Awfully Grand & Awfully Lame - Feb 29th

Awfully Grand & Awfully Lame

The good, the bad & the ugly.

• Blogging! Things are really taking off for me over at IndieMade. For those of you who don't know, I'm a Craft Correspondent Blogger and resource writer for the fab website dedicated to independent craft stars and artists. I posted a piece this week about Stitch Labs, the San Francisco based inventory management software system. I heart them! You can read the piece here.
  
• Treasuries! My new fab photos over at the Zelma Rose Handmade Goods Etsy shop are spreading like wildfire. I can't keep track of all the treasuries! Here's one of my favorites.

• Teaming up with my friend Ashley to get ourselves in shape. I miss being skinny.
  
• Spending this Friday with Sarah as we shoot a look book for Zelma Rose!
  

• Teething. Enough already! Two molars, two front teeth all cutting at once and four others still growing. Poor Bean! I'm so glad we don't remember the pain.
  
• Gas prices. Really?! It's not even summer yet.
  
• Sorting, sifting, packing. It never ends.
  

What do you have to say about this week?

xo

Lisa

Managing Client Expectations

This past month I've been thinking a lot about managing client expectations. I wish that every single person I photographed 100% loved their images, but sometimes it just isn't in the cards. I'm always trying to figure out what went wrong and what part I had to play in it. Was their expectations of me/the photos unrealistic? Did they ask me to capture them a certain way and I failed? Did we have different understandings of the inspiration for the shoot? Managing client expectations is something that all creative professionals have to deal with, so I asked members of our Success Squad about how they manage client expectations. This is what they said:

Kelly
Know your own boundaries, and clearly communicate those boundaries. Don't be afraid to talk about money. Funny thing I've learned about clients in a creative field - not everyone will like your work. You learn that not everyone is your demographic, and that's ok. You also learn that, as hard as it is, you can't take that personally. But it's hard. Definitely something I know I still struggle with. You just have to do your best to believe in your own work. :)


Genevieve
Be very clear about what you offer or how you work. If I get clients asking for things I'm unsure of I tell them and try to find another resource for them. I also think really explaining what to expect through the whole process, especially in a service based business. How many meetings, what they need to bring to the table, what they'll get in the end, etc. But even product based sales can benefit from knowing exactly how big the item is, receiving samples of materials, seeing photos of the item "in use" and knowing how long the production and shipping process take. 


Kassin
Process is a biggie for me – specifically, not allowing clients to rush my process.  I often find in my clients’ excitement about the project (and in my enthusiasm and eagerness to please), that I’m willing to “bend the rules” or stay late, work on weekends, etc. to get them what they want faster.  But I am learning that I have to set up those boundaries early – teach them how to wait, if you will – or they will always expect that level of work.  And when you’re rushed or you go off-plan, that’s when mistakes happen!  It’s like being a good parent, I imagine – you need to be okay with making them unhappy now as a trade-off for long-term gains.


Cecille
I like pleasing the client and making them totally happy, but sometimes I end up working overtime in order to do so. And, I find that I can't charge for all the extra time. My new plan for 2012 is to be more specific as to the phases of a project and what a client can expect. These phases are listed on my written proposal I send each client. I just did this on a new project I kicked off on Friday. The client seemed so appreciative of the detailed descriptions on the proposals. And, it put her at ease with the whole process. But, it really depends upon the client....some like a lot of details and some don't care.


Lou
Set your boundaries and be clear about your business and services you offer.


Emily
I'll add time frame with the client expectations.  Drawing that out at the beginning so they don't expect results too quickly.  Not rushing MY process is key.  Also, you gotta learn how to talk about money!  Making sure they budget design time into their product budgets.  People forget we gotta get paid too! ; )  Our skills are valuable and corners can't get cut if they want a nice end result.

Super helpful huh! So, what do you do when a client is unhappy with your work? Offer a refund? Discount on products? Photograph them again? I'm curious!

After reading their ideas and obsessing about this the past week I guess my suggestions would be:

1. Create a client intake form. Ask the questions that you might forget if meeting them face to face. Sometimes I exchange 1-2 emails before meeting with a client and I have about 10 minutes to build rapport before we start shooting. I can forget to talk about quite a lot! 
2. Get super specific about how you work and what your client can expect from you on your website. I keep changing mine and it has been very helpful to point clients back to it later on.
3. Be willing to give a refund. Seriously! 
4. Express your boundaries the best that you can in the beginning and when you start to feel them being pushed - push back. You don't want to become reactive and send a ranty email at 11pm at night because you're so upset at them you can't sleep.
5. Be honest with yourself about not everyone liking your work. There have been times when I've needed to refer a client to someone else I think they'd be better suited to work with.

xo
Sarah

Pinterest Addiction Coming to a Screeching Halt

I'm sure I'm not the only creative professional that is head over heels in love with Pinterest. And I will admit that when a friend invited me I simply clicked yes to every single thing I had to so that I could start pinning. So, have you been reading the news about Pinterest violating copyright laws?

