Easter Egg Hunt The Start of Personalization

When my kids were little we used to host a neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt.  It was a ton of work but tons more fun!  We would put the names of all the kids coming on a specific amount of eggs. This way each child could hunt for the eggs with their names on them and miraculously end up with the same amount as all the other children!  I should have realized then how important personalizing everything really is!

Each child, regardless of age, wore handmade bunny ears made out of pink and white paper and had to hop out the door to be officially a part of the hunt.  Needless to say this caused a ton of laughter but also some very sweet moments seeing the older kids help the little ones hop down the steps to get to their eggs spread out all over our front, back and side yards!

It's funny how in the moment you really don't notice the details.  It's when you look back and you wonder if personalizing eggs, way back then, was really the start of my small business!  Crazy right?  Well whether it was or it wasn't, it still brings a smile to my heart, the same way I feel when someone shares their joy in getting a personalized gift I helped create!

Giving Back To My Community

If you have ever noodled around my website or happen to know me personally, you know it's very important to me that I give back to my community.  Without all the support I have been given,  there is no way I would be able to do what I love on a daily basis.  I am truly grateful for all the support I get and while my Mother always encouraged a handwritten thank you note, sometimes a bit more is in order.

That's why I started my Monograms Make a Difference program.  Several times a year I give a portion of my proceeds to a local non-profit which has several upsides!  First, I get to say thank you to my community.  Second, there is an outreach for the non-profit that will hopefully bring some awareness to their organization and mission.  Third, in some way, through this collaboration, a single person or more, may be effected in a positive way to Make a Difference in their lives!

This month Elyssa's Mission is the recipient of Monograms Make a Difference.  You can learn more about their mission if you go to their website. 

www.elyssasmission.org

Love What You Do!

Watching my boys grow and develop into truly wonderful young men is so much fun!  Recently one of my boys made a decision to take a new position and leave what was his first job out of college.  It was interesting to realize how much job searches have changed since I was first out in the working world.

It was also interesting to hear his explanations for leaving one position and taking on another.  Both offer wonderful opportunities for him even though they are completely different.  It made me reflect on my work experience over the years.  If you can believe it my first job out of college was in the wholesale shoe business.  It would take too much space to list all the other jobs I have had, though I will throw in CPR teacher because its funny to think I went from a shoes sales rep to teaching CPR.  

What I also realize in my reflection is that I LOVE what I do NOW!  I get to work with my customers, though its more like playing for me, finding the right monogram for their item so it reflects their personality. (The pillow shams below are a great example of that kind of collaboration). Every day I juggle my creative juices with marketing and sales efforts.  It is really just fun and I am so grateful for each day I get to play at work!

Share Some Love Today

It's that time to enter something here on my blog but all I seem to be able to think of is what I texted my boys on Valentine's Day morning.  

Share some love today.

23 Days In Already!

Crazy it's already 23 days into 2018!  Seems like just yesterday we were ringing in the New Year! It's been a fast and furious start to this new year but it's all good!  

Earlier in the month I made a trip to Atlanta for the Gift Market and had the bonus of seeing family while I was there.  Or is it I had the bonus of attending the show while visiting family?  Either way I get to do what I love around people I love.

In a few days I totally mess up my target "average steps for the day" goal!  The number of steps I walk in one day is NUTS!!!  There is never enough time to see it all, but I try.  I get totally overwhelmed with all the options out there and wish I could get one of everything! 

Another bonus of my trip was learning that Chick-fil-A has a delicious Grilled Market Salad.  Really, it is one of the best salads out there!  Give it a try.

Next trip is to NYNOW in February!  

2017 Thanks

Before the year comes to a close I want to thank all who supported Stitching This and the Monograms Make a Difference  program for 2017!  Several fundraising events were held throughout the year and a portion of Stitching This proceeds were donated to:

Infant, Inc.

Ted Mullin Fund for Pediatric Sarcoma Research

Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart

Maryville Crisis Nursery

The Winnetka Club

& St. Francis Xavier School

This fundraising program is my small way of saying thank you to the supportive community of people that surround me.  I hope that in some small way the funds donated to these various non-profits will help

Make A Difference

for someone who needed a touch of love in their lives.  I truly appreciate everyone who I have had a chance to meet and work with throughout this past year and look forward to the coming year!  Throughout 2018 Stitching This will continue Monograms Make A Difference Events designated to support other non-profits in our surrounding communities.  Stay tuned for details!

