Finch Design Cottage

When we started the Pink Finch, our mission was to create an experience for women that offers an escape.  However, it has been pretty difficult to create an escape with only an Etsy page as a platform.  At the end of the day we want to create beautiful items that can be enjoyed by our customers and the community.  We have a strong emphasis on the aesthetic aspect of the business, which may not be paying the bills right now, but with time and effort that can change.

At the moment, our challenge is deciding on a space to call home.  We need that "ah-ha" moment before committing to a space.  We need something that reflects our style while being geographically convenient for our target customers...which has proven to be a challenge. 

For now we have set up an adorable design cottage right in the backyard.  A small yellow shed has been converted to a space to display Finch furniture and decor (storage in style).  After the hustle and bustle of the new year, we will host a design house sale where you can stop by our home residence to see a display of items for sale.  So if you are looking for a decorative pick me up you must stop by! If you are just interested in seeing items you have found online, shoot us an e-mail and set up an appointment to come by. Siegelhouse@gmail.com

Learning as we go...

Karly working hard this past Saturday.

All we want as a new business is local recognition and some good publicity.  If people know who we are and the products we offer, the rest will fall into place.  The problem we have faced is reaching our target consumer, which is probably you if you are reading this post. 

It is so encouraging to see local organizations supporting one another.  Since enter the twitterverse, we have felt this support first hand.  Organizations like the new Localution Project create incentives to shop local and create a network of local businesses to support one another in Loudoun County.

After living in Loudoun County for 17 years, I would have to say the area has changed A LOT.  Before we know it there will be a metro and even more strip malls, box stores and national chains.  We hope that Loudoun doesnt lose it's local flare.

After a let down at a holiday market this past weekend , we are looking toward the future and learning how to better our business strategy (and be a little more patient).   It looks like it is a matter of finding the consumers who want to find us.  If your out there...we can't wait to do business with you!

Local Holiday

The "Buy Local" approach to shopping and life is more than a "she-she" trend that adds novelty to our weekends.  There are so many logical reasons to support your local economy. Here are a few I picked up from The Institute of Local Self-Reliance:

• Product Diversity: A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based, not on a national sales plan, but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.
• Competition: A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term.
• Keeping Dollars in the local Economy 

With the holidays approaching, keep these bullets in mind while Christmas shopping.  Local products are often unique and high quality, not to mention you know their origin.  So get to shopping! Loudoun County has a great landscape of local businesses and shops to choose from.  Wine Clubs anyone? 

An Up-cycled Christmas

Up-cycled Newspaper wreaths and Glitter Ornaments

This week is the official start to the holiday season.  Soon we will begin out month long celebration of Christmas season.  I cam to this realization when I walked into work this morning and our lobby was decorated with sparkly green and red dressed garland, poinsettias and matching wreaths.

Before we know it we will be making fires in our living rooms, mixing holiday cocktails and unwrapping the gifts we thoughtfully picked out by our loved ones.  Everyone has their own holiday traditions and associations.  You probably have our go to holiday dishes, decorations and parties that you routinely depend on every holiday season.  After all, it is a holiday built on tradition. 

We like putting a new spin on old traditions. Maybe revamp old ornaments with a fresh coat of festive glitter.  Try a new Christmas tree theme that is easy to do, burlap maybe? You can do this all without spending a fortune on Martha Stewart's most recent line...

Take your old wreaths, garlands and ornaments and give them a facelift.  Don't be afraid of a little crafting.

Tips For Pickers

Every time I pass I pile of trashed personal belongings on the street I instinctively do a double take.  I did not recently pick up the habit of picking...I grew up doing it.  My mom was always coming home with our neighbors thrown out furniture, mirrors, books, etc with excitement in what she had come across.  Today she is still living her daily life with peeled eyes, ready to snatch up someones neglected coffee table or outdated picture frames. 

To be fair, she has sophisticated her technique to seeking unwanted belongings through Craigslist and yard sales, but that does not mean that she won't go dig marble slabs out of a dumpster (she does this often).  I came up with a few TIPS FOR PICKERS that I picked up front the master growing up:

1.  If somethings catches your eyes get it [now]! I cant tell you how many times I have run by someones garbage in the early mornings and said "Oh I'll grab it after I'm done" and thirty minutes later, that circa 1970 lamp is gone!
2. Go for good bones If you cant decide whether something has potential look at the bones of the piece. Is it well made? Does it have a unique OR timeless shape? If something is made of quality materials it will stand the test of time after some sprucing up.  
3. Don't be turned off by finish, color, upholstery or blemishes These things are all easily fixed so you have to learn to look past the ugly stains and tarnishes. 
4. Be weary of Craigslist Pictures Sometimes furniture will be a lot bigger or smaller then perceived in the photos.  So ask for the dimensions before driving your pickup to a strangers house..