I remember when I installed the Pin It button on my toolbar and went nutso on my favorite design blogs that in the back of my mind I wondered about copyright. All of the news lately people like Direct Match Media and Tech Flash are bringing Pinterest's ridiculous copyright laws to light. What will you do about it?

I debated installing the Pin It button to my blog post, so that I could help Pinterest lovers get my images out there into the world, but then decided against it. Sites like Etsy have integrated the Pin It button to every single one of their seller's items. Whoa, right? I have uploaded a poop ton of my own photos to Pinterest and they get repinned from time to time which is great, but that's not why I use the site. I use it because it is a dynamic place to make stunning visual inspirational boards. But it makes me upset to think that they have ownership of these images and they can do whatever they will with them.

Why do you think this is just now coming to light? Backlash because of its popularity? Let us know your thoughts and if you'll stop using the site.

Makes me sad to think that I might have to break up with Pinterest because of their shitty copyright laws. Check out this fabulous post on how to use Pinterest to market your business on The Academy's blog.

xo
Sarah

Photo Friday: The Oxford

I love oxfords. Always. Forever. Classic, comfortable, and of course a menswear staple, how could I resist. My first pair of oxfords was as part of a Junior Varsity cheerleading uniform. Yeah, I was a cheerleader. Since then I have had many a pair, my favorite being the classic black and white spectator style.


While working in Union Square yesterday, I happened by Cole Haan. How I managed self-control I will never know. It was an oxford extravaganza. Here's some pics of their window display followed by a round up of some of my favorite oxfords.

Source: colehaan.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: zappos.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: colehaan.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: zappos.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: zappos.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: colehaan.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: zappos.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: zappos.com via lisa on Pinterest

What's your favorite shoe style?

xo

Lisa

Lisa's Style Icon

I had to think long and hard about this one. Surprising, I know. I have a hard time with fantasy these days, as I guess tends to happen when we are short on time and the day is so jam packed with reality that a moment spent on fantasy is hard to find. Plus, my reality, truth be told is pretty damn sweet. So who's style do I fantasize about?

Last week music was on my mind. I was really looking forward to Adele's preformance on the Grammy's, not so much because I wanted to actually watch the Grammy's but because I have been rooting for the girl. I imagine it was very frightening for her to need vocal cord surgery at such a young age and at such a fertile time in her career. I was hoping she would knock it out of the park. Well, duh, it's Adele, of course she did. I think she pretty much destroys everything in her path. Not only did she sound beautiful, but she looked amazing! Holy retro fashion diva amazing!

In a sea of young women desperately trying to remind us that they have breasts and a vagina, Adele looked like a sophisticated, classic beauty. I was truly inspired by her long sequined gown and was reminded of how last year at an NPR event, she sang at a bookstore wearing little white gloves. Love it!

And then there was Vogue March 2012. Have you seen this?

Amidst rumors of exactly how much they airbrushed this or Photoshopped that, who cares. You can't change the fact that Adele is a beauty with an earth shattering gift of a voice and a style worthy of iconography.

Here's to you Adele. I'll keep dreaming that one day I wake up with that voice.


Who's your favorite most fashionable lady or gent?

xo

Lisa

Awfully Grand & Awfully Lame

Here's what has us cheering and jeering this week...

• Super Tuesday! Here's to finishing up an interview for IndieMade just in time to catch Sarah during a photo shoot. Union Square was buzzing with Awfully Grandiosity yesterday.
  
• Photography. Taking over 600 product photos this weekend for Zelma Rose.
  
• Success Squad. Our second meeting was full of inspiration. I can't wait for next month!
  
• Dr. Schols gel inserts. I'm gellin like a felon.
  
• SF Made pop-up shop at the Banana Republic Flagship store. Have you been yet?
  

• Saying I was going to bump up my cardio last week and it's already this week.
  
• Wearing really high heels for the first time in forever. Ouch!
  
• Again with the dopes running stop signs!! I'm so sick of seeing this. Don't worry jerks, you will survive being five minutes late for pilates. Give me a break.
  

