A Crystal Garden

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2010-10-28T12:36:00.001-07:00

We are OPEN!!

2010-07-14T11:23:00.001-07:00

Hello all!! Thanks for hanging in there with me during my Summer break! We had a wonderful time down in Myrtle Beach and I greatly enjoyed my time off. The kids are back to being "bored" today since the entertainment is over and Mom and Dad are back to work. I just finished opening the website and will have Ebay back up and running by tomorrow.

Closed for Summer Break! I will reopen on JULY 14, 2010!

2010-06-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day.... In Remembrance

2010-05-28T08:06:00.001-07:00

I know many of you are probably watching for a Memorial Day Sale and I am sorry to disappoint but we are just too close to my closing for summer break. The one year I ran a sale I greatly regretted it because I was still filling orders well past the day I had planned to be done and closed. ONLY 20 days left to get your orders in before SUMMER BREAK!

Super CUTE S!

2010-05-28T08:05:00.001-07:00

Please Hang in There .......

2010-05-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming way faster than I am ready for! My daughter only has 4 days of preschool left and my sons only have 14 days of school before summer begins.

I would like to ask all my new facebook fans and blog followers to hang in there through the summer. There are some cool contests and giveaways planned for late August/early September on FB but it might be super quite here for a couple of months.

A Crystal Garden will be closed for my annual summer break from June 17 - July 16, 2010. I sure wish there were more than one of me so that I didn't need to close but that is the reality of a one woman operation.

I am working on three new products that will be introduced as time allows. Marabou Puffs will be back in stock with many more color options and I love these from the new supplier. Snap n Go's will be introduced in two sizes, both mini (30mm) and regular (40mm). I have new ribbons on the way including Glitter Ribbon which is just to die for!! Korkers will be arriving with about 25 new color options including solids and a Princess Pink that is super pretty. Applique Row will also be growing. My plan is to get more pre-designed items up on the site for those who are more "color challenged" especially in the small layered bow section.

As you can see I have lots in store for the fall months. Please stick around for the new and exciting things to come!

Introducing the Newest Customer Cutie!

2010-05-13T19:09:00.001-07:00

I was just checking my email this evening for the last time and look what I found in my inbox! It is Julie's cutie patootie! I just can't tell you all how much I love getting pictures of your girls wearing the bows I have made. Thank You Julie!! She is so beautiful.

Korker Sale!!

2010-05-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

LOTS of new korkers just added to the site today! Super cute color combinations. Introductory Sale 15% off already low prices, May 5th - May 9th. Solid colors will be arriving mid-summer along with lots more pinks! I already took two Patriotic ones out of inventory for my daughter and it was hard to not take more! I... just LOVE these. :) For those of you that know me, know I hate to bake korker ribbon (it stinks up the house) but love korker bows so I searched for a high quality supplier to make them for me. SUCCESS!

Our newest customer cutie!

2010-05-04T12:33:00.001-07:00

Beautiful!! This little sweetheart is wearing custom made A Crystal Garden hair bows. Her mom sends me a picture of the outfit and I do my best to make a bow that will match. These turned out just wonderful. She is just so cute! Thank you so much to Teresa for the pictures.

Giveaway going on NOW!

2010-04-30T08:08:00.001-07:00

I have a giveaway going on now over at Couponing to Disney for a Magical Vacation Gift Set. For those of you who don't know me well, my other passion along with making hair accessories is being a "coupon" mom. I started using coupons March 2009 and have never looked back. I love the thrill of the hunt for a bargain and have saved my family thousands of dollars! My motto - "NEVER pay full price for ANYTHING!" I suppose part of that is why I sell hair bows at wholesale prices to the public as every girl deserves to wear a hair bow.

The Newsletter is back!

2010-04-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I closed down my newsletter since the service was costing me way more than it was worth. I have finally been able to use the software that is available with my hosting and have a new newsletter set up. Old subscribers have already been added but here is the link for all my new customers! http://www.acrystalgarden.com/pages/joinourmailinglist.php

Site is back up! Yeah!

2010-04-22T04:59:00.001-07:00

Site is back up! Never heard from my hosting company but all looks good this morning.

Website is down......

2010-04-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

Ugh! My site is down and I have no idea why. I have put in a support ticket with my hosting company trying to find out what has happened. I know I didn't cause it and didn't even know until I started wondering why orders stopped coming in. Hoping it is a quick easy fix on their end and I will be back up quick.

Sneek Peek at what is coming this summer.....

