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Do you ever have those moments when you think of a great idea, and you feel the excitement of starting something new, sharing the idea with others, or getting started on that particular idea? A few months ago I had one of those moments.

I was driving from St. Louis to Springfield with Philip, and we were having one of our "on the road" conversations about goals, dreams, getting out of debt, trips we will take, etc. During this particular conversation, I decided I wanted to start an online clothing shop. I've always loved clothing as an expressive art form, and at one time I even wanted to be a fashion designer. We brainstormed for about an hour, and came up with fern frisbie. Fern was my great grandmother who taught me to sew, so it seemed fitting that her name be the moniker for my new endeavor.

Sometimes we find that dreaming is a lot easier than doing. I found myself excited about the idea, and I jumped right into designing business cards, starting an Etsy site, and even purchasing fabric, but I hadn't made a single item. I knew I needed some extrinsic motivation, and an acquaintance of mine was opening an expanded vintage and handmade clothing shop (with a cupcakery, I might add!) called Red Velvet. With a hopeful heart, I put on my "coolest" outfit and headed over. I spoke to her about making clothing for her shop, and she told me to send her some pictures. She also said that I had "great style." For those of you that know Elsie, this was a huge compliment for me. So, I sent her some pictures and waited for a while.

About a month and a half ago, Elsie sent me an e-mail letting me know that she wanted to meet with me. We met at her shop and discussed what items would work, color schemes, and ideas. She is an absolute doll and gave me wonderful direction. Now, I have the motivation I needed and I have been brainstorming, designing, cutting, and sewing like mad since our meeting. It's a bit stressful, but wonderful to be doing something that I love, and knowing that after May 1st, I will have clothing in a nationally recognized store! I think this may be the first dream from my on the road conversations that is coming true...

Sew happy,
Christina