Moms on Mondays - Desri from Chapel and Rose

Today on Moms on Mondays I am excited to feature Desri from Chapel and Rose!  This mama makes the most beautiful items, so many fun, fur lined, fall accessories and outerwear for girls.  You must read her post below and then go shop!  (All images used in this post, besides the ones with a white background, are Only Imagine Photography.)

(These photos by Qiana K. Photography.)

What is the name of your shop and how can we find you? My shop is Chapel and Rose and I'm on Instagram and Pinterest as well. Tell us about what you make/sell in your shop.  I make children's faux fur accessories, but I am most known for my fur-lined pixie hats. How/why did you start making these products and open this shop?  I wanted a pixie hat for my daughter, but couldn't find what I was looking for so I decided to come up with a pattern and make one for her. I posted a photo of her wearing it on Instagram, and the rest is history.  I have been in business since September 2014. What is your background (college/career/etc.)?  I work from home as a full time medical records coder for a major hospital system in Houston, but my passion lies in creating. I majored in graphic design and fashion design in college, and have been sewing for almost 30 years. My grandmother taught me as a child and I've always enjoyed it. Tell us a little bit about your family. How does this company help your family?  Or you?  I am a firefighter/paramedic wife and the mother of two girls - a 2 year old and a 7 month old. We make ends meet, but it's been nice to have a little extra income. Did you ever think you'd be doing this?  I've always dreamed of having my own fashion line one day, but this was before the Internet was a thing. I'm a southern girl at heart and could never picture myself living in New York or Paris. Back when I dreamed of doing this, you couldn't make a name for yourself unless you lived in one of those places. So, it always remained a distant dream. What did you think you'd be doing instead?  Coding for the rest of my life most likely. It's a good steady job and it leaves me time to create on the side. I never imagined I could make money doing what I truly love. Does anyone help you with your shop?  I have recently hired an amazing seamstress to help with the bulk of my sewing. As you can imagine, working full time and raising babies doesn't leave much time for sewing. I still create all of my pieces and draft patterns, and she fulfills the orders. It's been a dream come true. How do you find time to run your shop and create products?  Outsourcing the bulk of the sewing to my seamstress has really left me free to do what I'm best at . . . creating. As a creative person, I never stop coming up with new ideas and ways to make my existing products better. What do you love about this businesses?  I've always had a heart for fashion, but I never realized the depth of children's clothing. I always wanted to design for women. But, now that I'm designing for children, it's been so fulfilling. I love finding new ways to dress my children and have them stand out and still look classy. What is the most challenging part of this business?  Time, 100% time. Juggling being a mom, a full time job, a husband who spends more than 1/3 of the year at work, and now this business, I'm always needing more time. But, I'm learning to get help with little tasks and it's made all of the difference. Where do you see your shop in the future?  My dream is to see my hats in Bergdorfs and Neiman Marcus. I would love to launch a full scale line as well. Tell us your favorite product or your most favorite thing you've created?  Definitely the fur-lined pixie hat. It brings me so much joy to see them well photographed by customers, and seeing their children's sweet little faces surrounded in fur. It never gets old. Do you have any advice for future mom-entrepreneurs?  Find a niche and stick with it, find what makes you unique. If you've come up with a great product, there are always going to be people right on your heels trying to replicate it. You have to keep evolving your brand and making it better. What are some of YOUR favorite shops/products, besides your own?  There are way too many to mention personally, and the IG community of mom run shops has been such a welcoming one. But Duchess and Lion was the first handmade shop I ever purchased from, followed by Hudson and Ruthie, and James Vincent Design Co. in no particular order. Those 3 were really the ones who opened my eyes to the world of children's handmade clothing. And, not only do they have amazing products, they are amazing women on a personal level as well. Thanks so much Dezz, for being a part of this series!  :)

Moms on Mondays - Rachel from Kick Ass Crafts Shop

Today I have the pleasure of featuring Rachel from Kick Ass Crafts Shop (best name ever!)!  This mama has made Lemon's birthday posters for the past three years, I just love her designs!  I randomly found her on Etsy and I'm so happy we remained in touch over the years, she is awesome!

What is the name of your shop and how can we find you? 

