Monday, December 8, 2008

A December 8th~ Monday Morning in MS


I ALWAYS LOVED Curious George~ I'm also working on Strawberry Shortcake, Disney Princess & Mermaid in very similiar sets! It's hard to get them all modeled & photographed & listed, just let me know of any theme you would like anytime if you have a special event, etc... I can certainly come up with something amazing for your sweetie; Girl or Boy!



I'm enjoying this cool Monday morning here in Mississippi~ Catching up with e-mails & replies & placing a post of one of my new special Valentine FUN outfits! I LOVE personalization!!! It's hard to think this far ahead, but with custom orders, this is right around the corner after Christmas! I'm already thinking about Easter & Spring! I may have a local show this weekend to keep me busy the remainder of the week, so I am posting this now while my memory is fresh & I have a moment. :) I'm trying to relax in the mornings with teatime.


I hope you find just what you need to relax you during the hustle & bustle of this Holiday Season & our countries uncertainties with the economy. I know I've been stressed about that & notice a HUGE difference in my business & customer base most recently.

Hugs~ Bon






Saturday, December 6, 2008

Happy Holidays! December 2008


I'm feeling so overwhelmed & Christmas is coming OH SO FAST! :) I wanted to take a moment to write here as I have found some time. Ross is doing his Reserve weekend duty this weekend & will be traveling all this coming week to close the hurricane hunters work station down on the Island St Croix where they have done a lot of their flying from all summer long. I'm sure it will be a fun week for him as he has a very dear friend (a former room mate) who lives & works there with his wife. They do like to catch up & go golfing and such.


I have been working very hard on getting my Christmas & Holiday orders out in time & have neglected to spend time on my website or here. I have recently updated my website with less confusing attributes & hopefully better understanding for most customers. Please let me know if you have any ideas as I am far from this process being completed.


I will post a few photos here for now in hopes that I will have more time to update this coming week. I still have groceries in my car to unload from yesterday as we had the Air Force Christmas party last night & I did bring in all of the stuff that needed refrigerated. :) This was on my list of TO DO's & I feel like those of you who check in regularly will hopefully understand & probably can have some of the same busy stories in your own lives.


Hope you had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving! I started Nanny*ing p/t for a lovely family here & it's approx. 1-3 days a week, which is sich a blessing and outlet doing just what I LOVE!!!


Monday, October 20, 2008

Happy Halloween! Adding Gift Certificates on my website!!!




Finally it is cooling down here in the South! :) This makes me very happy... most of all, no more major hurricane threats, we're on the downward spiral of the season. I have listed quite a few darling Halloween designs this year, but as usual... I'm later in listing. I will be listing a Darling Thanksgiving set today after my model comes over for photos! We are also doing some General Sports Twirl Dresses, she is a darling little sweetie, it's always a fun time seeing these sets come to life!




I will post a few photos here, I'm trying my best to stay up to date with you here. Feel free to contact me anytime on any ideas you have! I LOVE to hear from my customers, most especially when they pass me on to their friends.




Thanks for all of your support & business!


Fall Blessings~


Bonnie

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

New Capri/Pants Style in time for Thanksgiving & Christmas!!!


I promised I would post a photo of my new Capri/Pants Style!!! So here is my very first model debut for this style! The Wide Ruffle is very much in I can easily add an additional ribbon, rick rack or bias above the ruffle as well! The Tops are optional & you can easily add initial applique or monogramming to coordinate the bottoms & have great use for Mix & Matching... More photos to come in the next week or so. I'm working on some darling Thanksgiving Sets with Turkey's on the top! Very CUTE!!! Keep checking back & contact me anytime with your custom idea or special needs!
Bon

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Sunday Morning~ A Fresh New October! Feeling the Fall?

Here in Mississippi, it is hardly feeling like Fall, although there is some cool breezes & the humidity has pretty much subsided which is a very good thing! Ross is working this weekend, so I am too! I'm working on some ideas to help shoppers save money on darling boutique sets for siblings... I will be posting photos ASAP of these sweet new Ruffled Capri or Pants Styles with the matching headband. I can do matching tops or mom's can simply purchase the tops to match the pants to help save & be able to wear with other sets, too!

