Why name it The Wilted Magnolia?

One of the frequent questions I get asked is WHERE did you come up with the name "THE WILTED MAGNOLIA"?  I always laugh, but it's a name born of hope, hard times, strength, and just plain old stubbornness. (As my Mom would say!)

My sewing groups always called me "The Southern Magnolia" because I type just like I talk...which is at the  least VERY southern. Born in GA, raised in GA and regardless all my travels, this is where I come back to.

I'll try to make this short, but if you've ever known a southern raised person, you KNOW we can't just spit it out, there's always a story!

At age 44, my life took a very sudden turn with a divorce, which in turn caused a bankruptcy just to keep my home and lots of stress! I had been a housewife for l0 years with not a lot of job experience at that point. So off I went to work. A few months later I was in the hospital for l0 days, very ill (thankfully to drugged to know much about it). Ironically enough, the hospital bill was exactly the amount of the bankruptcy!

To say life was difficult at that point in probably an understatement! I just kept thinking, "This Magnolia is very wilted right now".

 I started writing about my crazy, funny, days (it was laugh or cry, ya know?) and sending letters to the troops who had just been deployed overseas. The dad of one of the soldiers started a program where he sent all these letters to his son, who gave them out to soldiers who didn't have family and never got mail. So funny stories about a crazy life seemed to fit. The letters I got back saying how I had brightened their days with letters kept me going. Who was I to complain?

So the pen name "The Wilted Magnolia" was born. It reminds me of where I've come from, what I've overcome and that I will always have the strength to "make something from nothing".

Thank you to all of my customers who have loved and worn my creations. I love you all!

Brenda
The Wilted Magnolia

The Wilted Magnolia: Etsy Friends Link your shop!

 Etsy shop owners feel free to link to your shop!

 Only ONE link per shop please.

Go to the top of my blog and click on the

 "Link your Etsy shop" tab!

Follow the usual linky instructions.

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Week two declutter and Eileen Fisher Inspired closet

My de-hoarding is going pretty well!

I started by just getting my bedroom straightened out and all the clothes put away.

I started with my small closet that I have decided will be my "Eileen Fisher" closet.

The plan is for every garment to actually be an original EF piece or garments inspired by her and made by me..... How nice it would be to reach into a closet and everything just WORK together!

I have a decent start on it....

Two pairs of tight/leggings in a steel gray color, a tank dress in grey, all made by me and a EF long tank top with sequins..... horrible picture!

 

Made by me scarf, tights, tank dress, and EF Sweater worn to the movies. 

You can tell by the pics below the colors are much prettier than my first picture shows!

Made by me linen racer back tunic...

I started moving everything around and cleaning out and burning....

I did have great fun with my bonfire.

  Furniture, clothes, blankets, shoes, trash, you name it, it went into the fire! 

 Kinda scary when I get started I don't want to quit!

Even Cher was a little freaked out!

Only one panic attack yesterday when it came time to do something with one of my grandmothers bedroom dresser. It was cat scratched and would never have sold for anything. One of those with a huge mirror and two side drawers on each side. Takes up a whole wall that I wanted for sewing supplies. So it was useless for what I needed.  What to do? What to do? I couldn't quite bring myself to throw it on the fire...thought it about though...so I dismantled it.    So now I have a huge mirror (still waiting to see where that goes) and two end table with drawers that can be moved around.  So I freed up my wall and have extra storage. Whew.

And all this because I've started on cleaning out my bedroom! Good Lord. Move one darn thing and you have to move it all!  I actually moved my HUGE jewelry chest into a closet.  How funny is that???  Lots of jewelry will be going to auction also.

Now I'm trying to decide whether to burn, donate or put patterns in the auction boxes. Would they even sell? Guess it's worth finding out.
Anyone want some patterns, now would be the time to say so!

And the funniest thing...when I walked out the morning after the bonfire...one of the dogs was curled up right in the center of the ashes.  Guess it was still warm.  Crazy dogs.

Soooo....after work tonight, I'm off for a few days and I'll start again!

Wonder what will hit the bonfire this week???


Shared on
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http://thecreativeitchboutique.blogspot.com/ 
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Confession of a classic hoarder!

Confession time! I'm a hoarder. Not quite to the point of being on the TLC Hoarders show...yet. 

I refuse to be the little old lady who dies and gets eaten by her cats before the world can dig her out.

So.....I called an auction house...and I'm packing stuff up and it's going away!

Harder than some of you would ever imagine!

I keep EVERYTHING.

From my grandparents pill bottles (I'm 52, they died when I was eleven!) to all the pretty pottery and lace,

and just stuff that I've collected in between then and owning an antique store.

We won't even talk about me and Ebay...shudder.....

Here's a few pics of the things that are getting packed up and ready to move to some

other hoarders house!

Friday Linky's and Roses...

I love summer, but I miss my Spring roses!

Good thing I take pictures...and more pictures....

to remind me.

When that doesn't help, I head off to the sewing studio to make some.

And then I put them on EVERYTHING!

Doggie bags....

Clothing...

Walls...

I've posted on Feathered Nest Friday's, and

Show and tell Friday
and.....

Happy Pink Saturday !

 

...
 everyone links are so gorgeous!

Link-Sew-Clean

After a very hectic holiday work weekend, I've almost ready to get started cleaning the sewing room

and get started creating something new for the shop!

My three days off start next week, so if I want to keep on schedule the sewing room has to be ready...clean...organized...all the machines in perfect working order.

Sounds like work already!

I stopped by Sew Much Ado's blog to post on her Wednesday link party, and of course got sidetracked by all the pretty items everyone has made.

 

http://www.sew-much-ado.com/

But now, off to the studio, I have a legging order to fill and then clean!

I'm thrilled to say my creating mojo has returned and I have a definite direction to go with my designs!

That only took 30 years...not bad. Yeesh.

 Finally I feel like everything I have learned in the past has led me to this decision and that's it the right path.

So I've spent the past few weeks turning my hobby into a business.

Scary? Oh yeah!

Sales tax numbers, updated website, updated profiles and descriptions on my Etsy shop.

A marketing plan and lots of advice from Tara Gentile and other inspiring women to push me out of my rut and into the creative world of selling for what I'm worth.

After listening to several of her pod-casts (really, everyone should go listen) I sat down and seriously figured and re-figured my cost per item.

And yes at the end there was a GASP.  

I've been selling at wholesale cost. 

Which isn't horrible, but not if you want to succeed at what you're doing and actually get paid for it!

So here's the plan...yes there's a plan and I need everyone to hold me accountable to it!

How's that for putting it out there?

Starting next Monday, I will be working 3 days a week on my BUSINESS in my studio.

Yes, I took an extra day a week off from work. Another scary decision!

I have a schedule, just like a outside job. I will shut the door and not play with the dogs or nap with the kitty's all day. I will not play on the internet for hours. 

I will blog more often and list more often!

All input and advice welcome!

Join the link party at Sew Country Chick!