Made In OKLAHOMA!

Have you noticed that I have added a list of links to other Oklahomans who have Etsy Shops? I had to share my secret...Oklahoma has some the most talented artists living in it. I have lived in the great state of Oklahoma all of my life and as much as I love to travel, I am always happy to get back to my home.



Maybe you didn't know....

• Oklahoma's state capitol is the only one in the world with an oil well drilled beneath it.


• Oklahoma is the 3rd largest gas producing state in the nation.


• Pawhuska, OK had the first Boy Scout troop in America (1909).


• Sylvan Goldman of OK created the first rolling supermarket cart.


• The first parking meter was created in OK and installed in OK City in 1935.


• OK is the winter quarters for more circuses than any other state.

You would be amazed at the talent that has come from the state of Oklahoma. To name just a few....

• Garth Brooks - Musician


• Reba McEntire - Musician


• James Garner - Actor


• Brad Pitt - Actor


• S.E. Hinton - Author


• Toby Keith - Musician


• Carrie Underwood - American Idol Winner


• Ron Howard - Actor/Director


• Chuck Norris - Martial Artist/Actor


• Will Rogers - Humorist

The list of famous Oklahomans could go on and on, but for every Oklahoman you have heard about, there are many more that we haven't had the opportunity to see their beautiful work. The Oklahomans on Etsy are a perfect example. So...take a look at their shops. You will see why we are so proud to say that something is Made in Oklahoma.

DoG MAFiA HoliDOG Raffle

Something To Bark About!The Etsy Dog Mafia is excited to announce their Holidog Raffle starting Nov 1st and running thru Dec 10th.

You could win over $200 worth of DOGtastic goodies donated by mafia members just for shopping with the mob!

Every purchase you make of a DOG related item from a participating mafia member shop gets you 1 ticket per item. There is no limit how many tickets a person can have... so the more you shop the better your chances!

Buyers will automatically be entered w/each purchase.

See all the wonderful donations on Flickr.

The PAWticulars -

Raffle contest is open to all etsy.com registered users.

Only DOG related item purchases count. 1 ticket per item - no limit.

Items must be purchased at participating etsy.com member shops only.

2pawprints.etsy.com

anniessweatshop.etsy.com

art4milkbones.etsy.com

bad2thebone.etsy.com

bentleysbones.etsy.com

ccsfashions.etsy.com

frumsglassmenagerie.etsy.com

haleyshandmades.etsy.com

howlinhounds.etsy.com

leafpeople.etsy.com

myaimistrue.etsy.com

temjtc.etsy.com

Purchases must be made between Nov 1 thru midnight Dec 10th

Opt Out - if for any reason you don't wish to be entered in this raffle promotion you may opt out by contacting the shop owner or the dog mafia.

Mafia members & their families are not eligible for this raffle.

The lucky winner will be announced on Dec 12th. Prize package will be mailed the next day.

The Dog MAFiA is a group of artists & Etsy.com sellers who specialize in handmade items for DOGS & the people who love them.We create all kinds of wonderful handmade goods with a common theme - our love for dogs. See our blog etsydogs.blogspot.com

The Dog Mafia supports the BUY HANDMADE Holiday Campaign. (link) Dogs DiG Handmade too!

JoJo

What a Cutie!!! Jojo is my newest little friend from way up North in Canada. Her Mom was so nice to send pictures of her in her little Jackolantern Dress. To get an idea of how small Jojo is, she is wearing one of my XX-Small Dresses. The neck is only 7 inches, the girth 7 1/2 inches and the length is 6 inches.

China Doll

China Doll

I love to get pictures of my little friends wearing their new clothing. It has always been the bright spot in my day to see what each little dog looks like wearing something that I have made and as much as I enjoy seeing these pictures, I enjoy even more knowing that their Moms and Dads are smiling just like I am.

This week, I received these adorable pictures of China Doll. She is so tiny! She is 1 year and 4 months old and weighs only 2 pounds and 7 ounces. After seeing her pictures, I knew immediately why she was named China Doll. I am so exited to have her and her Mom as a part of the CC's Fashions family.

Etsy Halloween Costume Contest

Chloe is a little caterpillar.
She is the perfect model.

Chloe always has to look at the camera.

Have you ever noticed that the things that we think that won't take very long to do, always end up taking the longest to finish? That is the case with my Halloween Costume Contest entry. After hours and hours of making green and white pom poms, I am finally finished with the costume and it has been listed.



I'll be honest, there was a lot of whining that went along with this project. My fingers hurt and after a while, I started questioning that it was a good idea. In the end, I am very pleased with the way the costume turned out.

