Thank you!

From Shar . . .

Thanksgiving. There is so much to be thankful for this year. Sherryl and I put our positive vibes out into the universe and our nose to the grindstone, and voila! Sherryl & Shar took its first steps into the retail market! This company is truly our baby and ever labor pain will be worth it in the end because we know that we have the support of our friends, family, and fans. And, when I say "labor pains," believe me, starting a company has all the signs of birthing a newborn. Sweat, tears, late nights, early mornings, frequent appointments, temporary meltdowns, getting the crib ready -aka the website. It has been an exhausting yet worthy adventure. I am the luckiest person to have my best friend with me through it all. That said, I am also thankful for Beyonce's latest cd! If you are an avid reader of our blog, you will know why! :)

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥ 

From Sherryl . . . 

I am thankful for so much! So far, it has been an amazing year and it’s not over yet. The most exciting times are yet to come and it’s not just because Thanksgiving is here and Christmas and the New Year are right around the corner. Shar and I are finally seeing all of our hard work come to fruition.  I remember those days when all we did was dream and wonder what kind of business to start. At that time, I was in Indiana and Shar was in Rhode Island.  The two of us have come a long way since then.  We’ve criss crossed thousands of miles across the country, drank more than our fair share of margaritas during meetings and survived every crazy, exciting and surreal experience, all the while making S & S a reality. Though, we couldn’t have done it by ourselves. It’s still amazing to me how many people support us! I'm smiling to myself and shaking my head in wonder right now.   To each and every one of you (family, friends, FB fans, Twitterville, friends of friends and friends of friends of friends) that has sent Shar and I encouraging words, positive thoughts and good juju, I just want to say, from the tips of my magical sewing fingers, “Salamat Po . . . Grazie . . . Mahalo . . . Thank You!”  And to my BFF and PIC, “Love you, chica!”

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥ 

May your bellies be full, your home filled with laughter and your hearts overflowing with happiness this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Love,

Sherryl and Shar

P.S.  We also hope your pockets are heavy! Teehee!  

Ode to Sewing

Courtesy of Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing.  Every little bit helps!!!  I sang this with Beyonce’s If I were a Boy.  Yes, I know I’m a dork, but if you had the day that I did yesterday, you would appreciate this bit of silliness.  By the way, a very special thank you to my husband for wiping away my tears and drippy nose.

Oh great craft maker in the sky

Please, oh please!

Surround my workspace with good vibes, patience and creativity.

Guard these delicate fingertips from pinpricks and savage snips,

Whether by thimbles of steel or old-school divine intervention.

I don’t care, I just need hardcore protection!

Structured or freeform,

Let my needle sew straight and sturdy for stitches big and small.

And allow my scissors to fly through fabric upon my call.

Sure, I can handle ripping a seam, or even losing my pincushion.

But you know where I really need the lucky charms?

Bobbins, patterns and tension!

Silk, cotton, plastic, oilcloth.

Scarves, purses, journals, jackets.

I’m smart, savvy-and soon I’ll be a superstar stitcher.

Just keep it cool and I’ll follow through!

This will help me get through the days until the upcoming launch and prevent me from throttling my stubborn sewing machine against the stone wall (yes, the very same one that I used for my shipping experiment).  I just need to stay focused and keep up the positive juju…and sing every other hour!

Since everyone has been very patient (and kind for listening to me vent) you deserve a little glance at our final products. 

Sneak peek of The Diva, The Student and The Shoe Addict

One of Them Days

YESTERDAY:

I was SO excited! I even woke up before my alarm went off. It was a Monday, the first day to start sewing our actual products. To mark the day, I got all dressed up and did my hair and makeup.  “Look good, feel good” is my mantra. (It really does work!) And the whole time I’m dancing to Beyonce and Mariah Carey tunes to keep my energy flowing. I was convinced it was going to be a good day, the butterflies in my tummy made me believe it would be. I had a yummy breakfast . . . and that’s where the goodness ended. The rest of the day was filled with one frustration after another. I was repairing something, hunting something down or discovering I had done something wrong. Seriously, that’s what it was like and I was about to have a melt down.  I didn’t feel productive at all. I won’t go into details or else you’ll really think I’m a crybaby or make you wonder why I’m making handbags at all. The latter went through my mind for just a whisper of a moment, but I immediately squashed that thought. It wasn’t healthy thinking and I AM NOT A QUITTER!!! Though at 10:30 in the evening, with my fifth attempt at something, I decided to call it a day. Thank goodness there is a tomorrow. Moral of the story: Give it your best, but know when to rest.

TODAY:

. . . is another day and an opportunity to keep building our empire. I’m still optimistic.

Quote from Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing:

“There are three little words that I love to say.  I use them when a friend points at something new that I am holding or wearing.  I smile, my chin juts out just a couple of milli-leters, my chest puffs the tiniest bit, my answer has just a trace of pride, and I say my favorite three words . . .”I made it.”  -Amy from Sydney, Australia

I know exactly how she feels.  That is what keeps me going.  That and the fact that I have an amazing business partner (she's only a call, text, chat, vchat, email or FB away and is ALWAYS there!) to encourage me every step of the way.  Having a Partner In Crime makes everything worthwhile.  We knew it wouldn’t be easy setting up shop for Sherryl and Shar, but thank goodness we have each other to lean on.  

