Tuesday, October 3, 2017
After Your Etsy is Open ✽ How to Rank Even Higher
After what we talked about yesterday, your shop background details prove that you mean business and that you are dedicated to the little details. That is a big boost in helping all the other things you will be doing from now on get bigger results! From here on out, the methods of building trust are not as clear cut, and will require more work... but you have a great foundation for them, and the work is well worth it!
So what are some of these other ways that you can rank your listings higher on Etsy?
-Great SEO. This includes titles, tags, your shop description, and shop section titles. SEO stands for Search Engine Optomization, and simply put; it's how you get found without giving someone the direct link to your shop. A customer comes to Etsy and types into the search bar what they are looking for. If that phrase is in your listing title, they'll see you! I'll show you how I go about finding my Etsy Keywords in another post :).
-Visually appealing photos. This is the one I struggle with, and yes, I know it well :P. I just bought some photographer's paper, and am trying to learn how to use that, hoping that it will make a difference in my pictures and raise my sales. SEO is how you get found; but photographs are how you get views. A person searches hats, and your listing comes up. Great, it's in front of them! But until they click on it, it doesn't count as a view for you. A good photo will be what make a lot of people pick your item out of all the others listed. Some people will look past the bad picture to see the product... but others will know that it looks like you don't know what you are doing. It's truthfully I think the hardest aspect to get right, but so important, which makes it worth it to "try, try again", right :)?
-Mail your packages out on time. You got an order, yay! Now make sure that it gets in the mail on
time, because if you don't, you won't be as likely to succeed. And make sure you MARK it as shipped, too, because Etsy knows your promised date, and they'll be keeping an eye on it. Packages arriving late can upset buyers, who can leave you a bad review or complain to Etsy, and neither of these is wanted when you want to improve your shop credibility or customer relationship! If you can't make it by a certain date, don't promise it. Of course after it leaves your hand, the post office is responsible; but the date is an estimated shipping date, not delivery date :). Make it a policy to always have things done ahead of the time promised; it makes really happy reviews :).
-Good reviews. Now, this one is difficult, too. You need sales to get reviews, and reviews are important to get sales. But it's alright, they'll come in time! I'll talk about how to get more reviews in another post, too, but just think about when you shop; you like to know that past customers got their item, that it was what it said it would be, and that the seller was nice to work with! Your customers are going to want to know these thing, too.
-A good conversion rate, making sales, getting item likes, and getting shop likes. Each time a potential buyer either buys your item or "shows it some love", that listing is seen as more valuable to Etsy's search engines! It's the gift that keeps on giving :).
What of these important elements is the one you struggle with most? Which is the one that you find you are best at, and do you have any tips for the rest of us in that area :)?
Monday, October 2, 2017
Being a Trusted Etsy Seller ✽ Remembering the Little Details
When starting up an Etsy shop, it can be easy to think all you need is a shop name, and some listings. The shop name is required to put up a listing... and, well, the listing is what gets you money, right?! I'll admit even I did this at first. I had my name, Under the Tapestry, picked out a couple years before I started my shop, and I had some of my products (my tatted bookmarks) made up in abundance before my Dad and I sat down at the table and he helped me take the plunge. We listed one item (my Tatted Cross Bookmark), and then I started slowly working on adding up more items. I set up my policies fairly early on, using Etsy's generic policies as my main springboard, but there were details I overlooked. Details that would have been simple to take care of, but I didn't realize that it was something that would hurt my shop if I left undone... or I simply didn't know where to look to even find that it was something I could include! I've learned and worked on these things as I've went, and though I know I still have a ways to go and there is always something to learn (just yesterday, in fact, I learned something about one of Etsy sellers' favorite "Like Game", that I'll share with you later this month!)
Think about this. There are hundreds of thousands of sellers on Etsy. Etsy search engines have to pull through all of those sellers, all their shops, and all their listings, to find listings to show searching buyers. Etsy wants to show the people who rank high. I'll share other tips on how to do that later this month, too, but for now we'll talk about how the little, initial details help you be a trusted seller :).
When you don't have all the little details set up, you won't rank as high in Etsy search, because...
1. Etsy knows that sellers aren't going to be as interested in a shop that they can't get to know. Etsy is the place for handmade items. Everybody knows that it is an actual person creating their order behind the scenes, and they like to know who that person is. They also like to know that there IS a person creating their items behind the scenes, and if you've taken the time to fill out the little details, it helps them know that you didn't just take a picture off the internet and slap it with a made-up description and a price. They want to be able to trust that you care about them, about your art, and about being trustworthy!
2. Etsy does hold themselves accountable to make up losses if a customer files a complaint that they never received what they offered payment for. They want to be as sure as the customer that your store is one that can be trusted, because if it isn't, they are the ones who will have to go about fixing it. And Etsy wants to keep the site as creditable as possible, not only for them, but for sellers like us. What would happen if Etsy was deemed unsafe for buyers, and nobody came to shop from those of us who run honest shops, either?
Some of those little details you can focus on while making your shop professional, thorough, and genuine from the start are...
