wow, the past couple of months have been a whirlwind! The Upstairs Room was shut down for about a month and half in order to fill my first real bulk order for a pet boutique. i re-opened in may, business was starting to pick up again, and then i decided to move! hectic! not to mention trying to find time to dj, work on my various other projects, keep orders moving, find time to hang out with friends AND unpacking (oh, the endless unpacking)! needless to say, i've been a wee bit exhausted in recent weeks.
but now i'm settled in, rested up, and ready to focus on work. there is SO much new merchandise up in the store, and lots more on the way. the vet proposals are in the process of being prepared, and this will add a whole new dimension to The Upstairs Room. after doing the recent bulk order for the pet boutique, i realized i really enjoy doing wholesale work. i look forward to doing business with vet clinics and other pet retailers in the near future!
some other news: in the next couple of months, i will be opening another etsy store (shop name to be determined!). i've decided to devote all of The Upstairs Room to catnip toys and plush toys, and open a separate shop for my jewelry, hair accessories, and other baubles. i will be running this new store with my fabulously stylish friend claire. more on that soon!
customer appreciation photos (i.e. happy kitties wrestling their toys) also to come soon (really, i promise this time)!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
extension of free shipping + randomness.
the free shipping deal on jewelry at the upstairs room has been extended until this friday, march 19th. yay! thanks to everyone who has taken advantage of that sweet deal thus far, and i hope to see a few more of you grab yourself something sans shipping fees before it's all over!
i've been steadily busy for about the past week. had a lull in business a few weeks ago, and started to get worried...until i snooped around a bit and noticed 90% of shops were experiencing a similar lull. things seem to be back on the upswing again, and i'm glad. i have several new catnip toys i'm getting ready to debut (hedgehogs! seahorses! etc), as well as new jewelry. as soon as i catch up on orders, these things will be posted. huzzah!
i really love running an etsy shop. i love making everything, i love staying busy, i love creating things for felines and humans, i like feeling productive, etc. but the steady pace keeps me from developing other skills that i'm more interested in in the long run, so i'm debating whether or not i should close the shop or take a vacation in order to get this other ball rolling. i'm not sure i feel ready to reveal what this other shop will be (it'll be completely separate from the upstairs room, i think, although i may combine this new thing with jewelry and have the upstairs room be all toys). i'm still working out the kinks. i've worked so hard to get the upstairs room established, so the idea of starting over with a new product and store is a bit daunting to me. if only there was more time in a day!
i have so many projects and ideas...it's almost depressing to me that i cannot realistically follow all of my artistic whims. the only way i could do so would be to quit my full time job and work on my arts and crafts full time but...i can't do that. i'm terrified. if my new shop gets off the ground, i definitely could make a living from selling those wares, but i feel so overwhelmed, and my upstairs room customers still depend on me for service, and i love my clientele so much. great people (and kitties), they are. but i feel the urge to do MORE. i always feel like this, for better or worse, and my ambition to do MORE is always killing me softly.
the upstairs room, as you may or may not know, is named after a song by the cure. perhaps silly to you, but i'm a music obsessed freak and music must play a role in EVERYTHING. so in keeping with the theme, the second store will also be named after a cure track, as yet undecided. if any cure fans wants to weigh in on that decision, feel free. ("all cats are grey" is already taken, and that was my firstt choice, sadly).
but all of this....it's for future times. i really need to focus on NOW.
i've been steadily busy for about the past week. had a lull in business a few weeks ago, and started to get worried...until i snooped around a bit and noticed 90% of shops were experiencing a similar lull. things seem to be back on the upswing again, and i'm glad. i have several new catnip toys i'm getting ready to debut (hedgehogs! seahorses! etc), as well as new jewelry. as soon as i catch up on orders, these things will be posted. huzzah!
i really love running an etsy shop. i love making everything, i love staying busy, i love creating things for felines and humans, i like feeling productive, etc. but the steady pace keeps me from developing other skills that i'm more interested in in the long run, so i'm debating whether or not i should close the shop or take a vacation in order to get this other ball rolling. i'm not sure i feel ready to reveal what this other shop will be (it'll be completely separate from the upstairs room, i think, although i may combine this new thing with jewelry and have the upstairs room be all toys). i'm still working out the kinks. i've worked so hard to get the upstairs room established, so the idea of starting over with a new product and store is a bit daunting to me. if only there was more time in a day!
