August’s Nursery: First Edition

It’s been exactly a year since we converted our bedroom into a nursery for our little jelly belly. I was three weeks away from my due date and a maddening urge to nest hit me. I had made a plan for the space but hadn’t done much beyond having David put up the crib and pop some art on the wall. One year later his space has undergone a multitude of changes, which is when it occurred to me, I never shared the first edition!

Photo by Megan Saul Photography

Photo by Megan Saul Photography

We live in a vintage one bedroom in Chicago’s populous and energetic Lakeview neighborhood. Our flat is sizable for the area – we have a sun room, formal dining room, large kitchen and a living room with built-ins and a fireplace (just for show though!). When we found out we were pregnant in May of 2014 we decided we’d work with the space we have rather than moving into a larger apartment. We love the character and location of our current place and knew that to find a two bedroom even remotely as cute in such a good neighborhood would be a long shot. So we decided to stay!

 

Continue reading

Advertisement

An Indie Biz: 2014 in Review

Pierogi Picnic: Eco friendly, affordable, design savvy clothing

2014 was quite the year for Pierogi Picnic and there’s so much to celebrate!

Beyond being the sixth year that I’ve been creating and selling my eco-friendly wares, this was the year I learned to pace and prioritize like never before! And with a baby on the way (we’re at 9 months today!) that’s a valuable lesson to have learned.

Though things had slowed down the second half of the year due to some funky early pregnancy woes, the first half of the year was as productive as ever. With custom orders pouring in off of Etsy and lots of traffic hitting the website, I found myself busier than ever! Focusing on the Pierogi Picnic website and online sales continues to be the best business plan I can have – especially now that baby is almost here!

My focus in 2015 will continue to be on expanding Pierogi Picnic’s virtual reach while really honing in on creating more made-to-order items. Once the babe is here and we’re in a rhythm the custom order portion of my Etsy shop will be up and running again and I can’t wait for that time to come! My hands have been fabric free for far too long! And who knows – maybe a new munchkin line will be on the way this year too!

So without further adieu – here’s a look back at what rocked the Pierogi Picnic world in 2014!

My Favorite New Designs: The Dawn & Dusk Collection

Pierogi Picnic: Dawn + Dusk CollectionMost Popular Item: Green Gal Custom Swimsuit

Green Girl swimsuitRunners Up: Sir Cycle men’s sweatshirt, Just in Case Lace women’s tank, all things Vintage

Most Popular Post of the Year: DIY Love Patch

Elbow patch: afterRunner’s Up: Inspiration: Suitcase Dresser, DIY: Earring Tutorial, DIY: Homemade Cheek & Lip Stain, Trends: Lovin’ the Leggins

Thank you to all of you for your support and encouragement throughout 2014! Here’s to making 2015 the best year for Pierogi Picnic yet!!!

Designs: Best of 2013

pierogi picnic: top ten 2013

I may be a touch bit biased when it comes to the best Pierogi Picnic designs of 2013 – so I decided to let the numbers do the talking!

Using my Etsy and website statistics, these are the most popular designs from the past year! I’ll have you know that a few of these took me by surprise.

What a year! 

          1. In Bloom tunic dress
          2. Take a Bow scarf cowl
          3. Green Gal retro bathing suit
          4. Sir Cycle mens sweatshirt hoodie
          5. Point Out the Way open back top
          6. Miss Cycle womens sweatshirt hoodie
          7. Blossom cotton women’s swimsuit
          8. No Sweat mens cowl sweatshirt
          9. Cosby Skirt upcycled sweater skirt
          10. A Bow On It sweater headband

An Indie Biz: Design Process

Pierogi Picnic: Design Process

Designing a new garment or revamped vintage clothing item is always an adventure!

I’ve used many methods over the years. Some involved intricate illustrations prior to creation. Others were more stream-of-consciousness, just cutting and sewing and making things up along the way. Still, in other situations I’d find myself with some general ideas of what I was looking to present and forming the vision in my mind before take scissors to fabric. No matter what the method – coming up with a new design can be the most exciting, and conversely, flabbergasting thing! Continue reading

An Indie Biz: Enjoying Event Prep

Pierogi Picnic & Wanderlustings: Upcycled Event Signage photo and frame

One of the most exciting things about planning for events is merchandising! Concocting fun, engaging and bold displays is truly the icing on the cake. Designing the signs, choosing a layout and developing a theme – it’s my favorite part of prep.

Pierogi Picnic: Gold Glitter SignHaving someone with which to share the experience makes planning even more of a blast! Collaborating with Caitlin Peters of Wanderlustings again has allowed us to dream up a whole new look for our conjoined event booth. Not only does her beautiful brain power inspire the look of our nook, it also propels the ‘fun factor’ of prep to a whole new level! Continue reading

An Indie Biz: Making a List

The holidays are just around the corner and I don’t want the busyness of the spirited season to distract me from business or pleasure this year. So what’s the best way to keep myself focused? Why – making a list of course!

Sitting down and ‘planning’ your holiday approach for your indie biz is intimidating, daunting, and for some, down-right unpleasant. But without a plan you can only go so far. To trick yourself into concocting a strategy, sit down and first answer these questions.  Continue reading