Five Minute Friday: Truth (My lil' etsy shop)

It's been awhile since I've linked up with Lisa Jo Baker for Five Minute Fridays. Basic rule - Write for 5 minutes on one topic, then stop (today's topic: TRUTH).

Well today marks the First Birthday of my little etsy shop, CelebratingTheMoment so I'm kinda celebrating that today, and I thought I'd share a little bit of truth about this past year's adventure on etsy. So, here we go...

 START. The TRUTH is when I opened my etsy shop 1 year ago today, I really doubted if I'd get any sales. But guess what? I got a sale in the first week! So I kept making stuff and selling it.

TRUTH again, I thought my sales would stop after the Christmas season, but they did not. So I kept making stuff.

The TRUTH is that I LOVE selling my stuff on etsy. I got 2 messages from customers yesterday, that reminded me the TRUTH of why I like selling stuff (besides just a little bit of extra income, cause that's the TRUTH too!).

 One said, "I never know what to get for my dad -- this year I will have something special thanks to you!"

The other said, "it arrived safe and undamaged (to Scotland, I might add!) It is a gift for my sister, she is going to be delighted!

You see, giving others the opportunity to purchase little gifts that have meaning to them makes me smile! And with most items under $10, it's certainly easy for others to afford meaningful gifts.

Here are a few stats, for my shop:

• In the past year I've had 114 orders. 
• 473 people have 'Favorited' items.
•  My most popular item is the Name Plate (I've sold 44 since listing this in August!). 

The TRUTH is that this is just a hobby, and I don't know how long it will last, but I've found joy in selling in my lil etsy shop this past year! END.

Oh, and for this weekend only, I'm celebrating my shop's first birthday with 20% off orders with code HAPPY1BIRTHDAY! (11/8-11/10)

Oh and my girls thought they should celebrate my shop's 1 year birthday by eating poptarts for breakfast! Hey, why not?! ;) #CelebratingTheMoments

5 Minute Friday: Opportunity

My blog has been more of a personal blog.  For family, for friends.  That was my initial intent, to keep in touch with those who live so far away from us, but who still feel so close at heart.  But lately, I've been wondering what it would be like to connect with others. With strangers.  There are some amazing blogs I read and behind those blogs are some amazing women.  They inspire me. Their words often echo in my heart after I read them.  I don't feel quite as alone in my thoughts and struggles when I read their words.

SO...I saw this opportunity today...and I decided to try it.  I've never done a linkup with another blog before, so we'll see how this goes! I stumbled across it at Gift After Gift, but it's at Lisa-Jo Baker's website (I like her last name already!) and it's called #FiveMinuteFriday.  She gives a writing prompt and you have 5 minutes to write - no editing, no overthinking, just write.  Today's prompt was: OPPORTUNITY.  So here it is, my five minute writing prompt, that I fumbled through on my new keyboard (yay for husband using his overtime money to buy me a new laptop since my old one seemed about ready to crash!). 

Opportunity. I have so many opportunities every day. And yet how often do I let them slip away?

Opportunity to interact with my girls, and yet I get caught up on the computer. 
Opportunity to encourage a friend with a letter, and yet I just let it slip by. 
Opportunity to pursue a dream and yet I talk myself out of it.
Opportunity to grow in my relationship with God, yet my bible sits closed. 
Opportunity to learn something new, but I don't.

Why? I wish I was one of those Carpe Diem people (Seize the day!) Sometimes I am.  I wonder if it is a skill I could develop?  I'm so thankful I live in America and for all the opportunities I have.  I wonder what my life would be like if I did seize more opportunities.  I'm not talking perfection here, just being more aware of the opportunities I have every day that I miss.  I wonder...I wonder... 

Hopefully I link this up correctly. :) And yes, I would totally rewrite this if I could and didn't have to follow the rules! :) But since I'm a rule follower, I'll leave it alone! :)