 Best wishes to you and yours for a Happy, Healthy New Year!

Kaci Smith—Stitching This

And That's a Wrap

For the past several weeks I found myself stuck to my machines, embroidering anything that didn't move and feeling very elflike!  Though the work day hours were longer than usual I was pleasantly surprised to still feel pretty energetic.  I think I was unknowingly feeding off the spirit of everyone around me.

Anyone who visited my home to pick out a monogrammed goodie was exuding the love and joy of the season.  The holiday shows, where I was blessed to be a vendor, were filled with smiling people enjoying the festive atmosphere.  You couldn't help but see and feel how all the friends and families were enjoying each others company and sharing the excitement of picking out a gift for a loved one. 

I look back on what should have been an exhausting time and realize I am actually feeling very calm and grateful.  I know we so often get lost in the "boxed gift" and forget about the true gift of Christmas, but this year, well, I think that gift of humble love was apparent all around me. Every smile, every hug, every sign of gratitude has sustained me like never before and I thank all those who were a part of showing their love to me!  I pray that spirit of humble love spills over into the New Year!

'Tis The Season

Every year I tell myself I am going to get completely organized.  I'm going to head into the holiday season with my house in order and a sense of peace. I realize it's a lofty goal, but worth a try I say! This year is no different, but I missed the mark again!

It's already November and our home is, well let's just say, lived in.  There is laundry to be done, closets to be organized, landscaping to be tended to, rooms to be tidied up and so on and so on.  This year, however, I've decided not to worry about it. I've decided that everything is never really going to be off the "To Do" list.

Despite things being a bit messy, in reality it's all just fine.  We have two wonderful sons, a roof over our heads, food on our table, our health, our family and our friends. To top it off I have a job I love!  I get to create monogrammed goodies everyday and share them with so many wonderful people!  Life is good, it's messy and slightly unorganized, but it's good and I am oh so grateful.

Technical Diffculties

Every now and then I have a Murphy's Law moment or maybe day, sometimes week.   This has been a Murphy's Law month!  From losing my business laptop with all the software for EVERYTHING I do the day before a show, to having several machines in and out of the repair shop, and then to having an upgrade to my embroidery software make my NEW laptop implode, its been a wild month!

Funny thing is, I have remained fairly calm through the whole experience.  Prayer obviously helps, but I think its also because I have come to realize these are "things" that can be fixed, replaced or adjusted.  I also think it helped that my month had a few Monograms Make a Difference events so I felt good about trying to get things back on track to help support the recipients of those fundraising events. (Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart and Maryville Crisis Nursery)

So despite the craziness of all the mishaps, the last month has been a time for me to surround myself with giving hearts.  Not so bad after all!

Dining Room or Showroom?

I love to cook.  I'm not sure if I am any good at it, but I love to experiment.  Nothing lavish, in fact I prefer the kind of recipe that has a short list of ingredients.  Chop this, toss that, sprinkle with a bunch of stuff and voila'!  The only obstacle is once I have this wonderful dish plated, there is no room on my dining room table for a place setting!

Seems my once frequently used dining room and dining room table are now a make shift showroom for anything and everything that can be monogrammed!  You can find bags of towels that have been dropped off hoping to get updated (aka monogrammed) with the new bathroom color, robes waiting for a monogram in college colors for a new freshman to be, or tote bags yearning for that touch of personalization to set them apart from the crowd!  Basically you can find anything in my dining room except something that has to do with dining!

I will confess that there were recently a few sets of napkins that had been monogrammed sitting on the edge of the table, so I guess there is still hope that someday we will share a meal in that room again!

Dog Days of Summer

While the sun is shining and the sky is a soft powder blue, I still don't feel like its really summer yet.  Truth be told, this foot injury has put a different twist on my summer traditions.  My outdoor traditions!

We usually take our dog down to the "dog beach" at the lake almost daily.  The one time I went with my husband, son and visiting sister, I almost took a nose dive into the sand!  I never realized the balancing effort it takes to navigate walking on those tiny granules. Yikes!

