Snapshots from an Etsy Shop

Mine, to be exact!

Just a few pics of what you can find in my brand new
Etsy Shop.

 

Ain't she pretty?

My sweet little Vintage Hat as Art.

 I think I audibly gasped when I first spied her, she's just that lovely.

SOLD!

My Tiny Blue Flower Painting.

 

 

All those who love Fiona and Twig's  Etsy Shop raise your hand!

 

SOLD!

This is my Vintage Wooden Hand.

Perfect for displaying jewelry 

or just for those times when you could use an extra hand around the house.

Ba-dump-bump. 

 

SOLD!

I'm pretty sure this little lady needs no introductions!

Hand-painted and altogether lovely.

SOLD!
My Vintage Green Candlestick.

Exquisite and wonderfully aged
with just the right amount of vintage patina.

And there's more!

If you see anything you like, head on over to
Fiona and Twig on Etsy
and shop vintage...the ultimate way to shop "green"!

Three Great Giveaways to Announce!
The Brocantess
is having a fantastic one over on her elegant blog!

She is offering three fantastic prizes...

Prize 1--1 Vintage French Rosary

Prize 2--2 Vintage French Books
Prize 3--3 Vintage French linens (torchon, serviette, etc.-based on finds)

Click HERE to enter and tell her I sent you!

Next, the talented Donna of Brynwood Needleworks is having a 200th post giveaway!

Well done, Donna!

Click HERE to enter.

Finally, Kim of My Domestic Bliss is offering a chance
to win $50 towards any purchase at her new Etsy Shop!

Aren't these fun? I'm picking these two if I win!

Click HERE for details.

Beloved Uncle...

My beloved Uncle J.B.

That would be short for John Broadus, 

named after my beloved Pappaw, John Broadus Christian.

 

"The Old Chevy"...that's the title my Mammaw gave this photo. 

There he is on the left, with his little brother, my uncle, cradled in my Pappaw's lap.

My Uncle J.B. has always held the softest of spots in my heart...

he and my Aunt Betty never had children, but oh, how he doted on me!

 How tiny I was! And yet how safe and completely adored 

I have always felt while in his presence.

How tiny and completely adored he looks here, 

as my Mammaw proudly gazes on...

He has had a rough road of late...he was widowed last year, 

and has suffered other set-backs as well...

a car accident, a hospitalization and lengthy rehab, moving into assisted living.

But how I love to remember him as this...

What joy!

I love all my uncles, my mothers three brothers, 

but my Pappaw's namesake has always been my touchstone.

I received this letter from him as a young teen. 

Kept it safely protected all these many years. It's worth more than gold to me now.

Beloved Uncle, you are indeed truly beloved.

Your niece,

Anne

Online Selling For Dummies

The Dummy in question being ME.

Lesson #1: Don't open up your Etsy Shop until you're prepared.

A no-brainer for most of you, but for blondie here, it's a steep learning curve.

Say Ho, Ho, Ho to The Kringle's!

They are the second item sold in my brand new Etsy Shop, 

and are getting the reindeer ready for their trip to their new home Monday morning. 

So far, so good!

USPS Boxes: Check!

Bubble Wrap: Check!

Pretty Wrapping Paper: Check!

Organza Pouches/Assorted Other Packing Pretties: Uhhhh....

So I'm headed to the craft store after work this evening
to pick up a few pretty organza-type bags/pouches for my two recent sales,
then off to visit some lucky Etsy seller to buy some in bulk.
I hate the aesthetic component of using bubble wrap,
but with breakables, it absolutely has to be safety first.
Ideally, I want to wrap the Mr. and Mrs. in bubble wrap,
then place them inside their own organza pouch.

Mrs. K seems amenable to this.

But I want to do something more, go that extra mile,
put a little extra wow into my packaging....while still making a profit, of course.
Again, my faithful friends, I humbly solicit your input, suggestions, critiques,
and just all-around sage advice regarding all things Etsy.
I especially would like to hear how you've incorporated
the pretty with the practical when shipping your breakables.

