I'm Erin (that's me on the right) and I'm married to Mr. Wilson (he's on the left) and we have a pretty little red-headed daughter named Penelope Lane (could you miss her?). My husband and I met in Springfield Missouri while attending college and we were dating for about four months before we got engaged and then four weeks later we were married. We've been married for almost 7 years now. We moved to Tulsa a little over three years ago so my husband could take a job at a church as the music and youth minister. A little over two years ago I started my own small business Sunshine and Carousels where I make hair accessories and wedding fascinators. I recently opened up about my struggles with self confidence and being a curvy blogger in a skinny blogging world. I try to blog weekly about my personal style to help build self confidence and step out of my comfort zone. I also love to blog about art, handmade business, my daughter, recipes, adventures and real life things. Quite often you can find me wandering down a thrift store aisle looking for my next vintage treasure, filling my cart with craft supplies, putting a record on and having a dance party with my small little family, baking up a storm in the kitchen, drinking coffee and obsessively flipping through fashion magazines.
Often throughout this blog you might find little family updates about my sassy lil' red head Penelope Lane. She's four and she's about to start school for the first time. She loves the Little Mermaid, Lalaloopsies, singing and blowing bubbles.
You may also read about my husband occasionally, he's tall and handsome and guess what ladies...he's a musician. He's been known to write me a pretty poem or sing me a song. Tall drink of water that one and he's my very best friend.
I frequently share photos and insights to my small business life and what's happening in our studio. I absolutely love designing, it thrills me to share a new collection each season. You can see all my 'in the studio' posts here and a few photos of my studio below.
Who am I always baking for?
Well, I bake for so many people honeslty. The real truth is that we (Josh, Penelope and I) don't keep many baked goods in the house. Not so good on the body for all the baking that I do. :) So I bake for everyone else. I just enjoy it so much. The process of combing ingredients, finding perfect combinations and cultivating the perfect consistencies...it's just like creating designs for my shop. I get the same satisfaction and happiness from it. So I bake for parties I'm invited to, a project I do called 'cupcake of the month' which raises money to help missionaries in foreign countries do what they need to do and I mostly bake for our youth kids. Which I sometimes get to bake for them up to 2-3 times a week.
So who are our 'youth kids' I'm always talking about?
When I say 'youth kids' I mean about 30-40 teenagers from ages 12-18. My husband (Josh) is a music and youth pastor at a church here in Tulsa and our 'youth kids' are a huge huge part of our lives. We love them so much.
How did I come up with my blog/shop name?
I get asked this so much and I always enjoy answering this. I started blogging first, way before I ever started my own business. When I was thinking of a name for my blog I wanted it to mean nothing ..and everything all at the same time. I wanted to choose words that were things that I loved that easily shared what I was all about. The Sunshine, to me, always means those perfectly sunny clear-blue-sky type of days when the temperature is perfect and it's clear and breezy. On these kinds of days I feel invincible and inspired more than anything. I want to sit on the patio enjoy some coffee and get lost in my thoughts or go for a long drive with the windows up and radio turned loud and sing on the top of my lung while the wind whips through my hair. I just love that more than anything. The Carousels represents a childlike wonder and love for beautiful details, tiny twinkling lights and some far more magical than I can ever imagine. So that folks, is why my shop are called 'Sunshine and Carousels.' I recently changed my blog name over to 'Carosello' which is Itallian for Carousel so that I would have a distinct difference between shop life and blogging.
How did I get started with my business?
This was sort of a process over years. When I first found out what a 'blog' was I dove head first and soaked up all of my favorite blogs and filled my mind with all sorts of inspiring things. I knew then that I eventually wanted to pursue some type of independent creative career. It wasn't until a couple of years later that I actually started creating and working on putting my wares in an etsy shop. At first it was sort of unplanned and I just created with materials I had collected over the years. Once I really started to get a feel for it and a clear plan for what I wanted to create everything else fell into place. Which leads me to the next set of questions I get asked more than anything....
All sort of the same or coordinating questions that deserve a longer explanation and given great thought. I am planning on writing a more descriptive and informative post about starting your own handmade business and some tips that I've learned over the last year-and-a-half. It'd be much to long to explain in a post like this but I'm more than happy to share what I know.
