What I Make or Sell

 

I just love it when Kelly hosts this so first of all thanks Kelly for having us!

The Pickle Tree is my etsy shop and it is my new full time job.

I just had my second child and I quit my awesome full time job to stay home with them!

My plan was to run The Pickle Tree full time.

I have QUICKLY learned, that I am taking care of my boys and running The Pickle Tree on the side!

So, here are a few of the things that you can find in my shop!

 

 

This is a build your own towel with Greek letters. It is super popular this time of year with big sister little sister gifts for sororities. It is affordable and something special that is handmade especially for your sis!

 

 This three letter circle monogram towel is one of my best sellers. It is so preppy and fun. I do not use my embroidery machine for these. I hand draw, cut, heat bond, then sew the letters onto the towel. Each one is different and special!

 

 

 These little gowns are so precious! It is a go to baby gift for a few of my customers. It is so special and fun and the personal touch is just what people LOVE to give and receive!

 



 

Each letter is hand drawn and cut. I use high quality Monag gowns that are 100% ring spun cotton. They are so sturdy and soft!

 

These giant fancy monograms tees are another special item that are hand drawn, cut, heatbonded and sewn. They are so cool!

 



WAR EAGLE! This precious aubie jon jon is a personal favorite of mine! The Aubie applique is so versatile. It can go on a jon jon, a dress, or a tee. Great for mixing and matching sibling sets!

 



 

This mix and match ruffle pants set is another good one for the Auburn Fans!

Great bang for your buck!

 



 

I have two little boys. All you moms with boys know that we get left out of the cuteness most of the time! I always try to include the boys!

This pumpkin pants set is perfect for the pumpkin patch! I am going to make a tee for big brother too!

 

 

Spiderman Birthday party anyone? This spiderman number tee is a MUST!

 



 

Are you starting to see a pattern? Yes...I am an Auburn fan!

We have the best fans! My search stats always show "auburn" as the number one search word on etsy! LOVE MY AU FAMILY!

This truck with Aubie driving is ALL boy!

 

 This turkey jon jon is adorable. I do not have it listed in my shop yet! I gotta GET BUSY!!!

 

 

This corduroy jon jon is made of high quality kaufman corduroy and is another one that is not listed yet. I will be listing it soon!!!

 

 

This santa pillowcase dress was a favorite from last year!

 

 

How sweet is this snowman pinafore?

 

These Auburn Pillowcase dresses are hands down my best seller!

 

 



 

 

I just love the fresh colors on this turkey dress! It is definitely a top seller in the fall!

 



 

 

TURKEY TEE!!!

 

And the ever popular personalized one letter towel. There are not many other options out there to give someone such an affordable personlaized gift. I sell these in huge numbers for bridesmaids gifts, bachelorette parties, birthday party favors, christmas gifts..,you name it!

 

 

 

I love what I do! It is crazier than ever these days with a busy 4 year old and a new baby in the mix, but I would not trade it for the world!

 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or ideas for your special order!

If I take a moment to respond, you can bet it has something to do with these two cuties!

 

 

 

 

Almost three months already!

Well, Shepherd is almost three months old and I realized that I never posted any two month pictures!

He came home with this crazy grunting habit. He must have picked it up at the hospital!

HA!

No seriously...I actually talked to the Dr. about it. I was worried. the kid grunted ALL NIGHT LONG in his sleep. I was so worried that he as in some type of pain or something. The Dr. was not concerned, so I just learned to tune it out.

I guess I was so good at ignoring it, that I just realized it has stopped. It could have happened anytime in the last few weeks...not sure. All I know id that it is gone and I am PROUD!

He is sleeping from about 8pm till about 4am. He takes a quick bottle and then goes back to sleep until about 6:30 or 7. It is pretty awesome!

He is smiling now and Big D and I just eat it up. He "talks" more than any baby I have ever heard. His little coos and ahhs are the sweetest sounds.

He is such a good baby. My only complaint right now is that is will not take a good nap during the day. Just a bunch of cat naps. Nothing more than about 30 minutes. I am worried that he is not getting enough rest. But hey, if that is all that I have to complain about, then I am doing pretty good, right?

Being a Stay at Home Mom is Like Having a Saturday Every Day

So far, being a stay at home mom is like having a Saturday every day. I mean, I don't set my alarm to wake up in time to be anywhere, I am up at all ours of the night,  I don't have to wear make up and blow out my hair, I don't have a set schedule, and I don't have to answer to anyone! 

I have only been doing this gig since May 22nd of this year. That is the day that my youngest son was born. I was put on bed rest the day before because of high blood pressure. Ahhhh.... I was to have 2 glorious days of nothingness before my next Dr's appointment. When my water broke at 3AM that morning, I should have seen it as a sign of things to come. A sign of never having any days of nothingness ever again.

Let me clarify by saying that my oldest son definitely brought some excitement to our world. There was hardly ever nothingness with only him around. The difference back then, was that I worked outside of the home. That meant long hours of commuting in the morning and evenings. That equals being stuck doing nothing. That meant an hour lunch break. ALL. TO. MYSELF. There is something to be said for no distractions.  Usually, I used these hours to make calls, run errands, and get my thoughts together.

