We've Moved!

After some long, hard contemplation, DawnCorrespondence has decided to move our blog. You can now find us here! Our hope is that we can have everything all neat and tidy on one website - a blog, events, shopping tools, and much, much more! Please bear with us as we continue to enhance our new spot on the web, but we'd love to have you there! And if you have any ideas of features you'd like to see, please let us know by emailing us at hello@dawncorrespondence.com.

See you there!

xoxo,

Artisan Interview: Minx

I've been really excited this week to introduce this fab designer and Etsy seller to you! I first discovered Minx Shop last week when I was creating a treasury (which made it the front page by the way!). I was so intrigued by Minx' work that I started browsing around her shop, and we began chatting back and forth. What a cute, spunky girl she is! And her photos are absolutely gorgeous (of course! That's what drew me to her for my treasury-making!). Let's take a little peak into the life of Minx....

Company Name:
Minx

When did you go into business for yourself?

Long, long ago when I was in college, I needed to buy food! Food comes in very handy when you are doing things such as studying and not starving. One day a dear friend of mine showed me that you could sell vintage clothes on Ebay for extra cash. In the desire to make things better, I started altering the vintage, and then eventually started altering t-shirts as well. I realized one day that the t-shirt were taken so far from their original t-shirt state, that they were essentially fabric scraps by the time I got done. At that point I realized there was no reason I couldn’t start making clothes from scratch. So I did, and I liked it a lot. It gave me a lot more freedom to invent. I like inventing.

A querulous romantic

What inspired you to do what you do?

The disaster that is the modern clothing industry. I’ve always loved clothes, and I’ve always been supremely dissatisfied with the clothes that you find in malls and other generic outlets. It’s so dull and drab to dress the way everyone else does. I don’t like that everything is mass produced in foreign countries AND usually of a fantastically shoddy quality. I usually don’t like the materials used, and the fit is generally atrocious.

I want everyone to have the opportunity to buy unique, daring clothes with amazing workmanship. I don’t think people should feel like a mass produced clone, and that we should all be able to have a lot of fun with our wardrobe.

What's the best part about being in business for yourself?
I can take a many tea breaks as I want!

An idle afternoon

Describe your business in 3 words:
Adventurous, wearable, unexpected

Up or down?
Down. At rollercoaster speeds.

What color is the "new black"?
Cream colors and ivory!

Vintage or modern?
Vintage with modern mixed in. You can have both!

Are you a girly girl?

Not in the expected way. Nothing pink for me, thanks! But I love an amazing pair of heels, makeup, and good lipstick.

Early bird or night owl?

Early bird with a night owl’s heart. I would stay up and work all night. I focus so much better in the late afternoons and night hours, but I’d never get errands done that way.

Whimsically indulgent

What's the one item you cannot resist when shopping?

ONE? Not fair. I’m tempted not to answer this question because it’s so unreasonable. Instead I’m going to pick something ridiculous:

Dinosaur themed objects.
Ridiculous, but true.

What's your work space look like?

It’s the entire house! All finished items are tagged and kept in an out-of-the-way closet. Fabric yardage is kept in the office after being washed. I take pictures in the loft and in the front entry way. My sewing area is in the basement (which is under construction and an utter disaster) and our living room and kitchen are generally littered with lace, sample fabrics, crumpled bits of paper, and one or two acceptable sketches.

How much sleep do you get?

Usually about 6 or 7 hours. I was doing better initially (I adore my sleepy dream time) but I’m really pushing to get my store up, running, and successful, so no more 9 hour sleep nights anymore!

Thank you so much, Minx, for giving us a glimpse into your business and your daily activities! I urge each of you to check out the fabulous, luxurious apparel Minx has to offer in her shop! I, for one, am just itching to buy that idle afternoon shirt, so I'll be back (again and again!).

xoxo,

First Ever....

Yay, I am so excited that my fab UWIB team is having our first ever free shipping event in the U.S. and Canada this weekend! Etsy sellers, as well as independent business owners will be participating in the free shipping event, so there's lots of fun goodies to go around!

To begin shopping for UWIB items that include the free shipping, you can click here and start shopping! These items will all be a part of the free shipping event in my shop.


