Welcome to Texas Monkey Boutique

Hi, If you're here from Infarrantly Creative, Let me give you a big TEXAS sized WELCOME and an even bigger THANK YOU for stopping by. 
A little about me, I'm a proud wife to my wonderful and handsome husband Casey who works in the Hazmat field and goes to school full time as well.  We have the cutest little 18 month old monkey, Casey Marilyn and she's brings so much joy and laughter to our lives. 
I started my business because I wanted to dress her up in all the cute and big bows and tutus but did not want to pay the outragious boutique prices and I knew if I didn't want to pay them then neither did most folks.  So I started my own boutique but at bottom rock prices.  She's our little monkey and we live in TX so that's where the name came from.  Texas Monkey Boutique
I work full time in Accounting as well and do my boutique orders at night, during my lunch break, and on the weekends.  My goal is to one day make it my full time job and get to work from home and be with my monkey all day.  So thank you for your order, you're helping me get there. 
I love to craft, decorate, paint, rearrange furniture, redo old furniture, cook, bake, decorate cakes, sleep, dance, read, go out to eat, vacation, and spend as much time as I can with my husband and child, family, and friends. 
Enough about me, what you're really here is all the goodies you can get your own monkey right?
As you know from Infarrantly Creative, her readers will receive 15% off and free shipping from my Website Store, or facebook TMB Fan Page, or from just contacting me here on the blog.  Just enter Blogreader at checkout on the website and tell me your from there if ordering off of the fanpage or here.  I take custom orders and below I've provided some photos of custom orders I've done that you want find on the website.  I like making things for my customers that no one else will have.  Just send me a picture of the outfit and I come up with a design just for you.

Oh and as an added bonus, you can read my post about Hope For Haiti Here but the bottom line is now through the end of the month for any order that comes in I'm donating 50% of my proceeds to Doctors Without Borders to help give aid and hope to Haiti.  So while you shop and get something cute for the little monkey in your life, take heart in knowing your money is going to a great cause!!

So enjoy looking around my store and blog, would love if you became a fan of my facebook page, We will be doing a HUGE giveaway there in just a short few weeks. 

A Homemade Christmas Gift

I worked on a few projects this weekend, mainly spray painting stuff, this plate, and of course laundry? What? Laundry isn't a project in your house? Oh lucky you. It's my weekend project every weekend.

Anyway back to the project you're here for, I have seen these beautiful monogrammed plates in magazines, catologs, even boutiques but never seen it in my house becasue the price tag that comes with them isn't as pretty as the plates. Then I was browsing through some of my favorite crafting blogs and Beth at The Stories of A to Z posted the very plates I had seen in a DIYP post. I knew this would be great to make for gifts for teachers, neighbors, co workers, etc. 

Cost for the whole thing was less than $20 and I made 10, so that's $2 a gift, not too shabby!
Many are probably like me and look to do a few homemade type Christmas gifts every year to compliment the store bought ones.  My reasons are many.
1.  I love doing crafts
2.  It is cost effective
3.  I like putting extra thought and effort into a gift
4.  It usually builds memories with those I do them for
5.  It usually results in a funny story with the one I'm crafting with.

I bought chargers from Hobby Lobby, gathered various Christmas stickers and rub on's and printed out each person's last name initial. 
Note: Do not opt for the fancy font, it takes FOREVER to cut it out, go for the more simple font.  If my mom is reading this she's probably saying "How the heck do you know it takes forever? I'm the one that cut them all out"?  Yes that's true but I had to sit there and watch her do it and it took forever watching her do that.

Next just modge podged the cut out initials to the plate then modge podged the stickers of choice.  I tried to match stickers to personalities or home decor colors or fav Christmas themes.  Once it was dry I modge podged the whole thing, waited for that to dry then outlined each inital with glitter glue. 
Needless to say these were a huge hit and everyone had a fit over their plate.  Have fun making one for your loved ones.

Show Me if you make some for yourself.

Linking Up with :

TWOC - Parties

 We have a few parties each year we go to, company parties, family parties, and a friend or 2 that does annual parties.  It's my "dream" and goal to start hosting my own annual party but at the moment we live an hour from everyone we know so it's just not feasible.  Hopefully next year I'll be able to start this tradition when we move closer to town and when I do start I want to do an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party.   Have you ever been to one?  I haven't but they look so fun.  I found this one at a fun blog so you can check it out for all the details. Ugly Sweater Christmas Party I would search high and low to find the most gaudy, loud, awful ugly sweater ever and wear it with pride.  Thankfully I probably wouldn't have to search too hard, I am in TX and women here seem to love those ugly Christmas Sweaters. :)  I found a few for your enjoyment.

What do you do for Holiday parties?

A Great Success

Well we had the Craft Show this past weekend, it was the first for Texas Monkey Boutique and I think it was a huge success.  My cousin Crala and Jason and I went in together and had a blast.  They have a T-Shirt buisness called Trendsetter Graphics and do the cutest bling stuff.  Anyways wanted to post some pics of our set up and thank all that came out to support us.  I can't wait to do another one!!

We had many vendors with so many different shopping options, all local business owners and friends.  I of course kept buying stuff with the money I was making but that's just part of the fun uh?  I got lots of repeat customers, some custom orders, and made lots of new friends.  I nearly sold out of my hats and necklaces and small bows so need to restock that but hey I'm quite ok with that.  Looking to do one in the Spring so if you know of any coming up in the DFW area please let me know. 

This is the set up with back middle and right side.

This is Back Middle and Left side, you can see the picture frames and home made note cards on the table.

This is the Right Side with hats, necklaces and binky holders

Blackcat Bling Onesie and Tutu with Matching bow and bowband

Groesbeck Bling Onesie and Tutu with Match Bow Set

Santa Princess Set

Santa Baby Tutu Dress

Toggles

Pony Streamers

Bow Holders

Lots and Lots of Hair Bows

Bottle Cap, Scrabble and Glass Tile Necklaces

Binky Holders

Hats

My Sign

Skull Princess Set

Bumble Bee Set

The Vana's, Crala and Myself

Jason