Feeling so Grateful ! - Top 11 of 2011

It has been a busy busy month and I have been away from blogging. As this new year approaches I look back on this past year and I am amazed at all the changes that have happend in our lives. the biggest change is obviously the birth of our first child ! OMG - He's going to be a whle year old next weekend !!!

Above left pic was probably the very 1st pic taken of him .... above right pic was taken Christmas Day with his Great Grandmother ! He makes her laugh sooo much !

2011 Has been Fabulous

Here are my Top 11 Things I am So grateful for :

1. A Healthy Happy baby boy !
2. The fact that my Husband works IN TOWN -- NOT Ft.McMurray Or Saskatchewan
3. My friends and family
4. A whole year of Maternity Leave Benefits
5. Skype ... brings me even closer to my friends who are far away !
6. Social Media. - Sometimes its the only form of Adult contact
7. CableTV and video on demand. Day time TV sucks and being up all hours of the night feedings suck too!
8. Starting CoverBooCouture - you have NO IDEA how thankful I am to all those who support me in this new journey. Which brings me to # 9


9. Social Circlet - Catherine & Kathleen.. without your invite to this wonderful group... I dont know if CoverBooCouture would have ever gotten this far is such a short time. ( I still can't believe CoverBoo Couture was only started in August 2011.... ) I have met SOOO many wonderful people in the last few months..Zita,Nicole,Erin, Stef, Natasha, Erie, Nicola, April ..... so many more ...I havent been this social and active for years !  Its like finding a whole new group of friends.... and business associates to collaborate with

10. I'm grateful that my old job has me back part time AND working remotley from home !!! Whoo Hooo

11. Lastly I'm grateful for Everyone involved in all the UpComing things happening with CoverBoo Starting January 2012 .... * January Spoiler * One of the exciting things is - CoverBoo Couture will be collaborating with the lovely Erie Melnychuk, Ibclc, Registered Lactation Consultant

http://edmontonibclc.blogspot.com/2011/08/ibclc-lc-cle-what-does-it-mean.html


 I'm So excited for the New Year ! Stay Tuned.

Promos & GiveAways, Door Prizes... Oh my !

T'is the season ....of  gift giving, shopping, parties, get togethers etc...
As a stay at home mom, and entreprenuer to a new product or business, money is always on the mind.
I think back to the pre-baby days, I  remember how much of a "spa-junkie" I used to be. If I had a particularily bad day, a massage or mani /pedi would surely put me at ease. Or I'd get my hair done - just to get the scalp massage that goes along with getting your hair highlighted. And if it was too late in the day and no appointments were to be found...a trip to the local sushi restaurant was the answer to all my problems. ( By this point I had already been done with the bar scene )

But I digress... My main topic for this post was about Promos & GiveAways, Door Prizes... Oh my !
I just got side tracked on the money issue. I realize that Promos & GiveAways are a neccessary thing while first starting out. The product needs to be seen. It NEEDs to "Get Out There"

Sometimes it feels like I'm just bleeding money....BUT...Sometimes it really does pay off. I guess I just have to trust in that. The CoverBoo Nursing Scarf is getting some attention from some really great people in the "Mother'Hood ! " Some of the great press is :

It was part of a Local Entrepreneural Collaboration for " Busy Parent Essentials" prize package for a Fundraiser for the Stollery Children's Hospital !

Just recently - it was listed as one of the Top 10 New Mom " Must Haves' by ModernMama at the Both Edmonton & Vancouver ModernMom Bump Brunch this year !

here is a shot of the goodies given away at the Edmonton Bump Brunch at Holt Renfrew .

(On the Left - Blue Plaid CoverBoo right next to comic Bibagogo ! )

And here is the Shot @ the Vancover Modern BumpBrunch.

( Purple Plaid CoverBoo on Prize Table ! )

Next giveaway will be at  http://www.tasteofchristmas.eventbrite.com/   !!!

So while having CoverBoos mixed in with of some great prizes for some wonderful causes...I'm a mixed bag of emotions myself. I love the promotion of CoverBoo and all the compliments of everyone saying what a great idea the CoverBoo is, but....as my dear husband says .."Money Talks ! "

Most of the CoverBoos I sell are all thru word of mouth. I have tried to sell on etsy, and am going to try to sell some thru a couple of online stores aswell. ( Shout out to Spogs.ca & BumbleBeeBaby )

Most of the ladies I have spoken to want to feel the product and try it on, and see what other materials and patterns there are. Which is fine. I can meet with people for a "Coffee & a CoverBoo" if need be !

In the first few months I played with a variety of materials, sizes and patterns to cast a wide net out into "Consumer-ville" ... I've finally nailed down a size that will work for most women. As for materials, and patterns ... Well after I sell off my current stock, i think what I will do is offer 2 different materials and 4 different pattens for each season, to streamline things a little more  for the ease of sales online. And hopefully this will make it easier to get into retail stores.

