The Farm Chicks

Hello From World Headquarters!

Hello there! Things are hopping here at World Headquarters!

Spring is in full swing here on the bluff and the view from my windows always makes my heart skip a beat. This is one of Byron's tractors that I was so happy to see he parked just outside my doors today. Byron farms our property for us and we adore him and his beautiful work. Farmers are such a gift to our world.

I've been busy getting ready for The Farm Chicks Show. It's fun to see the old show posters isn't it? They're all here, except for the first two which were handmade by my sister and hang in a special place of honor in World HQ.

Farm Chicks Show tickets all boxed up and ready to go!

This final countdown to the show is always a busy one, but I love it!

Lots of love from World Headquarters to you!

~ Serena :)

This Is My Team!

My Favorite Find is the biggest dream I've had in a long time. This vision resided in my mind and I wanted so much to bring it to life. I knew that finding the right team was key. I have to like the people I work with, trust them, and in a way, put much of my dream in their hands.

Eventually, my search led me to North by Northwest, an amazing Spokane-based digital studio, specializing in film, video, and web. I first met some of the NXNW crew when an old family friend, Peter Coyote, was in town shooting a film. Our oldest son Cody and I spent a few hours on set watching Coyote (yes, we call him Coyote... remember my hippy childhood?) bring his character to life, and getting to see the crew work their magic.

You know how when you meet someone and you know that they're right? Yeah, me too. And when we met to discuss My Favorite Find, at long last, I knew I had met my team.

Now, after all this time, I'd like for you to meet them too!

Jason Miller: He's always full of ideas and I like that even though he knows the developers will probably roll their eyes at some of them, he still shares. The day of the big MFF launch, he worked a 12 hour day, lost his wallet, had a family member get in a car crash, and son get a black eye at school. (And I thought my day was stressful!)

Shawn Bendinelli: Shawn is creative and helpful and willing to tell me if he disagrees with something. That's important! And I love that he and his wife are entrepreneurs too. You can find his Evoke Apparel Company, a business on a social mission, here.

Alex Cross: I think I make Alex wrinkle his brows in question, A LOT. Alex has been key in building the MFF site and making it function like a dream. Unfortunately, I don't speak techie but he's learning to speak Farm Chick. He's one smart cookie.

Anthony Beran: None of the guys know this, but I secretly refer to Anthony as Wilson. Remember Home Improvement? All I saw of Anthony's face for several months was the top part of his head over the computer monitor. And sometimes his eyes. This guy is FOCUSED.

Tyreil Poosri: I've worked with a lot of designers in my day and I know a gem when I see one. That's right Tyreil, I'm calling you a gem.

 

Stephanie May: Although Stephanie works out of the Boise, Idaho office, she was involved a lot in the early brainstorming stages of the project. Her insight was wonderful as she's a seasoned weekend junker and antiques enthusiast. Much of the mapping feature on the site is thanks to her insight.

Carlos Rivera: I enjoyed working with Carlos and seeing his ideas for the overall look of the site, some of which were integrated in.

I've talked about this before, but will say again, you only have so much time in this life, it's important to spend it with good people. These are my people and I'm so blessed to have them helping me bring my dreams to life. And while you're clicking, sharing, and discovering on My Favorite Find, now you'll know who's working behind the scenes to maintain and improve the site to make it better for you.

P.S. A big part of bringing My Favorite Find to life was another group I assembled to test things out, and give good honest feedback. The site wouldn't be the same without them. They're my Focus Group and I'll introduce them to you soon.

Crashing The Party

Yesterday, aside from consuming a piece a toast, I spent the day at my keyboard, hands shaking, as the launch of My Favorite Find began to unfold.

In 10th grade, I was a short, chubby teenager trying to make my way through high school. I'd recently begun taking carrot pills to try and become tan, to fit into the California look that was popular at the time. Unfortunately for me, the effect was that I turned ORANGE. In fact, I looked very much like an Oompa Loompa. And we all knew it, but no one said a thing. Because that would have just been mean. But one day, as I walked into Social Studies class late, my teacher, Mr. B, announces to the class, "Here's Serena De La Luz, the girl who's gained twenty pounds in a year!" And in that moment, I died inside. It was publicly humiliating. And let's be honest, who wants to be seen as a failure with everyone watching?

I started yesterday as nervous as can be - wanting for you to like My Favorite Find, to join in, and to bring this virtual world to life. And then, there you were. You came! It was a party, and I was so happy. But just as the party was getting in to full swing, there were so many of you that the servers crashed. And for half a second, I felt like I was back in Mr. B's room, and that I had failed.

But I've learned a few things since being an Oompa Loompa. You just deal with it and you move on. And that's what we did. The servers were upgraded, and you were patient. You continued to join the party. And I love you for that.

My Favorite Find is now back in full swing. We want you there at the party, to continue to build the community, share your finds, promote your events and shoppes, and make it the most amazing resource for all.

If you haven't yet joined in, all you need to do is visit the site, request an invitation (we've had to do this to filter out spam and inappropriate content), and then wait a few minutes for your email invitation. (You may need to check your spam folder for the email). Once you receive the invitation, simply click on the link in the email, and you'll be taken onto the website to create your profile.

If you received an invitation via email yesterday, please disregard. The email contained errors and the link doesn't work. You'll need to start over by clicking here.

Thank you for your patience as we work out the kinks and the site evolves. We couldn't do it without you.

P.S. I'm not the only one following my dreams. Here are two dreamers that are special to me:

Heather Bullard's beautiful magazine has arrived. You can see a free preview here. (I'm so happy to be one of the contributors to this amazing new magazine!)

Our boy is making music. You can follow his band here . Here they are playing recently at EMP. You can catch them next at the Bumbershoot Music Festival.

The Best .10 Cents I Ever Spent

It was shortly after the birth of our fourth son, the last of three born 15 months apart. Our home at the time was an old schoolhouse built in the thirties, nestled in the foothills of Mt. Spokane. We were adjusting to life with a home full of young boys and struggling to make ends meet.

I'd recently begun making a modest amount of money selling yard sale finds on ebay and although it wasn't anything to write home about, I enjoyed it immensely.

One afternoon, my friend Teri called to tell me she'd just been to an amazing yard sale in Deer Park, which was about a half an hour from my home. Dishes, fun vintage purses, neat old scarves and so on. I was so excited about her finds that I dropped my yard work, hopped in the car, and headed on over to her house to check it all out. When I arrived, I was surprised to see how much stuff that she, her sister, and two girls had scored. I asked if there was much left at the sale when they'd left. "Quite a bit!", they replied.

And so we headed back to see what I could find.

We pulled up and all I could really see were several tables piled high with clothing. Not what I was hoping. But when I neared, I could see that the clothing was at least all vintage and I was intrigued. Digging in, I came upon an interesting old Hawaiian shirt.

