Roswell Made Me Do It

Do you have a tv show or a movie or an album or really anything that just super motivates you? Mine is Roswell. The angsty teen show about aliens, not the town. I seriously don’t know what it is about this show that sends me into hyperdrive, but I love that it does. I’ve watched every episode a million times and it never gets old. It’s on Netflix and it’s only three seasons and it’s about teenage aliens and it’s perfect and I mean, just look at this cast photo!!!!! It doesn’t get any better than that!!!! (Can you tell I do this to everyone?)

Anyway, I’ve had it on the past couple of weeks in between visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (yup-it was amazing) and dealing with life things which in any other world would have completely distracted me, but not in Roswell. So, if you’re a frequent visitor of my site (which I’m pretty sure I’m the only frequent visitor, ha) then you’ve noticed a little change in layout and color. I’ve added a few new things across the board that were WAY overdue.

Speaking of new, I added a couple new things to the shop on Storenvy and I updated some product photos just for fun. You can now shop directly off the Totally Barbaric Facebook page too, which is really cool. And if you like the page, you can get a 20% off code only for Facebook likers! It’s been so nice to get back in the swing of things and I hope it gets swingier as time goes on. Now go start Roswell and then message me on Facebook and tell me how much you love it and how much you love me for telling you to watch. Seriously. Go.

xoxo

Meghan

Curveballs, the Life Kind

I sat in Starbucks for over three hours today with an iced vanilla latte and a full bladder (’cause when you got a nice cushiony seat, you don’t dare leave it). I got a million things done because I forgot my headphones and I couldn’t sit around and watch Revenge (my latest TV boyfriend) or listen to the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend soundtrack (which actually is more productive than you’d think). As I was editing photos for my soon to be updated portfolio, I stumbled upon a photo I had taken right as I ventured into this crazy world of small business. It suddenly hit me that life is so weird. That I’m not where I thought I was going to be personally or professionally, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I firmly believe that I am where I am for a reason and that new, better things are waiting to come into place.

Below is what I wrote in said Starbucks, when I suddenly got inspired to check my business instagram (@shoptotallybarbaric) that I hadn’t touched since November. I’d been avoiding it since then, knowing I wasn’t doing all that I could to promote my business. Really, I’ve been avoiding all business related things since then. It was around this time that I was thrown my first curveball and admittedly, I didn’t handle it as well as I could have. But, I’m learning, and I’m learning that it’s important to be honest with yourself and with others and that it’s okay if it’s uncomfortable. Because it won’t always be. And it’s scary, but it’s necessary. In the words of Miranda Bailey, “If you’re not scared, you’re not paying attention.”

Sometimes life throws you a ton of curveballs and you’re like-wait. I don’t even know how to play baseball. So you cry for a little bit and then you watch A League of Their Own and then Tom Hanks tells you, “there’s no crying in baseball!” so you pick up the bat and swing with all your might. You may not hit the ball the first time or the second or even the third. Actually, I think I’m on my 32nd swing. I’ve caught the tip, hit a foul, and started running. Not quite a sprint or a home run yet. But I’m trying. And I didn’t mean to get into this weird baseball analogy but basically I’m here to tell you that life is weird and not always what you think it’s going to be. I didn’t think I would be where I am now but that’s okay. And sometimes you have to go back to basics. I took this photo right before I listed my creations for the very first time on the big ole interweb. I’ve grown leaps and bounds since then but I still have a lot of growing to do. And growing is hard and so is having a small business. But Tom Hanks also told me that, “it’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”

If you haven’t noticed by now, I get all my life advice from fictional characters. Ha. Anyway, thanks for reading, but now I really have to pee.

xoxo

Meghan

Fan*Alley Grand Opening and Event

Hi all- remember when I said my new years resolution should be to blog more? Yeah, I failed. But I’m back to tell you great news!

Fan*Alley is hosting an event to celebrate their grand opening on June 13th, and Totally Barbaric is joining in the fun. If you’re new here, Fan*Alley is owned by Eva, half of the former A Little Known Shop while the other half Danielle, is opening her shop the same day right next door called Layla and Lisette. I’m happy to announce Totally Barbaric will be in both shops! If you want to read more about these awesome ladies and their new shops check this out.

Follow along on instagram @shoptotallybarbaric for sneak peeks! Make sure you follow the new shop accounts @fanalley and @laylaandlisette, too. Hope to see you all there- and don’t forget to cosplay!

xoxo

Meghan

Closing Up Shop Until January 1st

Hi all! I am really tired. Ha. Does anyone else get way overly ambitious during the holidays? Sure, I can make everyone in my huge family something and bake sugar cookies from scratch and buy gifts for everyone at work and make my own wrapping paper and create holiday drinks and watch every Christmas movie and listen to every Christmas CD and sleep 8 hours every night and oops. I need 45 days of Christmas.

Anywho, because of my overly ambitious Christmas spirit, I am closing down shop until January 1st. I didn’t do this last year and I was pooped. Not that I’m not totally happy and excited to be making things for such great people, but I have my limits. When I started crying while watching Elf yesterday, I knew I had hit mine.

I will be opening with a coupon code that I will release on the Totally Barbaric Instagram, so make sure you’re following along!

Thanks for sticking with me this year. You don’t know what your support and kind words mean to me. I’m gonna go cry while watching Home Alone now.