Laboratory Testing

In S&S’s effort to guarantee that you will receive an undamaged product, I have conducted a test, simulating the journey a package would encounter during shipment from my doorstep to yours.

I know that the mailman probably wouldn’t do the things I did to the box (I know mine wouldn’t).  However, there is a possibility of him having an off day and grabbing any unsuspecting package (maybe yours!) and taking his aggressions out on it.  How many of you have thrown around a few things in the midst of an all out fury?  I know you don’t want to admit it, but burning off that extra bit of energy feels good doesn’t it?  Let me tell you, I can have a mean pillow fight all by myself.  Granted, I only pound the bed, but it still does the trick.  Anyway, I’ve said too much already.  So, lucky for you, S&S is taking this precaution to ensure a pristine handbag.  I opened the shipping box after my experiment and rest assured that the contents were as I had packed them.  Unfortunately, I can’t show proof.  Just trust me.  We’re saving you the pleasure for when you unwrap one of your very own.

I’m also testing these biodegradable peanuts.  Not sure if we’ll end up using them, but I was curious to see if they really do dissolve in water.  Another green attempt on our part! 

Like magic, it turns into foam!  

I was amazed so I did it a couple of more times to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. I know, the littlest things can entertain me!  Let’s see, what else needs to be tested before our treasures are shipped out to our fans?

The Shopaholic

The plastic bag reincarnated . . . only this time, it’s green! Something that us chicas try to incorporate into our daily lives.  I’m very pleased with the sample and it’s definitely one of my favorites.  I wish I could say that I didn’t have my head scratching moments (1 1/4 + 1 7/8 = STL needs to take a remedial arithmetic course.  I friggin’ hate fractions!) or cursed every time I stabbed myself with the millions of pins keeping the fabric in place (You would think I would be more careful by now.  Seriously, it was like sticking my hand into a gator’s mouth.) or . . . well, you get the picture.  It wasn’t easy!  I did learn how to make a French seam though.  In the end, this is what I’ve known all along: the projects that make your brain go into overdrive (that really want to make you pull your hair out) and make you think outside the box are the ones that you appreciate the most.  You want a little peek into my thought processing?  Scenario: I sent an email to Shar, trying to figure out how to give the The Shopaholic that extra zing.

Of course I had to sensor the competition!  Don’t bother asking who it is.  I’ll never tell!

Every now and then all I have to do is send Shar an email and ramble my way out of things.  It never fails that she always helps me, whether she’s physically there or not.  Drum roll please . . . . 

Tada!  So practical right!

Hurray!!!  All the Samples are complete!  Well, almost.  I just need to do a revise of The Shoe Addict, but that’ll be quick work.  Next on our plates, admin stuff: packaging, shipping, labels, hang tags.  Hmm, I know there’s more to do.  It’s all coming together!  SOON . . . very, very soon!  

The Student

I love this bag!  You know why?  Because it was the easiest one to make!  Not only that, but this sucker is strong!  I was curious to know how many books it could hold (after all, it is meant for the student, library geek (that’s totally me!) or just the average bookstore junky (that’s Shar!)), so I shoved as many books inside of it as it could possibly handle. 

Filled to maximum capacity!  Well, not totally.  You could still cram a few more if you don't mind them sticking out.

Seven . . . not bad.  That’s like, what, 3 college textbooks?  According to my honey (I don’t have a scale at home, so I figured he would be a good reference mechanism since he lifts weights), they weighed 25 pounds.  Though, I wouldn't want to be carrying that load all over campus, especially if I was gone the whole day.  I might as well invest in one of those roller backpacks like my cousin Trish is contemplating on getting.  (So uncool!  But hey, whatever floats her boat!  HA!!! Just kidding cuz!)  I forgot to include a pocket on the sample, but that’s easy to include in the final one. 

I know, funky colors again!  Thank goodness they're samples! 

So, four down and one more sample to go.  It’s called The Shopaholic.  The fabric for the final is just too cute and so very appropriate for its purpose.  Here's a hint: fruits.  You get it??? 

The Diva

Sewing the sample makeup bag wasn’t so bad.  Well, I say that now, but I did have a hell of a time attaching the zipper.  The sample was my second time working with one and I made sure to google several tutorials for guidance.  I also wanted to know if there were any shortcuts available to make things go smoothly for a novice like me.  I have to admit, there were a lot of What the hell's and Aw crap's (one of them for breaking my needle) that day.  I’m usually a very good systematic thinker, but it took a little too long for me to catch on to these tutes for my liking.  Though after two hours of grumbling, everything else was breeze.

Cutting out the pattern.  You like my use of granite?  It’s called being resourceful!  Why pay $10 for a set of four pattern weights at Joann’s while I can pick up these small slabs for free while hiking. 

 Don't mind the funky fabric pairing. The interior will actually have a nylon lining for easy cleanup.

I also fell in love with my sewing machine again (ours is a love-hate relationship) while discovering the automatic needle threader.  What an amazing mechanism to include!  I seriously should have read the manual all the way through.

STL’s samples to make:

The Traveler 

The Shoe Addict 

The Diva 

The Student (working on next)

The ??? (stay tuned!)