WEBSITE UPDATE: Roxy has been amazing in getting my website back up in a super timely manner! THANKS A MILLION, Roxy... after all you're dealing with... no doubt you are just spent! After the downtime with the changes the service provider had made when we went to upload everything again I felt bad that this happened at such a time while she is trying to study & has her own family. What a headache for her, poor thing! She has done an incredible job in learning & building my website for me. She is absolutely the best artisitc gal & has created a site that I thought would be impossible to accomplish!~ I'm SO GRATEFUL for all of the help & her patience in trying to teach & work with me along the way & across the states, all the way from California! She has been incredible!!! There are still some minor issues & kinks, we're working on & I appreciate your e-mails & help to make this site run smoothly for buyers. Please let me know if you have any ideas for better set or navigation, etc. I am always happy to help any customer over the phone as well.

Thanks again for checking up here with my Blog... I'm trying to keep it updated as things unfold & news happens here.

Sunday Blessings!
Bonnie

Friday, October 3, 2008

Website FUNK~ & ... Ross is FINALLY Home from 8 weeks of Flying!!!


Firstly, I've been having some website troubles... PLEASE, please bear with me here as my web designer works on this for me, for us! I'm sorry as it's confusing to upload the updates & then have everything new & in different formats, etc... We hope to have this accomplished by weekend's end.


Today was a BIG day here in our lives! We are very happy to have Ross home safe & sound. He was in Guam doing research with the Navy on Typhoons & his crew also went to Japan as they flew into a Super Typhoon. It was the first time it's been done in 30 years. He said it was a bit nerve wrecking going through the eye wall! No doubt! I'm glad I only know about this now, although he did tell me he was going to be flying into a Typhoon, they are pretty much like Hurricanes, except a SUPER Typhoon is beyond a Cat 5!!! I'll have to share the link to the video once he locates it! This photo is what I've been working on... with my down time here while Ross was away, I've been doing a home improvement on our backyard as I hope to start doing more outdoor portraits with my designs. I've sold my photography lighting in hopes to someday get better lighting for indoor. This is part of my husband's coming home surprise & for his 36th B-day which is on the 9th of October~ I'm pretty pleased, but BOY is it a lot of money, time & effort... It was WELL worth it though. LOVE the Hammock & Pathway, just peaceful!


So, we are trying to settle back into a routine & hoping there will not be much more traveling for the rest of this hurricane season~ It's been a VERY Busy Season! Quite nerve wrecking for me here, too! Most especially with the economy & looking for something part time to help suppliment & pay off my business debts, so scary with the financial crisis in our country! I'm going everything I can to keep this business going & learning to document & do everything correctly. I'll try to check back in here & post next week as things calm down a bit.


Thanks for your sincere cares & prayers with support of my success & dreams!

Blessings, Bonnie

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

READY for FALL here in MS!!!


It's TIME for FALL & I'm very excited for the weather to be transitioning here. It's still humid & HOT during the day, but mornings & evenings are quite cool. I MISS HOME in the North, SO Much! Would love to move back into our house in Phila, PA one day... Although it's a row house in the city & would be quite small to try to manage with my business... :)


Ross left for Guam 2 weeks ago & we have another 2 weeks to go. He actually flew into a Typhoon over Japan & spent quite a few days there b/c their plane broke. They brake a lot as they have really been used heavily in the hurricane's this year. They are very careful not to fly when this happens. He is so far away & cannot call home, we skyped for the first time last night. His flight days are approx. 11-12 hours at a time. They are doing a Navy mission on Typhoons with the scientists & even had a visit from National Geographic! So, he does not get enough sleep it sounds, but it's really a great experience.


Business is very much slowing b/c of the economy. I am going to look for a P/T job over on the AF Base this morning. It's been a while since I've updated here & wanted to take a moment to write in & keep in touch. I'm advertising in my first Family & Children's Gulf Coast Magazine, I hope it will be worth it. I signed up for an entire year!