i have so many projects and ideas...it's almost depressing to me that i cannot realistically follow all of my artistic whims. the only way i could do so would be to quit my full time job and work on my arts and crafts full time but...i can't do that. i'm terrified. if my new shop gets off the ground, i definitely could make a living from selling those wares, but i feel so overwhelmed, and my upstairs room customers still depend on me for service, and i love my clientele so much. great people (and kitties), they are. but i feel the urge to do MORE. i always feel like this, for better or worse, and my ambition to do MORE is always killing me softly.
the upstairs room, as you may or may not know, is named after a song by the cure. perhaps silly to you, but i'm a music obsessed freak and music must play a role in EVERYTHING. so in keeping with the theme, the second store will also be named after a cure track, as yet undecided. if any cure fans wants to weigh in on that decision, feel free. ("all cats are grey" is already taken, and that was my firstt choice, sadly).
but all of this....it's for future times. i really need to focus on NOW.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
free shipping week!
the upstairs room will be offering free shipping on ALL jewelry purchases until Marth 5th. yay! go check it out and stuff.
Friday, February 19, 2010
realization - a good one.
after battling some rather unusual financial setbacks in 2009, i realized this morning, after reviewing my etsy profits from the past 5 months, that these profits have allowed me to live normally and comfortably again. pre-etsy, i was struggling a lot, due to mostly circumstantial stuff that was nevertheless very real. i guess my point is this:
you CAN do something you love and make money from it; these things can benefit you creatively AND financially. finding a creative avenue in which to keep yourself afloat during such hard financial times (almost everyone is feeling it, we all know the deal) is an incredibly uplifting discovery. i encourage you to follow whatever creative dream you may have, give it your all, and it WILL give back to you, in many ways, including financially.
just don't give up. ever. hard work pays off. it ALWAYS pays off. maybe not right away...but it will.
now get to work.
you CAN do something you love and make money from it; these things can benefit you creatively AND financially. finding a creative avenue in which to keep yourself afloat during such hard financial times (almost everyone is feeling it, we all know the deal) is an incredibly uplifting discovery. i encourage you to follow whatever creative dream you may have, give it your all, and it WILL give back to you, in many ways, including financially.
just don't give up. ever. hard work pays off. it ALWAYS pays off. maybe not right away...but it will.
now get to work.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
yeepet and other news.
for those of you who don't have an etsy account and/or don't want one, my catnip products are now available at the online pet retail shop yeepet. have a look around the site! it's filled to the brim with pet products of all sorts, and carries items for many other animals besides cats. the direct link to my own products is here. fun!
i'm also working on getting my catnip toys carried in a few local veterinary offices, so i'm excited about that. i'd love to see the toys on sale somewhere tangibly rather than just on the internet. i'll keep you updated about that, and provide the names and addresses of the vets if locals want to do some shopping there and save on shipping!
i've also got some plans to get the plush toys (for humans) carried in one or two local toy stores (that are locally owned and that aren't chain stores, obviously). so that's my next project, but that may have to wait until mid-year sometime.
for now, jewelry and all other items i carry at the upstairs room are not planned to be sold anywhere else besides the upstairs room, aside from POSSIBLY some alice in wonderland themed jewelry to be carried at the canadian store called the rabbit hole, but this too may have to wait until mid year.
2010 has been busy!
i'm also working on getting my catnip toys carried in a few local veterinary offices, so i'm excited about that. i'd love to see the toys on sale somewhere tangibly rather than just on the internet. i'll keep you updated about that, and provide the names and addresses of the vets if locals want to do some shopping there and save on shipping!
i've also got some plans to get the plush toys (for humans) carried in one or two local toy stores (that are locally owned and that aren't chain stores, obviously). so that's my next project, but that may have to wait until mid-year sometime.
for now, jewelry and all other items i carry at the upstairs room are not planned to be sold anywhere else besides the upstairs room, aside from POSSIBLY some alice in wonderland themed jewelry to be carried at the canadian store called the rabbit hole, but this too may have to wait until mid year.
2010 has been busy!
Monday, February 15, 2010
renegade cats down at the post.
twice now it has come to pass: my customers get their packages, and they are ripped open upon arrival. in one case, ripped open, 3 toys were missing, and then shoddily taped back together again. frankly, i'm bewildered. catnip toys don't really strike me as something someone would STEAL en route; what the eff is a person going to do with a unicorn catnip toy? or are people so insane about their cats that they would steal toys for them from postal packages?
there are only two explanations - one that i like, and one that is logical.
1. there are renegade cats slinking about the post office, intercepting all things smelling of catnip. even without thumbs, they can steal from and then tape back the package (albeit badly). my unicorns and cassette tape toys are now being tossed gleefully around back alleys and dumpsters by strays, and since these cats have never seen such magical things, i am quickly becoming some sort of god in their eyes. awesome.