Yes and no. No I do not have a degree in fashion design or fine arts exactly. Yes, I do have tons and tons of training and education as an artist. I started taking art classes from the age of 12, as in regular art classes you take in public school. When I started out my teacher pointed out a few advancements in my *skills* which I feel strange saying that out loud... err typing it out. From then on I started taking advanced level art classes and honors art. My last two years in high school I took several college level art classes and studio art. After high school I went to college studio fine arts education (planned to be an art teacher) for two years but decided to change majors/schools/state I lived in and majored in missions with a minor in children's education. Which is what I have a degree in now. Not that I actually use it for much now though. It's always good to have a degree in something I guess. (ha) After college I still yearned for a more creative life which is why I started pursuing a handmade business designing accessories. I wouldn't change it for the world. If you are wondering why you don't see much art here on this blog, that's because I'm really shy about it. I'm a little rusty with paintings or drawings because I've put it off for a few years but I've been painting for fun a little lately. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to show some paintings. I think my background in art helps me immensely, probably more than I even know, when it comes to designing accessories for the Sunshine and Carousel's shop. So it's kind of a gray area kind of question when it comes to *formal training.*
How do you balance it all?
I get asked this quite frequently. Honestly, I don't feel like I'm good at balancing it ALL but I've found lately that I just have to choose what's important to me. I know from the outside looking in it can look like I do so much, which is true, but some parts of my life I'm just so used to it doesn't take effort or motivation. Like working with our youth kids, that's been a part of our lives for over two years now and a very consistent part of our lives that I just know they stand high on the priority list. Taking care of a home, husband and daughter, cooking and cleaning, running errands come before my business and blogging. This is not saying I keep the most perfectly clean home or that I'm the best wife and mother in the whole world or anything. Let's not be foolish and pretend it's all peachy here but when times get busy and chaotic I just have to choose what's the most important. Is it more important to pick up all those toddler toys off the floor right this minute or is it important to sit down, cuddle and read a book with Penelope? I've just learned through trial and error what is important to me and how I can fit in all my hopes and dreams (business and blogging-wise) with my home and social life. I think it's just good to know your limits and know what is important to you. I'm still learning and figuring it out all the time myself.
How do you balance mother-hood with a full time creative business?
This question is sort of related to the previous but it does deserve a little further explanation. I spend most mornings at home with Penelope. I'll work on emails, online work and things I can do without burying myself in the studio so that I can listen to what she's doing as well as take a little time out of my schedule to work on teaching her things and quality time. She's almost four so we work on saying ABC's, numbers, shapes, drawing and learning projects. A lot of times I have her come sit on my studio floor and bring in coloring books, papers and projects to work on. She loves 'making things' and so I give her little tasks to keep her pre-occupied while I respond to emails, write to-do lists and anything else I need to do computer/internet-wise. Then she goes to day-care and I get the bulk of my work done at this time and it's when Sarah comes into the studio. In the evenings I run personal errands, cook/clean, play with Penelope. Once she goes to bed I like to write up my blog posts, edit photos, sketch in my sketch-book, paint and do more fun kinds of things like that. When I have a big deadline or big craft show coming up I may work extra in the evenings if I need to but always after Penelope goes to sleep. I've just found a schedule that works for my family and still find ways to have quality time with Penelope. It doesn't always stay right on schedule but it works for the most part. Having a studio has helped me focus on what's family time and what's work time. When I'm out of the studio it's family time and it's a good separation for me. This is also the perks to having an independent career as well.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
This is a common question from other business owners, interviews and such. I get inspired for my shop designs from things from the past. I've talked about that before here on the blog. I love everything from old Victorian wigs, camel back sofas, large ornate frames to 1950's pillbox hats and vintage dresses. I also really love colors, things, sights found in nature. I love flowers, fresh flowers and spring blooms and I also really love rich colors found in the fall leaves (just see my bedroom tour here). I think my main inspiration from my accessory designs come from those two things. I'm also very seasonally inspired. The weather outside and the season changes really really effect me and can put my artistic mood in a different mind set.
