Open for Business!

I really wanted to title this post "Guess what day it is….", and end with "Etsy opening day…". However, I think that joke has run it's course so I spared you and went with boring "ol "Open for Business" instead :)

Well I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed I didn't reach my goal of 50 cards….BUT I did get to 36 original, hand made, cut, written, and constructed cards! I will be adding more in the next couple of days, especially Christmas cards so check back in the Etsy shop every now and then and see what's new!

If you like a card but want a name added, or different colors just message me on Etsy or Facebook and I will make it happen. I can't really express how excited I was to see my shop officially open and all of my products listed online! A small step…but a success I felt none the less. If you know of anyone that would be interested in buying wholesale get them in touch with me! Contact info is listed below.

Here are some examples of my cards, not all our listed but these are some of my favorites :)

 Each of these hearts are punched and placed individually by hand, truck drawn and colored all by hand…lots of love going into this one but as you can probably tell…my all time favorite. I think I should call it my "T-Pa Card"as I will always have a love for anything construction/trucks thanks to my dirt moving dad. 

      Inside of the "T-Pa Card"

 Again, each of these punched and placed individually by hand.

 This one 1 John 4:19 on the front "We love because he first loved us". The hearts are raised from the card. 

 "Thank you for all you do for me"

 These candles are each cut and placed by hand. "Happy Birthday" is hand written in a small banner at the bottom.  

 "It's only a flesh wound" is hand written on the front of this card with a raised "band-aid" and a red cut paper heart is placed on the band aid.

 "Get Well Soon" is written on the inside of the card, and a matching paper heart is added. 

This is a Thanksgiving card. "Blessings" is written on the front on a raised golden circle. The inside reads "To you and yours this Thanksgiving". Two feathers are added for you to insert into the card as well. 

I would love to hear your feedback and/or suggestions for new additions! Please take a look at the new shop! www.etsy.com/shop/mimiandopals Thanks again for your support of the blog and all things Timmi Burns.

Instagram @timmiburns
Twitter @timmiburns
www.etsy.com/shop/mimiandopals
mnocards@gmail.com

I hope you have a great Wednesday and never doubt that He is "Faithful to Finish".

Two Seconds...

The Countdown to the Etsy shop opening is pretty exciting, but not quite as thrilling as my countdown to Thanksgiving break! I don't know what it was about this past work week, but it was one of those where the days seemed like weeks and the week seemed like a month! I caught myself the other day thinking I really didn't want to be at work. I think it was easy to realize because honestly it was the first time this school year I had honestly thought that. Unfortunately, I've continued to feel that way all week. No specific reason…I think it's just getting to that time for a much needed break. I also think it's a time when I need to really focus on God and allow him to work through it with me and get me to the other side.

Last volleyball season I decided to fast every Monday. I knew that once season started and I got extremely busy my relationship and time spent talking with God would suffer. As much as I hated to admit it, I also knew the reality of being "in season". For those of you that have never coached high school girls before, the best way I know how to explain being "in season" is herding cats that suffer from ADHD, forgetfulness, moodiness, and all the day-to-day stresses that come from being a high school girl…oh yeah and you need to fit teaching volleyball, winning, getting along, being responsible, a good student/teammate, and dealing with severe parent blinders and e-mails in there as well. I'm sure one day I'll have a pair of those blinders myself. Don't get me wrong, it's also one of the most rewarding experiences and time of the year for me as well. Which leads me to believe cat herders must feel pretty good about themselves at the end of the day as well.

For the fasting, I would allow myself coffee, water, and juice but nothing else. It really was a growing experience for me, and one that brought me closer to God. Through the fasting, I allowed allotted time to spend in the middle of my day for reflecting on things but the effects did't just stop there. I am a fairly little person, but don't let that fool you…I love to eat. Mondays were no fun…but as my stomach growled or felt incredibly empty, it would remind me why I was hungry…why I hadn't eaten…and in that 2 seconds it reminded me to say "Thanks", or "I'm dragging, you're going to have to sustain me" to my God. It was a constant reminder of my God, and how good He is, how faithful. Those 2 seconds spread throughout my day over and over again became such a sweet and frequent reminder and turned into some of the sweetest moments with my God.

I think sometimes I/we get caught up in needing all this "time", we need to set aside an hour..30 minutes or we haven't done an adequate "quiet time". I've realized that sometimes unfortunately that schedule doesn't work for me…I've realized that sometimes 2 seconds really add up to something significant and special. I often have to remind myself to not get caught up in the legalism of the relationship…just get caught up in the intimate moments or even seconds with my God. I may not fast anymore, but I am learning to take things and feelings like "not wanting to be here" as my reminder to spend those next 2 seconds just saying "thank you"…or maybe even "I need you to help get me through…"Those 2 seconds begin to add up and have become very meaningful to me.

*Our devotion to God isn't measured by how extravagant we behave when we feel Him, but rather how we behave when we don't.

He is faithful to finish…

instagram@timmiburns
twitter@ timmiburns
faithfultofinish.blogspot.com

What is M 'n O?

Well it looks like I am getting extremely close to opening up my Etsy shop and having items listed. I am up to 15 cards so far and one small painting. I am listing items on Tuesday,…my goal is to have about 50 cards and 4 paintings listed! Keep a look out for the big announcement Tuesday when my Etsy shop is officially open for business!

I have really enjoyed the process so far, and look forward to creating more cards and paintings everyday. The past two nights I haven't been able to work on them because of other obligations, so I am literally counting down the minutes until I can be at home…in our "office" sitting on the floor cutting, painting, and making a wonderful mess. Clint walked in the first night of working and his first response was "o.k. there needs to be an organizational strategy put into place here…". Needless to say I am still working on that part of it. And by "I", I mean he is frantically searching for cheap storage ideas.

I have felt incredibly blessed by all of the support from family, friends, and coworkers and cannot wait to see where this venture leads. If you are one of those people…I thank you, and I love you. Clint has been incredible throughout the process and so supportive. I am lucky to have a husband that is my biggest fan and allows me to be a bit of a dreamer.

My goal is to have my 50 samples and some marketing materials ready within the next couple of weeks. I have researched some local, and not so local businesses that I am hoping will be interested in purchasing my cards wholesale to carry in their businesses. I am really excited about the possibility and also preparing myself for some closed doors and hard "no"'s.

Before I officially open my Etsy store and post item pictures on the blog, I wanted to talk a little bit about my card line and Etsy store name. The name I've chosen to represent this little venture is ……."M 'n O". I've had a couple of people ask what it was and wanted to tell the story, because I think it is important to what I do, and the purpose behind it all.

M 'n O is short for Mimi and Opals, named after my two grandmothers. Mimi is the name Shane and I gave my mother's mom and Opal was my dad's mom. I wanted to name my venture after something and someone that I love and admire. I wanted to reflect on things handwritten, because I think these are the things that stand the test of time. There is something oh-so special about handmade and handwritten things. I think they tell incredible stories years down the line. I believe my grandmothers have pretty incredible stories as well and have led successful and loving lives leaving incredible legacies behind. I hope to do the same. I pray that this be a venture that shows God's grace, mercy, and redemption every step along the way.

Let the countdown to Tuesday begin…..

mnocards@gmail.com
twitter @timmiburns
instagram @timmiburns
faithfultofinish.blogspot.com
www.etsy.com/shop/mimiandopals