-Photos; not for your listing, but to show off your brand. Include your profile picture on your personal account, so people can see you, the seller; make a nice shop icon/profile picture to give a branded personality to each individual listing (the icon shows at the top of a listing page), and a shop cover photo. While showing Etsy you took the time to include this, you also build a connection with buyers as it adds visual appeal to your shop's home page :).
-Your shop tag line. Right under your shop name, this is where you describe what you sell. It helps if these can be keywords, to score you more searches!
-Your shop announcement section. And try to keep this spot fresh, always with the latest announcements, coupon codes, sales, and deals that you have going on!
-Use your sections! It helps categorize, it helps keep things clean, and if you use keywords for section titles -once again, you'll get more views!
-Set up your shop's "About Me" page. Go ahead and fill in your personal profile, too!
-Add links to your social medias in the place given for it, right under your "About Me".
-Make sure you have shop policies that work for YOU. Etsy's general ones are a good starting point... but change what you need to to fit with YOUR view on returns, refunds, shipping dates, international or not, etc!
-Do you get a lot of the same question, or forsee getting a lot of the same questions? Try to answer them in your listing descriptions, but also answer them in your "Frequently Asked Questions" section!
These are just a few of the ways that you can work with Etsy to get your shop "up there" in the ranks. There are many more nitty gritty details that help, too... but those come later. This is just the initial set up, so that all the other things you do in the future are given the boost of coming from a well thought out and well put together shop background :)!
What do you think is the most important aspect on this list? Did I forget something that you could add in the comments?
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Write31 ✽ Welcome to 31 Days of Etsy!
To those of you who may be new here, I want to say hello! Saved by the grace of Jesus Christ and blessed to be a child of God, I'm Bri, a 20 year old daughter and older sister to 8 here on earth, and 4 waiting at the throne of the King. I'm happiest digging into God's word, creating beautiful things, enjoying the out-of-doors, connecting one on one with loved ones, and serving others. I have a desire to help orphans and those with special needs, and I love autumn, coffee, soft blankets, candles that I can never bring myself to burn, inspiring quotes. I've been told that when I described myself as "random, consistent, confusing, and wordy", that it was spot on me, if that gives you any idea of what it is like to know me; and I run the Etsy shop, Under the Tapestry!
For those of you who don't know Write 31 Days, it's a challenge for bloggers to post once a day every day in October on one topic, and all the people participating in it link up at the official site :). This is my second year participating in Write 31 Days, the first being with my Romans 12 series in 2015. That year was such a wonderful time of digging deeper into Romans 12, of sharing and discussing the posts and verses with my friends, and of really pushing myself to post every day. I really did enjoy it, and I can't wait to share with you all this month, as well!
I've decided my theme this month will be all things Etsy or crafting related! I've got all kinds of ideas; Etsy item collections to share with you -scripture pieces, Thanksgiving and Christmas items, my favorite listings I've seen from other's shops; reviews and links to some of my favorite shops; some compilations of tips I have learned selling on Etsy myself; and I have some personally created patterns I want to share with you for free this month, and behind-the-scenes snippets! Also -comment on this post or follow my blog to let me know that you are interested in this series, and if the interest is high enough, I may just have a giveaway coming later this month!
And y'all; I made my own BLOOOOOGGGGG BUTTOOOOONNNN!!! All by my own self. I tried that a few years ago and spent a miserable two days fighting it before a coding friend was like, "Really? Oh Bri... send my the image, and let me make it." And then she was done. Ha! But I used Amy Lynn's tutorial this time, and I got it the very first try, and yes, I was so thrilled :D. So if you'd like to share my button, it's the (working!) one right under my profile :)...
"She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle." -Proverbs 31:19
September Review ✽ Hello October
I know I've been rather silent around here lately, and even this post will not really be up-to-par. I'm kind of throwing my last couple of wrap up posts out there because 1. It's just been a hard month, and I've not been all that interested in diving too deep into it, and 2. I'm starting in on Write31, but feel like those of you who care to keep up with my little insignificant blog really do deserve to know what is going in our lives right now first.
Life had been busy all during the last half of August and the first three days of September. We were so sure that every thing was going to settle down at that point, and we were planning a pizza party that Sunday as a fun "end of this craziness/relax time" treat. Instead, Daddy took Mama to the ER, because at 15 & 1/2 weeks, things didn't look good for baby. We were hopeful that it was just a scare, but after waiting in the ER waiting room for 4 and a half hours, the doctors confirmed that this sweet little baby, so joyfully expected and loved so much already, had already been called to the throne of God.
I turned twenty the next week, and on a birthday outing to get my free coffee from Starbucks with Mama the day after, we ended up having to call Daddy, who came and took Mama to the ER again. She required emergency surgery, and since then we've just been taking it one day at a time. It's been hard, sad, and long. But God is with us, and I am thankful that when I can't see where things are going, when I'm worried or the tears just can't be held back any longer, he is near to the brokenhearted, and I can trust Him when I cannot see; and that He gives that ability to those who draw near to him... because on my own, I couldn't have that faith.
We finished up the month celebrating Andrew's birthday, though, and there have been some little moment through our month that I've saved, both to share with y'all and to have to look back on in later years when we're all grown...
Laughing at:
Peter: "You are cute."
"You're cuter."