So sit back, relax, and browse the lovely UWIB shops for some great items with free shipping in the U.S. and Canada!

Interested in learning more about UWIB, or becoming a member? Click here to learn more!

The Little Ninja That Could [A Short Story]

I think I had a little too much fun with my recent treasury I curated. As I began choosing the items that I wanted to use in my treasury, I started formulating a short story that goes a little like this...

[The Little Ninja That Could]


Ninja sees girl.
Ninja falls in love with girl.
Ninja buys girl a ring.
Ninja enlists spy to protect girl.
Ninja and spy prepare for cold trip ahead chasing girl.
Ninja photographs girl's beauty while chasing her East to West.
Ninja gets panicked and confused at busy train station.
Ninja finds correct train in nick of time.
Spy leaves ninja to get girl on his own.
Girl's purse gets stolen.
Ninja fights robber.
"It's not yours!"
Ninja gets purse and finds girl.
Ninja and girl are separated briefly by a flock of birds.
Ninja returns girl's purse.
Girl falls for ninja.
LOVE WINS.
[the end]

Dorky? Yes. Awesome? YES, because LOVE WINS.

Hope you enjoyed!

xoxo,

Fashion Icons: Then & Now

We all have them. Those celebrities, musicians, and artists who influence our exterior decisions [what we wear, how we cut our hair, how thin or not-so-thin we should be]. I, personally, am very intrigued by fashion, and make it a point to look my best at all times [well...what I think is my best!]. For that reason, I have been influenced by a number of fashion icons over the years. There have been those who have come and gone [I was really influenced by some blonde girl who was really thin and had really short hair at the time, but now I cannot, for the life of me, remember her name]. And then there are those who have stuck around for quite a while, and who I now consider my fashion icons that will most likely influence many of my fashion decisions for life.

I like to think my fashion sense is a mix of classic figures and contemporary trends. For that reason, the lovely ladies below are some of my major fashion influences.

1. Jackie O. One of the things I really took from Jackie was her extremely oversized sunglasses. For years I, myself, wore the largest sunglasses I could possibly find. (Note: be prepared for the comments!). I have since toned it down, but am thinking about bringing them back out, as I miss them dearly. (Who knew I would find my mind wandering to sunglasses every now and again?)
2. Reese Witherspoon I have a secret. I've had a girl-crush on Reese since the very first time I saw her in Man on the Moon. To me, Reese is absolutely gorgeous in a girl-next-door sort of way. She's classy and timeless, but with a slight edge to keep her looking fresh and contemporary.
3. Stacy London I am not a television-watcher, but I will not resist the urge to watch What Not to Wear on TLC. First of all, I just can't get over how unsavvy these folks are when it comes to fashion. Second of all, I am in awe every single time about how incredibly...right...Stacy and Clinton are about their fashion! And the rules are so simple! Follow the rules, people, and you, too, can look like you just stepped off the set of Elle magazine!
4. Natalie I've gone back and forth with the idea of considering Natalie a fashion icon. Sometimes she goes a little too far out on a limb for me. But then I think about it, and that's what gives her such a charming personality! She has more of the edge, less of the traditional fashion, and that is the reason I consider her a fashion icon. She balances out all the classic, traditional icons I tend to lean towards.
5. Audrey You didn't think I'd forget her, did you?? Audrey needs no explanation. She is, and will always be, a huge fashion icon for probably most of the population.
   

Now it's your turn! Who are your fashion icons? Are there musicians who influence your style? Artists? Celebrities - new and old? I'd love to hear who they are and why! Maybe I'll even start doing posts of your fashion icons and what they mean to you!

xoxo,

Progress Report

Photo courtesy of Good Behavior

I'm so pleased to be sharing with you all my progress of my New Year's goals for 2010! I'm pleased because, well, I did darn good this past week! And you want to know the best part? Somehow I ended up with more time than before! I'm guessing that because I had to strategically plan things a little better, even the fun stuff, I was able to save some bits and pieces of time here and there.

