Life After the Design Challenge

After I cleaned up the Citrine I spent 4 hours tonight cutting out the prom dress for my niece.  That will be my project this weekend and then once it's in the mail I will get the next Birthstone Thong made for one of the soror who won it at the charity auction.  I get to make another peridot thong.  Yay!  Then I will move on the making the design for May - the Emerald.  Why May you say?  I have Emerald fabric and beads on hand, I pretty sure on the new design too.

Keeping very busy, but there's no time to waste - the pre-launch is still July 4th and I plan to showcase all 12 birthstone thongs.  That website thing is a whole different challenge in itself.

Sweet Dreams

Don't Be Weary in Well Designing...

You keep designing.  Had a great and simple idea on how to make better the almost to be infamous Citrine Birthstone Thong.  Will post later today once all tucked away in the mail.  I think it's a winner - I even drew the pattern for more to come!

Dream Sweet

The Wee Hours = the Sleepy Hours

I'm living the dream - taken from gregorysms off the Troop 180 Productions blogspot.  It's 1:20 AM on Thursday and I have finally finished and torn apart the Citrine Birthstone Thong.  Didn't want my name on it.  I didn't get rid of the whole thing - only the crotch.  Funny I know - since L'amore Intimo, the new side of sensual apparel, will mainly produce the most intimate of panties which are open crotch.  

This citrine design was just not working.  The weight in that area was too much, especially for a thong, so I took it apart easily enough.  Rescued all of the 500 plus beads too.  Don't worry there will still be beads - what's L'amore without beads.  The area I undid will be simple and elegant - soft and timeless - precious and memorable.  More importantly it will take me about an hour to add and then I can call it complete, place it in a sparkling pantie bag, ship it on it's way, and call it a day.

I'll do that after the sun comes up though.

Dream Sweet for now.

Have Soldering Iron Will Burn Stuff

Don't ask.  Thought a soldering tool would help keep the metal findings from opening and spilling beads here and there with wear.  Make things more durable.  The Citrine Birthstone Thong tester will be in the mail tomorrow to it's lucky owner.  I do love the design, but the over zealous beading makes this pantie weighty.  I will keep the design and take out at least 90% of the beading.  Still will be beautiful - guaranteed.  Will post final looks later.

When in business it's best to leave the personal drama at the door and "do you" - what makes you grow.  No time to be a masochist to any narcissus, only time to keep your focus on making your business work.  Love your passion.  Release the passion in you!

Dream Sweet

Is There Shame in Failing?

First define failing.  What does that look like to you?  I believe the shame is only in not trying.  Okay, now that I have convinced myself of this I'll talk about today.  Today was a great day of designing the back strap of the infamous Citrine Birthstone Thong.  People, it wasn't happening!  

What I learned...

When you don't have the right materials you won't get the product you are seeking.  I need better citrine beads.  So tomorrow, bright and early, after I stop by the SAG office to pay dues, and then to my elite 90210 office to pick up the items in my inbox, I will be off to bead world.  Bead world in the 661 is either Michaels or this beautiful bead store Beads and More Needs off of Lyons Ave.  I will find the proper beads for my needs and this mock up will be in the mail by Thursday, with a disclaimer that this is definitely a one of a kind and she is the lucky one!

Check out my web log entry from today on my Troop 180 site.

Dream Sweet

Working My Way Through Colllege

Not really, but I am asking myself what possessed me to give a sorority gift certificates for a Birthstone Thong.  Well it was for charity and those certificates made them a lot of moolah.  But today as I sat sewing over 500 beads on the Citrine November Birthstone Thong I was certain that this design is not going to be the the first November Birthstone Thong.  Has to be fewer bead.  Although it is very beautiful, it would leave me time for nothing else if I had to make them all day.  I could however go up on the price considering the craftsmanship behind (no pun intended) them.

As promised, here's today's progress.  I still have to put the back

 beads on but these are gorgeous.  My hope is that all the Birthstone Thongs will be as unique and original.

Dream Sweet

I Keep My Promises

OK - here's the thing. Under the weather lately and today I felt well enough to put together the delicate November Birthstone Thong. The Citrine. I promised that it could be seen right here later on today. Well here on the west coast it's 11:24PM and as promised... Only thing is, it's not finished. I had a bead shortage, and will consider this another learning experience. So it still needs more beads which I have to get a hold of tomorrow and voila -- there it will be!!

Compare today with tomorrow.
Today the Citrine looks like this...

Citrine - November's Birthstone Thong

By day's end the citrine, November's Birthstone Thong will debut right here.  The color is uniquely dazzling I assure you.  The lace is most exquisite.  The birthstone gems are simply beautiful.  Check back later.  Until then...

Dream Sweet

The Butt Stops Here!

Yes, I do crack myself up.  It's ok - I'm a writer with a very creative mind.  Enough of that.

