Lisa Leonard

i did a guest post over at onsimplicity.net. Go check it out!

our itty bitty hearts necklace was featured in this month’s pregnancy magazine. page 26, baby! so, so exciting!!

Let’s just say, hypothetically, your dozen hard-boiled eggs came out more ’soft-boiled’. You might think to yourself, “I’ll just put them in the microwave for a few minutes to cook them more”. I can’t speak from personal experience, but it’s possible that the eggs might explode, forcing open the door to your microwave and spraying tiny bits of hard-boiled (now fully hard-boiled) egg from the floor to the ceiling. Ugh.

Marci asked
My question is personal, so feel free not to answer. Based on some of your posts, you seem to always find some “alone time” with your husband (date night, for example). Any advice for those of us trying to balance a career (I work part-time), children, housework, husband, etc…

Erin asked
did you take any classes in making jewelry or are you self taught? also, what do you use to oxidize your silver and polish to give it that finish? it looks to have that perfect matte look that i’ve always tried to achieve, but have never perfected!

Jenn asked
i’d like like to ask if there were any specific setbacks or roadblocks with your jewelry business before it got big? and, if so, how did you overcome those obstacles?

Laura asked
How many hours per day do you work on your jewelry? or does it depend on orders, etc.?

Heidi asked
you are working at home. How do you arrange with your kids, when i want to do something crafty the girls always sit on my lap! and want to help. And when they are in school i have to do the common thing around the house you know, like cleaning, washing ironing…..
Do you have a special room for your work?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thanks for your great questions. I will start tackling them a few at a time.

When David was born I was working part time as a specialist in our local school district. I was planning on working about 25 hours/week, but after David was born I cut back to 16 hours. Steve and my sister Susan each watched him one day a week so that I could work. It was so hard to go back to work, but the people I worked with were amazing and I loved my job, so it was good for me. That said, I really wanted to have a home-based business so that I could be home with my son and have flexibility.

The business started small. We didn’t take out any loans. I got a business license and had cards printed. My friends hosted home shows and I had regular customers. I was fun and more of a hobby than a business. I kept my job and worked on jewelry in the evenings. A few years ago Steve and I decided to take a leap and I quit my job to focus on the boys and growing the business. It was very scary but freeing, too!

I have run into the typical obstacles any one will run into when growing a small business. With custom work, nothing can actually be created until the customer orders it, so when lots of orders come in, it gets crazy. My goal is that everyone loves their jewelry, but some people are harder to please. This really bothered me at first, but I am learning to let it go. Jewelry is a competitive market and I am always having to create new designs and try to stay ahead of the curve. Balancing the business with family needs has changed at different stages as the business has grown.

I don’t have a special studio for my workspace (someday maybe!). I work at our kitchen counter or the dining room table. That way I can be in the main living area and interact with the family more. Only recently have a started taking classes to learn more techniques. I wanted to learn how to use a torch and didn’t feel comfortable teaching myself!

I quickly realized that working at home doesn’t mean you can give your kids undivided attention and get lots of work done. Inevitably, your attention IS divided. Trying to divide it in a healthy, balanced way can be tricky. I don’t have it all figured out, but here are some things we try to…

*Hire a sitter a few hours a week. Before preschool, I could not get work done with the boys home all day. I needed help. I loved that I could be here and jump in even though I had work to do, but the sitter could play and keep them occupied. It wasn’t realistic for me to try to meet all their needs while I worked. Now that they are in school I get most of my work done in the morning or the evening. I work about 25 hours a week and that feels manageable (most of the time!).

*Let the kids be a part of your work, but teach them to be play independently, too. I love when Matty asks about my tools or necklaces. I also think it’s OK for kids to play so mommy can get some work done.

*Make sure you have focused time with your kids multiple times a day. A trip to the park, snuggling on the couch with a book.

*Make time for yourself/your marriage. Whether or not you have a job, moms need time. At least I need time. I am a better mom if I can get regular breaks. Our marriage is stronger when we have focused time with each other. We try to get a least 1 date a month (but two is even better!).

*Be okay with imperfection. The house won’t always be tidy and dinner may not always be a homemade four course meal. Oh well!

Jesse Sostrin, a professional development consultant, just started a great four part series on women and juggling many roles. It’s great, great insight. Read it HERE.

