Ruffle Headbands

It looks like the newest "craze" to hit Carlykins is the

Ruffle Elastic Headbands!!

You can get anything in my shop on a Ruffle Elastic band!! I have so many colors to choose from!!

Here is a Happy Carlykins Princess wearing her custom made Ruffle Elastic Valentine Heart and Petite Shabby flower headband!! Her mom created this!! I just put it all together!! So cute!!

Everyone and a while I team up with another Etsy Seller
www.MaddiePiesBoutique.Etsy.com
to create items to match patterns she has listed for sale. Pictured here is some ideas I sent her.

Here is the final product!
Please come by and create your own for me to put together!!

Insider Tip!!!

For those of you that "follow" me you get an "Insider Tip" on the

I Spy

"Carlykins Centers"

Game

I have been playing I Spy recently on my facebook page :

www.facebook.com/CarlykinsBoutique

Come like my page and play along 

For a $5 credit to anything in my Etsy Boutique :

www.CarlykinsBoutique.Etsy.com 

Inside Tip : It is NOT red!!   

Thank you for coming by!! 

  

Valentine's Day Pretties

I ordered a bunch of random heart felts from one of my favorite felt sellers on Etsy.

I also ordered a bunch of Ruffle Elastic from a seller I just found on Etsy!!







Then I have a ton of Petite Shabby Flowers as well.


Here it is
As easy as 3 easy Steps

Pick your Elastic
Pick your Petite Shabby
Pick your Heart

Flowers & Letters

The newest "craze" over at Carlykins is the Flower and Letter combination!!!





I have a zillion flowers to choose from (and more on the way)
Then you tell me what letter and what color you would like said letter in






I order the letter (one day my hope is to buy an embroidery machine)
Letters typically take about a week and a half to get here. I order them from another seller on Etsy.com 





As soon as the letter gets in I put it all together and ship out!
Easy as 1,2,3!!!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/174513298/carlykins-boutique-pink-lady-bug-flower?ref=shop_home_active

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!  

MONDAY FREEBIE

While watching the USA Womens Soccer game last night I decided to give away a FREEBIE!!!

I can not believe I am about to do this!!

If you can correctly guess what position I played on the soccer field, I will give you a FREE Carlykins Product of your choice!! 

Since we WON  4 to 0
I will give 4 FREE Gifts away to the FIRST 4 correct guesses!!

Go to www.facebook.com/CarlykinsBoutique
Post a comment with your guess
if you guess correctly you get a FREE Carlykins Product of your choice!!
(Excluding gift sets, free choice must by $5.25 or less not including shipping)

UPDATE "Special Request"

My friend from high school got her bows in the mail today!!
Yes I just created them and shipped them out on Tuesday and she has them already!!
That's what I'm talking bout!!! Boo ya

She just posted this picture on my facebook page and I thought I would share it here too.

 How PRECIOUS is that little smile!!

Special Requests

Some of my absolute favorite orders are the "Special Request" orders I get.
Moms that want the perfect bow to match the dress they bought for their little princess!!
PRICELESS!!
I always feel so honored to be chosen for this task!!
Today I had an old friend from high school contact me with a special request so I figured I would blog about just how easy it is to get exactly what you want through my boutique!!

Friend calls/texts me (or even as easy as messaging me through facebook)
tells me what colors she is looking for
what size she would like
and what style

Thats it!!
That is how easy it is!!

I bust out my glue gun and some ribbon and get to work designing bows.

I then text her this picture of what I have created and ask where she wants to go from here.

She tells me which ones she likes best, and asks me to combine the two.
Here is the red with white polka dot clip she designed for her Princess. I just put it all together for her.

Isn't it Adorable!!

Special Requests are my absolute FAVORITE!!

Compassion Bags

After much prayer I have decided that from now on I will be doing MORE with the money from Carlykins. I felt so honored to be able to help my friend April earn money to help 3 orphans from the Ukraine this year for Christmas! I want to keep the Spirit of giving going.
A few weeks ago I found a post/pin on pinterest.com about "Compassion bags" (Compassion Bags are basically anything you can fit in a ziploc bag that a homeless person could use. i.e. soap, toothpaste, tooth brush, crackers, apple sauce, juice, note about Jesus etc......). Later that night after the kids went to bed I talked with my husband about it and told him I wanted to start doing this with my Carlykins money. He was very supportive. I then sent an email to my DGL (discussion group leader) at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) about somehow doing this as a group for the area homeless.
Long story short, she talked to the other leaders and as it just turns out one of them does this with her children. The next MOPS it was talked about with the whole MOPS group AND a sample bag was sent home with everyone!! So everyone could make their own decision with whether or not they want to do it and not feel forced to do it as a MOPS activity.
How cool is that!! Even if just 5 of the women in MOPS decide to do it, and if they make 10 bags each with a little prayer card in there, that's 50 homeless!! COOL COOL COOL!!!
Please pray for this mission!!

Bigger Cause

In my last post I posted about how Blessed I have felt recently with all the Carlykins Sales.

I have decided to do something more with these sales.
Carlykins is taking on a little mission to help a friend raise enough money to host 3 orphans from the Ukraine for Christmas this year.
After chatting with this friend a little this morning I spent most the afternoon in prayer listening to Christian praise music and just pondering what to do and how I can help. The Holy Spirit put it on me to use Carlykins to help. I have always wondered what people meant when they said "The Lord spoke to me" for years I have always wondered what "his" voice sounded like, and why I have never heard it. Since being baptized I have realized it is not a "voice" per say. For me today it was an over whelming push/feeling into what I can be doing to help this friend raise money to meet her goal of helping these 3 children.

Here is her blog address for you to read about their journey thus far.
You can donate straight through this blog and not even bother with a Carlykins purchase. Please understand that I am not doing this to boost my sales in any which way. I am only doing this to truly and honestly help raise money for April and these 3 orphans!!

http://bringhomesasha.blogspot.com/

   This is April, her husband Danny, son Coby and Lidiya.

                                     

This year they are trying to get Lidiya and her 2 brothers Andre & Vlad. 

 Lidiya and her younger brother, Andre













Lidiaya and her older brother, Vlad