Monkey & Squirrel shop revamp!

as i said in this previous post, a Monkey & Squirrel shop overhaul was in the works. well finally, after a number of late nights, and long kiddo naps, i've got the ball rolling. i've done away with all the refinished iron pieces, and am now focusing solely on one of a kind embroideries.

this change has been some time in the making. embroidering is where my heart is these days. i can't even say how special it feels to create something for one person to give to another, usually on the most momentous of occasions. anniversaries, weddings, birthdays... these tend to be the days when the most thoughtful gifts are given, and i'm honored beyond words when my creations are purchased as such gifts.

who knows where this change will lead me, but at this moment it just feels right.

ch ch ch changes...

this is something i've been thinking about for quite some time now, and folks who have followed along with Monkey & Squirrel since its early days may have even seen this change coming. it's in regards to my etsy shop, and some changes that are in the works. i'll start at the beginning...

when i first began Monkey & Squirrel back in 2009, i had an idea to refinish these cast iron pieces that i had been seeing around some salvage/antique spots. i did my homework and researched etsy to make sure that no other sellers were doing just that. i found none, so i set up shop, and my etsy journey began. fairly quickly i started doing rather well, there was a market for it, and i was the only one doing it. that's all it takes! well anyone who is at all familiar with etsy, or the handmade market in general, knows that once people see something doing well they tend to copy it. my market quickly became saturated. i put so much work into the photographing, description writing, and designing of my items, and folks were just coming along and stealing it... literally. i even revamped my entire shop to put a new modern spin on my items, with color blocking and gold leaf, and shortly after i saw other shops doing that too. like same exact color choices, and selling it for a few dollars less just to steal the sale.

it been a really frustrating process, and my heart is no longer in it. it's a battle i've fought, and can't seem to win. so i'm bowing out. i'm saying adios to the cast iron (with the possible exception of a few special pieces), and focusing solely on embroidery. you'll see many new and custom designs coming in the next few weeks, and i'm really excited to feel inspired again.

perhaps another new little something you may have noticed is the focus on photography going on 'round these parts. i've found another love, and it's in capturing all the beautiful moments of this crazy life. i've been lucky enough to have some opportunities to do some great shoots lately and it's definitely another facet that i'm excited to add to the Monkey & Squirrel line up.

and now the good news. to help me clear out the cast iron in my shop i'm offering up a 25% off coupon code to be used on any of the iron items that are left. just use the code FRESHSTART at checkout to receive 25% off. it's my little gift to all those that have been by me this whole journey, and for the new faces that will be along for the next step. thank you!

holiday sale to kick off the season!

in honor of black friday/small business saturday/cyber monday (how long ya think until sunday gets a name?) i've got a snazzy little holiday sale going on in my shop. just enter HOLIDAY2012 at checkout to receive 15% off your entire order. time to get that shopping out of the way and make more time for hot cocoa, christmas movies, and tree trimming... man i love christmas!!!

a lil' something new...

i've recently added a new little goodie to the ol' shop and i'm pretty darn happy about it. these custom initial embroideries make me happy as a clam while stitching, and even happier when they're off to their new homes. sweet little flowers, and dainty little leaves... not to toot my own horn, but i love 'em!

you can get a closer look HERE...

shop update

finally! i've been able to bust my buns and get some brand new stitched goodies up in the shop...

*tough love* 

*home is wherever i'm with you*

*a taste of home*

*custom bride & groom initials*

and here's a little something i'm really excited to be offering up these days. custom hand stitched table numbers for weddings, or any other special day really. these can be done in any color palette to match your occasion...

and here they are in action! photos from a wedding featured on Ruffled blog...

it really feels so good to be able to get those creative juices flowing again recently. since having penny it's been really tough to find time to feel inspired. ya know, sleep deprivation, dirty diapers, and a lack of regular showers tend to not make a gal feel her most artistic. but look at me, getting back in the swing of things. i didn't realize just how much i missed being productive until i actually was. i NEED to create things to really feel like myself, and being a fulfilled mama makes me a better mama! so these days i look forward to every single nap, when i can bust out some hoops, needle, and thread, and get on down to work! so sleep well little girl, and if all goes as planned, these shop updates will be a more regular occurrence!

put a bird on it!

