A&D Boutique is Making A Comeback!

I know that over the last year a lot of stuff has been on the back burner.  Life happens and with that our life evolves, things change, some things get crazy and some things level out.  In our "life storm" as I call it I have been working my booty off to build up my business so that I can re-open with a big bang.  Here is a wonderful quote that I have been living by recently:  "Life is like a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats." - Voltaire.

I have been singing my lungs out.  I have spent quite a bit of time learning new techniques and learning new crafts so that I can include more things in my Etsy store and offer more at the shows and fairs that I will be starting to do this Fall/ Winter.  I have also been taking classes to better my small craft business.  It all comes down to making a better product and experience for my customers.

"Life is like a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats" -Voltaire

Working Towards Re-Launch
During my work towards a re-launch of my Etsy store I have learned how to make jewelry, spin yarn, design beautiful art yarn, dye fiber using multiple techniques and I have been working on a LOT of crochet projects. Knitting is coming soon too as my Mom has requested a knitted sweater for Christmas.

These are examples of a necklace and bracelet that I learned how to make.

Focusing on All The Right Stuff

I have wondered if investing the time in to my Etsy business is worth it.  Not speaking monetarily of course because I have some of the greatest customers but in terms of using the time to focus on other things.  I realized that my business is not just work.  It is my outlet.  It is a love that I have that nourishes my soul that keeps me grounded.  Art has always been a great love for me.  Pretty much any kind of art.  I learned how to do wood burning as a young kid.  I have loved photography since I can remember and I got my first camera TWENTY YEARS AGO!  Okay that makes me feel old.  I have dabbled in so many different arts and it is very important for me to share the love with my own children.  I realized that by working on my business and showing my kids a good work ethic even though I am a stay at home Mom it teaches them that you can live a balanced life even if you are a SAHM.  Hopefully it sends a very positive message to my kids. Not to mention by doing projects with my kids and sharing my love for art it is teaching my kids to love and appreciate art as well.  My son absolutely loves to dye fiber with me.  It doesn't matter if we are dying yarn or roving or wool locks he is the first one to the counter in the kitchen.  He probably gets more excited than I do.  Now where does my husband fit in to all of this?  I have not mentioned him at all so far.  In my quest to learn how to spin yarn and learn about dyeing my husband has picked up his own love for fiber.  He has a greater appreciation for a slower life and when he gets out of the military his plan is for us to ranch and have a flock of sheep.  His choice of the breed of the sheep changes pretty regularly still as he learns more but it is still the plan.  He is devoting a lot of his time to learning all he can about ranching and animal sciences and of course about fiber.  He knows more of the specifics about more fibers than I do now.  He is also getting everything set up so that he can go back to college (hopefully this Fall) so that he can start working on his degree with an emphasis on ranch management and animal sciences.  What a bunch of crazy changes huh?

Some super pink "Red House Original" yarn.  

100% Organic California wool and was dyed with food grade dyes.  

Ready, Set, GO! 

Over the next few weeks I will be getting all of my stock photos together so that I can plan a soft launch the first week of August and a full launch the second part of August.  I am coming back full force and utilizing a business plan and setting short and long term goals.  I am very thankful for CreativeLive's amazing online workshops for making me realize that I am not just a crafter.  I am a business person and even though I am not looking for a business loan and I am not opening a brick and mortar store (at this point anyway) it does not take away from the fact that I am a business person.  I have an office and stock and inventory with a closet full of supplies and the tools and knowledge to make beautiful products.

Baby Z wearing a camo newsboy hat and diaper cover set.

What to Expect 
One thing that I am really excited about is I am selling items I have in stock.  There will be very few orders for custom items and they will all be done through direct client purchases and not through my Etsy.  It really cuts the stress down exponentially this way.  I will be doing bi-weekly shipping on orders on Tuesdays and Thursday or Friday depending on if it is a holiday weekend (I live on an active military base with an under active post office).  I will be offering the option of custom dyed yarn and fiber as I add things to my shop.  Of course if there is something anyone would like to see that is not listed a quick email will likely get the item listed as soon as possible.  This also helps if you are looking for custom dyed yarn or fiber as I won't carry every conceivable variation of colors.  I will also start featuring new fiber items I have never offered before like nuno felted scarves and felted art pieces.  Another awesome new feature will include information on the pattern used in the product descriptions.  I work mainly with RAKJpatterns and that is a big part of who I am as a crocheter and I am always sharing the brand so I think for those who see something and love it and it sparks an interest in learning crochet it gives them a push in the right direction.  That is how I started and I think it is a great way for me to pay it forward in my business.