As far as regular life inspiration or blogging, craft projects, recipes and fun stuff like that I love to focus on the *feelings* of things. The moods that are set in movies, set designs in movies and television shows, the way I feel when I finish a good book. I love vintage craft books, cook books and magazines. I get inspired when I thrift, when I go on road trips...great new music. I love things from my childhood, things Penelope learns as she's growing up, my grandparents and my mom. I've just learned to pay attention to details and little things and use those as fuel for inspiration. Sometimes when I feel a little lost or uninspired I simply take a drive, get out of the house or go to the local book store and browse through a mountain of books. I find taking myself out of a normal setting re-adjusts my mindset and opens my eyes to new things.
What kind of cameras do you use?
I use a Canon EOS Rebel T3. I use a 18-55 mm lens and EF 50 mm lens. This is a very basic model cannon, I chose to buy a beginner level DSLR for my first good camera so that I could really learn and take it slow. I hope to get some new lenses in the future and possibly even take a photography class one day.
This is a common question from other business owners, interviews and such. I get inspired for my shop designs from things from the past. I've talked about that before here on the blog. I love everything from old Victorian wigs, camel back sofas, large ornate frames to 1950's pillbox hats and vintage dresses. I also really love colors, things, sights found in nature. I love flowers, fresh flowers and spring blooms and I also really love rich colors found in the fall leaves (just see my bedroom tour here). I think my main inspiration from my accessory designs come from those two things. I'm also very seasonally inspired. The weather outside and the season changes really really effect me and can put my artistic mood in a different mind set.
As far as regular life inspiration or blogging, craft projects, recipes and fun stuff like that I love to focus on the *feelings* of things. The moods that are set in movies, set designs in movies and television shows, the way I feel when I finish a good book. I love vintage craft books, cook books and magazines. I get inspired when I thrift, when I go on road trips...great new music. I love things from my childhood, things Penelope learns as she's growing up, my grandparents and my mom. I've just learned to pay attention to details and little things and use those as fuel for inspiration. Sometimes when I feel a little lost or uninspired I simply take a drive, get out of the house or go to the local book store and browse through a mountain of books. I find taking myself out of a normal setting re-adjusts my mindset and opens my eyes to new things.
What kind of cameras do you use?
I use a Canon EOS Rebel T3. I use a 18-55 mm lens and EF 50 mm lens. This is a very basic model cannon, I chose to buy a beginner level DSLR for my first good camera so that I could really learn and take it slow. I hope to get some new lenses in the future and possibly even take a photography class one day.
Where did Penelope get her red hair from?
It's quite obvious that Josh nor I have red hair. We get asked this question ALL the time. It's simple really, we both have distant relatives that have red hair so it's in our genes. If we ever have more children in the future it'd be interesting to see what kind of hair color they have. I absolutely love that Penelope has red hair...it's one of my favorite things about her.
I'd love to do another Q and A in the future as more questions come in. I'm more than happy to answer anything you've got for me. Here are some more fun facts that will hopefully help you get to know me better:
- I rarely ever sit down and watch TV. This is probably helpful in staying motivated and getting a lot of things done. I can NEVER just sit and watch TV and do nothing. I have A.D.D. or something. I get all fidgety and stir-crazy. However, I do watch some movies and shows through Netflix and Hulu when I'm working in the studio by myself. Lately I've been really into re-watching all of the previous Mad Men seasons, Felicity, Project Runway, The Voice, Once Upon a Time and The Vampire Diaries. What? Don't laugh. You know you like it too.
- Some of my favorite movies are Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Edward Scissorhands (well actually anything by Tim Burton), The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore (and many Wes Anderson movies), Funny Girl, Neverland, Benny and June (one of my all time favorites), Penelope, Pride and Prejudice (the 2005 version) oh Mr. Darcy, I actually love the Pirates of the Carribean series (okay so maybe I just like Johnny Depp), Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday and A League of Their Own (love that movie). I know I'm forgetting a ton of movies, just the ones I could think of right now.
