February 2012
9 posts
“Difficult people are often placed square in our path so that the interaction...”
No Shampoo
My baking soda + malt vinegar bottles
A couple of years ago I read Simple Mom talk about going without Shampoo in her book Organized Simplicity. It sounded so nice, but I was nervous to try it. Then a couple of months ago I picked up her ebook One Bite at a Time on my Kindle Fire. Again she mentioned the no shampoo thing. I decided I really really wanted to try it.
She mentioned in both books...
December 2011
1 post
November 2011
3 posts
October 2011
5 posts
Dust Collecting
Sorting through some old papers over the weekend I found a scratchpad I had used in my web design days. I had been studying design of all types, from architecture to packaging design. One theme that kept popping up in my studies was “form vs. function”. There was always an argument for one or the other, but generally accepted was the idea that the best designs had a healthy dose of...
September 2011
5 posts
3 tags
1 tag
Pen Pal Project still on...
Just a quick note to let you know we’re still doing the pen pal project. I’ve been busy with the new shop, trying to get everything working smoothly. I’ve also been setting up a warehouse (storage unit) for inventory so I can finally clear out the basement studio and make room to do more creating and designing. I can’t count how many baskets I’ve tripped over this...
New Olive Manna Shop
The new shop is ready to switch! Please don’t worry about the move though, if I’m doing my job, you’ll hardly notice the difference (except in all the ways that make it better). The URL (web address) is the same: olivemanna.com or olivemannashop.com and an additional domain I picked up, shopolivemanna.com.
As of this post olivemannashop.com is still going to the old store, but...
August 2011
4 posts
1 tag
Big Cartel revamps discounts (and just in the nick... →
No kidding, I was JUST LAST NIGHT looking at leaving Big Cartel because of several features I’ve come to need this year that they just haven’t caught up on. To be fair, I still am climbing a proverbial ladder up to better options, but this morning Big Cartel has snagged me back a rung in a good way.
They’ve just announced revamped discount codes and they’re AWESOME - not...
The Great Pen Pal Revival
UPDATE: I neglected to put a time-frame on this earlier. I think I’ll let signups go a couple of weeks to give you enough time to talk to your kids (grand-kids, nieces/nephews, etc). Plus, I’m hoping it will work out for my daughter’s classmates to get in too, but that means we need some boys to include them, so sign up your boys too!
So I’ll let you know by email in a...
1 tag
July 2011
15 posts
Poll Results
Thank you all for the great poll. I had lots of responses, which is SO helpful. I’m glad I did too, because the results were mostly a surprise to me. Most of you would like to see weekly posts about DIY/Olive Manna, and a little more web design too.
Of course, this is still my personal blog, so I will always write about personal/mom/faith stuff, but I’ll try to work in a few more...
I’m at Barnes & Noble for some rare me time. I just left the kids at home with Dad and even as I ducked out the back door so they wouldn’t freak out at my departure, I heard their common cries of frustration with life not going their way, and I felt guilty.
I stopped at a shop I never get to go to because breakables are all they stock, and I felt guilty. And here I am at the book store...
Poll + Giveaway
UPDATE - I forgot to give a cut-off date. Winner will be chosen Saturday 7/8, so giveaway will end Friday night (7/7) at midnight CST.
As Olive Manna has continued to grow this year my blog has taken a back seat. I’m also very cautious about blogging business stuff because I don’t want to be one of those blogs that makes you feel like an extension of the store, you know, like the...
June 2011
3 posts
May 2011
1 post
1 tag
Closing up shop (on Etsy)
Alright, you all probably know my love hate relationship with Etsy. I’ve gone into great detail in the past about the pros and cons, mostly in the post Etsy is a four letter word. Lovely as it has been with over 1300 products sold and those products in over 1300 treasuries, it’s just not worth it anymore. Sad to say, but it is fast becoming a glossy version of eBay. :(
For the past...
April 2011
10 posts
1 tag
Tip: Photo Backdrops
Right away I need to tell you I’m not a pro photographer. I’m just a shop owner who needs great photos and can’t yet afford to hire one. Maybe you’re the same. This is for you.
I haven’t always had a great camera, though I did finally get it into Olive Manna’s budget this year and I recommend you do the same. As many tricks as you can do with a...
1 tag
DIY Stamped Hang Tags
Here is a little something you can do with two Olive Manna stamps. I’m quickly tiring of making thousands of tags every month for you all, so here’s a simple way you can make some yourself.
We’re going to make these…
You will need these supplies…
Cardboard, chipboard, card stock, or lightweight empty food boxes for the tag itself. I prefer chipboard if you...