Thanks for continuing to keep up with me; shop & share my site, PLEASE

Smiles & Miles of HUGS!
Bon

Friday, September 5, 2008

Back from Gustav, Watching Hurricane IKE!

THANKS for keeping up here~ I'm doing my best to keep my blog updated, although coming back home there was A LOT to take care of. ... It never ends, huh? We are both home safe & sound, just for the weekend, then Ross leaves for Guam for 3 weeks on Monday.

As for how we weathered Gustav... We had a tree down in the back yard & a little moisture issue where the baseboard pulled away from the wall in our dining room. Very minor & we felt very good about this being IT. I'm headed now to make dinner & go to have it on the base with Ross as he is working until Midnight for all of the storms out there, the guys are working additional hours & planes are coming in later tonight. Someone has to be there for taking the calls, etc.

I will update after the first of next week... I've been busy trying to complete current orders & try to be in the clear & ahead! :) Seems impossible~ Although I am SO GRATEFUL for every order! :) Thanks for your business & support along the way here! I may be looking for a part time job as the economy is making it very difficult to make this work for the hours I put in are hardly worth the profit & outcome. SAD, but true!~ I do hope that things will pick up & I will not have to do that, but I'm getting ready for that reality too.

Blessings to you all~
Bonnie

Monday, September 1, 2008

Gustav is slowing & dropping winds & rain tonight!!!

UPDATE, Monday Evening~
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Thanks for all of your concerns & kind e-mails, phone calls, etc! It has meant so much to me! I'm holding off on going home tomorrow, I've heard that everything should be ok at our house, the never lost power 6 miles north of where our home is. I'm assuming I could have stayed, but better safe than sorry! I am glad I left, but the traffic is the worst part in returning... I'm going to probably leave on Wednesday morning. I will NOT be driving tired & SO very sleepy again~ How dangerous that drive was coming here as I left at 11:30 PM~ I just wanted to get out of there! Unfortunately there are always more storms coming this time of year... There are always the unknowns. I'm not good at dealing with that reality! Too many historic storms these days!!!
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Ross will be headed out to Guam for 3 weeks with a Navy mission. This will happen when he returns from this mission. This is simply part of this job, we both signed up for it, really! Prior to leaving, I experienced a lot of tension between couples & what to do, where to go... how to deal with certain details, etc. To me, this is the very hardest part in dealing with these storms, so much inconsistency & turmoil in relationships... What a learning experience this has been for me as it's all new to me. I ended up having to make most of the decisions as Ross was away, doing his job. Moving the Larger items was not going to happen.
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Friday was my B-day & I spent it packing up & preparing to leave, Thursday I had a biopsy on my thyroid which I still have yet to find out the results of that. It was a bit unpleasant, especially considering the stress & circumstances, having to go in there & just suck it up & be strong. It was not so bad... I just knew it had to be done & did not make it an option. Hopefully it will all be ok, I am taking a higher dose of Synthroid & have felt a big difference, it may need even more adjustments. I will continue to keep you updated, but may not write again until I am home safe & sound.
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Thanks Again~
Bonnie

Hurricane Gustav Touches Down at Cat 2 in LA, Monday!