Monkey & Squirrel has gone a bit bird crazy...

and if you don't know what the title of this post is in reference to, do yourself a favor, go HERE, and find out!

back in business!

after almost one whole month away, Monkey & Squirrel is now back open for business! it's time to really test this new mama's multitasking skills!

gooooold!

i just found out today that one of my little retro embroidered wall decor pieces was in an etsy gift guide on tuesday! that's me... right under the "holla" :)

kinda feeling the love this week. you can also spot some of my goodies HERE and HERE. happy holidays indeed!

finally!

after days of computer issues, i've finally got the Monkey & Squirrel shop makeover going on in full effect! i invite you to take a little peek at what's there so far and let me know what you think...

i've still got lot's more brand new goodies to share, so be sure to check back in and see what i've been up to :)

another sneak peek for ya...

just wanted to give one more little glimpse at what the new Monkey & Squirrel will be bringing to you later today. brand new embroideries, wooden jewelry hangers, and a whole new take on my cast iron pieces will all be introduced very soon. eeeeep... can't wait to share everything!

*update* of course our computer decided that today would be the best time to go on the fritz, so now the full shop revamp will have to wait until tomorrow. a few goodies made it in today, so feel free to have a peek if you like!

sneak peek...

hello monday!

after last nights late night photo shoot, i thought i would stop in for a bit just to give you a quick little peek at the new look of Monkey & Squirrel. i've got so many more exciting new items to share, but i took this little shot with my phone and i just had to share. can't wait to show y'all the rest!!!

closed for business...

Monkey & Squirrel (the shop) is officially closed for the next few days for a complete overhaul! i'm so excited about the new look, and all the new goodies i'll be sharing once i reopen. i'll be sure to post a few sneak peaks here to share what i've been busting my buns on... but the official reveal will be Wednesday Nov 2nd. now back to work for me...

happy sunday friends!

a few new goodies!

just a little peak at the newest dreamcatchers up in the shop...

that top one is my absolute fave and it's getting super hard for me to not claim it as my own... eeeeek!

new stitched up goodies!

hey friends! just wanted to quickly show ya what i've been working on this past week. those who follow along on instagram have already seen a sneak peak at most of these little goodies, but now they're finally ready to be shared with you lovely peeps :)

i've really been concentrating on adding a lot more items to the "hand sewn wall decor" section in my shop, and i must say i'm quite pleased with this new little collection of goodies. lately all i want to do is sew flowers and embroider the day away! too bad that can't always be the case. anywho... here are some of my newest little babies. hope you like 'em!

i always also photograph my little stitches set up on a wall with some other decor. i love to give my shoppers a taste of what it may look like in their home. making these little vignettes is actually my favorite part of the photographing process...

i still have a few more to get edited and listed, but if you'd like a closer look at these here feel free to browse my shop. it's always so hard for me to list these because i tend to fall in love with every single one. such is the life of a crafter i guess :)

Monkey & Squirrel in Southern Living!

as promised yesterday, i've got some exciting news to announce. a monkey & squirrel hook has made it into the may issue of Southern Living magazine! i've known for a little over a month now that they were going to be using one of my horse hooks in a story, but i wouldn't let myself get too excited. things like this can fall through at any time and i didn't want to set myself up for sadness. low and behold, the other day a magazine size white envelope appeared on my doorstep, and lookie what was inside...

eeeeeep... so very stoked about this! i've never had anything is such a large print publication before, and i could't be happier about it! huge thanks to Southern Living! i loved your magazine before, and i love it even more now :)

business decisions...

