Update on Bugs Gone Wild Calendar

Day300
I almost missed a milestone day today!!

8 days ago, somehow I jumped back 10 days on my Day 292. I wouldn’t have realized it if Bob who created the Bugs Gone Wild calendar hadn’t left me a message that his calendar which was due to be in the USA Weekend on October 22nd ended up being published on the 29th and is selling like crazy!

So here’s to Bob’s success – and his site to view the calendar: Bugs Gone Wild

And also to my 300th day blogging!

I'm all over the place lately!

Day299
I’ve spent more time on my blogs lately then my store. It seems to go in cycles like that. Sometimes I’ll be intensely into writing and submitting my stories or coming up on a deadline for my articles and then something will give me an idea to create a new design or rearrange my store and I’ll be off on that for a while. Or a question I sent out to a forum or by email finally was answered and I can go off in that direction!

It’s good to mix it up, but I never feel done!

My Second Blog!

Day298
I started a second blog. It’s a Christian blog that I mentioned I was working on a couple months ago. It’s one week old today and you can get to it by clicking on “My Christian Blog” in the sidebar to your right or here: http://teachingsundayschool.blogspot.com

The title is What I Learned Teaching Sunday School and is full of encouraging messages, inspiring thoughts from Christian writers, favorite Bible verses and devotions. I will also share Christian apparel and other items, both from my store and ones I’ve discovered.

This blog seemed harder setting up then my first! Maybe I just thought it would be easier. I spent several days submitting it to blog sites. Some of those were a real mess and after browsing around I decided to leave. Some seemed quality, so I went through the process of submitting although since I had never heard of them I wasn’t sure they would do any good. And of course I submitted to the biggies. Like everything else on the internet it takes forever!

I also spent a lot of time putting an Amazon affiliate ad on that blog. I tried to get a green color to match the blog, but sometimes when I pop in it’s orange! I think it’s messing with me!

Art For Everyday Living Calendars

Day297

From the wonderful store Art for Everyday Living, L.Diane Johnson offers these beautiful calendars. They are all original paintings and every size calendar is available including the new oversized wall calendars.

Art for Everyday Living

Peacock's Calendars

Day296

From one of my favorite stores:

Peacock

All sizes and dozens of design choices. Have fun shopping here!

Free Stylin' Calendar

Day295
Here’s what FreeStylin’ says about their stunning calendars:

”Motivational and Inspirational Calendars are now availablefeaturing famous quotes and breath-taking photos taken by a collection of talented photographers from all over the world. This will be a great gift for all, including you!”

(Quotes from Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Wilma, Rudolph and The Serenity Prayer just to name a few)

Calendar

Rainbow Design Calendars

Day293
Rainbow Design has absolutely beautiful calendars! They would make wonderful gifts for that person who has everything.

Rainbow Design

Keepsake Calendars

Day292
Check out these calendars with their adorable characters from Keepsake Arts.

Keepsake Arts

Venice wall calendar

Day291
I started looking at 2007 calendars online and there are so many great ones I think I’ll take a few days to show some of my favorites.

Southlight has a beautiful wall calendar:

Calendar

These gorgeous photo-illustrations of Venice reflect the Italian city's rich color in all seasons.

Calendar lands in USA Weekly!

Day289
A little advance notice! One of my fellow CafePress shopkeepers is having his “Bugs Gone Wild” calendar in the Oct.22nd issue of USA Weekly magazine!

You can see it here - Bugs Gone Wild Calendar

Stamps

Day288
This is the coolest store! I was looking for Christmas gifts to put in my new Christmas section and stumbled upon: Thank you gift shop

Here’s how they describe their shop: "Your Online Source for the Best Custom Designed Gifts Anywhere!"

"If you could find the perfect Thank You gift for all of the important Professionals, Health Care Providers, Friends & Family in your life ... Who would you share it with? Shop here & choose from hundreds of unique custom items for:Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Dentists, Veterinarians, Health Care Providers, Teachers, Law Enforcement, Firefighters, Military, Church Leaders & Religious Friends"

The Vintage Art and Poster Shop

Day287
Worked on my Christmas section today. (Don’t look - it’s not there yet.) And did another month’s worth of headlines on my blog. I have finished May now!

I wanted to take a break and share: The Vintage Art and Poster Shop

http://www.cafepress.com/vintageposter

This shop has really beautiful posters and prints. The works are of a classic or early modernism nature going up to the year 1922. There is a special focus on the Belle Epoque period. Good reproductions are very very time consuming – take some time to check these out.

Headlines!