Peter: *i-know-better-than-you look*
"Um, no. I don't think you know how much I like- the CROSS." *flips my earrings*
*Josiah climbs onto Mama's lap*
*Noah turns around*
*Very professionally horrified gasp that anyone could consider that a place for anyone but him to sit*
*Christian mother goose rhymns being read*
"I think God likes every kind of song!"
Me: " yes, God loves bar songs..."
Mama: "Welll.... That's where Martin Luther's songs started..."
I'm beat.
Josiah: "Can I have your heart?"
You have it buddy... Both the pillow and the love.
Noah reached official toddler boyhood, offering me his first bouquet... Of sticks. Ah, untaught traditions. Haha! Love these little guys!
Abbi: "Noooooo, why are you making grilled cheese sandwiches with our bread?! I want a yummy sandwich!"
Abbi, bites into her sandwich: "Oh, this is better than I thought it would be. Thank you for not listening to me, Bri."
It's not like you've never had one before, child...
Josiah, just a few days after Noie brought me sticks: *brings Mama a bundle of dry leaves*
Actually, as the first day of fall, it worked ;).
Me: nothing is different from the day before, but knowing it is the first day of fall makes everything FEEL different. I love fall.
Sister number 1: "AHHHH! I accidentally licked my book!!!!"
A few of us: "HOW?!?!?"
Sister number 2: "She was sitting there doing this, and then her book went... AHHHH! I didn't mean to really lick MY book!!!!!"
Wrong way, bud.
Reading:
-"Spy for the Night Riders". I thought it was a biography on Martin Luther, but I guess it was historical fiction. Eh, oh well.
-"Attack in the Rye Grass", from the same set, and about the Whitman mission. They are good, just not the real biographies I thought they were, which could be a point in their favor for some people I guess, haha.
I did practically no reading this month. I read my bible and Valley of Vision of course... but yeah, not too much. I did read a KBR magazine too... I have so many new books I want to read... and it's fall, which means I'm obviously going to read "An Old Fashioned Girl". It's in no way a fall book, but somehow it's the perfect book to read while eating gingersnaps and drinking coffee.
Quotes I liked:
"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of others." -Charles Dickons
"I start the day, the war begins
Endless reminding of my sin
And time and time again
Your truth is drowned out by the storm I'm in
Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away
From You leaving me this way
Jesus, can You show me just how far the East is from the West?
...From one scarred hand to the other."
-Casting Crowns "How far the East is from the West"
"Oh God of my delight,
...Impress on my mind the shortness of time,
the work to be engaged in,
the account to be rendered,
the nearness of eternity,
the fearful sin of despising thy Spirit."
-The Valley of Vision
"O God of Grace,
I bewail my cold, listless, heartless prayers;
their poverty adds sin to sin.
If my hope were in them I should be undone,
But the worth of Jesus perfumes my feeble breathings,
and wins their acceptance.
Deepen my contrition of heart,
Confirm my faith in the blood that washes from all sin. May I walk lovingly with my great Redeemer.
Flood my soul with true repentance
that my heart may be broken for sin and unto sin.
Let me be as slow to forgive myself as thou art ready to forgive me.
Gazing on the glories of thy grace
may I be cast into the lowest depths of shame,
and walk with downcast head
now thou art pacified towards me.
O my great High Priest,
pour down upon me streams of needful grace,
bless me in all my undertakings,
in every thought of my mind,
every word of my lips,
every step of my feet,,
every deed of my hands.
Thou didst live to bless,
die to bless,
rise to bless,
ascend to bless,
take thy throne to bless,
and now thou dost reign to bless.
O give sincerity to my desires,
earnestness to my supplications,
fervour to my love"
-The Valley of Vision
The Shop:
-Fall items went up! And I created two of my new favorite canvases for that section. I love poetical quotes <3.
-I hit 50 listings up at the same time for the first time! And there are more waiting to go up :D!
-And Mama and Daddy got me shipping labels for my birthday, which is something I have been thinking is a must for shipping at home, so that is exciting :)!
Fails:
-This whole month was pretty much full of fails, but they weren't all that comical, for the most part, so I don't think I'll bother sharing them. I did cause us to find out that we could survive for 3-4 days with only 2 sticks of butter in the house, which we thought was impossible, so there was that fail/experiment.
-Oh, and I kept forgetting to take the little ones out/when I would they would forget to bring out an egg they were experimenting on. They soaked it in vinegar so it would bounce. Problem was, it soaked SO long that it got SO soft that it just exploded on impact anyway. It was fluff instead of goo inside though, so obviously it works when you don't leave it too long, haha.
-My gideon cyst left for all of three days. At least I know it's not permanent, but seriously?
Grateful for:
-The promise of eternal union with God and the saints around his throne to those who believe.
-For the time we had planning for and loving our precious little Cupcake, tiny Selah, no matter the ache it left when it was over. It's amazing and beautiful how quickly someone you have never met can change your life; what a print they can leave on your heart, without ever leaving a fingerprint on the world; what an impact a person can have in only 15 weeks, simple because the Lord willed it so.
-That the Lord's hand was over the situation when Mama needed surgery. There are several ways the whole thing could have been made worse than it was... definitely not least, that without the medicine and knowledge had today, we could have lost the most selfless, caring person God has blessed the earth with.
