Happy Birthday

Few days no blog...

Today is my son's 3rd birthday! I cannot believe it has been 3 years since I had my 10 lb 1oz bouncing bundle of joy!

Yesterday was the big birthday party and we had good friends and some family here to celebrate with us. We had a blast! 

I am going to share a few photos from the party with you guys today. All the monster stuff is from the shop http://lane34greetings.etsy.com 

All my friends that came and helped me get ready and clean up! These ladies are amazing! (photo courtesy of my grandfather... hence the blurry)

Mommy stop taking pictures and let's sing already!

The party was a lot of work prepping especially since we all came down with a stomach virus two days prior. But it went off with very few hitches. I can't wait for next year!

-Megan

Feature Monday- Big Top Fun!

Welcome to our first edition of Feature Monday!

To most of us Monday's mean back to work, traffic, long school drop off and pick up lines, and more stuff we don't like to do. So to battle those Monday blues how about ending your day or beginning it here with us at Lane34 to look at some of our favorite things on etsy. 

I am going to keep this weeks blog posts to a theme! This may not be a permanent thing but we shall see how it goes. This week's theme? Why don't you keep reading and find out. 

This week we introduced a great new line of products called the Big Top Circus!

I thought it would be fun to find some cute things that would go along with this party, either as gifts, or party supplies!

This beautiful little lion, made of edible fondant, cake topper would be great for a birthday or baby shower! It is just too perfect and I could never eat it! You can find this and much more at Edible Designs By Letty.

Elephants are an undeniable part of every circus... Elephant stink and all! But you won't get anything smelly with this cute pattern by Ginger Melon. Ginger Melon patterns have been some of my favorites for a long time. I do not own this cute little elephant yet but I am sure as soon as I get the money I will be buying it too!

Every circus needs a ring master! And every ring master needs a cute birthday outfit! This adorable vest on a onesie with the bow tie made me go AAWWWWW. I can't get over how cute it is (and it doesn't hurt that it is on the most adorable child ever). You can find this at Little Gray and Co. in sizes newborn -3t!

When it is birthday time that also means that your little one is growing up fast! By now they are probably walking or just starting to walk. So to help keep up with your ever growing little girl or boy you can snag one of these growth charts over at Buzy Lil Bee.

Well that wraps up our first Feature Monday! Did it help with your monday blues? 

-Megan

A new road to a new life...

As some of you may have saw, I announced on our facebook page that I will be dropping the logo portion of my business. I am a single mom, working from home, and I am going back to school. I was afraid I may be spreading myself a little bit thin. 

What does this mean for Lane34? Well it means that my primary focus will be on parties! 

I am getting lots of new things in the shop and have a few scheduled blog posts coming up. Are you guys ready for party ideas? Because I am ! I even have a little DIY for your little ones birthday that I did for my son's upcoming party. 

More to come soon! 

Wedding Love

It's almost that time of year... The time where everyone gets married, photographers are running around with countless appointments, and honeymooners are to be seen everywhere. 

I love this time of year.

I have seen a lot of wedding stuff pop up on etsy. Everything from vintage wedding dresses like this beautiful one from Fab Gabs.

To quirky cute wedding decorations/fun like this from A Banner Affair.

With all that inspiration hanging around I could not help but catch the wedding bug. 

This adorable elegant wedding set is just one of many to come...and will be in the shop later this week.

Edit: It is not available in the shop here 

What do you guys think? 

Valentines card freebie

Valentines day is upon us folks. In just a few short weeks we will be trying last minute to get all those cheesy little cards ready for our kids classes. You will get the list and think WHUCK?! 46 kids?! 

Don't let that be you! Get started sooner!

How would you like some cute cheesy free valentine card that you can print at home on card stock? 

Punch some holes in these babies and you have a lolipop holder. Or staple a little bag of Hershey kisses to it! The possibilities are endless. 

Just click on the link below the picture right click and save, print, punch or staple, and ta-da! Your finished! 

Have fun, and good luck!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

These all print on one 8x10 sheet.

Pinterest for Your Etsy Business

I am a self proclaimed Pinterest addict.

