Bonanzle!!

I opened my Bonanzle booth last week. Bonanzle is big news these days, I guess. (I have to get all my big news from my husband, who is actually in tune with the outside world... I am in my own world of children and design!!)

I hear it is growing exponentially. That's good. I also hear it encourages buyer/seller interaction, another plus in my book.

Of course, with my promo codes you can still get the best deals on the Pixyworld site... but the more exposure, the better!

Sets vs. Mix-and-Match Pieces

I've recently added a "sets" category to my online store, Boutique Baby & Toddler Girls' Clothes by Pixyworld. It will be interesting to see whether customers prefer to shop the traditional boutique outfits/sets way, rather than the mix & match piece-by-piece shopping popularized by Baby Gap & Gymboree.

I can certainly see the pros and cons of both. When purchasing a set, the price tag is right there, no math or guesswork needed! There's also the feeling that we get a slightly better deal when purchasing this way.

On the other hand, there's a feeling of excitement and individuality when each shopper can combine pieces her own way.

I'm hoping that those who prefer to purchase sets will still take a peek at the entire collection, and consider adding a piece or two to mix and match. But in any case, I hope my customers will enjoy the extra choices!

Launching on Amazon

I was pretty pleased to be accepted recently by Amazon to sell Pixyworld toddler boutique clothing. But I couldn't have anticipated how big a project it would be to get launched. Amazon has pretty strict specifications on the type of pictures a seller must use, which was the push I needed to get some photography equipment. I was pretty happy with my first batch of photos, taken yesterday.

Then there's the product upload system, which at first I couldn't make head or tail of! I think I have an inkling now, but the test will come at the end of the week when my account becomes active. Wish me luck!

Pictures!

Indie Fashion for Girls

The disadvantages of being an independent designer selling my own line may be numerous (financial risk, no established customer base or manufacturing chain ... wow, I'm depressing myself!!) but I still don't regret taking this path.

The freedom is worth it. With all the pressure of being a new designer, who needs the added pressure of deadlines from everyone from employers to showrooms to retailers? In The Fashion Designer Survival Guide, Mary Gelhar describes the numerous delays that beset the manufacturing process, ESPECIALLY for the new designer with a need for small quantities. Our orders get bumped back in favor of larger ones; more established manufacturers won't work with us. I've found this to be accurate, to say the least!

And it's not just deadlines I escaped. How about the $20,000 outlay just for all the samples one showroom wanted? I'd rather put that money into making high-quality clothes I can actually sell!

Furthermore, I'm just not willing to work full-time, outside the home, at this stage in my family life. That leaves the lifestyle of an independent designer looking pretty good! I'd like to join the ranks of the many creative and competent women I've met who are leading the way in the work-at-home movement.

Here's to you, ladies!

And don't forget to stop by to check out my line at www.pixyworld.net!

Something About a Shrug...

When my artist friend recently visited me with her 3 kids, she took one look at my 4-year-old daughter in her
Pixyworld dress and shrug, and exclaimed,"She looks like a butterfly!"

I do love to think of my daughter as a butterfly, because that fits her personality so well -- tiny, busy,
and colorful!

There's something about this season's shrug that I love. Maybe it's the way it divides the figure into thirds, instead
of chopping it in half like a traditional top & jeans set. Maybe it's the soft flow of the sleeves... or
the fact that it adds depth and complexity to the lines of an ensemble. Or maybe it's just that my girls love them!

Enjoy toddler girls' fashion at www.pixyworld.net.

Quilt-Inspired Patchwork

My mother-in-law quilts. Before seeing her work, I confess I had little to no interest in quilting. But in my visits over the years, I have found myself staring, mesmerized, at her
quilts again and again.

It's the way she combines the different prints that gets me. I grew up thinking that putting two different prints together
made a "clash!" Now, I've realized the artistic possibilities it opens up, not just in quilts but in dresses as well!

When it comes to fashion for babies and little girls, a designer can afford to let fancy take flight a bit!
That's why I love it. See you at Pixyworld...!