New Holiday Items Available!

Snowflake & Bird Holiday Wreath

Christmas has a way of sneaking up on us.  I seem to do a lot of holiday entertaining and with that comes the necessity of holiday decor. So I find a few statement pieces to jazz up my home for the holidays. I just finished up my first batch of wreaths, table runners and ornaments.  They will be posted on my Etsy site today (www.esty.com/shop/thepinkfinch).  If you see something you love and you would like to reserve for purchase, feel free to e-mail me! I hope you enjoy all the photos which are posted under "New Items".  Christmas will be here before we know it! Have a specific wreath request? Let me know!  

Silver Lining of Sandy

We may have lost some trees, parts of our fence and power during Hurricane ("Tropical Storm") Sandy, but there was some good that came from this natural disaster.  In times like these you can really see a community come together.  The news today is full of these east coast stories.  In my own home we spent "quality" time together without electricity, gas, heat and all the luxuries we have grown used to.  Most importantly...

We began working on some projects for the Holiday Market we will be vending at on December 8th in Stone Ridge, put on by the Wellness connection!  I was put to work and went to bed with a sore right arm from all the crafting.  Visit the Wellness Connection Webpage for more information!

http://www.srwellnessconnection.com/Holiday-Market.html

WE ARE OFFICIAL! The Pink Finch, LLC

When we first started trying to establish normal business practices (insurance, bank account and other boring things) I started to realize how crucial it is to become a legitimate business.  After finding our business name to be available in Virginia, we registered our name and started the process to becoming an LLC with a local law firm. 

What does this mean? It means we will be trudging forward, one step closer to our dream of owning a shop! However, while we work on that goal, we are hoping to host a few furniture sales at the house.  They will be called Shed Sales, where we will be selling out items out of a small yellow shed right in the backyard! Stayed tuned :0)

Our First Farmers Market

We could not have prayed for better weather this weekend, so ideal for an outdoor market.  We woke up early  (Before 7 am is early), loaded into the Silverado and headed to South Riding with alllll of our loot.  Leaving the house it was chilly so we layered up and brought a thermos of Teavana of course.  When we arrived, there were only a few other vendors set up, we picked out a big blot of parking spaces and began staging our booth.  Once we were all set up, I stepped back and looked at everything we had for sale.  I became totally overwhelmed with pride.  

While we sold mostly smaller items (table runners, hair flowers & wreaths) we were still excited to create a local buzz around The Pink Finch.  This was a fabulous opportunity to reach out to the local community, pass out business cards and see what sells best at this particular farmers market.  The reaction we received over our furniture and decor was flattering and we thank everyone who came out to support us.   

Upcycled Accessories

I've been making these hand made hair flowers for years. It all began as a way to put my quilting scraps to good use, and turned into a fan favorite.  As as Mother of three daughters, I always have a customer and a critic near by to test out my designs.  I make these accessories for almost every season and holiday. From the Fourth of July to Halloween and Christmas I love to have fun with my designs.  However, most of my bows are everyday.  Above are some shots of my 16 year old daughter modeling bows this past summer.

I always keep a supply of bows on hand because they go fast! Nonetheless, you may want to come early tomorrow to the South Riding Farmers' Market to get your hands on one!

Outdoors Inside

As someone who loves the outdoors, I love bringing life to my home by incorporating natural elements into my decor. I've found that natural light, house plants, terrariums natural tones make my house a home--but today I want to talk about something a bit more novel.

I obviously love birds, hence the name of my shop.  Growing up I loved to birdwatch.  I would sit on the roof of my parents house and try to identify the species out of a book (which I still own!).  My daughters and I have each taken on own bird personas.  We have a hummingbird, a peacock, a swallow and of course a finch in our family.  I guess that would make my husband the rooster...

My own home has a few antique bird cages, which are wonderful if they match your decor.  Recently I decoupaged the back of my basement stairs with bird paper.  It was a fun way to add character to an otherwise blah space.

