Derby Dress Pro's and Con's List

Opening up a bunch of links is frustrating, so I have decided to put pictures of all the dresses here and list what I do and do not like about each one.

Dress #1

Pros

I love it! It looks a bit retro. It definitely is fun and spring-y for the Derby.

Cons
It is the most expensive($88). Also, maybe a little too retro? I can't decide.

Dress #2

ProsI like the ruffles. It is pretty, simple and eligant. I also have a $15 off coupon!

Cons
Maybe a little too professional and not quite as light-hearted as I would like.

Dress #3

ProsI like the cut of the dress and the braided belt at the waist. It also looks like it would be really comfortable.

Cons
Maybe a little too dark for spring. Also, not too sure about the website it is listed on.

Dress #4- decided I don't like it

Dress #5 (in blue)

 

 Pros
I like the ruffles and the cut of the dress.

Cons
Maybe too many ruffles and it is a little on the short side.

Dress #6

Pros
 I like the neckline and think it is a fun sun dress.

Cons
I don't like the ruffle at the bottom of the dress, also not too crazy about the color.

Dress #7 (in blue)

ProsIt looks like a light, fun dress.

Cons
A little on the short (and transparent) side!

Dress #8

 

Pros
It is a little different with the 2 fabrics. I like the floral print at the top, and since it is only at the top, the pattern isn't overwhelming. And, unlike most of these dresses, I can try it on before I buy it!

Cons
The fabric doesn't look expensive to me. Also, the model's pose is ridiculous! (haha, not that has much to do with anything!)

Dress #9

Pros
I like the asymmetrical design.

Cons
The color looks more Christmas than Derby to me.

Dress #10

Pros
I really like this one! I think it would be fun for the Oaks. It is a good price as well.

Cons
A little low cut. Also, you can't buy from H&M online so I would have to go to Cinci or Indi to get it.

I think 1, 2, 8 and 10 are my favorites.



I also found this gem if I want to go super literal! haha! I could wear it with the rose tights and put a trophy on my Derby hat just to make it 100% clear where I will be headed to in this outfit ;-)

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

So my etsy account was definitely a failed attempt at making some extra money! haha, but I'm not too upset about it. I don't really have time to make many crafts to sell.

And I am still waiting to hear back from grad school. Hopefully I will know something soon.

I am having a lot of fun with my job. And I know that I am looking ahead, thinking about the Oaks and Derby, but I am looking at dresses trying to find something to wear those 2 days. Here are some contenders that are more or less in my price range! haha =)

Dress #1
Dress #2
Dress #3
Dress #4 (in blue)
Dress #5 (in blue)
Dress #6
Dress #7
Dress #8

I also like some dresses from H&M but since there isn't a shop online for their store, I can't share the dresses the same way. here are 2 pictures of the dresses I like there.

This is mostly for me, to have all 10 dresses in one location so I will be able to conveniently look at them, but if you want to tell me what dresses you like the best, that would be nice. I like input! And I am also really indecisive so it could come in handy =)

Anyway, I hope everyone has a merry Christmas!

I am such a horrible blogger!

I am just horrible at this! I have gone a month and a half without updating!! So here in a nutshell is what has happened in that time.

I now have a job as a tour guide in a museum! I love it!! I get to meet lots of interesting people everyday, including some Derby winning jockeys =) My job keeps me busy and I don't think I have ever had anything effect my dreams in such a profound way! At least once a week I dream about giving tours or being at the museum or something else related to my job. (Before, I only remember 1 dream every month or 2.)

I also have a second job. I am helping out at my dad's office doing data entry. It isn't the most exciting job in the world, but it definitely is a nice alternate to the whirlwind of excitement at the museum. I get to sit and be quiet, so even though I am working, it isn't as draining as the museum...well, at least not in the same way ;-) It is nice having 2 jobs that work at such different paces.

I also have a meeting tomorrow after work with the guy who is in charge of collections to talk about setting up an internship, and right after that I am working an event at the museum and then babysitting.

So between the 2 jobs and all the other stuff I have going on, I am left with about 2 days free a month.  I don't mind this, but it doesn't leave me with much time or muchas ganas (sorry, there just isn't a good translation to American English for this, for British English it would be I don't fancy) to get things prepared for selling on Etsy. 

