Ever have one of those days when you just seem to get NOthing done?  I seem to have those quite often, what with a busy toddler needing me ALL the time, and a body that, despite not being quite half way there, is feeling quite pregnant - and therefore, QUITE exhausted.  Today was NOT one of those days.  YIPEE!! 
It is only 7 PM and, for once, I'm not feeling bad about calling it a night.  In spite of the fact that I was at Maria's all morning til around 2, I still managed to get things done.  Can I brag?  Just a little bit?  Please?  :)
I got a pillow cover embroidered that I've been meaning to do since LAST Christmas when Ava got the book, Guess How Much I Love You, a loaf of bread baked (okay, yes, it WAS in the bread machine but there are days when I don't even have a chance to put the ingredients in the machine, let alone bake a loaf of bread), a chance to use a handheld blender that I've had for at least 3 years and never actually used, some homemade fruit-filled cereal bars baked, supper made and on the table before 6, and finally, my wee babe to bed.  Yay, me!  Oh, I'm also NOT forgetting to blog this week!  I'm seriously on a roll.  Now all I need is a bath, my book, and my bed...this handmaiden is calling it a day on a positive note!

You know how it's hard to work when everything is a mess?  Well, you should have seen my work space.  Actually, on second thought, you should NOT have seen it...and I'm glad there aren't any pictures.  However, it will be hard for you to appreciate how great it looks and feels to me now without comparing the before.  Let me just say this, picture piles of fabric and stuff...EVERYwhere!  Looking at it now, I am almost satisfied.  Of course, the idea of a permanent office is what I look forward to, but this, THIS new 'organized', albeit in a dishevelled way, workspace is simply GLORIOUS!!
You'll notice I DID give you a picture of my old sewing box...I hated it.  But, what could I do?  I was opposed to going out and buying a new one at WalMart and none of the second hand stores had one.  However, total treat, this afternoon I transferred all my sewing stuff into my new second hand sewing box, as well as all the thread I bought a few months ago at Salvation Army from a bag to my old box. 
Maria brought me a second hand treat yesterday (along with a London Fog) and totally made my day.  (After which I made my day by facebooking her a message - "thanks a latte".  Haha.  I crack myself up:).  Thank you Salvation Army and Maria! 
celia

It's January and the beginning of, not only a new month, but the beginning of a new year.  I'm not much of a 'resolution maker' - it seems to me that mostly what happens is that people make these resolutions and work at them like crazy for the first part of the year and then...they all take a back seat to life and are forgotten until the next January rolls around.  It HAS been FAR too long since I have worked on anything very New Leaf related what with the regular holiday busyness that occurs around Christmas and the 'handmade Christmas present making extravaganza' that was my endeavor this year.  I DO have a  resolution related to Christmas present making  - START BEFORE OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER!!!   As for New Leaf - I do plan on getting started with creating things shortly.  At this point, I'm revelling in the fact that I don't have any deadlines (ie: Dec. 25) to meet and don't actually HAVE to make ANYTHING.  Though, truth be told, I got a rotary cutter for Christmas, couldn't wait to try it out, and have started making a quilt for Ava.  To be fair, I've always wanted to make a quilt and I WILL have need of some more blankets soon with a new baby on the way but this isn't feeling stressful or New Leaf related so this quilt doesn't count. 
With a new year, comes (hopefully) new ideas and new things to add to the store.  Over the Christmas rush as I procrastinated (and looked through crafting and sewing blogs instead of finishing my Christmas presents) I found a lot of truly great ideas and things that I would like to try or things that I would like to adapt and possibly add to the store.  I'll need to take a look through some of the sites I've bookmarked and get started sewing but be assured: there will be some new products this year.  
I am looking forward, with anticipation, to what will happen this year; I am thankful for how far we've come with New Leaf in the last year and thankful for all our customers and 'likers'; I know that this year will be even better than the last!
-Cecelia

It seems appropriate that I've been procrastinating this blog post, considering it's about getting organized.  It's a new year for New Leaf, and I have great goals of how organized I'll be this year, while more than likely, things will remain as ever.  Putting things off till the last minute, my mess of a workspace overflowing until I have to do something about it in order to see the actual desk... Though you wouldn't know it by looking at the mounds of clutter surrounding my work area, I really do love being organized.  I've been finding  some great tools for staying organized, both in record keeping and in physical office space, so I thought I'd share a few of these gems.

I love baskets -it's so easy to toss stuff into them, but if you have lots, there's still some organization, and they hide things so well.  These are from sewingmomma on Etsy.  I love the neutral linen fabric with the flowers to spruce them up.

What kind of a shop owner would I be if I didn't plug my own goods?  Really though, I have one of these memo boards above my desk.  Not only does it look lovely, it helps keep stray bits of paper organized.  Where to find yours?  At newleafhandmade on Etsy, of course.

Again, I love places to stash things.  I also like the idea of them stuck to the wall, unable to disappear.  You can find these and ones in other styles from Thitaree on Etsy.

Etsy shops, from left to right: Magnets from fridgeFancies, Twig Pencils from brionesandco, Button Thumbtacks from ButtonUpsDesigns. 

And if I had space for some bigger things:

Etsy shops from left to right: Green Shelf from TRwoodworks, Metal Drawers from TagSaleFinds, White Shelf from usacreations, Ribbon Caddy from pattyspaperprojects.

And for any other small business owners who love great record-keeping tools:

1. A lovely template for tracking orders, specially designed for Etsy shop-owners.
2. A spreadsheet for sales goals.
3. AccountingSpot has some awesome free downloads for Etsy shops and small businesses as well.  All you have to do is sign up for their mailing list and you can access lots of beautifully made (and easy to use) profit & loss templates and the like.

Happy Organizing!
-Maria