Building Castles (and a Vistaprint review)

     This week I started getting the basics for my business together.  I went to Vistaprint and ordered my business cards, banner, and even a couple of T-shirts with my logo.  I've ordered from Vistaprint before, but I figured I would give my opinion on the products I received.  I am not affiliated with Vistaprint in any way, and they are not reimbursing me for my review in any way.



     First the business cards:

Front of card....

...and the back.

     The quality is very nice, and everything came out crisp and clear.  I added a QR code to my business cards that links directly to my website.  People seem to really like it!

     Next up, the banner:

    This is probably my favorite part of my order.  The banner turned out quite lovely.  The only issue i see is trying to flatten it out.  It comes rolled up in the box and the box of business cards was on top of it, so I ended up with a bunch of creases.  Weighing it down under some heavy books should do the trick though!  I really like that the banner is a heavy-weight outdoor vinyl and that it comes with the grommets already installed.  One less thing for me to do is always a plus.

     Finally the T-shirts.  I got a short-sleeve women's fit in white, and a long sleeve in black:

     As you can see, the one in white turned out great!  I would suggest that if you plan on getting the women's fit that you size up.  The black shirt I was a little disappointed with, but in all honesty it was definitely my mistake.  I should have turned my wording white so that it showed up better.  The peacock showed up great, but the wording was too dark to read from a distance.

     I think the best part was that I ordered all of this on Monday, and it was delivered on Friday!  I didn't even pay for expedited shipping.  Also, I know from past experience that Vistaprint's customer service is pretty top-notch.  Any time I've had any problems, they are very quick to fix it.            

One of my favorite quotes is by Henry David Thoreau:

      I find myself drifting back to these words over and over again during different circumstances in my life.  I am a dreamer.  I tend to think big, have big ideas, and dive in head first.  This is the fun part.  Imagining exactly what my idea could turn out to be.  Then comes the work.  Figuring out how to make all those big plans happen.  Researching and planning and rules.  Finding closed doors and looking for open windows.  It's all a part of building something even bigger than you could ever hope for.  Running your own business, making that decision to do something that makes you happy and to find a way to make a living doing it, is not easy.  There are a lot of decisions to make that you once depended on other people to make for you.  The risk is all yours...but so is the reward.

     My good friend Nicole from No Time for DIY and I will be doing craft shows together this fall!  I'm a little nervous, but really, really excited.  We both have some great products and great visions for our businesses.  I can't wait to see how we blend everything together for our booths! The next couple of months are going to be full of preparing inventory, so look for a bunch of tutorials!  Also, I will show you how we are building our booth along the way and offering some tips on setting up your own booths.  

Castles are built.....Time for the foundations.

~Melissa