The Amazing Allure of Cute Crap We Really Don't Need

I love design. I love color, I love pattern- I love home decor magazines and eye-catching book covers, cute dresses, vintage jewelry, children's book illustrations, old clocks, milk glass... I love a lot of things, and once something I want (or an idea that I have) gets a hold of my brain, I have trouble letting it go until I do something about it. And that's why I curse one of my oldest friends, Stephanie Bacon Jacobs, for sending me a link to a recent Thirty-One fundraiser party. It was a really good cause, and I wanted to help. What I didn't know was that dipping my toes back into the pool of Thirty-One was like opening a Pandora's Box for me, and now I'm hooked... Again.

A little background...

In Fall 2010 I discovered Thirty-One during Ponchatoula Trade Days. I was immediately drawn to the many cute and colorful bags and accessories I spied on display, and gravitated toward the booth.

It looked something like this... And I was like a moth to a flame.

Inside, I met Annette Newton Baldwin, who was sharing the booth space with another Thirty-One consultant. She gave me a catalog and I took it home to figure out what I wanted. However, money was a bit tight for me and I couldn't afford to get much, so filed it away and kind of forgot about it- until about 6 months later. I can't remember if she called me or I called her, but for whatever reason, I ended up booking a party with her. I didn't expect to have too many guests, but wanted to try anyway. A major motivation was that, by having a party, I could earn free product credit and 1/2 price items (And I can never pass up a bargain. :-).

The party wasn't a home run, but I did have fun visiting with some friends and getting to know Annette. She told us about the exponential growth of Thirty-One, and how there was a 3 month waiting list to enroll as a consultant. I figured it wouldn't hurt to put my name down on the waiting list; that $99 enrollment kit on the back of our catalog seemed like a great deal- and if a cheapskate like me would be willing to spend $ on this stuff, surely there would be others. Because my party only grossed about $200, I ended up getting $25 free products and one 1/2 price item. I ended up buying (and partially earning) the Organizing Utility Tote (Embroidered with an M), a Large Zipper Pouch, and a Fold N Go Organizer, all in what remains to be my favorite Thirty-One print: Boho Paisley. Swoon! I also got some Apple Blossom items for my little girl, which she has STILL yet to use. Oh well.

The oh so beautiful Boho Patchwork Paisley Organizing Utility Tote with turquoise embroidery. The print isn't available anymore, but the Organizing Utility Tote is! I have several of these babies and they are useful for SO MANY things!

Oh, the possibilities! I couldn't afford everything, so I settled on 3 key pieces. More would come- much later!

I was majorly disappointed when the next season's catalog came out and my beloved print was nowhere to be found. It was then that I learned, if you really like a specific Thirty-One print, BUY IT NOW, because it may not be in the next catalog. Sneaky, but Smart!

In August, the waiting period was up, and I got an email from Thirty-One asking if I wanted to go ahead and enroll as a consultant. There was a lot of buzz about it at the time, especially on message boards and on Facebook, and I wanted to get involved. I paid for my kit and an add-on kit (available to consultants in the Spring and Fall) and anxiously waited for my pink box to arrive, which basically means I stalked every single vehicle passing my house.

My big pink box from Thirty One. It's filled with a bunch of stuff- but none that I love as much as my Boho Paisley.

Truth be told, I was pretty disappointed in the fabric choices included in my enrollment kit. It was SO not me. There were warm colors, browns, and plaids. Just. Not. Me. I wished that the kit came in another pattern- but I figured that Thirty-One was giving us something that wasn't a "favorite" to weed out the kit nabbers (People who just buy for the kit and aren't serious about seriously pursuing the role of a consultant). Or maybe people just have different tastes, and it was a good "fall looking" print. I know that there are quite a few people who really liked the Windsor Argyle and Bouquet designs.

The Fall 2011 Kit: It just wasn't me... But I used it anyway, and had success with it!

I had quite a few parties for friends and people that I met through parties. I liked doing the parties and had fun setting up displays and playing with products. Also, a night working with grown ups was a welcome change for me because of my "real" job working with kids. I've always been at home in front of an audience, so I looked at talking about Thirty-One products no differently than talking about ____________ (fill in the blank) to 6 year olds. I created games for parties, planned things, researched products, bought prizes, and was engaging as I could be. I even earned my Start Swell Kit for free! 