Oh, and here's my other Etsy sale...

Thank you, Lulu!

In booth news, I had another good day yesterday, so Yay Me!

Sold another nifty chair (can't keep these in stock, big sellers!)...

The big painted green box peeking at you on the left...

And a whole host of other assorted smalls.
Booth-wise, I've already made three times what I made all last month so far,
which is more than enough to cover my rent
and justify going out and grabbing more loot.

I'm at the coal mines as I write this (shhhhh, don't tell The Man),
but I plan on adding more to my Etsy Shop sometime today, day job permitting. 

So to all my junkin' buddies, I wish you a day filled
with unexpected treasures and bargains galore!

Grab something rusty for me!

What Have I Gotten Myself Into???

Good grief, I have an up and running Etsy Shop now!

It's a sad little shop, with just one little item for sale, but it's a start!
Fiona & Twig on Etsy
Now just go take a peek at how I have things set up,
most especially the shop policies and such.
To those of you superstar Etsy sellers here on my blog roll,
just know that I cribbed this-n-that from your policies
'cause I truly don't know what I'm doing!

 I'd also love to hear from all of you who do have Etsy shops, 

just maybe sharing your experiences and what to watch out for.

Thanks muchly in advance!

Oh, and I'd like to encourage everyone 

to head on over to visit Jill at Gypsy Brocante to celebrate

I'm fresh outta black, but I always 

want to direct folks over to Jill's fantastic blog!

My Booth, Etsy and a Fabulous Giveaway...

I finally took some more pics of my booth this afternoon,
as so many of you have asked me to do so.
It's coming along...I'm not entirely feelin' the love for how it looks,
but it's getting there. The additions from Troy's Big Sale surely didn't hurt!

Really unique papier mache Santa boot I procured from Troy.

 

Some old, some new. The nightstand that I painted and stained is new, 

as are the cases and hatbox. I've added a lot of smalls, 

but the "bigs" ain't budging yet. Ugh. 

However, I had a fabulous week sales wise, 

big-white-furniture-not-goin'-nowhere notwithstanding. 

I kept hearing that these days, it's all about the smalls. Call me a believer.

I just love this chandelier votive. The crystals are so delicate.

I'm learning the fine art of packin' it in!

Booth overview. Note the big white pieces mocking me,
obstinately refusing to budge. I curse you, cottage-y furniture!

Hey, wait a sec...who's the broad on the dresser?

Do I detect a rival hussy in Helga's booth???

 

Why, by golly, I think a vintage showgirl floozy
has decided to hang her pasties in my booth!

The claws are sure to come out, as Helga is plenty territorial.

Except Helga doesn't have claws. Doesn't have arms, for that matter...

 Assorted other views...

 

 

So in other news, I'm finally getting my butt in gear with regards to my Etsy shop. 

You know, the one that doesn't exist yet? 

That's not entirely true, I have my profile, shop announcement 

and shop policies all filled out. Not only that, but I also have 

Etsy superstar Adrienne of The Flying Bee helping a sista out! 

I chatted her up for at least a half hour this afternoon, she is a doll! 

Now to just take the pics, describe and list the items, 

and figure out the whole shipping business. Oh, and say a prayer!

Moving right along to someone who has it ALL  figured out...

  

Tracey from one of my absolute favorite blogs, French Larkspur,
is having a fabulous giveaway, and that gorgeous French tablecloth above
is only ONE of the prizes!

Click HERE to enter.

Sleep well, my pretties!

White Wednesday...On My Christmas List

My new-found antique dealer friend Bill
is in possession of something so elegantly over-the-top,
that of course it made the very tippy-top of my Christmas List this year.....

Have you ever???

I sure haven't.

It's just a wee bit pricey,
but well worth it, in my opinion.

Only if we all pitch in and do our part
can this divine treasure be mine.

