Fall Porch Decorating

I know it has been too long since I posted but I promise to get better at this blogging thing.

Let's start with a little tour of my fall decorating.  I love Fall. My favorite season for so many reasons, most of which involve fashion and home decor.  

I live for rolled up jeans, a t-shirt and a cutie little cardigan in a fun color.  Or how about an over sized cozy team colors sweatshirt and boots? The colors of fall are so rich and warm.  I try to incorporate it into my wardrobe and my home.

I started with by front porch this year, mainly because I was having people over and my porch was a mess from having so many kids play on it all the time.  I would never kick them out, of course, I think their stick/sword games are hilarious.

It all began with a wreath I have made more times than I can count this season.  It is my best seller.  I made one for me, then I made one for The Doodling Bug in Apex, then I sold a few more in the neighborhood after people drove by and saw it.  Then I shipped 2 out to far away states and another is going to a neighbor this week. There were a few more sales in between but you get the idea.  I am thankful for its popularity.  It is big and beautiful with a very simple elegance.  Of course no two are exactly alike, but I love mine.

After the wreath was up all by its lonesome for a week or so I found the perfect accent piece.  I usually add 2 pumpkins with floral arrangements to either side of my front door.  I wanted something different this year.

I found the most adorable red vintage wagon on Craigslist.  It was my jumping of point this year.  I can use it year round!  I am already brainstorming ideas for Christmas.  I am getting ahead of myself.  It was a steal at only $15!

I put one of the floral arrangements inside as well as one of my orange chevron pumpkins.  Love them!  I thought about adding hay or straw but I do not want to have to clean it up after my kids throw it at each other over and over.

I added the other floral arrangement to the other side o the door.  I like some sort of symmetry.  

The completed front door display is my favorite since we moved here 3 years ago.  It will grow with the addition on pumpkins for decoration that I will leave there until Thanksgiving.  It will change again when we add the jack-o-lanterns the kids carve.  They get pretty elaborate.  We have won first place the last 3 years in our neighborhood pumpkin carving contest.  We have competitive issues.  If you know me you know it has infected us all.

From the front door to the sitting area.  I keep the sitting area simple because that is where my youngest and her friends sit and play frequently.  I added Ikat pattern pillows in cream and brown. The yellow cushions are there all year.  Then another small black chevron pumpkin.  The wood lantern was a great Goodwill find.  It is Pottery Barn and it was a whole $5.  I love the Goodwill in the ritzy town!  People of affluence donate great stuff!!

It is a process and I promise to be better about sharing my process with you. 

 Stay tuned for my mantle and sideboard transformations.

Craft Show Partner

I am gearing up for craft show season.  It is my busiest time of year and I prep for next year starting in January.  

My first application for 2014 actually went out Jan 15 of 2014.

There are so many things to be aware of when applying for a show or a series of shows.

I will go into an in depth post about it at a later date, I promise.

For now I am excited to announce I will be teaming up with my good friend Bridget Norton from It's All Chic for most of my craft shows this year.   She and I get along great and our products go together so well.  It is a great match-up.

I have never had a booth-mate before.  I have always done my shows solo.  I like having someone there to talk to, to hang while I eat or run to the bathroom. But I really like bringing in double the people with a totally different type of craft.   Bridget makes hand painted signs from reclaimed wood.

Believe it or not running a booth for a day is exhausting, if you're lucky and busy.  I pray to be exhausted at the end of a show.  If it was s really good day I will have a sore throat from all the nonstop talking to customers.  It is a good problem to have.  

It also allows us both to enter a show we might not have been able to do alone.  Some shows are expensive to enter.  The Shopping Spree in Raleigh, NC is around $1300 to enter for a standard 10x10' space.  That is a lot of ching!  Too much for me even with a partner.

There are some shows that can be difficult to get into.  Smaller juried shows can be hard to get accepted to because they have a limited number of spots.  If there are two of us we can both apply for a show and hope one of us gets in.

Some people have friends stop in or family members help out but I have never. 

 I am excited about the joint venture this Fall.  I look forward to what the future holds for my business and the collaboration. Bridget is a blast and it can only help us both.