It's about noon here on Monday~ Heavy Winds & Damage & the start of the eye of the storm is approaching LA! Looks like Coastal MS will be getting a lot of flooding which was expected. Our home is at 15 ft above flood level. They expect it to be at least at that where we are located. Currently I've heard Pasqugoula has crested to 9 ft. which is 2 towns East of us, maybe 20 miles. Ross flew last night again & sounded exhausted, he called me about 1 hour ago b/f going to sleep. He must really be having to do a lot of laundry b/c he left expecting to only be gone for the weekend & he's into the 2nd week now. These hurricanes keep everyone so busy, stressed & tired!
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This Storm is fierce like most any major hurricane. We're all praying & hoping for the best here at this hotel & every other evacuation place, no doubt! The stories I've been hearing about are HUGE~ so many of these residence are from LA who have been through Katrina & had to rebuild & now they are getting hit again. I just got in from being outside & taking Misty for a run across & down the busy street. I am NOT a runner & did not go too far!~ There are too many animals here at the hotel, LOTS of dogs... I worry about the traffic with our 7 month old puppy who wants to listen but gets so easily distracted & is starting to be so protective. Playing frisbee near a main road is just a little too risky, I wanted to so bad though. She loves frisbee & needed the exercise & is now sleeping beside me here as I'm working. I'm afraid we'll be running in the rain later. :)~
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I took some photos of our hotel place & of course I have about 45 photos of our house for insurance purposes, what a hassle here. Missing work, etc. Thank goodness for laptops & so much more like the Weather Channel. I will do my best to keep you all updated here. Kitties are happy & lounging around as you can see, Stevie Ray is our all white kitty about 4 months old & named after the famous guitar guy by my husband, of course! I left with photos, clothes a few top fabrics, laptop, camera & Ross's heirloom guitar. It's actually a beautiful hotel, great accomodations here at the Hyatt Place in Hoover, AL. It's about 5 hours away & the winds are blowing outside, clouds look even furocious here. Hope you are enjoying the weather where you are! :) It's got to be better than what anyone who decided to not evacuate is experiencing.
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Thanks for your prayers, e-mails & support!
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:) Bon & the gang!

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Preparing & Evacuated for Hurricane Gustav!


Dear Family & Friends, Update on Hurricane Gustav!


This storm has seemed to really put things into perspective... living on the Gulf Coast is a risky choice in the summer months, the outrageous insurance we all pay definitely is the 1st warning for these storms. I want to say thanks for your prayers & thoughts for the people here... It's been a very stressful week since word of this storm first came out & threatened everyone on the Gulf Coast. My DH has been away all week working with the hurricane hunters & weather crews first hand. They have been investigating this storm as much as they possibly can. All I can say right now for the two of us is that I have prepared for the worst, but pray for the best. We have a good chance of getting at least flood damage, but we are not in the direct path of the eye of the storm. I know many of my family, friends & customers have been asking & e-mailing & I cannot possibly keep up with everyone, so this is the best way to keep you updated as things unfold. One of our sweetest cats, Tommy, (the Orange Tabby above) ran away about 2 weeks ago & I have tried to locate him in every way I could think of. He has not come home. We love out pets & they have quite the life in our home as you can see this is the kitty condo tower for them right in the front foyer area of our home.


I evacuated last night, took mainly important papers & documents, photos & our pets (3 cats & Misty) with my laptop so I have some communication here & can work on my business, website & quickbooks as I am learning this system for my business. I will have a few days here at least. Ross will be away for the coming month as he is scheduled to leave for a Navy/AF Mission in Guam for weeks on the 8th. I know this storm is bad, but I do have faith & believe everything will be ok.


It's been a while since I've written here & I will do better in the days to come to keep my customers, family & friends updated... There are a few more storms building out there, so we are watching those as well. I think in the years to come I may be out of commission for the mid month of August - Sept, as these storms tend to show their BIG Face in this month especially. It's been quite stressful, but this is my first hurricane to evacuate & experience since we moved to the MS Gulf Coast in 2007. Our home is about 1/2 mile inland from the Gulf Coast Waters.


Thanks for your prayers & well wishes!

Bonnie & for Ross, too

Monday, August 11, 2008

New Designs, Model & Photo Session! 8-10-08


It's Monday Morning, A New Week with New Photos to share!!!
Check out this little Cutie Pie; What a FUN Adventure with this little one, photos with her new outfits!!! She & her mom were so kind to help me show off to add to my line options for my site! My favorite is the Ballet Dress & Coordinating Bag with initial! Every one is an original as can be ordered on my site.
I am currently updating my site, listings & drop down menu options. It is complicated to put together, but hopefully self explanitory, I would appreciate all of your feedback on the workings of my site if you get the time to navigate & provide me with your feedback, I would be SO APPRECIATIVE! I will be finshing up my site in the next 2 weeks & will send out my grand opening BIG Discount as I will be cutting my ebay sales back in the future & selling mainly from my site ONLY!
Thanks for all of your help, care & support along this business path. It is a lot of hard work & some days are quite stressful; filling orders & trying to keep on top of e-mails & website construction & of course the finances. Ebay has not proven to be worth my while, only in gaining the interest towards my site & the many more options & personalized care I can provide with discounts & one on one attention!
I hope you will share my blog with your interested friends!
Thanks, Enjoy your week!
Bonnie

Saturday, August 9, 2008

BonEful Website & A HOT August in Mississippi!