    At some point leading up to that day I'd read an article in Country Living Magazine about vintage Hawaiian shirts and remembered learning that certain ones could actually be quite valuable.

I added the shirt to my pile and went to pay. "All clothes are .10 cents each", the lady said with a smile. Well, I thought, I can't go wrong.

Later that week, I listed my shirt on ebay and crossed my fingers that it'd be worth something. Maybe $50? And then something began to happen. The bids started coming in and the price began to rise. $50 - - - - - $85 - - - - $125... WHAT?!

I called Colin, heart pounding, "MY SHIRT IS AT $125!" Then I'd call Teri. MY SHIRT IS AT $125!!!  No, Wait! It's at $135!

And so it went for seven days. Eventually, Colin's co-workers were watching the auction too. Who could believe this shirt was going this high?

When the final minutes on the auction ticked away, and we continued to click refresh! refresh! refresh! with the mouse, the price ticked on up to a final bid of $860!

$860 dollars!

It was my favorite find.

Yep! That's the shirt, and the $860 check.

But the fun didn't stop there. Ebay loved the story so much that years later I shot a commercial for the company, re-telling my story. I don't think the commercial ever aired, but it was a fun experience none the less.

Do you have a favorite find? I have lots more as well and nothing is more fun for me than sharing the stories of what I've found with others who understand. I bet you love that too.

I hope you'll come join me on my new website, My Favorite Find, and share your finds there too. And while we're at it, let's discover some great places to find more of what we love. It's all there and I hope you will be too!

P.S. You can read more about the story behind My Favorite Find on these blogs:

OC Cottage

Drinking From My Saucer

Cathy Penton - Dare to Dream

Blissful Blooms

Vintage Grey

The Savvy Luna Bug

Homesteader's Heart

Alexa Lett

Rural Revolution

Ramblings from a Vintage Gal

Curious Details

The Grand Suprise

KXLY 4 News

Farm Fresh Therapy

Hampton Victory Garden

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Finding Home 

Recraft Magazine

Tanya Smith

Sweet Peas and Happy Things

Homemade Renegade

SugarPie Farmhouse

Raffia Sisters

Sing and Don't Be Silent

Pots and Pins

The MFF Reveal, Homegrown Style

When I was thinking about how I wanted to first reveal My Favorite Find to the world, I decided there'd be no better way than to give the scoop to my readers first.  In a homegrown sort of way. After all, My Favorite Find is really all about you. I'll be posting the links to the interviews here, and you can click the links to these blogs to learn all about My Favorite Find.

OC Cottage

Drinking From My Saucer

Cathy Penton - Dare to Dream

Blissful Blooms

Vintage Grey

The Savvy Luna Bug

Homesteader's Heart

Alexa Lett

Rural Revolution

Ramblings from a Vintage Gal

Curious Details

The Grand Suprise

KXLY 4 News

Farm Fresh Therapy

Hampton Victory Garden

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Finding Home

Recraft Magazine

Tanya Smith

Sweet Peas and Happy Things

Homemade Renegade

Sugar Pie Farmhouse

Raffia Sisters

Sing and Don't Be Silent

Pots and Pins

My Favorite Find - The Launch of My New Frontier

I'm so excited to announce the launch of My Favorite Find is coming on Monday, March 19th!

Have you signed up yet?  I've been doing interviews with lots of Farm Chicks blog readers about my new venture, and I'll be posting the links to those interviews here, as they'll be revealing what My Favorite Find is all about. And then Monday, I'll be here to tell you the story behind My Favorite Find.  I can't wait! Stay tuned!

A Happily Ever After Story

A lot of people ask how to grow a business, you know, especially when you're starting from the ground up.

I know that story all too well, as almost everything I've learned in business, I've learned from me. Trial and error. Doing everything I could to make it work. And along the way, one thing I've learned is that the connections you make and relationships you build are some of the most valuable choices you can make.

Image courtesy of The Attic.

And whenever I possibly can, I love more than anything to build others up, to praise, recognize, and embrace all of you who are doing what you love and trying to make your way in the world too. Recently, I held a business card contest which was so much fun, and learned about many small businesses out there. After receiving all of the submissions, I visited the websites of the finalists and discovered Alisa and her vintage rental company, The Attic, which it turns out, serves my area! And because of what she does, I was able to open the doors of The Farm Chicks Show to her, in a unique sort of way.

A perfect connection.

You never know what's in store for you today, but be open to what's out there and the connections you can make. Because this is how you'll live happily ever after.

To learn more about Alisa's business, click here. To follow her business on facebook, click here.

P.S. All this talk of building each other up reminds me..... My Favorite Find will be here REALLY REALLY SOON! And it's all about Y-O-U .  Because I love you, yes I do. Make sure to sign up today!

The Business Card Contest Finalists

We've narrowed down the Business Card Contest entries (thank you so much to everyone who entered! We were overwhelmed with the volume of cards received), and now it's your turn to vote for your favorites!  Voting is now closed.  We'll announce all of the winners soon!

Handmade: (on recycled cereal boxes)

1.) The Red Kitchen

More handmade/embellished:

2.) Terri Click 3.) Paulette Miller 4.) Portage Trail Barn 5.) Alexa Lett

Fun shapes:

6.) Red Dog Barkery 7.) Country Chiq

A suite of cards:

8.) Melissa Davis Interior Design

Classic, yet current:

9.) Wanderlux 10.) The Attic 11.) Mustard Moon 12.) Piping & Pleats 13.) Honeybeehumble

Simple and happy:

14.) Wimzie Prints 15.) this Beautiful Frugal Life 16.) Pink Chalk Fabrics 17.) Whimsical Woodland

Vintage inspired:

18.) Elaine Tolson 19.) Vintage etc. 20.) Sweet Kaity

Bling-ey:

21.) Rhonda Addision

To vote, please leave a comment telling me the name of which card is your favorite. If you have more than one favorite, please leave a separate comment for each one.

And here's the fun part! The top three cards that receive your votes will receive a special surprise prize pack from me, and a spotlight on their businesses, here on my blog.  AND those of you who vote will be entered into a drawing to win a surprize prize pack from me as well!

Can you say that really fast three times?! Surprise Prize Pack! Surprise Prize Pack! Surprise Prize Pack! hee hee

You have until Monday night, February 20th to vote/enter. Voting is now closed. We'll announce the winners soon! Hooray!

Heather Bullard's Souvenir Magazine

Hello and happy Monday! I spent the weekend working on my contributions to Heather Bullard's new lifestyle magazine, Souvenir.

Heather's new magazine will be available digitally online, in an ipad friendly version, and in printed form and will include beautiful home features, lifestyle and travel stories as well as simple crafts and entertaining ideas.

And in true Heather fashion, she has compiled a team of contributors to make it all possible and I'm really happy to announce that I'm one of them!

You can read more about it on Heather's Blog, on the Souvenir Website, and Souvenir's Facebook page.