Ocean Air Cloche hat in Berroco Merino/ Silk yarn hand dyed "berries" colorway.

Call to Other Bloggers!! 
I wanted to include a call to other bloggers in this post.  Specifically bloggers who crochet or knit or use yarn for crafting.  As I develop my selection of hand spun yarns I would love to send some samples or mini skeins out to be tested by other bloggers who will make something with the yarn and write a blog about it.  I would also be interested in fashion, handmade, crafting etc. blogs doing an article on a finished piece of work.  I would send you a piece from my collection and you would write a review on it.  If you are interested in either of these options please let me know by email at aascottphotography@gmail.com.

Call to Photographers!!
A part of my letting some things go will be letting some of the photography go as well.  This calls for a great need for newborn photographers.  At this point I know that I cannot dedicate enough time to newborn photography and I am actively looking for a wonderful photographer to partner up with to handle model photography with my newborn items in exchange for some awesome new props for their studio.  If you are interested or know someone who may be interested please have them contact me at aascottphotography@gmail.com.

Stay Tuned for More Exciting Information 

From A&D Boutique 

Sweet & Simple Baby Crochet by Kristi Simpson- REVIEW

Everyone was excited when the book came in! 

This is my first book review on here so I am going to try and keep it fun and less like a book report.  As promised this is my first of many blogs regarding crochet.  This book is very near and dear to my heart so it had to be the first crochet blog I posted.  (Shameless plug?  Not quite.  Keep reading.)  Sweet & Simple Baby Crochet by Kristi Simpson hit shelves in the Fall of 2013.  It was published by Stackpole Books and can be found on their website for sale here.  There is also a great preview of the book there was well.  Not a big online shopper?  No problem!  Michaels now carries the book as well as many major retailers!

My Crochet Experience
I think at this point I should cover my experience with crochet.  I am a VERY new crocheter!!  I know a lot of people have stories about learning when they were six from a dear loved one.  While my Grandma could crochet I never had the patience to learn when I was younger or the courage to ask her to teach me.  I was easily frustrated and after trying to learn twice as a teen I gave it up.  Then while living in NC I wanted crocheted items for my photography business.  I started buying props and was soon referred to RAKJpatterns.  I learned to crochet through YouTube and I started buying patterns.  Soon enough I made a hat, then two, then I was blazing through all of the new patterns!  I've been crocheting just over two years now so no matter where you are in your crochet journey don't feel intimidated.  For those advanced crocheters I believe you will love the sweet and creative patterns and their ease of use!

Breakdown of the Book
Back to the book!  Ease of use is a big deal for me.  I've read many, many patterns and just looked back at the photo and thought to myself "there is just no way".  I never had that problem with this book.  Or any pattern from RAKJpatterns by Kristi Simpson for that matter.  I have always been hesitant to buy crochet books because of a beginner book I bought as a teen that was far from beginner.  In this book it clearly explains each stitch and there are clear and concise directions on how to work up each pattern.  The book is set up really well and there is no confusion in finding the patterns you are looking for.  The photos are clear and there are full page photos which make it easy to see detail.  I know actually seeing the item is important to me and the multiple photos of each item makes it so much easier to work up correctly without second guessing myself.

My Projects From the Book
I've worked up many of the items from the book.  I think seeing someone else's work is often really helpful and makes me confidant that if someone else could use the pattern then I can too.  

I absolutely love this pattern.  This is the James Sporty Sweater.  I switched it up a bit and changed the colors and used cupcake buttons for my daughter. I was so afraid of trying to tackle this pattern but I wanted it so bad.  It didn't take very long at all and half of the sweater was completed!  It worked up so fast!

This is my daughter again a few months later in her Ruffle Skirt.  This is another pattern I could not live without!  The yarn was a new experience for me but it worked up easily and the end result is absolutely adorable!  I bought five more colors to add a bunch more of these sassy skirts to her wardrobe!

