March is Endometriosis Awareness Month.

I feel like it is my responsibility as a sufferer of severe endometriosis to spread awareness through my writing this month, but I am at a loss of what to blog about. I have a pretty good hunch that you either already know what endometriosis is (thanks to celebrities like Padma Lakshmi, Julianne Hough, Halsey and Lena Dunham) or you don't care what this strange-to-pronounce-disease is. Either way, I won't bore you with facts and medical research. (If you want to learn what endometriosis is, here are some helpful links https://www.buzzfeed.com/laraparker/things-women-with-endometriosis-want-you-to-know?utm_term=.yppNG5bpY#.ljDb3paBv and  http://www.endochallenge.com/2017) Instead, I will share my small victory story.

I was diagnosed with endometriosis a few years ago but never spoke up because there was no way to win. If I complained about it in public, it would just add to the assumption that women are cranky bitches during that time of the month and we are all just being overly dramatic. I kept quiet until my place of employment implemented a new sick time policy. It's a pretty lengthy policy and since I don't have our employee handbook with me at the moment, I will paraphrase.

Too many employees were calling in "sick" (but in reality, they were just playing hookie). Management and Human Resources wanted to get this under control so employees are not allowed to call in sick anymore. In order to use paid sick time, employees are now required to give 24-hour notice of any absence due to medical reasons. I don't know about you, but it is my belief that there is no reason for me to be at work when I am unfit and will not be a productive employee so I ignored this new sick time policy. I continued to skip a day of work when my cramps were too painful or I would go home early if my period was too heavy. I went undetected for a while but, eventually, I was summoned to my manager's office.

Luckily for me, and unlike a majority of the population, my manager actually understood that endometriosis is an actual medical disease!!! \(^_^)/ Hallelujah! She didn't accuse me of abusing my sick time privileges or tell me that painful periods are just another part of womanhood. She asked if I had ever considered applying for intermittent FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act).  I contacted both Human Resources and my OB-GYN doctor and after a swift process of paperwork, I am now approved for intermittent FMLA leave. Once a week each month, I am able to skip two to three days of work with no questions asked. While this does not cure my endometriosis or repair my reproductive system, I am still calling it a victory.

So here is the takeaway from this blog... endometriosis is a painful medical condition. Period. (no pun intended) Chronic abdominal pain is not normal. Heavy debilitating menstrual cycles are not normal. If you suspect that you are a sufferer of this disease, speak up and get whatever aid you need. I know that a majority of the people you talk to will not believe you, misdiagnose you and maybe even laugh at you but that is no reason to stay quiet. If I had spoken up to my manager sooner, I could have been on intermittent FMLA leave probably two to three years ago. To my fellow endo-sisters, if you continue to speak up, eventually, you will find that one doctor, that one friend, that one person who understands what you are going through and is willing to help. By the way, I am that one friend so if you want, please feel free to message or comment... we are all in this together!

RagsReborn's Spring Craft Show Schedule, pt.1 (March)

Well hello, my little craft show family... I haven't done a show since the indoor flea market at Sugar Creek Casino in January so I know you all have missed me. Right??  Speaking of the indoor flea market... here is my quick review-
       Hinton, OK isn't as bad of a drive as I thought it would be. The show was neither good nor bad. There was hardly any organization or rules to the event. Normally, I would think of this as a negative aspect, but I actually didn't mind it at this event.
       Vendors were free to come and go as they pleased and we were allowed to set up our booth however we wanted. The show started at 8am but I didn't get fully set up until about 8:45am... and I wasn't the worst, there were some vendors who didn't show up until 10am. One vendor moved her booth from where it was assigned to a completely different space so she could be near her friend. There were multiple ladies selling Scentsy. I stretched my extension cord from an empty booth to mine so I could charge my phone throughout the day. I started tearing down my booth around 3pm even though the event didn't end until 4pm. Chaos was everywhere. LOL
       There wasn't a great turn out of shoppers but almost all of the casino employees did come and browse on their break and lunch times. I (as well as several of the other vendors) was able to sell a handful of items. Due to the cheap booth rent fee and lax attitude of the event coordinators, I think it is a good show to try out if you are a new vendor. But if you have done shows for a while and have certain expectations, I would not recommend this show. Sad to say, but your expectations will NOT be met.