-My grandparent's care for us all during that trying day. The prayers, the food they brought, the shopping they did for us, the texts and listening ear they gave me, just the very fact that they wanted to be there just to make sure that we were all taken care of and loved <3. It was such a blessing.
-The church families (and Daddy's work) who blessed us with meals the past few weeks. It was a sweet gesture, and they were all so generous... we typically got two meals out of every meal brought to us!
-My new coffee mug from a friend, in the cutest little package, and she send me the SWEETEST card, with all these scripture references, and it was just the thing I needed the day I got it, because it was just one of those days, right after Mama's surgery, and yes <3. Godly friends are one of God's sweetest blessings <3!!! She also sent me bible journaling pens, and I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW SHE KNEW I DID THAT, but it was wonderful. And it reminded me I've meant to share my journaling bible with you a little through this blog :D. Maybe...
-Pumpkin muffins, gingersnaps, and coffee... fall essentials!
-"The King's Blooming Rose" magazines. We just renewed our subscription, so we've gotten two in three weeks, haha. It's been a blessing right now!
In other random news, Andrew and Bethi found a turtle, which Noah ABSOLUTELY loved, and it was so cute! (But do NOT ask Noah to get within two feet of it though; he loved it from a distance ;).)
Also, we tried these fruit things, and they were weird... juicy, fibery grapes with not crispness?
Life had been busy all during the last half of August and the first three days of September. We were so sure that every thing was going to settle down at that point, and we were planning a pizza party that Sunday as a fun "end of this craziness/relax time" treat. Instead, Daddy took Mama to the ER, because at 15 & 1/2 weeks, things didn't look good for baby. We were hopeful that it was just a scare, but after waiting in the ER waiting room for 4 and a half hours, the doctors confirmed that this sweet little baby, so joyfully expected and loved so much already, had already been called to the throne of God.
I turned twenty the next week, and on a birthday outing to get my free coffee from Starbucks with Mama the day after, we ended up having to call Daddy, who came and took Mama to the ER again. She required emergency surgery, and since then we've just been taking it one day at a time. It's been hard, sad, and long. But God is with us, and I am thankful that when I can't see where things are going, when I'm worried or the tears just can't be held back any longer, he is near to the brokenhearted, and I can trust Him when I cannot see; and that He gives that ability to those who draw near to him... because on my own, I couldn't have that faith.
We finished up the month celebrating Andrew's birthday, though, and there have been some little moment through our month that I've saved, both to share with y'all and to have to look back on in later years when we're all grown...
Laughing at:
Peter: "You are cute."
"You're cuter."
Peter: *i-know-better-than-you look*
"Um, no. I don't think you know how much I like- the CROSS." *flips my earrings*
*Josiah climbs onto Mama's lap*
*Noah turns around*
*Very professionally horrified gasp that anyone could consider that a place for anyone but him to sit*
*Christian mother goose rhymns being read*
"I think God likes every kind of song!"
Me: " yes, God loves bar songs..."
Mama: "Welll.... That's where Martin Luther's songs started..."
I'm beat.
Josiah: "Can I have your heart?"
You have it buddy... Both the pillow and the love.
Noah reached official toddler boyhood, offering me his first bouquet... Of sticks. Ah, untaught traditions. Haha! Love these little guys!
Abbi: "Noooooo, why are you making grilled cheese sandwiches with our bread?! I want a yummy sandwich!"
Abbi, bites into her sandwich: "Oh, this is better than I thought it would be. Thank you for not listening to me, Bri."
It's not like you've never had one before, child...
Josiah, just a few days after Noie brought me sticks: *brings Mama a bundle of dry leaves*
Actually, as the first day of fall, it worked ;).
Me: nothing is different from the day before, but knowing it is the first day of fall makes everything FEEL different. I love fall.
Sister number 1: "AHHHH! I accidentally licked my book!!!!"
A few of us: "HOW?!?!?"
Sister number 2: "She was sitting there doing this, and then her book went... AHHHH! I didn't mean to really lick MY book!!!!!"
Wrong way, bud.
Reading:
-"Spy for the Night Riders". I thought it was a biography on Martin Luther, but I guess it was historical fiction. Eh, oh well.
-"Attack in the Rye Grass", from the same set, and about the Whitman mission. They are good, just not the real biographies I thought they were, which could be a point in their favor for some people I guess, haha.
I did practically no reading this month. I read my bible and Valley of Vision of course... but yeah, not too much. I did read a KBR magazine too... I have so many new books I want to read... and it's fall, which means I'm obviously going to read "An Old Fashioned Girl". It's in no way a fall book, but somehow it's the perfect book to read while eating gingersnaps and drinking coffee.
Quotes I liked:
"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of others." -Charles Dickons
"I start the day, the war begins
Endless reminding of my sin
And time and time again
Your truth is drowned out by the storm I'm in
Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away
From You leaving me this way
Jesus, can You show me just how far the East is from the West?
...From one scarred hand to the other."
-Casting Crowns "How far the East is from the West"
"Oh God of my delight,
...Impress on my mind the shortness of time,
the work to be engaged in,
the account to be rendered,
the nearness of eternity,
the fearful sin of despising thy Spirit."