2010-04-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

KORKERS will be here! I just love korker ribbon but I hate to make it. I found a supplier that makes beautiful korkers and the price will be nice! These five will be made available on the website soon but they are in limited quantities! More are on the way in other colors.

Check out our new....

2010-04-17T16:35:00.001-07:00

at A Crystal Garden! That's right! Everything in this section is only .99. There are some super duper cute appliques and other items already in there but I also spent today ordering a bunch more that will start off at the .99 price! Brand new items! No more waiting on sales, everything in this section will be .99 ALL THE TIME!

Visit the .99 Spot Here!

My daughter's Easter Hair Bow

2010-04-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't made a bow for my daughter in months! She has a special dress picked out for tomorrow and wanted a hair bow to go with it. This is what I whipped up and her comment "Just Perfect". Awww.....melted my heart.

Happy Easter! I hope you are all enjoying this time with family and friends. We have a busy day tomorrow starting with church then lunch with my brother and sister-in-law and then on to dinner at my mother-in-laws. Good eats and great times with family.

No Shipping Easter Weekend

2010-04-02T06:15:00.000-07:00

There will be no shipping Easter Weekend - Friday through Sunday. I imagine I will have a large number of packages going out on Monday.

Our Newest Pooch Patch Pup! Ms. Meika

2010-03-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

OH MY, Can you get any cuter than that!! What a sweet heart and so cute in her Simply Sweet Dog Hair Bow!

Summer is Just Around the Corner..... Order your Patriotic Bows Early.

2010-03-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, well maybe more like two months away but I wanted to give all my blog and FB friends a heads up about my planned summer schedule.

Starting around the second week of June, I will only be making Sweet Petite Baby Bows, Small 2 1/4" bows and Simply Sweet Dog Bows for the summer months. I am able to sew these bows at night and assemble them in the morning while still having a large portion of the day to spend with my kids who will be on summer vacation. Other than items that I don't have to make, the rest of the website will be closed for the summer and will not reopen until around the third week of August.

I also have some closing dates in which I will be completely closed, as you can see on the sidebar for July 4th and Labor Day holidays.
June 17, 2010 - July 11, 2010
August 29, 2010 - September 7, 2010

So this just means if you are thinking of ordering Patriotic Bows or Back to School larger bows, please plan to order them early.

If this still proves to be too heavy a load to keep up with while my kids are home, I will have to make further adjustments but right now feel this is the best solution.

Thank you to each and every one of you so much for your continued support of my fun home business A Crystal Garden.

Website is back open!

2010-02-27T21:02:00.000-08:00

Store is back open and ready for business! The kids had a great time at their party tonight, my house is almost back to cleaned up and I am ready to start making bows again.

Oh...Say it ain't so!

2010-02-24T13:37:00.001-08:00

Nature is truly working against me this week. MORE SNOW is coming! I had grand plans of heading to Costco tomorrow and loading up on food and party stuff. I wanted to clean on Friday and bake the cake as well as some brownies and cranberry bread. Saturday would be a day of touch up and some Wii playing with my kids. Saturday night all the party guests would arrive and my now 7 and soon to be 5 year olds would be enjoying their party.

BUT NO! It is supposed to snow tonight and all day tomorrow 6-12". I closed the store to prepare for a party that may be canceled, well at least pushed to next weekend. URG....... Parking is the true issue since we will be dug out by Friday night or early Saturday morning but can't really have guests over if there is no where to put their cars.

Ah.... the best made plans.......

I may be reopening sooner than planned. It does feel good to be almost completely caught up on making bows though. :)

Website Catch Up Closing....

2010-02-19T06:54:00.000-08:00

I always hate to have to do this but I will be closing the website today in order to catch up on orders and everyday life! You all have blessed me with a large number of orders that stays at a pretty high level continually. I asked God to bless my business and WOW has he ever. My mom jokes with me to be careful what you wish for. LOL.

We are celebrating two birthdays this next Saturday and I need to get my house cleaned and in order and I also have a large pile of orders that need to be completed.

I will continue to work on all the current orders in house until they are all shipped. Ebay will not be affected by the closing and I will continue to fill Ebay orders as they come in.

Over the years I have been told to just increase my shipping times instead of closing the website. Problem I have with that is when orders come in I feel like I should be working on them. I try to play with my kids and enjoy their birthday weekend while in the back of my head the number of orders piling up makes me feel stressed and thinking I should be working. I suppose that is one of the downfalls of having an at home business, as in you are also always at work. :)

The End of the Newsletter.....