Time Flies

Where do the days go? You know that saying, "Time flies when you having fun". Well, I've got some bad news. Time flies when you not having fun. Don't get me wrong, I have had a really good week...it's just that you never get everything done that you need to do.

Sales were pretty good this week, but the downfall is that my inventory needs to be built back up. So, this week I am concentrating on new dresses. It seems a little early to start thinking about Christmas, but my customers like to take Christmas pictures of their little dogs, all dressed up and looking pretty. If you are planning on using these photos for Christmas cards, order early so that you have plenty of time to get them back and ready to mail. If you have something in mind, just let me know. I do a lot of custom work.

Back to the holiday at hand. My goal is to have my entry for the Etsy Halloween Costume Contest ready to list by Wednesday. I'm still not telling what it is, but so far it is turning out to be adorable. I'll be putting pictures on my blog, so be sure to check it out.

Hooray!!!!! It's Friday!!

Ever since I was little, I have loved Friday! I can understand how that was exciting way back then; I didn't have to go to school on Saturday and later, when I had a "real job", it was the end of the work week. With that being said, I often wonder why I still get excited about Friday. My little shop is behind the house...I'm home all week...and I work on the weekends.

I think I know why...My husband who does have a "real job" is home over the weekend. Every Friday night, we meet friends for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. There are times during the weekend that I take time to do the things that I want to do. In a nut shell, it's different than the rest of the week. The weekend is designed to break up the monotony.

Today has been a really busy and great day! I got a call from one of my customers and we had a really good visit. When you sell online, its difficult to form the one on one relationships that you may have with a local customer. The phone call made my day. Then I got an order for five of my dresses. Isn't that exciting!! I finished mending some jackets for a groomer that has my clothing in her shop and sent off my package for the Dog MAFiA promotion that is coming up.
I also had a chance to visit with my mail lady for a few minutes. She's the best!

I have also been working very hard to get my entry ready for the Etsy Halloween Costume Contest! I'm not going to give anything away just yet, but I will be showing you a picture next week. I will tell you this.....I have making green and white pom poms all week long. I can't wait until I'm actually getting everything put together. Won't be long now.

Now I'm off to change clothes and get ready for my Mexican food. I'm about to starve.

The Dog MAFiA

Today I became a member of an Etsy group. The Dog MAFiA is a wonderful group of people who "specialize in handmade items for dogs & the people who love them." I don't know why I was so nervous about joining a group. I guess it goes all the way back to getting picked last in first grade. I don't know what I expected, but I was made to feel very welcomed. I am sure that I will learn a lot by being a part of this group and I hope that everyone will take a look at their blog.

Christmas Is Coming!!!!!

Wow!!!! Can you believe it's already the middle of October? I have been working very hard on all of my Fall and Halloween merchandise and low and behold, it's time to start working on things for Christmas.

I remember when I was a kid, (a long time ago) Christmas merchandise wasn't even in the store until after Thanksgiving. I walked into the store yesterday and the Christmas things were already being stocked. I personally wish they would wait and yet I know that it is time for me to start listing Christmas merchandise. Why you ask? If I don't, I won't be able to assure my customers that it will reach them by Christmas.

Pet apparel is really a great holiday purchase and gift idea. Just remember that a little dog may be wearing a dress, but it brings great joy to their owners. That's what I love about my job the most. I can't tell you how many smiles I have seen when a dog owner puts their little dress on their "baby". If you are planning on taking holiday pictures for Christmas cards or gifts, what better way to include you dog.

The Trip To Town

Every Sunday, I sit down and plan out my projects for the week. I call this the unattainable list. I know from experience that I will never be able to get everything done, but I do get a feeling of satisfaction every time I mark something off of the list. Sometimes, you just have to learn to go with the flow.

I work everyday and rarely take an entire day off, even on the weekends. So...after 15 trips to the refrigerator, without finding something to fix for dinner, it's time to make a trip to the store. I live 15 miles from town, so I try to make the trip worth while. I made a trip to the bank, shipped out packages at the post office, and picked up supplies before I started loading up the grocery basket. I sure wish I hadn't been hungry. I was like a kid in a candy store. Everything sounded wonderful and I just had to have it.

I finally made it to the car, got everything loaded and was on my way back home. About half way between the store and my house, I realized my cell phone was not in my pocket. (Visions of searching the store aisles were going through my head.) I had to pull over to find it. Fortunately, my Mom had her phone to call me on my cell phone. No....I didn't answer.....but I found my phone in the back floor board.

On my way again, when I realized that all of these wonderful things that I had purchased were going to have to be unloaded and put away. What was I thinking? Finally, I'm home and everything is out of the car and at this point, I'm just tired.

