here’s a little known fact about me.. i’m really an outdoor gal at heart.  i didn’t used to be- but then i met the hub, and he turned me on to the great outdoors!  he’s a professional cyclist and avid mountain biker and dabbles in just about everything else- fly fishing, kayaking, mountaineering- you name it.  i’m a little less hardcore- but have done my stint at mountain and road biking, and even a little kayaking.  i took advanced rock climbing in college- and *loved it-  i wish i could go more often. we also love to backpack.  in fact, we had planned to thru hike the appalachian trail (about a 5 month adventure) but as of yet- we’ve just been doing a few days of the trail here and there.  the thing i love the most is trail running.  we can go together and running on a trail is so much more scenic and fun then the pavement.  plus, it’s easier on the joints and all those roots keep your mind busy- so you can’t think about the pain!

what are you an enthusiast about?

row 1 :: fly fishing sign :: felt boots :: bucky deer trophy ::

row 2 :: tour of california-reggie messenger :: twisted aromatic cedar walking stick :: kayak ::

row 3 :: arches, utah ::  mountain biker :: sloper ::

row 4 :: burlap chalk bag :: paw protection dog boots :: snow plume ::

row 5 :: blue dog ready for a hike :: snowboarding over the mountains decal :: chunky girl pompom ::

wrap up: {biking} {christmas} {fishing} {gift} {holiday} {kayak} {outdoor}

you might have seen anna inghardt’s photos over at decor8 or even great full day- but her photography is so stunning and so lovely- that i wanted to make sure that you had the chance to see them.  her white wonderland is so pretty- they make me feel as if someone tossed a blanket of peace and silence over me.  you can view all of her white photos at flickr and a few more over at her blog.  what do these make you feel like?

wrap up: {lights} {photography} {white} {wonderland}

don’t we all have a little bit of tech love inside of us? i love these gifts- they could be perfect stocking stuffers- or just right for that somebody.  my personal favorite is the dino usb (oddly enough- my hub would *love that- haha!).

row 1 :: bamboo iphone case :: pacman earrings :: dino flash ::
row 2 :: usb flash drive storage :: frosty the snowman :: zen hammock ::
row 3 :: i want to believe :: ctl – alt- del :: i heart robots ::
row 4 :: geek is the new cool :: robot notecard :: monster iphone cozy ::

wrap up: {geek} {gift guide} {holiday} {nerd} {stocking stuffer} {tech} {techonology}

please welcome indie icing to our amazing sponsors!  indie icing is full of delicious handmade goodness.  fabulous finds and lovely inspiration, crafty tutorials and fresh finds- all make this a worthy routine stop!  “they’ve got your creative side covered- just like icing on a pretty little cupcake!”

thank you, indie icing for supporting going home to roost!

wrap up: {advertise} {crafty} {sponsor} {thank you} {tutorials} {welcome}

bright. cheerful. snuggly. fun!

row 1 :: green and yellow seedling doll :: winter creatures :: handmade felt slippers ::

row 2 :: sock monkey :: red car window art :: reversible hero capes ::

row 3 :: farm murals :: daisy flapper beanie :: porcelain hedgehog ::

row 4 ::my children’s book :: firefighter giclee print :: snail backpack ::

row 5 :: my coloring book :: custom super hero mask :: papa smurf ::

wrap up: {children} {christmas} {gifts} {holiday} {holiday gift guide} {kids} {toys}

i *love vintage holiday greetings.  the sayings on them just make me fall deeper in love with the holidays.  nu vue studio offers affordable reproduction prints ($13 for 8 cards) which makes giving vintage holiday cards a little easier!

row 1 :: country scene row 2 :: over and over snowman and scottie

row 3 :: loaded down with a merry christmas row 4 :: fox terrier thank you

wrap up: {cards} {holiday} {thank you} {vintage}

i really loved doing this post!  i kept cracking up over what adorable things people come up with!