5 Craft Shows I Won't Do

I am so excited to be featured on Vend Raleigh today.  I wrote a blog post about how I choose craft shows to be part of.  Cary Heise, the founder of Vend Raleigh, encouraged me to write this after we met at their Sip n Shop event.  

I am not trying to hurt anyone's feelings, I love all my DS friends and I love my tiny little church shows.  I am trying to help all those beginners who don't want to waste their hard earned money on a show that is doomed to fail.  We work hard on our crafts and I want us all to be successful.

Check it out.

5 Craft Shows I Won't Participate in

301 Endless Yard Sale!

I waited and saved my pennies for Friday June 20 for months.  If you have not heard of the 301 Endless Yard Sale in NC, you need to find out about it!

Click HERE for 301 Endless Yard Sale FB page

It was an awesome experience. My hubby was nice enough to let me go alone, no kids!  He stayed home and did a little yard work so I could have a day to myself junking and picking all by my lonesome.  It was glorious.

I started in Selma,  NC at 8am.  Very cool little antiquing town. Lots of little antique stores  so I hoped it would be a good town to pick.  It was. Great old furniture, maps, tobacco baskets.  Everything you could want.  The best deals were with locals who did not own shops but had lots of old stuff.  I scored a bunch of 1950's National Geographic maps, a few frames, 3 big wooden spools, and a metal scoop. Pics to follow down below.

I did see a really cool tandem bike.  Not $300 cool though.

Some prices in Selma were waaaay too high for me but I am glad I started there to give me a base line for prices in other towns.

Next I stopped at the American Legion sale.  So many nice men trying to raise money for our Vets. I purchased a vintage Bulova wind up mens watch.  It is aleady scratched up a little so if I scratch it again I won't feel bad. The Vets were so nice and let you dig through boxes and bags and there were totally willing to haggle.

I also picked up a Canon film camera AE-1 with a lens kit, a ton of lenses and a converter kit.  What does that do?  It lets me use all those lenses on my NEW Canon.  I got a telephoto lens in this kit too!  I am so excited.  I can't wait to try it out.  I would post a pic but the Vets made me swear not to tell anyone what a deal they gave me.  I will say I got the camera, 3 lenses, cleaning kit, lifter kit and huge bag all for $20!!!! WHAT!?  Crazy I know.

I drove through Selma into Smithfield stopping at a bunch of yard sales all along the way. So many nice people.

I Smithfield I stopped at a sale in a parking lot with 4 huge sellers.  The first would not deal at all saying it was too early in the weekend to reduce prices.  Fine by me.  NEXT! The cute little hubby and wife team behind her had an old Minolta Autocord camera for $5!It came with the original instructions and receipt. It doesn't work and I don't care. I have a couple I use as display in my home.  I did find more dorm beds here than a college would ever need.

The beds were only $15 each!  Crazy!  They also had a ton on office furniture, classroom furniture and bunk beds.

There were less sales on Fri than Sat., but I am glad I went on Fri to get the good stuff first.  I stopped at a house of all Thirty One items. Lady was a rep and was cleaning out!  She was swamped.  Other people had their yards all mapped out with yellow tape where new vendors would be on Sat.  

Somewhere down the road a little more I scored a bed for $30.  I will let you know more about this later as it is a project hubby and I will be working on later

One of the best stops was at an intersection with 4-5 sale.  I bought a solid piece feedback quilt for $5. Yes, I said $5.  This family cleaned out their barn and just wanted it gone. They had the coolest fishing tackle, quilts, old hairdryers, luggage, and the cutest kids to sell it all. When I drove by again later in the day on my way home they had hardly anything left.  Good for them.  I also bought the best bundt cake here.  I am a big believer in stopping at ll lemonade stands. This one happened to have homemade, still warm bundt cake.  $1 for a lemonade and a piece of cake. Breakfast of champions.

So many great sights on the way.

So many beautiful old houses and barns, and gorgeous fences. The people could not be nicer and everyone wants to know where I am from.

