Etsy vs. Lunch Lady Land

LONG STORY SHORT: I opened an Etsy shop!  Here it is:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/GilbertStreetStitch

just...LONG STORY:  Here is how I came to open my shop:

Last year, as some of you may remember, I did the "Nanny for 7 under 7" thing.  I remember my first day...walking into the house, wondering if I'd be able to get all their names straight by the end of the year.  I got introduced to the kids, and then I was alone...with the theme song of "Chuggington" playing (ominously? Can Disney Jr. sound ominous?  YES.  Yes it can.) in the background.  I remember thinking..."Oh My Gosh.  What am I doing???"   Now, lest anyone think that I had a terrible time and was a terrible nanny, don't get too excited.  I rocked my "Miss Rachel" job as best I could.  And I came to TRULY love each of those kids.  And it only took me till, like, April to remember all their names. (I joke!)

But it was not for me.

Here's the situation.  I have been a stay at home mom for most of the almost-9 years (whaa?) I've BEEN a mom.  People would say to me, "oh, I wish I could do that but we could just never afford it."  That used to irritate me so much.  Listen to me when I tell you, we were not living it up during those years.  Come to think of it, we're still not...DANG it!  Everyone's definition of "affording it" is different.  But we made it priority uno for me to be home with the kids, even at the expense of the lifestyle we would have liked to have.  There were very few vacations.  There were a lot of consignment store clothes.  There was very little "retail therapy" for me.  There was a lot of beans & rice.  There was a period of about a year and a half that I worked full time.   But otherwise, it's been me & the kids, here at home.

I really do have a point to all that...let me remember what it was...OH YEAH.  My point is, we did not sacrifice and struggle through those years up till now, only to have me go to work full time just because they're in school.  I could.  It would certainly be nice to have a second paycheck rolling in.  But what would the kids do during the summers?  That's what my dilemma boils down to: the summers.  What can I do, besides teaching, that would allow time off every summer?

So I was talking to my friend who works at our kids' elementary school, and she told me that there were some part-time substitute cafeteria jobs open.  I thought, hmmm...that'll work!  I came home and told DH, expecting him to say "hey, that'll work!"  Instead, he just looked at me funny and said, "Rachel, do you want to be a part-time substitute lunch lady?"  

I thought he had misunderstood what I was telling him.  I re-iterated what the hours and schedule would be like.  And he re-iterated: "But do you want to be a part-time substitute lunch lady?"  

(Are you getting visions of Chris Farley dancing around in knee-highs right now?  No reason.  Just wondering.)

So I said (paraphrased):  No, of course I don't really want to do that.  What's your point? 

And he said something that stopped me in my tracks.  He said, "I think your BEST chance of bringing some extra money in on that kind of schedule, is to start making things and selling them.  It's what you're good at, and you love it, and it's what you want to do."  

wow.

Knowing that I have full support in this...game-changing.  No longer do I have to sneak in bits of time here and there on the sewing machine, feeling like I should really be doing something more productive.  That time has now become my productive time.  I'm not at all used to it yet.  The kids are in school, and I'm in the process of figuring out my new schedule/routine. 

So anyway, that's the roundabout way of how my vast Etsy empire came to be. 

Uh, well not "empire," exactly...but I did get a few hearts on a few items, so...

And I don't think you have to have more than 20 items for it to be considered "vast," so I stand by that...

Oh, and I hope I didn't offend any lunch ladies.  In fact, if there are any from my kids' school reading this?  If you happen to see my son try to sneak past without getting any veggies on his tray, please go ahead and give him a big helping.  And tell him he can't be done until he eats at least 2 bites.  Thanks.