Win a Vintage Magazine Ad!

As Listen To Me! ramps up for the collage giveaway, I am hosting one myself.

Levi's Ad from Jape

I have a LARGE collection of old magazines, from 1920 and up with amazing ads for just about every product under the sun.

I LOVE old ads, hence the collection of magazines!
but I would love to hear from you what type of ads you would display in your life

In my home it would be baby ads and Case / International Harvester.

I will be giving away ads to 3 different people.

Phase III Ad from AbundantlyCuriousPix

To enter this giveaway - 1 entry each

*****Comment here as to which ad or ad type you are most interested in

*****Follow my blog and comment here that you did


*****Follow me on Twitter and comment here that you did

*****visit DaisyToad's Vintage and find your favorite thing and leave a comment here with a link to your favorite item

*****tweet or blog about this giveaway, and come back to this entry and post another comment with the direct link to the blog entry and/or tweet

*****buy something from DaisyToad's Vintage and come back here to brag about it (with a link!)

FormFit Ad from ImSoVintage

The winner will be drawn on March 31st just before midnight and will be announced here and be contacted by email. Be sure to also include a valid e-mail address when you comment so i can contact you when you win!

Priorities Take 2

It funny how your priorities can change in a matter of days, weeks or over a period of time.
After a personal battle of what I was being called to do, I have decided I WILL spend more time working.

RollingHillsVintage

When I can contribute even a little financially to the family I feel more of a sense of pride. My husband tells me that he just needs me to care for our family, but my personal struggle will always be wanting it all. I want to be an entrepreneur and I want to be a mother and I CAN do it all, it will just take a bit of planning!

DaKineJunks

We had a family meeting and I expressed what I was feeling and told the family what I was needing from them to help out the process. My husband is busy calving right now, as well as working a new job in which he hopes to be a supervisor in the next few months-meaning he is working crazy hours.I put my toddler in daycare an extra day a week and have committed myself to only working in my shop on those days, not working on housework. Well working as much as my mobile 9 month old will allow! I told my tween that I will now pay her to babysit when I am working on the other days, and gave her a chore list for which she will get an allowance based on the percentage complete.

FunRetro

I am also restructuring my housework schedule to include this extra work day and to include Saturday, prime sourcing day!

Monday-Work
Tuesday-Kitchen, Living Room, Bedrooms
Wednesday-Laundry, Bathrooms
Thursday-Work
Friday-Bathrooms, Office
Saturday-Project day

Sunday-Project day I added project day because I was getting behind on my major to do list, with things such as yard work, cleaning out junk drawer, garage etc.

VeraVague

I am planning on working on the branding of my store, what are the rules on using a published pin up in my branding? Anyone know?-I'm checking into this, I'll let you know!

I improved my shop banner, need to improve my avi's on all my site and switch my blogger banner to the new one.
I am also working on more consistent listing, tracking my hours worked and re figuring my prices to make sure it is all still worth my time : )

Oh yeah and lowering my shipping to First Class and envelope shipping if at all possible, I'm tired of refunding shipping-I'd prefer my customers just to save in the beginning!

My First Giveaway!! Coming Soon....

In the next few weeks I will be hostessing my first giveaway!!!

Etsy artist Amg Arts is creating a special collage just for Listen to Me followers!

She is a Collage/Mixed Media Artist, studying textile design at NCAD, Dublin, Ireland. Ann says she is inspired by artists such as Lynne Perrella, Holly Harrison, Gwen Diehn, Karen Michel, Barbara Matthiessen, Claudine Hellmuth.

Wait by Ann M. Gorman

'A Multi-Media artist who loves doing journal work, altered books and collages. She enjoys exploring and working with a wide range of different mediums. Has been told her work 'brings alive a dreamlike quality' using vivid colours, intense detail and 'attractive' chaos'.

Please check her out at:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Tumbler

My Eclipse by Ann M. Gorman

Collages shown are not the ones in the giveaway. Giveaway details will be announced when the collage is complete.

What It Takes

Game of Up and Down by DaisyToad's Vintage

As with any job, selling vintage has its ups and downs. I love what I do, and I do what I love, BUT being self employed is tough. It takes discipline, self control, family support, tons of decision making and LOTS of time.

