Friday, December 20, 2013

Stay in bed mom

"Stay In Bed Mom"
 
Hello, readers. Every six months I like to write a personal blog post rather than one about our projects, decorating, etc, just to let you know what is going on behind the curtains at WTbM.
 
There have been A LOT of good changes in the past 6 months to the business. I will be sharing them with you shortly. But first I want to share a personal experience to let you know why and how these changes came about.
 
Here at Window Treatments by Melissa, we understand the importance of families and the import role a mother plays in children's lives. I have hired a team of women that work from their own work rooms in their homes wherever they are in the country so that they can stay at home with their children. For me, I work while my children are at school and some evenings and weekends.
 
 
I am a very selfish mom in that I like to sleep. Wait, wait. If I'm being honest, I L.O.V.E. to sleep. I'm also a selfish mom in that I should probably be saving up for my kids college expenses instead of saving up for my vacation home in Europe. . .  I paid, errr am still paying, for my college so they can pay for theirs! Right?! amiright???
 
Let me tell you what's been going on in my heart and my  mind this past year. Let me preface by saying that I think self esteem is stupid and fake and made up by therapists. (I know I'm inviting some controversial comments with that one, but I do feel that way). I think self esteem is just another way to focus on ourselves and how I feel, how everything around me affects ME and makes ME feel a certain way ME ME ME ME! I think if we focus outward on others we are too distracted to think about we feel. So rather than saying "self esteem," I'm going to use the word "value." I've never felt like I held much value as a mother. I'm sort of introvert, so I really don't care for large groups and play dates. If I never sing "The Wheels on The Bus" again, it won't be too soon. I can't make bread. In my community, homemade bread is the mark of a good homemaker. ;) I try to teach my kids good morals and values and have never felt like anyone is listening or absorbing anything. I had been feeling like I was of more value to the family if I brought in an income rather than being the provider of emotional support, life lessons and maker of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
 
A few times this last year, I kept telling myself not to give up just because I thought my kids weren't absorbing anything I said to them. Both of my kids had experiences that demonstrated they had learned something from me.
 
My son is the least confrontational person on earth. Ever. He told me one day he was having some trouble with a boy on the bus stealing his mittens and gloves from him and turning them inside out and bunching them up so he couldn't use them. I told him the important thing to do would be to forgive him and remain friends with the boy because people change and you might want him to be your friend later. And how would he know if he changed and got better unless you forgave him and continued to treat him as a friend? Recently I asked who he sat next to on the bus and he told me the name of the boy who was picking on him. And he said he was glad he had a friend now to sit on the bus with. I was very proud of him for not wasting time and a perfectly good friendship over being upset and hurt about something that had happened in the past. I've taught him something very important that I have learned this past year: to live in the present. I told him to ask himself when he is feeling hurt by what they did, "Are they doing it right now?" And if the answer was, "no," then he could just play with them or whatever they're doing as if it never happened and just be friends.
 
My daughter is in pre school. She was asked by her teacher what her favorite thing to do with her mommy was. Her answer was that she liked to lay down in bed with me under the covers and have "talks" with mommy. It never even registered in my mind that this was a significant thing. Every evening we go to my bed and for about 5-10 minutes I ask her to tell me about her day and she'll tell me some things that happened at school and we talk about them and talk about how she can be a better friend (while her brother doesn't like confrontation, I think she welcomes it ;)). It's just a tiny little thing we do and I never realized it had any significance at all. But I realized that she probably learns more in those 5-10 minutes than any other time during the day.
 
I started to realize in these past few months that I do have more value to my family than bringing in an income. Even if I can't make bread and refuse to take my children to play dates ;). I am finally starting to appreciate what it means to be a stay at home mom and what it means to be a mom altogether! (Wanted to be clear, I think if I were a working mom outside the home I could still have value as a mother).
 
 
I've never been confident in my skills or abilities as a mother until recently. I don't feel too much mom guilt as I am more of a "live in the present" kind of a person. When I make a mistake I just learn from it and move forward and dwell on the fact that it happened. So a few months ago I decided to accept the fact that I probably did a lot of damage to my family while I felt like I had no worth in the unit except financially. I decided to make my worth and value in the position I'm in in the family and to move forward.
 
In order to accomplish making my roll as mom more valuable in my family, I had to decrease my work load significantly. The thought behind this is that I hope to have lots more 5-10 minute moments throughout the day with my kids rather than using those 5 or 10 minutes to answer email or do quotes. So I added to the team!
 
