as we’re all making ourselves at home in our new space, the timing for my pin it forward post couldn’t be more perfect!  pin it forward comes from victoria over at sfgirlbybay and is a great way of connecting hundreds of bloggers!  she teamed up with my favorite new web tool, pinterest, to bring this times theme of ‘what home means to me’.  how perfect!  if someone asked me what going home to roost was about, i think i’d pretty much sum it up by saying, ‘it’s about what home means to me’.  melissa passed the torch to me in her post yesterday and i’m pinning it forward to sam over at good measure for tomorrow! so without further adieu, this is what my home (and appropriately, blog) means to me!

the biggest thing that home means to me, is living in the mountains.  if fact, that’s exactly why i went home to roost.  i was tired of living in a big city while i went to school, and new it was seriously time for me to go home to roost.  so i journeyed back to my favorite place on earth, the smoky mountains.  yes, it’s a small town and i have to drive an hour to get to target (3 hours to get to trader joes) but how could i give up all this beauty?  all these pics were taken from around my area, and i couldn’t live without seeing the beauty that surrounds me.  the mountains, lakes and all the wildlife gives me inspiration and spirit (as long as i’m viewing the bears from behind the safety of my car windows!).

pins from: rod the rabid rodent, deb campbell, mharoldsewell, abennett23, a selfmade view

the second thing that makes my home is cozy comfy places to curl up to nap, read, blog, or sip tea.  i’m a serious lover of all things comfortable, and for a place to feel like home, it’s got to be cozy, soft and warm.

pins from: the little green, dede p., sfgirlbybay, ivy style33, bonnieforkner

something i’ve learned (rather recently) is that there is nothing that makes my home feel more home-y than having fresh flowers around.  there’s something about bringing the beauty from the outside in.  if i’m stressed, tired or having brain farts and writing blocks- all i have to do is go pick some flowers and arrange them in a vase to start feeling rejuvenated!

pins from: carrie m. becker, yoshiko314, bonnieforkner, *mayxxx*, ara133 photography, a creative mint

my home wouldn’t be home if i didn’t have a healthy mix of old and new.  i love putting some found item from a thrift store beside a brand new ikea lamp.  i love the dimension created by mixing textures and eras, and have an interesting nostalgia for a time i never lived in!  bringing old items in and around helps my home have a story, and how fun it is to think about what different items have seen or been through!

pins from: bonnieforkner, solveig flittiglisene, gloryof 80s, bricolagelife

finally, what is a home without a little bit of homesteading?  i’ll always remember the first tomato i ate from my garden, and the first egg i found laid by my hens (i ran around the yard screaming, while i held it up in the air).  eating from the land (or from a front porch potted basil plant) brings home a little closer to the heart.  i like to think that even if the whole world stopped around me, david and i could still go on at our tiny home, eating eggs and picking apples.

pins from: bonnieforkner, honey & jam photography, the bear foot shaman

so there you have it!  that’s what home means to me.  what does it mean to you? you can view all my pinboards (with more photo details) on pinterest. you can also find out more about the pin it forward project here.

wrap up: {bloggers} {home} {pin it forward} {pinterst}

do you have a new line of work coming out? celebrate it! rather than just start listing your new line that you’ve spent countless hours on, build up some suspense to it.  people will be just excited about your work as you are- so start making a fuss!

friendly forest bundle

it’s best to start talking about new items early on.  if you blog, give your readers some teasers to let them know that you’re working on something new.  and what about all those social networking sites? twitter, facebook, youtube, flickr- (you do use those, right?) start posting hints of what you’re working on, maybe some pictures of your work space or a video of your design process.  if you blog, you could even take a poll for some outsider advice.

goldsboro jacket

don’t give your line away, but post enough to get readers interested in your ‘coming soon’ line.  also, don’t forget about your shop announcement.  announcing big news and a check back on ‘this date’ will surely get your customers excited- you can believe they will be back on the date you specified (so, make sure to stick to it!).

floral coptic stitch journal

no time for a blog? etsy also has some great resources you can use.  their promotions area allow you to post any self-promoting material!  announce your new line, or maybe even a discount or sale.  their are lots of people scouring the forums all day long, so it’s important not to miss out on all these potential customers.

autumn dress up dolls :: fabric wall decal

remember us? bloggers? are you there?  put together a press release!  e-mail your favorite bloggers!  i think most of us love to hear from you and like to help promote the handmade world any way we can (why would we be doing this if we didn’t?)

triptych spring circles

would you like some guidelines? i remember when i first started out, i thought it was really nerve-racking to compose an email and approach a blogger- but as long as you know a little etiquette and approach honestly- it’s always going to be ok.  what’s the worse they’ll say? no? oh well- move on to the next one!

thank you card

would you like some guidelines? first of all, try to never mass email.  no one likes to be another blogger on a big long send list. we want to know you care, you read our blog, and you know our name (should be easy to find!).  so, try to take the time and email one blogger at a time. we like to feel that we have in-sider info- and we try to bring fresh new material every day.  if you don’t hear back, maybe send a second follow up e-mail the next week.  if still no response move on to the next blogger (i always try to respond!).  it might take a little while to land a feature, but when you do- it should be well worth the wait.  put together a quick, honest email about you, your shop, and your product.  don’t forget your release date, your shop url (yes, people forget!), and 3-4 small jpeg images.  just try to be yourself and everyone will see it come through. here’s a few more articles that should help you!

design sponge’s advice from bloggers

the ultimate press list from modish biz tips

weathered gray hook board

taking some of my own advice? check my shop on wednesday, sept. 16 for *lots of new items- including a brand new line of funky christmas aprons!

birds go green

extra reading :: {pimp your shop},{broaden your target audience} & {etsy promotion forums} from etsy and the storque :: {advice from bloggers} from design*sponge :: {build your own ultimate press list} from modish biz tips

wrap up: {advice} {bloggers} {etsy savoir faire} {etsy shop help} {new line} {promote} {shop}