Life Lately, Going Over Board in a Barrel?

This past weekend Bubs and I road tripped it up to Canada (eh?) to check out the falls and to celebrate my birthday! (My birthday is actually today, waddup year 29, how YOU doin?)

 

Sunglasses: Target

Red Pea Coat: Target

Thin Plastic Poncho that provided zero protection from Mist: c/o Niagara Falls Tourism 

Awesome Expression on my Face: c/o me

LOVING the fact that Bub and I are fortunate enough to live fairly close enough to Niagara Falls that we were able to road trip it up there for the weekend.

THANKFUL I am no longer stuck in a car for 7 hours. My ass is also thankful for this as well.

LETTING everyone know that we are not engaged, pinky promise you will know when it happens.

EMBRACING the fact that this is the last year in my 20's. Bring it 29, we're gonna go hard.

REALIZING that by applying a top coat of glitter polish to your nails that it makes your color last, like, way longer. It also sort of makes you look like the missing 6th member of the spice girls, but its ok. For longer lasting polish I'm all for this (spice up your life) (is "crafty spice" up for grabs? If not I'll take "pasty spice" as a runner up)

STOKED that I get to eat my mom's home made ice cream birthday cake for my birthday later. Yes, you read that right. I'm on this new diet called "eat ALL THE THINGS you can till you're engaged", so far its going really well.

awright folks I'm off to quickly get through this 8 hour work day so I can hurry and celebrate my birthday with my family! muah!

ooo and PS-tomorrow Erika and I reveal our new collaboration! It's kinda awesome...ok it's really awesome ;)

A Different Me

find me here!

The other day I came across this old "to-accomplish" list from 3 years ago. It was super bizarre revisiting and seeing what my goals were back then.

The italicized is my current commentary.

