Date joined etsy- 11/24/07
Sales to date - 855
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.My name is Mary Miele, and I am the owner of Sweet Pea Totes, where I sell handbags, wristlets, wallets, ebook sewing patterns, and a few other handmade items. I have been living in Tennessee for two years now. Prior to moving here, my family and I lived in New York. I have a husband, Tony, of twenty-six years, and four daughters. My oldest daughter Sara lives in New York and is a gym teacher; my daughter Danielle works at an antique jewelry store and is studying to be a gemologist; my daughter Alisha is going to college for fashion marketing, and my youngest, Brianna, is going to college for visual communications. I love spending time with them, going for bike rides, baking, crocheting and sewing - of course!
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
When I'm not working at the title company I work at three days a week, I usually start my day by checking my email. From there, I work on any custom orders I need to complete, and if my schedule is free, I start to work on something new. Sometimes that includes picking out new fabric combinations or creating an entirely new pattern. I am often seen at my local post office mailing out orders. Later in the day it's all about dinner preparations, and that usually means heading to the supermarket for ingredients. Afterwards, I'll spend time with my family, or go back to sewing and creating.
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
I was quite creative growing up, I even made clothes for my Barbie dolls. My interest for sewing came about when I was in high school, in home economics class. After learning how to sew, I made several quilts, curtains, stuffed animals, and kid's clothes.
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?
I started out selling my handbags on Ebay in 2003 until 2007. A lot of sellers began to move to Etsy from there, as Ebay was getting quite expensive, so I made the move as well. I've been really happy with my business on Etsy ever since. It's great to be a part of a community with such talented sellers.
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
Not very long at all, since I had customers that knew my work from Ebay. My first sale was a zipper wristlet, and I remember being very excited!
-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?
Whenever I don't know what to cook, I'll always go with chicken and potatoes. You can prepare them so many different ways and they'll always be delicious. I'm quite partial to desserts as well, particularly chocolate cake, brownies, and apple pie.
As for television shows, I love American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, HGTV Design Star (anything on HGTV, really), Project Runway, and Food Network Challenge.
I don't have any particular favorites for bands, I like all kinds of music but I love seventies music. I always have music playing when I am sewing.
-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.I'd really like to learn more about photography to improve my picture-taking skills. My dream project would be to make my own fabric design and get it printed.
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?
My suggestion would be to utilize every resource the internet provides us. Keeping a blog is really helpful in notifying your readers of new products in your shop, and informing them more about your life. You can also keep a twitter, facebook, or flickr page. Involve yourself in the Etsy community, and comment on the forums or talk to fellow sellers in the chats. Relisting frequently and presenting your product the best you can helps a great deal as well.
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
I love my daughter's etsy shop, Teapartied, One Red Robin, and Yellena.
-One year from now, I hope....
I don't have any specific goals for a year from now; I hardly know what tomorrow holds! I just hope that I'll continue doing what I love everyday, and that whatever life brings, my family and I will be healthy and happy. There's no better achievement than happiness.
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As always, thanks for reading :)
