shoprsd.com Blog

Okay, I know this may sound just ridiculously silly, but I am in tears over my sewing machine.  Just recently I bought a newer machine and I so I need to move my “old” machine out and start the new one, but I am having the hardest time with this.  I just have so much time invested and so many memories with my machine.  I know- silly right?  But I decided that if I didn’t allow myself these sad feelings I would misplace them, so I am feeling them out! 

So here’s to my old sewing machine, the “Tacsew.”  You helped me launch Rebekah Scott Designs and allowed me to kick it up a level with being able to be heavy duty and encouraging me to use leathers and other beautiful heavy fabrics.  You never broke down long enough to set me back and you always welcomed me with a loud roar in the morning.  I will always cherish our time together and the long hours in the middle of the night under the glow of your light making dreams come true.  I’ve raise my children in your viewsite all these years, sometimes even on your counter or sometimes rocking  them to sleep by the sound of your engine.    Thank you for being the stable one in our relationship and always encouraging me to do one more seam, one more purse, one more filled order.  You certainly hold a special place in my heart for the success of this business, thank you for being what God made you and allowing me to get attached.  I will continue to care for you and see that you are always well treated. Thank you again Tacsew, your work has changed my life. 

Now onward and upward!

What a great Saturday at home!  I plan on creating a hairband for winter with a really cool “brooch” I have been dreaming about (literally- it was in my dreams) and then an owl hat.  I love the months of January and February because I have a little bit more time to create, and that is what I am going to do today!  I am also going to sew up some kind of “cupid” outfit for Miss. Ivy, our youngest, for her one year pictures, think lots of ruffles in red and pink!

Then for more exciting things I am going to sort.  If I didn’t sew for a living, I would sort and organize for a living.  If I have free time, (ha- when does that happen?) I like to sort and pitch things out.  I just love the feeling of being efficient and knowing where things are.  So yes a Saturday at our house looks like this!

Tomorrow I am very excited to have my first sales meeting with all my sales reps.  All 5 are going to be there, and I am so thrilled to have them meet and greet together.  We will be brainstorming and coming up with all kinds of new ideas and new ways to sell, just brace yourself, I foresee big things happening!

I have to tell you I had a show on Thursday night in Sioux Falls and it was a big success with the ‘Mindy’ style  being Miss. Popularity!  I am so excited that she is being so well received   I’m telling you the hands-free option is fantastic.

Thank you all for our 700th fan campaign on Facebook, we meet and exceeded the goal in one week, thank you all so much! Next up, 1000th fan- with $100 Bekah Bucks and $100 to the person who refers you!

Have  a great week and I will keep you all posted on the sales meeting results-  So excited!

I get asked/emailed/facebooked this question a lot, and yes I do diaper bags.  I have a link on my website www.shoprsd.com for babies and mommies.  I don’t call one certain bag ‘a diaper bag’ because  all of my large size bags could be considered “diaper bags.” Each bag has pockets that line the inside (all the styles and sizes do) but on the large ones, they are sized specifically to fit diapers, wipes and a bottle/sippy cup.  So, YES, we do have a diaper bags, we just have mush cuter names for them like, Olivia, Rachel, Jessica, Genesis and Jocelyn.  Enjoy all you Mommies something that makes you look cute and your little one, that doesn’t scream “Diaper Bag.”  These just scream cute, chic and functional!  Also, all the bags are washable, so no crying over spilled milk, or whatever else gets spilled    

Start Shopping Now!

http://www.shoprsd.com/shopBabyBags.htm

My husband is no stranger to that phrase in our household, I say it a lot.  I just love my life, and how forunate am I to say that?  Thank you God.

I love my life because I am doing what I love everyday, designing, raising my kids at home with me while I work, and serving my husband as his helper, I LOVE my life.

I was reflecting on my life as I rocked Iversyn last night in my bedroom and thinking just how blessed we are. Everyday I get to do what I love with a husband that I love and to kids that I love having wtih me.  So I am saying thank you to all of you who make that happen. You -who think my products are a must -have and allow me to keep doing what I love.  Thank you so much! My prayers are that somehow by me living and doing what I love others will be inspired to do what they love and reach higher and further to achieve their dreams.  Thank you for letting me lead on this one!

I love the month of January, for one it’s my birthday that I share with my twin sister and 2 aunts and second, it’s goal month!  I love making new goals, seeing new numbers to reach and creating new products to move a long.  So again, I LOVE my life.  Thank you.