And if you want to sign up for Souvenir's Mailing List, and be notified when new issues are available, you can do so here.

Congratulations, Heather! We can't wait!

On Being Healthy in Business and Life

Although I grew up with no television, I remember my mom talking about Candid Camera. She'd watched the show as a teenager and always loved it. She believed that laughter was the best medicine. And I remember her describing episodes and laughing until she cried when doing so. Whenever I feel down, I like to think up imaginary episodes and that makes me giggle.

I think she was on to something.

Today I wanted to talk about business as a creative person and being happy in what you do. There's so much out there in the way of magazines, blogs, websites, etc. And you know, it's easy to sort of feel like what you're doing just doesn't measure up.

I'm here to tell you that's not a good way to think. And it's not healthy for you.

I'd like to tell you my opinion: Visit sites that inspire you, make you laugh, or leave you feeling good.

Stop visiting sites that make you feel bad. Maybe they have a lofty tone or an air of superiority. Or maybe they're negative. And here's why I say stop. Would you be friends with someone who makes you feel that way? I wouldn't. Because we all just want to be happy, right?

Surround yourself with good. Do good. Be good to yourself, so that you can be even better to those you love. And then, they'll be better, and better to their friends too.

And the same holds true in business. Do business with people you respect. That treat you well. That appreciate your business, however small it may be. I love that I know my printer and his family, that my postman knows my name, and that my internet team is full of positive, good people.

And with others in your field, surround yourself with the ones who have ethics. Who build others up. When you're good, you attract good, and the negative weeds itself out. You'll find that it is possible to love what you do. And you know what? Pretty soon, your field will be free of all the bad seeds and will do nothing but flourish.

Happy = Healthy. I'm living proof.

Me, Jennifer, and Penny, visiting at The Farm Chicks Show, years ago.

A New Frontier

A new frontier.  Arriving WINTER 2012.

Are you with me?

Click here to follow.

 

Time to Shine: April Atwater

Meet April Atwater, the editor-in-chief of Simply the Sweet Life magazine.

April began dreaming of creating her own magazine when trying to think of ways to continue being a stay-at-home mom and raising her children, while doing work from home that was meaningful for her.

Her dream had always been to work for a magazine, and so one day, she came to the realization that she should just create her own.

And after years of hard work, her home and garden magazine was born:

Simply the Sweet Life

(simple little things to make life sweet!)

April is joined by a crew of other amazing women who all work together to create the content of the magazine, which is clearly a true labor of love.

Click here to read the magazine online, for free.

Click here to connect with April and her crew on Facebook.

Time to Shine: Hollie and Jennifer

Today I'd like to introduce you to The Funky Junk girls, Jennifer and Hollie.

My history with Jen and Hollie goes way back to the early days of The Farm Chicks Show. They were vendors, located next to each other in the big tent of Fairfield's city park. Over the years, they became friends, and when The Farm Chicks show went on a one year hiatus, they decided to start their own event: Funky Junk.

Their event is held twice a year - the spring location is just outside of Spokane and the fall location is held in Sandpoint, Idaho, and is now host to 30 vendors.

When they're not working on their Funky Junk Show, Jennifer is hard at work tending the crops on her berry farm, making soap, and being a mom, while Hollie stays busy as the mom of 3 very active boys. And I'm happy to say The Funky Junk girls still participate in The Farm Chicks Show each year.

The Funky Junk Show is coming up this weekend in Sandpoint, Idaho and I'll be sure to be there, to support the girls and their dream. Will I see you there too?

Click here to visit Jennifer's blog.

Click here to visit Hollie's blog.

Click here to follow Funky Junk on Facebook.

Images by Cary Burnett.

FJ Show flyer by Hollie's sister, Heidi Jantz.

Time to Shine: Modern Farm Furniture

I love hearing about couples building a dream together - in this case, one piece of furniture at a time.

Chelsea and Kiel originally met in high school art class. College took them in different directions - he to art school, she to nursing. Four years later, they were reintroduced and fell in love in an instant. Eventually, they got engaged, moved away, and Kiel took a job at a furniture design firm. All was well until their lives were jolted by the news that Kiel was being laid off from his job.

Knowing they had the support of their family and friends back home in Ohio, they decided to pack up and head home where Kiel was hired by a product design company and Chelsea began work as a nurse. They bought their first home and Kiel, along with friend Kyle, founded Modern Farm Furniture - designing, building, and selling urban style pieces that are farm inspired. In fact, many of the original pieces are works from wood salvaged from the barns or trees of Kiel's family farm.

Chelsea has appointed herself Marketing Director and excitedly tells how just recently, two Modern Farm tables were selected by an interior designer for the ABC show Extreme Makeover Home Edition, to air in December.

Their dream? To one day quit their day jobs to pursue what they love so much. Modern Farm Furniture.

Click here to visit the Modern Farm Furniture website.

Click here to "like" Modern Farm Furniture on facebook.

Click here to visit Chelsea's blog: Farm Fresh Modern.

Time to Shine: Janet Long

In my ongoing series of posts this week, dedicated to shining a light on other entrepreneurs, I'd like to introduce you to Janet Long, founder of The Clover Market, in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

As an interior designer who was growing frustrated with the lack of interesting accessories and furniture for her clients, she decided to create an outdoor market that would feature such items. Inspired by other outdoor markets that she'd visited, she started the long and arduous process of finding a suitable location and ultimately receiving approval from the Township to hold the Market in a parking lot, downtown. All together, the approval process took approximately three years of meetings, petitions, outreach, letters to the editor, appearances before the local Board of Commissioners, and meetings with the local Civic Associations. Tenacity.

Clover Market was finally approved and began operations in the spring of 2010, with a very small handful of vendors, twice a month.  

2010 was challenging. The East Coast weather was not always cooperative, procuring vendors proved difficult, and attendance wasn't always the best. At one point, exhausted from the rigors of the market, being a mom, running the design business, and dealing with the side effects of medullary thyroid cancer, she was tempted to throw in the towel.

Instead, she dove in, deeper than ever before, changed the market to run once a month instead of two, and spent every spare moment networking, searching for more vendors, pitching stories, and reaching out to friends - all to generate buzz and excitement for her event. 

And, it worked! 2011 opened with a bang, with three completely sold out shows at about 60 vendors each, tremendous public support and attendance, and a waiting list of interested vendors. And the weather cooperated as well.

 

Clover Market has helped to revitalize the downtown area which has suffered in these harsh economic times, and Janet is proud to say that it has played a small part in incubating and providing a venue for many small business owners who otherwise wouldn't have a venue to market themselves and sell their work and their products.

Congratulations, Janet! You're hard work is an inspiration.

Click here to find out more about Clover Market.

Click here to "like" Clover Market on facebook.

All images by Carla Zambelli.