I know, I know I know..... Its a learning curve !

ps - Help me get to 100 FB "likes" and be entered in a draw for ..... yep you guess it. A Complimentary CoverBoo .... and a Box of Chocolates ! hhhhhhhmmmmmmm Chocolates !

Packages in the Mail

Oh how I LOVE getting packages in the mail !
Yesterday I got a stack of free cards.

These were a promotion from that WebSite ( AboutMe )  http://about.me/CoverBooCouture

All I paid for was shipping. ( something like $5)

And Then This Morning, I recieved a package from Plum & Posey !

Noah's little toe print came in !!!

I LOVE IT !!!

http://www.plumandposey.com/

1st Tradeshow : ShopTillYouDrop Expo

So I had the 1st Tradeshow for Coverboo.
It was at the ShopTillYouDrop Expo at the Delta South Edmonton Grand Ballroom.
It was a pretty good mix of vendors.

I was grateful for the daylight savings time change this morning.
I was up pretty late the night before - getting the website ready to launch....
Here it is by the way !

http://www.coverboocouture.com/

Its a work in process... but its UP, its LIVE !!!

Luckily I packed most of the tradeshow items the night before. Here is a shot of the finished booth.
                       

The Husband & Baby came in the morning for some "Support" and left just after lunch so baby could have a nap.

I sold a few CoverBoos, I even sold a couple to some women who werent even breast feeding, and werent even pregnant ( yet) They just bought them to have for "just in case"  .... awww sweet.
A few friends popped in to visit, so that was nice - ( Thanks for the Starbucks Bella )

I was also able to meet some of the Vendors - ( Got some really good ideas from some of them) .
And hopefully I'll be able to be at other shows with them.

Oddly enough - I also got some inquries on my design work and signage ... So I might be doing some tradeshow signs for some of the other vendors  !

All in all , I'd say it was a good show - (for a rookie)




ooooohhhh....Shiney !!!

CakeWalk 2011

Hmmm ....Cake. Its ( one of ) the most wonderful times of the year !

I have attended the Nina Haggerty Center for the Arts Cake Walk for the last few years now.
This year I am happy to say that I was able to contribute in 2 ways ! First thru Epiphany Design Concepts with Auction Signage and 2nd by CoverBoo Couture donation to package for the silent auction !


So nice to be placed in a package with such great company.

Now back to the cakes ! These are really a work of art, Check these Goodies out!

The best thing about CakeWalk ? Well you get to taste the cakes too !!

They always have a great spread though. This year they had a sushi table, a couple of servers with trays of sliders and thin sliced sweet potato baked chips, and another table filled with veggies, spring rolls, meatball skeweres and cheese... hmmmm brie.....oh and the cupcakes.... Whimsical Cake Studio - I love you ! ..... and wine and SteamWhistle beer and some Really REALLY wicked Fruit punch !

 


Even though the wine was free flowing, I REALLY could not get enough of that punch ! It was filled with everything ! grapefruit, lemons,limes, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, pineapples, mint .... i swear - it ruined me for any other minutemaid type of punch !

Ok, Back to the show.... the entertainment was provided by the hosts Josh Classen & the alway hilarious Sheri Somerville, musical guests were Kira Hladun & Brett Kissel & his band. They Did a baddass Tribute to the Late Great Mr. Johnny Cash !



And Last but not least....
here is the lucky winner of Package 14 ! Ms. Corrie T. Got the whole package for a super sweeeet deal !

If you ever get the chance to check out the cake walk ... DO IT.
Its just a good time, great food, great cake, great entertainment, great auction packages ... and its all for a good cause !    http://www.ninahaggertyart.ca/cakewalk.php

Afternoon at WeeStock 2011

So Noah & I spent part of the Halloween Weekend at WeeStock 2011.

So many many many Awesome vendors there.

It was a bit crowded getting in, there were so many people and strollers there. Luckily there was also a stroller check there where you would check in your stroller and take a baby carrier for a test drive around the show. Courtesey of CBHM inc. http://www.cosybabyhappymommy.com/
I "tested" one of their wraps early last February for the Mom,Pop & Tot show...Loved it and bought a teal &  black wrap. I am now just waiting for my New Buckle Mei Tei from the same Company.

So happy to say that the CoverBoo Nursing scarf was carried at the Sprogs.ca Booth... Pretty good spot ( Right next the the Bibagogos ! )

And here is the Lovely Ms. Doherty herself rockin the CoverBoo ! You should really check out her store - she's got some pretty Unique Stuff !
http://www.sprogs.ca/


There was one other booth I wanted to mention - Plumb & Posey
I had never seen them before, They make charms & pendants from fingerprints, toe prints, nose prints....
Here is their website : http://www.plumandposey.com/
I had a peek at their display and had the owner / designer Adrinna Hardy take a print from Noah's Toe.
She was great with him... then again, he WAS flirting with her...

                                                

Awwwww baby toe prints....

In a couple of weeks I should recieve my custom pendant with Noah's toe Print. I chose the Silver Bead Slider with inital...... Sooooo Cool. I realize I cant really wear my necklaces right now since Noah's still all Mr. Grabby. But I still love the idea !
Saw some great ladies ( and gents )  there and am starting to recognize who's who in the tradeshow circut !!!