So, without further delay, here is a quick synopsis of my progress...
I was able to list 5 new items in my Etsy shop. I worked on a site map for my website. I blogged 3 times. Did some running and weight-lifting at the gym, and joined a fun, fun workout class with some other lovely folks! Drew in my sketchbook several times. Photographed my life and surroundings. Had a girls night. Replaced one cup of coffee with a glass of water daily. Came a few sales closer to reaching 100 Etsy sales by my 1 year anniversary (March 15) - 6 more to go! Did something to make someone say "thank you" every day. This included picking something up while I was out, helping someone not have to go out of their way, opening doors for others, etc. It's really very easy! Try it out!

I'd say that's not too shabby for my first week! I have 51 weeks ahead of me to put the rest into practice!

Now it's your turn. Do you have goals you are working on for 2010? How was your first week accomplishing them? Did you run into any downfalls? Remember...we have plenty of time to work on our goals, and if we factor in that we are going to slip up once or twice, we can just jump right back on and try again! Good luck to each of you throughout the week, and I can't wait to hear your progress reports!

xoxo,

Project 365: The Rebel's Way

I've been keeping it a secret that I wanted to participate in Project 365 this year. Mainly because I didn't want to set my goals so high that I couldn't reach them - and I knew this one would be hard for me to remember. Well, I did start, and it has been a great experience for my first week. It has certainly made me appreciate the small, joyful things I sometimes take for granted in my day-to-day surroundings. Each photo also has a short story of why I chose to take the photo, so I will sum up each story below as well. I really enjoy the moments of *bliss* each photo brought me as I realized I had a great photo op on my hands. I am excited to see my photography skills develop throughout 2010, and to start enjoying those small moments of loveliness as I find beautiful opportunities to photograph! I'm choosing to post a collage of my photos once a week rather than once a day. Mainly because I enjoy collages. Also because it works better with my schedule. So I am calling mine Project 365: The Rebel's Way. This week's collage is a conglomeration of 9 photos rather than 7 since I didn't start my posting last week.

(From left to right)

1. The simplest, most blissful part of my day. Coffee and email catch-up. How lovely!
2. A little bit of summer & spice in the middle of winter.
3. Vintage books and seashells I am just waiting for inspiration from. I know it's coming.
4. A few lovely books I love to browse, along with my stack of current notebooks I can't live without.
5. I was inspired by the contrast of lush patent red leather with the white door in the sun.
6. My very first experience in a store devoted to guitars. I don't play, but I wanted this.
7. I was really inspired by the bright orange against the dark wooden bowl.
8. My brand new colors of the moment in envelopes and ribbon.
9. The dead of winter.

As you can see, I am really inspired by color. Which is no surprise to me. I am really excited to see how this shapes my color palettes and designs this year. Project 365: TRW is well underway and I am looking forward to seeing what next week has in store for me!

xoxo,

And the Award Goes to...

As many of you may already know, Pantone recently unveiled their Color of the Year for 2010. I've heard nothing but excitement from fellow artists and crafters as the word spread that the award for Color of the Year goes to the luscious, bold, and cheerful turquoise! What fun as we begin to think of lovely project ideas for the year.

I'm already eager to see the gorgeous items that will be produced this summer with the color, and better yet, how it will be beautifully incorporated into the natural, warm tones of Fall!

And just imagine the beautiful destination weddings that will be taking place all over the world with lovely turquoise findings.

I, personally, do not use many shades of blue in my designs (not sure why, I just tend to migrate towards warmer tones, I suppose!), so I am excited to challenge myself in 2010 to use this lovely color, and hopefully expand my color palette even more outside my typical design comfort zone.

I'd love to keep track of all the turquoise items everyone works on throughout the year! If I get enough images in my email I will do periodic turquoise features, so email your turquoise items to me as you get them completed and listed at dawncorrespondence@gmail.com.

Have fun creating with this lovely color!

xoxo,

ELECTRIC ENERGY

One of my goals for 2010 is to really hone in on my ideas and expand them to be the best they can possibly be. In 2009 I would take a design and run with it. Create a couple of cards, and move on. Mainly because I would have so many ideas swimming in my head I just had to get them on paper.

