Carlykins Party Favors & Gift Bags

Carlykins Party Favors & Gift Bags

Carlykins products make the perfect Party Favors and/or gift bags!!
You choose which Carlykins Product you like.
I make it
I package it
You give it!!

Most recently I was asked by a friend who was doing a "Beach party" themed birthday party to make a bunch of Flip Flop bows for party favors to give the guests!

Story of Carlykins

I am in the process of booking more home shows and getting into a few brick and mortar boutiques so I need to write "My Story" as a presentation. I went back and read my very first blog here on Carlykins to see how much of a "story" I had written. "3 kids" was the first thing I saw and immediately started laughing knowing back then I thought that was "a lot"!! HA HA HA HA

We are now on 12 years of marriage and SIX KIDS!!! I better not have 4 more kids to write about in 4 years!! HA HA HA HA

OK so here we go.

Hello, my name is Merideth Dillard. I was born and raised right outside DC in Bethesda, Md. I am daughter to Kay and Gary Beane and sibling to 4 crazy characters. I am the wife to my best friend, Clay Dillard and we have been married for 12 years. I am a stay at home mom to 6 kids, 2 dogs, 2 hamsters and a cat!! HA-HA Jacob is my one and only son and the oldest of our 6. Carly is my second child but first daughter. She is almost 10!! WOW!!
I started this business when Carly was a newborn. She came out with this preciously adorable HUGE head and NO HAIR!! She honestly looked like a line backer!! I would dress her up in all pink and lay pink blankets on her etc....... But while we were out and about I would still constantly be asked
"Boy or Girl?"!!
Oh it would infuriate me!!
I bought headbands from the store to put on her but her precious head was so big the bands would leave marks around her head. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I remember my mom making scrunchies when one of my sisters was in college. As a teen I helped a time or two with putting the scrunchies together. It all came back to me very quickly of how she made them. So I made them the same way just with a wider elastic and added a bow to the middle and VOILÀ!! Carlykins was started.
When I look back to my very first ones I chuckle. They were seriously SO SIMPLE. Honestly a large scrunchie with a bow!! I would put them on Carly every time we went out and before long friends were asking for them for the same reasons I was making them. Before long friends suggested selling them and really pushed me to sell. My sister Karen made me Business cards and told me about eBay! Carlykins was OFF & AWAY!! It was never the same since eBay was introduced!! I sold on eBay for the longest time and they actually helped pay bills when we did not have a pay check coming in.
Things sure have changed since 2007!! We have grown as a business right along with Carly. We now offer baby items and young girl items as well as a few college age items for my nieces!! I have switched from eBay to Etsy and have my own boutique on Etsy.
Through Etsy I have gone WORLDWIDE!! I have shipped items as far away as China, Italy and Australia!! I also sell a lot here at home and have friends constantly coming by to grab an item or two and even clients that schedule times to come by and create their own and purchase!
Things sure have changed and gone way further then I ever imagined!
Thank you God for giving me the skills!!! Without your gifts to me I would not be able to have this Business.
Thank you Clay for being my biggest cheerleader!!  Without your support and love through it all I would not be where I am today!!
Thank you to all my friends for pushing me and supporting me!!!
I am so blessed!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

Skinny Bands

Brand new to Carlykins Boutique

Skinny Elastic Bands

So far I have only added the petite shabby flower to it but I can also add felt embellishments or even small bows. 

I bought the skinny elastic by the yard so I can cut it to fit your princess. 

Create your own!

Pick your color elastic

Then choose your embellishment

Felt

Shabby Flower

4" Crystal Daisy

Mini Crystal Daisy

Feather

Lace

Sequin 

Padded

Bow

the list goes on and on.......

You name it

I will create it

FLASH SALE

FLASH SALE

I woke up this morning and thought

"I should do a flash sale" 

So I came downstairs got a cup of coffee 

then started grabbing clips.