Time to Shine: Tamara Hensley

Recently, I wrote about wanting to shine a spotlight on some of my readers. Women who are following their dreams, and trying to make a career out of what they love. Today, I want to introduce you to: Tamara Hensley

Tammy is a graphic designer living near Lake Superior. She grew up creatively, dabbling in various creative pursuits. At the age of 10, her mom gave Tammy and her sister a sewing machine.

She sewed and quilted and dreamed of the day that she could design her own line of fabric. Eventually, she stumbled upon Spoonflower, a website where designers can upload their fabric designs for sale. Since then, she has created over 100 designs.

Tammy saves the money she makes from the commissions on the fabric sales through Spoonflower so that she can purchase her own fabric to create the projects that she loves.

Her dream? To become a licensed designer for a fabric company.

 

Tammy, Keep following your dreams, and doing what you love. I'm rooting for you and I know my readers are too.

You can learn more about Tammy on her blog: Art, Alphabets, and Adventure

Click here to view and purchase pieces from Tammy's "Tammikins" fabric collection.

The Mothership, a Pickle, and Apple

Today I'm taking you behind the scenes at World Headquarters, where I ran into quite a pickle this week when the wi-fi stopped working. When that happened, everything came to a grinding halt. I NEED the internet for a lot of what I do.

It all started with some technical difficulties with the Mothership. (That's the room that contains all of the wiring here). 

Imagine me trying to troubleshoot in this room. I know, right? hahahahahahaha

After that didn't work, I ended up here:

at the Apple store. It ended up being a 5.5 hour visit at the Genius Bar (No, not that kind of bar), where the Apple geniuses help desperate souls like me who come in with teeth clenched and an impulse to throw one's laptop through the pretty glass entryway.

If you own any sort of Apple product and have a problem, please just drop what you're doing and go visit the geniuses. They're amazing. And nice! And even more importantly, patient. (Hi Eric and Eric! and George!)

In the end, I walked away with my first Porsche.

(aka the cutest little hard drive ever).

And now, we're back up and running. This morning I woke up to over 1,000 emails. I think I better get back at it.

P.S. No geniuses, laptops or pretty glass entryways were harmed in this process.

Note: I was not paid to talk about my experience at Apple. And heavens knows they don't need my endorsement to succeed. :)

Time to Shine

The first business I ever had was selling mud pies to people who would venture up the three mile long dirt road to our cabin in the woods to see my parents. I was in elementary school and I still remember my exhilaration once I'd made $20 from those pies.

In fact, with that success, an entrepreneur was born.

And there's really something about entrepreneurs isn't there?

All chasing a dream.

A big idea.

The next big thing.

Or the next little thing.... that maybe does nothing more than to make us happy.

Big or small...

dreams are dreams and that's what being an entrepreneur is all about. Dreaming, doing, following through. For you.

You. That's really what I'm trying to get around to today.

And here's why. I want to help shine a light on other entrepreneurs. Because we can all use a boost sometime.

It's your time to shine.

...     *     ...     *     ...     *     ...     *     ...     *     ...     *     ...     *     ...

Here are the details:

Please send me a description of your business (from anywhere in the world), anything that helps me to better understand what you do. Tell me your story, your successes, failures, whatever it is that's brought you to where you are with your business today. (If you have a web address, please make sure to provide that as well).

Put everything together and send it to me here:

The Farm Chicks

Time to Shine!

P.O. Box 1328

Mead, WA 99021

or you can email me, with the subject line: Time to Shine.

I will be going through your submissions and will select several to profile here, on my blog, for the world to see.

Because you deserve it.

...     *     ...     *     ...     *     ...     *     ...     *     ...     *     ...     *     ...

Good News! You Can Shop!

I was so sad when I had to close my shop and had to stop with online orders. I just couldn't keep up. And I've heard from so many of you, wanting to purchase my books and other cute things.

So I have good news to share! I now have an amazon shop where you can purchase my books, other books I love, and products too. And amazon is able to offer my books at such amazingly low prices, it will save you lots.

To go to the shop, you can click on the books icon on my sidebar here or from my website, by clicking on products.

Thank you so much for your support. I adore you.

Serena :)

 

P.S. I'll be regularly adding new selections, so I hope you'll check back often.

World Headquarters

The original Farm Chicks office was located in the corner of my laundry room.

It was October of 2002 and Teri and I had just held our very first sale, in my friend's barn, just a short walk from my house.

I had a strong feeling that The Farm Chicks needed to have a website and set my mind to creating one. I had no idea what I was doing, but really wanted a way to grow the business and anticipated that the internet would be key in doing so.

So, I set up my family's terribly old computer and set out to create the website, using a dial-up connection in my little corner. I worked late at night after the family had all gone to bed, and during the day, whenever I could squeeze in a minute or two. And I'm going to tell you it wasn't the ideal way to hatch the business, but I was working with what I had at the time, which was something I was used to. Making do.

Eventually, Colin and I saved up enough money to buy a desk from Pottery Barn that fit perfectly into a little niche in the hall between the living room and bathroom. The size of a closet. So, I moved the computer out of the laundry room and into my new space. And I began to dream bigger than ever before.

Whenever I'd have an important call or exciting development, Colin and I would laugh about who I was talking with, and the fact that it was all taking place from that little desk. And he began referring to it as World Headquarters. Because it all seemed so crazy, that all that was happening from that tiny little space.

Now that we've moved to our new home, and I have an actual office, I'm still in awe of my new space. The new World Headquarters. And that's what it will always be to us, because it reminds us of where this little business began. And makes me excited about what lies ahead.

And in this space, I feel more inspired than I've ever felt before. But it's still quite a mess. So, before I start moving ahead, I need to get moved in.

And I'm getting there. Box by box.

Right now, I'm getting my paper crafts cabinet organized. Drawer by drawer. And I'm taking my time.

Because, you can't rush these things and I want it to be just right.

After all, it's taken me nine years to get here. World Headquarters is a happy place to be.

Advice

Each year, in the weeks leading up to The Farm Chicks Antiques Show, my emails increase ten-fold. I hear from a lot of women wanting business advice. And I wish that I could just say *poof* it's this easy! But really, business is a lot of hard work, passion, and time. Everything takes time.  Years ago, I wrote this advice for Country Living Magazine, to try and help women going into business. You might find it helpful.

If you're just getting started in business, or are looking for some business inspiration, this new Country Living Book: The Mom's Guide to Running a Business, may be helpful as well.

(You'll find my business story here:)

Being a mom and having a business can really be a challenge, but if you can find a balance, it can be really rewarding. Stay focused, be true to what you love, and work hard. You can do it. 

I wish you all the success in the world!

On Getting Dressed and Making Mistakes

Today I had to meet Teresa at the building site at 9:30 to discuss carpet, which conflicted with getting the boys to school and an important phone call with the company that is licensing my brand, all at the exact same time.

At 9:15, the company called (early) and threw me off a bit. But I needed to take the call. Because there's a lot of things to discuss right now and everyone's busy. Not just me.