 
 
THE WTbM team!
 
Heather
Heather is a mom of three and a military wife! She has been with us since late spring this year and makes our Flat/Classic Roman Shades and is eager to learn to create other items in our shop.
 
Heather is very talented and also makes doll clothes and clothes for her children. We're lucky she's on our team!
 
Becky
Becky has been on the team for two years! She is a mom of one and the wife of Bryan Gentry who created our website. She is able to make almost every window treatment we offer, but currently makes all varieties of our curtains.
Becky is loyal, trustworthy and takes a great deal of pride in her work. In two years of work she has never once had a complaint! I always know I can count on her! It's very comforting to have a team member like Becky!
 
Trena
Trena has also been with us. . . forever. . . . She's a mom of two and also a nursing student! She is very talented and can make almost anything! She currently makes our pillow covers, poufs and window seat cushions.
 
image provided by Trena ;)
 
She is a perfectionist and I am very lucky to have her on the team.
 
Karyn
Karyn is a mom of one and came to us at the recommendation of my sister in law. I'm very glad my sister in law recommended her because she has been a tremendous asset to the team. She currently makes our Flat/Classic style Roman Shades.
 
Still waiting on Karyn's pic ;)
 
I never have to worry about anything I put in Karyn's hands. She is very skilled and professional and I am glad she is on the team!
 
Kelsie
Kelsie is a friend of mine from college. She waited patiently for a job with WTbM as she wanted to be able to work from home and stay at home with her baby. We had a short wait list for positions and Kelsie submitted her work to us for consideration during the training process and it was stunning! She is talented and makes many other things like her own clothes!
 
Kelsie's pic coming soon.
 
Kelsie is reliable and professional and I am so lucky to have her on the team!
 
Jeanelle
Jeanelle is a friend of mine here in town. She is just fantastic at everything she does! She is a mom of four boys! Hats off to you, Jeanelle! :) When I trained Jeanelle, the thing I admired most about her work is that she was very patient and took as much time as it took to make it right. She also is very talented at making her own clothes and other fun things like Halloween costumes!
 
 
Jeanelle is a wonderful asset to the team and I am luck to have her!
 
Moving Forward
While I still plan to improve on and progress in the business, I will be delegating most of the production end of things to my fabulous seamstresses who, let's face it, probably make better products than I DO!
 
I have started to make some goals for myself to be a better mother. We started by making a family goal book. They are our "goal-den" plates. ;) That's for our Mormon friends. For our non-Mormon friends, you can learn about The Golden Plates here.
 
 
Every Sunday night we start the week off by making goals for the upcoming week. Then the next week we revisit the goals and make new ones for the next week.
 
My long term goal is to realize that my "Stay in bed mom" status can change and that I can learn to appreciate and embrace being a mom and what that requires of me. 
 
 
I've always considered myself an artist. I have been blessed with many talents and am able to do many things. But these past few months I have realized that I am the artist and my children are the art, the clay ready to be sculpted.
 
 
I have thought often these past few months of a friend who was struggling with remaining with the church. He asked me what I do, commenting on my not fitting the typical "mold" of members of our church. I told him on several different occasions that you have to do something you know is right even if you aren't good at it. I've thought of this many times these past few months.
 
 
I sleep in and let my kids fend for themselves in the mornings with gogurts and dry cereal. I've talked on the phone with my sister right through having to pick up my son from the bus stop. I can't make homemade bread. I have threatened on many occasions to trade my kids for magic beans. And my son will tell you I'm the best mom because I let him have peanut cereal for lunch even though he just had it for breakfast! I'm not the best mom in the world. But I am a mom. And the value of that roll is based on my efforts. I have to keep doing it even if I'm not good at it. If you're a mom, you're a mom and that's the bottom line. If you're a mom, be a mom!
 
 
I have decided to delegate more work to my wonderful, amazing seamstresses so that I can focus on being a little better as a mom. It's only been these past few months, watching my children interact with other people, that I have seen how much influence I have on them to be good people and assets in society. I am going to be spending more time improving myself so I can improve them. I'm going to keep trying even if I'm not good at it.
 

Monday, December 16, 2013

Ask Melissa: Where Can I Get Affordable Custom Poufs and Floor Cushions?

Ask Melissa:
 
Where Can I Get Affordable Custom Poufs and Floor Cushions?
 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/raineycreekhome
 
Rainey Creek Home offers a variety of home décor items including poufs,

This is an 18" floor pouf out of Premier Prints
 Elephants in Candy Pink with coordinating
piping.