What do you have to rant/celebrate this week?

xo

Lisa

Shelly Kerry of Em's Studio and Lightbox SF Shares her Creative Journey

When Sarah and Lisa asked me to write a post about my journey as a small business owner and jewelry designer, I was ridiculously honored to be invited by two insanely talented women. It also speaks to exactly what I am doing now in my personal and professional life and that is to really reflect and “own” where I come from. As Genevieve and I always preach at Lightbox SF, you have a unique story that is meaningful. Use it to guide you in both your creative endeavors and personal adventures.

I spent much of my childhood the quiet, reflective kid in the corner (can you even believe that?) drawing, writing and daydreaming. Lazy summer days outside, crafting at my Grandma S’s house and long trips to see my other Grandparents in West Virginia fill my favorite memories. I was never bored or uncomfortable alone and to say I had one hell of an imagination is an understatement.

My love for working creatively started early. Finding my particular craft, jewelry making, took some time. I dabbled in many mediums, trying anything that inspired me. As a child I always had a sketchbook. Late teens and early 20s went through a stage of reconstructing thrift store finds and making all my own clothes. My canon AE1 was always around my neck. However, it wasn’t until I moved to NYC in the late 90’s that I discovered a love for making jewelry. I realized how much money I was spending on badly made, cheap jewelry at big chain stores and thought, well man, I can make this and I can make it better.

So I taught myself jewelry making by deconstructing purchased pieces and seeing how they were made, just the same way I used to make clothes. Then I was able to seek out advice on what tools and techniques to use and how to actually make my own creations. My first pieces were horrendous and it took a lot of trial and error over the years to come up with a style all my own.

The same way I came into my medium reflects directly how I developed into the woman I am today. There was a lot of experimentation and adventure. There was a lot of trial and error and mistakes. I despise fear, except the kind that keeps me from jumping out of planes or diving into unknown bodies of water. I am a-ok with that kind of fear. However, fear of the deep emotional places that often hide inside of us and prevent us from moving forward and taking chances is my one known enemy. It is the need to conquer fear and a high sense of optimism that fuels me to do new and exciting things.

The hustle and bustle of NYC was not for me and after 6 years of living there and working three or so jobs I headed west to San Francisco. There is something about this city that really helped me come into my own and I started my jewelry line, Em’s Studio. Although I still consider myself a self-taught jewelry artist, I have now taken a few classes here to teach me more of the technical aspects of design. I am surrounded by some of the most amazing artisans in the country and inspired daily by the beautiful state of California. I think the Bay area is the best combination of city life and a slow rural charm that appeals to a Midwestern lady like me. My jewelry combines the rawness of nature against the delicate and soft. I like subdued colors, unpolished stones and lots of tiny, tiny chains.

I was so fortunate to also discover my other passion while living her in SF and that is community and helping others. Along with a desire to be constantly surrounded by growth and creative people, Genevieve and I founded Lightbox SF to help support artistic community and guide artists on how they can be more successful. I like to think we are the perfect duo of grounded logic and creative motivation. This past year I took a break from making jewelry to really focusing on Lightbox and I think it was a much needed break. I wanted to re-access my designs and open up space for new ideas and motivation.

At the end of December of 2011, I lost my apartment to a horrible fire in the Western Addition. Through much distress, I have been unable to really see the damages I have accrued. I still don’t know how much of my inventory is lost and the state of my tools. All of that is a very long story but I can say that I have had more than enough time to reflect on the future of Em’s Studio. It looks as though 2012 will be another year of reinvention. For my jewelry business this might not be all bad. I am already beginning to sketch out new designs and plan on trying to conquer lost wax casting this spring.

Life’s adventures are what make us. Our story helps guide us. Fear can fuel us if we let it.

Photo Friday: Bring on the Shoes

What is it about shoes anyway? I'm obsessed. I admit it. I've loved shoes ever since I was a baby girl. The first pair of shoes I got to pick out were navy blue t-strap mary janes from Buster Brown. I loved those shoes so much, I picked the same ones 4 years in a row. If I found an adult pair, I would choose them all over again. In the meantime, here are some of my current favorites, with a grown up nod to the Buster Browns.

Source: etsy.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: saksfifthavenue.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: saksfifthavenue.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: shop.nordstrom.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: saksfifthavenue.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: saksfifthavenue.com via lisa on Pinterest

Source: saksfifthavenue.com via lisa on Pinterest

Hope that gets you daydreaming!

xo

Lisa & Sarah

Sarah's Style Icons

Salma Hayek - boobs for days! 