1. Make a flawless public speech (I take this back, wow that didn't take long the first thing on the list and I'm all like "let's not and say we did")
2. Seriously sell my prints/photos (this, right here, makes my heart super happy. 2 years and going strong selling my art through yellow heart art!)
3. Own a dog and name him “Bisquick Buttermilk Pancake Mix the 3rd” (note: there is no “1” or “2” but “the 3rd” seemed really fitting) (Bub want's to call him "Jake", whatever babe way to lack imagination)
4. Travel a lot (This past September I made my first trip over seas and went to Ireland, CHECK!)
5. Not have a panic attack on the plane while doing said traveling (one day Leonora, one day...)
6. Take a picture of an awesome sun set thats not blocked by parked cars and telephone polls
7. Learn web design (ugh how I loathe web design, but it must be done) (I take this one back too, HTML makes me want to lodge a spork in my eye socket)
8. Pet a hedgehog
9. Get married (yeeeeeah....) (awkward) (crickets)
10. Eat one of those lollipops with the creepy scorpions on the inside (I must have just watched an episode of man vs. food or something when I wrote this down, I kinda take this back too)
11. Party with the Kardashian sisters (Khloe, do you hear me? We're gonna go hard)
12. Wear a bikini with pride (HA! HAhahahaa...)
13. Create a tangible photo portfolio of my best work and keep up with it (Started this, then stopped because of Yellow Heart Art and my lack of a life that came with it)
14. Donate my hair to make wigs for people with alopecia or cancer (Once #9 happens the chop will happen too) (by then my hair will probably be down to my ankles) (sexy)
15. To not freak out when I find my first gray hair (found my first gray hair, a freak out did occur. It happens guys)
16. Eat a hot fudge brownie sundae and not feel guilty afterwards
17. Learn how to drive stick (lord help us all) (bub has given up on me, and to honest I don't blame him. Cars should NOT go backwards when you take your foot off the break, what kind of messed up psychological shiz is that?)
18. Learn how to drive a quad
19. Start my own graphic design/photography business (CHECK!)
20. Own an iMac (gotta move out for this one, because I want a banging art studio for this new edition) (no iMac yet, but the banging studio is in progress)
21. Realize that its ok to throw out old Abercrombie clothes that I haven’t worn in years but am just holding onto them because of the amount of money they were (yeah, I ditched that shiz, I can't believe I used to wear Abercrombie. Go ahead, virtually smack me, I deserve it)
22. Make more jewelry (check!)
23. Go to disney and dance with Mickey Mouse (Mickey and I shook what our mama's gave us)
24. Try to get a free upgrade from a room to a Suite at a hotel (THIS will happen one day)
25. Successfully blow up a gingerbread house (HA! there is a story behind this...cliff notes version: Bub and I made a gingerbread house, it went stale, we didn't know what to do with it so Bub attempted to blow it up) (My boyfriend likes to pretend he is an honorary mythbuster sometimes)
26. Crash a wedding (still on the to-do list)
27. Try a tanning bed (did spray tanning instead, I'd rather not talk about my experience. Ever.)
28. Create a youtube video and have it go viral (when your twitter feed starts to erupt with an "exploding gingerbread house" video that will be me) (your welcome)
29. Go jet skiing
30. Wear a blonde wig for a day and really see if blondes do have more fun (did it, turns out blonde's don't have more fun, but that could be because I was a blonde with super dark brown eyebrows...)
31. Eat a deep fried twinkie (Wow, I haven’t had a twinkie in years, this has to be done stat) (ew, seriously past Leonora? Let me go back in time and smack you. Twice)
32. Give Jim Halpert (aka John Krasinski) from The Office a High Five and an Air Pound (le sigh)
33. Get my photo taken with Santa at the mall (attempted this, but the fat man wanted like 40 bucks for me and my friend to sit on his lap. So instead I awkwardly stood at the entrance about 10 feet away from santa while my friend took a pic on her iPhone) (it counts)
34. Buy a couture dress (apparently I thought future me would be rollin' in the dolla dolla billz or something? That's kinda cute)
35. Make up a word, give it a definition, and have it start being a craze
36. Attempt to ride a hot air balloon (I don’t see this happening) (yeah past Leonora I dont see this happening either)
37. Visit Italy and see where my grandmother grew up (a work in progress...does little Italy in NYC count?) (no?)
38. Visit my friend’s resting place in Greece (RIP George) (another work in progress)
39. Bring back fanny packs (I’m telling you the fanny pack revolution is going to happen) (still waiting on that revolution to happen, but when it does I am ready)
40. Figure out what exactly I’m allergic to (yeah, I still don't know. It's a fun little game I liked to play with myself at restaurants)
41. Be fluent in a second language (slow it down there with the ambitions past me, you're making current me look really bad right now....)
42. Call in sick to work and do a movie marathon instead (that is a brilliant idea, except replace "movie marathon" with "trashy re-runs of snookie and jwoww")
43. Ride a mechanical bull (maybe if I had a helmet on I would attempt this)
44. Compete in a thumb wrestling match with a stranger (the germ-a-phobe in me suggested this willingly? wow.)
45. Lear how to swim the correct way (not the “let me flare my arms and stay afloat” way) (Still flaring my way to shore since 1984)
46. Go zip lining (what the hell past me?)
47. Create a new cupcake flavor (sure, the only cupcakes you know how to make come in a box but go ahead and invent your own flavor emeril legassi)
48. Learn to rollerblade
49. Build a bangin’ fort (This I did, and it was epic)
50. Photograph something I pass it everyday and make it look beautiful (DID IT!)

wow, that was kind of exhausting to read....looks like I'm gonna have a busy summer. If you're looking for me I'll be the girl in the couture dress blowing up a gingerbread house at a wedding that I am not invited to while making a getaway in my hot air balloon as I zip line to safety. 

oh hey dont forget!

• have an awesome giveaway for $50 worth of loot from CAPow art and design, perfect for spoiling mom this Mothers Day!