-The Valley of Vision
"O God of Grace,
I bewail my cold, listless, heartless prayers;
their poverty adds sin to sin.
If my hope were in them I should be undone,
But the worth of Jesus perfumes my feeble breathings,
and wins their acceptance.
Deepen my contrition of heart,
Confirm my faith in the blood that washes from all sin. May I walk lovingly with my great Redeemer.
Flood my soul with true repentance
that my heart may be broken for sin and unto sin.
Let me be as slow to forgive myself as thou art ready to forgive me.
Gazing on the glories of thy grace
may I be cast into the lowest depths of shame,
and walk with downcast head
now thou art pacified towards me.
O my great High Priest,
pour down upon me streams of needful grace,
bless me in all my undertakings,
in every thought of my mind,
every word of my lips,
every step of my feet,,
every deed of my hands.
Thou didst live to bless,
die to bless,
rise to bless,
ascend to bless,
take thy throne to bless,
and now thou dost reign to bless.
O give sincerity to my desires,
earnestness to my supplications,
fervour to my love"
-The Valley of Vision
The Shop:
-Fall items went up! And I created two of my new favorite canvases for that section. I love poetical quotes <3.
-I hit 50 listings up at the same time for the first time! And there are more waiting to go up :D!
-And Mama and Daddy got me shipping labels for my birthday, which is something I have been thinking is a must for shipping at home, so that is exciting :)!
Fails:
-This whole month was pretty much full of fails, but they weren't all that comical, for the most part, so I don't think I'll bother sharing them. I did cause us to find out that we could survive for 3-4 days with only 2 sticks of butter in the house, which we thought was impossible, so there was that fail/experiment.
-Oh, and I kept forgetting to take the little ones out/when I would they would forget to bring out an egg they were experimenting on. They soaked it in vinegar so it would bounce. Problem was, it soaked SO long that it got SO soft that it just exploded on impact anyway. It was fluff instead of goo inside though, so obviously it works when you don't leave it too long, haha.
-My gideon cyst left for all of three days. At least I know it's not permanent, but seriously?
Grateful for:
-The promise of eternal union with God and the saints around his throne to those who believe.
-For the time we had planning for and loving our precious little Cupcake, tiny Selah, no matter the ache it left when it was over. It's amazing and beautiful how quickly someone you have never met can change your life; what a print they can leave on your heart, without ever leaving a fingerprint on the world; what an impact a person can have in only 15 weeks, simple because the Lord willed it so.
-That the Lord's hand was over the situation when Mama needed surgery. There are several ways the whole thing could have been made worse than it was... definitely not least, that without the medicine and knowledge had today, we could have lost the most selfless, caring person God has blessed the earth with.
-My grandparent's care for us all during that trying day. The prayers, the food they brought, the shopping they did for us, the texts and listening ear they gave me, just the very fact that they wanted to be there just to make sure that we were all taken care of and loved <3. It was such a blessing.
-The church families (and Daddy's work) who blessed us with meals the past few weeks. It was a sweet gesture, and they were all so generous... we typically got two meals out of every meal brought to us!
-My new coffee mug from a friend, in the cutest little package, and she send me the SWEETEST card, with all these scripture references, and it was just the thing I needed the day I got it, because it was just one of those days, right after Mama's surgery, and yes <3. Godly friends are one of God's sweetest blessings <3!!! She also sent me bible journaling pens, and I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW SHE KNEW I DID THAT, but it was wonderful. And it reminded me I've meant to share my journaling bible with you a little through this blog :D. Maybe...
-Pumpkin muffins, gingersnaps, and coffee... fall essentials!
-"The King's Blooming Rose" magazines. We just renewed our subscription, so we've gotten two in three weeks, haha. It's been a blessing right now!
In other random news, Andrew and Bethi found a turtle, which Noah ABSOLUTELY loved, and it was so cute! (But do NOT ask Noah to get within two feet of it though; he loved it from a distance ;).)
Also, we tried these fruit things, and they were weird... juicy, fibery grapes with not crispness?
August Review ✽ Hello September (ha...)
Happenings:
-THIS CHILD. Okay, so he has this weird thing about eating; he eats just fine once he's started, unless he gets thirsty or actually gags on it. BUT, sometimes he likes to be stubborn for absolutely no reason, refusing to take a bite; but he'll open up as soon as I say, even from rooms away, "Come on, take a bite Noah!". Every once in a while I'll hear Andrew or Bethi calling at lunch, "Bri! We need you to work your powers!" And I'll just call back "Noah, come on, take a bite!" *quiet for ten seconds* Andrew or Bethi: "Thank you."
Well, this night, Andrew called on me to assist from across the table, and I looked over to that up there. I believe the stinker is trying to tell me that if he can't hear me, it doesn't count as disobedience, and my powers have no sway over him. Hahaha!
-Poor Joey took a tumble down the stairs, and gashed his forehead... make that zero boys without a scar above their eye...
-Daddy took us older four out at about 1:00 a.m. on the 13th to see the meteor showers :). We didn't see as many as he hoped, and he didn't get any pictures, but it was still a special little outing :)...
