Sustainability has been liberally tossed around to be a catch-all for green, socially responsible practices and products. Shoot, I use the term too for how feistyelle produces its products, both locally and in the choice of materials. Lately though, I’ve been flipping this term around in my head and heart and I’ve come to see that I can apply this ethic in a deeper way in how I grow feistyelle as a business.

For feistyelle to be truly about sustainability, I commit to producing sustainable products AND growing the business (myself included) in a sane, sustainable way. As the owner and designer, that means I’ll do the following:

1. Hire production help. I can’t and shouldn’t do it all myself.
2. Call on consultants when I need insight and guidance. There is so much great knowledge and experience out there! Pay good people to share their knowledge and experience so I don’t have to learn the hard way.
   
3. Take on projects when I'm ready for that level of growth. Again, we want to do it all, but we have to learn to walk before we can start to run. For example, I want to make sure to grow my brand of jewelry and accessories first before I consider expanding into other products and services.

I want feistyelle to be sustainable through and through so that I do right by the businesses I work with and by the community of which I’m a part. This is walking the walk.

Edit: Here's an inspiring article on NY-based lingerie company, Hanky Panky, that has grown its company slowly and has been manufacturing in New York since 1977. link

I'm so excited to announce my Fall 2010 lines featuring new designs and colorways! In celebration, enjoy 15% off the entire store using code: FALL10. Expires 3/26. 

New Design: FEATHERS

Versatile, rockin, and sustainable, this design definitely isn't for the birds! These felt feather earrings CURVE to give a fun dimension AND let you loop the bottom through the hoop for a second look. Available in pearl, black, red, magenta, jade, and blue.




New colors: JADE, BLACK, PEARL, & GREEN (in more designs!)




And, wait for it...new color combinations: MAGENTA/BLACK & JADE/GRAY



Jade/gray is my absolute favorite! Enjoy and as always, thanks so much for your support!

Madison Buyer just put up a great little video of me talking about feistyelle at POOLTRADESHOW. I'm so glad I didn't sound like a complete dork.

Hey folks! Check out my guest post on CraftMBA chronicling my experience at POOLTRADESHOW two weeks ago in Vegas. I go into how I prepared for the show, resources, as well as my overall experience. If you're an emerging business looking to try out tradeshows, POOL's an excellent place to start.

Great blogs: CraftMBA, Retail Minded
Great books: Craft Inc. Business Planner, Craft Inc.

I love earrings, always have, which is why I hate when I lose one earring. I have a little stack of earrings that have lost their mates yet I can't bear to throw them out. I write all this to say that if you've bought a pair of earrings and you've lost one of them, now you have a way to replace one instead of having to buy a new pair. To enjoy the feistyelle No Earring Left Behind Policy, here's what you do:

1) Go to www.feistyelle.com
2) Find the earring design you purchased
3) Add it to your cart
4) After clicking on your shopping cart, enter the following code into the discount box: 1EARRING (for 50% off)*. (The cart will still look as if you're purchasing a pair of earrings.)
5) Click Checkout
6) In the Shipping Instructions box, note if this is for your right ear or your left ear.
7) Optional: If you purchased a pair from me at a shopping event and I, for example, switched your earring findings from the standard hoops to hooks then you must let me know this in the Shipping Instructions box too.

*Note: You will not get a pair of earrings at 50% off, you will get one earring.

Now go forth and rock your earrings without worry! :)