 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/157503052/ready-to-ship-18-inch-square-floor-pouf?ref=shop_home_active
This is an 18" square pouf in Waverly Cross Section Bluebell.
Poufs have the option of being shipped stuffed or unstuffed.
All poufs have handles for easy moving!




Floor cushions have the option to be
shipped stuffed or unstuffed.


Floor cushions have a 4" gusset, but can be customized.
 



 
 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/115895489/sale-20x20-aruba-green-and-natural?ref=shop_home_feat
If you see a pillow cover you like, but not the size, it
can be made in any custom size!
You can also add on coordinating piping
or even have custom piping made out of
the same material!
 
and more.
 
While Rainey Creek Home offers a variety of stylish and popular fabrics to choose from, you may also supply your own fabric for a custom décor item! While some measurements are made standard for easy shopping, you may also customize the size of any item by simply messaging Rainey Creek Home with your custom item request.
 
 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/raineycreekhome?section_id=11537594
 
today for your affordable and custom home décor accents.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Client Appreciation: See the window treatments in action!

See some of our window treatments in action and get ideas for our own space.
 
These hidden tab panels were a project I did with JSW Interiors. The fabric they are made from is called Green Bean Beads.

These Flat or Classic style Roman Shades were made for a client of ours out of Richloom Evelynne, colorway is Graphite. These shades are a good representation of how we make each shade identical so that when they are being hung next to each other or in the same room the pattern starts in the same place on each window treatment.

This is a  French door curtain that was custom made for a client with a ruffled rod pocket at the top and bottom of he curtain. It also has a 3" wide sash in the middle with Velcro attachment that can be adjusted so the gathering can be as much or little as you like. The fabric tis curtain is made out of is called Hollyhock by Shumacher. We ordered it through Lynn Chalk's discount designer fabrics.

And finally, a blackout lined flat roman shade,
 
to match these rod pocket valances,

 
and matching pillow covers and baby blanket (blanket was not created by WTbM).



Wednesday, December 4, 2013

One Yard Wonder: Jewelry holder

ONE YARD WONDER:
Jewelry Holder
 
 
Materials needed:
 
1) One yard of fabric
2) One yard of 3/8" wide ribbon
3) One 10 or 12" zipper
4) Coordinating thread colors
5) 8" by 10" picture frame
6) Heavy duty stapler
 
Start by selecting the following: 1) an 8" by 10" picture frame, 2) one yard of fabric and 3) one yard of coordinating 3/8" wide ribbon.
 
Next you will cut one piece of fabric to be 9" by 11", two pieces of fabric that are 3.5" high by 11" long and three twelve inch long pieces of ribbon.
 
Center your fabric in the picture frame and then on the front side use a measuring tape to measure the following:
 
With a disappearing ink pen, make a mark 1" from the top, make a mark 5" from the top, and then a mark 6" from the top. These marks will be where you will place the pockets and additional ribbon piece.
 

With an iron, iron over 1/2" of one edge of one pocket edge and fold over and iron 1" of one edge of the other pocket edge. 
 
On the remaining raw edge of each pocket, pin and sew one of the 12" long pieces of ribbon.
 
Pin the 3" tall pocket on the 1" ink line you made on the main piece of fabric. Pin the 2.5" tall pocket to the 6" line you made on the fabric. And pin the remaining piece of 12" long piece of ribbon to the 5" line.
 
Sew along the BOTTOM edges of each pocket.
 
Then pin one side of the 10" zipper to the ribbon edge of the top pocket places at 1" and pin the other side of the zipper to the 1" line you made. Then sew in the zipper.
 
Then sew around the entire outer edges of the 9" by 11" piece of fabric. Sew at about 1/2" in. Sew the single ribbon down around the edges only. Do not sew it down to the 9" by 11" piece of fabric.
 
Only sew across the ribbon that is placed at the 5" mark at the center (and on the sides when you sew around the entire edge) for reinforcement. Do not sew the rest of it to the main piece of fabric.
 
Then place the piece inside the picture frame and staple at the inner edge of the frame.

 
When you close the back of the frame, this is what it will look like:
 
3" tall zipper pocket at the top, single 3/8" wide ribbon in the middle, 2.5" open pocket at the bottom.
 
 
I use the ribbon to hold clasp bracelets like the below image:

 
Or to hold stud of dangle ear rings.

My open pocket on the bottom hold rings, pins and hair accessories.

The zipper pocket holds necklaces.
 
 
 
 
 
Enjoy!