I watched this show last night with Nick about people who survived these events where they saw God or heard Him.   They talked about the peace they received about knowing where they were going when their time was up.  It was  interesting to see and affirming to know that God is near and praying to Him gives me peace.  They said after the experience that they prayed without ceasing because it was so natural to talk to Him after their experience.  So I have decided that I don’t need a “near death” experience to remind me He is close and have decided to pray in “run-on sentences ” throughout the day.  I often pray while rocking the kiddos or sewing at my machine, or while brushing my teeth, or washing the dishes or riding in the car, but why can’t I without ceasing?  So for 2011 I am forming some new habits of praying to the God who made it possible for me to say , ” I LOVE my life.”!  Happy New Year!

What a wonderful Christmas season we have happening! I know it is over for the most part, but my family is doing Christma this weekend, so it doesn’t feel over just yet!

I want to thank everyone for buying and giving during the Christmas season, we are already seeing follow up orders from friends and family from those who gifted and received, thank you!  How exciting to keep growing and growing!

I meet with my fabulous ‘Golden Girls’ or sales reps on the 7th to gear up for a new year and get motivated for all the new things we want to see happening.  I started planning out all the paper work and I love seeing numbers. To me, numbers are black and white, the only things that change them are own actions, I love that part.  We will also be talking over some new products I would like to introduce…think jewelry wraps, i-pod covers, and a new style.  (Now don’t get your hopes up too soon, these things take lots of time because we are so busy thankfully with our current lines, but in the future…)  ! 

I am doing paperwork and new designs on this break. I even took some time to make my daughter’s, Iversyn’s first Christmas dress, and as if that wasn’t enough, I made a coat for her too. After all she does have a  mommy that LOVES to create, why not spoil her!  It was adorable and so much fun.  Everytime I get to the month of January I start dreaming bigger and bigger. I want to have a children’s line someday and I want to design fabric.  I get so motivated looking at Gus’ storybooks and the illustrations or making Ivy clothes, I just can’t help it.  So to start that process a little, I bought 120 colored pencils to start sketching and dreaming.  You have to start somewhere, and I am the first to say, when you would like to do something, do something everyday to get closer to it. For example, buying the pencils, or making a phone call, or an email or blogging about your dreams, they have to start with small steps, you don’t just arrive!  Stay tune, I get adreline just thinking about it, literally!

Gus, our son, says to me after 3 days of not sewing, “Mommy- you haven’t turned your machine on in a long time!”  So yes I took a break in there and it felt good to regroup and re-energize.  But I can’t wait to start up again.

So in the New Year, we are stocking up on Pollies, Scrunchy Scarfs, bags and the new style- think cross bag, long handle with more room than the Ashley style.  I found a fabric that is GORGEOUS, that I will experiment with for it. It is red tapestry with a ‘moracan’ feel to it. 

Happy New Year, have a great weekend and start on your goals, one step at a time!

I think of this phrase so often during the holiday season, so I wanted to share a few of my favorite things:  Strange or not, I love these things/experieces/places/people….

1. Cherry Coke. Enough said, I didn’t ever like pop until I got a pregnant, then it was Cherry Coke baby and it never changed!

2. The dryer light inside the dryer, it’s so inviting and the warm clothes, a litte strange I realize but I love that little light of hope.

3. Gus’ laugh when he is really tickled about something, it is so contagious, you just have to laugh with him.

4.  My husband walking down our sidewalk on the farm in his boots and cowboy hat, if only he was riding his horse, and tying up after a long day..oh yah…..

5.  My mom’s morning phone calls every morning, it’s our version of morning coffee at the cafe, I LOVE catching up and laughing together.

6. The smell of welding dust, burnt hair, and old spice. My dad does a lot of welding, and old spice, the burnt hair is from the brandings out west in the  spring, oh goodness I miss those years.

7.  The feel of cold plastic against my snowpants, makes me feel like I am 8 again and sledding with the Peterson’s and my two older brothers.  Usually it was more about surviving the sledding then enjoying it—, think— ropes, launching and head wounds!

8.  My box full of flowers to craft with, I tell my husband often it is my happy place. I could just sit and create and create in the box.

9.  Bubble baths and my favorite magazines, Oprah, Country Living or clothes catalogs.

10. Numbers- I love to see numbers on business, they don’t scare me they inspire me.  I like to break them down and really figure out what I need to sell in what amount of time to make it all work.

11.  Fabric stores. I used to spend hours with my mom in Rapid City just strolling down the aisles dreaming up wha t I would do with all that fabric, and I am living that little dream!

