We went to Surfside Beach, Texas last weekend to see our friend Adam, who runs a restaurant there on the beach called Pirate’s Alley Cafe. My boyfriend, Dave, shot some web commercials for Adam’s restaurant & beach rentals, plus another hotel out there and he even did a commercial for the city itself! We got to stay in one of those amazing beach houses. This quaint little beach town is what I imagine much of the Florida panhandle must have been like 50 years ago…
My RSS feed is fixed now! In case you missed it, something happened and it was out for a few weeks, but hopefully everything should be working now. Thanks to everyone who commented with suggestions on my post about it, and to the lovely folks at Dreamhost for all your help!
Today is the last day to enter the L’Occitane Shower Gel & Body Lotion Giveaway.
My friend Jene just tipped me off to this thing called Groupon. They’re about to launch a New Orleans program, and they already have programs in place for most major U.S. cities. It’s basically what the name implies – a group coupon. Here’s what Jene had to say about the program: “I highly recommend it. Basically you subscribe, every day you get ONE e-mail of an offer. You decide if you want it, if you do you sign up for it and if enough people request it then it is valid.” She used it when she lived in NYC and says that often the coupons are for restaurants, but that she once got a $75 massage for $40 and a deal on $35 worth of groceries for only $20 at a local natural grocery store. It sounded like a pretty sweet deal, so I’m waiting to see what deals are in place for New Orleans! This sounds like it could also be a great way for local businesses to get new customers in their doors. If you want to sign up, please feel free to use my referral link to do so! (Once you do, you’ll get your own referral link to send to your friends!)
Awhile back, I wrote an article on Southern artists who use recycled materials in their work for the 1st issue of a new magazine called Southern Flourish. The premiere issue, Spring 2010, is scheduled to launch next week, but there are a few teaser images already on Flickr, including one shot from the article I wrote. (That’s the image above.) This magazine is going to be sort of like Southern Living meets Domino with a modern upbeat flair. I can’t wait to see how the whole thing turns out!
Here are a few great recent crafty business links from around the web:
Focus Your Energy @ Handmade Spark
Asking for It @ BAKERY
from in-house production to outsourcing, why you should offer microwave classes, designing sticky products, part 1 @ crafting an MBA
a short rant about business cards @ White Hot Truth
Code for Crafters :: Images 101 @ Tara Gentile
The Keys to the Store: Selling Handmade to Retailers and Wholesalers, Inventory Management for the Creative Entrepreneur @ Meylah
Understanding Merchant Services @ Retail Minded Blog
Thinking about selling your hand made craft and design online? @ Pure Design Blog
BizCamp is this new “UnConference” coming up here in New Orleans on Saturday, March 27th for entrepreneurs. It will be held at The IP Building (643 Magazine) and will include complimentary lunch and a DJ set from DJ Soul Sister. I’ve signed up to go, and if you’re interested you can check out more information and register at their website. It’s totally free to attend and it sounds like a great networking & learning opportunity.
If you’re in Philly, be sure to check out the Philadelphia Designer’s Market for Independent Fashion Designers on Saturday, April 17th, from 11am til 6pm at 123 South 17th Street. Admission is free and there will be free totes for early shoppers!
April 17th is also the day of the Alternative Media Expo here in New Orleans. The New Orleans Craft Mafia will be putting together free goodie bags for the first 100 shoppers as well, so be sure to check it out if you’re in the area, and no matter where you’re located, you are welcome to contribute to the goodie bags and get the word out about your business or organization! More details on how to participate are here.
I just heard about the fiercegrrl fund on Modish. It was formed to raise money to help Nicole Puzan, a 26 year old artist and crafter who was diagnosed with Stage IIIc ovarian cancer. She is uninsured, like so many artists & self-employed folks in this country, and can use all the help she can get right now. Check out the post on Modish or go to the fiercegrrl fund for more info and to donate.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you so much for sharing information and the links to the fiercegrrl fund! We’re working really hard to pull together resources and funds for Nicole so that her treatment and recovery are things she can focus on without having to worry about basic needs. She is such a wonderful crafter, artist and friend. So again, THANK YOU!
Meaghan, you’re very welcome! My mom went through breast cancer a couple of years ago without health insurance, and a lot of local crafters I know received an outpouring of support from the online craft community following Hurricane Katrina. The way people in this community come together in a time of need is one of the things I love most about it.
this looks amazing and fun times!
thea.
xx
(Spoonful zine)