1. birds eat bread in paseo nuevo mall.
2. water play in the fountain.
3. a dar.ling. sweater at anthropology.
why did it have to be $189??
4. surfboards for sale at rincon surf shop.
5. a little antique and vintage inspiration.
6. a train flies by near the coast.

thanks for all your great questions. even my friends who love to mock me (joy and michele!) we are gearing down for a relaxing weekend which sounds just right!

to answer one question, the boys are doing great.

*david* loves his class and i am slowly relaxing and adjusting. his teacher is great and they have hired a 1:1 for him who is also amazing. unfortunately she hurt her foot and will be out for a few weeks. in the meantime, we have had a consistent sub who has been wonderful!

in the last couple months i have felt increased anxiety about david’s safety and i’m trying to relax and take a deep breath. his transition to 1st grade was much harder than i anticipated and it brought up a lot of feelings for me. slowly, i am getting into a new rhythm. meanwhile, david has loved the transition and really enjoys his new class.

at home he loves to play his piano and explore the house. he notices anything new. he continues to communicate with us more (through gestures and pulling on us). he is easy going and so fun.

*matty* is loving his pre-K class and is doing well. sometimes he needs to calm down and listen better in class so we are working on that LOL! he is all about superheros and bad guys. he divides all his toys into two groups. yesterday dora the explorer was a bad guy. never knew she had it in her! he wears his cape and rainboots everywhere.

i have noticed a real change in him lately with regards to david. he is very helpful (and a little bossy) with his brother. he has definitely taken the big brother roll. we have had a couple conversations lately about getting a few more fingers for david. 7 fingers just isn’t enough. i try to explain that david doesn’t seem to mind, but matty wants him to be able to count to 10.

so, overall the boys are great. i’ll work on answering more questions in the next few days. enjoy your friday!

i think it’s funny to post pictures of myself, but i love seeing other’s self-portraits on their blogs. this photo resulted from a self portrait session a couple days ago which was seriously hilarious. thankfully i was home alone, so no one was here to witness my humiliation (or the massive amounts of photos i deleted from the camera!).

i napped today, which was a big treat, but now i am wide awake when i should be sleepy. i’ll pay for it tomorrow!

i thought it would be fun to do a post answering questions about myself. i haven’t done one in a while. the two most common questions i am asked are 1) what kind of camera/editing software do you use and 2) what products do you use in your hair. I’ll be sure to cover those two, but if you are wondering about anything else, leave a comment.

Misty and Karen both did a post where you open your photo program and choose the 6th file and then the 6th picture and see what you get. This is what I get, Matty at the beach two years ago. Sunset light and sweet memories. Man he is growing up fast!

OK, now you’re tagged!

my sisters have been working really hard getting our vacation home together. well, it’s actually their home, but when we go for the weekend it seriously feels like a vacation. each nook & cranny is beautiful and i spent the weekend taking it all in. their home is so soothing and comfortable. not to mention what amazing hosts they are (homemade breakfasts, help with the kids, the softest sheets and on and on!). i took some pictures, because i know it will inspire you, too! happy tuesday.

from treehouses to cupboard slamming to cardboard boxes and snuggles…it was so, so good. steve was away, so we got to play with aunties and cousins. how was your weekend?

i shared a little project over at flip flops & applesauce. she has so many other fun ideas, too. go get inspired!

this would be an awesome gift for mom this Christmas!
find it here under ’something simple’.
For the next two days use code ‘monogram10‘ for $10 off!!

last week’s heat wave was the perfect excuse to order pizza and then head to montana de oro while the sunset. the kids threw rocks into the waves and tried to outrun the incoming tide. i round a perfect heart shaped rock. we were only there for about a half hour, but it was great.

so, last week while hitting the thrift store circuit i can across this amazing handmade box. it probably stored tools–it’s solid and awesome. i was so freaking excited. guess how much?? $15!!
but when the husband came home his first words were ‘what’s that?’. not a good sign! the great thing is, he is a good sport and he’s willing to put up with my love for vintage and worn treasures. so, what do you think? is it trash or treasure? should it stay or should it go?

pacific coast home & garden (on santa barbara street in san luis obispo) has a DARLING barn in the back full of pumpkins.

tons of pumpkins to chose from and so artfully arranged. they even have a pumpkin carving area. wouldn’t that be a fun afternoon with friends?! and no mess to clean up!

the boys had a blast exploring the barn and chosing what pumpkins we should take with us.


i really wanted white pumpkins, but alas, we ended up with four orange ones…a daddy, a mommy, a david and a matty pumpkin. perfect!