Procrastination......

 

Now I'm not sure how many will relate to this........BUT I SURE DO!!

New Year, New Changes....

Friends welcome to 2012!

As I reflect on the last 10 months of starting HBC, yes I know it's only been 10 months,  

I am still in shock and awe EVERY single day!  People really want to buy MY hats, and things?!?!  

This makes me more giddy that a love sick school girl!  

I'm not entirely sure if y'all know exactly how HBC came to be or how I got started, 

so I will give you a lil insight as to why I'm in disbelief daily.

Back in the Dark Ages when I was attending high school, I happened to take a photography class in hopes that it would give me a quick ad easy credit to graduation.  Little did I know that, THAT class would change the course of my life.  I walked into Mrs. Harrington's Beginners Photography class with a high school chip on my shoulder, you know the one that most of us have when we are just trying to get the heck outta there and if this was how I was going to get my art credit than lets hurry up and get it over with?  

Well, believe it or not I actually enjoyed that class, cameras, candid moments, memories, stories, etc;. Photography had become my ultimate passion!  I couldn't live without a camera in my hands at all times.  Of course remember this was the Dark Ages so we had FILM, for all you youngsters out there this was a roll of reflective metals that was placed in the camera and you only had 24-36 chances to get a great photo, there was no Photoshop or Light Room it was all on you!  You couldn't go through and just delete the ones that didn't turn out, nope you had to pay to develop even the crappy ones.

When I got married I had saved up enough money to buy me a 35 mm (film) Cannon SLR.  I took and lugged that thing every where along with about 10 rolls of film at all times.  Anyhoo, needless to say I have about 10 bazillion pictures of anything and everything you could ever think of.  Well after a couple years that camera gave up on me and it was WAYYYY out dated.  I couldn't afford to buy a new digital one so my passion, my photography, went to the way side.

I had tried many other hobbies, however NOTHING could compare to the satifaction of photos!  I began researching and saving, researching and saving some more, and I was finally able to invest in my first digital SLR, and OH BOY was I in LOVE I had to re-learn EVERYTHING, but it came back to me pretty quickly.  I started messing around taking photos again and started having people ask me to take their family photos, newborn, children, you get the idea.  I realized that the kind of photography that I gravitaed towards and that I love more than anything was newborns, and birth stories.  These amazing little creatures are perfect, and sweet, and smell delicious, I could go on for decades about these lil munchkins.  Well as I was perfecting my craft and finding my style I started searching Etsy for props, blankets, pails, boxes, etc; and I came across some A.DOR.ABLE. animal hats!  I tried to purchase some but the wait was just too long.  MONTHS of waiting so I thought to myself I wonder if I could teach myself to do one or two that I could use in my photos. 

AND SO IT BEGINS.

I bought a book and some hooks and started, it took me a total of 3 hours to teach myself every stitch, abbreviation, and how to read a pattern all on my own (proud moment).

I was now ADDICTED, and with my OCD I was in BIG trouble.

I had made ONE, yes just one and I was forever hooked.  I posted a cruddy, blurry, horribly ligthted cell phone picture of the hat and had 20 orders within 2 days. 

Me:  "Oh my GOSH!" 

Hubby:  "What?!?"

 Me:  "babe, look at all these emails....!!!"

Hubby:  "sigh, by the way you sounded I thought it was something important.."

Me:  "thanks for you undying support SHEESH  (chuckle)!"

Hubby:  "what are they for?"

Me:  "hats (non nonchalantly)"

Hubby:  "hats?  Whose hats?  Your hats?  Since when do you make hats?"

Me:  "Since Thursday."

Hubby:  "(laughs out loud)  Okay, whatever floats your boat."

Before I could  finish those 20 orders, I had 10 more then 10 more, and so on, and so on.

HBC has been such a huge blessing to me and my family and I take extreme care and put a lot of love into each piece.  I never let one leave my hands until it is absolutely PERFECT in my eyes.  I love each one of my customers, and friends, and my family you all have been so supportive and kind.

So to you I say THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!

And my family says thank you!  You allow me to be a mommy to my 5 kids and wife to my hubby.

Ali, Byron, Jaicee, Pressley, McKaydie, Rykker, and Zyrik 

CHANGES.  The title to this post was New Year, New Changes.

Through many discussions with my husband and my children we have mutually decided that I will only take 6 custom orders a month.  

Now that doesn't mean that I won't be crocheting in the mean time that just means that I will get to work on some of the items that I need to for Ready To Ship, family, and close friends and most important donations.  I love donating my work to those in need.  I get extreme joy in seeing people happy, even if it is just for a split second.  Those smiles mean the world to me.  I will have a list that you can add your name to and I will just go down the list.  If I get extra time I may work on those who are next in line.

I will also be putting in place a tiny price increase.  I offer FREE SHIPPING on all my items to everyone in US and Canada.  For me to continue to offer this option I need to implement this.  Thank you for understanding.  

Here is to a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2012.