OR
2. the usps treats their packages like trash, and now i have to tape and box things up in such a fanatical manner that the post office clerk always comments about it (i get the sarcastic "think you've got enough tape on that?" comment a lot). this is the logical and probably correct explanation, but explanation #1 is far better.
there are only two explanations - one that i like, and one that is logical.
1. there are renegade cats slinking about the post office, intercepting all things smelling of catnip. even without thumbs, they can steal from and then tape back the package (albeit badly). my unicorns and cassette tape toys are now being tossed gleefully around back alleys and dumpsters by strays, and since these cats have never seen such magical things, i am quickly becoming some sort of god in their eyes. awesome.
OR
2. the usps treats their packages like trash, and now i have to tape and box things up in such a fanatical manner that the post office clerk always comments about it (i get the sarcastic "think you've got enough tape on that?" comment a lot). this is the logical and probably correct explanation, but explanation #1 is far better.
Friday, February 5, 2010
stuff and junk.
trying to run a successful etsy shop (by my standards, which are practically unattainable anyway), work full time, spend time with friends and find time to read has become the central problem in my life.
what is a successful etsy shop, anyway? it's not as though i've sold thousands of units. but to me success is simply having happy customers, and so far, i've had the kindest and coolest customers one could ever hope to have, and i know that i make them happy, or do everything in my power to make them happy, anyway. running the shop is very all-consuming, and lately i've been haunted by thoughts of the GRE, grad school, my grand and former dreams that have fallen by the wayside...if only i were a cat. i'd have 9 lives, and i'd live every single one of them drastically differently. as it stands, and as far as i know, i only have this one life, so i have to prioritize instead.
you'd think it would be easy to sit down, pick the things you love to do most, and then just set about doing your life's work. simple, right? but my loves and interests are extremely varied, moreso than probably anyone i've ever met, and i just can't find a way to satisfactorily combine all of these things into one life. but the thought of cutting something out just kills me. that is essentially giving up a dream, and i don't do that without a fight. and i'm not in the business of dream trading and compromise. i want them all, i can do them all, and i'm going to figure this out. and if my life begins to burst at the seams, so be it. it will be ever so full.
what is a successful etsy shop, anyway? it's not as though i've sold thousands of units. but to me success is simply having happy customers, and so far, i've had the kindest and coolest customers one could ever hope to have, and i know that i make them happy, or do everything in my power to make them happy, anyway. running the shop is very all-consuming, and lately i've been haunted by thoughts of the GRE, grad school, my grand and former dreams that have fallen by the wayside...if only i were a cat. i'd have 9 lives, and i'd live every single one of them drastically differently. as it stands, and as far as i know, i only have this one life, so i have to prioritize instead.
you'd think it would be easy to sit down, pick the things you love to do most, and then just set about doing your life's work. simple, right? but my loves and interests are extremely varied, moreso than probably anyone i've ever met, and i just can't find a way to satisfactorily combine all of these things into one life. but the thought of cutting something out just kills me. that is essentially giving up a dream, and i don't do that without a fight. and i'm not in the business of dream trading and compromise. i want them all, i can do them all, and i'm going to figure this out. and if my life begins to burst at the seams, so be it. it will be ever so full.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
insert clever blog title here.
a few things.
first of all, the death of j.d. salinger. i didn't talk about this in my private blog (although judging by his former character, he'd likely prefer that arena). there is nothing to say, really, except that he was an exceptional man, and one of the first authors who ever made me truly believe i could also be a writer (i should probably mention my former college education and literary pursuits at some point). i was quite wee when i read my first salinger work, but i remember thinking: wow, i can be this frank in a novel? i can say awkward things, and that's ok? i was just floored. i think it's something all youngsters at some point realize, via one way or another - yes, it is okay to be brutally and painfully honest, and sad and confused, and to talk about it. that's a big realization for a young one. i consider it one of my first important life lessons. that and being potty trained. that has been super useful.
anyway, enough of that.
my other announcement (are these announcements?) is simply that if you're an etsy customer of mine, please send me photos of your cats playing with their super cool toys, or whatever you purchased, and i shall start posting them here in my blog. i have a few already that i need to post, but i'm just saying. SEND!
