be fined if it was not taken care of.  I didn’t want that to happen again.  My dog, a blue heeler-lab mix, was an outdoor dog and loved lying out in the sun all day.

But I didn’t want to miss all the awesome activities! 

I wanted, nay NEEDED to go out and meet cool people because A – I have never had a boyfriend in my entire LIFE, B – I wanted to make new friends with stranger, which is generally easy for me and C – my bestest friends in the world are always working during the weekends.  Plus I wanted to get tips for my own Etsy shop!  This would help my love life, my social life and my business!

After I agonized a few minutes, I was like, fuck it.  You know what?  Just fuck it.  So I would miss out on some really awesome stuff.  Who cares?  There was a reason I couldn’t wake up early, because I need rest.  And now my dog needs me, and my home needs me.  We are the people we are, not because of the same concert everyone went to, or the same party everyone attended, but because of our differences.  Because of the DIFFERENT choices we each make.

So I mowed my lawn. 

All of this.....

Not that I did a great job but it got done.

As soon as I was done, Lil’ Mama flopped on her back, rubbing her fur into the newly shorn yard.  I took a shower, and made some guacamole and a grapefruit gin and tonic.  Then lay on the couch reading a book.  It was heaven.

I bet those activities didn't have fresh guac.

See no one ever brags about mowing their lawn on Facebook or posting it on their blog.  We are lead to believe we are missing out by living our own lives.  I feel lazy for not coming up with brilliant DIY ideas on a regular basis.  I feel jealous for not being a wonderful baker or a clean living cooks.  I love to take photographs whenever I go on a trip but it's not nearly enough to sustain two posts a week.

Never fear missing out, what you are gaining is a sense of self and nothing, not even a blog, can give you that.

Amen,

Marg

Top Image Source - Original and Edited

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My Etsy Shop is Open and Free Giveaway!!!!!

Hello a-llo,
I have finally opened my Etsy shop, SugarSkull Industries, where I'm selling a limited number of wreaths for the holidays and occasions like Birthdays, Housewarming, New Hire, Baby Showers, etc.  I gave the shop a subname, SugarSkullIndustries (W)Reef Shop, just to be funny but rest assured I'm only selling handmade wreaths.

Cute for boy's Baby Shower.

This is my Nacho Libre inspired Valentine's Day wreath.

I can do other states as well.

Take a look, take a browse, stay awhile.  Currently I have some Valentine's Day wreaths for sale but expect to see alternative takes on other holidays as well.  I have

I'll be working on a Santa-Fe themed, mini-series of wreaths next.  So check back from time to time.

Oh and let me know if you'd like a free sample wreath to display and get me some business in other parts of the US and Canada!  Just leave a comment explaining what you'd like on your wreath and why.  I'll the pick the one that gets my creative juices flowing the most and privately contact you about a shipping address which I'll send free of charge.

Later my ninjas and wish me luck in the Etsy biz,
Margaret

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