And right on cue, the boys started fighting about this and that and it went just about as swimmingly as you can imagine an important phone call can go with orangutans arguing at their highest decibel in the background. Awesome!

I grabbed my laptop and had Lukie scroll through the pages I needed to reference during my call (all via a hands-free device... yes, I'm a safe driver) as I drove them to school.

Not my favorite way to conduct business.

After I dropped off the boys and got to the building site, I wrapped up my phone call and hopped out of the car to scurry inside, just in time. But just then, I was awash with a sickening feeling.

WAS I DRESSED ?!?!

And as I scanned through my mind, going through the morning, I, for the life of me, could not remember if I had gotten dressed. Fear. Panic!

And then I glanced down to discover that ... Ahhh ahhh ahhhhhh.... I was in fact dressed.

What on earth? So apparently, my children are all correct. I really have begun to lose my mind. Double awesome!

Which brings me to my big mistake at World Headquarters...

I've always planned on having painted floors at World Headquarters. Nice and bright and what I've always wanted. And I'm going to go out on a limb here by saying that I think both Craig (builder) and Mike (finish carpenter) have been thinking I'm a little cuckoo with that choice. Nonetheless, they've been on board with the decision. Because it's what I wanted and they're really good about respecting that.

Anyhow, when the time came to order the flooring, Craig and I discussed the options and I agreed on one of the choices.

What I failed to articulate to Craig is that I wanted to be able to see the boards once they're painted.

Oops.

When I walked in and saw the floor (above) I immediately realized my big mistake. And if this were to get painted, it would look pretty much like a solid white floor. Sort of like taking a Picasso and covering it in white paint, which would pretty much make it a white square.

So, I decided to have it sealed with a clear finish and to celebrate the beauty of that undressed maple floor.

And you know, I do think it's quite pretty after all. In fact, I'm beginning to like it very much.

Undressed floors are good. Undressed humans at the building site ... not so much.

Thank goodness that all turned out okay.

 

A Needle In A Haystack

Imagine it was day 2,000,592 of cold dark windy rainy snowy weather... *Oh wait* you can imagine because it's WINTER...  Anyway, imagine it was another long winter's day and you stop at the post office to discover there's so much mail you need a cart. Hooray! I. Love. Checking. The. Mail. (I think it goes back to my childhood and that being my only contact with the outside world).  ....

Then imagine, as you're digging through the boxes... you see this package:

 

Happy! Joyful! Springtime cheer!

So guess what, I marched right up to the counter to show my post office worker buddies the box. "Where's it from?", they asked. And not knowing, I flipped the box all around to see. "NEW JERSEY!" I exclaimed. "NEW JERSEY?!?!?!", they asked. And it was. And somehow, it made it all this way, across the U.S. to me in such darling condition.

And guess what was inside?

Needles in a haystack. A HAYSTACK PINCUSHION!

And lots of other cute things, carefully crafted from my Farm Chicks patterns (as shared in my treatbag download and Farm Chicks logo materials from my website) Do you recognize my tractor and aprons?:

All an incredibly sweet surprise from the girls of Vintage Bettys, who love to make home crafts, just for fun.

I bet if you twist their arm, they might be willing to share a tutorial on how to make the haystack pincushion. Wouldn't that be the best? It's my favorite pincushion ever.

Thank you, Vintage Bettys.

P.S. This reminds me.... I get asked about this a lot... About using my copyrighted patterns or logos...

All of my materials are copyrighted. When a pattern or project is shared, you are welcome to use those for your own personal use. They just can't be used for resale. (Items bearing my patterns or designs cannot be sold). And if you happen to use my materials on your website or blog, please make sure to link back to my website as the source for your project.

And I would do the same for you.

 xoxo, Serena

Greetings from Cake Class

 

I thought I'd send a quick hello from class. I'm so glad I finally did this after all these years. Too bad the boys are past the stage of thinking clowns are cool.

Each week, we bring in a cake that we then frost and decorate. This week, I was so busy I didn't have time to make the cake. So I frosted a cake pan instead.

The thing is, if I were to wait until I wasn't busy to sign up for class, I don't know that I ever would have. And each week, as hard as it is to get here, I'm always so glad I did.

And every time I'm here and seeing how hard the staff works in this little shop, I think about how lucky we are to be able to follow our dreams. We can do anything we want. Like Michelle did.

This is Michelle. She owns Carolyn's and teaches our classes.

Michelle shopped at Carolyn's for years. She loved it there. One day when she was picking up supplies, there was a store closing sign on the counter. Carolyn had been in the process of selling the business to a new owner and then the deal went through. Unable to find another buyer, she was ready to close the shop down.

Michelle made her purchase and went out to the parking lot where she immediately called her husband, a school principal, to tell him about Carolyn's closing down. And then proceeded to tell him that she wanted to buy it. And here's the sweet part...

He thought she should too. That she should follow her dreams. So she did. And Carolyn's was saved.

That was years ago and the little shop is still going strong. And this isn't a romantic tale about how all she does is work with frosting all day and make cakes look pretty. It's actually a lot of hard work. Long hours at the shop and part-time work elsewhere to make ends meet.

But she's doing what she loves and she's filling a void in our community. There's nothing better than the service you get from a locally owned shop.

Which brings me back to class. I'm so thankful to be here. And thankful that all of us can live our dreams. Even if it is a lot of hard work.

P.S. If you love the thought of supporting little shops as much as me, you can always place phone orders from Carolyn's. They ship nationwide.

P.P.S. I have no affiliation with Carolyn's and have not been compensated in any way by talking about their business. I'm just spreading the love.

xo

World Headquarters

The windows are in at the new Farm Chicks World Headquarters.  I really love it up there.  (If you've been reading here for a while you know I call it that because of my current postage-stamped sized digs).  And I do love all of the new space I'll be getting.

But the best thing about World Headquarters?  The view out onto my neighbor's farm.  Love.

Goodbye - Good Buy!

Today I think I sold a truckload of cute things.  And I loved seeing everyone so happy to get a good deal.  And because of the great response, Wednesday will be the final sale day at the store.

Oh boy, there are some super super cute things still to be had!  Cakestands.  Really darling ones too.  Mugs, glassware, dishes, wonderful decorating books, candies, candles, and stocking stuffers galore.  Everything on this final sale day will be 40% off.

Open 11-2.  I hope to see you there!

The Sun and the Rain and the Appleseeds

Today I needed my friends and they dropped everything to come and help me.

Today was a day where I cried about ten times.

The short story is that I'm having to close my little store.  Maintenance issues that I just can't ignore.  And it's the final blow in a series of difficult events there.

And the most important thing I've learned over the years is that when something is detrimental to my business, I have to fix it or move on.  Otherwise, I'd be putting my business at risk.

So, I'm closing things down.  My friends and I will be at the store from 11-2 each day this week and EVERYTHING WILL BE MARKED AT LEAST 30% OFF.

