Archive for August, 2009
Hi everyone! We’ve been talking about your business costs, starting with overhead expense, and this week, direct expense (materials and supplies). The timing is perfect to look at and revise your prices, with August winding down as we head into the Fall and holiday retail seasons.
If you make something that you sell, you have direct costs. If you sell vintage, you have direct costs. If you provide a service, you have direct costs. I make handknit accessories, and to do so, I have to buy yarn, perhaps buttons and threads, maybe even beads or other trims. All of which are materials and supplies that I build into the price of each item I sell.
If you sell vintage buttons, you might have bought the original buttons or you might just happen to have them; in the former case, you’ll want to make sure your expense is built into the price and in the latter case, you might want to build in the estimated cost or worth into your price. If I was a web designer, a particular job might involve a special font, software and/or images that I purchased, all of which I would need to be sure to include in my price/invoice for the job.
I can’t pretend to know all the possible direct expenses, materials and supplies that go into all of our businesses – the list is probably infinite! Recently, someone told me that your direct expenses are fixed, meaning you have no control over the cost; however, you do have a great deal of control over this. You can decrease your direct expense (and overhead) to increase your profit; in fact, you should try to do just that!
1. The Sparrow 2. Silence is Golden 3. Old Rusty Truck 4. Tower of Yesterday 5. Key Lime 6. Sing it from the Tree Tops
Sponsored Post: We’ve mentioned Urban Design Photography here on the blog before. You all know I melt over photography and number one, two, and four are singing to me right now. The blueish-gray tones and soft backgrounds bring a real depth to the image that is a bit mysterious.
Visit Urban Design Photography to browse more photos and keep up with news from Urban Design on the UDP blog.
1. Chocolate Raspberry Pots de Creme 2. A New Kind of Weekend 3. Poppy Seed Cakes 4. Macarons {all images via Cannelle et Vanille. all images copyright of Aran Goyoaga}
Good morning! We are starting the week off with a drop-dead-gorgeous blog of the week: Cannelle et Vanille. The blog is run by professionally trained pastry chef, turned food styling photographer, Aran Goyoaga.
You may remember Aran’s work from this In the Kitchen post from Design Sponge. What I love most about Aran’s blog, aside from the breathtaking photographs, are all the incredible recipes. If you love food, and you haven’t already visited Canelle et Vanille, do yourself a favor and head on over. And for more photographs from Aran Goyoaga, visit her portfolio site.
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***All images copyright of Aran Goyoaga.
Some of you may have already heard that Urban Outfitters has teamed up with The Impossible Project to support their mission to restart and reinvent instant film photography. In conjunction with the release of the special edition Polaroid film and camera kits, Gallery space at Space 15 Twenty in Los Angeles is hosting a month-long group show of Polaroid photography, which opens tonight from 7-9pm. If you are in the LA area, it sounds like it will be a fun night.
The original Polaroid instant photographs on view in Everything is Possible will reflect the unlimited possibilities of working with this unique format. The exhibition features work from: Ali bosworth, Andrew Post, Arthur Ou, brad Troemel, Charlie Engman, and many more. For more information about Everything is Possible: A Polaroid group Show, visit space15twenty.com.
In addition to the exhibition, Urban Outfitters is introducing a special edition product launch for polaroid camera kits and film, that is scheduled to release today at various times across the world in select locations…
West Coast 10am
East Coast 1pm
London 6pm
And camera kits and film will be available online starting August 28th. Visit Urban Outfitters for more details.
{image credit: (top, l-r): Jackson Eaton, Ali Bosworth, wai lin Tse, lina Scheynius (bottom, l-r): hasisi Park, Nicole lesser, Jessica williams, Mordechai S. Rubinstein}
I spotted these little Dancing Vases by Robin van Hontem over on Design Milk. Aren’t they sweet? They really do look like lovely ladies twirling around the dance floor in billowing skirts. I’d love to let one spin right onto the center of my dining room table…
Hope you’re having a lovely week!
Happy Thursday, everyone! Nicole of lillyella here with a new Style Swap. This week we head back indoors with our Staple, Wishing, a fine art print by Urban Design Photography. As I’ve mentioned before, you can never go wrong using a great piece of art as inspiration for decorating a room, and a beautiful piece with a timeless feel can be enjoyed for years on end even as your style around it changes. Below you can see how todays Staple works beautifully paired with classic vintage and leather or mid century modern accents.
Style Staple: Wishing Fine Art Print 1. Linen Monogram Print 2. Vintage Metal Tray 3. Bellingham Chair
Style Staple: Wishing Fine Art Print 1. Mini Sprout Vase 2. Throw Pillow
3. Mid Century Lemonade Chairs
Until next Thursday, have a safe and happy weekend! ~ Nicole
Ah, the lazy days of late summer. Crickets, cicadas, morning doves — the time when warm weather has transformed from jubilant celebration to sweltering drone. The magic is over. The window unit just isn’t cutting it anymore.
Might as well make the front porch as livable as possible.
I recently caught my neighbor making a bold choice in front porch decor. Why shouldn’t we all, if we have the outdoor space to decorate, let our inner hillbilly out for the next few weeks?
