Did you "Spot" me on IndieSpotting?

What fun to have my CuddleBug Lovey on the first page of the "Indie Finds for Baby and Kids" section of IndieSpotting! Yea! :) That just made my day! And if you haven't ever checked out this website, you should! All kinds of wonderful items out there for EVERYONE!

A Big Step for Leyton Smiles

This is going to seem really silly to some of you, but to me, it's a big deal! I was finally brave enough to add International Shipping to my store. Silly, right? I love the idea of expanding "my horizons" to a worldwide market place. But estimating shipping across the globe? Whoa. However, I had a very sweet customer this week from Canada. It made me realize that it really isn't as scary as I make it out to be, and I went for it. Previously, I had noted on my shop intro to "please convo me for international shipping," so that I could then estimate shipping on a case-by-case basis. However, as Justine pointed out this week in her Etsy Business Community newsletter (awesome newsletter. seriously.), you may lose customers this way! Since I'm still new and customers are hard to come by, I took this to heart. She made me realize that I had to make it easy on my customers. I realized they might just "walk" away instead of going through the hassle of sending me a convo. So if I have any international readers out there, I hope this makes Leyton Smiles a little more welcoming, and easier for you! And a special thanks to my Canadian customer - she made me take the plunge and it was well worth it! ;)

So a question to all my customers, readers, lurkers, whatever... What other things would you like to see from my shop? Are there items I don't currently list that you look for specifically in a baby shop? Anything you would like to see more/less of?

You know you sew too much when...

Your 5 year old little boy asks if you can put a dart in his jeans because they are too big. :) I wonder how many 5 year olds out there understand what a dart's purpose is? Apparently I not only spend a little too much time at the sewing machine, but I also spend too much time talking about sewing... Hmm... :)

To Facebook, or Not Facebook...

I must admit, I'm mildly overwhelmed with the world that is Etsy. But in a good way of course... ;) I've always loved making things, and I thought, hey, what a great way to share my creations with the rest of the world! So I started Leyton Smiles on Etsy, and I love it.

Then someone mentioned I should blog. Ok, why not? That's easy! I already blog about my kids, so just add it to the list, right? :) So I started blogging for Leyton Smiles, and I love it.

And then someone said, "Hey, get your shop out there! Make it so people can find you!" And this is where I get overwhelmed. I have a facebook account, but I use it more to read updates on all my friends, I don't necessarily post a lot (or ever really)... I'm not good at showing off my own work. Very few of my IRL (in real life) friends know I sell stuff on Etsy. They just come to me and ask me to make stuff for them. So I do - and never mention that I have a little shop I'm so very proud of, but just too embarrassed to bring up. :) Silly, right? So the other day, when I was featured on "Fine Tooth Comb," (see previous post), my husband pushed me to post it on my FB page. And did I? Nope. Just couldn't do it. And since I have such a wonderful husband, without my prompting - he posted it on his.

So maybe this will teach me to be a stronger person. Just maybe. :)

P.S. - don't get me started on Twitter. I'm not even going there. Yet...

Oh Happy Day!

How exciting to be featured in today's post on Julie's Blog, Fine Tooth Comb! What an honor for me - she's a wonderful blogger and I have really enjoyed reading both of her blogs (Fine Tooth Comb and On the Dot Creations). Check it out! And if you are a Etsy Business Owner, mark Julie's blog to your favorites - it's awesome! :)

Oh, The Possibilities

I have a problem. A fabric problem. I can't walk into any store that sells fabric of any kind and not walk out with some, no matter what I promise myself beforehand. I know I have piles and piles of fabric at home just waiting to become something, but I just can't help myself. My biggest dilemma these days is deciding WHAT to do with all the fabric I buy. Burp cloths? Blankets? Loveys? Totes? Something new? The possibilities are endless.... Anyone else have this problem or am I alone in the fabric-aholic group? :)



Here's just a quick shot of some of my more recent purchases... My current "loves."

Is Anyone Out There?

I decided it would be fun to keep a blog for Leyton Smiles - and keep everyone up to date on the fun things I'm working on! Leyton Smiles is new to Etsy, but I've been making these fun baby items for friends and family for years! It's a "hobby" I truly enjoy, and hope you will find the items I make practical, yet fashionable! Check back often for updates!