An update and Vintage Thingies Thursday

It's time for Vintage Thingies Thursday! I miss participating in this fun weekly event. I decided to share something this week. Here's a cute little plate I picked up from the thrift store for $1, that's right! It has the Shabby Chic and girlie look that I love, so it was definitely a real steal!

New topic: After feeling like a 6 year old trying to sell finger woven pot holders in the front yard, circa 1990 (yes, I tried doing this once with my cousin; unfortunately, our 'store' went out of business the same day :P), I've come to realize that my Etsy store really needs a makeover. Now, I didn't open it up with hopes that I'd get a ton of business the first month, or even a ton of business ever... but it's been a few months now, and all is still quiet on the western front.

So what to do, what to do? A friend of mine has a successful Etsy store. I asked her for a few tips and she was kind enough to share some of her wisdom with me via email. Things have got to change, they really do! I admit, I've gotten lazy, I don't take nice pictures of the things I create. I am also not doing a very good job of keeping the (potential) customer satisfied. For instance, I don't think it's such a great idea to sell single illustrations anymore. That's a little boring and, let's face it, I can't offer prints at the moment. My pal's suggestion? Sell a small bundle of illustrated cards. Cards! Yes, of course! Initially, I was a bit weary of being yet another Etsy card seller, but at this point, what do I have to lose? So long as the illustrations are unlike anyone else's, I don't see why this is a bad idea. In fact, it sounds like a pretty good idea. So that's the first change I'll be making to my Etsy store in a few days. I'll probably take a few of the illustrations off of the site this weekend. Until then, I'm working on creating a small themed collection. Here are two cards from the first (you'll recognize the second illustration :):

In other news, after waiting 2 weeks for genetic test results to arrive, someone helpful and caring finally faxed them over yesterday. What test am I referring to? Well, after not feeling so hot tummy-wise (funny how it all started after ingesting gluten while out of town), I decided to go back to the doctor. Turns out I have a gene for Celiac disease! Who woulda thought? I was a bit surprised. This doesn't mean 100% that I have it at the moment, but it means there is more than a 2/3 chance I could have it/develop it later. Given my symptoms, it's possible that I have it already. This simply means I need to be more strict about the gluten issue, like no more bubble gum, no more hair products or lotions that contain gluten, no more baking for friends using 'regular' flour, that sorta thing. Not so bad, really. Of course, there are other food sensitivities to take into account, as Celiac disease can contribute to other intolerances, but it's much more manageable than one would think (it just requires some discipline on my part).

If you haven't been feeling so hot, especially if you're experiencing digestive issues, please watch this video and read this! Celiac disease is ridiculously under-diagnosed!