I Love Customer Pictures!

Have I ever told you how much I love getting pictures of little girls in my designs?! Seriously, it makes my day, week, month. LOL. There is nothing like seeing a sweet little girl twirling, running, posing in a Molly O. O-kay, maybe it is a ego thing. But it really makes me feel good.

I was cleaning some of the files on my computer and came across this sweet photo sent in last summer by one of my customers. What a adorable little girl and a talented mommy! In fact, I just commissioned them to model/shoot some of my fall line. Don't worry, I'll post the pics as soon as I have them!





Doesn't this just make you want to pack your bags and head for the beach! I'm sitting here in 108 degree weather with smoke from the California wild fires settled in the Las Vegas valley. I'm just going to stare at this photo and pretend like I'm in a lounge chair with a nice cold drink. Ahhhhh.

Until then, SEND ME YOUR PHOTOS!!! I would love to feature your little princess wearing a Molly O on my blog.

Email your photos to molly@mollyodesigns.com

HUGE Summer Sale!

So I just handed off all my fall samples to the manufacturer tonight! Woo Hoo! What a great feeling! I have a few more that are going out to be modeled but other then that, my fall line is out of my hands (insert huge sigh of relief).

But now I need to clear out all my summer inventory to make room for the new fall boutique lines (wait until you see what is coming for Fall 2008!). I have to say one of the dresses for fall is my all time FAVORITE dress. I hope all my customers love it just as much!

So, take a peak at my ebay store where you will find some amazing deals! All my summer inventory is 30-50% off! I will be adding more over the next day, so keep checking back.

Click Molly O Designs Store

Does anyone want a sneak peak for fall? O-kay, here is one of the fun and funky sets I have planned with tons of mix and match pieces!




Keep checking back because I have 4 full lines for fall plus some other fun holiday boutique pieces.

Mid-Year Resolutions

I don't think I made any New Year's resolutions this year, so maybe it is appropriate if I make some middle of the year resolutions. LOL. I swear I have good intentions to get so many things done. I have a list a mile long of all the things I would love to accomplish. And yet, it seems like I'm lucky to place any checks on that list at all. So, here are a few of my middle of the year, get myself in gear to accomplish a few things before another month goes by resolutions:

1. Post more then once every 3 weeks on my blog. Check! I have tons of new things coming for Fall 2008 including my ready to wear childrens boutique line! I have lots of material for my blog, so everyone bug me until I get it all posted.

2. Finish decorating my house. Wait, maybe I should break this resolution down to rooms. It seems like most of the rooms in my house are 75% done. Which means when you add them all up I have half a house to decorate. LOL. I just started taking down the wallpaper in our guest bathroom yesterday. Hmmmm, maybe not such a good idea since I have 2 chairs recovered in the kitchen and 2 with the old fabric (imagine 3 toddlers, lots of cheerios, spilled milk and all the other crusty/stickies that go with kids). Yum! Oh, and there is the newly converted playroom which still has a framed print that is from a vineyard. Hmmm, that doesn't really mix does it? Kids and wine decorations. Well, sometimes I drink wine after a long day with the kids, does that count? O-kay, I'm off track from my resolution already. Finish decorating my house. Check.

3. GET IN SHAPE!!! I know everyone says this, but really I can only use the excuse "I had 3 kids in 4 years" so many times. The baby is 2 1/2, time to get over it and stop looking like a Oompa Loompa!

4. Get ahead on my clothing line. This is a big one. I have a wonderful manufacturer that has been doing a lot of last minute things for me. BUT, I really need to get out of my comfort zone and plan at least 9 months ahead on my line. Which means, as soon as I hand off the rest of my samples tomorrow to my pattern maker, I need to book a trip to the LA fabric district to start shopping fabric for Spring/Summer 2009. Anyone in the mood to shop?

