1.15.2011

Military Life - "Brats" Perspective

Military Life ...
From a spouse's perspective


Jeananne Sizemore
owner of Art Whims




A military life is a great one, one that I have known my entire life. As a Navy Brat and now as an Army Wife, I have experienced the ups and downs of what it means to be a member of a military family and that our family includes many more than my genetic relatives. Our family is all of the people in the military and those who have family members and friends in the military.




I am proud that the Homefront Team is now part of that family. The military family mirrors the relationship of siblings; we may fight sometimes, have differences in faith and ideas, but when we really need each other we rally together and stand strong. And with the losses that many of us have faced it still brings tears to my eyes that I have so many people willing to reach out and give me a hug of encouragement when I need one. I am so thankful to be living this military life and would not have it any other way.





Jeananne's Beautiful Items can be Found:
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Thanks Jeananne! If you would like to submit a story for this series please contact us ("Contact" tab at the top of the blog) for consideration.

1.09.2011

Helping Hand Series - Helpful Hints for Selling on Etsy






Sellers Helpful Hints
(a new series offering handy hints for selling on etsy)

You have talent. You wouldn't open an etsy shop if you didn't. You've worked hard, made your beautiful items, spent time posting items for sale, and then started to wonder what you can do to make your shop a little better. Hopefully these tips will get you where you want to go, and get your shop some well deserved attention. Just remember, what may work for one seller might not work for another. So just hang in there, try a few new things, and see if that makes a difference.

Topic #1 The best place to start

What should you sell? This may seem like such a simple thing to consider, but those who sell successfully (to inlude shops that are non-etsy) consider this heavily before they put anything up for sale. Think of your shop like a catalogue, or a boutique. If you walked into a shop, and there was little to no variety, would you stay and shop? If you browsed a catalog, and the items didn't work well together, would you seriously consider a purchase from this company? I doubt many people would think it normal to walk into a pet store and find hair accessories in a corner. Or walk into a kitchen store where half a shelf was dedicated to jewelry and think that it belonged. To get a good idea of whether you are off to a good start, perhaps try asking yourself a few questions.

1. What do my items have in common?
2. Do I have enough variety to choose from within my shop? How about within each section?
3. If you looked at a catalog with the same items in your shop, would you be wondering why a certain item is missing? (i.e. looking at a jewelry shop, would you wonder where the matching earrings are for that necklace? How about bracelets?)
4. What could I add/remove that could make my shop more cohesive?


If you have a great tip you would like to share, please email jenharruff@yahoo.com

1.02.2011

Military Life - ...From a Brat's Perspective


Military Life Introduction


The Military Brat Team and the Homefront Team are combining efforts to share our experiences with the military lifestyle so that others can fully understand the sense of community, sacrifices, benefits, and expectations we all share as members of a truly unique group of people. Each month we will feature a story shared by a Military Brat Team member, and a story shared by a Homefront Team member.



Military Life….
From a brat’s perspective


Growing up in the military can be hard. I remember getting so angry and sad when we had to say goodbye to our friends and move all over the country because we had to go where the Navy sent us. We had to endure being a constant new kid at school, and we had to work our way into friendships, only to have them break apart when we moved again in a few years. However, with all of the struggles we went through, we had a great deal to be thankful for. I am the third of five children, so my siblings were my playmates wherever we went. We were great explorers and set out to conquer each and every hiding place, secret path, and playground we could find in the quickest time possible. It was how we claimed our territory and marked it as our home. We grew up for a time in Virginia Beach, Virginia, climbing trees, eating plums from our neighborhood trees, and catching the sweet nectar of the abundant honeysuckle flowers on our tongues. There were marshy ponds nearby where we saw tadpoles grow into frogs, and caught turtles (of course, naming them after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Fireflies danced in the yard, and we held contests to see who could catch the most in a jar with holes in the lid. We caught caterpillars and made them little homes inside shoeboxes full of leaves, only to find that they had fled when we checked on them in the morning.



The best part of growing up as a military brat in Virginia was definitely the military appreciation day held by Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. With five kids and two adults living on a Navy income, we could never afford to go to theme parks, so this was the greatest gift we had to look forward to all year. We got to go on the fourth of July. My mother, older sister, and I were in line for the terrifying rollercoaster, the Loch Ness Monster, and at the last minute my older sister chickened out. So I was trapped into going, pretending I was brave while I shook from head to toe. I kept my eyes shut tight the entire ride. My mom shook me and told me to look up at the fireworks as they exploded above our heads, and I wish I had actually opened them. At least I got to brag about how brave I was when I got off! The whole day was a fantastic experience that made us all feel like a family, and made us all very proud of our status as military brats.


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