My online store will remain open.

We will be open from 11-2 this week.  All stock and display fixtures will be sold.

And here's the thing.  It could always be worse.  Mr. Blue Sky says that all the time.  And it's true.  I'm so thankful for such good friends who've been there for me and for Colin and the boys loving and supporting me in all of my dreams.  The ones that work and the ones that don't work out.  And you've supported my dreams too.  Thank you for that.  Really really.

And it all reminds me of a song my siblings and I would sing as children, when times were tough, but we were so thankful for what we had.  I love that it's been playing in my mind:

    Oh the Lord is good to us

    and so we thank the Lord

    for giving us the things we need -

    the sun and the rain and the appleseeds...

    The Lord is good to us!

The Creative Connection Event

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is from women interested in starting their own business.  I'm happy to be speaking at The Creative Connection in Minneapolis, on just that very subject:  How to Launch a Business.  If you're looking for inspiration and useful information, The Creative Connection is the place to be.  I hope to see you there!

Meet Jennifer!

Meet Jennifer, the newest addition to The Farm Chicks team!  And, I'm happy to announce The Farm Chicks store now has expanded hours, and is open seven days a week.

Hours:

Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm

Sunday 11am - 5pm

Before and After

Hi everyone! Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by my little store this week.

The Farm Chicks Store is located in Spokane's Browne's Addition, which a historic neighborhood in Spokane.  When I discovered the space, it was a wreck.  In fact, when Colin peered through the window, he told me he didn't know if it was a disaster or a dump.  But I do love Spokane's historic neighborhoods so much, and believe that bit by bit, we can all work at bringing them back to life, which will make our communities better places to live.

I thought you might like to see some before and afters...

Before:

After:

The shop is tiny, about 1000 square feet.  For grand opening, I decided to leave it as wide open as possible, to avoid any possible crowding.

The store features jewelry, accessories, kitchenware, party supplies, Farm Chicks merchandise and a bit of vintage goods.  Generally, the items that make the home a happy place to be.

The stock and displays will be ever-changing and we'll have some really fun collections for every season.

For those of you who don't live nearby, we'll be offering lots of our shippable items online.

Thank you for all of your support and well wishes.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I turn 40 this weekend, which is really hard for me to imagine.  Because just yesterday I was a little girl.  Our family friend, Izzie, used to tell me that I was just knee-high to a grasshopper.  And she wasn't kidding.  But somewhere along the way, I grew up and just like that, my dreams have finally caught up with me.

Why, hello little store.  You make me happy because you're so darned cute.  Did you know you're a dream-come-true for me?  And did you know that so many people have had a hand in bringing you back to life?

Happy birthday to you, little store.  You've been reborn.  And happy birthday to me because, well, you're ALMOST ready to be introduced to the world.

And that makes me very happy.

Reality

Sometimes when you're pouring everything into a dream, you can get discouraged.  Will it ever come to be?  And I confess, I've had a little bit of that lately.  But then, I read my fortune tonight.

Thank goodness.  Everything's going to be okay.  Next up: Reality!  Yay!

Catching Up

Hi there, you.  I've been really swamped lately and barely able to keep up.  And how can I, really?  Especially when each of the boys drag home this much dirt in their shoes whenever we return from the new house.

But don't worry.  We've been making several stops a week at Strawberry Hill for some of the freshest and healthful veggies around.

And a little eye candy too.

Our farmhouse is beginning to take shape.  And we all love Craig.  He's doing such a great job.

And the store?

Oy vey!

It's coming along, but not without a fight.  Turns out, it's not easily tamed.

But it will be looking beautiful soon. Or else.

Talk soon,

me

Where in the World?

As I was finally finishing responding to emails from after The Farm Chicks Show, a slideshow of memories began playing in my mind.  And then, I remembered meeting the group of ten from Australia, who came for the show.

* GASP *

And a lady from Seoul.

And Florida.

And New York.

And California.

And here....and there....

And I got to wondering.  Who's reading my blog?  Where are you?

I'd really love to know.

P.S. Isn't this street so pretty?  It's just up from my new store.

I can't wait to tell you where.

Soon.

Honey... But Not Just Honey

When I was planning the very first Farm Chicks Sale in my neighbor's barn just over the hill, she suggested that neighbor, Lyle, should join in too.  He raises honey bees and sells his honey, so it was the perfect fit.  Because who doesn't love fresh honey?

 

That first sale was such a great time.  We sold all the goods we'd been gathering from my neighbor's barns, mini apple pies, and pretty things.  Lyle sold his honey, and another neighbor, Jeff, sold his handmade adirondack chairs.  Lyle's wife, Elaine, made us all chicken salad sandwiches, wrapped in waxed paper (you can find Elaine's recipe in the first Farm Chicks book), beautiful music wafted through the air, and my lifetime friendship with Lyle and Elaine was formed.

And over the years, as I got to know them better, I was surprised to learn about Elaine's business, designing decorative home products that are sold all over the country.  And at the time I learned about Elaine's business, we were deep in the process of designing a line of Farm Chicks products for a major national retailer.  It had become a frustrating process and Elaine was very insightful with the situation.  And after much unnecessary stress and heartache with the line, we ended up walking away from it all.  And I was okay with it.  It just wasn't worth it to me.

And then last fall, just as I was venturing out on my own with The Farm Chicks business, Elaine called to ask me if I was still dreaming about a line of Farm Chicks products.  And of course, I was.  So, she introduced me to a company who could possibly bring the line to life.  And over the past year, she has been there for me, offering advice, providing insight, and listening to me talk about my dreams.

What Elaine did opened the world to me and I am eternally grateful.  And it reminded me that you never know someone's whole story until you really get to know them.

You can find Lyle's Hilltop honey at the show and there couldn't be a more perfect show souvenir.  His honey has been a part of The Farm Chicks Show since the very beginning and it doesn't get much sweeter than that!

And you'll also find a collection of Elaine's hand-painted chairs, specially painted by her, just for the show.  Lyle and Elaine's booth can be found in the center of the Plaza at the show.

Oh, and P.S., my line of home products should be available nationwide sometime this year.  Thanks, Elaine.  I couldn't have done it without you!

Happily Ever After

Today was a horrible terrible no good day.  A work day so bad I wondered how on earth this horrible stressful situation could be possible.

And the whole time I was dealing with the terrible horrible no good situation, I kept thinking....I just want to be with my family.

So, I went and sprung the boys from school.

And we went to see this guy.

After, I loaded the cart with junk at Costco.  I really did.

And after bedtime, I sat down with strawberries and chocolate.

And we all lived happily ever after.

Color

Today was all about color for me.

It all started with Micah's super cool outfit.  Blue plaid shorts, purple socks, yellow shoes.  How is it possible that my 12 year old son wears size 11 shoes?  He's growing up so fast.

And a car full of roses that could even make the too busy version of me happy.

