A Change is Coming. . . .

      

     Hello all! It has been close to a year now since I closed down the website and most all business operations for Noelle Garrett Designs. It has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. For so many reasons it has worked out tremendously well, as free time for me had become scarce, and trying to "do it all" seemed impossible. That being said, I am making plans to begin creating and selling once again. This time around I have decided to take things slow and work on one of a kind designs sold exclusively here on my blog. 
     I will be spreading the word via Facebook. I also plan on utilizing my newsletter from the old website and will send out messages as new items are posted for sale here. While some details are still being worked out, I plan on using Paypal for payment processing and USPS for all shipments. A detailed store policy will be available soon along with the addition of a series of unique one of a kind creations.  
     I would also like to take a minute to personally thank each and every patron who has called and left me messages and emails telling me just how much they miss the shop, and how much our creations mean to them. It truly warms my heart and was the final push I needed to get this business going once again. 

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. I would love to hear from you with items you loved the most and what sorts of things you are looking forward to seeing. 

Until next time! 

~Carrie~ 

A New Year!

 

It has been almost 7 months since I closed up shop or shared an update. I have to say, all the phone calls and emails I have been receiving the last few months truly warms my heart. It is so nice to hear how much we are missed and how much our creations mean to you. I truly treasure each and every customer who was so loyal throughout the years.
While I have not reopened shop I am currently working on my first custom order in quite some time. It feels good to get back to creating again. I have spent the last 4-5 months working on craft projects for my daughter's Kindergarten teacher and baking up a storm as well. Who knows what the new year will bring. . . I will keep you all posted should things change, and I throw caution to the wind and reopen Noelle Garrett Designs once again!

A Little Update

Just a quick update. I had really hoped to be open for Valentine's Day but it is looking more like a mid Feb/Spring opening. I will keep you all updated as info is available. Thank you again for your support! Here is a little pic of some fresh spinach and lettuce I picked from my garden yesterday! Yum!

~Carrie

A Little Update

I just wanted to give a little update on what I have been up to lately. It has been so relaxing taking time to just unwind and play around with the kiddos. We have spent time doing some Fall decorating and reorganizing everything from closets to bedrooms. I also have been working on our Winter garden, planting lots of veggies with the help of my little ones.

We also have just gotten a wonderful new computer and a very cool desk with a bit of a steampunk/industrial style that I just love! With the speed of this computer and finally a large monitor I can see, I am starting to daydream about reopening this business I miss so much! 

I am slowly working on a new plan and am getting my creative bug back which I was so worried was lost forever. 

 

  

  This picture of our Leo sums up how I was feeling before shutting down a few months back. 

Now I feel recharged and ready to start anew! 

 

 

So for now the idea I am playing with is possibly a 2016 re-opening with lots of new Valentine's Day items. So if all goes as planned, sometime in January my site will be back up and filled with lots of wonderful new goodies! 

But for now, I will be enjoying the busy holiday season and spending time with those that matter most. 

Wishing you all many blessing!

~Carrie 

Saying Farewell. . .

 

I saw this and it struck a chord, but not in the obvious way. I'm not unhappy really, just not the kind of happy I want to be. Not the happy my kids and husband deserve. I have been grappling with this for quite some time now. It really is a lot of juggling, the business, house, 4 kids, 4 cats (okay, maybe not the cats- lol). I think it is just time for a change and to have more free time for my family and myself. I have a list of fun projects I want to do with my little ones and just never seem to find the time. I also want to continue to work on restoring our old home. I need to strike a better balance and enjoy my kiddos while I can. They are just growing up so fast and I want and need more time just for them!

This was one of the toughest decisions for me to make. My mother and I worked so hard to create Noelle Garrett Designs and I don't intend to give it up completely, I just think it needs to change forms for the time being. When Jean, my mom had to step down due to health reasons it was difficult for her to leave, but we managed to keep things going. The plan is to close down the website for now and move some operations over here to the blog. When things settle down and I feel inspired to create again I will be listing and selling one of kind items from the blog here. I also will continue to take custom order work and made to order art kits as well (please email me for more info). I will be sending out newsletters (you can sign up in the right hand column)  informing you of new creations, as well as use Facebook to spread the word. 