-I spent a very intense week learning InDesign skills so I could created a mock magazine page! It was hard, and I don't know if it was helpful at all, BUT, it was a major victory when I finished it, haha.
- We all went to see the solar eclipse! The gps took us in the wrong direction, but we made it in time to have a picnic, watch a guy build a thirteen rock high tower in the random moments he got bored (Tori and I couldn't help cringing at the thought of it falling- but it was safe when it did, lol), and saw most of the eclipse. Totality was soooo cool... It was too short!
-Noah got some pictures taken. It involved cereal, his favorite fish video, and lots of tears, poor child. But even the grumpy ones are cute... (Also, Daddy found out his eyes are a purple-grey mix, not actually blue?!)
-Mama and Daddy's birthday! Daddy was out of town for it, so everything was kind of spread out, but Bethi hosted a tea party as a joint celebration of Mama and Abbi's birthdays, and she did absolutely marvelous. So much cooking. And she was so chill about it. When did she grow up?!
-And Abbi's birthday! She's nine now, it's hard to believe. She still just our sparkly, tiny but mighty Abbi, though!
In loving memory...
Mama and Daddy talking about baby names:
Daddy: "I like that NAME, it's just the nicknames you guys would give the child from it that I don't like."
Mama: "But (nickname) is cute, and we'll use it if we name the child that, so you don't *actually* like that name."
Me: "If you don't like that nickname, I could give you about ten other ones, and that fixes all the problems."
Daddy: "Oh, please no."
He's never quite recovered from hearing Joeyakins for the first time, hahaha!
Abbi: "Please, please, please let the baby be a girl!"
Josiah, who is always right: "Well, it's a boy."
The suspense that made us feel!
Laughing at:
*A friend decides to blog again*
Me: is on blogger and sees all her old posts pop up.
Me: " Are you thinking of blogging again?!?!?"
I think I creeped her out a bit, lol...
I'm dusting around the seashells on the dinning room shelves.
"Y'all. This is not a seashell. This is a burnt mac'n'cheese noodle...."
Josiah to Noah: "Okay, play with your imaginary friend now." *skips off*
(Tori said she asked and Josiah's imaginary friend has blue eyes and white hair and is an old man. "He actually has an adopted Grandpa", she told me. Haha!)
-While Daddy was gone, we older girls stayed up one night and had Nutella and animal crackers/pretzels and watched a movie until way late. I dragged my full sized mattress down for Bethi and I to lay on. Mama was getting ready to head to bed, and she asked me, "Are you going to stay down here all night, or are you taking your bed back upstairs?"
"I don't think when Jesus said take up your bed and walk he meant at 3 o'clock in the morning..."
(Tori wouldn't let me stay there though... she carried it upstairs for me, ha!)
Josiah: "It's 50 hours until my birthday."
Bethi: " No it's not. Your birthday is next year."
Josiah: " I'm making it in 50 hours."
Abbi, looking at her birthday cards and sight reading another name... "This is from Granny, because it's written in cursive. And this is from... Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Disco?"
Not even close...
Josiah, watching Piano Guys: *video: "good thing you are a piano guy"*
Josiah: " Hahahah! He is a piano guy and he plays a GUITAR!"
That is a cello, and that realization took a few years... Haha!
Peter: "Look! It's a little plane!!!!"
"That's a dragonfly, dear."
Bethi: "What if someone tried to do that cool thing where people push their glasses up on their nose, but without glasses?" *demonstrates* "I just poked my own eye..."
Peter: *says something*
Emmi: "What did you say?"
Peter: "Nothing."
Emmi: "You are weird then. You did say something, and you said you didn't, and that is weird."
Peter: *wise shake of the head* "Then you don't know what nothing means. Nothing means never mind."
Reading:
-"Anne's House of Dreams", by L. M. Montgomery. This was a re-read, because basically that's my favorite book out of the series, though I love Anne of the Island, too.
-Another L. M. Montgomery book that was actually just terrible. Gah. How can she write stuff that is so sweet and relate-able and then switch to... so not. sigh...
-"Hearts of Fire", a collection of stories of women persecuted for Christ's sake (it includes the story of Sabina Wurmbrant, who helped found Voice of the Martyrs. We learned Richard Wurmbrant's story from a torchlighters, so it was interesting to read more of her side of the story.)
-I started "Alive in Christ" by Gloria Furman, as part of my bible study :). And of course I continue to read my bible and my "Valley of Vision" devotional book <3!
Quotes I liked:
-"Lord, help me, for I am often lukewarm and chill;
unbelief mars my confidence,
sin makes me forget thee.
Let the weeds that grow in my soul be cut to their roots;
Grant me to know that I truly live only when I live to thee,
that all else is trifling.
Thy presence alone can make me holy, devout, strong and happy.
Abide in me, gracious God." (The Valley of Vision)
-"Teach me the happy art of attending to things temporal
with a mind intent on things eternal." (The Valley of Vision)
-"Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!" (Psalm 66:20)
Fails:
-Should I even bother to blog other than a monthly recap anymore? Ha!
-I've pretty much gotten use to the fact that the gideon cyst on my wrist may just be a permanent thing now. It doesn't hurt anymore, it's just weird looking, and I'm attached to it, so I can't get away from it... haha!