• We are giving away a year worth of Yellow Heart Art goodies on our instagram page, be sure to be a follower to be eligible, find us "@YellowHeartArt"

• I think google friend connect is biting the dust soon, stay up to date with me over at blog lovin instead!

Win $50 worth of awesome art from CAPow!

I absolutely adore Crystal's art from CAPow (her shop name reminds me of something a super hero would scream out when he's round house kicking some bad dude in the face, so she won me over with that alone)

She's a fellow graphic designer who has a great sense of typography skills. I was really drawn to her state typography print because she actually took the time to fit in all the towns and counties in that state! Can you say patience?

find me over here!

Take it away Crystal :)

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The CAPow! Shop started off selling handmade wallets. Finding the sewing more time consuming and less fun, I decided to list some prints in the shop based off of art school projects from my Graphic Design days. These prints were well received and I continued to list art and photography in the shop, but things really started to take off after one fateful trip to Walmart. I had decided to pick up some candy hearts to photograph for the shop and while standing in line to checkout an atlas caught my eye. This gave me the idea for the Hometown Hearts series and the rest is history!

 

Crystal has spent time in Boston MA, Brooklyn NY, and currently lives in a 120 year old house in Troy NY with her husband Mike, two cats, and a bulldog pug mix named Emmett. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual and Media Art from Emerson College as well as a degree in Graphic Design from Sage College.

buy here

buy here

buy here

buy here

Thank you Crystal!

Oh hey, wanna love her even more? Crystal is giving one lucky Yellow Heart Art reader a $50 shop credit to CAPow!  

and it's open to EVERYONE! not just U.S. residents :)

Follow the prompts below to enter, buy play fair we do make sure each entry is valid before choosing a winner. Crystal is being super gracious giving away $50 worth of loot to her shop so let's all place nice in the sandbox guys :) 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bokeh is for Lovers

Dear Photography: I miss you, come back into my life. Love, the girl who used to view the world through a 1" view finder square on her DSLR

Now the the weather is warming up I vow to get outside and take more arty fartsy photos. You with me?

Life Officially Changed (Again) What I Replaced my Shampoo With

Hello Beautiful by Yellow Heart Art

I noticed a few weeks ago that right after washing my hair and drying it that my hair looked really greasy still, like as if I had taken a palm full of crisco and slapped it into my hair and prepped it for a cook off with Paula Deane. My roots were "sticky" and clumping together no matter how much I washed and rinsed it. It was so frustrating because I knew my hair was clean but it looked filthy.

I asked my sister in law what to do since she's a hair dresser, she told me that all that "gunk" on my scalp was left over build up from my shampoo and no matter how much I washed it was only going to get worse and worse. She said that sulfate (the ingredient in shampoo whose ONLY purpose is to "foam up" the shampoo so you THINK its cleaning your hair more so than it is) is the reason for all that residue.

Panic

So you mean to tell me the MORE I clean my hair the DIRTIER it looks? So I'm just basically wasting time in the shower?

My sister in law told me I needed a clarifying shampoo to get rid of all the build up in my hair. I turned to google to find a cheap clarifying product and, well, A+ to google for stumbling upon this gem:

Apparently, using baking soda to wash your hair is the best thing you can do for it.

Ha, yeah okay.

You mean the stuff I use in my muffins and the stuff that I mix with water to shove up into my nose using a genie lamp to help with my sinus infections ALSO will clean my hair?

I was super skeptical, but it was a saturday and I had baking soda on hand so I figured "eh, why not, the only people seeing me today are the real house wives of atlanta"

I made a paste of baking soda and water in my palm and massaged it onto my scalp. It felt really gritty and odd since there was no "foam" action happening. I was convinced that I had just ruined my hair and that clumps of baking soda would be permanently fused to strands.

I rinsed it out till my hair felt slick. I blow dried and flat ironed as usual. When I was done I noticed something crazy. My hair was bouncy, light, airy and clean. My hair has not felt this good in, well, ever.