My shop is Kick Ass Crafts Shop. I would say it all started with Pinterest - I would post photos of (in my opinion) "kick ass" crafts I had made, but wouldn't link them to anything, which turns out is not super helpful to others. So, I started a blog and would use it to detail what I created, and link to my Pinterest posts. Once I decided to open a shop, I continued on with the name; it made life a little easier!  You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook.  

Tell us about what you make/sell in your shop. 

I design and sell printable/digital files, mostly for parties and events: invitations, thank you cards, first birthday posters, favor tags, banners, etc. Basically, anything you can upload and have printed at a local printing shop or at home I can design. I've done a lot of custom artwork matching different party themes, colors, and ideas that clients have. While I do a lot of work through Etsy, a significant amount of my orders also come word-of-mouth through my local community (read: mom-friends). 

How/why did you start making these products and open this shop?

When my good friend Meg's son was turning 1, she ordered a first birthday chalkboard poster from another shop online, but was nervous she wouldn't have it in time for his one-year photo shoot. I took a look at what she ordered and told her I would give it a shot, designing it myself, just in case it became crunch-time and was stuck. She did end up getting her poster on time, but she and I were pretty impressed with what I came up with on the spot. My friends pushed and supported me in taking the leap and opening up my own shop, and I'm thankful that they did.  

How long have you been in business?

Kick Ass Crafts Shop has been in business a little over two years. I designed Meg's son's poster in May of 2012. I continued to do some design work for friends and family for the next year, and then it wasn't until May of 2013 that I officially opened up shop. Business has continued to grow and I'm having a lot of fun with it!

What is your background (college/career/etc.)?

I went to The College of New Jersey, majored in Psychology and minored in Spanish. I was interested in the medical field, so all of my electives were in the sciences. My full-time job is with a private biotech company, and I've been with them for just about 11 years. Art and my creative side always showed in my hobbies (scrapbooking, taking photos, interior decorating, crocheting, painting, etc.) so opening the shop helps off-set the technical and scientific side of my daily routine at work.

Tell us a little bit about your family.

My husband and I have known each other 13 years, married for 3, and we have two little ones: Brayden is 6, just started Kindergarten and Brooklyn is 1, she is in daycare. The two of them are pretty adorable together: he is a big helper with his sister for the most part, unless it has anything to do with sharing his toys!

How does this company help your family?  Or you?

Having a little side business certainly helps with all of the extracurricular activities with the kids. Not so much Brooklyn right now since she's still young, but if Brayden had his way he'd be signed up for every sports league in town. So financially, it definitely helps the family.

But for me, I really enjoy designing and making the items. Clients are so thrilled with what they purchased and a lot of times will come back to tell me how their parties went and share photos - so I really enjoy that positive feedback. Having kids, so much of your life's focus becomes centered around them so it's nice to have a little niche of my own that's just for me.

Did you ever think you'd be doing this?  What did you think you'd be doing instead?

I don't think I ever pictured this shop exactly, but I always knew I'd do something in the creative arts field - even if it was just for fun. I grew up with my mom creating, drawing, sewing, etc. so it just comes natural to have that type of environment for my children as well. 

Does anyone help you with your shop?

I design all the items in my shop. I don't have anyone working under me or anything like that. With all of my items being digital files, I don't have to worry about the shipping aspect of the shop. The turn-over process is fairly quick. Depending on the number of orders I have going on at once I can usually have a proof turned around within a few days, if not sooner. 

I do however have a group of supportive friends that are pushing and promoting my shop, and I'll also run some new designs by them to see their thoughts before posting to the shop. 

How do you find time to run your shop and create products? 

When the kids are in bed for the night, or down for naps - I'll break out the laptop and design. Working off a laptop, I can usually squeeze in design work anywhere. So, there is not a set schedule for me - if I find 15 minutes throughout the day, I'm using it!

What do you love about this businesses?

I love what I know the products are being used for - I'm big on entertaining and throwing parties. It's a time for friends and loved ones to get together, spend some real face-to-face time together, and make memories. So, when someone buys a party invitation, some favor tags, etc. I am excited for them to throw this party and I'm helping to make it special. Same with the birthday chalkboard posters; most people will have them displayed at their child's party, but then they also keep them in their little one's baby book or framed on their bedroom wall: I love that! 

What is the most challenging part of this business?

I think the most challenging part of the business is time management and how to prioritize your time. My family comes first, and sometimes that means a completely full schedule on the weekends. At the same time, I want to be able to turn around orders quickly. So, sometimes it just takes some ability to be flexible and moving things around to get it all done.

