We're planning for you.

We've got plans.


We are putting together content that we hope will encourage, inspire, and equip you to continue (or start!) using your creative gifts to glorify God and bless your families and the people around you.

We're in the planning stages now for the coming months, and because we want to tailor our content to your needs, we'd love to hear from you.

So comment below, or email us at sashestothemerchants at gmail dot com, and let us know what you want to know.

Here are some ideas to get you thinking:

• Questions for businesswomen 
• Marketing how-tos
• Tips on work-life balance
• Practical organizational help

Ask away!

A Sashes Gal Guest Post: Handmade by Hilary

 YAY!!! It has been a pleasure being a sponsor over here at the Sashes blog this month! I love these girls, and I truly support the meaning behind Sashes, and where the name came from in the book of Proverbs 31 verse 24: "She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants." This blog has been such an inspiration to me. Just the fact of building community with other Christian women who sell handmade goods is a blessing and encouragement all in one! I just want to tell you a little bit about myself, my shop, and how I started selling handmade.

I was born and raised in Charleston, SC, and I wouldn't change it for anything! I am very much a southern girl loving all things monogrammed! My husband and I still live here and we have one daughter, Maggie Claire who is 20 months old. {We are praying for a baby #2 to come along any time now... lol} My husband Mike works at Seacoast Church as a family ministry pastor, and we love doing ministry together! To read more about me, you can follow my personal blog here. 

When I was a young girl I would go with my memaw to craft fairs. My memaw made handmade things and sold them, and she sold some crazy things! I guess melting plastic squares and making them into earrings was cool in the 90s, anybody else know what I'm talking about? haha Anyways, I definitely inherited my creativity from my mom and grandma, and a lot of times, my mom is the one that gives me ideas of new things in my shop. 

{Here is a picture of me with my mom and grandma and Maggie Claire- 4 generations}

I started off doing painting in college, and then some baking, and then making hairbows, so after 4 years of doing a bunch of random handmade things, I have finally found my niche in sewing. I just recently opened my etsy shop 6 months ago in January 2012, and my prayer this year is to always remember to give God the glory for every sale and email inquiry that I receive. In November of last year, I saved up enough money to buy an embroidery sewing machine. I never really thought I would actually be selling monogrammed and personalized items, but it's real life now and I am enjoying every minute of it! 

In my shop I have everything from embroidered appliqued baby onesies, hand towels, monogrammed straw hats, ipad cases, and I recently just added personalized chevron pillow slipcovers! My slogan is "cuteness for all occasions", and hopefully you'll think so too! 

I would love to get to know more of the readers here! Please, follow me on twitter & instagram @hilarysurratt, or my blog, and let me know that you found me over at Sashes! 

Also, since I love yall so much, I'm going to do a discount code in my shop starting today for the entire month July! Just use SASHES at checkout for 20% off!!! 

getting to know you, DAY TWO!

Alright ladies! 
It was so sweet to hear some of your girls! 
It truly kind of feels like WE are winning the giveaways getting to hear more about ya'll. 

So here is an important question that we're asking today. 

WHERE ARE YOU, physically? 

You can tell us specifically what city you're in or if you're not comfortable, 

give us a state or a region. 

We just want to know where you're at. 

And how often we can say ya'll. :) 

It's Jessi here again, and I will tell you - 

I am in Columbia, SC.

By way of Seattle, by way of Charlotte, by way of Columbia, by way of Charlotte. 

Headed to Boston eventually but probably moving soon, true story. 

But today, I'm in Columbia. :)

And here's what I'm giving away! 

I thought we'd mix it up from yesterday!

Good for $30 worth of Naptime Diaries design stuff. 

$30 worth of prints, $30 worth of graphic design 

(small logo, blog header, or etsy shop banner).

Your choice! 

Rules are the same as yesterday! 

Here is how you enter! 

1. For your first entry, just answer our question:) 

2. You can enter three times more - if you tweet, facebook, or blog about our getting to know you giveaways. 

3. Please leave a comment for each entry & leave your email address with each entry! 

and, 4. Check back each day this week for a fun new question & a fun gift to win! 

And yesterday's winner? 

Brittany! Email me to pick your prints! 

getting to know you!

Girls. 
It's a new year. 
Start a fresh page in that journal, take a deep breath, clean out your favorite purse and 
let's get this party started! 


As we begin 2012 here at Sashes, 
we have one goal: 
we want to get to know you. 
We want to know how best to serve you.
We want this blog to be a blessing to all women, so they can be blessing to their worlds. 
And so...

Each day this week we're going to host a little giveaway and our only requirement for you to enter is that'd we'd love for you to answer our questions. 
Some might be big, some might be little.
We just want to get to know you! 

So here is our first question and our first gift: 

What is ONE goal you have for 2012? 

Random, serious, personal, business. Just tell us one! 

This is Jessi posting this first giveaway, so I'll tell you the truth: here is one random goal I have for 2012. I mean, a for real random goal - I want to get crazy with my hair. I want to look at hair tutorials, get friendly with my teasing comb, and maybe even venture into some product. Ok? 

And here is what one of you precious ladies will win!  

Three prints of your choice from my Etsy shop, Naptime Diaries. 

Here is how you enter! 

1. For your first entry, just answer our question:) 

2. You can enter three times more - if you tweet, facebook, or blog about our getting to know you giveaways. 

3. Please leave a comment for each entry & leave your email address with each entry! 

and, 4. Check back each day this week for a fun new question & a fun gift to win! 

Thanks for letting us get to know you!