Merry Christmas!

xoxo,

Meghan

New Shop Section, Procrastinators Rejoice

Hi, friends! I’ve got some great news for those of you who need some last minute gifts. There is now a ready to ship section in my shop where each item will ship next day guaranteed and will arrive in time for Christmas provided you order by the 18th (US only)! I’ve also reduced a bunch of embroideries up to 25% in order to make room for some more greatness in 2015!

Take a look around and thanks for sticking with me this year. Have a very Merry Christmas!

xoxo

Meghan

Holiday Market at Community Socal

I’m super excited to announce that Totally Barbaric will be at the Holiday Market put on by A Little Known Shop at Community this December! If this event is going to be anything like the 90s craft show in September, it will be full of great people, great handmade goodies and art, great food, great music, and more! I’ll be doing most of my Christmas shopping that day.

I’ll be bringing a bunch of food ornaments and embroidery hoop ornaments along with Christmas hoops! Make sure you keep an eye out on my Instagram @shoptotallybarbaric and the A Little Known Shop Instagram @alittleknownshop for sneak peeks.

Hope to see you all there!

Xoxo

Meghan

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year…

Oh, hi. Just the world’s worst blogger ever here. I’m smelling a New Year’s Resolution already in the making. Anywho, hey hi hello! I’ve been a busy little bee the past few weeks. Christmas prep is hard, y’all! I think, or rather I hope, what I’ve come up with for this Christmas season will make you smile. I’m really proud of what I’ve done, so I hope you’ll take a look around.

I kept my classic embroidery hoop ornaments pretty simple. You’ll find themes from Mean Girls to Parks and Recreation to Home Alone to Harry Potter. All of these can be easily customized with different colored fabric, embroidery floss, twine or ribbon, and the color of the paint on the hoop.

I’m really excited about these next few ornaments. I’ve been obsessed with felt for a while, but I haven’t been really sure what to do with my little creations until now. I took each of the felt foodies, added some fluff and a string of pearls and they turned into my fancy food ornament collection!

These are also easily customizable. You can add cherries, sprinkles, and change the color of the frosting or ice cream for the sweets. You can change the red on the french fries to a different color or add mushrooms, sausage and the like on the slice of pizza. You can have a tree of all five foods, or have a tree of all different colored donuts or cupcakes. The possibilities are truly endless and so. much. fun.

These have all been added to the shop, so feel free to browse! Let me know in the comments if I’m missing a food item you just need to have. Wishing you all a very merry holiday season!

xoxo

Meghan

Craft Shows and Birthdays and Giveaways, Oh My!

This past month has been the craziest month ever! I had the time of my life at the 90s Nostalgia show at A Little Known Shop earlier this month. I saw some new and familiar faces and received some of the kindest words ever spoken. There were so many great artists and makers- it was hard to choose what to buy! Thank you to those of you who purchased something from me and for feeding my ego.

And to continue with happy news…today is Totally Barbaric’s first birthday! It’s crazy how fast yet how slow this year has gone by. I have learned so much about running a small business and I am so thankful for the encouragement from my friends, family, and most importantly my customers! I’m really excited to see where Totally Barbaric will be on its 2nd birthday.

To celebrate, I’m hosting a birthday giveaway! The winner will receive a custom order–they will be able to customize the entire embroidery from the size of the hoop to the fabric to the design. All completely free! Birthdays are my second absolute favorite thing only behind giving, so combining the two is only natural. All you have to do is follow @shoptotallybarbaric on Instagram, and like the birthday photo I posted. If you’re not on Instagram, fear not! If you like the Totally Barbaric Facebook page, I will give you TWO entries into the giveaway. I will choose a winner on Thursday afternoon, so get those likes in now!

More fun to come.

xoxo

Meghan

Totally Barbaric’s First Craft Show!

 

Happy Sunday, friends! I’m super excited to announce that Totally Barbaric is going to be a vendor at the 90s Nostalgia Art Gallery and Craft Show at Community in Anaheim, CA. This amazing event is being put on by A Little Known Shop.

I love that my first ever craft show will be there, because they found me when I was barely starting on Etsy. The owners, Danielle and Eva, put Totally Barbaric in their shop and on the map for which I am eternally grateful.

What I love even more is that it’s a 90s gallery, and if you know me at all, you know I’m a 90s fanatic. You guys. There’s going to be a Pog tournament. A POG TOURNAMENT. I mean, how perfect can you get?! I can’t wait to come up with some new designs and share them with you all! If you’ve got any ideas of something you’d like to see, leave it in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!

Make sure you follow @alittleknownshop on Instagram and like their facebook page for updates on the event! I hope to see you there.

Xoxo

Meghan

Hooked On A Feeling: Guardians of the Galaxy Style

Holy wow. July was a crazy busy month. I’ve been all over the place and not creating as much as I wanted to. That is, until I saw Guardians of the Galaxy.

Can we just take a sec to talk about Chris Pratt? I mean, I’ve had a crush on him since I watched Everwood every day in 7th grade so I may be a teeny bit biased, but I think everyone agrees with me. He was perfect in this movie. Everyone in the cast was perfect in this movie. I could go on for hours about how much I love it, but I’ll spare you my fangirl screams. Instead, I’ll show you what I’ve been working on featuring only some of my favorite quotes from GOTG (because let’s be real, I want to quote the whole movie constantly). Enjoy!

Thinking about doing a giveaway for these guys. Check the instagram @shoptotallybarbaric! Until next time…

Xoxo

Meghan