Where do you see your shop in the future?

I see myself continuing with the shop, creating new designs and working with customers and their specific needs. I'm also open to some freelance design work, which I've done in the past and had some positive experience with.

Tell us your favorite product or your most favorite thing you've created?

The first item I ever added to the shop was the First Birthday Chalkboard Poster, and because of that it will always be my favorite. It's special to the client, it's fun to design, and it's a keepsake. 

Generally speaking though, my most favorite thing to design is custom work. Once I design, for example, an invite for the shop, it becomes a template where I can just switch out party info. With custom work I can start from scratch, using some info from the customer (colors, theme, etc.) and create something new and fresh. 

Do you have any advice for future mom-entrepreneurs?

If you are creating items in your spare time or have a great idea for something to make and sell, by all means - open a shop! Opening a shop on Etsy was so easy, honestly anyone could do it - and there are so many places to find answers to any questions you have. I happened to know someone else who had an Etsy shop, and just after chatting with her for a bit I got a feel for what to do. I have yet to meet a fellow mom-entrepreneur that is not super helpful, so be sure to network and pick their brains!

What are some of YOUR favorite shops/products, besides your own?

If I see someone on Instagram promoting a shop, I'm interested. I'll check out what they're making, their followers, etc. and will most likely buy something just to show support - I know how hard it can be.

Of the shops I have ordered from, I really like:

Homemade dolls from Sew Darling, Ashley made an adorable custom doll to look like Brooklyn for Christmas. Brookie loves it!

Custom bridesmaids robes from Silk and More, I ordered these in all different colors for my bridal party and all the women attending my destination wedding. I still use mine and cherish it! The selection of fabrics to choose from is quite extensive. 

Flower lace crowns from Brooke Lynn Collections (formerly Olivia Ann Collections), Brooklyn wore the Royalty crown with pink flowers for her first birthday. It came in an adorable little box in which I can save it. 

Shirts from Sevenly, for every purchase made, a donation is made to a designated charity. I wear my "Be-You-Tiful" shirt all the time; it's SO soft and comfortable. 

Thank you Rachel, I loved learning more about you and your shop!

Root Avenue FW15 Brand Shoot

All photos by Qiana K. Photography for Root Avenue.

Moms on Mondays - Courtney from Dudley Denim

This week on Moms on Mondays I am so happy to be featuring Courtney from Dudley Denim.  We LOVE this mama's shop, Lemon's shorts from here are awesome, I wish I had a pair for every day of the week.  Read more about her business and then go shop!

What is the name of your shop and how can we find you?  

The name of my shop is Dudley Denim. We also have a Facebook and Instagram.  

How/why did you start making these products and open this shop?

I started making distressed denim after receiving pants and long overalls for my son from family members. We live in South Florida and it is hot 51 out of 52 weeks of the year, so I began to cut off all of the legs and make him shorts. He is tall and skinny and always outgrew pants in length way before he outgrew the waist anyway. One random nap time in February, I was cleaning the bathroom and decided to experiment with some bleach and his newly cut off overalls. I used a tie dye technique, wrapping rubber bands around the denim, and soaked the pair in some bleach water. I had no idea what I was doing, but was so happy with how they turned out and couldn’t wait to put them on my son later that day. I was excited for him to have a piece of clothing that no other child had, it was truly one-of-a-kind just like him. That next weekend he wore them to a get-together at a friend’s house and received so many compliments, this gave me that extra push to go and search for some thrifted denim the next week so I could experiment more. Along with the compliments, I heard a lot of “you should sell these,” but it took me another month to muster up the courage to actually open up an Etsy shop. I still hadn’t gone back to work, and was hoping to make a little extra income and prolong my stay home with my son by opening Dudley Denim.

How long have you been in business?

I opened Dudley Denim in March of 2014.

What is your background?

I have a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Before Dudley Denim, while still in school, I worked at Adidas in the processing department, occasionally on the floor and as part of their visual merchandising team. I think I learned the most about running a business from my first job at Sheepscot River Pottery in Maine though. I was able to work in all departments of the store, from shipping and inventory, to dusting and sponging off pottery so it could be painted.

Tell us a little bit about your family.