Anyway, time to talk about my two great upcoming shows in March. YIPPEE! \(^_^)/ I'm scaling back this year... trying to opt for quality over quantity. There are tons of spring craft shows and I decided these two would be the absolute best for RagsReborn.

Sunday March 5th, 2017- D.U.C.K. Week Junk Show
10:30am - 4pm
Piedmont High School 1055 Edmond Rd NW, Piedmont, OK 73078
https://www.facebook.com/events/1842812649334912/
       I participated in the D.U.C.K Week Junk Show last year and it was a blast. D.U.C.K week is a week long charity event put on by the Student Council at Piedmont High School. The goal is to raise money for a handful of pre-selected needy children (D.U.C.K is an acronym for "doing unselfish charities for kids.") The main fundraiser is the junk show held at the end of the week and all proceeds from vendor booth rent goes to the kids. It is a fun family event with a lot of children's activities and the entire town comes out to support it. There are going to be even more vendors this year than last year so there will be something for everyone. This is also the first show where I will be sharing a booth with another vendor. (Please pray for me! I'm an only child so sharing is not my forte. LOL)

Saturday March 25th, 2017- Craft & Market Bazaar
9am - 4pm
Newcastle Fair Barn 400 N Main Street, Newcastle, OK 73065
https://www.facebook.com/events/1714056515572283/
       This show in Newcastle is brand new for me but it came highly recommended. I actually know a couple of the jewelry vendors who will be there. The craft show has been running for several years now so I know that the event coordinators must be doing something right to keep it going. I am excited to try out some new locations, too. (which was one of my goals for 2017) I have never been to Newcastle but am very excited to introduce RagsReborn to a new part of the state. If you live out that direction, please come out and see me!

I will have more shows for April. I am still in the midst of finalizing the later half of my spring craft show schedule. Stay tuned for more!

Erica & Lacey Learn Paper Quilling

What is paper quilling, you ask? And why would Lacey and I go to a class to learn it?
       Paper quilling is an art form where you roll thin strips of paper into coils & scrolls and then position the rolled paper pieces to form patterns, shapes and designs. The art is traceable to the 15th century and became popular in the 18th century. It was a fashionable hobby for the young women at the time. Lacey & I are fashionable young women, so we naturally gravitated toward taking a class on the art form. (Note: I actually am neither young nor fashionable, but I do love art and trying new things. The classes were free at the Metropolitan Library and I also knew the teacher.)

The top right snowflake pendant is a piece that our teacher made.

At a craft show last November, my booth was next to an artist who sold beautiful pendants and ornaments ... made from paper!! I was blown away by the fact that everything in her booth was made from paper and that she handmade each piece. The artist was Toni Swayze. She has been making paper art for over a decade and is a member of both the North American Quilling Guild and the Quilling Guild based in the United Kingdom. We talked throughout the day and she informed me that she teaches for the Metropolitan Library System. We exchanged contact information and she promised to enroll me in her next class.

Fast forward a few months and Lacey & I find ourselves in Paper Quilling for Beginners. Toni started class with a brief history lesson and showed us some examples of her finished artwork. We then learned about our quilling tools. Our main tool was a metal pick with a slot across the head. The object was to slide the end of a strip of paper into the slot and coil the paper into a small tight spiral. We made several of these spirals for practice. Once we got the hang of it, we moved onto other rolled shapes. Toni provided us with a chart of basic shapes. We made tear drops, squares and hearts. After we finished making all the simple shapes, our "assignment" was to design a flower. The pattern was a little hard to follow so I made my own flowers. Since we mastered the basic techniques in the beginners class, Toni invited us back for her advanced class a week later.

Mine are the two flowers on the bottom left and Lacey's is the one to the right. She was much better a following the flower pattern.

There were five students in the beginners' class. Only three of us returned for the advanced class. The advanced class was certainly advanced. We were all given a new quilling chart with much more complicated patterns. I don't think my technique would have granted me access to the advanced class but I knew the teacher (yay for connections, right?) and Lacey was an expert quiller. The shapes we made in the advanced class used multiple strips of paper. My favorite were the beehive (below, purple) and royal flower (below, yellow). For these two shapes, we started by rolling a large tear drop shape. We then rolled another strip of paper into small spirals and then put the spiraled paper into the large tear drop.

Mine's on the left and Lacey's is on the right.