Head on over to 

facebook.com/CarlykinsBoutique

click on the 

Flash Sale Album

Everything in that album is 

• Ready To Ship (RTS)
• Just $2.00 each
• First Come First Serve
• OVER at 8:30pm (8-17-2013 )

 

Comment SOLD 

then PM me 

• your paypal address 

• or when you are coming by with cash 

Create your OWN

Create your own Carlykins Bow

It is so easy to design and create your own!

Tell me what you want.

I will tell you what I have.

And we will work together to make it happen!

Take today for example.

A woman contacted me and asked if I had any "John Deere" bows.

I sent her a picture of what I had made

and a picture of ribbon I had on hand. 

I also sent her a picture of some cute felt animals I had. 

Together we created this

 Seriously, how stinking cute is that!!! 

It lead me to write this blog to show just how simple it is. 

Step one: 

What color ribbon

You can add a second ribbon 

 

And even a feltie to top it off

I then send you a picture of what it looks like before I put it all together and you can make any final adjustments!

I can match Easter dresses, 

or Christmas, 

I can even make bridal hair accessories!!!

"Spirit Tails"

I love when a friend knocks on my door and says 

"Look at this, 

I just bought this simply to come show you and see if you can make it!"

Well I made quite a few and they are a hit! 

Holiday Maddness

I had a FIRST happen to me with Carlykins yesterday. 

Last week I ordered a bunch of different Holiday felties. 

Yesterday I sat down to make them and posted pictures of them on my facebook page along the way. 

An amazing thing happened! 

With each posted picture the items 

SOLD OUT

First were the Halloween Spiders

Then the Turkeys

(these sold so fast I never even got a picture of Lauren in one!)

Last but not least the Christmas Trees. 

After I Sold out of everything I went to my Felt Distributors page to order more and her shop was closed! Yes I had a mini heart attack! I sent her a message with a picture of what I had created! She emailed me at 3 in the morning to tell me how stinking cute the items were and asked how many more I needed! Now that is service!! I LOVE her shop! She has the cutest items for me to add my touch too!! We work great together but my goal is still to one day afford an embellishment machine and make them for myself.

A Wedding FIRST!!

Who woulda ever thunk it!!
Not me!!
This is a Brand new one to me!
Using a Carlykins Headband as a GARTER! 

Yes folks that is right a GARTER!
Carlykins has been in a few weddings in the brides hair or the flower girls hair even in the mother of the brides hair but this my dear, is a FIRST!!

I made this headband for a dear friend of mine.

She was expecting her first baby girl so I made her a 

NCSU Princess Starter Basket. 

When my friend's little sister was about to get married she mentioned wanting something NCSU to wear as a garter. 

My GENIUS dear friend thought of the headband I made her baby girl. 

It worked perfectly! 

Don't you think!

First Home Show a HIT!!!

Carlykins Boutique first ever home show was a HUGE success!! 

I am so thrilled with everything about the first show!!

All morning I have been asking myself if it was "for real" or a "DREAM"!!

My absolute FAVORITE memory 

from the show was the first purchase!

It was a 9 year old little girl that hunted me down,

handed me the bow she wanted and cash!

I looked at Janet (my host) in pure panic and said 

"I forgot to bring CHANGE!"

The little girl stood there patiently waiting not letting the bow out of her sight! 

When I finally got change together and handed her the receipt, 

the bow and her change she was beyond excited!

First Ever Carlykins Boutique Home Show

I am so excited!!!
A girlfriend offered to host the first ever Carlykins Boutique HOME SHOW!!
For the past month and a half I have been a busy little bee getting all sorts of items made!! Each day I have tried to dedicate a little time here and there when I could squeeze in time. As a mom of 6 it has not been that easy but I have managed to get a lot made.

Fourth of July

I was asked a very simple question by a friend yesterday.
 "Do you have any Red White or Blue hair clips for the Fourth of July?"

I said yes,
then wondered myself what all I had or could create.

This morning I decided to get out all that I had and then get as much stuff made as I could.

Look what all I was able to create for her to come choose from!