The Ruffle Couture Blog

A close friend of mine has recently introduced me to Rob Bell and his podcast The Robcast .  I listen to podcasts when I work.  While sewing, hand-pounding snaps and packaging, the work itself can become tedious and repetitive.  My self-diagnosed ADHD brain needs mental stimulation to finish simple tasks, and to cope, I get lost in podcasts and audio books.  Typically, I listen to non-fiction content about growth, entrepreneurship or parenting...all the things that are speaking to me right now.  (Let's be honest, I also love Serial and any Liane Moriarty novel)   What podcasts and books are you listening to right now?  Please share with me! Anyway, this started with an episode of the Robcast called Seasons (episode 115)  and it shook me to my core because of where I am right now.  I felt like there were several "nods" at me from the beginning, where he actually references our ability to buy tomatoes in February at 2am to towards the end whe...

As my family gets ready to make the big trek from the Southeast to the Midwest, I have been working tirelessly the past couple of weeks to keep up on orders. I am overwhelmed by all of the support, even with many of my shoppers having to pay for shipping this year. You all still showed up and supported Ruffle Couture. On top of that, I am so grateful and re energized by the amazing response of my new community. Virginia's excitement about my business has re lit a spark in me, who wasn't sure if my cold weather products would translate in a climate that (in my opinion) hardly gets cold! A good friend of mine reminded me last night of my moment of melodrama I was having in the early Fall, full of laments like "What is the point? Does anyone still care? What if everyone is over it and no one even wants to buy these?" She rolled her eyes at me back then and pointed out the irony as I am staying until 1am every night packaging up orders. That brings me to ...

Once upon a time I had a blog. It was entertainingish.  It was about new motherhood, newlywed life, losing baby weight, my adorable toddler/baby daughters, and connecting.  I thought it was great, anyway.  It might have been complete crap.  My dad  thinks I'm a talented writer and I'm sure he's not biased ;). One time I posted about a meltdown I had over my husband bringing home margarine when I asked him to pick up butter, and another about how my oldest daughter (who was 3 at the time) asking me if bananas would make her fat because I was a weight-obsessed monster who was ruining my children. It was all fine and in good fun, until my husband's co-worker's made weird remarks to him about butter (to which, he hadn't actually read the blog and was left all confused) and a woman in the grocery store said, "Honey, bananas will not make you fat!" to my daughter, in the cart, who had no recollection of the story I had posted for the world to see. I ...

This might come off as dramatic. I can live with that.  I am me and I cannot be any less me than I am.  Okay, that part is over.  Full disclosure done. A Handmade Christmas is approaching next weekend, and with every passing day, I am more and more sick about not being there.  For anyone who has not experienced THE event of the year in Southern Minnesota, let me tell you a little bit about AHC, as we like to call it.  There are anxious groups of friends in line at the front door of the Hormel Historic Home for the 4pm Friday night opening.   Those of us inside, who have been traveling, setting up all day, chugging coffees, we all have butterflies as the doors open and we wish our booth neighbors “good luck!” before we are bombarded with friendly, excited faces!  The beautiful Hormel Historic Home is lit up and decorated like a dream.  Hors Duervs are being passed, wine is being poured, and every single place you turn there are th...