Since this was the advanced class, Toni assumed everyone was familiar with the techniques and we moved through the chart fairly quickly. I would have preferred a more thorough demonstration, as I needed some one-on-one assistance on a few of the shapes. Since it was a small class, we finished a little early and Toni was able to spend some time working at mine and Lacey's table toward the end of class. I really struggled with the Malaysian shape, which is a spiraled tear drop curled into another tear drop. Lacey's is the perfect blue one in the picture above. My first attempt was awful so Toni gave me more paper for a second attempt. Sadly, it did not turn out much better. LOL She also showed us examples of her work that incorporated the shapes we were learning. That woman makes some amazing flowers and butterflies!

I enjoyed paper quilling and I think it was fun to learn but I do not believe I will be adding it to my collection of hobbies. It proved to be a very involved and time consuming task. It took me forever to finish the simple projects we made in class (I can't imagine how long it takes for more complicated designs!) The advanced patterns demanded too much precision. After making a handful of coils and scrolls--and most of them oddly misshapen-- the task became less fun and more tedious. I just do not have enough patience for it. Which is why I am glad people like Toni go to craft shows... if I ever need a beautiful paper pendant, I know who to buy from!

Toni generously provided us each supplies and instructions for a project to complete at home. 

RagsReborn, Street Cats and My Furry Valentine

My first time making catnip toys and they turned out pretty darn good!

It's almost Valentine's Day. Does everyone have romantic plans for their sweethearts? I have Valentine's Day plans with cats... well, not really with cats but more for cats. RagsReborn is proud to be donating two cat themed baskets to a charity gala benefiting a local cat rescue shelter.

My best friend in elementary school (go Kaiser Kangaroos!!) was a girl named Jessica. We hung out a lot and I have many memories of our childhood. One thing that sticks out in all of those memories is that she was obsessed with cats. It was a love I could not understand because I was allergic to cats and couldn't grasp what the big deal was about them. We lost touch but Facebook brought us back together a few years ago. We finally met up for coffee in December to catch each other up on our lives. Turns out that she still has a fondness for felines. Jessica is now a part of the Street Cats, Inc. organization in Tulsa. Street Cats is a non-profit volunteer based organization that shelters cats who have been abandoned, lost or surrendered. All of the cats they take in are adoptable and the shelter keeps the cats until they find their fur-ever home. Street Cats also maintains a spay and neuter program to control the feral cat population. One of Jessica's main jobs at Street Cats is to plan, organize and execute the annual charity gala, My Furry Valentine. That's where RagsReborn comes in.

Jessica told me all about her organization and the gala over our coffee date. The highlight of the event is a silent auction of items donated by local businesses and artists. She wanted me to make her some catnip toys for her own cat, Beau, and was hoping I could make a few extra to donate to the silent auction. Of course I would!! And not only would I just make catnip toys, I also agreed to donate some pillows and a tote bag. I told her I am a big supporter of animal shelters & rescue programs and would absolutely love to help. (^_^) I want to be involved in anything local! Although, this isn't a craft show, per se, I dedicated all of my time from mid-January to present to sewing items for my gift baskets. I'm hoping my hard work pays off and I can generate some extra money for Street Cats, all while getting my name out there as a local Oklahoman small business.

Auction item #1- two catnip toys and a pillow.

My Furry Valentine is scheduled for Sunday February 12th, 2016. The event will be held at The Tulsa Historical Society in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 1:30pm - 4:30pm. More information on the event can be found here- http://www.streetcatstulsa.org/my-furry-valentine/. Tickets are still one sale! If you are in the area, I encourage you to go. I, unfortunately, will not be in attendance but Jessica agreed to represent RagsReborn on my behalf. I am honored to be a part of this event and hope my auction items get the highest bid!

Auction item #2- catnip toy, pillow and tote bag.

RagsReborn's first craft show of 2017!

Hey, everyone! (^_^) I know that I just posted last week saying that I'd cut back to one blog post per month and here I am again a week later. But it's important and won't take long... I have two quick things to share:

1. My first show of 2017 will be the Indoor Flea Market at Sugar Creek Casino in Hinton, OK. Please go to the casino's website for more details. I am super pumped to get back into doing crafts shows! I have been sewing new pillows all month in anticipation for this show. I have some really neat stuff and would love it if you came out to help me start off my year on the right foot. If you can't make it to the flea market, all of my items are posted on my Etsy shop (link here www.etsy.com/shop/RagsRebornGifts) Please favorite my shop so you can see all my updates.

