How’d you get it done so FAST??

I got this question a LOT this year. Mostly I just reply with the smiling emoji. It’s easier to keep it simple and I know it’s an excited, somewhat rhetorical question that gets asked because y’all are happy that your bags arrived (relatively) quickly. Truth be told, I am a very organized person. Not trying to brag here, and I do have a method to the madness that I am going to share.

Method to the Madness

  1. Print all the orders
  2. Pull all of the bags for each order and stack with the packing slips in the order that they were received
  3. Sort by monogramed or plain totes
  4. Pack and ship plain totes
  5. Organize leather and paint colors needed for monogram totes
  6. Cut all the leather letters at once, it’s just easier this way, and it helps me keep track of the leather supply
  7. Place all cut letters in their designated bags
  8. Working from top of stack, sew on the leather, and paint the totes!
    • Painting takes a bit longer due to the number of paint colors and coats, so these get started in order, but may take longer because the paint has to dry between applications.
  9. Ship as ready!

Since I did sell out of the bandana print mini’s this season, a lot of orders are still waiting for the restock to arrive. This being said, I still ship(ped) in order, plain or monogrammed. There are lots of plain totes on order with customers waiting. I feel like it’s the most organized and fair way to do it, and I assume how other designers also handle backorders.

Once I finally sit down to personalize, I tend to turn on either Netflix or YouTube so I have something on in the background that I can glance up at from time to time. I’m not great with podcasts or books on tape, my listening comprehension is ok, my reading comprehension is better, and I really feel like you to have to pay attention to those. I end up getting lost, and I’d much rather sit down with a book and get lost in the story not from it.

If you are curious what I watch while I work here’s my most recent binge-worthy list:

  • NETFLIX
    • The Crown – ALL 4 seasons. Loved it. I read they are making more, and I’m ready for them.
    • Velvet – Una programa de television de España. Estoy obsesionada!! Es maravillosa! Además. Estado aprendiendo español durante la pandemia y ver television en español me ayuda. (They have English subtitles, pero las veo en español.)
  • YouTube
    • Say Yes To The Dress – I love these. We eloped, I didn’t have a white dress, and this is fascinating to me. Plus the people watching….
    • Botched clips – OMG! These are NUTS!
    • A few Royal gossip channels because, embarrassingly, I get a kick out of it. I mean, they are THE Original Celebrities.
    • MissOrchidGirl – I need to know how to care for these beautiful plants, I have 3, and she has great tips.
    • Destinos – Otro programa de television español. Este fue educativo.
    • Reel Truth History – Amazing home renovations and other fascinating content.

If it seems like I watch a lot of TV, then yes, I probably watch more than most people get to at their job. For whatever reason, it keeps me moving quickly and focused on sitting still to work. I try to mix educational content with the fluff so I actually have a nice assortment of things to talk about to friends and family. Oh, y estoy decidida a appender Español!