-I ran. into a pole. while trying to turn the car. in the Walmart parking lot.
I was on the verge of tears, but the door still opens and Daddy got the bright yellow paint off the side, so I'm beginning to recover... the dent is very discouraging though...
The Etsy Shop:
-I hit 30 sales!
-My Custom Quote Canvases did really well for some reason; I sold 6 in ten days! I'm not sure if this is because my listing renewed and rebooted with my improved keys words and cover photo (because it's obviously getting found more!), because my shop got ranked higher in Etsy for having had 30 sales (they actually sent me a notification telling me to celebrate, haha!), or what, but that was so exciting! One of those orders I received was for a set of two canvases that are going to be hung up in a special education class; that was such a special order for me!
-August 10th was Under the Tapestry's second anniversary, celebrated with it's first sale using Etsy's new sale feature, and Maddy and I held Under the Tapestry's first giveaway!
Grateful for:
I wuv him. He's so cute.
-Meeting up with an old friend before she left for college again. It was such a good time of fellowship, it was such a blessing <3! And she was so sweet, she paid for my meal and everything just for <3.
-USPS pickup service options. That's been helpful with all the packages I've needed to send out, because we ALWAYS get to the post office during lunch hour. I do not even know why. But it's almost guaranteed, no matter what order we run our errands in.
-Chocolate milk. Haha...
-Quiet nights spent enjoying God's creation with my family.
-And once-in-a-lifetime chances to view special aspects of God's design together with my family, as well :).
-Ice cream. Ice cream is wonderful, whether out of a carton or my tea cup... heehee :).
-That the Lord is always near to those who call on him.
"Bless the Lord oh my soul. Oh my soul. Worship His Holy name. Sing like never before. Oh my soul. I'll worship Your Holy name." (1,000 Reasons, Matt Reddmen)
-THIS CHILD. Okay, so he has this weird thing about eating; he eats just fine once he's started, unless he gets thirsty or actually gags on it. BUT, sometimes he likes to be stubborn for absolutely no reason, refusing to take a bite; but he'll open up as soon as I say, even from rooms away, "Come on, take a bite Noah!". Every once in a while I'll hear Andrew or Bethi calling at lunch, "Bri! We need you to work your powers!" And I'll just call back "Noah, come on, take a bite!" *quiet for ten seconds* Andrew or Bethi: "Thank you."
Well, this night, Andrew called on me to assist from across the table, and I looked over to that up there. I believe the stinker is trying to tell me that if he can't hear me, it doesn't count as disobedience, and my powers have no sway over him. Hahaha!
Little guy has this tongue thing he's doing, because his top
lip was dry/scratched...
Also, that playpen is not is use yet, but the fact that we have it
means he joins us in our room as soon as Mama can say goodbye,
haha!
-I taught the little girls single crochet stitch, and he sat beside us and wound some yarn around and around and around a crochet hook... haha :).
-I found Abbi crocheting with a toothbrush. A clean toothbrush, but still, a toothbrush. EWWWW!
-Poor Joey took a tumble down the stairs, and gashed his forehead... make that zero boys without a scar above their eye...
-Daddy took us older four out at about 1:00 a.m. on the 13th to see the meteor showers :). We didn't see as many as he hoped, and he didn't get any pictures, but it was still a special little outing :)...
-I spent a very intense week learning InDesign skills so I could created a mock magazine page! It was hard, and I don't know if it was helpful at all, BUT, it was a major victory when I finished it, haha.
- We all went to see the solar eclipse! The gps took us in the wrong direction, but we made it in time to have a picnic, watch a guy build a thirteen rock high tower in the random moments he got bored (Tori and I couldn't help cringing at the thought of it falling- but it was safe when it did, lol), and saw most of the eclipse. Totality was soooo cool... It was too short!
-Noah got some pictures taken. It involved cereal, his favorite fish video, and lots of tears, poor child. But even the grumpy ones are cute... (Also, Daddy found out his eyes are a purple-grey mix, not actually blue?!)
-Mama and Daddy's birthday! Daddy was out of town for it, so everything was kind of spread out, but Bethi hosted a tea party as a joint celebration of Mama and Abbi's birthdays, and she did absolutely marvelous. So much cooking. And she was so chill about it. When did she grow up?!
-And Abbi's birthday! She's nine now, it's hard to believe. She still just our sparkly, tiny but mighty Abbi, though!
In loving memory...
Mama and Daddy talking about baby names:
Daddy: "I like that NAME, it's just the nicknames you guys would give the child from it that I don't like."
Mama: "But (nickname) is cute, and we'll use it if we name the child that, so you don't *actually* like that name."
Me: "If you don't like that nickname, I could give you about ten other ones, and that fixes all the problems."
Daddy: "Oh, please no."
He's never quite recovered from hearing Joeyakins for the first time, hahaha!
Abbi: "Please, please, please let the baby be a girl!"
Josiah, who is always right: "Well, it's a boy."
The suspense that made us feel!
Laughing at:
*A friend decides to blog again*
Me: is on blogger and sees all her old posts pop up.
Me: " Are you thinking of blogging again?!?!?"
I think I creeped her out a bit, lol...