2010-02-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

I have decided to end my service with YMLP which is the service I used to maintain my newsletter. After looking at the cost of $45/year and the amount that I actually use the newsletter, it made sense to save that money and use it in better ways.

I plan to offer some freebies and discounts to facebook fans in the summer months and possibly sooner depending on how things are going. All communication will now be done through FB and this blog.

Business has been nothing but Superb this year! Thanks to all of you!

Gong Xi Fa Cai

2010-02-13T08:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year! So I am a day early but we will be celebrating tonight with local Chinese take out. I know it isn't "real" Chinese food but we still like it and can pretend we are sitting at our favorite restaurant in Nanchang. As many of you know our daughter was born in China so we like to celebrate events from her heritage and I have learned so many interesting things about a country that is truly magnificent. Look past all the "political" jargon and you will see a beautiful country full of culturally diverse people that are just like you and I.

For more information about the Chinese New Year, I found a great site: http://www.theholidayspot.com/chinese_new_year/

Gong Xi Fa Cai means wishing you to be prosperous in the coming year.

Big Snow again!

2010-02-10T05:25:00.001-08:00

Here it is again! Big snow storm and we are snowed in today and tomorrow at least. Nothing will be shipped until at least Friday. My hubby is in the kitchen cooking yummy pancakes this morning. Mmmm they smell so good!

Also want everyone to be aware that we may lose power later due to high winds expected. We frequently lose power during storms. If I don't answer emails or questions quickly this will be why.

Happy Snow Day to everyone in the Northeast! It is like a friend on FB said "for all those affected; the Northeast USA will close tonite at 8pm. We will reopen on Thursday morning. We apologize for the inconvenience." - too funny but so true!

Seriously?? MORE SNOW?

2010-02-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

As you can see by the picture we have having loads of fun with all this snow! We got around 30 inches on Saturday and have been playing ever since. What is amazing is that starting tomorrow night into Wednesday we are supposed to get another 18-24 inches! I have no idea where they are going to put it all to make the roads passable in our neighborhood. This is a kids dream world with no school until next Tuesday for my kids between days already scheduled to be off and snow days.

For ACG business, orders from this past weekend will go out tomorrow and if yours is included a shipping notice will go out from paypal in the morning. I don't expect to be able to ship again until Friday at the earliest. I will just have to see how things go with the snow and I can't work as fast when all the kids are home. I have to build a few snowmen myself as well as sled down the driveway or I am just not being a good mom. :)

Anyone want some Snow??

2010-02-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you guys but this is what it looks like outside my house today and it is still snowing! Last I looked they were reporting 20+ inches for us but we have not ventured outside yet. I have Chili in the slow cooker and the hot chocolate ready for after snow warmth. Surprising enough, I think I have the only kids on the planet that are not big fans of the snow. I know when I was young we would have been out there the minute we woke up!

As far as ACG business goes, I have all my orders caught up for once! I thought I would be playing in the snow with my kids today and worked hard to get them caught up so I could play without feeling like I needed to be working. I have been working on the blog and updating the header and slide show. Next up is to add the new Simply Sweet Clip sets I have created to the website. I also need to update all the dreaded color lists for each item. This is one task I truly do not like as I have to go into each item to update them. It is so frustrating that there is not an easier way to do that.

Hope you all are enjoying your families on this wonderful Saturday!

North East are you ready?? For the SNOW!

2010-02-04T07:16:00.000-08:00

I am super busy here at A Crystal Garden trying to get as many orders shipped out tomorrow morning as possible. Depending on the snow it could be Tuesday before I can ship again. I know some of you way up northerners are saying. Puh - what is 12+" inches?? We handle it pretty well here too but it could mean no school on Monday and Tuesday which means I wont get out to mail my packages. I also want to get lots of orders done so I can play in the snow. :)

But the real purpose of this post is to let everyone know shipping may be delayed a couple of days while I hunker down, drink hot cocoa and build snowmen.

Our newest customer cutie!

2010-01-26T10:53:00.001-08:00

I was so excited to get these photos today. It has been a dry spell for sharing pictures of my wonderful customers kids! Ok, break over back to making bows.

Whew!!

2010-01-26T06:26:00.000-08:00

I was finally all caught up on orders for the first time since well before Christmas and was enjoying some time to do other things. I love to make hair bows but a break once in awhile is nice. Usually the last two weeks of January are a bit slow according to the last couple years of sales figures so I thought I was going to have a bit of time to spend on my messy house.