So when while browsing Facebook, I ran across a post mentioning Pinterest for business I was immediately intrigued. My first thought was that I had just found paradise. My second was, I need to know more. 

I am betting you want to know more too huh? 

In the past Pinterest has had a rule about pinning your own items. I am not 100% sure that it is still the same way but I tended to avoid pinning my own business items. First of all I did not want that to be something that people saw all the time from me. And secondly I knew that I would get in trouble with the powers that be. I avoid trouble at all costs! 

Pinterest  for business seems to help with that little problem among others! I am excited to tell you about some of the features. 

It is relatively simple to convert from a personal account to a business account. At first I considered having a separate account, but I am already linked and verified using the Lane34 blog, and really who has the time to keep up with two pinterest accounts? Pinterest  is a major time suck as it is (and I say that with affection). 

Simply go to http://business.pinterest.com/ and click "Convert your existing account". 

Choose your business type (which can be changed later) and fill out all other pertinent information.

Agree and click convert account. Ta-da! Painless.

Now you get to the fun part. You can add a Pin it button, just like before, to your website, a follow me button, and even verify your website, just by adding a quick tidbit of html to your blog/website so that people know you really are you! 

You can even add a little widget that allows people to see your latest pins! I added one to our side bar over there -------> 

One of the things that interested me the most is making a board for specials. More often than not business's run weekly specials on certain items. A great way to advertise and get it out there is to make a pinterest board and have it pinned over and over again. Therefore reaching a whole new clientele you might not have reached otherwise. 

Descriptions, descriptions! While it is super quick when your pinning not to write anything at all and to just get that pin out there, I like to write what I think of the pin. When I used to sew I would pin all kinds of sewing patterns or neat items I have seen somewhere and in the pin description I would outline what I would change what the pin was etc... You get found on search engines this way! So while "Cute dress" is good for now, "Adorable dress with inner lining and pink butterflies by so and so seamstress. Would make a great spring dress for such and such" will get more hits. 

Other useful ways to use pinterest:

Giveaways - Pin it to win it

Advertising

Showing off what inspires you as an artist or as a brand.

Keep up to date on trends, and what is being re-pinned from you store. 

I upgraded to a business page today! Will you upgrade? What do you use pinterest for? 

More next week on how to find out what is being re-pinned from your website or Pinterest  account!

-Megan

( I am in no way affiliated with pinterest other than I am an avid pinner... The information above is my interpretation of the new pinterest for business function )

Moving up in the world

Last night my son and I adventured into the world of big boy beds after 3 years of co-sleeping. 

I am so proud of him I feel like I have to tell the world his story.

You see Ry was born at 10lbs 1 oz with severe acid reflux. 

He would go un-diagnosed for months with this problem among others. I must have taken him to hundreds of pediatric appointments trying to tell them something was wrong with my precious new baby. I even self diagnosed him a month and a half before an official diagnosis was made. After he was finally diagnosed with reflux he started having other problems. He would stop breathing and turn blue while sleeping, he would be in his car seat and turn bright red and start screaming at the top of his lungs. And to top it all off he started having seizure like activity while he was sleeping. I did what any scared momma would do, I took him to the hospital, doctors, and googled. 

While in Florida on a vacation to visit my mom he did the car seat scream. We immediately took him to a great hospital where my mom worked and knew all the pediatric doctors on staff. That was when he was diagnosed with what I had been telling the doctors he had all along. Not only did my precious new baby have reflux, he had severe reflux that was causing Sandifers Syndrome, a form of seizures. He was also diagnosed with myoclonic astatic sleep seizure disorder, and given stronger reflux medicine to get it all under control. 

Fast forward through tubes in the ears and adenoids being taken out, followed by tonsils being taken out 7 months after that and we have now arrived at big boy land.

(tonsilectomy March 2012)

He is no longer on reflux medicine, has steadily outgrew all of his problems, and mommy can finally feel comfortable with him in his own bed. 

We put together his big boy bed yesterday together and picked out sheets. He was very excited until it came to bed time. Once the tv was turned off he was not a happy camper but eventually fell asleep on his own and slept there until 5 am! 

He even did his "scited" face!

Success! 

It wasn't easy getting here but I can say that our life has just gotten quite a bit easier.