More than once after I told them Apex, but originally NJ, I was called a city girl!  ME!  If they knew where in NJ they would never call me a city girl.  I do talk fast and loud.  Love it or leave it.:)

Somewhere in Four Oaks I picked up a vintage tobacco burner and windows for $1 each.  More to come later as I will be showing you in a later post how I used these items.

I made it all the way down to the Dunn Benson line.  Great little shop with lots of old items right on the border at the Mary Stewart School. 

I think the best items and deals were in Smithfield and Four Oaks.  The people renting out their yard crack me up.  It was such a blast I can't wait for next year already.   So many people were in their campers and set up a sale in a parking lot. I want to do that.  Next year I will sell Sat and buy Fri.  Everything you could ever want was there.  also discovered some great junk shops. 

Funny story....I only regret not buying a vintage metal fan that worked.  I tried to haggle and she would not budge so I moved on.  So I am on my way back home and stop at a house with tons of kitchen sets from the 50's.  So colorful and in great condition.  The couple loading their truck asks for a hand. I am happy to help.  We start chatting about where the good deals are and they mention a deal but not a deal on vintage fans.  They tell me about the same lady who would not budge on price but they bought the fans anyway.  They show me the fans I did not buy!  I was bummed but glad they were so happy about them. We laughed about it when I told them my side of the story.

It was a great day. I finally got home around 3pm.  Here are pics of some of my smaller items. I will post more pics of the big items i am working on.

 

You can see more on my FB page as well.

Sarah Coffey Designs Facebook Page

Stay tuned for more on my other items and see where I used them in my home and how I repurposed them into other items!

My Luggage Addiction

I have an issue with old luggage.

It is not so much an issue but more of an addiction.  I find it and buy it, always.  I resell lots of it but not all of it.  I love the texture. I love the colors, all the reds, blues, even the avocado greens from the 1950's-1970's.  The older the better.  

I even love the smell.  You might smell old grandma but I smell history.  I have the same love for the smell of old books.  Who used this suitcase?  Where did it travel to? I like to think of all the families who loved the piece before me. We hand things down in our house. There was a time when if you needed something you only had to go as far as my mother's basement or attic to find it.  Sadly, those days are no more but I strive to be that way for my kids someday.

I had a little suitcase when I was a child at my Grandmother's house.  She lived a short bike ride away from us my whole childhood. I loved having her so close.  I spent as much time at her house as I did at my own. I had my own room and my own toys and even a cradle for my dolls. All my other small toys were in a suitcase under the bed.  Easy access and easy cleanup. It was filled with doll clothes and items we found at yard sales usually.  I would give anything to have that suitcase now.  Or anything of my Grandmother's.  There was a house fire and everything was lost, it all burned.  I think this is were my luggage love started.

I always have luggage for sale in my booth.  I have 3 pieces there right now.

This is what I have in there right now. A train case, a blue Samsonite and a very nice vintage tan leather case with a crimson velvet interior.  It is a beauty.

I use the luggage all over my house and in my business.  My favorite is my luggage side table.  In my living room I use 3 gorgeous pieces attacked next to a club chair.  They store off season blankets and pillows.  I change my pillows a couple times a year so I like to keep the pillow covers close so I can change them whenever I want. The pieces are a little dinged up but beautiful. 

My living room end table.

I also use luggage at my craft shows. I use them to display all my items. I fill them with chalkboards, photo albums, pillows, you name it. 

I also have a stack in my garage that I will not show you due to my garage being full of my "projects".  It looks like a hoarder lives out there. A path gets you from the outside to the inside door.  I am working on a better organizing solution but until I come up with one it stays as it is.  My husband doesn't care so why should the neighbors?

Father's Day: Store Bought and DIY

Father's Day is Sunday.  I already gave my hubby his present.

Last month actually.

We had both been looking for a new watch.  Nice steel banded dress watches.

Our neighbor frequently shops at the local pawn shops and suggested we go because they always have a ton of watches.

We went to a couple and nothing jumped out at us. Some shops are downright scary. 

Then we went to a more upscale pawn shop in a really nice area of Raleigh.  There were so many choices.  Watches, jewelry, purses, instruments and all of it in beautiful (and clean) condition. 

We found what were were looking for!

