I Took the Handmade Pledge!

I'm fairly new to Etsy and had never heard of it before being introduced by a friend. I have found so much incredible talent there! It's unbelievable! Whenever I want to buy something, I search Etsy first. So, when I came across the 'Handmade Pledge' - I didn't hesitate to sign right up! For those who haven't heard of it, it's a pledge to 'buy handmade this holiday season and request that others do the same for you'. After seeing the work available on Etsy and other handmade shops, I'd much rather support these artisans than to buy a commercially mass-produced item. And I'd be honored to be the owner of something from one of these talented artists. So....for all of you out there who are just DYING to buy me a gift - please search Etsy! :) And if you'd like to sign the pledge yourself, the link is below. You don't have to make and sell handmade items to sign - you just need to pledge to buy HANDMADE!!!!!

http://www.buyhandmade.org/page/2/21151

And to make things even easier for those wanting to buy handmade...I'll be showcasing some of the amazing work of some of the amazing people that I've met through a couple of different Etsy groups that I am a member of. I'll be showcasing a different shop owner every week.

Welcome to the Bare Bottoms Boutique Blog

So, here we are...Bare Bottoms Boutique now has a blog! I'm new to the world of blogging and can't guarantee my blogging proficiency. But, stick with me - I'm sure it will be a fun and interesting ride!

I thought I'd start out by putting a bit of face behind the Bare Bottoms Boutique name - or at least one of the faces. I'm only half of the Bare Bottoms Boutique team. The other half consists of my best friend, Shannon. I'll let her do her own introduction. I'm Jenn - wife to a wonderful man, my high school sweetheart, Josh. We've been together for 12 years and married for almost 5. I'm also the mother to two beautiful children - they are the inspiration for my work. Ryleigh who was born in September of 2005, and Isaac who was born 2 years and 12 days later in October of 2007 (yes, that's his bum starring in our logo). Here they are - my beautiful children:

Ryleigh Isabelle

Isaac Joshua

And, me with my beautiful children:

I've been a stay-at-home mom for almost three years now, and while I'd love to say that its the best job ever and I would never want to do anything else....trust me - I have my days! Don't get me wrong, I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to stay home with my children and watch them grow, nurture and teach them, and know what's going on in their lives every day. But, there's only so much one can take of the crying, whining, back-talking, and down right meanness of a very mature and difficult 2.5 year old who is trying to assert her independance and make it known that she does not like the new addition to the family before wondering 'what am I doing?????' And not only 'what am I doing', but 'what am I doing wrong?!?!?!' That's where sewing and our newly developed business comes in. It's a reprieve for me - a way to get away from it all and focus on something other than the constant guilt and self-questioning that goes along with mommy-hood. And yet, even in my need for a 'reprieve' I'm drawn back to my kids in that most (if not all) my crafting revolves around them - especially my sewing. I love making anything for my children. When Ryleigh was a baby, I made her adorable little outfits and hats. Then Isaac was born and for some reason I got sucked into the 'green' movement. There's nothing like having two children to give you the inspiration and motivation to improve the world they live in. So, in my attempts at 'going green', I reluctantly converted to cloth diapering. I did a bunch of research, bought a bunch of cloth diapering fabric, and got started making my diaper stash. Every cloth diaper that has ever covered Isaac's bum was made by myself. And everyone who saw them was amazed. Even Josh is into now and trust me - THAT'S saying something! After several very flattering 'you should sell those!' comments, and a little convincing by Shannon, we decided to give it a go. We started out with just a small amount of local advertising - craigslist, fliers hung up around town on public bulletin boards, etc. We got a surprisingly good response and hence the Bare Bottoms Boutique website was launched. We also opened an Etsy shop where we have yet to make a sale, but we're not giving up! Here are some of my favorite items from our shops.

Of course...our custom made diapers!

Cloth Wipes

Personalized Bib and Burp Sets

Nursing Covers

Be sure to check out ALL we have to offer! We're so much more than cloth diapering supplies! You can check out our website at: http://www.barebottomsboutique.com/ and our Etsy shop at: http://www.barebottomsboutique.etsy.com/.