This is my son wearing the Happy Hippo Bib!  (Before his first haircut.)  He loves to try out new hats and play with all of the stuff I am working on.  He was as excited as I was about this bib and stayed up past his bed time to see it finished.  He still thinks it is his despite the fact he doesn't even wear a bib anymore!

Elephants are very revered in our family and aside from her wiggling out of her hat I had to get one baby photo in her wearing the Elephant Ears Beanie.  I added the little flower sitting on top just to show she is a little girl.  This worked up super easy.  Because the ears were so simple they are really easy to make duplicates that match which was something I was worried about.

I've made nearly all of the items in the book now.  I have to say it is the easiest crochet book I have seen.  The way the patterns are written is just like how you would tell a person verbally how to make an item.  There is little confusion and the use of complicated verbage is at a minimum and use of technical abbreviations are limited as well.  Reading from patterns in the more technical style is easier now that I understand more but it still makes it a lot easier especially when I typically crochet in the car or with my kids playing around me.  It is easy to follow without the need to highlight or mark my book as I go.  Another really awesome perk is if you buy a book you can send it to Kristi Simpson and she will autograph it for you.  (Get your autographs ladies and gentlemen!  She is up and coming and she may just be really famous one day!)  I really enjoy having authors autograph my books.  It was a huge perk that she offered to do this for her customers and fans!  Very awesome if you ask me!  

So?  About That Near and Dear Part:

I was very fortunate to be a pattern tester for this book.  That is part one.  Part two is I worked with the author during the making of this book and two other really awesome ladies who tested as well.  It was a really great experience.  I had the least crochet experience out of the bunch and I easily followed these patterns.  Part three is the best part.  The author, Kristi Simpson, is really amazing.  She has built her business from the ground up and has gone from learning crochet to designing her own patterns that she sold online to being published.  Her patterns are honestly very relevant and she has classic style and there is no lack of creativity.  I've always valued the fact that she, and her brand, are original and innovative.  The fact she can combine simplicity and creativity in design never ceases to amaze me.  I am all for elegant, cool, creative, chic and EASY!  I really love supporting small businesses and while RAKJpatterns is growing in size it is still fully operated by a wife and husband team who are tentative to their customers and they connect well and communicate effectively with not only their customers but their growing fan base!

So all in all am I biased?  Not one bit!  If I had no experience with the company I would become a frequent customer and fan after buying this book.  I am after all a long time customer because the patterns I bought from RAKJpatterns were easy to use and always worked up correctly without a hassle.  I also utilized the RAKJpatterns Facebook page and their amazing customer service if I ever had a question.  Good service and good products will forever be good service and good products.  (You can find RAKJpatterns on Facebook here.

I'm baaaack! Just revamped!

I know it has been quite some time since my last blog post.  I took a very lengthy hiatus.  In the mean time my son's health has greatly improved and I had a daughter to add to our crazy madness.  My family is living in the middle of nowhere California and we listen to jets all day and night.

That is the reason for the new path of the blog.  I am continuing to coupon.  Not nearly as regularly as I would like but it is still happening.  Our new location presents it's own challenges so I thought this would be a perfect time to strike the blog back up.  I know a lot of other people/ families are in our same situation and I thought it would be nice to share to help give some ideas to keep it creative and fun in the kitchen, with the kids, keep the grocery bill down and keep the crazy OUT!

We live in the middle of nowhere.  The nearest actual city is Fresno which is almost an hour away.  There is a commissary on base that we can shop at although it is very small and has a limited selection.  We are lucky though because there are two small towns not far from us.

The blog will now be focused more on saving outside of the city, economical healthy meal ideas and recipes, and art of course.

I really enjoy all of those things immensely.  I love to save money.  I love to cook and cooking things that taste great and are healthy are my favorite.  I also love art.  Many, many forms of art.  I have always loved photography (so expect some photo hacks).  I learned crochet a few years ago and now work as a tester for an amazing pattern designer and I have my own shop on Etsy to sell my handmade items.  I learned how to knit during the holidays- or I should say I am LEARNING.  :)  With life, and especially art, you are always learning.  A wise man once told me that when you feel you know it all then you have closed your mind. There was a lot more to it but I won't get in to that today.