It's been so hot & humid here in MS! I have been working & working on my website & trying to have it ready for orders with custom build your own designs with my drop down menu system. I hope my customers will find this exciting & get used to shopping with add on options. I had an order last night for Minnie Mouse sets for a Customer's Disney trip, she was able to order 2 different sets in a size 18M & 5 with the top she wanted, ruffled capri's & added hair bows for each child in their size. It is exciting to be able to meet specific needs of each customer this way.


Ross continues to work hard which allows me to grow my business & take the time I do to perfect the options while continuing to meet my orders on a timely basis. Thanks for all of your continued support & JOYFUL spirits with replies for my HAPPY Customer section on my website! I'm working on my gallery section this week.


Please let me know what you honestly think of my site & any changes that you think would help the overall look & goal I have for this business... I'm very delighted with any feedback you are willing to give, including constructive criticism. Thank-you for following & sharing my blog!


Blessings, Bonnie





Saturday, July 26, 2008

The Apple Of My Eye!

* AN APPLE A DAY... Keeps the Dr Away, right?*
A Sweet Back to School Twirl Dress!!!
THX for all of your modeling, C!
***
You're the Best!
Love, Bon

Christmas in July & Back to School!!!



What a HOT July it's been! Ross & I spent all day in the yard mulching b/c he is actually home & not flying into any hurricanes. This was something we could do & spend the day together being productive, not spending too much money... Of course an afternoon storm rolled in & sent us running inside after working until the very last minute. This is the South & Summertime, the storms seem to come from the wild & out of the blue!

It's Back to School time folks & Christmas in July!!! Getting ready for all of the special events as soon as possible is smart~! I know over the Holidays, I tend to get booked up very quickly & stress myself out over getting things done, this year I will be taking off two weeks b/f Christmas. Please get your orders in as early as possible.

I'm keeping this one fairly short as it's getting to be bedtime here & I still have a few things to do b/f closing out my Saturday! Church is tomorrow as well as my BD Boutique Designer Christmas in July & Back to School Launch on ebay. This is a group of 75+ professional designers, like myself, whom we've come together to form a fun group & explore our options & share new ideas & trends. I also had a TERRIFIC little friend & one of my favorite models come back to help me last week, you will see her in several of my new auctions! Don't miss out, I have all .99 starting bid listings on ebay. It's A HUGE risk & not enough attention these days, so PLEASE, please... share my site's & locations with any interested friends!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, too!
Blessings & Smiles,
Bonnie

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Bon's Design & Sewing & Fabric Work Spaces!


I just wanted to take a moment this quiet Saturday morning to show you a collage of my sewing work spaces. Ross was up at 2:30 AM to work with Hurricane Bertha. Hurricane season is very busy for him! So, I could not get back to sleep & got a very early start today.


Please note that my rooms are NEVER this clean, Honestly... this was ONLY for the photo! :) Then after a few hours of work, the mess begins & accumulates as you can imagine.
Bon


Monday, July 7, 2008

July 4th Picnic & Boating in Mississippi!