The weekend was spent cleaning out the basement and while that wasn't fun boy did it feel good when I was finished. All the junk is cleaned out and what is left I either need to keep or felt like it could be sold on Ebay.

While walking through Target yesterday with my mom (it was her birthday) we were commenting on how free we feel this week with no appointments, cleaner houses and bows all caught up. We planned another day of shopping. When we got home we had both lost power so that meant eating dinner out too. Yeah!

So this morning I sign on to find 11 (some rather large) orders all from one day! What a shock for one of the normally slowest weeks of the year. Today I am back to making hair bows. It is such a shame that I suppose that attic clean out will just have to wait. Ah.....too bad. (giggle)

What's in a Name?

2010-01-23T06:33:00.000-08:00

I have been asked how A Crystal Garden got it's name since it has nothing to do with hair bows? When I made the decision to start my own little hobby (wasn't supposed to really turn into a business), I found that I enjoyed making beaded Swarovski Crystal Bracelets. Along with that I made a few little basic hair clips to sell on Ebay. The bracelets did really well thus the name A Crystal Garden since my bracelets were made with crystals.

While making the bracelets, I found that I had an obsession with ribbon. :) I started making the flower bows, basic clips and other small bows and they also began selling well. As time passed the hair bow part of the business dwarfed the jewelry part and I changed my focus onto the hair bows.

At this point I have stopped making any jewelry and now have a business name that has nothing to do with hair bows. Although I have considered changing it, I still like the name and think I will stick with it. :)

A Crystal Garden and Etsy....

2010-01-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

I am so fickle! So I thought expanding in Etsy was a great idea and then during a car ride with my mom she has helped me see the light.

Her question was Why?

Hmmm...so I can get more business...

She says Don't you already have a hard time keeping up?....

Hmmm well yeah, I guess I don't really need to be doing that.

SOoooo I will not be expanding into Etsy. I was thinking I could put some easier to make items or premade items on there. But she is so right. Aren't moms great? I will add the sets that I already made for Etsy to my site.

Batgirl and smiley faces....

2010-01-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

So have you ever wondered why there is a little smiley face on your packages that come from A Crystal Garden. My daughter wanted to know what job she could do to help me make bows so none other than batgirl herself is in charge of adding a little cheer to each and every Crystal Garden package.

Happy New Year! Update on Shipping

2009-12-31T08:28:00.000-08:00

Orders are currently taking up to 14 business days to ship. After a four day holiday over Christmas I am much more back logged than anticipated. The 14 days is my best guess for once the kids get back in school and I can start moving these orders out of here.

Please be patient during this holiday time. As you know I try to always ship as quickly as possible but this has been an incredible business season for me. Thanks so much!!

Achy hands are also slowing down the process a bit. I used to be able to sew 50 - 100 bows a night and now that number has shrunk. We are a crafty family but I also know I have my Mom's and Grandmom's hands and wont be able to make hair bows forever but will continue as long as I can.

Thank you to all my customers for a really great year!

New at A Crystal Garden!

2009-09-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Double Ruffle is here!

This ribbon is just beautiful and I have no idea what took me so long to catch onto it. I do have limited colors available at this time and am still working on new styles but here is a sneek peek.I also have 5/8" double ruffle on the way for some super cute new Petite Baby Bows.

Double Ruffle Bows at A Crystal Garden

Color Chart - 10 Colors in stock now.

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

2009-09-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this year I don't really believe that but my last starts Pre-K tomorrow three days a week. Two of my kiddos have already been back to school for three weeks so the last makes it the end of the summer for us. We had a super great Labor Day weekend at the beach and what wonderful weather for the last summer splurge.

ACG is back open and ready to begin the super busy fall season. We have a few new products using beautiful Double Ruffle Ribbon coming to the store soon. I don't know what took me so long to fall in love with this super cute ribbon but I will spend some time the next few days coming up with some bow designs.

I also have DRR (double ruffle ribbon) arriving in my most favorite 5/8" size that will be perfect for the Petite Baby Bow.

Off to get a few Ebay auctions rolling! I love taking a summer break from Ebay but it is time to get things up and running full steam.

Summer is coming to and end....

2009-08-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

Here at A Crystal Garden there is not much to report during the summer months and not much to blog about. I prepare for the busy fall by restocking all my ribbon and coming up with a couple of new products for the upcoming year. Things will start to really ramp up after our Labor Day holiday. We will be closed from August 29 - September 7 for one last summer celebration with family. Then it is back to the business of bow making!