I miss walking my dog all around town to get some fresh air, exercise, think, pray, create in my mind and get invigorated to attack my work day.  I told my physical therapist today that while she's a very nice and talented person, I prefer not having to see her anymore! 

The good news is I can navigate between my machines with more ease and am grateful I have monograms to stitch out daily! Despite my impatience with the healing process of this type of injury, I feel totally blessed that I am on the mend and am able to continue to monogram everything that doesn't move!

My May Mishap

May is traditionally one of the busiest months of the year for me.  I suppose it's because of all the graduations going on between high schools and colleges.  Gifts are being handed out left and right!  So this is the WORST time for me to have a mishap, but, it happened.

On May 1st, while getting ready to hand out the last of my May Day flowers to my friends, I had a collision with my dog, the rug in front of our kitchen sink (that is no longer there), and our kitchen floor.  To make a long story short, I broke my foot.  Yes, BROKE my foot!

Of course it was my driving foot so I have not been behind the wheel of my car since May 1st. I've had to get creative in maneuvering between my embroidery machines in addition to navigating the stairs in my home, but so far, it's been okay.  I'm just glad no one is in my work room to see what I look like getting up after using my cutting mat on the floor.  Not a pretty sight!

While it's frustrating not being able to walk my dog every day and have the freedom to get up and go where ever I want when I want, I am also grateful that I did not have to have surgery and I didn't incur further injuries during my fall. I am also grateful for the patience and understanding from those who are waiting for their orders to be completed.  My customers are THE best!

If it doesn't move, monogram it.  If it does move, monogram it before it gets away!

Graduation Season

It's so fun this time of year finding out what all the soon to be High School graduates plan to do after graduation.  Some are taking a gap year, some are looking for employment, some are headed off to college and some just haven't decided what they want to do yet!   It's the same for soon to be college graduates as well!  Plans for their futures are on the table and big decisions are being made.  Regardless of all their plans, they are about to receive some wonderful gifts from parents, friends, neighbors and relatives. 

The best part is many of those gifts will be personalized!  Everything from keychains, cosmetic bags, travel drink-ware, robes, DOPP kits, tote bags, cardholders, seersucker shorts, beach towels and on and on and on!  These graduates are going to be pretty well suited and deservingly so!  A small treat for all their hard work is about to bring a bunch of smiles to their faces.  I know there will be a slew of grateful graduates and I am glad I can play a small part of elevating a gift to a personalized gift!

Opening Day!

It's no secret that I love monograms.  It's also no secret from my last posting that I love tournament time match ups for college basketball.  You never really know which team will advance which is what makes each game so exciting.  Congratulations to North Carolina and Gonzaga for making it into the final.  Thrilling games to watch and I anticipate I will be watching another thriller tomorrow night! 

But tonight, well, tonight it's all about baseball and the Chicago Cubs opener. Again, I always can find a connection, even with baseball, to monograms so I made a sample of what I think is the "perfect monogram for any Cubs fan".  Three W's in a row!  Just perfect!

Let's Go Cubs!!

Tournament Time Match Ups!

It's college basketball tournament time and the energy is contagious!  My husband was raised in Indiana and played basketball though his early college years which always made me scratch my head that neither of our sons played the game beyond 3rd grade and the hoop attached to our garage.  But it's a crazy time of match ups and I can always find a connection with anything, even basketball, to monograms.

The concept of "matching up" the right monogram with the right item, thread color, placement or person for that matter , is crucial!  When someone is buying a gift for someone else I always start by asking "Are they a block font kind of person or a swirly curly script kind of person?"  Monogram style should always reflect the personality of the recipient or at least the personality of the item you are monogramming.  Yes, it all has personality! 

What I like is different from what others like and so on and so on.  That's what makes what I do so fun each day!  Everyone's interpretation is so different and makes each item a unique creation of its own.  I just love figuring out all the combinations there are out there and seeing the final results daily.  So here's to the tournaments and all the exciting matchups there are!

Off and Running Step by Step!

Seems like this year just bolted out of the gate and I have been off and running from the get go!  I took a trip to the NYNOW market to check out what's new in the world of home and personal accessories.  Of course I mixed it with some family time which basically resulted in enough steps on my Vivofit to cover a weeks worth of steps in just 3 days!  Well worth the exhaustion at the end of my trip!