Baking soda gods, are you there? It's me, Leonora. I'm sorry for doubting your ability to wash my hair, please forgive me? Amen.

I am officially a converter. I will never use shampoo ever again.


UPDATE:
yes, this could be drying on your hair. Right now I don't have any clarifying shampoo (or shampoo with out sulfate) so for now I am sparingly using the baking soda technique. I recommend doing this once or twice a week and alternate with a shampoo that is free of sulfates, these shampoos used to cost a lot of money but now brands like L'Oreal have affordable alternatives. Some people have also ditched their conditioner and replaced it with apple cider vinegar. I haven't been THAT gutsy yet so I do dab a light amount of conditioner on the ends of my hair, let me know if you have any tips :)

 

Etsy Round Up! Links I'm Swooning Over and New Art from us!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Ever since I became a seller on Etsy I notice that it has now become my go-to for gift giving. I have always loved giving handmade items to my friends and family but I love it even more so now that I really understand the workings behind a handmade business. When you buy handmade not only are you supporting that artist but you are also helping them pay bills, make rent and live their dream.

Who knew clicking "add to cart" could change someone's life, huh?

Heart Bowl Found Here

I think its obvious why I need this. No explanation needed. Totally bummed out the price to ship it is crazy expensive (I mean, I TOTALLY get why) and unfortunately if it gets busted in the mail I would have to pay to have it shipped back, so I think for now I'll just admire this bad boy from a distance and just, like, make it my phone's wall paper for the time being to get my fix.

Porcelain ring found here

I know, you just let out a little gasp to yourself didn't you? I did the same thing too, it's ok gasp away.

Mint Gold Earrings found Here

These...YES THESE!!!

Pebble Napkins found Here

Something weird happens when you reach your mid to late twenties, you start to get really excited over things like napkins.

Dublin Necklace Via

Yes, I have way too many necklaces and do not need anymore (I mean I do have 1 neck) but I can't help but love this vintage map necklace by Victoria Camp. Bub's and I went to Dublin the past September, it was our first trip overseas together and I really loved every second I had with him in a foreign country. She has a ton of other places too go check her out!

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oh and hey, did you see the new print in the Yellow Heart Art Shop?

Hello Beautiful by Yellow Heart Art

Ok I'll admit it right here right now: I have absolutely none of my own prints, plushes or anything I create in my apartment as decoration. I decided I wanted my new studio to be peach, gold, white with hints of gray everywhere. I decided I FINALLY needed to put my own art in my own studio VIOLA this print was born. She will be up in my studio once she is done being painted and stocked with IKEA furniture (cause let's be real, can any artist afford anything other than IKEA? Exactly)

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OH HEY 2 THINGS!

1. There is till time to vote on my art to be potentially sold at uncommon goods! Thank you already to everyone who has voted and spread the word, my heart is so full.

2. If you are friends with us on instagram (@YellowHeartArt) be sure to follow us for a chance to win Yellow Heart Art items for a year! (Yes, I've gone insane, embrace it before I realize how crazy this is) just look for the pic in my feed that has the information you need! (don't worry, its super obvious)

Life Lately with Morgan Freeman

EXPERIENCING my first ever "food truck" this past weekend with my college friend Courtney. Plus also? Wearing heart shaped sunglasses gets total strangers to talk to you…a lot. We had gourmet grilled cheese & chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches smothered in Nutella and almond ice cream. But it's ok cause we were celebrating our birthdays together so it doesn't count. In fact I think we even lost weight during this process (ha, yeah no I couldn't even say that with a straight face either)

WISHING whatever it is that is causing me to sound like the female version of Morgan Freeman stops soon. Verdict is still out if its a cold or allergies. Side Note: Imagine a world with out Morgan Freeman? I want to win the lotto so that I can hire Morgan Freeman to read me bed time stories at night, oh and to also narrate everything I do 24/7.

