Pink Panda Says…

I’ve been on the hunt for a few months… since I finished my beginner’s sewing class and now can sew more than just straight lines!

Our class used Janome sewing machines (no idea what model) but now I want a Janome and have been searching high and low for something that is affordable and easy to use.

Too bad Costco doesn’t carry this brand (only Brother and Singer and some of them haven’t gotten good reviews on Amazon so I’m hesitant to try them out) so it limits where I can get my machine. I’ve searched on Craigslist, the one sewing store near my house (it’s $500! Yikes!) and the studio where I took my sewing classes. No luck. Well they’re available but just not in my price range.

I did notice that Overstock.com now ships to Canada — YAY!!! — but am afraid of what will happen once it crosses the border — will I be slapped with customs/duty charges which will drive up the final purchase price? Does anyone know where to get an affordable machine in Canada?

My budget is $200 – 250 but I’m not sure if I am asking for too much here or what. I know that machines are an investment and will last me hopefully forever but I’m hesitant to take the plunge. Anyone have a good recommendation for something other than a Janome? The one thing it has to have is the one step button hole feature. I tried using the button hole foot in class and it didn’t turn out so well. HAHAHA… the button holes for a little pouch I made weren’t lined up properly and one hole was about 2 inches lower than the other one.

What sewing machine do you use? Would you recommend it to a beginner sewist like me? I am only planning to start off with a few blankets and maybe some simple toys for the Pink Panda. Oh and some pillow covers for decorative pillows on the sofa. Once I have a few projects under my belt then maybe I’ll get a little adventurous and sew myself a top or dress!

Just last week I was wondering when the Fall weather would start. I went out several times last week without a coat (and in a tshirt) and thought to myself “Oh maybe it’ll be a warm winter this year”. Spoke to soon!

Temperatures didn’t get above 10C this week and last night it dropped to 3C! Of course having been in tshirts the previous week, I wasn’t prepared for such a drastic temperature change and didn’t have time to pull out all my Winter clothes from storage. I was freezing my butt off this week! I’m sure snow is just around the corner here in Toronto — actually a little north of Toronto — I’m a suburbanite!

From osteras

I’m still wearing my Birkenstocks and haven’t had time to go searching for the Converse sneakers from the crazy shoe pile on the floor of the front hall closet. Needless to say, my toes were almost blue by the time I came in from walking the dog around the block this afternoon.

Good thing the Pink Panda had all the right clothes for school today! She’s probably the only person in the family ready for pumpkin patch season.

So now that the above 10C weather has ended, I guess now is the time to start shopping for the holidays and thinking about all the handmade gifts I will be making this year. There will be many projects (well at least 3 – one for hubby, one for the bulldog and one for Pink Panda) – so this month I will finally set up an arts & crafts corner somewhere in the house so I have everything in one place (in addition to avoid being called the clutterer by my husband).

So what about you? Have you already started shopping for the holidays or started your handmade projects? Please say I’m not the only one that has left it for last minute (ok not last minute, but you know what I mean. I’m sure many of you are already half way down your project list whereas I’m still brainstorming. HELP!)

Amy Butler fans (myself included!) ….. guess what’s coming to Canada this Fall?

Amy Butler’s newest collection Love.  Inspired by recent trips to Indonesia and England, Amy’s collection features  tropical colors, ethnic imprints and over the top florals.

Love by Amy Butler

See which fabrics from Amy Butler’s Love collection is coming this Fall to Pink Panda Fabrics. We’ve got polka dots in ALL colourways!

If you’re interested in seeing some lifestyle photos of the collection in use, visit Amy Butler’s website.

And as always… Free shipping in Canada (no minimum required), Free shipping to USA (with a minimum purchase of $99 USD)

Need a haircut? Want to change up your hairstyle for the Fall? I may be your woman.

Over the weekend I attempted to cut Pink Panda’s hair. In 16 months I have only cut her hair two times. The first time I tried to do it, I ended up making the bangs a bit crooked (did you know that little kids can’t sit still for more than 5 seconds? LOL)

This weekend I made sure my husband was there to assist me while I trimmed Pink Panda’s bangs as they were a bit long and getting into her eyes.

I was aiming for a wispy bang kind of look and instead I ended up creating something that looked like this:

From The Etchasketchist

That’s right! My husband said I had turned our daughter into a Star Trek character – and I’m not even a Trekkie (but he is so I thought he would have appreciated it, but somehow he didn’t)! Oh dear.

So if you are looking for a Spock haircut this season, I’m your gal! My calendar is free all month so if you wanna book your appointment now, email me!

Clearly, hair cutting / hair styling is not my calling.  HA.

P.S. I would have posted a pic of the Pink Panda’s new do but you know the internet. Photos can last forever on the interwebs and she’ll probably hate me for it if she ever found it online.

P.P.S. There will be no more DIY haircut attempts within the near future. I’ll leave it to the professionals!

It’s that time again! And this time I’m only 1 day late. Woohoo. I’m on top of my game – I think.

It’s Monthly Goal Meetup at Modish time!

1. Re-design business cards and get them printed  Finito! Although the text is a bit small so I have to redo them again once I run out.
2. Send out first issue of The Bolt newsletter — Le Sigh. This unfortunately STILL has not gotten done because I keep changing my mind as to what program I will use. MailChimp, iContact, Mad Mimi…
3. Try to figure out a work routine so it’s 10% web consulting work and 90% Pink Panda Fabrics work per day (Monday to Friday). Currently the split is about 50/50 and I am going bonkers!  — Still not done. But almost had a breakdown today (not with this store) and am not sure what the future holds for consulting. More later.
4. Finish taxes. It is PST time here and I have to submit the forms to the government this month. So this goal HAS TO BE CROSSED OFF by next month. Oh… I have a headache already Done! Indeed, it was painful and I am not looking forward to it next time. Need to look into QuickBooks or something. Excel just not cutting it.