I think that is a pretty good list to start, right? Who wants to hold me accountable? Anyone else want to join me? My challenge to you is to do your own Mid-Year Resolution list on your blog. It will make you feel good to take inventory of your life.

It's Summer Time!

Can you believe the school year is already over?! I don't know where the time went. But I do know that I am frantically putting the finishing touches on my fall 2008 line! Can you believe that I'm thinking about fall clothes in June? Well I actually started designing, looking for fabric and creating back in February! The back to school shopping season is just around the corner. So my samples are heading off to my manufacturer in Los Angeles so they can make it back in time for the Fall Molly O Trunk Shows. More to come on when and where our boutique pieces will be available.

But in the meantime, we are still thinking warm, relaxing summer thoughts! That is until the peace is interrupted by 3 screaming children who are already bored after being home for one day. LOL. Scream they may, but you can still make sure they look adorable when you venture out to summer parties and on vacation.

Take a peak at these fun and whimsical summer hair clips. Available in Little Kitty, Mr. Snail, My Frog the Prince, Little Miss Piggy and Summer Watermelon! What a cute way to make your princess look cute and put together even if she is just hopping out of the pool.




Just to kick off the summer the right way, I'm offering all 5 clips for FREE to one lucky winner. All you have to do is tell your friends about Molly O Designs and send them to our blog! Post a comment that you were here along with who you invited and you will be entered to win. The contest ends Friday June 13th. See I just made Friday the 13th Lucky! So start entering!!!

It's the little things!

Like many working mothers, I'm often in a rush to get something done. I take multi-tasking to a whole new level. What I fail to remember is that when you rush, you typically make mistakes. Which means, spending even more time fixing the new problem.

When I have a new design that needs to get photographed, all I'm thinking of is how can I squeeze in a photoshoot inbetween school pickups, homework, doing the dishes, sending out orders and answering emails? Oh, and when is the lighting just right for me to shoot outdoors? Well, as you will see my photos were not the best. I'm not saying they were bad, but I didn't take the time to pay attention to the little things.


BEFORE



Hmmmmm, not feeling just right. The dress is so much cuter in person (I swear!). So, let's see...........add a small pettiskirt so customers can see the fullness. Make a cute sailor hat to match and drive over to the local lake. There, that's a little better. And VOILA!



AFTER





So take the time to look at the little things. They do make a difference and will save you time in the end!

To see more of this adorable Sailor dress, which would also be perfect for the 4th of July, take a look at our auction. CLICK HERE

Have I ever told you.........

About my sweet, adorable, pirate loving, sensitive son Clay? Clay is my teacher in this world. He sees so much that I am blind to. He communicates in a way that has a much deeper meaning, if you take the time to really absorb what he wants to tell you. He has my husband's beautiful brown eyes and what we like to call his "hot lips". He wears a belt, sword and pirate hat everywhere we go. But takes the time to hug his sisters if they are crying.



April was Autism Awareness month. I feel like I have heard the word Autism more times then I care to count in the last two years. I remember the first time I really heard the word. Two years ago. Just two short years ago we heard the words, "I'm sorry, your son has autism." In my gut, in my heart, in my soul I knew they were right. But hearing that word brought out so many emotions. First, I said o-kay, what do we do now? Happy to have an answer to the thousands of questions that went through my head everyday. Why doesn't Clay talk? Why doesn't he turn his head when I say his name even if I scream? Why won't he touch his stuff animals or let the carpet touch his hands? Why won't he eat anything except crackers, pasta and bread? Why, why, why????? We finally had an answer! I almost felt happy as we left the doctor's office.

And then I woke up the next morning and started to cry. And cry and cry and cry. I did not stop crying for 2 weeks. In hind sight I think I went through a grieving process. No one tells you about this at your babyshower when you are playing "Guess How Huge Molly's Stomach Is?!". You plan for what you think is the "perfect" child. Instead you get God's perfect child. Everyone tells you to start a college fund. No one tells you that the therapy involved with Autism causes many families to sell their home or take out a second mortgage. No one tells you that instead of spending time going to gymboree classes and having playdates, that you will try to avoid all those things so you don't have to explain the tantrums that come from having sensory overload.

