book face

The other day my niece, Mabel, told me that her mum won't let her have a "Bookface page". I smiled and didn't correct her.

After a slow start, I have finally started to work out Bookface....errr.....Facebook. I've discovered a lad I went to school with and we've had a good chat, which was funny as hell. I also found someone I worked with around twelve years ago. It's actually quite interesting. But I still don't understand the point of Super Poke. Actually, I don't understand a lot of it but there's plenty that I like.

If you'd like to become my Friend, you can click on my personal page here.

If you'd like to become a Meringue Fan, you can click on my business page here.

You could even go totally nuts and click on both, you kooky little minx, you.

On another topic, thanks to everyone for the wonderful, supportive comments and emails, I really appreciate your thoughts. I'm still kind of 'dealing' at the moment and taking things one day at a time.

cloudy

I try to never get too personal on my blog, so forgive me for being vague on the details.....

Last weekend was the worst weekend of my life and this week has been the toughest. Actually, It's been a tough year...but this week it totally bottomed-out and I'm feeling like I've been beaten to a pulp.

I spent several days just wanting to sleep it all away, I didn't want to face anyone or anything. I still kind of feel that way. But I have a business to run and committments and obligations and I'm trying to force myself to get back into the swing of things.

Now that I am finally back, sewing again, I thank my lucky stars that I have a craft to channel my energy into. I also thank my lucky stars for supportive loved ones.

it's my party.....

So this Sunday I turn 37.......yes, I'm on the home-straight to 40, don't remind me. And look, before all of you over-40's start telling me how wonderfab 40 is and how it's the new 30 and how life begins at 40 and how you really know yourself at 40, let me just stop you for a moment and ask you to hold off on that little pep talk until I'm weeping over my 40th birthday cake.

Age gracefully? Me?

post and run

Here at Meringue HQ, it's all work, work, work lately...but I do take time out to have a laugh each day. Here are a couple of blogs I've been recently introduced to. My friend Andy Mathis put me onto Cake Wrecks, a blog full of cake decorating disasters. My favourites are the supremely stupid ones where the instructions were executed a little differently than the customer intended when they placed the order.

The second site is Fail Blog and I blame Simone Walsh for getting me hooked. It's just damn funny. Well, stupidity often is.

I have bags to make but you should take a moment to have a laugh.

sew maria, sew like the wind!

I love that line in the Three Amigo's where Martin Short says to the woman, sewing...."Sew Maria, sew like the wind!". Well, I've pretty much been playing the part of Maria recently, sewing like a maniac.

I am dying to take photos of all the new pieces for Meringue and Truffle, hopefully that will be tomorrow. It already feels like Christmas did last year, where I was sewing around the clock to fill orders and replenish stock, only this year I have far more retailers stocking my wristlets than I did last year and the orders are coming in (YAY!) but it means I'm going to have to seriously be totally regimented with my production schedule from now until Christmas.

This is a part of being in business for myself that I really love. Sure, it's exhausting but it teaches me how to solve a problem and grow as a business person.

Oh god, I feel like I should wrap this up with something like 'stay in school and don't do drugs'. But I won't, I'll actually just direct you to the photo above and let you know that it's of some new wristlets I made this week.. They're embroidered taffeta. Pretty gorgeous, huh?

genius

Yesterday afternoon, when my sister was driving me to the post office, I noticed an empty cake tin in her car. When I asked her what it was, she said, "It's a key to the Doctor's Car Park".

Me, "I'm sorry, it's a what?"

Her: "A. Key. For. The. Car. Park"

Me: "Yeah, you're going to have to explain that"

My sister is a nurse and as is often the case at most hospitals, car parks are scarce where she works. Being resourceful, she used to drive up to the boom gate for the doctor's carpark and gently nudge it with the front of her car, then drive under it (!!!). One night, she saw another nurse pull up to the gate, get out of her car and put a cake tin on the ground under the gate, then it magically lifted! Then another nurse did it, then another. My sister asked what the hell they were doing and it turns out that the metal cake tins activate the boom gate!!!

Hilarious.

can I borrow a cup of sugar?

