Online Entrepeneurship.... help!

Amidst last week's excitement of lightning striking our backyard, Eter having a part-time job (which we hope will last a while) fall in his lap, and our FREE 6 month anniversary trip to Disneyland and the Disneyland Hotel....

I've been busy making some prototypes for a new product I hope to start selling, online (Etsy.com, maybe ebay, maybe our own website), by word of mouth, and possible at some kind of boutique things in AZ that Amy just told me about.

It's re-usable gift couture (?), which saves time, the environment, and your great aunt's hands by getting rid of the old style ribbon and replacing it with (something like) this easy-on/easy-off number:

There are three sizes here. All of them are first tries, and I'll post them individually so you can see them better. The ribbon is elastic, so there is no tying when wrapping or tugging when opening. And it can be used over and over.

I think this one is the most successful so far. It's a DVD inside, so that's the size. It also works for book size and any smaller box in that general range. I wrapped it with a grocery bag--easily recycled. Do you think it needs to be blinged up? Like bejeweled? I like it kind of simple like this. I guess there could be both options.

This would be the smallest version, and only really works if it goes on straight (vs diagonal). You can't see the ribbon in this picture but it is a light green. This is just a box I already had, but I could get different colored boxes in this size pretty easily and sell it with the box. I've also thought about doing a kind of coordinating set of three with different sizes.


Try to imagine this one with some cute wrapping paper. I'm actually considering selling boxes where the top is covered in fabric--making it reusable and eliminating wrapping paper. But I need to check on how reasonable shipping rates are for these bigger boxes. I don't think they could fold with the fabric glued on.
This is my first attempt at Christmas, which will hopefully be the big push and jumpstart. I also need to get some good green ribbon. I've got the light one, and a dark one that is more bluish-teal. It looked weird, so I went with the brown again here.

Anyway, what do you guys think?

I also need to come up with a name. At least for Etsy, but it would be nice if it could just stay the same. And Eter is working on a logo/background.

Here are some names so far, and please suggest more if you think of any:

Sally's Flower Box Shop
Flower Box Gifters
Gift Box Couture
The Green Ribbon (meaning eco-friendly)

Or any mixture of such?

I need to channel this family's creativity, please! TATUM!!!

Green Card Arrived!!!

I realized I didn't really tell anyone, so I'll post it here. (Also because I can't stand seeing this same post here anymore. No one uses this blog now! Come on, people!)

Eter's green card came in the mail on Saturday. We got home from the temple, checked the mail, and there it was! About 2 hours later we were in Mexico, at his mom's house. It worked out perfectly because this annual stake party was happening that day, so we went and had some great Mexican food for free (gotta love the church everywhere!), and Eter got to see a ton of people. Then his brother Israel, with his wife Marisol and baby Andrea came over to his mom's. Eter finally got to meet his niece! I went and saw her when she was a week old, but now that she's two months, she's getting cuter and cuter. She even smiled at me. Some people are saying she looks like Eter. Maybe. We think she also looks like her mom.

Is it TOO Early?

To talk about Thanksgiving? I know our family is more accustomed to last minute planning, but I love to think ahead to nice autumny things and divert my attention from the heat. So what do you think? I didn't just get to see everyone like you all did and wouldn't it be great if we could all be together for one of the holidays? So lets have a blog conversation.

Special Blessing

A couple Sunday's ago, it was announced in Sacrament meeting that it would be a good thing to take a few minutes, go out to the Gilbert temple site and snap a family picture before construction begins. We're so grateful to be getting a temple of our very own :) Especially since the Mesa temple takes like a whole 15 mins to drive there! This will be like 10. Whew! But really it's exciting that the Mesa temple is so busy that there is a need for another one so close.
It's neat to think that some of these cousins may get married there someday!
(not to each other :)

"H and G"

The kids waited and waited... and finally they came! It was so fun to see you guys for a little bit!
And then we left to go camping with 3 other families in our ward.
when I see the food in Sadie's mouth it makes me wonder...am I the only one who could think this picture is adorable b/c I'm her mother and everyone else is grossing out at the "seafood"?
After we got back home I found out that Holly's hair was camouflaging a layer of dirt
There were 2 dogs up there which the kids played with a TON. Emma most of all. All the other parents kept saying that we need to get our kids a dog. I usually brush off that comment but I have to say, watching Emma play with them so happily all weekend, I began to feel a little guilty about it.
Eli got down and dirty of course.
BTW, he started a blog of his own today (Elisblog8.blogspot.com) and already wrote 3 posts! I sent you all invitations, but could someone try and look at it before they accept just to make sure it's private? Thank you!
The kids assumed Branba would still be here when we got back and were not happy campers (kug kug) when we returned to an empty house. Did you leave us a box of "Ohs"?

Also, as part of the kids summer schedule, they'll be updating their blogs once a week so you can check them more often.

Check out the Recipe blog

I posted a new recipe on the Giles Family Recipe blog. Take a click!

Just to put a picture on here for interest, this is the real me these days, "working." Reading, computer open for notetaking, even the phone open there. Don't I look like a good multi-tasker?


For a super interesting documentary about multitasking and our strange world of multimedia and internet fake life, watch Digital Nation from Frontline on pbs.org

My Mother's Day Wish For MOM

That the happiness and blessings you've bestowed upon us, will be returned 100 fold throughout your life. You are the center of our family and we love you!!!

(sorry for the missing family members!- we'll be needing an updated family photo soon)