lately i've been doing quite a bit of thinking about the direction i would like to be taking my etsy shop. april 9th was my 2 year etsy anniversary and it just felt like the right time to start making plans. if you browse my shop often, you may have noticed the sudden disappearance of my accessories section. i was always unsure as to whether or not i should be mixing brooches and headbands in with home decor, but i loved making them so much that i just tried to make it work. lately though, i've really been feeling like they didn't belong there. i was making them because i love to, but they weren't really the items that were drawing people to my shop, and i began to feel like they were a distraction. so after much contemplating, i took them out. i think what i'm going to do is make a select few, really special pieces, and set up a separate shop for those. perhaps even doing it on big cartel, because i've really wanted to look into that site a bit more.

so my focus will be strictly home decor, and i'll be expanding my line to include more custom made items, and many more embroidered goodies. i can't say just yet what exactly that will entail, but i've got big plans going on in this brain of mine and i'm really exciting to get started.

the other day i was actually looking back at some of my very first etsy sales and i completely forgot about some of my favorite key hooks, jewelry hangers and picture frames that i made early on. why did i ever stop doing these? i can't for the life of me recall! i loved making them, and i never really gave them a chance to grow as a line.

so perhaps i'll be revisiting some past ideas, reworking them, and seeing where that takes me. we should never be afraid to change things around a bit. a fresh shop is what will keep customers coming back... and that's always the desired result! so here's to experimentation, change, and growth. i'm excited to see what this 3rd year on etsy has in store, and of course share it all here with you!

big ol' cast iron moose!

happy weekend you lovely readers :) i must say that i'm feeling much better today after yesterdays down in the dumps post. i did all the things on my feel better list and i do believe they worked. thank goodness because i don't like being a debbie downer at all!

anywho... i'm just stopping in for a quick post to let you know about this gem of a cast iron find that i scored on yesterdays hunt. almost a year ago i got one of these guys for myself and i haven't found him again since. until yesterday that is! before posting him in my shop i wanted to give my friends here a chance to scoop one up. i have a feeling that they are going to go quick once i list them and i don't want anyone who saw my first post about him to miss out on a chance to have him if they'd like. so if you'd like to have one reserved for you just leave me a little comment with your name and i'll set you up a custom listing. i was lucky enough to find 4 of them and if they don't all get reserved he'll be listed in my shop on monday.

XL Cast Iron Moose Hook

his stats...

*measures 15" tall and 8.5" wide

*can be mounted to the wall with two screws

*painted a solid white enamel and finished with a clear polyurethane finish

*cost- $32 (as a special deal for my lovely readers all reserved ones will be listed at $28)

*shipping within the US- $10 (he's quite heavy and must ship in a flat rate box for the least expensive shipping) contact me for international shipping quotes.

*side note- the one i have easily held 4 of our big coats all winter long. he can handle whatever you toss his way! also, his antlers look super cute with necklaces hanging on them. just sayin' :)

if you have any other questions about this handsome fellow feel free to ask away. hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend. today i'm off to tackle our guest room which has become a storage spot of sorts. it's time to get that thing under control!

*UPDATE* there are now just 3 available...

*UPDATE* i'm now down to 2...

together at last!

the stars have aligned it seems, because for the first time ever Monkey & Squirrel has got a monkey and a squirrel! this is the sort of silliness that makes me oh so happy :)

new year, new designs!

i'm currently a busy little bee working on lots of new stitched up goodies for 2011. thought i'd share a few today...

ok, now back to work for me...

sweet sugar... skull

a few months ago a found a couple of these amazing skull bottle openers on one of my cast iron hunts. i cleaned them up, gave them a coating of primer, and then they sat sadly on a shelf for quite some time...

i knew that i wanted to paint them like day of dead skulls, but somehow the time to sit down and actually do it never came about. until today that is! this morning, over a few episodes of glee, i finally got down to business! i'm pretty stoked about how he turned out and i'm already drawing up plans for my next one!

hooray for productivity!

(you can see more pics of this little bugger HERE)