- I say things wrong all the time. I wish I could explain this better, but it's sort of a weird quirk of mine and I don't do it on purpose or anything. My husband and best girlfriends think it's hilarious and always like to call me out on it. They are like 'Erinisms' or something. Sarah, my studio girl, thinks it's because I'm always thinking and working on something big, sometimes my mind works too fast and so the lesser important words come out all wrong but they are always hilarious. For example:
I was trying to explain a new store I found in Tulsa called "Pavilion" but I called it "Pav- ill-on" rather than "Pav-ill-yon." Or once I called HTML 'hotmail' because at the time I was thinking of how HTML always reminds me 'hotmail' emails. You know, just awesome-ly silly stuff like that. It's now sort of a *thing* that my girlfriends and husband trying to catch me doing and we all laugh about it.
- I am extremely technologically slow. It's pretty much a miracle I can blog, work a camera or even my cell phone. I live in my own special world where I'm completely content to sew, crochet, bake, make things all day and I don't try much to figure out all the technological advances in this world. It's kind of funny I guess. Penelope knows how to work our television better than I do. Actually, she knows how to work my iphone better than I do too. I'm much more content creating and making things than anything else in the world, kind of old-school I guess.
It's quite obvious that Josh nor I have red hair. We get asked this question ALL the time. It's simple really, we both have distant relatives that have red hair so it's in our genes. If we ever have more children in the future it'd be interesting to see what kind of hair color they have. I absolutely love that Penelope has red hair...it's one of my favorite things about her.
I'd love to do another Q and A in the future as more questions come in. I'm more than happy to answer anything you've got for me. Here are some more fun facts that will hopefully help you get to know me better:
- I rarely ever sit down and watch TV. This is probably helpful in staying motivated and getting a lot of things done. I can NEVER just sit and watch TV and do nothing. I have A.D.D. or something. I get all fidgety and stir-crazy. However, I do watch some movies and shows through Netflix and Hulu when I'm working in the studio by myself. Lately I've been really into re-watching all of the previous Mad Men seasons, Felicity, Project Runway, The Voice, Once Upon a Time and The Vampire Diaries. What? Don't laugh. You know you like it too.
- Some of my favorite movies are Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Edward Scissorhands (well actually anything by Tim Burton), The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore (and many Wes Anderson movies), Funny Girl, Neverland, Benny and June (one of my all time favorites), Penelope, Pride and Prejudice (the 2005 version) oh Mr. Darcy, I actually love the Pirates of the Carribean series (okay so maybe I just like Johnny Depp), Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday and A League of Their Own (love that movie). I know I'm forgetting a ton of movies, just the ones I could think of right now.
- I say things wrong all the time. I wish I could explain this better, but it's sort of a weird quirk of mine and I don't do it on purpose or anything. My husband and best girlfriends think it's hilarious and always like to call me out on it. They are like 'Erinisms' or something. Sarah, my studio girl, thinks it's because I'm always thinking and working on something big, sometimes my mind works too fast and so the lesser important words come out all wrong but they are always hilarious. For example:
I was trying to explain a new store I found in Tulsa called "Pavilion" but I called it "Pav- ill-on" rather than "Pav-ill-yon." Or once I called HTML 'hotmail' because at the time I was thinking of how HTML always reminds me 'hotmail' emails. You know, just awesome-ly silly stuff like that. It's now sort of a *thing* that my girlfriends and husband trying to catch me doing and we all laugh about it.
- I am extremely technologically slow. It's pretty much a miracle I can blog, work a camera or even my cell phone. I live in my own special world where I'm completely content to sew, crochet, bake, make things all day and I don't try much to figure out all the technological advances in this world. It's kind of funny I guess. Penelope knows how to work our television better than I do. Actually, she knows how to work my iphone better than I do too. I'm much more content creating and making things than anything else in the world, kind of old-school I guess.
Music moves my soul, a few of my favorite artists are:
Jenny Lewis, MGMT, Ryan Adams, The Avett Brothers, Bon Iver, The Secret Sisters, Arcade Fire, MGMT, Phoenix, Florence and the Machine, She and Him, Young the Giant, Passion Pit, The Lumineers, Beach House, Mates of State, Mumford and Sons, Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes, The Blow, Adele, Florence and the Machine, Iron and Wine, The Naked and the Famous and of course Radiohead.
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