I grieved by crying and then going into denial and then getting really angry. And now, I just feel utter and complete love and hope. Yes, there are days that I really worry about what the future holds for Clay. And other days where I see so much progress and I see what he is capable of and say to myself, "he is going to be alright." I still don't have all the answers, but one thing I do know is that Clay was put in our family for a reason. It seems that the reason changes on a daily basis, but that just shows how much he teaches all of us.

We never say Clay is Autistic. He has Autism. We are almost ready to say he "had" Autism. Clay is in recovery. We fight Autism every single day, but he is winning. Through therapy, diet and lots of love we are meeting our son. I say that I met my son for the first time when he was 3 1/2. That is the day that we broke through the wall of autism and Clay looked me in the eyes. I will never forget that day and I will never forget the look in those beautiful brown eyes.

Autism affects 1 in 150 children, 1 in 94 boys! There are so many wonderful organizations out there that are making huge strides in finding the answer to all of our questions of "why?". I'm part of an amazing group of women on www.bijouamericano.com who have taken it upon themselves to raise money for these amazing groups. They are holding an online charity event right now to raise money for Autism Awareness. All seriousness aside, this is a group of fun and CRAZY women! We chat daily and even well into the night. We are a group of moms just trying to make it through the day. Because, whether you had a child with autism, or a typical child let's face it we all need a sanity check once in a while! LOL.

So I'm telling you my story and inviting you to come and check out www.BijouAmericano.com so we can all do something so families like mine can stop asking "why". Oh, and did I forget to mention they are giving away some AMAZING prizes just for joining in on the charity event? You can either buy raffles tickets (the money going to an Autism organization) or you can earn free tickets! AND, the first month is free to join the board, so come over and check us out :)

Journal Modiste - Designer of the Week!

It is finally here! My interview on Journal Modiste is now live! If you have a second, click on over to Journal Modiste and read my interview. You can even leave a comment at the end (as long as it is nice). LOL.

A special thanks to Amy who runs JM for selecting me as the Designer of the Week. It truly is a honor.

On another note, I can't believe how fast spring and summer is approaching! I'm frantically trying to get my Fall 2008 line out. Believe it or not, even though it is only April I am LATE getting my line sheets out to boutiques compared to other designers. But, I'm just going to do what I can and see what happens. I'm praying there are a few boutiques left that haven't blown their budget for the fall. If they have, then I will just produce a limited edition line that will be available on my website. That is the beauty of growing my business slowly. I don't have a huge business loan or $40,000 in production costs to be worrying about. My manufacturer has been amazing about allowing me to produce small runs on my designs. This gives me the flexibility to grow at my own comfort.

But with all the rush of producing a line MONTHS in advance of the selling season, it makes me wonder when do "moms" want to buy their kids clothes? Do you wait until June to buy a summer dress. Or are you the mom who buys summer dresses starting in February? I would love to hear from you whether you are a mom, boutique owner or anyone in between. How far in advance to you plan your purchases?

I'm feeling a little Sentimental..........

As most of you know, I'm a member of an amazing design group called Bijou & Co. This week we are celebrating our one year anniversary!!! Our launch, Sentiments, started today with a rather impressive guest list. Each of us invited an outside designer that inspired us. Which really means, a designer that we tend to stalk because we love what they do! LOL. O-kay, not as creepy as it sounds. But we all have our favorite designers!

So, our challenge was to design something that made us Sentimental. My first dress was based on this sweet polka dot dress I had as a little girl. I loved this dress! I felt like a million bucks when I wore it. It was just a white knit fabric with polka dots. If I remember correctly, my mom bought it for me for a wedding we were going to. As a little girl, new dresses were few and far between. Hand-me-downs were the norm. But this dress came from a little boutique in our small town. I will never forget buying that dress.