It's been a nice relaxing weekend for Ross & I. We needed this adventurous time, even though we were lost in the dark waters after watching the fireworks from our boat, we eventually found our way back to the US~AFB at Keelser, they have a great Marina there! Misty is now 6 months old & keeps us busy... She LOVES the water & is such a JOY in our lives!~ Here is a photo of her watching her Daddy on the boat! :) Ross used to train Police Dogs as a Military Cop, so she is learning at a very young age. I would not trade her for anything, as my first experience with a puppy & dog of my own has been nothing but the best. :)
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Ross has been on the go with hurricane season kicking in & attending classes in Florida last weekend. Now, hurricane Bertha is a threat & they will be deployed out tomorrow to the Island of St Croix, which is where they fly all of their missions from. The hurricane hunters do actually take their planes right into the eye of the storm & fly in the storm for a few hours to get all of the readings necessary to report back to the National Weather Center in Miami, Fl. We are storm watchers here as we are only living about 1/2 mile from the Gulf Waters!

I like to keep my customers updated here on my business & personal life as I appreciate everyone's support & care. Ross & I attended a new church on Sunday here. It was a breath of fresh air here & I'm very excited about the possibilities for attending & being involved with the church. I need more outlets outside my home where I do work constantly. I may teach a few sewing classes at an arts center here which will also help me get connected in the area here. Since we are military and very likely moving in the next 2-3 years, I find myself not getting connected as I should. I miss my friends from VA & often just focus on my business & marriage with life here. Please pray I will find the strength to step beyond my comfort zone. I have enjoyed teaching Sunday School every Sunday this past year for 2nd & 3rd graders at the Presbyterian Church.


Thanks for your interest & continued support!

Bonnie

Monday, June 23, 2008

Home from Michigan; Back 2 Website & Orders...

I WANTED to FEATURE My Favorite Personalized Children's Bedroom Pillows here for you to see... Feel free to contact me for your very own!

Thanks for keeping up... I arrived home from Michigan & now have computer access again. We had a trying time in Michigan as we ended up staying the full amount of time in Grand Rapids as my husband's mom had suffered a stroke prior to our arrival & we were not sure how bad it was.

My husband & I are honestly never together for 10 days straight... as you can imagine 24 hours in a car together was not easy either with our puppy, Misty. She actually made the trip more exciting & energentic. Frisbee time at the rest stops was fun & my favorite relaxing time was with his extended family who live and vacation in Holland Michigan, right on the lake.

While away I did some work on my website & have a LONG way to go, but did get a few orders, which is always enlightening & promising... Thanks to all of you who are sharing my site with possible interested buyers. I'm definitely cutting WAY BACK on my ebay sales now. It's best for everyone involved as I have fairly listed my prices as low as possible with many options & personal communication anytime you want.

Hope you are all enjoying a pleasant & safe summer, too!
Bon

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Getting ready; Michigan & Wisconsin trip!


We're leaving on Friday after a long work day for both of us... Ross's mom had a stroke on Sunday morning & we were going to leave next week, but he wanted to get home earlier to see his immediate family in Grand Rapids & then we will be driving to Rhinelander Wisconsin if all goes well in Michigan. I'm excited about meeting one of Ross's long time College friends & his family there, for the 1st time! So, I will be out of commission for 10 days, from the 14th through the 24th of June. We will be taking our sweet Misty Lab with us. Should be interesting... I'm still getting used to having a dog as a part of our little family. :) She is as sweet as can be!

Please don't think I was mean, this is a little angel who models for me often & normally does not mind Misty & coming over often to see her. As you can see... today was not one of those days. Misty was not even touching her & never did anything to her but lick. My hand is always right there for any protection, but my goodness, she was SO MAD about this photo! So Sad & funny~ I just had to share. Of course I removed her right away, but HAD to take just one photo quickly~ Hope you are smiling & not thinking I'm awful! :) I've been doing a lot of photo sessions lately w/ more darling sets & new models! I had 3 children come yesterday & photographed a total of 12 sets, Whewww, that is a LOT of work, 1 baby & then 2-4 year olds who are precious! The HUGE hairbows I was never a big fan of, but they have grown on me for the photos, they really do make the outfits! They are VERY Popular here in the South, that is a fact! I will post of photo of my new little girl models here as well as our pride & joy, Misty at her best! She seemed so sad that the baby was crying...