With my commissions, I probably made enough to pay for the stuff I wanted for myself. I pity the girl who tries to do this for profit, lol. Soon, I was able to swap out some of the brownish stuff I didn't like for more "me" Black Parisian Pop items, and my collection of display items started to grow. I think that Thirty-One makes the most money off of its consultants. We just keep wanting MORE and MORE and MORE! 

And then things started to shift a little. My life had less room to pursue Thirty-One, and I was also a little disenchanted with the company. I'd had several items come back because of damage or structural integrity issues, and I was also semi-embarrassed about one of the new products they were headlining: The 5th Avenue Bag. The 5th Avenue was supposed to be Thirty-One's high end bag with amazingly luxurious details and materials. It was $125. What you talkin' bout, Willis? Really? It was out of my philosophical and moral scope to ask anyone to pay that for a bag- ESPECIALLY after I saw it in person. It was SO not worth it. When people asked about it, I'd steer them away. I didn't want to sell them something that I knew would reflect badly on me, and also Thirty-One. What I liked about Thirty-One is that is is fairly affordable, especially when monthly specials are taken advantage of, and I didn't want that accessibility to be lost.

I was spending most of my free time with my now husband, and I didn't pursue anything Thirty-One at all. I let my consultant status fall dormant, but kept an eye on catalogs and their fresh patterns and designs. Annette and I had become friends, and she always had a catalog for me to thumb through. Everything was still cute, but there was nothing that I "really" needed- and I had so much stuff already. I thought I might get back in the game if I fell in love with an enrollment kit (featured on the back cover), but I also knew that my schedule was busy and that another time commitment would be a challenge for me. I put it on the back burner and didn't think that much about it. Then, I got an invitation from Stephanie about the fundraiser party, and I checked out the Spring 2013 catalog.

Spring/Summer 2013 Enrollment Kit... Perfect Colors For Me: Cute and Fun!

One of the hardest things about ordering something from Thirty-One is figuring out what to get. Everything coordinates in one way or another, and you end up not only wanting a bag, but everything that goes with it. As I've said before, I'm a cheapskate, so my motivation was to get the most bang for my buck when ordering something for the fundraiser party. I went back and forth about what I would get and how much I would spend. I literally made the hostess cancel my order three times so I could change it. Poor thing. I wanted to take advantage of the "Spend $35 and get a Large Utility Tote for $10" June Special. I also had a retro metro calling my name, and I wanted a wristlet wallet that matched what I already had. I wanted new zipper pouches and a wristlet key fob... I wanted it all, and I could tell I was in trouble.

That Oh-So-Tempting June Special!!!

I went ahead and placed my order for the party, prudently settling on two purse skirts with embroidery, a zipper pouch, and a large utility tote. But, that enrollment kit on the back cover was just calling my name... And I realized that I missed being a part of the Thirty-One Sisterhood. So after a few days of going back and forth in my head, I bit the bullet and rejoined Annette's team. And now, here I am, anxiously awaiting the Fed Ex truck- again. :-)  

My old faithful items... Skirt Purse, Wristlet Key Fob, Zipper Pouch, and (discontinued) Coin Purse Wallet

So, help a silly girl out with her silly addiction and see if there's anything you like. It's more fun on the other side. :-) Visit my website to view products, shop, or book a party. It'll be fun, I promise!

https://www.mythirtyone.com/372258/






https://www.mythirtyone.com/372258/

Online Art Games for Kids

As a purist who thinks that writing in cursive should never be taken out of grammar school curriculum, I also believe that computer-created art is not the same as art created by hand. That said, it can be absolutely amazing, and the skills required to create such artwork take nothing less than an artistic eye, surefire technique, and a very steady hand.

The computer is also a valuable tool for viewing art, exploring elements of art, and learning valuable graphic design skills. Because of that, this week I am putting a computer in the playroom of The Barn. It will come in handy to use as a means of showing children slideshows of masterpieces, presenting art education videos on YouTube, accessing music from my massive iTunes library, and providing children with some great online art games.

Here is a list of some online art resources that I've found. There are more out there! If you know of any good ones, please share them. Thanks!

http://www.colorwithleo.com/games.php

(THE BEST ONE, I THINK)

http://www.artsology.com/games.php

http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/zone.htm

http://www.incredibleart.org/links/artgames.html

http://kids.usa.gov/play-games/art/index.shtml