So I came up with a design that will hopefully make some little girl feel just as special. The auction started today, but make sure to check back throughout the week as I list the matching little sister set, hair accessories and my first set that arrived from the manufacturer!! Let me tell you, it is pure heaven to open a box FULL of dresses that I did not spend hours making. LOL. They are gorgeous. Every stitch is perfect. And they are ready to ship! :) Stay tuned for photos...............


Click HERE to view my current ebay listing:

Dreaming in Color

I often have customers ask me how I come up with my designs. They are usually surprised at my answer, or look at me a little crazy. LOL. I would say 80% of my designs come from my dreams. I will have a detailed dream about a design and wake up and sketch as fast as I can. I'm always afraid that I'm going to forget some detail. Now, I'm not the best artist in the world so my sketches are definitely rough, but they make sense to me. And as long as I can make them come to life in my design world, that is really all that matters.

But I also think that many of my dreams come from some kind of inspiration I saw the day before. I love looking through fashion magazines, vintage designs, fashion color forecasts, etc. I will see something that catches my eye and then instantly think of a children's design that could play off that silhouette, color, style, etc. Many designers give themselves a creative block by forcing themselves to come up with a design no one has ever seen before. The reality is, it is very rare that something you come up with is truly 100% original. It may have the same lines or feel as something from the 1800's, or the 1980's :) My point is, designers shouldn't stress themselves out coming up with a new look over and over. Find a silhouette that you love and play off of it. Change the neckline, sleeve, hemline or the details. And before you know it, you will have something that is uniquely yours!

Here is a sneak peek from one of my recent dreams. Yes, I'm using all these colors. How will it turn out? What will it look like? Stay tuned! You will see it revealed on April 15th as part of Bijou & Co.'s birthday launch, Sentiments.

Until then, sweet dreams!

I've been tagged!

My friend J from Jaybird Designs just tagged me! Thanks for thinking of me J and putting me on the spot! Hmmmmm, this could be interesting (or maybe really boring). LOL.

Here are the rules:
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


So, here ya go! Seven random things about me:
1. My favorite snack right now is Korean Seaweed (Nori) It has to be the salted kind or I won't eat it. My 2 youngest kids are hooked on it too. You should see the looks we get at the park when we are eating sheets of seaweed like chips!

2. My DH and I are both from Michigan but now live in Las Vegas. I don't think you could pick 2 places that are further apart in lifestyles!

3. I'm a classically trained dancer. But, I have learned to never say "I use to be a dancer" here in Vegas. You get some really interesting looks and a few moms at playgroup who offer up their old "stage" name. Ummm, enough said. LOL.

4. I put myself through college by competing in the Miss America program. Loved the scholarship money! Didn't love the "sticky buns" that you sprayed on before the swimsuit competition. Yes, that is actually true not a pageant myth. And yes, I have seen girls accidentally glue themselves to a toilet after using it and forgetting they just sprayed glue on their tushes :)

5. In my previous life I had a career in corporate public relations. I wore a suit, nylons and high heels every day. I had a secretary that answered my phone and my purse matched my briefcase. Now, I'm lucky to have a shirt on that doesn't have some remnant of my children's breakfast. But I wouldn't change it for the world. O-kay, I might trade it for a few hours at the spa, but what work at home mother wouldn't?!

6.My designs are currently being produced by a manufacturer in LA and I couldn't be more excited!

7. O-kay, I ran out. I'm really not that interesting. LOL. Hmmmmm, how about they fact that I swore I would never had kids and I ended up having 3 kids in 4 years. That just goes to show you, never say never! :)


Now, who to tag........hmmmmm, I know everyone is running in fear but here is my list, some are friends and a few are blogs that don't actually know me but I really enjoy reading :)


Wendy
Helen
Heather
Heather
Megan
The Mommy Designer
Boutique Buyers Blog