Ebay auctions will begin again after the 7th and expect a newsletter shortly after that too. I got some really cute new ribbon in over the summer and have even more ordered.

Summer has been great fun with the kids but now it is time to get back to work!

Two more customer cuties!

2009-07-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

I apologize for this one taking me so long to get posted. I had original photos that I had to scan and they got lost in the mess on my computer desk. Everything is all cleaned up and here are two more super cute customer cuties!

Back to Bow Making!

2009-07-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

Hard at work and making hair bows! Vacation was wonderful and now we are open for business!

Double cute customer cuties!!

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-06-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Our newest customer cuties!

2009-05-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

Now, I get quite a few pictures since I shamelessly beg ask for them after every purchase and I got one yesterday that just made me smile! Isn't she just so cute! These seasoned customer cuties also have a few new pictures!
And one more new precious little ladybug -

Back open for business!!

2009-04-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

We are open and working on orders after having a wonderful Spring Break! The kids and I went to Storybook Land, A Family Fun Center and the Zoo. I had a great time off but we stayed so busy that my house never did get that TLC I had planned for it.

The website is open and ready for orders! Already have quite a few in-house that I will begin working on tomorrow when two of the kiddos head back to school.

Spring Break coming a little early at A Crystal Garden

2009-03-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

A Crystal Garden's website will be closed from April 1 - April 19 for a much needed Spring Break. Those of you who are asking what in the world will I be doing if I am not making hair bows?? The answer is lots!
Here is a little list:

Changing closets and drawers from winter to spring and summer clothes.
Working in the yard sprucing things up for spring
Playing with my kids who will be on Spring Break from the 8th - 20th
Visiting the Zoo
Cleaning out preparing for the biggest garage sale EVER!
Visiting the park on every nice day available
Reading a book
Playing games with my kids every time they ask.
I could go on and on ---but lets just say my house and my kids need some quality Mom time where I am not obsessed with the pile of ACG orders waiting to be created and shipped out.

We reopen on April 19th - there just might be a newsletter with some sales! So keep an eye out.

Our newest Customer Cutie!

2009-03-19T14:12:00.001-07:00

Thanks so much to "mom" Diana for sending in this adorable customer cutie. Once I get caught up a bit on orders this sweetie will be joining all the others on our website. I can't tell you how much I LOVE getting pictures of girls wearing ACG hair bows. It just brightens up my day. :o)

I am often asked.....

2009-03-11T16:57:00.001-07:00

Why doesn't A Crystal Garden have sales? To be honest I price my items as low as possible to make bows affordable all the time! At many bow sites you will find little bows similar to my Petite Baby Bows selling for as much as $6 a piece. While I think that is a crazy price and myself would never pay it when I know there are those out there like myself making good quality bows for reasonable prices, there is a method to the madness. If I price my bows in that price range it allows me to have nice 30%-40% off sales every now and then and not be making bows for pennies. If I had that kind of a sale I wouldn't even be covering all my costs.

So no - I don't have sales but I do offer no shipping weekends once in awhile and during the summer I have 50% off sample sales. I have also been known to throw in a free bow based on sales amounts. Sign up for our newsletter to know when these special events occur!

Really isn't it nice to have stuff "on sale" all the time. :o)

Welcoming another Customer Cutie!!

2009-02-04T11:34:00.001-08:00

So Sweet! I love to welcome new customer cuties into the ACG family!

So Sorry....

2009-02-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

I know I have been a terrible blogger! You guys are keeping me so busy making bows (THANK YOU) that I don't have enough time to get The Pooch Patch off the ground much less make new bow designs.

There is one change at ACG to announce. As of 2009, I will no longer be predesigning bows to match Gymboree. I just can't keep up with orders and all the new lines. There will continue to be an up to date color matching guide on the site for Gymbo and I will still be happy to design custom bows to match at any time.

ACG is renovating and making a few changes.....

2009-01-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

We are working on new products for the furry Princesses and Princes in your lives!

The button patch is still open but now under The Bow Garden heading. I will be selling these until my supplies run out. I am moving my efforts into other areas and looking forward to using my Christmas present! An embroidery/sewing machine. Ooooh the possibilities!!

http://www.thepoochpatch.com/ -

Happy New Year!

2008-12-28T16:52:00.000-08:00

Getting back to work slowly! I made a few bows today and starting to get back in the swing of things. Kids are still home for another week so we are still having lots of fun!

2008-12-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

NOTICE: We are no longer shipping in time for Christmas.

