In My Haven: June 2022
This June in my haven I'm thinking about being ready—ready for summer, ready for markets, ready for more family time, ready for whatever comes my way. Sometimes this means thinking and planning ahead and other times this means letting go of control. In this month's journal I’m sharing news about how Haven Handmade is getting ready for the summer market season and some items that will get you prepared for spending quality time with your family and friends. I've also got some DIY ideas and recipes that will make it easy to entertain outdoors, as well as some reading selections for when you're just ready to relax. I hope you find something here that makes you feel ready for the month ahead!
My Thoughts: Ready for summer
In the Haven Handmade Shop: Ready for quality time
Make it Yourself: Ready to entertain
In the Kitchen: Ready to graze
To Read: Ready to relax
Ready for Summer
This month Haven Handmade is going to be at four different markets! While I'm really excited about this, it also means I've had a lot to get ready. I've had products to sew and displays to plan, photos to take and marketing to do. One of the behind-the-scenes tasks I've been working on is to streamline my pricing formula. Setting prices is one of the most challenging aspects of selling handmade goods. When you've invested so much time, energy and care into making each product, it can be quite emotionally taxing to try to convey all that in a single number. Anyway, as the number of appliqué designs I offer and the types of products I make has increased, I felt it was prudent to evaluate my prices in preparation for the summer market season.
Previously, the complexity of the appliqué design was factored into the price, but this led to having the same product cost different amounts depending on which appliqué it featured. For example, a pillow with an appliqué design that only contained five pieces cost less than one with a ten-piece appliqué design. While this made sense because an appliqué with more pieces takes more time to cut out and sew, I felt it would lead to unnecessary complexity and confusion during in-person markets. Since the number of designs I have available has increased, I was able to determine how many pieces my average appliqué pattern has (about 7.5, if you're curious) and set the prices based on that. Because of this simplified pricing strategy, you may notice that some items have gone up in price, while others have gone down.
Why tell you all of this? Well, the main reason is for transparency. I think that most people who buy handmade goods value knowing about the materials and processes that went into making the product, including information about the price. I hope that's true at least, otherwise I've just spent three paragraphs over-sharing! Either way, this evaluation process has left me feeling more prepared and confident that I will have a successful summer market season. I’m ready to see you at one or two of them!
Ready for Quality Time
When summer rolls around, I always find myself ready to spend quality time outdoors with friends and family. I mean, what's better than sitting on a patio and sipping something refreshing while chatting away? Here are a few items from the Haven Handmade shop that I think would enhance quality time spent entertaining or being hosted by friends and family this summer.
Wine Tote
If you're in need of a really special gift for your hosts, you can't go wrong with a specially made wine tote and bottle of something delicious. This one says “Cheers”, but you can choose to have it made with any word appliquéd down the front.
Fabric Basket
Maybe you're welcoming overnight guests and want to make them feel at home? A fabric basket, like this one featuring my strawberry patch appliqué design, that is filled with some special soaps or lotions would be a nice touch in a guest bedroom or bathroom.
Reversible Placemats
Having a special set of placemats that you only put out when you have guests is another way of making your home feel special and welcoming. Even better if they're reversible like these wildflower placemats so you can have a company side and an everyday side in one set.
Ready to Entertain Outdoors
Few things are better than inviting a few friends over to relax in the backyard or on the patio, right? Here are a couple DIY ideas that all use inexpensive hanging metal flower pots (like these) to make your outdoor space ready for guests of all ages.
Hanging Cup Holders: Having a place to set your drink down where it won't be knocked over accidentally (or sipped by a dog, in my case) makes everyone feel more at ease. I made a set of cup holders that hang on the armrests of our outdoor chairs by using a rubber mallet to shape the hangers on a set of metal flower pots. It was a simple project that gets a ton of use—and compliments!
Eucalyptus Scented Candles: A eucalyptus scented candle is great for helping keep bees away from your guests and their refreshments. Making your own set of candles in metal flower pots would be an adorable, easy, and useful project. Hang them around your backyard or patio to add extra charm and keep insects away.
Bubble Station: It's hard for the adults to relax if the kids aren't occupied. With this simple idea, you'll have a simple, universally enjoyed activity for your young guests, which is sure to make your adult guests happy too. Hang two of your metal pots in a place that is low enough for the kids to reach. Pour bubble solution in one and put an assortment of wands in the other. Now it's easy for kids to dip the wands into the bubble solution without accidentally spilling the whole bottle.
Ready to Graze
Summer outdoor entertaining is at its best when it's informal. Meals that are snacks and snacks that are meals are perfect for this situation. A divided serving tray makes a great starting point for preparing party food that suits appetites big and small. Here are three ways you can fill the sections of your platter to make it easy for your guests to graze.
Nachos: Fill the center with seasoned ground meat or black beans. The surrounding sections can be filled with guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, and sour cream. Set out a bowl of tortilla chips and your guests can decide if they want to snack on some chips and dip or make a whole plate of. nachos.
Crostini: Fill the center with some rich ricotta that you've seasoned lightly with salt and pepper. Add various toppings such as: fruit jam, honey, diced tomatoes or strawberries dressed with balsamic vinaigrette and basil, a mixture of grilled or roasted bell peppers, onion and squash, a pile of fresh greens with a punchy lemon dressing, or thinly sliced prosciutto. A bowl of toasted baguette slices completes the spread. Now your guests are ready to choose their own crostini adventure with both sweet and savory options.
Sundaes: So, this idea might not qualify as a real, balanced meal, but I can guarantee your guests won't mind a sundae bar. Fill your tray with a combination of hot fudge, salted caramel, toasted nuts, sliced berries, chocolate chips, chopped candy bars, crushed cookies, and sprinkles. Grab your quarts of ice cream and canisters of whipped and watch your guests smile.
Ready to Relax
My reading pace tends to pick up during the summer and I'm looking forward to sitting outdoors and relaxing with a good book in my hands as much as possible this month. Here are some reads that I found relaxing to read on my own or with Joanna because they helped transport me and immerse me in a different time or place.
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (Jeanne Birdsall): This is such a sweet and charming chapter book, and since it tells the story of four sisters ranging in age from toddler to pre-teen, it has a wide appeal. The personalities of the four sisters are so well developed that it's impossible not to relate to at least one of them.
The Trespasser (Tana French): Reading a mystery is a sure-fire way to transport me away from my ordinary and into another environment since it's so different from my everyday life. This is the sixth in Tana French’s series and I just recently finished it. I thought the pacing of the story was just right. It kept me guessing, doubting, and then discovering clues along with the main characters.
Girl Waits with Gun (Amy Stewart): This is the first in another mystery series. The series is based on the true life of Constance Kopp, one of the first female police officers in the country. So far I have read five of the seven books in the series. The style is totally different from Tana French’s suspenseful mysteries, but it is equally engaging. I enjoy the historical setting as well as the quirky personalities of the three Kopp sisters.
I hope you are feeling ready for this month and ready for summer!
From my haven to yours,
Beth
Disclosure: The links in this post are not affiliate links. I do not receive any compensation for the recommendations I make in my journal. It's just a place where I can write about what I like and think you might too.
