The Trashy Tutu Has Arrived!

Yay!! After weeks of telling you all about the Trashy Tutu, I've finally added it to my Etsy site! It looks at home on there... all snuggled up with the other custom tutu listings. And while I was at it, I went ahead and added the Children's Trashy Tutu (the kid friendly version) and the Custom Headband order as well. I was on a roll....seriously I think smoke was rising from my fingertips. So hooray for the trashy tutus and hooray for etsy!

And while we're Hooraying...let's also let one out for the Safe Passage Organization. When you purchase a trashy tutu (either adult or children's size) $5.oo of the sale goes to Safe Passage. This organization was started by Hanley Denning almost 30 years ago. Safe Passage provides child care and education in a loving and safe environment for children who live in the Guatemala City garbage dump. Yes, I said in. Their parents spend their days digging through the mountains of trash looking for recycle-ables to sell to area buyers...at the end of their 12 hour days they usually end up with a little over $5 for their efforts. The children used to have to work along side their parents in a methane rich environment..looking forward to the day that they too would provide for their families in the same way. Now the children are not allowed in the dump. Instead they have a safe haven to go to during the day that provides care, food, and educational opportunities to break the cycle of poverty. I'm so excited to have an opportunity to give to this worthy cause.

For more information on Safe Passage go to:

http://www.safepassage.org

Custom Tutu Orders

I'm in the middle of doing a custom tutu order for a couple of friends/crazy teens at youth group. After a sale yesterday afternoon on etsy (YAY!! YAY!!!) I decided to do a bulk order of supplies so I could get going on all the other tutus I've promised people over the past month. That being said....I'm extending to sale to those of you who read my blog! For the next week when you order a custom tutu through me (either online or in person) you'll get $5.oo off your order!! Another incentive to purchase the "Trashy Tutu" (for adults..not yet available online...message me for info.) is that I'll donate $5 of the sale price ($40.00 instead of $45.00) to an organization called Safe Passage.

For custom tutu ideas check out my etsy site: www.princessdoodlebeans.etsy.com or my flickr photo page at: www.flickr.com/photos/princessdoodlebeans

For more info. on Safe Passage go to: www.safepassage.org

Upcycle Your Life

I'm often asked what the term "upcycled" means. And really the easiest definition I can think of is "To recycled something to a better purpose." Like that old worn out woolen sweater you've had in the back of your closet for 6 years. Yeah, the one with the hole at the bottom from when you snagged it on your way to work. And there it hangs depressed and lifeless, but you don't have the heart to throw it away cause it was a gift from your grandmother's sister's daughter twice removed. (or something) Take the fabric....the buttons....the thread and upcycle them into a neat pair of baby shoes. Take the sleeves and turn them into leg warmers. snip off the cuffs and add a few buttons or other embellishments and, Voila', a super neat bracelet cuff. Really the only limitation is your imagination. In these times where product prices are going up and availability to resources is on the downturn, it makes so much more sense to recycle what we already have into "new" items.
Here are a few of my upcycled ideas....I'd love to hear yours. Contact me if you'd like your upcycled idea featured in my Boutique Blog.

Tutu Fabulous Catalog

It's Tuesday...I skipped Monday altogether because a) it was President's Day and noone else was working anyway. 2) i have a nasty head cold that made work dreary and uninspired. 14) I've never been a fan of working on Monday.

So I'm currently in the middle of designing a custom tutu catalog to distribute around the area. I figure this will give people a hands on idea of what the Boutique is capable of. I have quite a few tutu lovers that aren't internet lovers. Can't say I blame them. I much prefer to have something tangible in my hands to look at. The prices in the catalog will be reflected online as well. Noone will be getting a "better deal" by ordering in person vs. online. I'm also adding the adult tutu section to both because of the overwhelming response (mostly from friends and family, ha!) for frilly trashy goods in their size.

So back to the drawing board -

Happy Tuesday!!

K. Frank

Trashy Tutu

I had an interesting Valentines Weekend. Instead of the typical valentine making hoopla with the chocolate hearts and roses and kissy goo-goo nonsense, I invested my time (as well as my husband and my friend, Malanee's) taking pictures of the newest custom tutu to grace northern Michigan. The TRASHY TUTU! It started out being just a tutu for me....my own private guilty pleasure. I make adorable frilly tutu's for all the little princess's in the neighborhood, why can't I have one too?? Only mine isn't quite as frilly....more like the tutu equivalent of a train wreck or a hangover, or a cage fight.

I convinced my husband to venture with me outside with the intention of having him snap a few quick pictures of me in my tutu. I was not dressed, as you can see, for the 25 degrees that awaited us in the backyard of our rural Northport home. What was meant to last a few snaps went on for almost 20 minutes. And I'll admit....cause I have a hard time lying....that I reveled in every second of it. There's something about donning a tutu that makes you feel like pirouetting around like a crazed ballerina.

