Cats or dogs?
- Thanks to my mom, I’ve been a lover of cats all my life. At one point in time, we had five cats. Right now, I only have two furballs, and I’m fighting the urge to get them a little sister. lol.
Star Wars or Sleepless in Seattle?
- Oh definitely Sleepless in Seattle. It’s just my type of movie, the type that’s just perfect for curling up on the couch with a bowl of frosty ice cream and a bag of buttery popcorn.
Fruit or chocolate?
-Oh boy, I’m going to say chocolate, just as long as it’s not dark chocolate.
Favorite color?
- Any shade of sea foam green. It’s pretty obvious to anyone that walks into my apartment in that you can pretty much find the color splashed throughout the things in my apartment (i.e my sea foam green living room furniture, bed cover, curtains, and even shower curtain).
Favorite meal?
- Warm Cherry pie with a couple scoops of Homemade Vanilla ice cream. It’s a meal for me as I can eat a whole pie by myself any time (not necessarily in one sitting though…lol)
City break or weekend in the country?
-As my parents moved us out to the boonies when I was in high school, I am more of a city break type. I love to be in the mix of the everyday hustle and bustle of the city.
Soaps or documentaries?
-Neither really, I’m more of a reality show junkie. But, if I had to choose I guess I would say documentaries.
Bath or shower?
- Shower girl all the way. For me, showers are more refreshing and rejuvenating. And just between us, I’m not a fan of soaking in a tub full of cooling and eventually dirty water.
Dress or jeans?
- Jeans. I have turkey leg calves. You know what those are right? Humongous calves that look like those turkey legs you get at county fairs and whatnot…lol. So I prefer to wear pants. Plus, I’m more of a casual person, so jeans are one of the essentials in my wardrobe.
Your favorite material?
- Anything with a bold and unique pattern. Within this past year, I have realized that I’m capable of falling in love with any type of material as long as it has a stunning and striking pattern.
What brought you to Etsy? Tell us about your shop.
- I happened to be browsing through an online scrapbook forum and someone had posted a link to Etsy in one of the threads. As I browsed through the categories, there was one that particularly grabbed my eyes, Bags and Purses. I became especially intrigued with the clutches in this category, so I did some further research about Etsy. Upon completing my research, I realized that there was a need for trendy and edgy clutches. Thus I created my boutique, My Patterned Mind, and found my niche within the world of Etsy. My boutique focuses on designing handmade trendy clutches for today’s fashion forward women.
How is your shop eco-friendly?
- I’m more eco-friendly in regards to our packaging. I often reuse the bubble wrap and foam peanuts that I receive in the packages that I’ve ordered from others. If the boxes from the packages are small enough, I also reuse these for orders that have been made. Furthermore, I save the tissue paper that is stuffed in the purses that I buy from local department stores and reuse it as stuffing for the clutches in my boutique.
Do you sell anywhere else?
- No, I do not sell elsewhere. As I have more of a boutique style shop, I dont make many replicas of our clutches. Thus, I sell only Etsy simply out of fear of double selling a product.
What’s the favorite item you’ve made so far?
- The Cobblestone Luxurious Clutch (a linen clutch with a bold cobblestone print on an ivory background with circles in sage, slate grey, and lemongrass). This clutch represents my first time in working with such a delicate fabric, linen.
What has been the most useful lesson you’ve learned (about Etsy) so far?
- Oh, I’ve learned a lot. I think my first lesson was that Etsy is more competitive than I had originally thought. Many sellers in the same category weren’t willing to offer advice to newbies, such as myself, trying to get up off the ground. There were only a select few (more like a couple)that actually took the time out to do so, and they were the only ones that offered advice that actually was helpful in some kind of way. I hated that aspect as I believe there’s enough room for us all to be successful, but at the same time, I could also understand how some of them are relying on Etsy to make a living.
But most importantly, I learned that you get out what you put in. Simple as that. If you put in the work, you’ll definitely benefit, just be patient.
How do you see your store developing?
- Eventually I hope to be able to offer a wider range of clutch sizes with unique purse frames. As of right now, I’m focusing on getting my stock of product up and scouting unique purse frames.
What have you been doing today that I’ve interrupted?
- Oh, you’ve helped me to further put off doing my laundry. 
Shop: My Patterned Mind
