Blogging and branding and sponsors, OH MY!

You may have noticed some cute changes around here all of a sudden.  I assure you, you're in the right place! I don't often talk about the "business" of blogging but today it's happening. Yep.  It is.  Well, sorta. 

 Now that our den/spare room project is complete, I've been getting my little corner studio space just how I like it.  (Which is really important since it's in our bedroom.) Somehow that propelled me into some business/blog house-cleaning so to speak.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

My buddy Carissa was talking about branding the other day and it gave me the nudge I'd been needing to make a move on my own branding process and making a streamlined, consistent look.  It was something I'd been thinking about for ages and then alternately NOT thinking about because it seemed like I couldn't ever settle on something I liked well enough to commit to.  (I like lots of things and to commit to only one seemed impossible.)

 I'd been using the same old image for a long time, and though it was cute and kind of "me"... it wasn't really "me."  You know? 

Enter the "love bus" as we call it around here.  I painted it last year for myself... and I loved it so much I decided to get it scanned and sell it as prints.  I'm thrilled that so many of you loved it as much as I did.  It's my favorite print. 

 And suddenly, as I was shopping for some Fall Etsy items like oil cloth (wait for it!) and paper bag envelopes and velcro and stripey bakers twine and fabric, and beat up old frames and such... it came to me.  I decided to use my own image!  I know, right?  Crazy thought.

 (By the way, for those of you who have been emailing about the Christmas garlands the past couple of weeks... first, I love you because you're like me and already looking forward to Christmas.  Second, I'm hoping to list them in late September or October, so stay tuned!)

As soon as I began messing with my bus as my new image, I fell madly in love and that was that.  It just worked and it was totally me in every way.  As a thank you gift for purchases in my shop, I have recently begun tucking one of my little postcard sized love bus prints into each package with a little note of thanks scrawled across the back, so I wanted that to be a part of my new streamlined process.  I found some brown envelopes for all the bits and pieces that often go with my orders like chalk and hangers, etc, and a little label to adhere to the back with all my information.  I even found some soft aqua and white twine to tie them with.  Totally me.  Loved it.

 Don't you love getting something in the mail with sweet packaging?  Oh, me too!  So with the exception of my prints that ship in tubes, (Which I roll in brown wrap, and seal with one of my cute new labels and a pretty twine tie) these little cards are going into each package. 

So here I am now, printing fun new labels, business cards, and shipping tags... and restructuring my blog so everything is streamlined with new image, including my store, Pinterest, and facebook page.  I couldn't be more thrilled with it!  Don't you love it when that happens?  It's such a relief when you finally find what was inside your head but you couldn't seem to wrap your brain around for ages. 

 My bloggy buddy LeAnna has taken terrific care of me over the years, helping with some of the technical side of making the LMM blog cute and she helped me adjust my sidebar wallpaper to the sweet gray and white stripes you now see. (Thank you so MUCH girl!!)

Lastly, I've got to give a shout out to my many sweet sponsors over on my right and apologize for not doing it sooner.  Their support has meant so much to me this year and I'd encourage you to click around and see the fantastic talent going on over there. There are a few little shops with absolutely darling things you won't want to miss, some causes that are dear to my heart, along with some very talented bloggers that I'm sure you'd enjoy reading.  Tell them I sent you!

I suppose it was a very productive weekend.  And on top of that I made up with my man after we fought all the way to church last night over our son not eating his noodles of all things.  It's almost funny when you look back at it!  Okay it IS funny.  Darn noodles.

How has your weekend been?