MODKIDBOUTIQUE: June 2007

MODKID at stores!

Remember the wholesale orders that I was preparing during my weekend with Bernie? And the ones I documented here? Well, the first batch of them have hit the stores... well, one store, to be exact. LOL! My 2-piece Bistro set is now available ready-made in sizes 2T, 3T and 4T at Anna-Kate's Closet, which is located in Virginia,

but they also have an online boutique at which those of us who live nowhere near Virginia can browse & shop. If you do live in Virginia, or are planning to travel there, and would like to take a peek at their new store, here is the information:

Otherwise, you can visit their online store by clicking here. It's a wonderful little boutique packed with whimsical and unique items for baby, children and mommies.

Customer Cuties

I received a couple of pictures from customers lately and I just had to share. Aren't these girls adorable? This is by far my most favorite part of my business...

My Song?

I was tagged by Chelsea weeks ago (sorry!) and then by Michelle probably weeks ago too and most recently by Dayna to choose a song that best describes me, or my life or my state of mind. And girls, I just want to say to all of you that I was not ignoring your tag at all. It's just that you have no idea how hard this one was for me. I still don't know! LOL!

If you had asked me this question back when I was 16 or 17, my answer would have been real easy. I probably would have said "Punk Rock Girl" by the Dead Milkmen, seeing as I was quite the rebel in my teenage years and hung out with a very "questionable" crowd back then. My mom still cringes when she remembers some of the clothes I used to wear back in high school. Oh, and don't get me started on my hair, my nails, my lipstick... LOL! Well, my life is quite different now. My hair is a normal Loréal shade and my clothes are no longer ripped (on purpose). But this left me still pondering the "My Song" question.

I thought about asking Jon if he could think of a song that best described me, but I knew he'd give me a smart ass answer being that he loves to make fun of all blogging-related matters. He would probably say that the song that best describes me is "I'm Only Happy When It Rains" by Garbage because he claims that I am always bitching about something and I seem to rather enjoy it. LOL! Well, he's always bitching about my bitching, so there. ;) Then h

e would probably say that another song that best describes me is "Rich Girl" by Gwen Stefani because I am always dreaming about what I would do "if I had all the money in the world." But as much as I'd love to "clean out Vivienne Westwood in my Galliano gown" I really don't think that I would use my money to "get me four Harajuku girls to inspire me..." NOPE!

So, that still left me with no song. My life is not what it used to be so it is a lot harder to pinpoint something like this. And it's not that I am "complicated" or "multi-faceted"... it's actually quite the opposite. I think my life is actually too simple and normal for there to be a song about it. hee hee. I always had a certain title that sort of "defined" me. Like, I've been the "Goth chick" or the "College Student" or the "Graphic Designer" and whatever I was doing at the time I did it full-force. I threw my whole self into it. Now, it's a bit different because I have two little ones that depend on me and one not-so-little-one that also depends on me quite a bit! LOL! So, I have to be a "mommy" and a "wife" foremost, but I also want to be a "designer" and a "photographer" and a "seamstress" and a "blogger" and a "traveler," and even though I don't always enjoy it, I also have to be a "cook" and a "maid" and a"chauffeur" on a daily basis. So, is there a song about that? If there is, I haven't found it yet.

I didn't want to totally disappoint those who so kindly tagged me, so I will share with you a playlist that I have put together to "inspire" me and "motivate" me when I work or play. This is a playlist of my favorite songs... some are from the 80's, others from the 90's, and a few are more current. I play this on my iTunes at home when I want to sew for hours on end... and I also play it on my iPod when I am out & about driving the kids to their various activities or running errands.

Now, mind you, this list has over 100 songs (it literally goes for hours!) but since I didn't want to make this posting a mile long, I will only share the first 12 songs. I think you'll get the gist of my music style...

1. Special (Garbage)

2. Malibu (Hole)

3. It's My Life (No Doubt)

4. Temptation (New Order)

5. Battersea (Hooverphonic)

6. Blackout (Lush)

7. Feel Good Inc. (Gorillaz)

8. Crazy (Gnarls Barkley)

9. Teardrop (Massive Attack)

10. Glory Box (Portishead)

11. Black Steel (Tricky)

12. Kiss Off (Violent Femmes)

...