first of all, the death of j.d. salinger. i didn't talk about this in my private blog (although judging by his former character, he'd likely prefer that arena). there is nothing to say, really, except that he was an exceptional man, and one of the first authors who ever made me truly believe i could also be a writer (i should probably mention my former college education and literary pursuits at some point). i was quite wee when i read my first salinger work, but i remember thinking: wow, i can be this frank in a novel? i can say awkward things, and that's ok? i was just floored. i think it's something all youngsters at some point realize, via one way or another - yes, it is okay to be brutally and painfully honest, and sad and confused, and to talk about it. that's a big realization for a young one. i consider it one of my first important life lessons. that and being potty trained. that has been super useful.
anyway, enough of that.
my other announcement (are these announcements?) is simply that if you're an etsy customer of mine, please send me photos of your cats playing with their super cool toys, or whatever you purchased, and i shall start posting them here in my blog. i have a few already that i need to post, but i'm just saying. SEND!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
the eternal internal debate.
last week i was seriously debating adopting another kitten. i go through this every few months. even though i already have two full grown cats that are extremely loud, demanding and hungry, i'm still a sucker for kittens. kittens are the cutest animals in the world, only slightly ahead of baby alpacas. i live in an apartment, so clearly the alpaca is not an option for a pet.
so anyway, i had kitten on the brain.
i even went so far as to start looking for a possible kitten to adopt. now, this is when it gets very hard to turn back. i adopted ziggy and laddie (they are brother and sister) from a shelter as babies. so i visited the same shelter's website to check out the feline situation. so many little kitties, and big kitties, need homes. they are all cute, and i'm the biggest softie ever. i start thinking i should adopt more than one. if i don't, they'll be put down. terrible!
but then i calm down, and revert back to looking for ONE kitten. and i found one. his name is little man, and he is 8 weeks old. he is adorable. I HAD TO HAVE HIM. i start thinking about budgeting in vet costs for the very near future, and considering new names (i was favoring ferdinand de saussure...god knows why) for a baby kitty. i was getting totally stoked. i was getting mixed reactions from friends. some said this was a terrible idea; others supported my continued pathway to crazy cat lady-dom.
and then this weekend happened.
my cats must have sensed i was thinking about bringing in an outsider to encroach on their play and cuddle time. both of them were absolutely terrible all weekend - knocking over drinks, meowing loudly through the night, eating a ton, getting terrible diarrhea, fighting with each other, vomiting and pooping on the floor, and simply ignoring the fact that they had a litterbox at all. it was an all out attack on my sanity.
i'm not getting another kitten. no. way.
so anyway, i had kitten on the brain.
i even went so far as to start looking for a possible kitten to adopt. now, this is when it gets very hard to turn back. i adopted ziggy and laddie (they are brother and sister) from a shelter as babies. so i visited the same shelter's website to check out the feline situation. so many little kitties, and big kitties, need homes. they are all cute, and i'm the biggest softie ever. i start thinking i should adopt more than one. if i don't, they'll be put down. terrible!
but then i calm down, and revert back to looking for ONE kitten. and i found one. his name is little man, and he is 8 weeks old. he is adorable. I HAD TO HAVE HIM. i start thinking about budgeting in vet costs for the very near future, and considering new names (i was favoring ferdinand de saussure...god knows why) for a baby kitty. i was getting totally stoked. i was getting mixed reactions from friends. some said this was a terrible idea; others supported my continued pathway to crazy cat lady-dom.
and then this weekend happened.
my cats must have sensed i was thinking about bringing in an outsider to encroach on their play and cuddle time. both of them were absolutely terrible all weekend - knocking over drinks, meowing loudly through the night, eating a ton, getting terrible diarrhea, fighting with each other, vomiting and pooping on the floor, and simply ignoring the fact that they had a litterbox at all. it was an all out attack on my sanity.
i'm not getting another kitten. no. way.
Friday, January 15, 2010
candy is killing me.
for years, i didn't eat candy. or sugar at all. or drink sodas. and cooked for myself everyday. i felt so much better than i do now. physically, mentally, and emotionally.
i need to get back to that.
but my original point was: why does there always have to be a mutant piece of candy in a bag, and why do i always unknowingly eat it? you know, the weirdly shaped, funny tasting peanut m&m. the retarded skittle. and so on.
totally just ate a freak m&m. shudder.
i need to get back to that.
but my original point was: why does there always have to be a mutant piece of candy in a bag, and why do i always unknowingly eat it? you know, the weirdly shaped, funny tasting peanut m&m. the retarded skittle. and so on.
totally just ate a freak m&m. shudder.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
sewing machine vs. hand sewing.
i have this amazing sewing machine. it's baby blue in color, and has this great vintage look to it. it's in perfect condition.
i never use it. ever.