After reluctantly escaping the cold, I phoned my friend Malanee to tell her of the latest photo session. She agreed that it sounded deliciously inviting and asked if she could "borrow" my tutu for a concert the following day. I, of course, said "yes". But wanted to snap a few pictures of her in the train wreck too. You're beginning to comprehend that "few" is a relative term. And hour later we finished her Trashy Tutu session at the Boat Yard in Northport. The old warehouse and failing shack were such moody backdrops for our shots. We only called it quits because neither of us could feel our limbs anymore. I mean, digits really are important. *You can view the entirety of the photo session on my flickr site. www.flickr.com/photos/princessdoodlebeans.

So through all of this holiday nonsense I decided to add custom Adult Trashy Tutus to the list of tutus available for sale. I'll be updating my etsy site soon to reflect the newest creation. The tutu will be available to customize up through a women's size 10 for around $50.00.

Why should kids get to have all the fun?? Join the TUTU Revolution!!

ok,

gotta tuck the girls in....

K. Frank

A Northport State of Mind

I'm one of the most blessed people on the planet. I'm convinced that my family and I reside in God's country. Seriously the grass IS in fact greener on this side of the line that divides Leelanau and Grand Traverse Counties in Northern Michigan. And to be more specific, the road that leads northward to a point at the tip of Leelanau County to a sweet and very much still here little village called Northport. It is here that I call home. Not just the village, but the people, the community, the businesses and the never give up attitudes of all those around it. With Grand Traverse Bay on one side and Picturesque Lake Michigan on the other, Northport exists as much in the minds of it's year round residents as it does in the thousands of visitors it attracts every summer. One of those commanding presences in the village is the fabulous Pennington Collection. The gift shop that does in fact have something for everyone. A feast for the senses awaits anyone who saunters past the bright pink bench that sits outside welcoming visitors and family alike. It was to this special store I was drawn to sell the first of my 6 tutu sets. The owner, Sarah Eggert, was more than willing to help out a "local mom" in her latest creative venture. She welcomed my tutus (and me) in with open arms. So here we are. We may be small by world standards, may be a little friendlier than your run of the mill business-minded entrepreneur. May have our smiles pasted just a little too big on our warm welcoming faces. But they're there none the less; waiting for you to come check us out. So come...to Northport, Michigan. The little town with a big heart.

Lacey Tutu

Lacey Tutu
Originally uploaded by PrincessDoodleBeansBoutique

A recent addition to the Custom Tutu line is the Little Lacey Tutu. You pick up to 3 colors of tulle and I wrap the waistband with lace ribbon and finish in a sweet lacey bow. Currently for sale on my ecrater site. This is an original design by the PrincessDoodleBeans Boutique!!

A Rainbow of Possibilities

Everyone loves choices, right? Of course you do. Well, here are the color choices for tulle and ribbon for a custom tutu order. With the ribbon you can also choose between satin (this is the comfy choice for the waistband...very smooth.) and organza (gives the tutu a sophisticated feel. perfect for tutu dresses, flower girl skirts, and other posh events.) Really, the possibilities are endless. A single color tutu is very dramatic. Most of my custom orders have between 1 and 3 color choices, but feel free to contact me for more options. If you can dream it, I can probably create it.

Until then,

*Be Tutu Fabulous*

Not just Tutus

I was just sitting here thinking...which is something i'm inclined to do on occasion. I mean, everyone knows that PrincessDoodleBeans is a Tutu Boutique, it's right there on the title. It's all over etsy and ecrater and flickr. TUTU's!!! And man are they sweet tutu's. But that's not all I create. oh, no. There's more. Above are some pictures of the other items in my shop. Most are accesories for the tutu's, such as the custom headbands. The shirts/onesies can be coordinated to go with the tutu's. And even the adorable little shoes can in some way be mixed in...so the possibilities are endless. But (and here's the really important part) if you don't want a tutu (although, in my opinion things are more fun WITH a tutu.) there are other options! Just send me a note and I'll make you (yes, YOU!) a custom listing. The possibilities are endless.....kinda like pottytraining.

K. Frank

And we're off

I really have entirely too much time on my hands. Or is it just that I have to consume every moment of the day with something. It wasn't enough that I was a stay at home mom of 3 very spirited little girls. It wasn't enough to decide to homeschool all three of them this year. It wasn't enough to be working on music for both my neighborhood church and my little side project band. It wasn't enough to help my husband lead our teens in youth group. It wasn't enough to decide to make handmade tutus and sets, I even added some hand made upcycled baby shoes. It wasn't enough to start up 2 websites to sell said tutus, one website to feature photos of said tutus, and give some tutu sets over to be sold locally. Now I think it might be enough to add a blog about the creating and selling of said tutus. A blog about the craziness inside my head that allows for no such moments of silence and idle hands. I feel the need within myself to be in constant movement, whether it's a mind matter, a prayer matter, or physical nature. This is the driving force behind the PrincessDoodleBeans Boutique. Enter the madness......