A Method to my Madness

Since I was spending my weekend with Bernie, I had to make sure I maximized my time since I don't get that sort of luxury very often. I turned my studio into a little manufacturing plant in which I was the sole assembly line worker and made a little documentary of my process, which means that in addition to spending time with Bernie, I also spent a lot of time with Penny (my Pentax D-SLR) and Maci (my Macintosh computer). It was a girls' weekend for sure! ;)

So, for all of you out there who might be wondering how a weekend with Bernie, Maci & Penny is spent, here is the breakdown:

1. Cut all pieces
2. Label each piece using a sticky note & pin
3. Stack according to sizes and type of pieces (i.e. all 2T Bistro pants on one stack, etc.)

4. Sew all "like" pieces together (or shirr if needed)
5. Serge all "like" pieces
6. Topstitch all seams

7. Attach MODKID clothing labels plus size & care labels

8. Add any finishing trims or embellishments as needed

9. Hang & Tag
(repeat steps 1 - 9 for the next set of "like" pieces)

10. Package each outfit in individual cellophane bags

11. Box & Ship

Needless to say, in between each step you can add "take pictures" which I guess added a few extra minutes to the process but makes for an informative blog posting. And, of course, all this was done to a background playlist comprised of 80's & 90's rocking tunes played as loudly as possible on my iTunes.

Thanks to all of you ladies who kept me "virtual company" while I worked. Your comments were all so sweet! My to-do list is now about half the size it was which is so amazing to me because when I first saw it "on paper" I felt completely overwhelmed. I got the large orders out which was the most pressing and the rest of the list is definitely doable during my usual schedule. Oh, and for those of you who inquired, Jon loves his new grill and we have already used it a couple of times! :)

Weekend with Bernie

I am spending the first 36 hrs. or so of this weekend with Bernie... and LOVING it! No, I am not having an affair. Bernie is my sewing machine, a Bernina Record. And although Bernie is a "manly" sort of nickname, she is definitely a girl. Bernie is old, a bit worn-out, and rough around the edges, but she is tough, resilient, a definite work-horse and will persevere no matter what challenge I throw at her. No wonder we get along so well! :)

So, why am I spending the weekend with Bernie instead of Jon? Well, I received some rather sizable boutique orders recently. Some are just what we call "custom boutique"... one offs, made to order. And others are wholesale, standard sizes, to be sold at online boutiques. I am thankful for the work and my ever-growing Paypal account, but my new to-do list required some desperate measures... me kicking my whole family out for the weekend and locking myself in my studio with Bernie until my list is done!

So, Jon took the girls to Chicago yesterday and will not return until noon on Sunday. This will afford me about 36 - 40 hrs. of uninterrupted sewing. Yes, I know I am not sewing right now as I am writing this post, but Bernie & I needed a short break. She's chilling over there while I have a snack and update my blog. But, don't worry, I am not neglecting my man on Father's Day. The minute they arrive on Sunday I am saying "later!" to Bernie and spending the rest of the day celebrating "Jon". He has been wanting a new stainless steel gas grill really badly lately... our old one is not functioning properly and I've caught him several times ogling a certain one on the Lowe's website ... and since he only drools that much when he watches Shakira videos, I figured this would be the perfect gift to get him (well, either that or a Shakira DVD, but I think we can all get a lot more use out of the grill).

I ordered this grill (see picture below) over the phone and am happy to say that I was able to pay for it entirely with my Paypal account... WOOHOO! This is the first time in I don't even know how long that I can buy Jon a gift with my own money! :) It is being delivered tonight between 4 pm & 8 pm and I will probably look like a mad woman when I answer the door for those poor Lowe's delivery guys since by then I will have been sewing for over 24 hrs!! And since I know that Jon never reads my blog, I can rest assured that my secret will be safe here! ;)

So, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the daddies out there!!! I will be relaxing with my sweet family and hopefully eating some grilled yummies.

My little Fishie

Just Listed

I just listed some ready-made sister sets for Summer (my last 2 Summer listings of the season!) :) These fabrics remind me of a candy shop with those rich chocolate browns mixed in with the pinks, oranges, green & blues... YUMMY!

