My 1 Year "Etsy-versary"!!

Wow, this crept up on me.

One year ago I was trying to take a decent photo of the few things in my inventory, and figuring it would never go anywhere and just be a fun experiment.

I listed my first three or four items that evening, and within 5 minutes, two sold.
Hats. To an international buyer!

The sales - and the cash - rolled in, and I found myself having to go on inventory buying trips. My husband encouraged these trips. He is 100% supportive and even helps me pack orders. :)

The cash rolled in, and then promptly rolled back out, as my husband was unemployed; and thankfully, I was able to use the money made to pay bills, more often than not!
And now that he is employed once more, I bought a new, better computer to run the business, using money I made in my shop; and and now am saving for a newer, nicer camera. (Since I cannot, for the life of me, win on on the Pioneer Woman's website when she is giving them away like lollipops.)

This summer I hit 100 sales....

I made the Etsy front page with one of my handbags....

I've been in I don't know how many treasuries, because I stopped counting....

I got my first negative feedback from a very nasty buyer that had not paid me - and left the neg. feedback after I politely stated to her that I did not ship until I was paid..... grrrrr

I went from "fun experiment", to being in the final stages of talks with a local shop owner about having my own shop in an area of her antiques business.

YES!! The pieces are not yet all in place.... there is much to do and plan and build and move and an "inventory control" system put in place; but........ it looks like "Carolina Roses" will have a brick and mortar location by the end of the year.

*squeals*

(I need to thank my friend Elisa Forshey who gave me the Etsy idea in the first place. If not for her pressing me, I may have never attempted it.)