Last night Andrew and I socialised together for the first time in forever. Work committments, illness, family issues, blah blah have pretty much kept this celebrity power couple out of the limelight.

Yesterday was my good friend Kylie's birthday and she had a small soiree at her apartment to celebrate. So off we troddled to St Kilda (she lives about a five minute walk from here), armed with beers for sir and wine for madam (who totally rocked it in my dangly earrings and new pewter flats).

It was a great night, plenty of laughs, lots of good, interesting conversation. Then towards the end of the night everyone was talking about a legal issue someone was having with a crappy neighbour who had erected a gate that cut off back access to several properties. Everyone was discussing how they would handle the situation when Andrew piped up that in the middle of the night he would covertly dig a hole in the space and plant a huge tree. I then said I would chain a blow up doll (yes, one of those blow up dolls) to the gate for my own amusement.

The room fell silent for a second and then someone said, "You two would be really scary neighbours". Andrew and I looked at each other and beamed with pride.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

old dog, new tricks

When I first started out selling online I was a total loser. I. knew. nothing.

But I took a few classes at Google Search University, majoring in Blog Compilation and Uncrapping Your Online Store. I learnt how to take better photos, where to promote, how to promote and the importance of networking.

I did all of that and yet I am struggling with Facebook.....*sigh*

Damn thing is doing my head in, so many choices, so many people, so many widgets, just so much of everything. But I will master this, dammit!

In the mean time, if you have any tips, feel free to email me using the link to the right or make me a friend. Just don't send me a Superpoke because I don't know what the freak that is yet.

gold rush

I don't know about you but I love the Olympics. Yeah yeah, say what you want but I still love them. I love the opening ceremony, I love sitting glued to the tv when a final is on, I love underdogs winning and I love some of the great stories about the athletes.

So every four years, I'm faced with this whacky sense of loss when it's all over.

Beijing 2008, you've been a quirky Games, from your weather control to your strict rules on cheering and signs. And let's not forget your mini Milli Vanilli in the opening ceremony. Oh and your fake computer-generated fireworks. Plus you managed to sneak in a ridiculous bronze medal allocation in the shooting to an athlete who didn't actually shoot the target. And the road cyclists got to ride in silence for a fair amount of time.

But Beijing, you did manage to put on a good show. I made many wristlets as I watched China win a bazillion medals. If wristlet-making were an Olympic sport, I'd be there, man. I would be the freakin' Michael Phelps of sewing.

Fusible interfacing application - Gold

Pattern cutting - Gold

Wristlet assembly - Gold (WR)

Ten second profanity sprint after stabbing finger with pin - Gold (OR & WR)

getting organised

It's getting to my busiest time of the year, so it's time to get organised. Last Christmas was my first one selling online as well as selling to retailers in large numbers. I've been operating Meringue for around nine years but that was always at markets and handbag parties, online and wholesale is a completely different ball game!

So, based on my experience last holiday season, I have made huge improvements to my prep. For starters, I have started filling Meringue Shop....like REALLY filling it. That means I can add new items every couple of days, instead of last year where I was burning the midnight oil, sewing for 18 hours straight, barely keeping up with demand. I was pleasantly suprised (see: stunned) that I had so many retailers approach me last Christmas. I'm prepared for you this year!!

Being someone who likes a challenge, I've also opened two other online stores that I'm currently working on, so it will be interesting to see how I cope with THREE online stores this Christmas. I'm counting on all of my prep and research keeping me sane and able to grab at least six hours sleep a night (I was lucky to average 3-4 last Nov/Dec).

Today I am busy contacting retailers (in the past, I've waited for them to come to me), typing up my schedule for the next two months and budgeting for supplies, plus setting sales goals. Having worked so many years in retail, it's not that much of a stretch......but I loathe paperwork, it's always my last priority, even when it should sometimes be first. Just ask my accountant!

My advice to anyone new to selling online would be to get organised now. You don't need to make a ton of your work (it all depends on what you sell) but you do need a plan. It is so worth the time investment to sit down and map out the rest of your selling year, work out your money, make a production schedule and set goals. As the saying goes, 'If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time'. My business teacher would be delighted to know that I used his favourite saying!