Gussied

Forget the First Lady or any of the Hollywood Housewives.  Truly, I don't envy them.  They have someone to do their hair, raise their babies, and sleep with their husbands.  (At least Hilary did.)  While it would be nice to have someone to do my hair, I prefer to raise my own kids and take care of my husband.  The ladies that I really envy are the ones that are like me but have that "got-it-together" look.  Well, if your idea of "got-it-together" is working from home, wearing a nightgown at 9:30 in the morning, eating Apple Jacks, and drinking coffee, then, yes, I've got it together, lol.  Lucky for us SAHMs, Erin, owner of Gussied, can be our role model!

Wow! I really love the new pics! Did you have these professionally done or is photography yet another talent that you have?

I take my own pictures! It's all in the camera, really. :)

Even though we all love what we do, we also need to pay those bills. Are you in the profit part of your business yet?

I started Gussied in February of this year {2011}. I'm not sitting on huge profits right now, but I've been able to keep costs low by asking other Etsians for their vintage scraps, getting some from my mom's collection {she's a total hoarder!}, and scouting out local flea markets for cheap finds. Every penny saved counts!

Have you enjoyed your Etsy experience so far?

I absolutely love Etsy. I've been shopping on there for years and started my first shop {Erin Tagle Design} to sell children's clothing. Once my daughter {11mos} started crawling, sewing became much more difficult. I also wanted to make something funky, fashionable and unique for women of all ages ... then Gussied was born. My sewing has definitely taken a back burner, happily. Etsy is fabulous - it's a great way to gain exposure from individuals and boutiques, it's a great community - I just love chatting with other sellers for their opinions and advice, and obviously, it's a great way to sell what you make.

We also have the Junior League up here in Tyler. The ladies on the board rotate out each year. Is this your year to be “on board”?

I was a 'New Member' of Jr. League Corpus Christi this past year. We just got our 'placements' for next year, and I was appointed by The Board for two important positons - one is New Member Assistant {for next year's class} and the second is to participate on an Action Learning Team. There are only 5 Board appointed positions, and I earned two. It's quite an honor. What can I say, they love me. ;) JK - I'm a SAHM, so I think they know I have the time. Teeheehee!

I’m always trying to find out all that I can about wholesaling. Any advice for those of interested in breaking into that arena?

I've found the most exposure to boutiques on Facebook. All the boutiques have pages, so I seek them out and 'like' them. Then I post on their wall, so they notice me. I'd say that I'm very friendly on FB and it's not always about MY status, but conversing and commenting on others'. It's gets me noticed, my profile pic for Gussied is inticing, and it shows that I'm not always into my self. I've also inlisted the help of The Savvy Socialista to help me get into boutiques - she is AMAZING! She got my cuffs on The Sonoran Living Show in Phoenix, AZ last week! There's a link on my FB page and website. Back to the boutiques: My boutiques get a discount and I don't make as much money, but it's pretty darn cool knowing that girls in Phoenix, Oklahoma, Washington State and of course, Texas, are wearing my cuffs. That's the pleasure I get when making them.

And, being a fellow Texan (born and raised! and bred, lol) I've gotta know--are you a native Texan? I won't hold it against you if you're not. :)

I'm absolutely a Native Texan! I was born and raised in Dallas, attended and graduated from the University of North Texas in Denton, lived and worked in Dallas post-college, and then relocated to Corpus Christi with my husband {for his job} two years ago. While I totally dig travel, I don't see myself ever living outside of Texas y'all!

Now I know this is her wedding picture, but something tells me Erin looks this coiffed (sans veil) every time she steps out of the house.    Isn't she beautiful?

Erin would love for you to friend her, tweet with her, read her blog, or browse her shop at any of the following places:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/gussiedbyerintagle

Twitter: www.twitter.com/erintagle

Blog: http://www.erintagledesign.com/ - I'm moving this to my website soon

Website: http://www.shopgussied.com/

Etsy: http://www.gussied.etsy.com/