Hope At The Heart

Hello friends! I just wanted to shoot you a quick update and tell you about a new blog that I am writing on.  At the non-profit I work with, I was just named women's growth and development director...which is basically the coolest sounding title ever. Anyways, at a meeting this weekend, we decided to start a blog to update the community about what is going on.  It is also a great place to talk about what we are learning through the process.  I had to take a photo for the team bio page, and this were a couple of the outtakes.  You can head to the blog yourself if you want to see which one I went with.  It is a faith based non-profit, and there will be plenty more of my deep thoughts over there if you want to check it out.  You can find us at this link.  You can also just google Hope At The Heart and that should get you there.  I haven't written anything other than my bio yet, but I would love for you to check it out.  The other women are so much wiser than I am and they have so many good things already written.  You can keep an eye out for my posts coming soon.  

Brave

This is just a quick post before I head to bed with some Netflix...but I am loving this Brave necklace that I made for Made New and I may just have to keep it for myself.  I made several local deliveries of things that I made for my personal Etsy as well as for Made New, and then spent the evening playing card games at my grandmas. All in all it was a great day.  Tomorrow I am looking forward to cleaning up this amazeballs chair that I picked up at an estate sale. I can't wait to share some photos of it, and of my new studio space.  However, for now it's Netflix time.  I can't decide to re-watch The Skeleton Twins (which is easily one of my new favorite movies and you should totally check it out), or dive into another episode of Wet Hot American Summer....ah, the decisions.

DIY Clay Bead Necklace with Made New Co

I have mentioned before how I have a friend who is helping me with the media for Made New, and she had an idea recently that we should do some DIY videos.  I was totally on board with the idea, except that it is totally out of my comfort zone, and honestly I also hate the sound of my voice on any recording.  It helped that she would be doing the editing.  We made the tutorial for the clay bead necklaces that we have been making in class.  They are so much fun to make.  If you want to buy one from one of the women from our classes, you can check out our Etsy page which is in the link in the sidebar.  However, I would love to see that necklaces and bracelets that you all come up with.  Please share them on insta or twitter if you make them! Hopefully my voice doesn't sound too terrible in this video. We already filmed a second one which I can hopefully get online sometime next week.  Enjoy!

Made New Classes

I just wanted to take some time to share some photos from the Made New classes.  It has been such a great time and I love teaching the women, but I also love learning things about them and learning how to make new things to teach to them.  It is such a great experience.  Our etsy shop is officially up...and you can check it out at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MadeNewCo

Recent Makings

I just wanted to quickly share a few things that I have made lately.  I am currently working on some things for Made New, such as the top bag, the towels, and the leather bracelet. Some things for orders, such as the pillows, and some things for me such as luggage for my vacation coming up.  I was in need of a nice beach bag, so I made this huge one which I am very excited about.  Several of these photos are from my Instagram, @ttablog, if you want to keep up with me you can check that out.  I am so excited about everything that I have made.  I think that I definitely need to make the poop emoji pillow for myself, as well as the starry night pillow.  I am hoping to add the stuff for Made New to Etsy soon! I have been crazy busy, but it feels so good to be making things more regularly again! 

Made New First Class

The first class at Made New was such a huge success! I wish that I could have posted these the day it happened, but things have been crazy here lately.  I have gotten a ton of new orders of things to make, and I have been working on getting everything ready for the shop for Made New.  We actually have already had a second class.  I am hoping to share those photos within a day or two.  It was such an amazing experience to actually get to do what I had been planning for so long.  After the first meeting I was so nervous but also excited, and I couldn't believe that it was actually happening.  I think that everyone really loved it, and they all but one came back for the next class.  For the first week, we dyed tea towels.  I prepared some natural dyes with black beans, blackberries, and onions.  I also brought in an indigo and a yellow-orange indigo dye.  The shibori in the indigo were by far my favorites.  I am hoping to get them up online soon, but I am waiting on some credit card stuff to come in before I do.  I am so happy with what is happening with this class and with my recent sales.  My creative process is through the roof, I am just making and sewing all the time, and that makes me so happy.  There is nothing better than finishing the day with tingling fingers from sewing, and hands that are covered in fabric dye.  It is so fulfilling.

They Always Said I Had A Face For Radio

Today, I was given such an amazing opportunity, I got to talk about Made New and Rebuild on a local radio station.  I am completely stunned by how quickly people have offered to help and bring this business along. I am blessed by some great people in this town.  

I am completely humbled and amazed that this person, who growing up most people didn't even know she could talk, gets to be interviewed and gets to teach classes. It is certainly amazing, and I can't believe that I get to do this.  My heart and my spirit are full.  I am so excited to see where this ride takes me.  

I was hoping to get to take an outfit photo today, since I was wearing a shirt that I am particularly excited about. It is from Take Heart Apparel Co and twenty percent of the profit goes to one of a few charities that you get to choose from.  I chose the A21 campaign.  However, it was raining pretty hard all day and soaking wet is not a good look for anyone.  

Easter Sunday 2015

It has been such as perfect Easter Sunday.  This morning I went to church with my family and friends, then I grabbed coffee before heading to a cookout with Rebuild.  After that, we went to my grandparents house for a turkey dinner.  It has been such a great day so far.  I am hoping to work on some things for Made New, but after I get in a customary Sunday nap.  I  loved getting to wear my handmade jewelry for Made New this morning, it made the outfit feel so much more special.  

The dress and shoes are from Old Navy, and I made all the jewelry, which will hopefully be available online sometime this week.  

I hope that you all have a lovely Easter! 

Made New

I have been a little absent from everything these past few weeks because I have been working on a huge project.  This is such an amazing opportunity, and I am so thankful that I have been given this opportunity.  I would like to introduce what I have been working on.  This is Made New.  It is a company of sorts that I am starting here in Huntington, WV.  It is in the early stages right now and I still planning, but it is real.  The basic idea is that I will be teaching classes to local women who are going through a tough time right now, and then we will be selling the products that they make to give them some extra income and to earn money with dignity.  I will be working with a local non-profit that is run by a friend of mine that helps women in poverty, prostitution, and struggling with drug addiction.  It is so crazy that I was given this opportunity, I never thought in a million years that  I would be teaching a class of any kind, let alone basing a huge idea on it.  It's totally crazy, and yet it feels so perfect.  Right now I am trying to start selling some things that I have made, to raise money for class supplies, and I am planning what some of the first classes will be.  I am so thankful that God has allowed me the opportunity to help other people, it just blows my mind that this is something I am going to get to do.  If you want to keep up with what we are doing, you can keep up with us on various social media until we get our Etsy shop up and running, which I will be sure to announce here.  

Instagram: @madenewco

Twitter: @madenewco

or on Facebook as Made New Co