Beautiful and affordable.  I am always looking for a deal and I am not afraid to ask for a discount no matter where I am so of course I asked for their best price for both.  I don't care where you shop, they offer a discount.  With my newly discounted watches we were on our way and were very happy. I had my Mother's Day present and he had his Father's Day present.

If you know me at all you know this will not be the only present my hubby gets for Father's Day.  I usually make him a present of some sort as well.  It always involves photos.

I love to take pictures.  I have never been a video person and sometimes wish I was, but I have tons of pictures. 

 Every year-round this time I start digging through files on my computer to com up with as many pics as I can of my husband and the kids. 

 Some years I have done a Shutterfly album.  These are great because I can have the kids add their thoughts and even artwork to the album.  These are always a hit.

I will make a photos album this year.  I am a long time scrapbooker and I know from past experience these are the most treasured by my husband. I know because I never see them again after her opened them.  He puts them with the rest of his treasured items never to be seen again, except by him.  

I know I have done a good job when he gets a little misty.  That is the goal.  To move him with memories from the past year.  To make him remember all the great times we had.  I want him to know that so many of the good times in our lives involve him, and often revolve around him.  

I want him to know that without him none of this works.  I want him to know how loved he is and how much we appreciate all he does for our family.

   
  These are photos I have used in the past.  I just like to remind him how much we love him.  He is not just a father.  He coaches for the kids' teams, he is a sideline cheerleader never missing a game, he is a hug after the game to congratulate or console, he is the best snuggler on the couch, and the official height comparison in our house.  You must be tall if you are taller than Dad.

It doesn't have to be perfect or elaborate.  Sometimes one great photo says it all. I will post pics After Father's Day, I don't want to post pics before he sees it.  

What are you getting your Dad?

Burlap Garden Flags More

I have been so busy lately, in the best way possible. I have been busy with some new ideas and items. I am excited about the direction my business is going.  I know it might seem easy to just throw a few new things together every now and then, but it takes planning and courage.

Courage to put myself out there every time I show the public a new idea.

I have to believe in myself and my product enough to show the world.  I think that takes courage, especially if it is an item I have never tried before.

Often I have made an item for myself or a friend or a couple friends before I put it out there for purchase.  My friends can then test the items and give me feedback. I need to know about durability, sturdiness, fading if the item is fabric.  They are my quality control in essence.  

Sometimes I have to make a few prototypes before I come up with a successful product.

Not every idea works out the first time.  

This is especially try if a zipper is involved.  No matter how many times I have put a zipper into something I still have to pin and repine a few times before I sew it in. I am ashamed to tell you how many zippers I have ripped out a couple times before I got it right.  We all make mistakes.

Most often new items are customer requests.  Usually they have been requested more than once.  The burlap wedding chair signs I have made a few times. More to come on these!

The first flag I made was for my daughter.  She won't graduate tip next year but it is a great test.  

I tested the paint first.  I ran it under the sink after it was dry.  No problem. I sprayed it with the hose.  No problem.

This was the request.  So many of my best sellers are.  My friends and customers have the best ideas. I won't copy anything.  I put my own spin on all my items.  A good friend asked if I could make this one.  Of course!  "I can make that" is my middle name. Their high school colors are black and orange.

They are going to have friends and family sign it with a permanent marker at a graduation party.  Great idea! 

To prevent fading I spray seal all these with a protective matte sealer.  I don't want the bows fading horribly.  Some fading is expected just because they are outside all the time, but I want the colors to stay as bright as possible.

Have an idea you want brought to life?  Contact me!

Fuquay Craft Show June 7

This Saturday June 7, I will be a vendor at the Fuquay-Varina Celebration of the Arts Festival.

Stop by booth # 30 and see me.   I will have a ton of new items.

I will also be sharing a booth with It's All Chic.  She makes the most amazing hand painted wood signs!

Burlap Garden Flags

I just started to make burlap garden flags. when I say just I am serious, I mean about a week ago.  

Like so many other things that I create, my clients and customers often put in requests. 

The garden flag came from an awesome friend/customer named Courtney Schearer.  She saw one somewhere and asked if I could make one for her.