LOVING all the support and comments about my print potentially being sold at Uncommon Goods. I was having a pretty rough couple of weeks and the amount of love you all have shown me has been incredible. If I win the lotto I promise to share Morgan Freeman with you all, he can narrate your life for a day. But I want him back at night for my bedtime story, ok? Side note? I can still use your votes!

STOKED that bub came to my job yesterday and surprised me with ice cream and flowers. The plus side to living in New York: We have about 3 baskin robbins in a 1 mile radius so you can get it to-go and it won't melt by the time you get to your destination. New York: 1, My Waist Line: 0.

DREAMING of big things for Yellow Heart Art

what has your life been like lately?

"Uncommonly" Awesome News for Yellow Heart Art!

You guys, I have some crazy exciting news for Yellow Heart Art. One personal goal of mine was to have one of my products sold in a well known retail store (I'm looking at you Target)

3 days ago Uncommon Goods contacted me letting me know that they would love to potentially sell one of my prints in their shop! The way uncommon goods works is that they are all about pleasing the public. They always have a round of "judging" to see if people dig the items they are looking into putting into their shop. If the items score high then they get to be sold in their market place!

So enter shameless self promoting here: I would love it if you guys can help get my art sold at Uncommon Goods by voting for me! The polls are open till April 17th, I would appreciate any and all support from you all! Here is the print they are thinking about selling

Camper Love by Yellow Heart Art

You can vote over here! I wish I could give you all like a new car or something for helping a sister out, but how bout a virtual high 5 and a video of me uploaded to you tube dancing the Gangham style instead? Yeah? Maybe? Come ooonnnn who wouldn't love seeing that? Answer: Nobody.

ALSO YOU CAN VOTE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE so I would love it if you don't mind coming back every once a while and thumbs upping me some more!

By the way if you would like to share the voting link on your facebook or twitter to get the word out I would love that! Thank you again!! **BEAR HUGS**

Answering Your Questions Part 4, the Final Chapter

I have had so much fun answering all the questions you guys left me! Today I wrap up my Q&A series by talking about me as a graphic designer.

If you wanna check out some past posts you can view Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 over yonder (yonder? did that just happen?)

Gutsy Things Found Here

How did you get started in graphic design full time? How do you find your clients? I am wanting to work from home and am in the process of figuring all this out!
I dont have many regrets in life, but there is one thing I really really REALLY regret, and that is rushing to find a full time job right out of college. I mean hello I had literally JUST gotten my diploma and I was frantically posting my resume on monster.com, career bulider.com and any other "dot coms" that would want me. I had a total panic moment and thought I NEEDED to do something right away or else life was not worth living and that my graphic design degree would have a "sell by" date. Looking back at 22 year old me I cant help but hate that little turd. Like, umm Hi 22 year old you? You have it really good. You live at home with your parents, you have zero responsibility and the only thing you need to pay for is a very reasonably priced cell phone bill (remember when cell phone bills were, like, 20 bucks a month?) (Oh man did I just have a first "Back when I was your age" moment?)

I wish I had just RELAXED a bit and just enjoyed a few months off from school because once you lock in a full time job thats it. No more running to the mall at 1pm on a monday or staying up till 2am watching MTV re-runs of laguna beach. Life is now officially over (ok not OVER but kinda sucky) (ok not sucky at all, just a lot less free time)

I started to work Full Time as a designer by getting my resume out there. I called a bunch of local agencies who had graphic departments in them wondering if they needed a junior designer. I finally landed a full time job after about 5 months of looking. I have been here ever since then.