After a short break, I head out to my shop, checked email, looked over the list, and realized after wandering aimlessly that I'm not getting anything accomplished and the world had not fallen off of its axis. I quit...went back to the house...and enjoyed a somewhat lazy afternoon.
Tomorrow...the list will be twice as long and I'll be kicking myself over and over. I think I'll read this again to remind myself how much I enjoyed a little slow time.

A Pirates Life For Little Verdell

Today I spent all day in my shop. First, I had to clean up, so that I could at least have some order to the chaos. I usually clean everything up, sew like crazy for a couple of days, and then clean up again. You just can't be creative without getting a little messy. Who am I kidding? For me, it's a lot messy.

I'm always amazed by the really organized people in this world. If you aren't amazed by a really organized person, then you probably are one. Trust me when I say, I am truly amazed. Being organized just does not come easy for me. I have to have a list to get things done. It's purpose is to keep me from getting to distracted.

I have a friend who I could walk into her house at any time and ask where something was and she could tell me without having to leave the comfort of her chair to look. Batteries? Back left corner of the third drawer from the right. For me, I would not only have to get up, I'd spend thirty minutes to find the dead batteries that I should have thrown away.

Today was a pretty productive day. My shop is clean, orders are ready to go for tomorrow, and I did an inventory of all my merchandise. After all of that was done, I decided to make something new.

I finally decided to make a pirate costume and who better to try it out than Little Verdell. I know that I make and sell pet apparel, but Little Verdell isn't up to speed on this process. He doesn't like to wear anything that feels too confining. (His legs are so short, it doesn't take much.) He will wear a hat and bandannas so the little pirate costume was just perfect for him.

Customer Service

As a small business owner, I have learned very quickly that customer service is the most important part of your business. Without it you have nothing. I realize that it is important to have quality merchandise, keep great records, etc...but without customer service, there isn't going to be a need for any of the other great skills that you may have.

An online business is unique because your customers will never be able to walk in your store, touch and inspect your products, and form an opinion of you based on your looks or personality.
It is very important to develop a relationship of trust with your online customer. I can only imagine how our customers must feel. They see something they love and then have to take a chance that could involve them losing their hard earned money. For this very reason, I feel that it is my job to make them feel a little more comfortable about their decision.

What makes great customer service? It's not what happens when things go right that makes great customer service, it's how you handle things when they don't.



Communication is Key

• I respond to every email that I receive in a timely manner.
• I check my email several times each day to assure that my customer or potential customer doesn't have to wait long for a response.
• I don't make promises that I can't keep. I would rather lose a sale than have an unhappy customer
• I send an email to customer whenever their order is shipped
• Each order has a hand written thank you card with contact information.
• It's very important remain professional even when you feel that you are being treated unfairly.

Shipping

• All orders that considered ready to wear are shipped within 2 business days of receiving a clear payment.
• Custom orders are shipped within 7 business days of receiving a clear payment.
• Each package is carefully packed.
• Delivery confirmation is added to every order.
• Insurance is always available.
• It is my responsibility to make sure that my customer receives their order.

Returns

• I always do my best to avoid returns by doing things right the first time.
• If a customer is unhappy with their purchase, I make it right.

I know that every small business owner does things differently, but I can assure you that the successful ones know that their customers are the back bone of their business.

Little Verdell

At my house, we have two pets, a miniature dachshund and a fish. I'm sure that we have a fish for a 2nd pet because the dog is just too high maintenance. He needs to be the center of attention at all times and against all Dog Whisperer rules, we let him. He is the pack leader and we don't even try to be.

Little Verdell is 9 years old. Yes, his name is Verdell. (Try going out in the front yard and yelling that name.) Little Verdell was a gift for my oldest son's 18th birthday and he chose the name. After a while, my son move away from home, married, etc....but the dog stayed with us. At this point, my son can come to visit, but Little Verdell is here to stay.

Today, we went to the groomer to get our nails clipped and get a bath. What takes the groomer 15 minutes to do, it takes both my husband and me an hour and a half. Why? Because Little Verdell acts like a spoiled 2 year old and refuses to sit still, snaps at us, and in general makes us wish that we had never tried.

The first time I took him to the groomer, I warned her over and over about how bad he was. And wouldn't you know it, he acted like a perfect little gentleman and made a huge liar out of me. Undoubtedly, she is a pack leader.

All ended well....Little Verdell smells great, his nails are perfect, he looks so cute in his little bandanna and was ready for a nice long nap when we got back home. Goodness, a quiet, non-yapping house is nice.

Oh, the fish doesn't have a name, doesn't care, and is very, very, quiet.