I am a pretty crafty chick so I said yes.  How hard could it be?!

I did a little research and realized most are just glued together and no thought is put into weather-proofing or water-proofing.

Mine would not be like that.

Mine would be water/weather-proof.

I started by cutting the burlap 18X12". 

 This will give me enough room for words or a monogram and still fit into manufactured flag standard sizing.  

Manufactured flags are anywhere from 18X12" to 10X15" with lots of sizes in between.

I  sewed a 1/4" hem on all sides. It gives it a great professionally finished look.

I made a pocket at the top for the flag rod.  I made mine 1.5".  There is no set size.  It just has to fit over the rod.

Then I hand painted my design on the flag.  The high school grad flags are a simple block font and the monogram S took little more finesse. 

I used a multipurpose paint so I would not have to worry about running paint when it rains etc.  I tested a couple out and I liked this one the best.  Not too hard after it is dry and it stood up well to my scrubbing dry paint with a Magic Eraser.

I let it dry for 24 hours before I applied a second coat.  I wanted my letters to be bold.

After the second coat I applied my accents.  Ribbons, bows, whatever you want.  My friend Courtney wanted UNC colors, hence the Carolina blue polka dot ribbon.

So funny that a day after Courtney asked me to make this one, another friend asked if I could make a grad flag for her graduating senior for her front yard.

I will add her daughter's name at the bottom.

So fun and so simple. Take the proper steps to ensure you can enjoy your flag for years to come.

I finished the whole thing with 2 coats of a matte sealer.

They are just so pretty!

What do you want?  Contact me to bring your ideas to life!

Camper Makeover: Outside

Last year we purchased a place at the beach.   We used to have a cottage on Cape Cod when we lived in Connecticut and after we moved we missed having a place at the beach.

I am always up for a new adventure so we went a different direction this time.

We used to have a 500 sq. ft. 2 bedroom cottage 1/10 of a mile to the beach. 

Now we have a 32' camper a block from the beach but right on the bay. This is the view right out our door.  It is breathtaking at sunrise and sunset!

It needs a little work but it is perfect for our needs.

I wish I had more before pics.  I am the worst at remembering the before shots.

The wallpaper was horrible, the place was filthy, and there is a leak in the roof somewhere. Oh, and the refrigerator broke this winter sometime.

The GOOD news is that is is the perfect location, and our family fits in it.

We love the beach here and we love that we are so close to Beaufort, NC.  

I guess I should tell you our camper is in Atlantic Beach, NC.

We are working on the camper little by little, making improvements. We painted over the hideous wallpaper in white and barely grey.  We addend a new shower curtain in the bathroom, too.  I will post those pics soon.

This weekend we worked on the outside. A good scrubbing, a new paver patio, and some solar lights surrounded by white stone and some concrete edging I got off a but,sell,trade site near me for a BARGAIN!

Slowly but surely, it is getting cuter.

Next I am making new curtains.  I think the inside colors will be navy and aqua.

I am trying to decide if I will paint the outside too.

I will keep you posted about my progress. More pics to follow.  I am creating a board on Pintrest all about campers.

Check out my board here:  Camper Redo

Check back soon for updates.  Join my email list and get updates about new posts!

Craft Show Ready: Pre-Show Prepping

I actually have a show tonight and I have made my list of things to do and I am checking them off one by one.  I will be at the Sip n Shop in Apex at the Halle Cultural Art Center 6-9:30 pm.

You have already decided which show/shows you want to participate in and your acceptances are in. Congratulations! Now what?  Getting ready for the show can seem overwhelming. I have been a vendor at craft shows for over 10 years and I have learned a few things, some of them the hard way.  After all these years I finally have a routine.  It starts with getting all my products made. You might think that is the hard part, but after all these years that part of the process is easier. Getting all my products ready and packed can sometimes be a challenge.  There are a few tips and tricks that help keep things running more smoothly.

Before the Show

1. Double check my products.  I always make sure I have twice what I need for a show and multiples of my best sellers.  I pack it all up carefully. You don't want your products to be damaged in route to your show.