ACG will remain open through the holiday season but any orders placed on or after December 16 will NOT ship until December 29. I will still be here to answer any questions but not filling orders. All orders placed before Dec 16 are being processed as quickly as possible.

Another NEW Customer Cutie joins ACG!

2008-12-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

Love the pictures and keep them coming!! This little adorable one is wearing one of our really popular basic clips.

New Customer Cuties!!!!

2008-12-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

I am falling a bit behind on computer updates in the process of completing all your wonderful orders! I love this time of year since we are busy, busy, busy!

I did want to take a moment and put a few new customer cuties up! All beautiful!

Momma's Darlins: Santa Apron Top Giveaway!

2008-12-03T06:41:00.000-08:00

Momma's Darlins: Santa Apron Top Giveaway!

How cute is this?? Click the link to hop over and try to win it!

Christmas Collection

2008-11-21T06:18:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to work on my christmas collection without much success. We received some really cute new Christmas prints that I hope to get added to the site this weekend. Here is a start with our super popular wrapped petite baby bows.

Crochet Flower Beanies are HERE!

2008-11-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

Flower Beanies

New Soft Cotton Crochet Beanies

2008-10-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

Choose a Bow! Choose a Beanie!

M2MG Holiday Friend finally up

2008-10-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

New Listing at Mom.com!

2008-10-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for great ways to put my name and boutique out there in the great big cyberspace world. A customer of mine suggested Mom.com and they have agreed to list my boutique on their site! Yeah! and thanks Karen!

Here is a little blurb about them:
MomDot is a mom blog listing site that is run by mommy bloggers, trisha, alicia, and bridgette.They run contests weekly, reviews on awesome (and not so awesome) products for family and kids, and talk about their lives. But more importantly, they feature bloggers and mom boutiques to give them an avenue to get thier name out there, also assisting in google links! You can head out and list your blog for free and talk to them about doing an interview about you. Head on over and see what MomDot is about!

Karen also has a great blog so jump on over and visit her at ABlogofGoodies! She will be having a free contest giveaway starting on October 27 as part of the bloggy giveaways carnival and one of my items will be featured.

New Button Center Bows

2008-10-05T13:47:00.001-07:00

I had a custom order for a bow with a button center and it turned out so cute!

We also got in some really cute Minnie Mouse ribbon in 3/8"!

Christmas?? Not so far away!

2008-09-29T13:16:00.001-07:00

New M2MG Fall Forest Buttons are up!

2008-09-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

I know....I am a bit behind but am working super hard to get all my new products up before the super fall rush. Remember I list the matching ribbon colors so that bows can also be built to match!

Also since I got this really cool new photo tent I have been working on my jewelry pictures. Still not perfect but I do think they show the brillance of the crystals better than my previous photos. I have all kind of ideas for new jewelry projects if only I can find the time!

A personal request....

2008-09-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

I don't normally place these types of things on my ACG blog but this family needs prayer and the more the better. I can't even imagine the fear and frustration the family is feeling. They headed to China with hopes and dreams of meeting their new daughter and found her deathly ill in a dirty hospital and are desperately trying to bring her home for medical attention.

http://roomforatleastonemore.blogspot.com/

Wow do they grow up fast!

2008-09-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

This is one of our wonderful customer cuties on her second birthday! She is one of the little girls featured on the slideshow on the sidebar just one year ago, our kids grow up too fast. She is as beautiful as ever and we hope she had a wonderful birthday.

9/11

2008-09-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

Remembering...

We are open and back in full swing operation!

2008-09-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great long weekend! I know our family did and we were sad to face the reality again of back to school and cleaning up the house along with the mounds of wash. I did squeek out a little time to design a new custom order today. It is so pretty I decided to add it to the store. Revelation 21 Pearly Gates Bracelet

If you are not signed up for our newsletter, you just missed the announcement of our great September Weekend Specials with codes only for those who have signed up! Join Now and send me an email to let me know and I will send Sept. Newsletter right over.

Happy Labor Day!

2008-08-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

Have a wonderful holiday! ACG is closed until the evening of Sept 1, 2008.

Look for our super cute new applique clips in "Adorable Applique Row". I will be adding these over the next couple of days.

NEW PRODUCTS are HERE!

2008-08-16T18:07:00.000-07:00

I am busy working this weekend adding our super cute new items! Hopefully I will have them all loaded by the end of the week. I hear mom's talk all the time how they wish they could put something cute in their girls hair, but the girls just don't like bows. These are a great alternative that both mom and daughter are sure to love!

ACG has a new look!