The next step is to prepare for my 2017 Monograms Make a Difference program which will kick off on March 2nd.  For the entire month of March I will be donating 10% of the cost of every monogram to The Ted Mullin Fund for Pediatric Sarcoma Research.  Both of my sons were introduced to the fund and its goals through swimming in The Hour Of Power with their high school swim team.  It's my hope that through Monograms Make a Difference in March more people outside of the swimming world will learn about Pediatric Sarcoma and the need to find a cure.

To learn more go to www.tedmullinfund.org

New Year

A huge thank you to all who supported the 2016 program

Monograms Make a Difference!

Throughout 2016 a portion of Stitching This sales were

donated to:

Elyssa’s Mission

Winnetka Club

Women’s Exchange

Kindness Connection

A Safe Place

& Misericordia

This program is my small way of saying thank you to the

wonderful community of people around me.

I truly appreciate all the referrals and support given to

Stitching This (ME!) and plan to

continue this program in 2017!

Recently my friend Kris F. made me aware of the

collection taking place in the Kenilworth Communityfor

Infant, Inc.

A perfect place to donate some baby items and kick off

another year of

Monograms Make a Difference!

Throughout 2017 Stitching This will have events

designated to support other non-profits in our surrounding communities.

Stay tuned for details!

Best wishes to you and yours for a Happy, Healthy New Year!

Countdown

Hard to believe Christmas is only days away! I am officially on countdown for completing the balance of orders I have in hand so everyone can get their gift wrapping underway!  It really is a wonderful time of year.  There are times when I feel like one of Santa's elves!

The last couple of months I have been working (well, really having fun) at a few holiday shows.  Some of them were in an effort to raise money for a few non-profits; Misericordia, The Winnetka Club, Kindness Connection and A Safe Place . I am truly grateful not only for all the support my friends and family have given me during this busy time but for those who supported these fundraising efforts. 

I had a goal of making 2016 the year Monograms Make a Difference and now I am at the countdown for that goal.  I guess it's only fitting that I set my next goal.......how about making 2017 the next year Monograms Make a Difference!

Pacing Myself

Thanksgiving is a few days away and meal prep is already underway!  I am SO looking forward to time with family, cooking up a storm and eating to my hearts content!  But with all the round trips to the grocery store, planning and prepping, I am TRYING my best to pace myself.  And yes, that includes pacing myself in monogramming all the gifts I need to deliver to folks so they can ship them to their family and friends in time for the holidays!

So basically, it's a bit hectic here, but it's all good.  I really am pacing myself at the start of this holiday season.  In between monogramming everything that is not moving, I am intentional about taking long walks with my dog.  I look forward to playing a few hands of bridge with my foursome each week and even participated in a bridge fundraiser event at Misericordia! I love taking time to connect with my kids via phone calls, texts or my Monday morning words of wisdom (they know what that means)!  Spending time with neighbors and friends, and being sure to just be present with my husband, all contribute to me feeling balanced.

I really am blessed and have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  It's important that I pace myself so I am sure to not overlook any of those blessings. 

Holiday Hostess Ready!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I always feel like it signifies the start of the holiday season.  There's an increase, well really a start, to me baking all sorts of sweets in the kitchen.  Our weekends get filled with fun gatherings of family and friends.  Dinners get more layers added into them and more chairs are being filled around the table.  There's a bit of a buzz and it all just screams JOY!

Like everyone else, we have the traditions of sharing the holidays with family and friends.  The last thing I want to do is show up empty handed to anyone's home.  Ideally I try to make an arsenal of hostess gifts to have ready and waiting this way I'm not scrambling the night of a party!  One of my favorite hostess gifts to give is a monogrammed kitchen towel.  Everyone loves them but more importantly they USE them!  Another twist is to put a zip-code on the towel.  Even better, I put the longitude and latitude of the host/hostesses exact address!  The options are endless but all are well received. 

Sometimes the simplest gift is the best gift.  Everyone can always use a kitchen towel, but personalizing it in any way possible makes it that much more special. But isn't that the case with any gift!