business and family

I can't believe it's been 6 months since Ethan was born into our lives; where has the time gone?
I have to be perfectly honest and say that my little bridal accessories business has taken quite a hit these last few months from me not even wanting to spend time on it, but I wouldn't have traded the extra time spent loving on my babies for the world!

I've actually found myself doing domestic thing, I am SO not the person you think of when you think of a domestic women, and I have actually been enjoying myself; making artisan bread, trying and completely failing to make my own modeling beeswax, keeping my house clean (what?!) and playing with Madey more. I know these sound like things any normal housewife/mother does but when your trying to grow a creative business, all time is spent... growing your business and I was not exercising that womanly gift known as multitasking. nough said.

Now that life in the Olson house is settling into a rhythm, I'm itching to get back to work and despite what I've heard I know there has to be a way to have my cake and eat it too, I know I can successful creative business without letting my family suffer for it.

But this weekend is family time!! Have a great one yourself.

three weeks ago...

... we welcomed our beautiful boy, Ethan Tollef, into the world!

                            

Ethan was born at 5:15 in the morning weighing in at 7lb 6oz and 20" long. He gave us a bit of a scare with the cord wrapped his neck three times ( honestly, I'm surprised it wasn't more, the way he moved around inside me ;) ) but he was quickly revived and perfectly healthy, praise the Lord!

where'd toes go?

... a question Madey asks every time I put her shoe on! I found myself asking this same question today as I looked down at my ever protruding abdomen. 39 weeks today and a stretch mark for every one of them. Get this baby out!

The Lovely Carly

A big thank you to Carly for sharing these photos with me. It is always fun to see my customers wearing their Plume and Lace design. Doesn't she look AMAZING! Congratulations Carly!!

Wisconsin Bride

Last year I had the opportunity to have a few of my products featured in a wedding inspiration shoot for Wisconsin Bride. What a great feeling to finally be able to hold a magazine in my hands with my name in it!!

The amazing photographer, Emily Steffen, was kind enough to share some photos with me.

This makes me so excited for the future of p&l.

Hope you all injoy these pictures!! Stop by Emily's blog to see the whole photo shoot, it's beautiful!

our week through a camera lens...

Christmas is almost here! It's hard to believe it's even December with the temperature being in the 40's and not a patch of snow to be seen. I think this is unusual for WI, considering my last few winters here, but I haven't really lived here that long.

It's been so much fun getting ready for Christmas this year; Feathered Designs has been slower than usual this season and I've been able to take the extra time to actually enjoy hustle and bustle of the holidays and to keep in mind the whole reason we even celebrate Christmas! The birth of our savior always seems to get lost when I am overworked and rushing to get everything on my shopping lists.

I love having time to just enjoy life!!!!

Madey and I had a lunch date at McD's. Don't judge!! It's a great place to play on a cold afternoon AND this pregnancy, like the last one, has left me with a serious craving for buffalo sauce!

For those who don't know, I'm due in April and it's a boy!!

Our usual trip to the post office.

Saturday morning coffee date! Were at our local CoOp today which has amazing pastries...

... and good coffee! I leave it for two seconds and this is what happens. It's not even a tasty late, it's just black coffee!!

Menards is like our second home, we are always here!

This trip was pricing out our bathroom remodel...

... and trust me, we ALL needed coffee for this trip!

Grandma and Grandpa!! We went to see Aunt Julie's Christmas concert.

I have to say it was the first time I've ever been to a Christmas concert and it was so much fun! The choir sounded amazing in the big stone cathedral.

Blog Neglect

I am so ashamed right now about how much neglect I have been showing my blog!

My husband John got me an iPad for business work and, would you know it, I cannot use blogger on it. So there you have it. My excuse. I am rarely on my laptop anymore and therefore do not post new blogs. I am trying to change that, so expect more posts in the future!!

There are so many changes coming up, both in my personal life and my Feathered Designs life! I don't have any specifics at this moment that I can share but some I am really excited about and others I could do without! I will share more as each unfolds.

One thing I can share is that I hope to have my website soon!!!!! Yeah!!! This has been a long time coming and I've been spending my summer gearing up for this. I am so ready to take Feathered Designs to a new level and I think that having my own website will be the biggest + for me right now.

Also, my work might be featured in a small magazine next year!! So excited about seeing my pieces on the glossy pages of a magazine(!) and it will help to expand my network and get FD out there.

Just trying to keep busy these days and not realise that WI summer days are at an end...I will be buried in snow soon and I'm not looking forward to it!

Madey keeps me very busy though and having an Etsy business + a toddler is a handful for me. I can just see all the working mothers out there laughing at me and saying "just you wait!".

Which brings me to... I am really needing to get advise on what to do to keep my toddler (18 mo.) occupied wile I work in my studio! She is at the point right now where she always has to be in the same room with me and gets board very easily. She often wants to get up on my lap and help with feathers!!! I am at a loss...any help would be great.

Sorry to have neglected you all for so long. I have picture of custom work that I did over the summer to share, so I hope to have those up soon along with some of my appreciation photos/comments!! I LOVE my customers, they have been so great to me!