Day286
I’ve spent 2 days (so far) going back to the beginning of this blog and feeding in headlines. It’s actually been fun to look back at the posts and also to come up with the headlines. But, it takes forever!

I have my whole blog on 2 different word documents because sometimes I write ahead and I always put ideas and links on the one document of things I want to post in the future. Then after I post I copy it onto my other word document to have a backup.
So I am adding headlines to three different places!

Amazing Grace

Day284
I've been working on my new Christian section and love these Amazing Grace t-shirts and gifts. The design is shaped like a cross.

http://www.givitup.com/

If evolution were real...

Day282
Since this blog is all about the daily trials and learning experiences in starting an online store, I'll tell you: I'm in a "new product mode" right now. So here's what I've added and have been promoting around the past few days:

If evolution were real why do moms only have 2 hands?



http://www.givitup.com/

Spare me the drama!

Day281
My latest!
Tired of all the drama? Want to show the drama queen what you think before she can open her mouth? Wear one of givitup's Spare Me the Drama t-shirts, sweatshirts or buttons. We even have baby clothes for those little ones who might be thinking their parents are just a tad dramatic!

http://www.givitup.com/

Long days

Day280
After about 10 hours on the computer today – I’ve done a little bit of everything!

I am determined to get my inboxes on my 4 email accounts down to zero! So much reading! And every 3 or 4 things I read seem to require me to do something suggested.

On one newsletter I get weekly the editor offered mentioning any shops people have in time for Christmas so long as we are both newsletter subscribers and forum members. I’m both, so I sent her a link to my store.

On the CafePress forum I saw an offer from another shop owner to put links on his shop. So I sent him an email too.

I’ve been looking around the Blog Traffic School forum and finally made myself ask the question, “Does my blog really need titles?” I got the answer I was afraid of – yes! It’s good for SEO. So as you can see I am on day 280 and now have to go back and figure out a title for each post!

Then I added another design to my store and cleaned up some sections.

The work of an online shop owner never ends!

I saw people wearing my t-shirts!

Day279
I was at a Chamber of Commerce Business Expo all day today and one of the booths: The Independent Business Owners were all wearing custom t-shirts from my shop.

It was so great to see that and have each one come up and tell me how much they liked them!

I'd give up chocolate but I'm no quitter!

Day278
I’ve been busy putting new sections into my store lately. I love this one:

I’d give up chocolate, but I’m no quitter!

I put it in my give up chocolate section so now you have a choice!




I'd give up chocolate, but

2 more Halloween stores

Day277
2 more unusual Halloween sites to help you get the most out of this fun holiday:

Halloween 1

Halloween 2

Family for peace

Day275
Family for Peace

WHY "FAMILY FOR PEACE"? If you saw the interview on the Jon Stewart Daily Show and want to support the cause, visit the above website.

Star Trek auction

Day274
If you couldn’t make it to Christy’s for the Star Trek auction don’t despair! You can shop at their online store –

Star Trek

$10 off coupon

Day273
This doesn’t happen often, but I have a $10.00 off coupon code on my site for any sale over $25.00. It’s good through October 8th!

If you ever wanted to buy something, now is the time!

http://www.givitup.com/

Breast Cancer donation

Day272
Breast Cancer Awareness month is a time for people to come together and use the power of community to make a difference.

At CafePress, we've looked to our own community of over 2.9 million users to make this difference - and the response was a rally cry of support.

The CafePress Breast Cancer Donation Shop contains hundreds of products designed and donated by our community of Shopkeepers.

CafePress.com will donate 40% of the retail price of all products sold through the Breast Cancer Donation Shop through October 31, 2006 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation* or another non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a core purpose of raising awareness and funding breast cancer research and education.

Your purchase today directly supports a great cause, and makes you part of an empowering message of support, survival and prevention.

Breast Cancer

BBQ aprons

Day271
BBQ style aprons make great gifts. They can be a hostess gift for Thanksgiving or Christmas visits. They make great wedding shower gifts where you can include a few utensils or a cookbook. And they also make fun baby shower gifts: put small bottles of lotion or powder in the pockets. We personalize our products!

http://www.givitup.com

Alternative uses for CafePress items

Day270
I was looking at the following site, which has clever alternative, uses for some of the products CafePress offers:Alternative Uses

It got me thinking about our ceramic ornaments and how they could be made into a wind chime. Here are some from my Fruits of the Spirit section, but I will put anything you would like on one. They come in 2 shapes: round and oval. To design your own just click on my site and go to Custom.
http://www.givitup.com/