2. I am starting a rewards program! I ordered my custom r|r. stamp and it came in just in time. The deal is this: you will get one (1) stamp on the back of my business card for every item purchased and when you get six (6) stamps, you can redeem for one free item. Most companies don't reward you until you purchase from them ten times but I figured that would be too much. I know my pillows, totes and custom orders are pretty darn awesome but not everyone buys ten. Feeling in a generous mood, I settled on only six stamps! Since this is a new program I'm starting for the year, I might forget. So when you stop by to shop at my booth, don't forget to remind me to give you a business card and stamp.

Oh and those up there are all of the pillows I'll have for sale at the flea market this weekend. Look at all the new pillows thrown in there! And, you'll probably recognize some pillows that have been moved into the $8 clearance trunk. I sewed so many new pillows that I had to reduce the price of some of my older ones just to make room on my table displays. Anyway, that's it for now. I hope to see everyone this weekend and if not, we'll chat again in February!

Erica's blog in 2017.

NYE selfie madness with my family.

Have you realized that I've been posting one blog per week since the middle of 2014? That is A LOT of blog posts. And the funny thing is that I don't even find my life particularly interesting. LOL I'm restructuring how I'm going to do things for 2017. Instead of weekly blogs, I'm planning on cutting back to only writing monthly. I've noticed that my most popular reads are regarding travel, craft shows (tips, experience and advice) and major life events. Unfortunately, those types of things don't occur in my life each week --although how awesome would it be to take a vacation each week? Anyway, I have big plans for 2017 in each of those areas so one substantial blog post each month seems to be the best direction for me to take this.

Thanks, Michelle, for my awesome calendar!

For January's blog post, I want to fill you in on RagsReborn. This year will be a year of changes and risk taking.
       The first change is that I plan to travel further out of Oklahoma City for craft shows. I've been tipped off to several shows that are just outside of my travel radius that are must do's for handmade vendors. I've been avoiding them because my #1 rule thus far was that I wouldn't do a show that I have to drive out more than half an hour for. Although I value my time and mileage, gas, etc. on my car, I believe my half-hour-rule is holding me back.
       The second change is that I am going to participate in outdoor shows! This was another one of my tried & true rules... but I did an outdoor car show last year that turned out to be great (one of my best shows of the year, actually).  The weather cooperated, no birds pooped on my pillows and I didn't pass out from heat exhaustion= SUCCESS. All I really need to jump into spring & summer outdoor festivals is a tent. Luckily, one of my vendor friends has a spare tent that he & his wife are letting me borrow. All I need to do now is apply at the same shows they are and request to be the booth next to theirs. If I end up enjoying outdoor shows, I can start budgeting and clear out some closet space to store a pop up tent of my own.
       By breaking these two rules, I'll be able to take RagsReborn to more venues and explore markets that I've been missing out on.

Thanks, Christopher, for my awesome paper weight! 

For my Christmas gift, Wes gave me a high tech digital camera and his friends collected the funds for me to purchase professional lighting. Now I am able to take sharper, more skillful, pictures of my products. This will greatly aid in my Etsy shop and social media updates. The wonderful thing about my friends and family is that they all know how passionate I am about my small business. All of my Christmas & birthday money was given to me with the directive to better RagsReborn. I plan to use my funds to design and print my own fabric. I also have a rewards program (think of those little punch cards where you buy 6 of these and get the 7th item free) in the works.

Another first for RagsReborn is that I will be partnering with another local small business owner to participate in larger (read: more expensive booth rent) shows. Rachelle is a former client of mine and co-owner of Loot & XP Board Game Cafe in Norman, OK. I sewed a couple of pillows for her cafe's grand opening. She is looking to branch out and called upon me for advice. For us to both participate in large scale shows, we will split booth rent and portion out our booth into two smaller shops. I plan to meet with her soon to discuss these new ambitions.

My very first craft show flyer/advertising for Indie Trunk show in 2015. My how time has flown by!

With all that said, I have already begun tinkering with my 2017 spring craft show schedule. So far, I might have one show in January and two or three in March & April. I will be donating items to Street Cats' My Furry Valentine charity gala in February (although I will not be in attendance at this event). So the ball is rolling. And I have a lot to do. I want to thank everyone for their continued support and hope to see you out at a show this year!