That is no more.
*Side Note-If you never get phone calls from me anymore, please consider this your explanation. I am doing you a favor. A phone call from me now would consist of two or three words directed at you and the rest barking out orders to a four year old while trying to balance a phone on my shoulder while I feed a baby with my chin holding the top of the bottle while also tying a shoe with one hand.*

I digress...the point is, if everyday now is like a Saturday then it is one of those Saturdays that has a to do list packed so full that you have to hit the ground running with the roosters! It is the kind of day that you just get up and go and determine later if time permits a shower. If not, that's ok. Your children will not mind if you just throw your hair back into one of the pony tail holders that live permanently around your wrists these days. I mean, let's face it, that is probably for the best considering the combination of spit up and peanut butter that is knotting the ends of that rats nest you call hair.
The expectations are pretty high believe it or not.
All of that help that I got with the laundry, food shopping, and cooking is OVER! I am pretty sure that now I should be making money from The Pickle Tree, cooking three squares a day, keeping our clothes fresh and laundered (side note- there is a pile of pants on the ironing board...anyone know what that means? anyone? anyone?..WAIT- never mind, if you know do not tell. I think I will keep playing dumb for now), and doing the shopping with two kids all blindfolded and with one hand tied behind my back.
I mean...I am a SAHM, now. This is my job. And it is easy, right?
If staying at home with the kids is like a Saturday, let's talk about how I never ALWAYS have to answer to someone.
 That. is. constant.
And the spectrum is without limits.

Mommy, can I have a snack?
Mommy, I need a wipe ( yes, his butt).
Mommy, I want to watch Mickey Mouse Playhouse!
Mommy, when will daddy be home?
Is it today? TODAY? ( fifty thousand times a day, no matter what we are talking about because he does not get the concept of today, tomorrow, or next week)
TODAY?
Mommy, can I have a snack?
Mommy, why is Nanny in heaven?
Mommy, is it my birthday party yet?
Mommy, am I on the naughty list?
Mommy, how far is heaven?
Mommy, can I have a snack?
Mommy, are you done yet? ( because it does not matter what I am doing, if it is not directly related to him it NEEDS TO STOP!).
Mommy, can I have a snack?
TODAY? TODAY?

Oh, and let's not forget the call of the baby. It might not come in the form of English, but I answer to him in the form of a bottle feeding that takes about 30 minutes at a time about 8-10 times a day!
There went 4 hours!
Beep Beep. Zip. Dang!

How did I do it before?
I mean, I worked 40 hours a week. I managed a busy etsy shop that required me to sew for about 20 hours a week not to mention the shopping, errands, and bookkeeping it requires. I took Blu to pre-school, picked him up, came home, fixed dinner, got bath and bed taken care of...

The answer is simple.
 Someone else was answering to my son. Someone else was feeding him breakfast and lunch. Someone else was wiping his bottom and answering his innocent inquiries about heaven.
He is my full time job now. Along with his precious little brother.

I am SO looking forward to school starting so that I can have SOME semblance of a schedule!

Will I set my alarm to make sure we are up and at 'em with our lunches packed?
You bet!

Will I still be up at all hours of the night?
Sure, if the baby is hungry, but with any luck, he will be sleeping through by then!

Will I wear make up and blow my hair for the car pool line?
Of course not I will try once I get the hang of things.

Will I have a scheduled time to drop off, pick up, get groceries, sew some precious creations, manage the Pickle Tree, and perhaps even play a little tennis?
LAWD is HOPE so!

Will I be answering to anyone?
Yes...I will proudly be taking on most all of the why's, how many dollars, how long until we arrive, can I have a snack, and how far is heaven questions that will fit into what remains of each day.
Oh, and also the occasional, "You haven't cooked dinner?" question from my husband....
but that is a whole other post!

Am I suggesting that staying at home is harder than working outside of the home? No way!
Is it easier? ABSOLUTELY not!
Both sides have challenges. The grass is always greener, right?

All I know is that it is definitely an adjustment.
One NOT to be taken lightly.
I mean, just think how you would handle it if suddenly your 9-5 turned to a Saturday every day!

 

Changes for the Better

 Going from a family of three to a family of four has been lots of fun and lots of work!

We have a Memorial Day baby and a Fourth of July baby!

Well, neither on the exact date, but super close. That is going to make for busy summers EVERY year with birthday parties to plan and execute!

Invitations, thank you notes, invitations, thank you notes....ahh, the postal service is going to love us at this time of year!

I promise that I am not pinching him here!

ANYWAY, the point of the post is to say, that I have officially turned in my notice at my daytime gig and am a stay at home mom, now.

Well, a work at home mom anyway!

I think the look in my eyes says it all....I am not so sure about this. I have been working outside of the home since I was 15 years old. This is going to take some getting used to.

Just the fact that I have not been setting an alarm for the mornings is SUPER weird to me.

I will be tackling the Pickle Tree full time.

So far, I found that I have less time to work at it than when I was working.
Go figure.

This staying at home bit is tough.

But so far, I am LOVING every minute of it and I am certain that once Blu is in school, I will find a routine.
Right now, we are just in an anything goes because it is summer state of mind!

So, sorry for the absence, but I have been adjusting to so many new things. It is hard to fit in fun frivolous stuff like blogging!

This is going to be a true adventure for me. I am looking forward to it and am anxious about it at the same time!

Say a little prayer for me.

And stay tuned to The Pickle Tree. I am trying to keep it low right now, but once school starts I should be turning up the volume!