row 1 :: harlequin dane :: retro dog silhouette :: personalized dog cookies ::

row 2 :: puppy love pop up card :: bernese mountain dog :: peppermint lollipop holiday doxie ::

row 3 :: pug with heart :: baby it’s cold outside :: sweet orange dog soap ::

row 4 :: winter stroll :: indoor dog house :: hand crafted christmas card ::

this is our sweet boy, toaster- what kind of dog do you have?

xo, bonnie

wrap up: {dog} {holiday gift guide} {pet lover}

so what is this whole thing about twitter?  did you twit or did you tweet? would you like to retweet that please?

twitter can be a little confusing- but today i hope to show you how easy it is!  we’ll start as if you’ve never even heard of it- then move on to if you should do it, why and how it could help your shop!

twitter non conformist birds

here’s a good definition (from sharpened) “twitter is a service that allows people to stay connected with each other by answering the basic question, “what are you doing?” once you sign up for a twitter account, you can post your own updates, or “tweets,” using a computer or cell phone. You can also view the updates posted by other users you are following. since each tweet is limited to 140 characters or less, the updates must be short and sweet. however, you may twitter as often as you want, meaning there is no limit on how much information you can share.”

twitter addict

if you’re ready to get started, it’s easy.  just go to twitter.com and click the ‘join now’ button.  you’ll fill in your name, username, email and password and then be granted a twitter account!  then, all you have to do is start tweeting- i.e. tell us what you’re doing in 140 characters or less!  even if you’re only thinking about it for the future- you may want to go ahead and get your account.  with over 25 million tweets a day- twitter is growing fast- so you want to snatch up your username while it’s still available!

crocheted twitter tweet coffee cozy

next, you’ll want to update your profile.  epheriell designs says that filling in your profile is vital.  have a nice avatar, upload a unique background image, and fill in where you are. use all the characters in your description to tell people about yourself. here’s epheriell‘s description: “i blog about handmade style, indie design, craft resources; i make contemporary silver/metal jewellery; i love reading scifi; i am a tea addict!”.  try to outline who you are and what you do- and make it personal.

boy’s twitter bird fabric wall decal

the next step is to get some followers! twitter will allow you to import e-mail lists, contacts from instant messaging services, and you can find your friends on their search engine. the best way to build a list of interesting people is to go to the twitter search engine at search.twitter.com and plug in your interests. this will then spit tons of people back out at you that you can choose to follow. twitter will also give you some suggestions for people to follow.  if you start following people, chances are, they will follow you back. once you start following someone, their updates (tweets) will appear in your twitter feed- and vice versa.

be sweet retweet

you can either update your twitter status via their webpage, link it to your facebook updates, or from your cell phone.

here are some simple rules to keep in mind.  twitter often and tweet things of value.  yes, you should tweet when you list a new item or have an exciting blog post- but people will generally get annoyed if you tweet only for self promotion.  so, throw in some personal stuff too- twit pics, and discussion about your design process etc.  people are interested in getting to know you- not just about when you list a new item. if you’re including a url- it may be helpful to shorten it by using tiny url- that way you can squeeze it all in to those 140 characters!

twitter notes

is this all making sense? still don’t know why you should be tweeting?  for etsy shop users- tweeting about a new product will increases that product’s number of views.  you should tweet about your latest and greatest items (don’t forget your url!),  and you can easily offer special promotions to your shop via twitter (by providing a discount code), as well as promote any sales you may already have at your shop.

tweet twitter necklace

susans heehan posted about her ’10 days to 2000 followers’ goal on her blog (you can get the quick outline of here) and shares that it has been very beneficial to her.  for going home to roost, about 10% of my traffic here and to my etsy shop come from my twitter and  facebook fan page (combined).  linking them together will save you time and make sure that everyone is always updated!

twitter bird wall sticker

does that help get you started?  what questions do you have?  advice? success stories?  please share!

love, bonnie

do your homework :: {why teams should tweet}

wrap up: {etsy savoir faire} {etsy shop help} {retweet} {tweet} {twitter}