Not bad, right? Good thing I’m not going back to school, that’s borderline passing!

By Carissa GoodNCrazy

So here’s what’s up for this month (September). Let’s hope I score better than 50%

1. Work on promo card design
2. Do at least 2 posts related to fabric – yes I know, I’ve been talking about all other hobbies and what not, so now I need to focus!
3. Introduce a crafty find / blog to the world – doesn’t have to be fabric related – just whatever inspires me.
4. START NEWSLETTER – I’m hoping adding it in CAPS will make me get on this asap
5. Re-balance work and life – I’m not sure if this is possible but I’m gonna try.

If you’d like to take part in the online monthly goal meet-up or want to meet other cool biz-minded people, visit Modish Biz Tips. You won’t be disappointed!

Does Mother Nature know it’s back to school season? What is up with the weather?

We are two weeks away from back to school (ok I’m not going to school… been there, done that… but many in the neighbourhood are) and it seems like Autumn has arrived. Early. It is a chilly 10C tonight – had to pull out my fall jacket before heading out and I am now surfing for some slow cooker recipes like stews and soup! It’s not even September yet.

Hope everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of summer (even if it is a bit chilly).

P.S. If you have any favourite slow cooker recipes, send them my way!

P.P.S Crapola! Just realized that today is August 30 and in 2 days we start on the September Monthly Goal Meetup at Modish Biz Tips. Gotta end this post and try to finish up my August goals.

Yes, it is mid month and I am setting buiness goals for the remainder of the month. I am a true believer in setting goals every month – not just for business, but personal goals as well.

I have been reading Jena’ Coray’s Modish Biz Tips blog for several months now and find myself always looking forward to her Monthly Goal Meetup posts and reading what other business owners are working on. (I’ve also had the pleasure of working with her — she is awesome by the way!)

This month I’ve decided to jump in and join the fun. For the last few months I have been writing my goals down on a pad of paper and keeping it on my bedside table.

It has been a busy summer with a plethora of weddings, BBQs, baby showers, a vacation and getting Pink Panda ready for part time daycare in September (yes, we signed her up so she can socialize with kids her age and not just with me) and I haven’t been doing so well with meeting my goals. Maybe because my list is 10+ items long and it’s only me looking at it — not the rest of the world. I figure if I post it online, it will make me more accountable HA HA! Let’s see if that works.  A long list like that also doesn’t help when it’s already mid August!

This month I am going to have a shorter list so I don’t feel stressed out every night looking at the to-do list and wondering how I’m going to meet all my goals while trying to survive the chaos of everyday life.

So here’s my list:

1. Re-design business cards and get them printed
2. Send out first issue of The Bolt newsletter
3. Try to figure out a work routine so it’s 10% web consulting work and 90% Pink Panda Fabrics work per day (Monday to Friday). Currently the split is about 50/50 and I am going bonkers!
4. Finish taxes. It is PST time here and I have to submit the forms to the government this month. So this goal HAS TO BE CROSSED OFF by next month. Oh… I have a headache already

If you have a business or thinking of starting one, head over to Modish Biz Tips – Jena and the contributors give great advice and share stories to help keep you motivated!

My husband and the Pink Panda took a little trip to San Francisco last week for a best friend’s wedding. It was an beautiful wedding, a somewhat relaxing week (I say somewhat because Pink Panda just learned to walk on her own while we were there and now our lives are spent hunching over so we can pick up everything she throws onto the floor – our backs are aching!) and a great chance to catch up with university friends.

I was dying to get onto the netbook, to blog, to share photos, to answer work related emails but my husband held me back. It was already a big deal that the BlackBerry didn’t make it into my carry-on. I would have taken it if roaming charges weren’t so expensive.

Photo from PatrickSmithPhotography

But last week, I learned a great lesson. Cherish the moment. Be present in everything that you do. There were times while we were sightseeing I’d say to myself “I wonder how many emails I’ll have to clean out of the inbox when I get home” and then my thought would be interrupted by the Pink Panda squealing in delight as she tried an empanada (there was a lot of eating during this vacation) for the first time and opened gifts I had ordered for her before we went away just so she could have something special for her first vacation — got tons of packages delivered to California to my husband’s dismay. Ha ha ha — suitcases were PACKED before we even hit the mall.

So when we returned home, I vowed to turn off the crackberry (that’s what it is, isn’t it? Who isn’t addicted to that thing?) before dinner time and turn it back on when I get up in the morning (I’m still an addict so it does stay on the night table beside me ). I’m going to think less about the to-dos (difficult as this is some kind of gene I inherited from my dad who has to do lists running in his head 24/7 and I have had them running in mine since …. forever) and focus more on the here and now.

So my posts will be hopefully more fun and less fabric related (that’s what the newsletter is for anyways and yes, still on my to-do list!).

I will be blogging once in a while about work and my work related goals — I follow many blogs that talk about entrepreneurship, working in the craft/design industry, work at home life etc so I’ll share the stuff I love to read with you all.

Thanks for being so patient waiting for your orders while we were away. All of them have been shipped (took us a solid 24 hours to pack everything — yes I stayed up for 24 hours straight to pack orders — don’t worry… jet lag got me through it ) and your goodies will be arriving shortly!

Hope you’re all having a great day and cherishing every second of it. Today only comes once in your life. Happy Tuesday August 11!