As far as my design clients go that is totally separate from my full time job. And you're going to hate this answer but I have zero clue how people find me. If you follow me on twitter and on facebook I never once say "HEY! Email me! Let me design your shiz!" somehow people just ask if I can design their logo and I'm all like "chyeah!" I think people are finding me from my shop on Etsy. They see that I am a designer and take it upon themselves to contact me to see if I can work with them. If you don't have an Etsy shop to promote your items I suggest starting a facebook fan page for your skill set and inviting your friends to join. I would also add your portfolio on facebook so people can see your style and see if they want to work with you :)

Why (oh why) haven't you hired yourself a virtual assistant yet? ;)
One simple answer: Money. I would have to pay a virtual assistant and right now I don't have any extra dolla dolla billz to give these responsibilities to someone else. So for now I have to write back to emails with in 2-4 business days and give clients design proofs about 2 weeks after our design consultation. I feel terrible but I am only 1 person and I try my best to please everyone. If you know anyone who would accept twinkies as payment then please send them my way (or if yodels are more your thing then I can work with that too) (I do draw the line at soft baked cookies though, mainly cause those are my kryptonite)

Diamonds are Awesome

April is finally here! Know why I hold April so close to my heart? It's because it is the month I was born. The only downside to being an April baby? Your birthstone is a diamond and the odds of you getting a birthstone ring before you're engaged is not happening.

I wanted to share some "cheap alternatives" so every April baby has a chance to own some bling bling ;)

diamond stamp via

Diamond Tank via the Shine Project

natural diamond ring via

Origami how-to diamond paper via

Yellow Heart Art Diamond Plush

Happy Birthday to all my April Babies!

Also, are you friends with us on instagram?  Follow @YellowHeartArt to see how to win a year worth of yellow heart art items in honor of my birthday month!

Answering Your Questions Part 3: Gettin' Personal

Takin' a break from all the business questions you guys have been asking me and takin' things personally today! Come take a ride with me in New York City.

Pssttt, wanna see the rest of the series? Visit Part 1 and Part 2.

How often do you go into NYC? Do the crowds scare the crap out of you? (I can't handle crowds like that...)

I actually don't go into NYC that often, I'm more of a Hamptons kinda gal ha! Bub and I visit NYC every year around christmas time to check out all the window displays on 5th avenue, walk all the pop up shops in bryant park, visit THEE tree and grab some dinner at a local restaurant. In the past I have gone into NYC to tour 30 Rockefeller Plaza (where they shot Conan O'Brien, SNL and all the other NCB News Shows) or to stalk boy bands like N SYNC or the Back Street Boys (guys, I was like 16, swear) (no shame) I also went on a scavenger hunt through NYC with my cousin, Kellie, as part of a radio show game. We had to "Search for Mr.Wright" who was Met's 3rd baseman david wright. She was so in love with him and needed a partner. I had get my picture taken in the trunk of a taxi and sing and dance to Kelly Clarkson while wearing an oversized awesome vitamin water T-shirt in the middle of a public park. In the end though we did find Mr. Wright.

 

If you ever visit NYC be prepare for a lot of random stuff to happen to you. You will meet gay men at karoke bars and take pics like this with them:

You may or may not also sing backstreet boys "I want it that way" With them while you bust out the back up vocals.

One time my friends and I rented one of those giant circle bikes that fit up to 8 people. We had 2 extra slots on our bike so random people would come on up and tag along for a ride. We dropped Spider Man off at the bar and gave a ride to 2 local firemen (not complaining...) we also got to see the Naked Cowboy and ride a ferris wheel inside Toys-R-Us.

I have also visited the italian feast of San Genaro that happens every year, the food is uh-may-zing. If you decide to go down canal street for some knock off bags please DO NOT GO INTO SKETCH ALLYS WITH ANYONE WHO WORKS THERE. Sometimes some asian men or women will tell you they have "better items" in another warehouse which 9 times out of 10 is true, but its in a secluded area since it is illegal to sell fake bags. It's scary and strange just don't do it.

