It's official! Saratoga Health and Wellness IS coming!

So here is part of (well most of) the reason for my absence this summer:

http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/09/07/news/doc4aa46a3d61cde598934696.txt

Very proud of the hubby and our friend, Mike! Can't wait until the construction phase is complete and for a sense of "normalcy" to come back into our lives!

I'm back!

Ok, so it as been FOREVER since I've posted anything on here! While this post will not be lengthy, I did want to take the time to share a new link to a new website I have set up: http://www.soopsee.com/profile/capriciouscrafts. This site will eventually take the place of the current www.capriciouscrafts.com as it incorporates my ETSY shop and items, twitter updates, and blog posts all in one place. What a great idea! I'm really excited about this as I think it will make it a lot easier to manage my "internet presence". The site is still in beta testing and provides both free accounts (with limited options and connectivity to ETSY shop listings and tweets), but is also offering it's upgraded "Sooper" accounts at the discounted rate of $4.99/month for the life of your subscription (regularly $14.99/month). Check it out at: http://www.soopsee.com/.

Check back here soon for a post highlighting my summer activities!

Latest Projects

Just as predicted, I have not been great with keeping this blog up to date on a regular basis. But I do have some evidence that I have been keeping busy (part of the reason for not posting much on here!). Here are some of the latest projects:

My husband and I recently finished the latest upgrade to our pool patio area - a project that has been ongoing since we purchased our home back in 2005. Aside from having someone pour the concrete deck around the pool and replace the liner, we have done all the work ourselves. The most recent addition is the paver patio. Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure:

This is the pool area as it appeared just prior to purchasing the house:

Here are pics of the patio project:

The next outdoor project will be extending the deck out to the new patio area. Check back sometime in 2010 for that!

Aside from the patio project, I have also managed to create some new items for my ETSY shop. I have not listed them in my shop yet, but here is a preview:

I also made some cushions for a friend's porch rocking chairs. I took the opportunity to experiment with covered buttons for a "professional" look: 

Well, that's all I've got for now. Off to enjoy what's left of the weekend! 

Looking back at the week...

So nothing too exciting took place since my last post about a week ago. I have seen a recent increase in the traffic to my ETSY shop so my efforts may be paying off! I have been brainstorming some new ideas for handbags and hope to have some new styles available in my shop soon...

On a different note, my wonderful cat, Momo, broke my heart yesterday afternoon when I found him "playing" with a poor innocent bird (see below) outside on the patio. I think he hurt it's wing pretty badly, but the bird was still alive and breathing as you can see in the picture. After leaving it alone for a bit, I saw the bird hop off into the yard. I am going to be optimistic and believe that he is OK....

Here are my two cats:

Momo

Mahli

Well, that's all for now. Must head to bed and get through another workday...Looking forward to a warm, sunny weekend!!! Night!

My craft space

So here are some pics of my craft space. It's a work in progress, but a far cry from the space it used to be...

Before...

After...

Let Me Introduce Myself...

So, I created this blog over a week (or 2?) ago and have been avoiding posting like the plague!! I've always been amazed at how other people keep up with these things and I guess I've just been intimidated by "taking the plunge". But in an effort to spread the word about my "side job" I suppose I should put this thing to use! So here goes...

My name is Kristin and I am the founder/creator/owner of Capricious Crafts. I grew up in NJ down by the shore, but have lived in upstate NY for 6 years. I am 28 years old and have been married for 3.5 years now. I do not have any children yet (much to my mother's disappointment I'm sure...I get calls every other week with news of former classmates who have birth announcements in the local paper back home...hinting are we?). I have been working full time as a physical therapist for over 5 years. I've always loved creating and crafting and was taught how to sew by my grandmother when I was 10 years old. I can't say that I have been sewing for that long though. Once I completed my first outfit with her (a lovely shirt and "skort" combo - you know, the shorts that were attached to the skirt...gotta love the '80's!), I don't think I sat behind the sewing machine again until about 3.5 years ago!! My husband and I bought a house about 2 weeks before we got married, and in an effort to save some cash, I decided I would try my hand at making some curtains and pillow covers with my mom's old sewing machine. Once I figured out how to thread the needle (thank God for google!) I was hooked on sewing again! The jewelry making is a more recent venture that was sparked by my mom showing me how to make "barefoot sandals" after a friend of her's taught her how to make them. I quickly became obsessed with collecting beads (again, as I had a prior obsession back in college, but the lack of "funds" made it nearly impossible to fulfill that obsession!!) ! I transitioned from barefoot sandals to other types of jewelry when a co-worker asked me if I made earrings (he wanted to buy a pair for his wife). I told him that I had never made a pair, but never one to pass up a challenge, I researched the subject and created a pair that she ended up loving! I was inspired to start my own business after watching an episode of Martha Stewart's tv show where an ETSY seller was featured. I had never heard of ETSY before, but soon after watching the show, I had a "store" name and was up and running! 

It's been just over a year now since that time and it's been quite an adventure! I officially registered Capricious Crafts as a business in October of 2008. I can't say it was great timing for starting a new business with the turmoil of the economy and consumers tightening their belts, however I am taking things one step at a time. Having a full time job (and a husband with a job!) has it's advantages in that I am not relying on this as a primary source of income (yet...), so there is less pressure to have steady sales. There are also obvious downsides to still having a full time job in that there is less time to create, market, and blog! The whole process has been quite a learning experience in regards to figuring out all the legal responsibilities of owning/running a small business and figuring out the whole tax thing (especially difficult being in NY state!!), however things are going smoothly so far...My ultimate goal now is to someday be able to run my business full time from home so I can be at home to raise a family (see mom, there is hope!!).

So there you have it...my very first blog post! I hope I did not bore you with too many details!! I plan to use this blog to document the growth and progress of my business and to give you a glimpse into the world of Capricious Crafts! So check back from time to time for updates, pictures, and whatever else pops into my mind to write about! Thanks for visiting!