Fiona and Twig accepts donations
via all major credit cards and Pay Pal.

I'm just sayin'.

 

Visit Kathleen at Faded Charm

to see more wondrous whites!

And be sure to head over to visit Jana at
Collected Treasures to enter her November Giveaway

She's giving away FIVE handmade 

Victorian cones like the ones above!

This gal is as generous as she is talented,
so you definitely don't want to miss out!

The Followers Thing, Part 2

The response to my post on The Case of the Missing Followers 

generated a lot more conversation

 than I ever anticipated, so I thought I'd add a few new thoughts here. 

Well, new for me, at least! 

I'm learning that there's not much one can do 

in the blogging world that hasn't been done

 before (and usually better), so just bear with me

as I re-invent the wheel here.

Okay, so way back when, I promised that I'd always 

try to be brutally honest, even at the expense of my so-called reputation. 

This time is no different.

I've confessed to unabashed booth envy, s

o I might as well own up to suffering the occasional bout of blog envy as well. 

There are just sooooo many insanely talented folks here in our midst 

that it's been known to bring out the ugly little inner green beast on occasion. 

But it's not the sort of envy that creates a "why her, not me?" mentality....

rather, the kind that inspires and motivates me 

to create better content and to just be an all-around better blogger.

So when I see a top-notch blog with an abundance of followers, 

it's an encouraging sign! It reaffirms my conviction that the cream usually rises to the top, 

and that excellence is recognized and rewarded.

Which leads me to why we blog in the first place
and what we hope to achieve from it.

While some of us incorporate career aspirations into our blogging (guilty as charged),
many blog simply for the joy and fulfillment it brings.
Both are valid reasons, and I'd like to think that I'm a combination of the two.

My backstory: for many, many years, writing has been my first love.

In a perfect world, I'd have finished up a journalism degree
rather than going into medicine, which is not to take anything away from what I do for a living;
I love my job and my patients, but as I've said before,
writing feeds a need deep within me that nothing else ever has.
But would I love to also be able to earn a living through my writing?
Heck, yeah!

Likewise, I've had a passion for decorating and antiques and junking for ages,
so I'm thrilled to be able to combine these two passions in one venue.
But again, would I love to be able to earn a living as a shop owner?
I think we all know the answer to that one!

Through blogging, I've also discovered a newfound passion 

I never dreamed I would embrace so fervently... photography and photo editing. 

Who knew it could be so darn much fun? 

Not me, so that's been an unexpectedly pleasant surprise along the way.

But the greatest joy of blogging thus far has been the friends 

I've been fortunate enough to make. If I lost every follower I have tonight, 

I'd still count it as a gain for the friendships I've been blessed with. 

I won't name names, because there are just way too many of you to single out a handful, 

and to list them all would take all night. 

But just know that I'm a better person having "met" you, 

even if we haven't come face to face yet. 

We will, God will make a way.

This post feels like one big, long ramble, so I'm hoping it doesn't read as one! 

I'm hoping to tie things up in a pretty burlap bow here in just a bit!

A thought I wanted to incorporate into this post 

was the saying "To thine own self be true..."

That speaks to me in how it pertains to blogging, 

because I feel that being authentic and transparent are two key ingredients 

to connecting with readers.

The adjective crafty will never be used in conjunction with my name, believe me! 

So if I attempt to mimic my uber talented friend Dawn at The Feathered Nest, 

you savvy folks will see right through me 

and high-tail it over to the genuine article. And rightfully so!

I can only be the best Anne, and trying to be a pale imitation of anyone else 

is a plan doomed to failure. If you deem me worthy of following, 

I want it to be because you genuinely like me (channeling Sally Field here, folks), warts and all.

I can hear snoring in the cheap seats, 

so it's time to pull the plug here!

Again, thank you for your friendship, 

your comments, your inspiration, and above all,

for changing my life for the better.

That is what blogging has meant to me!

~Anne