I am a lover of glamour, beauty and the fashion forward. I was elated to write this post and I found it super difficult to narrow down my favorites. I delight every single time there's an award show because that means I get to woon over gowns, gowns, darling, gowns! If I was a Hollywood star I would wear designer gowns to the grocery store, to the gym, to eat lunch at The Ivy, to get the mail and to walk my damn dog. One day I will wear a breathtaking gown - until then I will share with you my favorite girls who always rock the red carpet. My style icons are not those I emulate - they are those I admire from afar.

Angelia Jolie - might not be a popular choice, but I don't care. This lady is hot! Image from here. 

Kate Winslet channeling Elizabeth Taylor. Image from here. 

Anne Hathaway - total no brainer, right. Image from here. 

Who is on your list??

xo

Sarah

Awfully Grand & Awfully Lame

Drum roll please....here are our Awfully Grand/Awfully Lame posts this week.

• Let's hear it for fantastic food! Nopa, Nopalito, and Mariposa Bakery I'm calling you out!
  
• Brunch with Sarah! It's crazy how many ideas we generate face to face. Love it!
  
• Birthdays. The February birthdays keep going strong! So many lovely ladies celebrating this month. Ashley, Kristina, Laine, Mom, & Gina, February is fierce.
• Being reintroduced to a book I loved as a kid. Anyone else remember Leo the Late Bloomer?
• New York Fashion Week. Need I say more?
  

• Saying I was going to bump up my cardio this weekend and here it is already Wednesday.
  
• Everything about the Grammy's except Adele.
  
• Watching the following happen for the hundredth time:

1. A house dating back to the 1890's is purchased by a jerk.
2. This house is then leveled to the ground.
3. A house three times it's size is built that resembles a cinder block, or a Flying J Rest Stop, whichever one you find more offensive.
   
4. The new house casts an enormous shadow on the old and original houses on either side.
5. No one is outraged. Yeah, well I think it sucks.
   

What do you have to rant/celebrate this week?

xo

Lisa

Guest Post - Fashion Blogger, The Wonder Girl

Since this month we are focusing on fashion - I decided to meet up with one of my new favorite fashion bloggers in San Francisco, Tara, for a little photoshoot in Duboce Park. Tara is the owner of The Wonder Girl a really fun blog featuring her best outfits and things that she adores. I marveled at her necklace layering techniques and I adore her unique fashion sensibility. She was a trooper and did a complete outfit change for me - which was no small feat because we were in fact, in a public park on a sunny Saturday afternoon! One of the reasons I really wanted to work with Tara is that she is one of the few fashion bloggers that consistently smiles in her photos. Fashion is fun, right? 

We shot these pics in Duboce Park and since Tara doesn't do any post-processing on her pics I thought I'd show her how fun it can be! I processed these photos with various One Willow Presets - bumped up the colors big time. Tara is a colorful and vibrant girl - her photos should be too! 

 What she's wearing outfit one:

Dress: H&M

Scarf: Vintage

Shoes: Vince Camuto

Jewelry: Banana Republic & personal collection (long purple ring was her Nana's)

She answered a few questions for me as well:

1. Name & Blog   Tara McNulty  The Wonder Girl   www.thewondergirl.com

2. How long have you been posting on your blog?   1.5 years

3. Any tips for new fashion bloggers you'd like to share? keep at it! it feels like hard work sometimes, but if you really love it and believe in it, keep it up. and be yourself. there are a lot of blogs out there these days and i strongly feel that 

4. Best thing about being a fashion blogger? for me it's a creative outlet! i love using my blog as my little online fashion scrapbook. having the blog also pushes me outside of my comfort zone in terms of fashion, which has been fun. i've also met some great friends through blogging. 

5. Hardest thing about being a fashion blogger? finding the time to dedicate to it! i have a demanding full-time job so i do struggle to find the time to devote to it - its time consuming to make really good, quality content. but of course, i think it's worth it :-)

Outfit two:

Fur Stole: Vintage

Sweater: JCrew cardigan

Dress: Slips

Gold Watch & Clutch: Marc Jacobs

Bracelets: Bauble Bar, JCrew, Chan Luu, Banana Republic

Shoes: She's had them forever

Thank you, Tara! You are one of the most photogenic women I've ever met. Let's work together again soon. Keep up the fashion blogging - we enjoy it a great deal. 


-Sarah


All photos by yours truly.