12.  Ivy’s little hands on my neck, she likes to play shy and she snuggles me, I prayed for a snuggler, and God delivered!

13.  Board Games- oh yah, give me 6 people, popcorn, drinks and a good ol’ board game, and I am in my happy place.  Win or not, I just love laughing.

14.  My niece Olive’s loves. She is so loving.  She tell’s me ”hug, hug hug, and then squeezes away.  She asked me this last time if my nursing served up Ivy some “strawberry milk?” Oh boy….

15.  The sight of Sarah in my passenger seat of the van, it means adventures and laughs, she is so beautiful!

16.  Surprises. oh please surprise me, I even anticipate them which leads to many disappoints, but I can keep dreaming!

17. Hugging my Best Friend Lia and crunching her sunglasses, we are about 12 inches apart and the hugs are the best!

18.  Accessories, jewelry, scraves, and hat, of my goodness hats!

19.  Late night oreos and milk with my husband in the dark kitchen, catch up time and some pillow talk over our kitchen table. 

20.  The movie ELF, seriously, the best movie ever, I never watch a movie twice (why waste the time) but that one I could see again and again.

There is a few of them, what are yours?  Merry Christmas one and all!

  Merry Christmas! 

You may remember that each year we write about what we learned in our marriage and parenting.  Well this year we learned so much, we couldn’t fit it all in, so we will just highlight our many “learning” experiences!

Whew! What a year we have had.  I just finished all the Christmas orders at 4:29pm yesterday, so I had one minute to spare!  Pressure was on! I often use the phrase “Here…we…gooooo!” in my blog entries and in my emails to describe our lifestyle and way of viewing things.  We are on a roller coaster ride and right before we get to the top, we scream, “Here we go!” and most of our lifestyle is like that. 

Our biggest news to share is that we had a baby girl, Iversyn Pauline, on Feb 28^th.  One of each has been so much fun.  Iversyn is very -very smiley.  We describe her as “Mostly sunny with a chance of thunderstorms” because she is very happy or very upset, no in-between.  Nick says she is a lot like her mother, but there is no doubting she is Nick’s little girl!  She loves to be held and is by definition a “Mommy’s girl.” I go everywhere with her on my hip. We joke around that I could win some kind of contest of how much you can do with one arm!

Gus is the big 4 now and one busy athlete still.  For his birthday party this year he had a hockey party with family. He still loves sports of all sorts and plays them as much as possible; we have to ball-proof the house a little for him in the winter.  We have to remind him a lot that is he too good now to play baseball in the house, which he persists he can just “tap” it, but that is still not okay!   He will start preschool in January.  Gus loves clothes and changing about 4 times a day, my mom says it is payback for my ridiculous ways as a kid.   

Nick is continuing to work with his dad on the farm.  We also bought another 10 head of cows.  He is  helping a local plumber when needed too.  My oldest brother, Philip has started his own business in Sioux Falls working construction and Nick is excited to start working with him.  He sure has picked up all kinds of good skills! Nick managed to squeeze in some coyote, deer and some pheasant hunting.  Nick had his own camp this summer at Lake Poinsett called “Wild at Heart” for high-schoolers.  It is based on the way God forms male and female hearts.  It was great to get him back home after a long week.

I have had a great year with Rebekah Scott Designs.  We have increased business significantly and we can contribute that to all the art shows, facebook and my new sales reps.  I have 5 very fine women now selling my things so I can keep sewing my things!  We went from doing an average of 20 bags per week to 40!  I have 4 part-time employees and 2 babies at home that help out sort -of, or at least keep things comical!  My mom has taken over my accessories line and boy we keep her busy, she just keeps shaking her head with all this success and saying, “I should have known!”We have a blog, website, shopping cart, and a fan page on facebook. Visit www.shoprsd.com to see all the products.  This year we introduced baby shoes. The girl shoes are called “Ivy Toes”, and the boy ones are “Gus Stompers.”  Those little shoes may just pay for their colleges! I love what I do, and it wouldn’t be possible without all the help from my folks, and Nick’s and of course family neighbors!

What a fantastic year God has given us.  May He bless your new year with adventures and His peace.  If you find some “stillness and peace” send it our way! Ha!

That title says a lot, I LOVE this time of season.  I have been playing Christmas music since Halloween and been in the “mood” every day since! 

We are doing 2 very fun Holiday shows this year that will be really fun for you and your girlfriends to attend and let the spirit of the holiday’s move you into action! 