After I go to big estate sale or score from another great source I am completely energized and motivated. I get pictures taken.......then edit........then wait for a time to list.......and by then (especially in this dumpy dreary weather) I feel lethargic towards my business.

This year I've told myself I am going to up my business to the next level AND be true to my family. It is true in all accounts if you don't take care of yourself you can not take care of anyone or anything else. Why else do you think when in an airplane you are supposed to put your own airmask on first?? Yes, I am comparing being self employed to an emergency air landing.

So far this year to meet my goals I have put my 2 yr old in daycare twice a week. Not without guilt (after all I am a stay at home mom, no wait I AM A WORK AT HOME MOM), but the poor guy it just going stir crazy and driving me mad in the meantime! He is a very active child-climbing on me or any piece of furniture box, anything that he may be able to jump of off, flip over or slam dunk on.

Rainbow Mom Mug by DoNotDestroy

I have a hard time seeing myself as a work at home mom, I'm not sure why. I left work to stay at home, but then I found my passion and a place to pursue it, so I work, and I work hard.

As stating in an earlier post I finally redesigned and printed my new business cards.

I purchased a booth rental in an antique shop.

I tried to set a schedule for everything I need to get done during the week-does it get done? No, but the schedule has been written!

So I guess my biggest struggle is balance, as always, but also acknowledging myself and giving myself the credit I deserve. In 2 years I have had 2 children and grown an online store that made a decent part time income last year. I have been featured in an international magazine. I have been hired by a famous international company to source vintage for them. I have had a website that gets over 1 MILLION hits a month ask to feature me (my store) on their website (more on that later). I am a mom. I am a wife. I am and entrepreneur. I am me. I am DaisyToad's Vintage. (Insert Stuart Smalley)

I am Me with no Apologies by chloeandsophiasmom or Artist Lisa Ferrante

So I will rephrase what it takes to be an online vintage seller (or artist-not without its own set of struggles)

It takes discipline, self control, family support, tons of decision making, LOTS of time, self confidence and an incredibly HUGE set of cajones (balls)

*side note to sister*those things hanging off the rats bottom.

Vintage Croquet Balls by FrenchByDesign

Coming Soon on DaisyToad's Vintage!

If you follow me on Twitter you may remember me tweeting about priority access to an Estate Sale because of my Grandma's connections.

Turns out it was an amazing sale, with tons of vintage jewelry, paper dolls, a few 20's dresses, just beautiful items....even a late 1800's dress in EXCELLENT condition and a beaded 2 piece flapper dress that was flawless-too bad those went to the historical society.

The proceeds from the estate sale all went to a woman in their family who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy the day of the sale.

I only feel right having the proceeds of the sale of the items I bought at the sale going to those battling breast cancer and breast cancer awareness and research.

Here is a sneak peek of my new section at DaisyToad's Vintage

Think Pink:

*****Note added***** after doing some research I have found that this adorable heart brooch is from the early 2000's! Needless to say,I will enjoying it in my personal collection and not sharing it as a gem in my vintage store! Sorry!


So join me in the battle against breast cancer and SHOP VINTAGE!

Business Cards

I've been without business cards for almost a year now after a rip off job done by an online "friend" (I paid her and she never followed through, now will not return my calls or emails)

Whenever I go to order cards I get overwhelmed, I have a few that I have designed but each site has different size requirement, I find that strange since business cards are the same size for the most part. After hours of working on the design, I go to upload and its wrong.


Tonight I ordered 50 cards from Moo, a little expensive and I didn't need the double sided stuff, but we'll see how they turn out-I've heard wonderful things about them.

After I ordered I ran acrossed a blog called Got A Lot To Give. Its a newish blog, with some great giveaways-of course the one I found it a business card giveaway sponsored by U Printing.

Check out the site, follow them and enter some give aways!!!

Oh yeah and let me know where you get your cards from and what you like and don't like!

Grammy

My husbands Grammy died this week closing her battle with dementia. Among her items we found this beautiful picture of her on the ship traveling from Detroit to New York. I am planning on getting a large print of this and placing it on my wall. Just thought I'd share!