This year, though, I'd like to really nurture my ideas. My very first idea of 2010 was to create some items inspired by energy. You'll notice some of my new images on my blog and in my shop are chock full of color and energetic lines. This is just the beginning of my energy line of paper goodies. Now I am really allowing myself to wrap my head around the true idea I want to convey and the feelings I want the recipient to have as they pull the card out of the envelope. I'd also like to expand the line to other products (think: journals, to do lists, gift tags, gift items, etc.). I've also been playing with the idea of having a variety of "energetic" items that aren't necessarily matchy, but that coordinate. Because, really, energy is not constant. It has ups and downs and peaks and valleys.

I'm really excited to work on this line, and once it is completed to move onto the next line that comes to mind, in a similar fashion.

Here is a small glimpse at a section of the inspiration board I have been using to create my ELECTRIC ENERGY line.

I truly hope you are as excited to see this line as I am to work on it! I hope to have the line completed by the end of January. Hmm...am I sensing a giveaway??

xoxo,

25 Goals

Isn't it fun how January automatically brings along with it a sense of renewal and energy? It's almost as if the universe is allowing us to start fresh, and be the best person we can possibly be. I, for one, actually enjoy getting back into the routine of daily living. The holidays are a nice time of family, food, and relaxation, but I end up craving the day-to-day activities. I am certainly a Routine Girl at heart.

The past few years I have sort of boycotted "New Year's Resolutions." To me, they seemed like a waste. The novelty of the resolutions fade after only a couple of weeks. This year, though, I have found a way to continue my resolutions throughout the entire year. Well, let's call them goals, not resolutions. I have decided to set the bar fairly high for my New Year's Goals. I accomplished more than I thought possible in 2009, and would like to look back next year at this time, in even more awe than I am of my reflections on 2009. Isn't it amazing what the human mind and body can accomplish when our heart is in it? That being said, this year's goals will be things I am passionate about and things I can quantify. I will also be checking in with you folks right back here on a weekly basis to discuss my progress including accomplishments, failures, and outside influences. While the ultimate challenge is to achieve each and every goal successfully, I have set them up so that if I "slip" I can get right back on track.

Let's make 2010 the best year yet! And without further ado, here are my 25 Goals for 2010:

1. List 5 new items a week in my Etsy shop.
2. Remain 1 month ahead of the season with my products.
3. Have my website up and running by March 31, 2010.
4. Blog 3 times weekly.
5. Meet my sales goal at this year's National Stationery Show. (Note: This number is quantifiable, yet private).
6. Read 1 book for fun every other month.
7. Engage in some sort of physical activity 3 times per week. (Note: I did not say gym here, because I don't want to confine myself only to doing a workout at the gym).
8. Treat myself once per month. (This could include a pedicure, massage, quiet time in the park, etc.)
9. Participate in 4 local craft shows.
   
10. Begin selling my products in 2 new stores.
    
11. Put my sketchbook or notebook to use once per week.
    
12. Enjoy the clutter of a loving home once per week. (This is big for me - I am a neat freak, and get discouraged by a "mess." I'd like to learn to let go of worrying about having an extra shirt or cup out all the time).
13. Allow myself time to paint once every other month.
    
14. Try a new recipe 2 times a month.
    
15. Spend some quality (I mean, QUALITY. You pet lovers know what I am talking about!) playtime with the pups for 30 minutes a day.
    
16. Photograph my life and surroundings 4 times per month.
    
17. Put the computer out of sight one evening (4 hours) a week.
    
18. Have a girls night once per month.
    
19. Finalize and publish one children's book I've been working on.
    
20. Replace one cup of coffee with a glass of water daily.
    
21. Reach 100 Etsy sales by my 1 year anniversary (March 15).
    
22. Reach 200 Etsy sales by December 31, 2010.
    
23. Write 1 heartfelt article per month.
    
24. Do something to make someone say "thank you" every day.
    
25. Participate in 2 charitable events.

It's possible this list will grow extensively as the days and months pass, and we get further into 2010. For now, these are the things I am passionate about and want to continue or expand. As I mentioned, I'll keep you posted on my whereabouts of the goal timeline on a weekly basis!

Now it's your turn...what are your big goals you'd like to accomplish this year? Feel free to list as many as you'd like - I love getting inspired by other people's ambitions and goals!

I hope the first weekend of 2010 is treating you well, and I look forward to sharing this next year with all of you!

xoxo,