RagsReborn's 2016 overall craft show year

Let's start with my BEST show of the year... Christmas at the Lodge!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Are we all ready for 2017? I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's Eve. I did a little celebrating but I mostly did a lot of math. Exhilarating, I know. LOL My last craft show of the year was a few weeks ago but I've been putting off crunching the numbers for 2016. Mainly for two reasons; I hate math (accounting has got to be my least favorite part of being a small business owner) and I was about 95% sure this year sucked.

Set up at St. Ann's retirement home for the home bound residents to do their Christmas shopping.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Although I had a handful of shows that were absolutely terrible (aka I didn't sell a single thing), my year overall wasn't as bad as I thought it would turn out to be. I'm still not where I want to be-- so I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon-- but RagsReborn is trucking along quite steadily. And that makes it all worthwhile for me!

Set up at the main library at OU Health Science Center campus with my friend and fellow vendor, Nancy. Her granddaughter calls me "the pillow lady" and we share snacks.  

This past year was the first time that I did a full calendar year of craft shows. In 2016, I participated in 29 craft shows (a significant jump from the 6 shows I participated in throughout 2015). That averages out to almost one show every other weekend. Whoa. Also, I connected with 10 people throughout the year to make custom orders. Needless to say, I am 100% completely immersed in RagsReborn and my little passion project is no longer just a hobby. I would say that I work as much at crafting as I do at my full-time paying job. And I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It took a while but, at age 32, I have finally found my calling in life.

Happy selfie with my two favorite children.

So what's my takeaway from the year?  Let's see... this was sort of hard for me but I came up with two things...
       NUMERO UNO- When I first started out the year, I was NOT prepared for the slow Spring & Summer craft show seasons. When things didn't turn out the way I wanted, I blamed the universe. (This is something that I've struggled with my entire life.) It took me a few shows to get over playing the victim. I thought I was putting in 100% effort but I wasn't. My hard work amounted to about 75% but for the other 25%, I was looking for other avenues to blame. I was being lazy and pessimistic.
       Right before the Fall craft show season, I decided that I was going to change my attitude. My husband is always telling me to be optimistic and think positive; after a while, I decided to take his advice.

• I started smiling through each one of my shows, regardless of how awful the show was moving along. 
• Instead of focusing on why I wasn't selling at certain shows, I started taking notes on what works. I started noticing what people were buying and which venues had the best crowd turn out. I basically moved away from zoning in on negativity to zoning in on positives. 
• I started talking to other vendors and noting traits that I admired in them and then applying those traits to my own business approach. 
• I started listening to podcasts about small businesses and reading blogs written by successful businessmen & women. 
• I started branching out and sewing more than just t-shirt pillows. I experimented with different types of fabric and techniques. 
• I started marketing more aggressively and moved out of my comfort zone. I was conquering fears one show at a time and it worked!  

Two of my new found friends: children's book author, Carly Cartmill & Sweet Sparrows owner, Jenifer Walker.

       NUMERO DOS- I found my tribe (squad, sisterhood, whatever you want to call it). This is HUGE for me. I don't have a lot of friends and I never prescribed to a clique. By doing craft shows, I started seeing some of the same vendors over and over again and I discovered where I fit in. I was able to distinguish which ones were genuinely friendly and which ones were the "mean girls". I attentively listened to all the advice I could get. Then I had to separate which was good advice and which wasn't the best for me.  I gravitated toward strong & successful business owners and solidified friendships.
       I no longer feel so much like the young rookie in the craft show world. I am still naive and not as experienced as I could be but I have reached a point where I can be picky. I no longer believe everything I hear (because a lot of what people will tell you is BS. Hahaha!) Next year, I will not be participating in every show that I come across. I can do more research and find the shows worth doing and turn down the ones that aren't a good fit. I finally figured out what "a good fit" is for my product. That is another huge accomplishment. I feel like, going forward, when I am struggling, I know who I can text or which vendors' group I can turn to for advice online.

• There are a handful of peers that I will listen to and apply any & all advice to my business model. 
• There are certain vendors that I will participate in the same shows they're doing and request for my booth to be next to theirs because I know their company will be welcomed throughout the day. 
• There are a few show organizers that I will sign up for whatever show they put on because I know it will be a good experience. 

And that ends 2016. I struggled, I learned and I overcame. RagsReborn is here to stay!! I have some big plans for 2017 and I already have a few spring craft shows in mind. More on that to come next week...