The first one is a sweet Summer dress that is best fitted for 18M/2T but could easily fit a 3T (just a little shorter in the length). It has all sorts of nice details like pleats, decorative buttons, ric rac trimming, silver-tone clips and shirring.

Click Here To View This Auction

The second one is a 2-piece set best suited for 4T/5T/6. My Sophia is 5 1/2 and wears a 5/6 for reference. It has a sweet halter top with patchwork details and a cute pair of Bermuda shorts.

Click Here To View This Auction

To see all MODKID Boutique auctions, please click here.

I will be going on a much-needed vacation from July 3rd -10th and after I return I plan on working on some new Fall designs that will be offered in custom sizes. I apologize for listing so many ready-mades lately. I know some of you could not take advantage of my last few sets unless you had kids the same size as mine, LOL! But I promise that once I get all this work finished and my vacation over with, I will be offering a lot more customs! :)

The Perfect Day

Ever have one of those kinds of days where you look around you and everything seems to glow? Yesterday was like that for me. My day started out great: I completed a custom order in record time, drove to the post office and visited a couple of my favorite quilt shops in the morning. Then, after lunch, I surprised Sophie & Sydney with a new bucket of sidewalk chalk. I couldn't believe I found this for $1 but they acted like I handed them Disney World in a bucket. Gotta love kids! My friend, Kristen, told me earlier that if we got the chalk wet, we could get the most vibrant colors, and she was right! K, the girls thank you for that awesome tip! :)

We went outside to play and I cuddled up on my favorite lounge chair. The weather was perfect: sunny and just a little breezy, not too hot and not too cold. As the girls created their masterpiece (nice, but not as cool as this guy's work) I rinsed some berries so that I could prepare my family's new favorite Summer dessert: berry

parfait. I cannot believe how often I find myself making these! And I love them & crave them so much that I even named one of my new Summer custom designs after it.

But as I sat outside staring at this shiny colander full of gorgeous, perfect berries, that weird "glowing" experience started to happen. The grass was glowing, the sidewalk art was glowing, my daylilies almost looked fake... like they were plugged in or something! Even the kids were glowing! I ran inside to grab my camera because I wanted to capture the glowing beauty.

Hmmm... maybe I should do a series of designs inspired by flowers...

New listings...

I just listed my Berry Parfait as a sample set in size 2T/3T. This red, white & blue dress & matching headband will be perfect for all your Independence Day celebrations, but can also be worn year-long because it is not specific to this holiday, meaning it does not have stars & stripes all over it! LOL!

To view this auction click here.
To view ALL MODKID Boutique auctions, click here.

Also, my mom, (a.k.a. marielizcreations) just listed two brand new purse designs. All of her purses are OOAK (one-of-a-kind) designs when you purchase one of them so you can be sure that you will be receiving a very special and unique purse.

To view all of marielizcreations auctions, click here.

Stay "Cool" this Summer!

Warm days, lazy afternoons, breezy nights... Flowers, beaches, color! I have taken inspiration from everything that surrounds us these days to create some fun, comfy & stylish new sets for Summer.

First off, I present an adorable little ensemble I've titled BISTRO (click on the picture to visit the auction)

Secondly, a happy little set that I designed & created for a sweet friend and her adorable daughter. It turned out so cute that I have decided to offer it up as a custom for all to enjoy!

And last, but no least, I have decided to offer up my ANDALUCIA dress as a ready-to-ship sample in size 2T/3T...

To see all MODKID Boutique auctions, please click here.

Fun, Fun, Fun

School's out... AAAAAAAHHH! Hmmm... what to do? what to do? We've been trying to keep busy since school let out last week... enjoying the nice temperatures and having fun with friends. Here are a few pictures of a "picnic at the park" we had last week to celebrate the end of the school year. Check out how much taller Sophia is than all the other girls! LOL! And there is my little Sydney peeking out in the middle (she was so excited to be hanging out with the "big kids")

Then, yesterday, we headed out to our local Children's Discovery Museum for a fun exhibit titled "Japan and Nature: Spirits of the Season". Sophie & Sydney had a blast checking out all the Japanese exhibits and playing with their friends, Jordan & Trenton. Of course, my girls were all decked out in their MODKID originals! ;)