I also will set up the blog to showcase items that will be available to order anytime using our current methods of payment. 

Lastly, I want to thank you all so much for your emails, phone calls and kind words. I can't tell you how much it means to us. All of our wonderful customers have made Noelle Garrett Designs what it is today and we wouldn't be here without you! 

~Carrie

Open For Business!

 Time has gotten away from me once again! Here we are, the end of April already and I am envisioning Summer days on the horizon. While the break away from the business has been nice, I am happy to be reopening and with so many special treats! I hope you will stop by and see what's new. Most items are one of a kind and ready to ship immediately.

I have some great new mini art kits coming very soon as well. Be on the lookout for those!

Here is a little shot of my two youngest hamming it up! They are growing so fast. . . 

~ Carrie

These are the final 4 days of our big item closeout sale! We will no longer be carrying the current designs on our site and will reopen soon with all new items! 

Today through Sunday take 50% off your order by using the code FINAL50 during checkout.  

Thank you as always and we will be back with more info on our reopening very soon!

END OF THE YEAR THOUGHTS

 As this year winds down I am looking forward to the many changes I plan on making in the coming year. I chose this card image, perhaps our most popular note card for a reason. I am looking forward to a little "Afternoon Tea" myself. A small break is needed and a fresh start for the shop as well. With 4 kinds, a house to run and a business, sometimes I'm not sure whether I am coming or going! I am excited to make the changes to Noelle Garrett Designs in the coming weeks that will make it easier for me to manage and also provide an excellent variety of special items for my customers. There will be more details to come soon about the changes and new items which will be available!

Here are some recent photos of my family from the holidays. We are enjoying the time off with the kiddos and also will be doing some painting to my favorite room, our dinning room in next week! I will try and share some shots as we go. I hope you all have a very Happy New Year and in case you missed it we are still having our BIG SALE through the 1st of January. ALL items are reduced and then they will be gone! 

Happy Creating!

~Carrie

Dog Days of Summer

 Starting to bake here in Southern California as the temps are rising along with the humidity (which I despise).  I have been passing the time by staying in the cool A/C creating and organizing.

 

 I have been making little art kits out of old canning jars.

 

 I love these Paris inspired envelopes!

 Cute little treat bags

 

 More fun envelopes!

My two youngest seem to be growing like weeds lately! Little Luca will be 6 months old in a few days and Evangeline is quickly approaching 3. 

Time sure does fly when you are having fun!

Happy Creating!

~Carrie~

Reopening!

 

We are happy to announce we are slowly reopening our shop Noelle Garrett Designs! To celebrate we are having a sale on our tags and cards! We have really been enjoying these last 4 1/2 months with our new little guy! I thought I would share a few pictures and of course gush a bit about my kiddos! The older two are on summer break here so my house is very busy and much louder than usual! LOL

 

 

 Here is a picture of little Luca. He is such a charmer and truly has momma wrapped around his little finger!

 

 Our oldest daughter Francesca has been busy playing soccer and we have had a great time hanging out at her games! So proud of her, she gives her all at every game!

 

 I am so very proud of our oldest, Julian. He has promoted from 6th grade and is on his way to Jr. High! He received 2 presidential medals for excellence in both Math and Language Arts. Time is passing by so fast! I can't believe he is going to be 12 soon!

 

Last but certainly not least is our sweet Evangeline. She is so in love with her little brother and is such a big help to me! She is our little Shirley Temple.   :) 

I hope to update the blog on a more regular basis now and we hope you will stop by and visit the shop! 

Warm regards,

Carrie

Baby Luca

 When I sat down to write this I didn't realize it had been so long since I had posted anything. It was a very long and busy Fall and holiday for me. This pregnancy, my 4th was a surprise and not the easiest on my body. I am however happy to say it was worth every ache, pain and sickness, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat just to get my little Luca. 
 