2008-08-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

I will be launching a new product very soon! In preperation I needed to shrink down my shopping column so I have divided ACG into three main categories with all your favorite subcategories under each. You say you only see two?? Ah that is the big surprise coming SOON!

Prep School and Hair Streamers!!

2008-07-29T17:38:00.001-07:00

So I have had pony o's in my supply box for a long time and finally made some hair streamers! I just love the whole streamer line and think these make a great addition.

I have also been a busy bee creating bows to match Gymboree's Prep School, which are online and available now. Don't forget any style bow on the site can be made to match any Gymboree line!

Power Outage...

2008-07-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

Due to a power outage, we are a bit behind in processing orders. Sure wished during this time I had a battery operated glue gun! Not sure how all your bows would have turned out being made in the dark though. :o)

We are working hard to get all the orders from last week out by Monday. I lost two days of bow making but things are coming along well now.

Kelly

Ebay and Etsy

2008-07-18T09:44:00.001-07:00

Many have clicked on my Ebay and Etsy links and wondered where I went?? In the summer months I have chosen to not sell on Ebay and Etsy in order to have a little more time to spend with my kids at home.

So for those of you who have questioned....please use the website to make your purchases. www.acrystalgarden.com

The Beijing Olympic Gardens

2008-07-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

Thought some of you may enjoy seeing the Beijing Olympic Gardens. A friend out ours who has family in China sent me these great pictures.

We are OPEN!

2008-07-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

We are open for business! Vacation was lots of fun but we are back and ready to make bows and bracelets!

Summer Sample Sale going on now! Once a year we have this special sale to clear out all our sample inventory at half price. Only one available of each bow and the one pictured is the one you will receive. Check it out in the Clearance Section.

During our vacation we added three new members to our family! "Turtle" is pictured but there are two more named "Crush" and "Squirt". Oh the joy of pets, at least I like these better than hermit crabs and I have to admit they are awful cute.

Happy 4th a bit early!! Closed Dates.....

2008-06-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

A Crystal Garden will close tonight at 9:oo p.m. EST and will reopen on July 14! Have a Safe and Happy 4th!

Welcome Another Customer Cutie!!

2008-06-17T10:50:00.001-07:00

All decked out and ready to play with her ladybug streamer bow and sunglasses, this cool cutie joins the A Crystal Garden family. She has a super sweet sister that we hope to see soon.

New Colors and Prints are Here!!

2008-06-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

I just love shopping for ribbon and finding new patterns and prints! We received a large shipment today including some Halloween prints.

Here are a few samples.....

Chalk Violet

Chocolate Chip

Many more to see, color charts will be updated tomorrow afternoon with all the new colors and prints. Hopefully, I will get the drop down lists done soon but if not feel free to use the special requests box to order these colors and prints.

Newest Addition to the Ladybug Collection

2008-06-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

This is our newest addition to The Ladybug Collection and I just love it. When I get some free designing time, I hope to add this flower in many colors starting with a flower to match Gymboree's Palm Spring Line.

Ribbon has been ordered to match Gymboree's Beach Shack so watch for those bows to be added soon.

I also want to start adding to the Streamer Korker Line. This is my absolute all time favorite bow and I can't wait to see it in many more colors.

Welcome to another New Customer Cutie!!

2008-06-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

This adorable little girl is wearing one of my favorite ladybug bows! Can you capture more cuteness in a picture? I don't think so.

Ebay listing with 100% of the purchase going to LWB

2008-06-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

Due to my own oversight I miss this years Love Without Boundaries art auction. They sent me all the forms and told me the deadline way far in advance. Unfortunately too far for my mind to remember!

Please check out this listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350066961741

100% of the proceeds of this bracelet will go to LWB and 20% of future Chinese Love Bracelet listings. Look for the donation ribbon next to the listing!

A must see video...

2008-06-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

Our family has been privileged to be a part of the adoption community and experienced the incredible joy of adding a child to our family through adoption. It is near and dear to my heart and I wanted to share with my customers some of the charities that A Crystal Garden supports.

Please view this video ... and grab a tissue.

I will be adding a Great Causes section to my sidebar of some really great charities that help the orphans of the world.

A Crystal Garden is proud to support through auctions on ebay using Mission Fish. Look for our Chinese Love Character bracelets on ebay with the donation symbol next to them. Currently 20% of the sales of this bracelet go directly to Love Without Boundaries.

NEW Customer Cutie!