Basement Stairs get a makeover

If you're not quite up for the challenge, you can add simple knick knacks around your home to liven up the space.  Whether your style is Country Chic or Art Deco, there is something for everyone.  The images below are from my favorite websites...ETSY! (www.etsy.com/shops)

From Etsy Shop: Classic By Nature

From Etsy Shop: Claylicious

Morning Joe Table

Today I am featuring an aged coffee table I recently finished, in celebration of coffee.  If there is one thing to know about the Pink Finch is we loovvvee coffee. Someday when we have our own shop you can expect coffee brewing at all times.  Coffee is truly inspiring, from coffee stained finishes to the way it brings people together.

It's finally friday. Today, more than any other day, I need my daily dose of caffeine.  In celebration of all things coffee, here is a short list of why you should enjoy your morning joe (and afternoon joe).

1. Drinking more than 3 cups a day reduces the risk of the most common form of skin cancer by 20% for women
2. Women who drink up to 4 cups a day are 20% less likely to be depressed when compared to women to drink only 1 cup per week.  
3. Coffee is good for your liver :) Read more

Ou La La

Hello followers and happy Thursday! Today has been a hell of a productive day for the FINCH.  We managed to get our T-Shirt order finalized, business cards designed and most importantly...new inventory uploaded to ETSY! You can access my Etsy page from the tab at the top of the page to look at all the new furniture items.  We have 9 new items, but many of them are end tables which come in sets.  Stay tuned for more to come.  Before you know it we will be entering more than just your blogosphere...Below are some pictures of my favorite item added today:

Step on into my Etsy Shop

Well, after taking a break from Etsy, I'm back! I spent most of the summer diving into my furniture refinishing projects. I was so obsessed with finding new pieces on craigslist to makeover that I neglected the selling aspect. What I did gain was the understanding that my furniture is spectacular and now I am ready to share my hard work! So please visit the Etsy shop page on the top of my blog to get a feel for my style! I have posted the blue table I refinish last week! Talk soon.

Loudoun Pride

Decorating Days

Ever have those days when you can't stand anything and you want to change everything in your home? I don't.  Instead of decorating all at once and letting your home remain the same for years at a time, continuously update your home to meet your style, industry trends and your lifestyle.  We always have a project going on at home.  Right now we are adding a pergola to the back porch and of course a million things being cranked out in my "craft room" which I will soon be unmasking to everyone.  

If you have any furniture that needs a facelift or a modern update, contact me! It only takes me a day or two to refinish most pieces (without reupholstering). I would just need to acquire the paint colors and hardware you prefer from my local vendors! 

I know it is easy to let your decorative priorities slip when life gets busy, but thats why I decided to sell my projects and services.  I look forward to helping busy women love their homes.

Suggestions Please!

Any hardware suggestions for this freshly painted table?

Any buyers?

Decoupage Queen

My family often jokes that I would decoupage the entire house if I could.  I guess it is hardly a joke, considering I find any excuse to whip out the mod podge.  I will do projects ranging from wall art, covering furniture, all the way down to covering tiny canisters to keep my crafting materials in.  It's a good way to dress up ordinary objects or create art that is impossible to mess up! If you are wondering what Decoupage is here is the best definition I could find via Wikipedia:   

"Decoupage (or découpage) is the art of decorating an object by gluing colored paper cutouts onto it in combination with special paint effects, gold leaf and so on..."

The Mod Podge, which is basically glue and water, dries clear.  Essentially you are sealing art materials onto a surface.  The consistency of the mixture when it meets the paper creates a cohesive effect that makes the combination of mediums look like one textured piece.  Check out the dresser I Decoupaged for my daughter's bedroom at the beach house.  This is just one example of how I use the technique.  As I continue to get more pictures I will be sharing more items.  

Shell Crazy

Our beach house is covered in seashells. Even though it is tedious, I think it is well worth the work.  I've had people try and buy my shelled chandeliers and mirrors off of Etsy, but shipping was a nightmare.  Hopefully this will be something I can offer on a more local level.  I will warn you these items get heavy! I use real seashells and individually glue each one a precise place/pattern.  More pictures to come!

Why I Blog

This is my first post as a blogger.  I have created this page to introduce my work to the public.  Everyone who knows me has seen my work.  It has taken a kick in the butt from my kids to finally put a little business minded effort behind my projects.  For years I have been refinishing furniture and creating other home decor items, I tried the Etsy thing, but I did not have enough recognition to make it work.  I'm hoping by putting my work out on a consistent basis, I can create a customer base.  I would love a local following.  I am open to suggestions too! I am constantly searching craigslist and friends basements for new furniture so if you have an old piece that needs a face lift, send me an e-mail! Below is a chest a rehabbed last month for our family beach house.