Off to work today, I wanted to start off today by updating you all on our upcoming, unexpected trip & manditory time off too! I will manage & will have computer access during some of this time while staying in hotels & at least at his parents house, so most days I will be checking my e-mails. I appreciate all of you & how you have encouraged me to hang in there with ebay's new feedback standards & rules, it's going to be very hard in the coming months, PLEASE share my site with your friends & do let me know of any problems you experience while shopping on my website so I can work on making those changes & fixes ASAP~ Any suggestions on making it the best place to shop would be ideal!!!

Blessings & Joys to you!!!
Bonnie

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Sat 6-7-08 * A Discount Code for YOU for my website!

Dear Friends!~

A photo of my brother, Alex's HS Graduation with his sweet girlfriend! They look so young, don't they? A very exciting time in their lives!!! I was thrilled to have the opportunity to go home to PA & be a part of this glorious event with our entire family who came together, 3 grandparents were there with us, 8 grandchildren & what a blessing this was to see everyone together!~ I miss my family!!! *** My DH is away this weekend and I am catching up on current orders while I am working on my website listings. I like to keep you updated weekly on my blog!~ Last weekend I was away from Friday through Monday. Returned on Tuesday morning after an unexpected missed flight in Phila, PA~ I had 2 customers who got very upset with me when they did not hear from me over those last 2 days as my laptop died! I do normally respond immediately & working 24/7... I needed this break away. This was upsetting to me... 4 words here; *Patience is a virtue...

To all of my new interested buyers, I have made a discount code for all of you that are reading this & viewing my new site here! My Discount code is for $5 off your total order. To use this, you need to type in BonEful when you are ready to check out, it will ask for your discount code. This is to help you remember my website & to check back often. If you are a member of my mailing list, I have a different discount code which is for $10 off! Please do sign up for my mailing list, it's very easy to do from my website... click on NEWSLETTER at the top bar in every page, it will take you to a safe & secure mailing list entry! *** My brothers high school graduation was so much fun, it was great to see all of my family again & hard to leave after only 2 short days with everyone. Alex has been such a light & blessing to us all... he definitely has kept our parents young & on their toes. He was born when I was 16! He had 4 big sisters who all loved him dearly & were all like mothers to him. What a special time!!! I'm so proud of him; I hear from everyone that Alex is going to be a famous bass player one day, he is truly gifted in music & has worked very hard in school.

Around the 15th of this month, we will be leaving for 10 days to visit with my husband's family & friends in Michigan & Wisconsin. I will be updating you here on our travels over that time & will post & do my best to respond while I am away then, too. ~Until then, I'm catching up on my work & perfecting my website listings & photos. It's all very time consuming, as you can see... my goal is to offer you the VERY BEST, from start to finish! I have been SO disappointed with ebay's new feedback system & not to mention how much money they take from every transaction. Very discouraging & this is why approx. 75% of designers have left ebay. This has been very stressful for me as I have had some very difficult customers who have tried to make my life miserable in the last two weeks since the system changed, wanting items for free & complaining, but still bidding on my items! When I blocked this customer, she left me negative for everything I ever made for her!~ As a result... I'm listing MUCH less on ebay & will only be listing samples I've made to sell there with my LOW .99 starting bids. I will continue to sell on ebay in a very small way, just search BOOAK on ebay to find my listings!

Enjoy your weekend together as a family, take time to enjoy each other. You never know when things will change at the blink of an eye! I'm touched & so saddened by a recent event of a amazing, favorite Christian music artist, Steven Curtis Chapman, & his family's story of their little girl, Maria, who was struck by a car in her driveway & killed at only just 10 days over her 5th Birthday. SO VERY SAD for all of those involved. She was the youngest of 3 precious little girls from China that the family adopted & LOVE dearly. Please keep the Chapman family in your prayers. I will post a link to their incredible association & website where you can read more & even contribute in her memory.

Love & Prayers from the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Bonnie

Thursday, June 5, 2008

WaltDisneyWorldFamilyTravel


CLICK THIS LINK BELOW!!!