2008-06-01T14:24:00.001-07:00

Please join us in welcoming this beautiful customer cutie. Her mom says her eyes light up when new bows arrive at her door.

Send us your pictures acrystalgarden-bows@yahoo.com

June Special

2008-06-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

June Special

FREE butterfly bow with every order over $10.00

To receive your free bow, place your prefered color in the special requests box at check out - choose any 3/8" ribbon!

Memorial Day and Current Shipping Time

2008-05-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

Our May special has been super popular and thanks to all my terrific customer's orders, shipping time has temporarily hit 7 days for your order to be completed and shipped.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend! I will be busy making bows and bracelets with a picnic and party squeezed inbetween.

NEW Customer Cutie!

2008-05-22T13:19:00.001-07:00

A new customer cutie has joined A Crystal Garden. Isn't she is beautiful!

Send us your pictures acrystalgarden-bows@yahoo.com

Heartbreaking News Today...

2008-05-22T05:21:00.001-07:00

Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter was killed in a tragic accident. Read Story Here
He has done many great things for China Adoption along with adopting three daughters of his own and founding Shaohannah’s Hope. This is just unbelievable and I can't even imagine the pain.

A Blog especially for Maria - In Memory of Maria

Welcome!

2008-05-21T16:05:00.001-07:00

To the Grand Opening of A Crystal Garden's Blog. Check back for our newest creations and special promotions!

2008-05-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

May Special

$1 Shipping on EVERY order!

A Crystal Garden

Follow on Facebook!

We are OPEN!!

Closed for Summer Break! I will reopen on JULY 14, 2010!

Memorial Day.... In Remembrance

Super CUTE S!

Please Hang in There .......

Introducing the Newest Customer Cutie!

I was just checking my email this evening for the last time and look what I found in my inbox! It is Julie's cutie patootie! I just can't tell you all how much I love getting pictures of your girls wearing the bows I have made. Thank You Julie!! She is so beautiful.

Korker Sale!!

Our newest customer cutie!

Beautiful!! This little sweetheart is wearing custom made A Crystal Garden hair bows. Her mom sends me a picture of the outfit and I do my best to make a bow that will match. These turned out just wonderful. She is just so cute! Thank you so much to Teresa for the pictures.

Giveaway going on NOW!

The Newsletter is back!

Site is back up! Yeah!

Website is down......

Sneek Peek at what is coming this summer.....

Check out our new....

My daughter's Easter Hair Bow

I haven't made a bow for my daughter in months! She has a special dress picked out for tomorrow and wanted a hair bow to go with it. This is what I whipped up and her comment "Just Perfect". Awww.....melted my heart.

No Shipping Easter Weekend

Our Newest Pooch Patch Pup! Ms. Meika

Summer is Just Around the Corner..... Order your Patriotic Bows Early.

Website is back open!

Oh...Say it ain't so!

Website Catch Up Closing....

The End of the Newsletter.....

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Big Snow again!

Seriously?? MORE SNOW?

Anyone want some Snow??

North East are you ready?? For the SNOW!

Our newest customer cutie!

Whew!!

What's in a Name?

A Crystal Garden and Etsy....

Batgirl and smiley faces....

Happy New Year! *Update on Shipping*

New at A Crystal Garden!

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

Summer is coming to and end....

Two more customer cuties!

Back to Bow Making!

Happy 4th of July!!

Our newest customer cuties!

Back open for business!!

Spring Break coming a little early at A Crystal Garden

Our newest Customer Cutie!

I am often asked.....

Welcoming another Customer Cutie!!

So Sorry....

ACG is renovating and making a few changes.....

Happy New Year!

Another NEW Customer Cutie joins ACG!

New Customer Cuties!!!!

Momma's Darlins: Santa Apron Top Giveaway!

Christmas Collection

Crochet Flower Beanies are HERE!

New Soft Cotton Crochet Beanies

M2MG Holiday Friend finally up

New Listing at Mom.com!

New Button Center Bows

Christmas?? Not so far away!

New M2MG Fall Forest Buttons are up!

A personal request....

Wow do they grow up fast!

9/11

We are open and back in full swing operation!

Happy Labor Day!

NEW PRODUCTS are HERE!

ACG has a new look!

Prep School and Hair Streamers!!

Power Outage...

Ebay and Etsy

The Beijing Olympic Gardens

We are OPEN!

Happy 4th a bit early!! Closed Dates.....

Welcome Another Customer Cutie!!

New Colors and Prints are Here!!

Newest Addition to the Ladybug Collection

Happy New Year! Update on Shipping