Today - so far - I completed the Owner of a Lonely Heart design for the "Boy oh Boy" line.  Was thinking about adding a ribbon but when I saw the beauty of the simplicity, I kept it as is.  Sweet design.  Me likey.  Check it out over yonder and let me know what you think.  

Also check out the Mannequin Store.  I ordered a butt form from them today.  The last time I said butt form, my niece thought I wanted to buy for myself one of those padded butt enhancers.  It was funny until I thought "HEY! She thinks I need a butt enhancer!"  Well I don't!  Any way I do need a butt form to try the L'amore designs on for fit and easy photographing.  I'm excited about this for my business.

I shall be prom dress sewing this weekend and when I do get a break I will take better photos of the other designs to post here.

Dream Sweet

SCHOOL DAYS

For the past hour I have been in class at www.sba.gov.  I have learned today - cool!.  But really, the information on this site is free sooooooooo why not use it.  Even after a day of waking up not feeling well, and then taking another census bureau exam and going shopping for mix (as is a gregorysm from the troop180oroductions.blogspot.com site.  

Dream Sweet

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

Today I shopped for and found the most beautiful green to create a dazzling prom dress for my beloved Ari.  What is great about this project is that I get to practice on my beading.  I am going to use a brilliant beading for straps.  Thank goodness her pageant is not until June - that gives me this holiday weekend.  

Why the rush?  You never know when the census bureau will be back up and running - especially now with the office opening up here in the 661.

Dream Sweet

The Graduate Thong

A perfect design for that fun filled graduating coed.  Only thing is - I won't use it.  Reason being, I mimicked the Peridot Thong and each Birthstone Thong will be uniquely different.  So even though this precious L'amore design got rave reviews and loads of compliments the Graduate will be by request only.

Dream Sweet

We Don't Need No Stinking Zippers!

Ok -- I will admit the zipper knocked me down last week.  After 2 days of contemplating and trying to sew this stupid 12 inch thing on this very delicate silk fabric dress I was creating I had to say uncle!  I really don't like zippers and that's being calm about it.  

I'd like to shout out a thank you to the Viking representative at my local JoAnn's Fabrics.  I visited her as soon as the store opened on Sunday and probably from my face she could tell I was outside of being flustered.  A few pats on the back, and a lot of you can do its and not to forget the fifty some odd dollars I gave her freely for the zipper foot and 20 bobbins.  YEP, she sold me 20 bobbins and an invisible zipper foot (feet like these attach to the sewing machine to hold the fabric steady and other things).  In my case I needed the other things. That zipper foot is the best.  What had taken me down for the count before took me under 10 minutes to install the zipper - DONE.  

It was done and it was perfect.

Dream Sweet

"She's Nobody"

The title of my memoirs.  The memoirs of the creator of L'amore Intimo™.  "She's Nobody".

On many occasions my face is mistaken for one of a well known starlet.  It used to be a young Whitney Houston, then it was Halle Berry, and the latest - Lisa Bonet.  I am grateful to be mistaken for any one of these beautiful and successful women.  However, when asked if I was Lisa Bonet, I humbly answered no, to which I wasn't believed.  This women insisted that she had  seen me on TV and that I was the now grown up Lisa Bonet.  I guessed this bothered the company in my presence because she blurted out "she's nobody"!

Insult?  Probably not intentional, but this did lead me to think about the time waste when I procrastinate getting a job done.  I can so easily think of 50 million other things that won't take long to do, but of course they always take over my time.  A couple of months back I set a goal to create a panty a day until I had the designs for the pre-launch set.  I convinced myself that I'd been through a lot of crap lately with losing my house and the death of my dad and that crazy census gig, and I should go easy on myself.  But at the end of the day I know everyone goes through their own crap and I'm just procrastinating.  This is where I change for the better, because I never want to be called a nobody ever again.  Maybe it won't be a panty a day but it will be as many as I can manage until I fall out exhausted or have the pre-launch designs exactly the way I want them - perfect.

Yep -- one day look for my story -- SHE'S NOBODY.  

Dream Sweet

Plans and Stitches

This was a day to finish the business plan I started last Saturday. The first two hours of my work day were devoted to "break even point", and "ROI" figures. It's much different when written (in my case, typed) out and you're made to think about projections and customer service (is the customer always right?). Getting through this business plan, as layed out in the FASHION ENTREPRENEUR, would have one of two effects on a body - either they will see the error of their ways and quit while they are ahead or forge on through unfamiliar territory and achieve greatness doing all that your heart desires. Which one do you think I chose?

After my classroom time, I worked on a sweet dress that needs to be completed by next week's Tuesday. What I am learning from revisiting my dress making days is there is always a point in your creation where it just doesn't seem good enough. But at this point it has to be good enough. I want always to give all that I can to my L'amore Intimo designs - always meticulously stitch without cutting corners. I also know when to put out the white flag when help is needed -- i.e.: look for additional seamstresses who can see straight enough to finish an order that outgrows me. A wonderful day that will be..