Meeting with Nanny Robina

So a few days ago I was invited to a Meet & Greet with the one & Only Ms. Nanny Robina from "The Mom Show" & "CityLine" fame...albiet Canadian Fame ! OMGoodness - she is such a sweeeeeet little ol nanny ! And she`s almost 50yrs old ! You`d never know it to look at her ! I guess the kids keep her young.

It was a small group of maybe 15 or so other people. She told us some stories and doled out some advice on child care etc...mostly dealing with toddler shenanegans !!!  There was alot of questions asked by the crowd, so much so that I wish I took notes. I met a few moms from twitter so it was a nice evening out !

http://www.citytv.com/cityline/health/article/87955--dealing-with-child-aggression


** On another note ***
mama got herself a brand new sewing machine !!!  YAY !

First PodCast Interview.

So today was my first interview on "This Manic Mama"  - a weekly podcast based out of Montreal, hosted by the lovely Ms.Lindsey Campbell. TMM highlights real moms and dads who are working hard to raise their kids to be conscious and critical citizens of the world.

http://www.hipmama.com/node/45142

http://thismanicmama.libsyn.com/

I went to high school with Lindsay...Social 30, Photography, Commercial Arts if I remember correctly.
Grad '96.. my how we've changed.

I really wasnt sure what we would be talking about. But we touched on some topics about PPD, Mental Health, being a new mom & having the right support systems, different mom/play groups, a bit of highschool catch up. I was even able to do a bit of a plug for CoverBoo Couture !

Noah was relativly good, except he kept grabbing or kicking the ear piece wires away. And the dog kept trying to steal Noah's puff treats. Other than that it was my first time on Skype - So I just hope the interview comes out ok !

I think it will be aired on Thursday.

Motherhood & the Travelling CoverBoo

Ok - so I ripped this blog posts title from the SisterHood & the Travelling pants.
We had our very first trip & plane ride with baby Noah. And I must say he did uber fabulous !
Flirting with all the stewardess' and all the other passengers.

I always try to pack light and many thanks fo the tips from  http://havebabywilltravel.com/  !
The CoverBoo was convenient - fashion piece, nursing cover, scrunched up pillow, blanket, drool wiper, peek-a-boo toy all in one... and I didnt even have to dig into the diaper bag !

Fun times watching dolphins, turtles and beluga whales @  the Aquarium  !!

Farmers Market Rookie

Well this was the first time I was a Vendor at any Farmers Market - But with the help from Zita of
Ignite Strategic Solutions (@Ignite_Strategy)  I was able to get into the SouthWest Terwillegar Farmers Market before the end of the season ! Since I am also in the graphic industry - it was easy to have my banners and signage done up quickly !

 http://epiphanydesignconcepts.blogspot.com/p/products.html
It was super windy - but at least I was able to grab some rocks to keep everything down !

The weather was a bit chilly - But it was a good day to get out and about and the the CoverBoo brand out there for people to see. Sold a couple, and a bunch of people took some cards to pass off to their girlfriends and other mom groups.

I had Noah & my mom come with me. At least my mom was able to entertain him while I was setting up. They strolled around the market and played in the truck for a while. He was a trooper - But was able to go home early after his dad came by to pick him up after work !

I was placed in an area surrounded by things I love. To the left of me - I had a vendor selling Wine. ( too bad she didnt have any samples out ... I actually joked about her cracking open a bottle so we could warm up a bit !)
To the right of me I had Gymboree and A bakery with some muffins, cup cakes and other goodies !
And Right infront of me I had Some Greek Food Vendors and Korean Food Vendors....They all had food samples !!! Mom bought Muffins, Bulgogi and I bought some greek dip.

This will probably be my only outdoor market ( till next year ) as the season is now over. It was a good experience. But at least I have all the basics : Folding table, banners, cards, product. 
Hopefully I can get into some of the upcoming indoor shows !

Some finished products...

So I dropped off a batch of material to a new seamtress, and picked up a few bags of completed CoverBoos from the manufacturer and finished sewing a few more myself.
Sent design files to the print shop to get the banners done for the farmers market.
Made & Sewed on more Logo Tags
( Oh sweet sleep - I miss hanging out with you.  )

Here are a few of the completed CoverBoos that I will be bringing to the farmers market this Wednesday !

Large Purple Black Grey Plaid - - 28 x 30

violet burst with frills ~ gauze 20 x 30

red'n black plaid sheer ~ 21 x 28

orange gauze ~ 19 x 25

pale rose thick cosy jersey ~ 19 x 28

houndtooth - 19 x 28

plain jane black sheer ~ 19x 27

petite Orange yellow red ~ 18x 25

sky blue ~ 19 x 25

petite yellow sunburst ~ 18 x 25

petite blues white & brown ~ 18 x 25

browns black burnt orange & white ~ 18x25
Still more to come......