 While my other babies arrived a bit early, around 38 weeks, days passed and then weeks. I was beginning to think he would never get here and I felt like I would be pregnant forever! As you can imagine the holidays were pretty uncomfortable for me! LOL I guess this little man just wanted to be punctual and he arrived exactly on his due date, January 18th. Luca Nicolas was 7lb 16oz and 21in. long with a full head of reddish brown hair.  

 It was a quick delivery, just a few hours once we arrived at the hospital, and all natural (drug free). I am a big believer in natural childbirth and the strength women have to endure pain when faced with it. It has been a fairly quick recovery and little Luca was so alert from the moment he arrived. 

 

Believe it or not he can roll over to his back when placed on his tummy and manages quite well when holding his head up. :) He is quite the active little guy for just under a month old.

 

 He is a very happy baby and has fit right in to our family. His big brother and sisters just adore him and while I do have my hands full right now it is such a joyful time for us. 

 Here is one more picture of him from Valentine's Day. I can't believe how much he is changing already. Such a little love! 

* A note to all of our customers*

Thank you for your patience these past months. After giving it serious thought, we have decided to take a bit more time off in order to enjoy this little addition to the family and revamp the business a bit. We are aiming to be open again by late Spring/early Summer. 

We want to be able to provide you with the best service and products so we feel in order to do that we need to temporarily close down Noelle Garrett Designs.  Thank you so much for your understanding and we are anxious to return with new products and designs after taking some much needed rest. We will keep you updated with our blog and newsletter as to our grand reopening! 

~Warm regards,

Carrie

Finding Inspiration Again

 Blogging has been pretty low on my list as of late. Come to think of it, everything has been pretty overlooked these past months . . .

 I guess that's what happens when you are a soon to be mother of four who is 7 months pregnant and feels ready to pop any minute! This sweet baby boy growing away is scheduled to arrive anytime around the holidays this year. I am officially due on Jan. 8th but my last two were both 2 weeks early so we are looking at a very special Christmas this year! 

 This has been an especially challenging pregnancy for me. I have asthma and as baby grows it gets much worse. I find myself often spending my days napping, catching up on movies and having tea parties with little Miss Evangeline. 

 As for the business, I have had to really slow down and just work as I am able. I did however find some inspiration for these new creations from simply spending some time looking through pictures of our goodies from the past years. These and many others are now available on our site! It felt so good to create again after what felt like a long, dreary break.

Here is a recent photo of Evangeline's 2nd birthday trip to the Museum of Natural History. She is very much into dinosaurs these days and we had a great time! My babies are growing up so fast! It's hard to believe soon we will have another baby boy to complete our family. I just have to remember to slow down and always take the time to cherish each moment together.

Have a wonderful week!

~Carie

A Little Bit of Autumn

It has been really hot here in Southern California the last few wees and there doesn't appear to be any end in sight. I am so anxious for a bit of Fall that I made these cute little vintage lace and burlap pumpkins today. Just a spur of the moment kind of thing but they were so much fun! They are now available for purchase on our site. Here's to hoping cooler weather comes our way soon!

~Happy Creating~

Carrie

Journals

 

When my Mom and I first started our business, embellished journals were the first things we created. Over the years we have created hundreds of them. While they are one of my favorite things to make, as of late they have been pushed by the wayside.

 This week however, we made the time to get back to our roots so to speak and made a few new ones for the shop.

 It was so much fun playing around with pretty papers and layers of lace that I can't wait to make more of them!

 These are currently available on our site.

We have plans to list another half dozen or so in the coming week! 

Happy Creating!

Carrie

Vintage Lace Cuffs

 I have been spending my days at the sewing machine lately which is something I haven't gotten to do in many years. Usually I am busy working with paper and glue but after being asked to create cuffs and anklets for a store I have fallen in love with sewing again!

 These are just a few of the vintage lace cuffs and anklets that are shipping out to one of our stores we create for.

 I also have listed some on our site and will be doing made to order versions of these and others!

 I have many other ideas for new sewing projects just as soon as my two older kiddos get back to school in a few days.

 I'm looking forward to having a routine again and more time to create but I sure will miss having them home and all the extra help around the house has been wonderful!

 Thank you for stopping by and happy Wednesday!

~Carrie