WaltDisneyWorldFamilyTravel

See one of my favorite customer's children's BLOG on matching sets I made them for Disney & Universal Studio's in Orlando! THANKS to Carol Beth & her husband for their help & support of my business!~ It's satisfying to see their little sweetie's in their matching outfits & Loving them!!!

Please see her post & read more about their travel agency on Disney Magical Vacations!~ What an amazing family & story they have to share! I'm certainly blessed with some of the best customers!!! THANKS for sharing me with others~
Bon

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

May 21st, * FILL Orders Galore & travel to Alex's HS Graduation!

WELCOME SPRING!!!

I've been busy, busy down south in MS~ Yup, welcome Spring with the nasty weather changing colds & storm season... I Came down with a Cold/Virus just yesterday. It's Miserable trying to complete all of my .99 starting bid orders. Can you tell I'm not in the best of spirits, hardly motivated at this point... It's pushing myself to get my work done that I usually ENJOY. It also can be frustrating when my custom sets sell for so little, but it is a GREAT way for new customers to get to know me & have the opportunity to see the quality, holding my work in their hands & wearing on their sweet children. I realize the long term benefits can be great! Please share me with any of your interested friends... Forward my site, I have a mailing list through my site & ebay me*page where you can sign up for my bravenet, safe, private *mailing list.

I'm gearing up for a 4 day vacation to York, PA next weekend; I will be flying into Philadelphia Intl. Airport. Pretty excited about this, my husband purchased the ticket for me. I miss my family at home in PA SO very much. My grandparents are in their mid 80's & still happy & healthy, able to travel... What a blessing~ I also have 8 neices & nephews that will all be home for this great event. Our little brother is 18 & will be graduating from High School.

In the midst of filling orders & preparing for the weeks to come, I'm also creating new designs... taking photos & working on my website. My special little neighbor model will be moving in another week... She is the red headed angel on many of my auctions. You've seen a lot of her & she has really helped promote my designs. I will miss her greatly as she was my little friend who often came over to spend the nights & go to church with me on Sunday mornings when my husband was away, we would have girly night & give her mom & dad a break, night away on their own. I'm so grateful for how they have truly helped me in my business & personal life being fulfilled with LOVE & experience.

That is all for this week, I will try to post weekly, sometimes I know I will be too busy to post.
Thanks for checking in & telling others about my website. I am trying to also focus on adding more listings on my website. You can always contact me with an order or wish.

Spread the word about http://www.boneful.com/ , please! :)
Blessings, Bonnie

Saturday, May 10, 2008

BonEful Boutique Designs

This is my very first Blog Experience...

I'm working on my website store to hopefully sell mostly from there instead of listing solely on ebay & etsy!~ I aim to keep you updated weekly here on my blog for those of you who are interested & check into my site often. It's a JOY to make new friends & have new customers & business along this dream of a lifetime that is slowly unfolding & coming to reality!!!

My favorite listing is my themed designs for boys and girls. I am showing a sample photo to the left here of some of my most recent designs for customers. I serve customers with exactly what they would like for a special event or child's favorite character (ie. Circus, Hawaiian Vacation or July 4th Heros of Sept. 11th, etc...)

I LOVE meeting with my customers & being an inspiration for others who would like to learn to sew & design as well as other professional designers, like myself. I appreciate all of you who have been with me since my start on ebay in 2004! YES, I've learned so much since then, from stiff, unlively manequins to the real life models & photography. I have come a LONG WAY~ I've endured a lot of hearaches along the way, if you have been with me throughout, I'm sure you can recall a few "blood, sweat & tears" so to speak. I LOVE serving others with my designs & unique specialty creations. I aim to please every customer & keep them coming back to shop on my website as ebay's fees have sky rocketed & it's hardly worth selling & buying on ebay anymore as the fees have taken over.

Please communicate with me any new ideas & LOVES you specifically have & would like to continue seeing in my design ideas & options for you as buyers. I appreciate every bit of help along the way & hope to keep each of my customers around forever!!!

Happy Mothers Day to all of you Mom's!!!
Bonnie with BOOAK Boutique on ebay & etsy

Now, please also visit & shop my personal website & store: http://www.boneful.com/