Dram Sweet

Scratching Your Back

For the Birthstone Thong I have found an online site that sells birthstone gemstones. The site is GEMPHORA, and to date I have purchased the peridot round bead and the citrine large random shape beads. Very happy with the quality but still skeptical with the authenticity -- so what does any great researcher do? Research. Well I started directly with the source. A quick response to my email assured me that 1. They are a good business, 2. They are here to work with me - the wholesale buyer, and 3. We will be doing more business.

With the uniqueness of each Birthstoone Thong I probably don't have to stick with one supplier, but it's good to know there's a relliable one.

Dream Sweet

90210

My trip to my pseudo office today, led me pass three blocks of white canopies. These canopies were beautiful as they lined the grass alongside of Santa Monica Blvd from Rodeo to Bedford (I think). They big sign \in the midst of these canopies was Beverly Hills Art Show. L'amore qualifies as art. It's definitely a craft. Should be a fun time this weekend, as well as a learning time for me as I walk from tent to tent looking to see how I can be there myself for the next event.

Live and learn.

Dream Sweet

Be Warned

A few posts back, I plugged a great graphic design business IDIOM+ and set a link to their website. Apparently this site contains malware as made adamantly clear to me by twitter.com, who also warned me to be courteous of others and make sure when I set links they contain no potential dangers. The link I set was http://www.idiom-plus.com.

My apologies to anyone that this may have affected badly and also my apologies to the owners of IDIOM+ if I indeed posted the incorrect web address. I believe highly in the owners of IDIOM+ and I am sure they are on the case to fix any glitches.

Dream Sweet

Line Sheets

By definition a line sheet - as found on Wikipedia - is a wholesale sales sheet used by a manufacturer in the garment/fashion industry providing information on a product. It allows a garment to be listed with the sizes in its size range, great for inventory tracking. It typically includes a line drawing of the product (possibly computer generated), its identification number, the style, and perhaps a swatch showing color and fabric. Also price and order cutoff dates and delivery information.

I found out as I was in the wonderful world of research that Designers and Agents need along with your application, a line sheet.  But like I also found out, these are good to have to keep track of inventory.  Always learning.

Dream Sweet

Fashion Entrepreneur

Thank you Sandra Burke for putting together "Fashion Entrepreneur: Starting your own fashion business".  This book - probably someone's textbook is invaluable for its contents.  Right now I am reading the "Business Plan" chapter, putting my own business plan together .  It's in my head but better to be on a page.  I'm halfway through this draft of the L'amore Intimo business plan, and would like to finish up tomorrow.  I'm excited.

Don't forget to subscribe/follow this blog in order to receive your pre-launch gift from L'amore.

Dream Sweet

I'm Linkedin

Linkedin is exactly that -- an on-line network where you can network.  I joined yesterday and the whole concept looks promising for promoting L'amore.  With so many things to consider when owning a small business - I wish my niece hadn't left.  But she'll be back after Mother's day.  The way she jumped in to assist can be very useful.

Dream Sweet

A New Design

Yesterday's creation of a new design for my bestest friend - who is more like a sister - or better than a sister, considering I don't have a sister -- is a keeper!  The idea behind it (no pun intended) was to design something that would compliment the curves without taking away the glam.  Thing is my XS sized niece loved the design and wants one for herself.  This is a great "thing"!  L'amore Intimo - the new side of sensual apparel is still not adjusting sizes to accommodate waists over 33 inches but maybe this design is a happy medium.  A photo will be captured and the design posted for your consideration.

Everything I do is from a place deep inside my heart.

Dream Sweet

Wheelings and Dealings

Today was a lesson in buying fabric.  Not at JoAnn''s but downtown in the fashion district.  First one must maneuver the streets and then find parking  (about three bucks flat rate).  Then there are the shops.  Fabric  for three or four blocks.   After you find what you want, then there's the negotiation.  It's better to have someone with you for this  -- either they speak up or you get brave enough to bargain.  It all has to be a well choreographed dance,  When you come out with a deal you go somewhere you can create.  

I found a beautiful lace for the November Birthstone Thong.  Why November?  The first order I received in the mail at my office today was for november.  Way cool.

Dream Sweet

I'd Rather Be Sewing Panties

Got a call today from one of the lucky winners of the L'amore Intimo birthstone thong.  She didn't quite understand the sizes.  For this special order I only needed the waist measurements and XS, S, , L - as compared to high end lingerie sizes.  I said this would be one of the few times sizes would be customized without an added fee.  

Thing is - I didn't get this call until late tonight after the wonderful adventures in quality control today.  I'd rather be sewing panties!

Dream Sweet