Getting to Know... Alisia from Adorables by Alisia!

A new addition to the WEST blog is "Getting to Know You!" - an opportunity to get to know our members a bit more beyond their shops. Since this was my brilliant idea...hahaha....I  figured I should be the first one to take the plunge!  So HI!  I'm Alisia!  The handsome man is my hubby Jeff, and the cute Pug is my fur baby Lily!

1.      What is your shop name? AdorablesByAlisia

2.      What do you create and sell? Crocheted Stuffs!

3.      What inspired you to go along this handmade/vintage trek?  When my nieces’ were still little specks in their mamas’ bellies, I picked up crocheting again.  My mom and grandma had knitting needles or a crochet hook in my hand as early as I can remember and as life so often gets in the way, I had let it go over the past few years! Once the little ones were born, the mamas had lots of requests on “where to get that” item I made for baby, and it expanded from there.
 

4.      Where do you create?  In my condo in the Exchange District!  LOVE IT!

5.      Do you have another job other than your Etsy Shop? Yep, I’m an occupational therapist.

6.      What’s your “motto?”  Keep chugging along…just like the little engine that could!

7.     What would be your perfect day?  On the beach in Puerto Vallarta, re-reading Valley of the Dolls (again…) with my hubby on one side, and my pooch sitting under my beach chair!

8.    What is your favorite word? Now, my favourite word to say?  Because it’s poo and makes me laugh every time…. I am a giant 6 year old. Or my favourite inspirational word? Because that’s “breathe” – it’s a word that always reminds me to centre myself when things are crazy!

9.    What is your least favorite word? Can’t

10.  What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Family

11.  What turns you off? Negativity

12.  What sound or noise do you love? Nieces' laughter

13.  What sound or noise do you hate? Bones cracking….ech….

14.  What Etsy-Inspired work other than your own would you like to attempt and why?  Sewing/Fashion Design - I can sew, but don’t have the patience for it, and would love to be able to take the time and design plus-sized clothing!

15.  What Etsy-Inspired work would you not like to do and why?  Vintage selling because I’d never want to get rid of any of my finds, and would have to buy a bigger place to live…

16.  Show us some of your current favorite listings – well I’m currently on a short hiatus while I work out this whole business thing and fill some custom orders.  But here are my shop sites if you want to keep updated!

ETSY

BLOG

FACEBOOK

17.  Your “Famous Last Words?”  Love ya! Because you can’t say it enough to those you do.

Well, now you know me a little bit better!  Stay tuned on Thursdays to get to know more WESTies!

Where WESTies Create: Episode 1, PeriwinkleDzyns

WEST is happy to introduce a new regular blog feature - Where WESTies create!

How regular you ask?

About as regular as the odd spaces we will be featuring! Every once in a while we will be popping in to feature the unique creative spaces where WEST members bend over hacked up work benches and work their fingers to the bone to mold beautiful objects just for you, our wonderful fans!

Are these spaces going to be worthy of those glossy magazines or make that denizen of glitz and glamour proud? Probably not. Will we have a few chuckles and enjoy seeing where real people create? ABSOLUTELY!

Our first volunteer,conscript, is the crazy lady that stepped up to execute this idea! It's our wise WESTie leader, Ruth of PeriwinkleDzyns. Ok, confession time, she's also the one writing this, so let's just say she's wise in her own mind and leave it at that! And besides that, I'm the only one foolish enough to lay it all out there! Or am I? You'll have to stay tuned to find out!

Welcome to my studio! We thought we would start off with the only 3 square feet of empty floor space. Nestled in the heart of old St James, this hardwood floored studio is a former play room that used to house Lego and Groovy Girls. Now it is both working and storage space for my eco friendly jewellery line.

And that extension cord? That's so I can use my dremel; somehow I lost track of where the plug ins are in the studio, or maybe I just can't get to them any more... heehee, your choice in that scenario!

These pictures caught me in between holiday craft sales. Piles of stock, working trays, and just lots of stuff greet you as you enter this inner sanctum of upcycling. It's not always a glamorous business involving manicures and spotless colour co-ordinated work places with lots of painted surfaces and accents--this is real baby!

Here's where it all happens, the work bench aka salvaged 70's office table. It's got lots of flat surface and plenty of task lighting - both necessary ingredients for the fine detailed work I do!

I call it my studio because it makes a much more impressive moniker than "room where I shove all my sh**t." I love to label my storage containers but often find that my good intentions are out-weighed by the reality of keeping a home, day job and small business afloat. Mostly I remember what's in all those bags and boxes, kinda...

I've always been a less than stellar home maker (did I ever mention I really don't get that recent obsession with mid century house wifery some of you gals have? No? going on record here and now!), and cleaning has never been much of a priority. Life is too short to even once consider that you'll be worried about those dust bunnies when all is said and done!

This virtual tour shows you how I think and create in the real world! A lot of chaos, but mostly with a huge sense of humour and a speck of patience. I hope you loved the tour as much as I enjoyed sharing my real space, where a real woman creates!