You know how you feel when you're too busy?  That's me right now.  The last push before the big show.  Two photo shoots.  Stories to edit.  House to build.

Although the day is saying good-bye before I had a chance to say hello, I'm glad to have seen the beauty in it.  I'm glad for color.

Notebooks

I've been working on a big dream project of mine lately, which means bringing notebooks to bed.  I never know when I'm going to have a big idea that needs to be written down.  And I love seeing my entrepreneurial dreams written down, all together in one place.  I believe it's the first step in seeing what I want to accomplish.  If I can see it, I can achieve it.

Creative Cards

Remember the original Victoria magazine and the feature they always did on darling business cards?  I always loved that so much.  And I'm always so appreciative of great cards when I see them.  My cards emulate old game pieces.  They still make me happy every time I hand one out:

Do you have cute little business cards?  I'd love to see them!

Finding My Way

Over the last couple of weeks, I've received lots of emails and calls, checking in on me while I'm adjusting to my business as a solo venture.  One thing I've learned throughout my life, is that there are many twists and turns, opportunities, and adventures.  And even though I don't know what's around the next bend, I know that I'm enjoying the ride and I'm going to make the most of it.  I'm finding my way.

In the spring of 1979, when I was nine years old, my parents put my sister and I on a Greyhound bus bound for San Francisco, to meet an Uncle I had only heard of a few times before.  And in those few weeks leading up to spring vacation, my sister and I made a point of learning everything we could about our Uncle, so that we were prepared.  We learned he was a wealthy pediatrician who lived in Pacific Heights, a well-to-do area of the city, that he collected fine art, and dined at only the fanciest restaurants.  And we were intimidated.  How do fancy people eat?  What do they wear?  Will we embarrass ourselves?  So, we made a plan.  We'd spend every day after school, at the library, learning everything we could about fancy people and proper etiquette.  Emily Post became our saving grace and we were ready.

The trip from our little town to the big city took all day and when we reached the San Francisco bus station, I had a pit in my stomach.  We made our way to the exit and searched around for our Uncle.  "There he is!", my sister exclaimed, and she leaned down to whisper, "and he's driving a MERCEDES!"  I had no idea what that meant.

Our Uncle spoke with a fancy accent, wore a beautiful suit, and spoke of exotic adventures in foreign lands.  His friend, the Financial Adviser to the King of Malaysia, was sending his son, Jommit, who was living in the city, to be our tour guide and shopping coordinator for the week.  We were out of our element.

His home on the hill felt like a museum, and of course, had modern amenities like a telephone, refrigerator, washing machine and dryer, and extras like an enormous television - all of which were things we had never lived with or really ever been around.  Our bed was a fluffy, comfy, down-covered wonder, and felt extravagant compared to the sleeping bag on a styrofoam-covered wooden platform I was accustomed to back home.  So comfy, in fact, that my sister and I spent lots of time on that bed, watching TV, snacking, and drinking 7-up.  Until I spilled a whole can on the fancy comforter.  And all alone in the house, we had no idea what to do.  Well, it's wet, we thought.  So, we set it in the dryer, for an hour on high heat, and went back to watching Batman.  When our Uncle returned, his home smelled of smoke, and he discovered the comforter in the dryer, with a huge black hole in the center, burned through from the heated sugar in the 7-up.  We learned there was a place called the dry-cleaner, where special things like comforters should be taken.

The week was a whirlwind of local landmarks, fancy restaurants (where we discovered things like fondue and veal), luscious bakeries, and shopping extravaganzas.  We took pictures of our food, limousines, pretty people, and window displays.  And I spent hours on the phone, for the first time in my life, talking to my friend, Nicky, back home, having no idea there were long-distance charges.  $400 to be exact.

When the week drew to a close, and our Uncle put us on the bus back home, I cried and cried.  My Uncle had become familiar, a full-fledged part of my family at long last, and I didn't want to lose him again.  "You've found your way here, Serena", he explained.  "And you'll find your way again".  And I did.  Every spring break for many years to come.  And I had the time of my life.

And as I'm making Farm Chicks plans, acting on long-held dreams, and moving forward, I understand that finding my way is a good thing, and I'm learning and growing all along the way.

P.S.  That's me on the steps of our family gypsy wagon.  After our family stopped traveling the country in the wagon, it became my room.  I'll make sure to tell you about it sometime.

Carrying On

I've been looking through a box of some things Teri's given to me - a time capsule of sorts, from the beginning of our Farm Chicks journey together.  Pictures, clippings, journal entries, our first magazine articles.  And it's been hard.

I've been blessed to build a business with my best friend, who's really been like a sister to me.  And we've been able to do what we love, while being homemakers at the same time.  It really doesn't get any better than that.  And although I'm having a hard time at the moment, looking back on our journey together, they're memories I cherish and I'm incredibly thankful.

And I'm carrying on.  The Farm Chicks is something I love, something I'm proud of, and something I can't imagine ever not doing.  And it's something I'll be doing on my own - but I'm really not alone.  I know that we're all in this together and there's an incredibly supportive community out there.

I have dreams and inspiration for The Farm Chicks and will include you on my journey.  I hope to see you here often and at the show, which of course, will go on.  Because I love it.

Thank you for all of your warmth and encouragement over the years.  I look forward to getting to know all of you better.

Love,

Serena

It's Business Time

I love great business cards, and love seeing what other businesses and entrepreneurs dream up.  When the original Victoria magazine was around, I really enjoyed a feature they had every month, showing amazing business cards from the U.S. and abroad.  On a recent visit to my sister's, the business card at the Pine Cone Diner caught my eye:

And of course, it didn't hurt that they were displayed on the counter in such a simple, yet darling way:

I enjoy using the business cards that catch my eye as bookmarks.  Not only are they cute bookmarks, but they remind me of the time and place they came from, which in this case, was a great time with my sister.

All Work Today

I'm doing some fun work today.  A big project iscoming up and I need to prepare.  One of the things on the to-do list:  recipe testing.  It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it!

Aren't You Wonderful?!

Ive really enjoyed reading all of the comments left on the Power to The People post and wanted to tell you about these ladies who shared their entrepreneurial stories:

Jennifer started her soap making business (Cedar House Soaps) in her home eight years ago, allowing her to express herself creatively while raising her children.  She now creates soap full-time and runs a little shop of her own.  She also sells her soap at our show every year.

Monica created her blog, The Homespun Heart, and is an expert on thriftiness.  We've always been so impressed - reading how far she can stretch her budget, and how creative she is as well.  And If you're ever looking for the best way to stretch a coupon, you should really visit her blog.  She's soon to be starting a fun new "Open House" venture and you'll be able to read more about it on her blog sometime in the future.

Debi at Cowgurls Blessing creates aprons from vintage tablecloths and other materials and is just getting ready to open her Etsy Shop.  Watch her blog for more information on her grand opening!