I live with my son and his daddy. I have been with my boyfriend (Carlos) for 6 years, we met at a Halloween party the year before we started dating. Carlos is a chef and I barely cook because of this, food really does taste better when someone else has cooked it for you. We had our son (Gabriel) in October of 2012. He is an active, spunky little guy who loves all things with wheels. He has taught me so much in such a short amount of time, and as cliché as it sounds, I barely remember my life before him. We also have a Chihuahua (Simba), 2 cats (Twinkie and Dulcie) and a tank full of fresh water fish. As a family we love to explore the local parks and outdoor trails.

How does this company help your family? Or you?

Dudley Denim has allowed me to remain home with my son while exercising my creative side. I’ve been able to actually use a lot of  the things I learned in college on my little business. This company has allowed us to stay afloat when jobs were lost and family members passed. It has given me the freedom to work when I want, even if it is at 11 p.m. after my son has gone to bed for the night, because that means I get to spend the whole day playing and learning with him.

Did you ever think you'd be doing this? What did you think you'd be doing instead?

I really never thought owning my own business was something I wanted to do. When I was in middle school I used to sketch out dresses and accessories in to my notebook from my fashion line “Priority One,” which happened to be sparked from the USPS box that was sitting on the desk in my bedroom at that moment. How original, right? Shortly after high school I often made my own tops from tank tops by gluing on fabric, buttons or ribbon when I couldn’t find that “perfect” shirt to wear to a party/club.  I went to another college in Maine for 2.5 years for Occupational Therapy, and it wasn’t until I took a career test that I realized I was in the wrong field. I moved to Florida and graduated from AiFL when my son was only a few months old. I thought I would be using my degree working for a company in the product development department, or styling the displays for a major department store.

Does anyone help you with your shop?

For now, I run every single aspect of Dudley Denim.  I cut, distress, bleach, wash, dry, fold, package and ship every single order along with managing all social media outlets and emails. Occasionally, I will have my partner make a post office run if I missed a scheduled USPS pick up. There also have been a few times that he has helped me distress the jeans, but I'm kind of a control freak.

How do you find time to run your shop and create products?

I have to do a majority of my work after my son goes to bed for the night or at nap time. I get a lot of new ideas in the shower, and find myself quickly taking notes as soon as I get out in fear that I will forget what I had been obsessing over for the last 20 minutes.

What do you love about this businesses?

My favorite part of this business is meeting all of the amazing shop owners on Instagram, There is a whole small shop community that is so strong, and I had no idea about this world before opening my shop. Seeing smiling happy babies and toddlers in something that I created with my own two hands is a very close 2nd.

What is the most challenging part of this business?

The most challenging part of this business is time management. I often find work time overflowing after my son has woken from his nap. I’ve scoured Pinterest and the internet looking for “work at home mom schedules” more than I’d like to admit. In reality, you just have to do what works for you and your family.

Where do you see your shop in the future?

I do not see denim going anywhere soon. I think I will be able to follow trends and fashions in the world of jeans while still sticking to my style that makes Dudley Denim, well - Dudley Denim.

Tell us your favorite product or your most favorite thing you've created?

My favorite thing that I have created is my newest style: The “Buffalo Rad” jeans. When I finally fished the jeans, I had the biggest smile on my face that could not be wiped off. I was so nervous to show my followers this style because I truly loved them, and didn’t want to be disappointed if they didn’t feel the same way. Now, I can’t keep these things in stock and they sold out in the first 40 minutes of introduction.

Do you have any advice for future mom-entrepreneurs?

My advice is to stop comparing your beginning to another shop’s middle. It is easy to get caught up in follower counts on IG and to see that your competitor may be doing “better” than you. It’s completely unnecessary and no good can come of it. Keep pushing and don’t be afraid of failure, no one is perfect. Also, write a daily “to do” list.

What are some of YOUR favorite shops/products, besides your own?

I have so many favorite shops, but here are a few: Lookie Loo Loo, Honey Bee True Co, The Upcycled Panda, Jollygood Apparel, Mama Sew Happy, Kid and Kind, Leatherlicious, Avenue G, The Magpie Co, Raine and Skye, Bannor Toys, Opposite of Far, Stay Suave Apparel, Noxx AZ, Tribe is Alive, Tiny Little Specks, June Park, Half Pint Kids, Potato Feet, and Lunaflect Co, just to name a few. There are so many other shops that I really admire and I could write pages.

Thank you Courtney, so happy to have you today!  :)