First, we have Minglewood Studios Merry Merry Marketplace.  My friend Carmen hosts this in her home, and I just love attending because her home is so welcoming and beautiful.  It looks like it came right out of Pottery Barn magazine, and during the holidays she has it way “dec’t ” out!  I will have all my goods there to sell and you can design your own as well. It’s the perfect time to go to a show and not have to clean your house and get away with girlfriends to shop all independent hand made USA products. She has 19 artists attending, and even I take care of my Christmas list all in one swoop!  The show is always the first weekend in Dec, so this year Dec.  3rd and 4th- hope to see you there!  Mention this blog entry and receive 10% off when checking out. Merry Christmas to you!

2nd show is The Art Mom’s Holiday Boutique.  I am really excited to do this as well.  It’s their first year, but I have feeling they will doing this again after their wild success we are sending their way!    It is 4 days for 4 weekends, starting the 26th and ending the weekend of Dec. 18th.  They are Thursday-Sunday shows and they also will have various artists showing all their “homegrown” goods. I will be restocking them regularly with my goods, so keep shopping for more than weekend.  Their boutique is located right next to Platos closet on 41st str in Sioux Falls.   It is sure to be fun and full of good buys that are handmade and supporting local artists.  Can’t wait to see their turnout results and when the next one is planned !

So other than that, start ordering your Christmas gifts now, I am asking that you place your orders by Dec. 2nd to get them in time for Christmas. I always end up pulling some all nighters on the last days there but I am hoping we can keep up and not have to do that this year!  But please by all means—-go ahead and blow our socks off!  We have a lot in stock as well, so feel free to call and chit chat about what I already have in inventory and buy from there for your loved ones or yourself, I love filling orders and sending joy your way!  Have a very merry Christmas Season and remember to shop local and ‘homegrown.”  God Bless this season He created.

My goodness has business exploded!  We are so busy and it is so fun, I titled this blog entry “here we go” because that’s what I feel like right before a big rush of orders or shows or whatever the next big phase is, it’s like right before you go over the big turn or hill on a rollercoaster, you say to yourself…Here …..we…..gooooooo!  That’s why I write that a lot…just really describes how this business works. It’s scary, it’s fun, it’s busy and it’s always got turns and spins, and rushes of energy. 

I am so overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion for this business right now. It has just been so fun to see it become what I have been dreaming for so long.  For 3 weeks in a row, we had over 1000 NEW visitors to the website, not returners (although we love you too   NEW ones, WOW!  I am so humbled and excited about what God is doing for this business. I do what I love everyday and stay at home and see my desires played out, does it get any better?  I can’t wait to find out!

I had a show this week in rural Madison for Madison SD teachers and it was a huge success. Eighteen, yah count ‘em….18 bags are now running around Madison, that town is such a hot spot for me!  I have about 4 hot spots that I know of  since being in business that I know will always sell a lot of my product, Madison SD, Rochester MN, Parkston SD, and Windom MN.  They are always GREAT shows and so fun to go to because I see my regular customers and they just keep adding to their collections.  Thank you Hot Spots!  I should mention here— if you want your town to become a hot spot, book a trunk show!  Visit my website at www.shoprsd.com and look at our hostess tools to see just how easy it is and help get you prepared, you could be the next Hot Spot!

So what’s next?  Christmas! Can you believe it? Less than 70 days away!  I LOVE the christmas spirit, I started listening to music already, I set my own traditions of deciding I could listen as early as I wanted to for it!  Order your gifts now so I have them in time for your guest list. Around the Holidays, I have a 4 week turnaround, so figure that in now! I also offer 10% off for any order over 2 with accessories.  Now’s the time! Visit the website to check up on where we will be next on the road to come see us and buy on the spot. The next big one is the Autumn Festival in Shakopee MN, at Canterbury Downs, Nov. 11th-14th, it’s so much fun to go to, gets you in the spirit of everything. 

That’s it for now, and as I love to say……”Here…..we….goooooo! “

It’s been 7 years of doing what I love everyday.  I can believe I am here because I have worked hard but also played hard! So to celebrate with you I have a show I am hosting!

Show is Wednesday Sept 22nd at 5:-6:30pm.  At the Hagan Building-

I am hosting this show to express how grateful I am for my customers -and  I have some fun benefits for you! By attending the show you will receive $10 in Bekah Bucks for a pay it forward gift, so you can spread the joy of RSD….

Plus, (Yes you benefit too…)  You get $10 in Bekah Bucks to spend!  Happy success to both of us!   Bring a girlfriend or two with you and you can earn two Bekah Bucks for each friend. That could really add up