Katie has been creating beautiful pillows and aprons from vintage materials and carries them in her shop online.  She also has a blog where she has show-and-tell posts of her projects and other sweet things like vintage aprons.

Designer Junk Finder, Shay, has a self-described "Rich Hillbilly Style" and is a passionate collector.  She shares her inspiration on her blog and sells her cool jewelry on etsy.

Our friend, Jeanne, started her business, A Bushel and a Peck a year ago, specializing in the hand-crafted items that she loves.  You can find her creations on her etsy site.  We especially love her Olivia dresses.

Kim runs the darling Maxwell General shop in Maxwell, California and blogs about it at Camp Whimsy.

Jeanetta is a wife and mom of three and loves to create Splendid Things.  You can find her creations on etsy and read about her daily life on her blog.

Angie runs a great blog, The Downtown Boutique, where she features wonderful items made by other "cottage industry style businesses".  The blog is very visual and loaded with great items.  She also runs two etsy shops of her own.  You can find them here and here.

Beki started her blog, Artsy Crafty Babe three years ago to boost her creativity and make connections with others.  She has since started her own business making patterns and handbags that she sells on etsy.  You can find her etsy store here.  And, she's been published in three (yes three!) books:  Pretty Little Purses and Pouches, Pretty Little Potholders, and Pretty Little Patchwork.

Christina turned her passion for photography into a business three years ago.  She specializes in children, family, maternity, and senior portraits.  You can find her website here.

Kjersten, aka Travel Girl, is a stay-at-home mom who started her travel business a year ago.  Her creative outlets are blogging, photography, teaching piano and voice.  She hopes to segue into "making beautiful things" more often.  You can find her blog, Travel Girl, here.

Carrie, of Sommer Designs fame, began her business ten years ago.  Her business has evolved in that time and she now specializes in handbags, aprons and drawer liners.  Her creations can be found on her website and you can follow her on her blog, behind the screen.

Deb is a Retail Visual Designer and consults with merchants, writes for trade publications, speaks at trade shows, and hosts videos on retail subjects.  She's also a ball of energy, which we discovered first-hand when she was an antiques vendor at our show last year.  While at our show, she filmed a bunch of video segments for the gift and home channel.  You can find her video segments here:  with The Farm Chicks, Deb, with Heather Bullard, with Bari J, with Tammy Gilley.  You can also visit Deb on her blog:  Deco Diva Deb.

Liz owns and operates the amazing Vintage General shop in Savannah Georgia, which Teri got to experience first-hand on a recent visit there.  She is also a freelance producer and photo stylist for national magazines.  You can visit her on her Vintage General blog, and her website.

Laura is following her dreams, as hard as it may be, in an area that isn't really receptive to hand-crafted goods.  She hasn;t let that stop her.  She opened her own etsy shop and is selling her creations there.  You can visit her at her etsy shop: All About Pretty, as well as her blog.

Our friend, Kasey, operates the lovely Lola B Boutique, where you can find all things pretty all the time.  Her displays are beautiful.  She's in the process of moving to a new location and will be holding a open house at her home on Friday, December 5th.  You can read more about it on her blog.

Jen is a mom, artist, local TV show host, and craft writer.  You can read all about her at her Sanctuary Arts blog!

Teresa is a talented illustrator and avid antiquer and is also a vendor at our show.  You can visit her on her blog where she offers recipes, craft tutorials, and more.  You can also find her creations at her etsy shop.  Her work has also been published in Romantic Homes Magazine.

Amy is a knitter extraordinaire, and I have to admit I fell in love with several of her pieces while visiting her etsy shop.  I think my favorite is her red raspberry crocheted necklace!  So Anthropologie-ish!

Pamela is the owner of Beehind Thyme, a little shop in Kentucky.  She also has two blogs:  Beehind Thyme, and French Rustic at Beehind Thyme.  She designs, creates, and has been recognized in several magazines.

Our friend, Beth, has been crafting, junking, and creating almost her entire life.  Eight years ago, she decided to make a major change in her life and switch careers, from a licensed social worker, to a small shop owner is Castle Rock, Colorado.  You can read about her life on her blog.  Her shop, along with 17 others, are housed inside a 100 year old barn.  Lucky!!

Beth Quinn runs her jewelry making business out of her home.  In one year's time, she's managed to have her jewelry carried in Sweden, Finland, and the U.S.!  You can find her lovely jewelry on her blog.

Kim runs a website devoted to vintage fabric and textiles.  (Be still my beating heart!)  She also offers many items for sale at her etsy shop, and blogs about all of it here.

Jenessa is just getting started with her business, The Best Nesst, where she creates inspirational wall hangings and cards.  You can read all about it on her blog!

Christa is the owner of Chloe Rose, specializing in "cottage style treasures and handcrafted goodies".  She and a friend also host several shows a year called Kindred Roses.  You can read all about it on her blog.

When Tricia isn't working at her day job, she's enjoying her life as the founder of Vintage Bliss, where she says she is "on the pursuit of pretty".  and who doesn't like pretty things?  You can read more about it on her blog and find her goodies on her etsy shop.

By day, Tami is a "red-pen slinging editor" and by weekend, a "flea-marketing junkie who makes crafty stuff".  Her business is called Cupcake Studio and you can find her creations on her etsy shop and read all about her on her blog.

Darling Mindy started an antiques shop "from scratch" in a feed store in Poetry, Texas.  Doesn't it just sound too good to be true?!  You can read all about Mindy on her blog.

Gabreial is the editor of the online magazine, Vintage Indie, which is all about promoting and supporting independent businesses.  The magazine features a cache of wonderful content and is well worth adding to your regular list of must-reads.

Eileen runs Forget Me Not Dreams, a website featuring an assortment of vintage, new, and handcrafted items.  You can read all about Forget Me Not Dreams on her blog.

Vanessa is a mom of four with a husband who has been deployed overseas for almost a year.  Vanessa started a little stitchery business about five years ago to supplement their income.  Since that time, she has continued to add more items and dreams of continued growth for her business.  she chronicles all of it on her blog.

In addition to running her own business (day job), Heidi paints and crafts in her spare time.  You can find her creations all over the internet: here, here, and here.

And here's a little shout-out to Donna, Melissa, Amy, and PJ who left comments on the post, and haven't yet started a business, but have dreams to do so someday.  We hope that reading about all of these wonderful women will inspire you in some way.

Power to the People

Thinking about how we got started as The Farm Chicks, and all of the work we put into our business, makes me think about all the others who are out there - trying to start a business of their own.  Your own.  To follow your dreams.
What is it that you want to do?  Or if you've followed your dreams, what type of business have you created?  Are you waiting to be discovered?  To be the next big thing?  I say, we can all make each other the next big thing.  Let's support each other.  No waiting to be discovered.  Share your story - leave a comment and tell us, tell everyone about you.  You never know who may be reading.  Power to the people!