I'm dusting around the seashells on the dinning room shelves.
"Y'all. This is not a seashell. This is a burnt mac'n'cheese noodle...."
Josiah to Noah: "Okay, play with your imaginary friend now." *skips off*
(Tori said she asked and Josiah's imaginary friend has blue eyes and white hair and is an old man. "He actually has an adopted Grandpa", she told me. Haha!)
-While Daddy was gone, we older girls stayed up one night and had Nutella and animal crackers/pretzels and watched a movie until way late. I dragged my full sized mattress down for Bethi and I to lay on. Mama was getting ready to head to bed, and she asked me, "Are you going to stay down here all night, or are you taking your bed back upstairs?"
"I don't think when Jesus said take up your bed and walk he meant at 3 o'clock in the morning..."
(Tori wouldn't let me stay there though... she carried it upstairs for me, ha!)
Josiah: "It's 50 hours until my birthday."
Bethi: " No it's not. Your birthday is next year."
Josiah: " I'm making it in 50 hours."
Abbi, looking at her birthday cards and sight reading another name... "This is from Granny, because it's written in cursive. And this is from... Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Disco?"
Not even close...
Josiah, watching Piano Guys: *video: "good thing you are a piano guy"*
Josiah: " Hahahah! He is a piano guy and he plays a GUITAR!"
That is a cello, and that realization took a few years... Haha!
Peter: "Look! It's a little plane!!!!"
"That's a dragonfly, dear."
Bethi: "What if someone tried to do that cool thing where people push their glasses up on their nose, but without glasses?" *demonstrates* "I just poked my own eye..."
Peter: *says something*
Emmi: "What did you say?"
Peter: "Nothing."
Emmi: "You are weird then. You did say something, and you said you didn't, and that is weird."
Peter: *wise shake of the head* "Then you don't know what nothing means. Nothing means never mind."
Reading:
-"Anne's House of Dreams", by L. M. Montgomery. This was a re-read, because basically that's my favorite book out of the series, though I love Anne of the Island, too.
-Another L. M. Montgomery book that was actually just terrible. Gah. How can she write stuff that is so sweet and relate-able and then switch to... so not. sigh...
-"Hearts of Fire", a collection of stories of women persecuted for Christ's sake (it includes the story of Sabina Wurmbrant, who helped found Voice of the Martyrs. We learned Richard Wurmbrant's story from a torchlighters, so it was interesting to read more of her side of the story.)
-I started "Alive in Christ" by Gloria Furman, as part of my bible study :). And of course I continue to read my bible and my "Valley of Vision" devotional book <3!
Quotes I liked:
-"Lord, help me, for I am often lukewarm and chill;
unbelief mars my confidence,
sin makes me forget thee.
Let the weeds that grow in my soul be cut to their roots;
Grant me to know that I truly live only when I live to thee,
that all else is trifling.
Thy presence alone can make me holy, devout, strong and happy.
Abide in me, gracious God." (The Valley of Vision)
-"Teach me the happy art of attending to things temporal
with a mind intent on things eternal." (The Valley of Vision)
-"Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!" (Psalm 66:20)
Fails:
-Should I even bother to blog other than a monthly recap anymore? Ha!
-I've pretty much gotten use to the fact that the gideon cyst on my wrist may just be a permanent thing now. It doesn't hurt anymore, it's just weird looking, and I'm attached to it, so I can't get away from it... haha!
-I ran. into a pole. while trying to turn the car. in the Walmart parking lot.
I was on the verge of tears, but the door still opens and Daddy got the bright yellow paint off the side, so I'm beginning to recover... the dent is very discouraging though...
The Etsy Shop:
-I hit 30 sales!
-My Custom Quote Canvases did really well for some reason; I sold 6 in ten days! I'm not sure if this is because my listing renewed and rebooted with my improved keys words and cover photo (because it's obviously getting found more!), because my shop got ranked higher in Etsy for having had 30 sales (they actually sent me a notification telling me to celebrate, haha!), or what, but that was so exciting! One of those orders I received was for a set of two canvases that are going to be hung up in a special education class; that was such a special order for me!
-August 10th was Under the Tapestry's second anniversary, celebrated with it's first sale using Etsy's new sale feature, and Maddy and I held Under the Tapestry's first giveaway!
Grateful for:
I wuv him. He's so cute.
-Meeting up with an old friend before she left for college again. It was such a good time of fellowship, it was such a blessing <3! And she was so sweet, she paid for my meal and everything just for <3.
-USPS pickup service options. That's been helpful with all the packages I've needed to send out, because we ALWAYS get to the post office during lunch hour. I do not even know why. But it's almost guaranteed, no matter what order we run our errands in.
-Chocolate milk. Haha...
-Quiet nights spent enjoying God's creation with my family.
-And once-in-a-lifetime chances to view special aspects of God's design together with my family, as well :).
-Ice cream. Ice cream is wonderful, whether out of a carton or my tea cup... heehee :).
-That the Lord is always near to those who call on him.
"Bless the Lord oh my soul. Oh my soul. Worship His Holy name. Sing like never before. Oh my soul. I'll worship Your Holy name." (1,000 Reasons, Matt Reddmen)
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