I have, however, paint a few more frames and I want to get the ball rolling on this, so my goal is to put 5 frames up for sale by this Monday. (Now you can all hold me accountable!)

My ultimate goal is to have enough money to go to grad school.  I love working at a museum and would love to go to school for museum and gallery studies! The best places to study are either in big hubs (like New York or DC) or places in Europe (where there are museums a plenty!) Of course I would prefer the latter, but with the exchange rate being so bad, I am having to work even harder to get myself the money I would need to study abroad. 

I feel like I am just getting hit by the outer bands of a hurricane. Besides the possibility of having an internship on top of what I already have going on, I will soon be putting together an application for grad school and filling out MANY scholarship applications as well to help with funding. So any encouragement you want to send my way will be well received =)

Well, I think this went a little beyond fitting in a nutshell, but I guess if there is an entire month and a half worth of stuff in there it is acceptable =P

(This is just work related, the MOST IMPORTANT personal things to be going on this past month and a half would definitely be my new niece Abby, getting to visit with family-Nana, Aunt Elaine, Uncle Scott, Nica cousin Nancy-celebrating my niece Regan's b-day and getting to catch up with my friends Courtney, Rachel and Meggie who I hadn't seen for a long time! Ok, now I am satisfied and truly finished with this post!)

finally updating!

Well, it took me a lot longer to get to Michael's than I thought it would, but I finally made it there this weekend. I got more frames, paint and the sealer. I have another frame painted and I'll post a picture as soon as it dries.

I also got some good news today! I got a job a tour guide! I am really excited to start and get some experience working in a museum setting. I am hoping that I will be able to make a little extra cash selling these frames and display boxes since the job is part time. It might be a little hard saving my pennies, but I hope I can save up to get myself to grad school soon!

first items for sale!

I have 3 products ready for sale (well, I need to put a sealer on them, but after that they will be ready!) There are 2 frames and a display box. Here is what they look like:

I was thinking of pricing the frames at $10 each.

I was thinking with the display shelves to price the bigger one at $30, the smaller size at $20 and then if someone were to buy a set to sell them at $45.

I am hoping to get some more supplies bought this weekend to get a few more products made. I'll post the link to etsy once I have everything set up! If anyone sees anything they like and wants to buy something, just let me know and I'll get it to you wihout doing the transaction through etsy so you won't have to pay the shipping fee. I'm having fun doing this! Hope you all like what I'm making =)

Also, how cute are my dogs!?

Product Ideas

Hey everyone! Thanks for the feedback about my designs. I think I am going to go with the 1st one, but I do like the 4th one... maybe I will alternate between the 2 depending on my mood=)

Ok, so I am hoping to get some products made and for sale by the end of the week. I have taken some pictures of the items I have made for myself to give you an idea of what I will be selling.

So my main question is- what is a reasonable asking price for these items? The picture frames don't take too long to make (maybe an hour) but the display boxes are a little bit more time consuming.

I think the display boxes would be cute in kids rooms. I am not sure who my target audience would be with the frames though. So give me some feedback! (Please!) Are these items you like/could see yourself buying?

Thanks everyone! Even if this doesn't work out, at least it is giving me a creative outlet during the job search.

Job Hunt

So I have been hunting for a job, but I didn't realized how difficult finding a job was going to be! I have had no luck and am left pretty frustrated.

So... to help out in the meantime, I am thinking about selling some of my crafts online. I thought I would start out small, putting a few things up for sale on the website etsy.com, and just see how it goes from there!

So the first order of business is to decide on which of these labels to use as my logo. The story behind the name I chose -Medusa Azul- is from when I was studying abroad in Costa Rica. I was at the beach, swimming in the ocean when all of a sudden my legs started to hurt. I looked down, and there was a blue "thread" going across my legs. I pushed it away, but immediately my legs were numb and I had burn marks across my legs and hands. It turns out I had been stung by a Portuguese Man-o-war! Not so fun! But I was really lucky the burn wasn't bad. It led to my Spanish teacher giving me the nickname Medusa- which means jellyfish in Spanish- a fitting nickname since my hair usually has a mind of its own! Haha =)

Anyways, here are the logos:

 I like the dimension in the 2nd one but think it might be too hard to read. I am leaning towards the 1st or the 3rd. Any thoughts?