Monday
May172010
3 - makeunder my life
I'm almost done making under my May! Last week I worked on step two: exfoliate stuff.
I really didn't think I was going to have the time to ACTUALLY clean. But as the week went on and I was thinking about my 2010 goals I felt a great desire to exfoliate my workspace!
So... Saturday afternoon I exfoliated for FIVE HOURS!
As you can see I can't walk into my closet. And my supplies are just a mess.
Here is my clean closet. You can walk in it now!
The top shelf has my large kitchen serving items and vases. I don't have room for them in my kitchen cabinets.
I reorganized my gift wrapping items and paper crafts. The large blue tub on the left holds my cupcake fizzies supplies.
The BIG change to my closet is that my sewing machine now lives in the closet! I decided to makeunder my Dirty Laundry business and focus the rest of the year on my fizzie line.
The Dirty Laundry aprons that I've made this year have been special requests for people I know or for people that knows somebody that I know. (Whew... did that make sense?) Anywho, I haven't had aprons available to sell on-line since July 2009. And I've been struggling all year to make an apron line. It takes five hours for me to make a reversible apron. And 1 hour to press three dozen cupcake bath fizzies. Time is money and the fizzies are doing so well that I'd like to focus on new fun scents, new Dirty Laundry fizzie products, and getting into more retail stores.
I feel so relieved! The big dark cloud of having to make aprons is no longer hanging over my head!
Yes, I'm a little sad not to be making aprons. I was very excited and inspired to get some going and I had the fabric already laid out for them. But I look at it as a turning point for me and nothing is etched in stone. That's the fun of having your own business!
What am I going to do with all of my fabric?!? Well... I'm going to hold onto it for now. I like to use fabric as the backgrounds in my cupcake bath fizzie photo shoots. And I'll still take custom orders. Maybe I'll come out with a limited edition apron line one day.
But for now the sewing machine is in the closet and it frees up my space in the living room where I take the product shots of the cupcake bath fizzies. Before I had to clear off the sewing machine and all of the notion off of the table. Set up the photoshoot. And then put everything back! Now I don't have to go through that whole process anymore!
I also made myself a shipping station!
Now everything is at arms reach and I can see what I have. I also have my paper stuffing in a drawer and precut pieces of bubble wrap.
To the right are my plastic boxes to pack up the cupcake bath fizzies. And to the right of that Violet is guarding my folder with my cupcake bath fizzie labels and my receipt file folder.
Sunday I donated my clothes from cleaning out my closet earlier this month to Planet Aid. And I sold a pair of my boots that I had listed on eBay!
My makeunder is almost complete! Now this week I must work on step three, identify intentions.
I really didn't think I was going to have the time to ACTUALLY clean. But as the week went on and I was thinking about my 2010 goals I felt a great desire to exfoliate my workspace!
So... Saturday afternoon I exfoliated for FIVE HOURS!
As you can see I can't walk into my closet. And my supplies are just a mess.
Here is my clean closet. You can walk in it now!
The top shelf has my large kitchen serving items and vases. I don't have room for them in my kitchen cabinets.
I reorganized my gift wrapping items and paper crafts. The large blue tub on the left holds my cupcake fizzies supplies.
The BIG change to my closet is that my sewing machine now lives in the closet! I decided to makeunder my Dirty Laundry business and focus the rest of the year on my fizzie line.
The Dirty Laundry aprons that I've made this year have been special requests for people I know or for people that knows somebody that I know. (Whew... did that make sense?) Anywho, I haven't had aprons available to sell on-line since July 2009. And I've been struggling all year to make an apron line. It takes five hours for me to make a reversible apron. And 1 hour to press three dozen cupcake bath fizzies. Time is money and the fizzies are doing so well that I'd like to focus on new fun scents, new Dirty Laundry fizzie products, and getting into more retail stores.
I feel so relieved! The big dark cloud of having to make aprons is no longer hanging over my head!
Yes, I'm a little sad not to be making aprons. I was very excited and inspired to get some going and I had the fabric already laid out for them. But I look at it as a turning point for me and nothing is etched in stone. That's the fun of having your own business!
What am I going to do with all of my fabric?!? Well... I'm going to hold onto it for now. I like to use fabric as the backgrounds in my cupcake bath fizzie photo shoots. And I'll still take custom orders. Maybe I'll come out with a limited edition apron line one day.
But for now the sewing machine is in the closet and it frees up my space in the living room where I take the product shots of the cupcake bath fizzies. Before I had to clear off the sewing machine and all of the notion off of the table. Set up the photoshoot. And then put everything back! Now I don't have to go through that whole process anymore!
This is the area where my cupcake bath fizzies dry. And under the table is my four bins that are almost overflowing with fabric. On the left of the table the bottom bin is my cupcake bath fizzie inventory and the top bin holds my scents and dyes. In the before photo my scents were on the floor and the dyes were on top of one of the fabric bins.
I also made myself a shipping station!
Before, this mail organizer had random stuff in it. And my shipping supplies were in a box in the closet. Every time I had to mail a cupcake bath fizzie order I had to go in the box and fish around for my packing tape, address labels, biz cards and cute stickers. Then I'd realize that I was short a shipping box or something else.
Now everything is at arms reach and I can see what I have. I also have my paper stuffing in a drawer and precut pieces of bubble wrap.
To the right are my plastic boxes to pack up the cupcake bath fizzies. And to the right of that Violet is guarding my folder with my cupcake bath fizzie labels and my receipt file folder.
Sunday I donated my clothes from cleaning out my closet earlier this month to Planet Aid. And I sold a pair of my boots that I had listed on eBay!
I still have some shoes left to sell!
My makeunder is almost complete! Now this week I must work on step three, identify intentions.
Jeanee
Reader Comments (6)
Loved reading your intentions, and I loved that you decided to narrow your business focus and that the decision brought you peace! That's such a great way to know you did the right thing :). And the mailing station is key, what a great way to keep everything organized and makes filling orders easy.
Thanks Jess! I didn't know that your makeunder steps would be such an eye opener for me!
This is inspiring Jeanee. I've been reading the "Make Under" blog as well, and I find myself frustrated by my business going in far too many different directions. I need to simplify big time.
Thank Emily! Well, like me, you do lots of things and have lots of jobs. What brings you the most joy without the headache?
Hooray you! I think focusing on fizzies will make your fortune!
I owe it all (maybe not ALL) to you for talking to me that day about focusing on fiizzies. Fizzie Fortune. I like the sound of that!