The crowds don't bother me, maybe its because I am just used to it? Also, being from NY you learn to be super aware of your surroundings. The only thing I don't like about NYC is all the bums and not so much the crowds. Every time I have ever used the bathroom at Penn Station some drunk delusional homeless woman has screamed in my face. But hey--thats the charm of NYC ;) Just also make sure you clutch your purse while walking the streets and dont believe any homeless person who is asking you for money. A lot of them are people who make pretend to be homeless just to get easy cash from people. They can bank thousands of dollars a day.

where did you grow up? what did you want to be when you grew up? like, did you always enjoy creative stuff or did you think you would be a teacher or something?

I am born and raised on Long Island, New York. I have never lived anywhere else and absolutely love it here. I know I've said it a gagillion times but I love that I am right smack in the middle of New York City and The Hamptons. Sure, it's pricey living out here but I guess thats what happens when you have 2 super Targets, countless starbucks and 3 Home Depots with in a 3 mile radius.

I was always creative and loved art. Our fridge at home had layers and layers and layers of my artwork pilled all over the front of it. When I was in 1st grade my parents when to one of those "meet the teacher" night doohickys. The day before our parents were going to show up to the school my teacher had all of us draw our parents on a piece of paper. She then hug the paper up on the wall and our parents came later that night to school they had to guess which drawing belonged to their kid. My mom said to me "I knew right away which one was yours, you were the only one who put fingers on their stick figures and gave me eyelashes. You also put me in my favorite polka dot shirt".

I also loved to recreate the front of all my disney VHS covers. One day I showed my mom a drawing I made of Iago, the Parrot from Aladdin. She had thought I traced him and didn't free hand him. So she watched me as a I re-drew the little mermaid free hand, I think thats when my mom knew that I was going to be an artist.

When I was a little kid I thought I wanted to be a vet. I looooved animals which was super strange considering I didn't grow up with a dog, cat, hamster or even a gold fish. As I got a little older I thought I wanted to be an art teacher, then in high school I made the decision to be a graphic designer.

Answering Your Questions Part 2: What I Wish I Knew Back Then

 make awesome sh*t

Visit Part 1 here

Still answering your questions from my "ask my anything" post! Some questions are longer to answer than others, don't worry I'll get to all of them soon enough! <3

what do you know now that you wish you knew when starting out with your shop?

I wish I had known how many hats I would have to wear being a business owner. When I had opened up Yellow Heart Art I was all like "This is amazing I get to make pretty stuff all day and people want to buy my pretty stuff and its this awesome magical cycle of pretty stuff being made and pretty stuff being sold"

Which is fine and dandy, but it's not just about "making pretty things" it's about being able to be versatile. You are also:
• the marketing team
• the shipping department
• a customer service representative
• social media representative
• inventory control
• the art department
• the art director
• product copy writer
• a publicist 
• an accountant
• damage control
• a product photographer
• a saleswoman
• the production department
• the purchasing department

are you tired yet? I really had no clue how much went into running a shop. But ya know what? I love it enough that I don't mind all the baby daddy mama drama that comes with it sometimes. Also, I wish I had watermarked my photos better in the beginning. When I first opened shop I didn't think anyone out there would copy my art or put it on their websites with out sourcing it back to me. A lot of my artwork that has been copied by other people is my earlier art that wasn't watermarked. Even if you don't make artwork and you create something like jewelry or purses make sure to put your website on EVERY photo. If someone happens to steal a photo and post it somewhere with out linking it back to your blog or shop at least when someone else sees it they can manually type in the web address on the photo if they are interested in you product.

I also wish I had taken social media more seriously when I first started my business. I put off joining for twitter for so long because it weirded me out. I didn't understand why I should be talking to all these strangers. When I first joined I was petrified to talk to people. People were tweeting to me that they loved my art and I had no clue how to respond back. Now I can honestly say most of the friendships I have made with other shop owners is because of twitter. Also a lot of my best referrals to my shop have come from twitter as well. It's a great place to get your stuff out there for so many people to see, it just takes the right person to "re tweet" something you posted for it to be seen by someone who can change your career.

Basically, watermark your photos and execute the heck out of social media. It is FREE advertising and networking, the best way to get yourself out there.