Flip Flop Guest Book!

I have sold several of my flip flop albums lately...and that makes me really happy :) And I've been selling tons of custom items too! Well, I finally got to do my first Custom Flip Flop Album...a Guest Book in fact.

I love making flip flop albums. They're just so fun and cheery...and they make me think of summer all year long :)

I also love to make custom albums of any kind. They give you a chance to speak with your buyer and work with them to give them exactly what they want. My Custom Name Albums are by far my most popular item.

That is why I was so excited when I was asked to make a custom pair of flip flops! I had never thought to turn them into a guest book! That is another reason I love to do custom items...they can get your creative wheels turning!

For these flip flops, I got a special pair that read Just Married on the bottoms. To customize them for the special occasion I made the first page a cover page that included all of the wedding info. I then replaced the photo blanks with lined blanks so guests can leave little blessings in the book. I used embellishments that represent both the wedding and the tropical location. I was really happy with how the book turned out and I sure hope she is too :)

I'd love to hear what kind of custom items you make :) I love seeing unique and personal gift ideas!

Meet Ruthie of RoseWorksJewelry

Today I would like to introduce you to one ambitious girl: Ruthie :) Not only does she run RoseWorksJewelry and has started a second shop with her mom called kstreasures...she also has three (yes, three!) blogs: http://roseworksjewelry.blogspot.com/ http://www.roseworkstreasury.blogspot.com/ http://ajedismusings.blogspot.com/ Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that she also hosts a radio show called Artisan Spotlight. Now that's a lot for one girl to do! I'm almost exhausted just telling you about it :) I really find Ruthie inspiring! She is such an active team member in our EtsyBloggers Team and is always giving complements and words of encouragement. She is always upbeat and has something positive to share :) She started making jewelry because some health issues kept her home more and she needed something to fill her days. She took what could have been a negative time in her life and turned it into a wonderful experience :) Thanks Ruthie for showing us all that remaining positive is the way to be :) And now for my favorite items from her shops :) RoseWorksJewelry: I love her Purple and Spiral Earrings and her Multicolored Agate Strand Bracelet. kstreasures (Kindred Spirit Treasures): And from her new shop, I love this Serenely White Cell Phone Holder made by her mom and this Thinking Spring - Cell Phone Charm, Zipper Pull, or Key Chain made by Ruthie.

Now go check out her wonderful items and leave her some great comments on her blogs :)

Wordless Wednesday: His Favorite Spot :)

Making History!

No matter your race...no matter your age...no matter your political affiliation...

Today We Are Making History!

As someone who isn't normally interested in politics...today, I am drawn to the TV! Rather, I am GLUED to the TV! I am so proud to be an American today and be part of such a ground-breaking historic day :) I really had no plans of watching any of the events today...until I turned on the TV. Now I am flipping through every news channel to find the best coverage of this momentous event.

I was excited to log on to Etsy and see President Obama on the front page :)

My favorite (no surprise) is the License Plate Photo Album. I'm sure the front page will be filled with wonderful items all day!

I want to congratulate our new President and thank him for inspiring our country to want to Change and believe that Yes We Can :)

Show Your Love :)

One more album to show your love this Valentine's Day :)

Check it out here...along with two other Love-ly albums :)

Love Is In The Air :)

With Valentine's Day just around the corner...I thought I would add some cute little word albums to My Shop :)

What better way to show the one you love how you really feel :) Choose from LOVE or I(HEART)YOU! Now...go spread the Love!

5 Easy Tips to Get Your Tax Preparer to Love You :)

I have been filing my business taxes for 3-4 years now and along the way...I have learned a few things :) Today I thought I'd share with you the things I have learned that make your tax preparer love you!

Tip 1: Keep all your receipts...but not in a shoebox!

I have a file cabinet just for my business documents. I keep all of my receipts and invoices in files separated by year. (ie. Costs 2008)

Tip 2: Do not bring this file to your tax preparer!

What do tax preparers hate the most...a year's worth of receipts! I keep all of my costs and sales in Excel Spreadsheets in chronological order. This is very easy to do and just takes a little updating throughout the year. I print them and bring them along with me to my appointment.

Tip 3: Make your Excel documents work for you.

I organize my Cost Log into 7 categories: Date, Company (purchased from), Inventory, Supplies, Utilities, Internet, Fees. I use these specific categories for different reasons. Your categories should work for your specific business. I have a separate room in my house for my business, so I am able to write off part of my home's expenses...therefore I have the Utilities section. Also, I use the Internet specifically for my business, so I am able to write off the entire bill for this. If I had a separate phone line, I would be able to write this off as well. Figure out what sections you need and make them work for you. Add categories as needed...this is the first year I have added Fees to my Cost Log. I put my Etsy fees and shipping fees in this category.

Tip 4: File your sales tax quarterly.

This tip is more for your benefit than for your tax preparers, but it will help everyone out in the end :) By filing your taxes 4 times per year, this forces you to organize your income at least that often. It will leave you less to do at the end of the year :) And if you have to open your Excel document and organize your income...why not do your costs as well! This is my first year selling on Etsy, so I added these sales to the bottom of my Sales Log to show their income. I didn't want them added into my quarterly sections because I did not charge sales tax on them. (out of state)

Tip 5: Have everything with you when you meet with your preparer.

This will save you the time of meeting multiple times and making more work for your preparer. I always schedule my appointment for early to mid-February. This way I am sure that I have received all of my needed paper work. (W-2s, tax forms, credit card statements with last year's costs, etc.)

Follow these tips and you will be in and out in about 20-30 minutes and you will leave your tax preparer with a smile on his/her face :)

Do you have a good tax prep tip? Leave me a comment...I'd love to know :)