a lot of the things i make for etsy, like catnip toys, are just too small to justify dragging the whole thing out. i also do a lot of hand stitched detail that just can't be done with a machine. and some things can ONLY be hand sewn based on the way i want them to look. but mostly, i just LIKE to hand sew things.
a good friend of mine (also an etsian) told me years ago, before i even started my shop and when his was just starting to really boom, that i needed to get over that asap, because productivity is incredibly hampered by my resistance to the machine. i remember going over to his little apartment, sitting on the floor atop a giant pile of random fabrics that he always had strewn about, and showing him this tiny stuffed owl that was the first plush toy i'd ever made. to prove his point, he quickly cut the fabric to make a similar owl and created it with his sewing machine in probably 10 minutes. i sat on his floor and took an hour to complete another of my own. while both owls were cute, i felt that mine had more personality, but maybe that's because i stared at mine for a good 50 minutes longer than he did.
ok, point taken. so i got the machine out. and it sat there looking at me while i continued to hand sew everything.
cut to well over two years later. i opened up my shop for business approximately august of 2009. things started slowly, as things often do, and while i've never been processing incredible amounts of orders, things picked up so much in november and december that i felt overwhelmed, and decided that maybe i WAS slowing myself down by hand sewing everything, even though i liked the process so much more. however, this realization came right in the middle of the christmas rush and i didn't want to start experimenting at that point, since i had way too much to do. i promised myself once that was over, i'd get out the machine and start incorporating it into my crafting.
so now that time has come. things have quieted down, and i have that self-made promise looming over my head. so i suppose the time has arrived for me to suck it up and use my sewing machine.
i'm dragging my heels though.
i never use it. ever.
a lot of the things i make for etsy, like catnip toys, are just too small to justify dragging the whole thing out. i also do a lot of hand stitched detail that just can't be done with a machine. and some things can ONLY be hand sewn based on the way i want them to look. but mostly, i just LIKE to hand sew things.
a good friend of mine (also an etsian) told me years ago, before i even started my shop and when his was just starting to really boom, that i needed to get over that asap, because productivity is incredibly hampered by my resistance to the machine. i remember going over to his little apartment, sitting on the floor atop a giant pile of random fabrics that he always had strewn about, and showing him this tiny stuffed owl that was the first plush toy i'd ever made. to prove his point, he quickly cut the fabric to make a similar owl and created it with his sewing machine in probably 10 minutes. i sat on his floor and took an hour to complete another of my own. while both owls were cute, i felt that mine had more personality, but maybe that's because i stared at mine for a good 50 minutes longer than he did.
ok, point taken. so i got the machine out. and it sat there looking at me while i continued to hand sew everything.
cut to well over two years later. i opened up my shop for business approximately august of 2009. things started slowly, as things often do, and while i've never been processing incredible amounts of orders, things picked up so much in november and december that i felt overwhelmed, and decided that maybe i WAS slowing myself down by hand sewing everything, even though i liked the process so much more. however, this realization came right in the middle of the christmas rush and i didn't want to start experimenting at that point, since i had way too much to do. i promised myself once that was over, i'd get out the machine and start incorporating it into my crafting.
so now that time has come. things have quieted down, and i have that self-made promise looming over my head. so i suppose the time has arrived for me to suck it up and use my sewing machine.
i'm dragging my heels though.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
ramblings from the upstairs room.
well, it would appear that as an etsy shop owner, i must be an active blogger to be at all relevant in the etsy universe. i've been blogging (i.e. complaining, fussing, being hypercritical of everything, mostly myself) since 2005 on good old livejournal, but there is no way that will ever be made public, lest i run the risk of alienating all my friends, offending the general public, and maybe getting myself arrested. i'm kidding.
well, kind of.
anyway. livejournal is a private thing, so i've started this blog to publicly ramble on about the adventures of owning and operating an etsy shop. of course, i'll also use this place as an arena for posting about whatever other random things come to mind, because that's fun too. frankly, this whole blog may dissolve into me talking about music and posting photos of my cats, but that also has it's entertainment value. i promise to refrain from using expletives! for the most part.
so welcome. let the stalking begin!
i mean, welcome to my blog!
well, kind of.
anyway. livejournal is a private thing, so i've started this blog to publicly ramble on about the adventures of owning and operating an etsy shop. of course, i'll also use this place as an arena for posting about whatever other random things come to mind, because that's fun too. frankly, this whole blog may dissolve into me talking about music and posting photos of my cats, but that also has it's entertainment value. i promise to refrain from using expletives! for the most part.
so welcome. let the stalking begin!
i mean, welcome to my blog!
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