2. Check your setup.  This can be a little time consuming but it is always worth it.  I do a dry run before the show, especially if my space it smaller or larger than what I am used to.  I set up my display in my house or in my driveway to try new displays or to tweak my standard set-up.  I will set up my table/sand then add my crates, risers, suitcases, etc without my products to get an ides of how I want it to look.  Every show is different and if I have a single 6" table my setup is different than if I have an outdoor show wit a 10x10" space.  This gives me a chance to get a second opinion if I need it.  Sometimes I even draw out the setup in my notebook (I will talk more about that another day, it is my craft show bible). You might need a mirror if you sell jewelry or hair items.  Have more than 1 and multiple sizes.

3. Make sure your tablecloths or table covers are clean.  Seems so obvious but it is something overlooked often by crafters.

4. Get change.  You will need a variety of bills and change.  Do this ahead of time so you are not out of luck the day of the show.  You have to be at the show early and banks are not open tip 9am.

5. Pack a GO-TO bag.  Mine is actually a basket I take to every show. It has things I need to keep the show running smooth like a glue stick, scissors, tags, a sharpie, my sold tags, a box of business cards, clothes pins. and string.  Your bag will be different but I bring mine to every show. Accidents happen and a little kid will rip something and a glue stick is handy since I deal with a lot of paper.  What do you need in your bag?

6. Be comfortable.  I plan my outfit to wear the day of the show.  You want to look professional but be comfortable.  I wear jeans, a nice shirt and a cardigan most of the time. Appearances are important. Wear comfortable shoes because you will be standing a lot. Remember you are the face of your business.

7. Tables and chairs.  Make sure they are the appropriate size.  I have a couple different tables because every show has their own requirements.  Some supply tables and some don't.  I always use my own because I have practiced my set up on my tables and I know how it will look. I don't want to be stressed the day of the show because the table they provided is not as long or wide as I need.

8. Bags and packaging materials.  What will you put your items in once they have been purchased.  Do you need tissue or bubble wrap for breakables?  Make sure you have more than you need, you don't want to run out.

9. Marketing and business materials.  You need business cards. I can go through box at a great show.  A camera for uploading pics to social media before the show even starts, get the word out about where you are and what is near you to draw a crowd. Newsletter/email sign up is a great way to keep in touch with your customers between shows. Pens and markers, they walk away all day.

10. Pack it up.  This is where I struggle sometimes. I have trouble packing it all up the same way twice. Pack your items in your display if possible to save room. If you use crates put some items in the crates. Wrap items carefully so they don't break before you get there. Pack your car or truck the night before.  You do not want to be rushed in the early morning hours before the show.  Pack so the items you want access to first are on top or easy to get to. I make sure I an get to my tables so I can set them up first.  I do not want to put my displays or my items on the floor. I don't want them to get dusty or dirty and if they are on tables they will not get stepped on or knocked over.  Things can get crazy in the hour before the show opens. There are crafters moving in and people all over the place.                                               

 Remember to get a good night's rest. Bring a lunch and plenty of water. And get ready to smile all day.  Have fun! And just be yourself.

Check out my Etsy store to see some of the items I will be selling at my shows.

Click here to go to my Etsy Store

Stay tuned for more info on how to set up a craft show booth!

Hello....anyone?

Welcome to Sarah Coffey Designs blog. 

Many of you know me from my crafting business and Etsy store.

My Etsy Shop Sarah Coffey Designs

Or you know me from Facebbok and my booth in Downtown Fuquay-Varina, NC.

My Facebook Page Sarah Coffey Designs

This is my very first blog post and I have to be honest, I am a little nervous.  

But extremely excited. I have been thinking about this next step in my business and my future for quite some time now.

I am a mother, crafter, re-purposer, sewer, picker....I guess I have a little ADD when it comes to crafting and creating and designing.

I hope you like what you see here.

This blog will be all about the things I love, the things that make me happy. 

Decorating, crafting, creating, repurposing, and even some great recipes. 

I am not a great cook but I can follow a recipe and I love to try new ones all the time.

So sit back.

Enjoy the view.

And I hope you enjoy the ride with me on my new adventures!