My vision for this Blog

So I have a few posts under my belt.  I’m not really sure if anyone is even reading them (haven’t figured out where you find that information yet).  If you are reading – THANK YOU!!

My vision for this blog at first was to showcase my little business, in hopes to generate more sales, (which I hope it does) however, I feel like it needs more than just that.  I have discovered that my customers are not just looking for the same old items, they don’t just want to pick something off the self and check out at the register.  They are wanting the personal shopping experience that seems to be missing theses days.  They are coming to me for something special, something with meaning. A customer email might start off with “I would like to purchase a cup with my daughter’s name on it” and that simple order request will turn into:

A tumbler that not only has her daughter’s name on it but also showcasing where she will be spending her spring break!!

So look for more product features and the stories behind them. 

Hugs, Kisses & Love,

Tricia 

What’s in a Name?

So now that I had decided that I actually could “DO THIS”, I needed to name my little business.  What to name it?  WHAT to name it?  I started off with Callahan Creations and a few others that had my first name in it but it just wasn’t what I wanted.  It just was not working for me.  I really didn’t want to use my name and starting thinking of incorporating my likes, something beachy? water? ocean? sea turtles? and that was not working for me either.  I was communicating with my mom via email, like we do and she told me:

The name needs to reflect you, don’t worry it will come to you

HKL

Mom

And than it hit me – HKL Designs!

Now, I know you are wondering what does HKL stand for? – you know it’s not my initials, nor are they my moms and why did my mom write it as her closing of her email? 

HKL stands for HUGS, KISSES & LOVE

For as long as I can remember whenever my mom would leave me a note--asking me to pick up something on the way home from school/work, reminding me of an appointment, telling me to have a good day --she would sign it Hugs, Kisses & Love, MOM

Now the crazy world of technology hit and the notes turned into emails, which she would still sign Hugs, Kisses & Love, MOM and my responses back to her were always the same, Hugs, Kisses & Love, Tricia

Than, technology got even crazier and text messages were introduced.  We all know how you can’t write out whole sentences anymore, everything has to be shortened down, U R Cute!! G8! etc.  My mom shortened it down to HKL, MOM

So the notes turned into emails that turned into texts and well let’s just say HKL is just second nature now.  So the name, HKL Designs was just perfect, well because every product I customize is crafted with Hugs, Kisses & Love

HKL,

Tricia

ONE YEAR!!

I got this notification from Facebook yesterday

 

I guess I should have written this date down someone when I first started my page because I didn’t realize it was a year!  I had been “crafting” for a few months and would just post pictures on my personal page, to see if my friends liked what I was doing and to get some encouragement to continue.

I was the “party mom” for my daughters preschool class and needed to come up with a craft for the 12 children to do.  So instead of having them decorate the traditional brown lunch bag for their valentines, I hit the Dollar Spot at Target (one of the best places ever invented).   I picked up 12 tin mailboxes and personalized each one

 

The children were given foam sticker hearts and went to town decorating their mailboxes

When I posted the picture on my personal page.  I immediately got three emails from two friends and my sister that said “HOW MUCH?”  “I’M PARTY MOM TOO, CAN YOU DO 25?”  How could I tell them No!!  So off to Target I went and literally bought ever single mailbox that two stores had.    These were my first orders (THANK YOU ANDREA, SALLY & LAURA) and I thought “hmmmmmm, maybe I can really do this”  Now to come up with a NAME!!!

A “Little” about Me

I am completely new to the blogging world and have starting “following” some amazing, fun, creative, crafty and inspirational blogs.  I’ve taken notice to layouts, templates and tabs and I’m still working on ‘perfecting’ mine.  Almost all have an about me section – so here is mine! 

Hi, My name is Tricia = I’m a Long Island girl, who moved to Boca after high school (why wait till retirement to move there!!).  I soaked up the beach life as much as I could and still do.  I have since moved with my family (husband and two kids) to the Metro Atlanta area.  I thought I lived south before but it seems I now live “In the South”.  I am trying to embrace all things Southern but still stick to my Northern roots and beach style life.

This is me:

It was my first profile picture on Facebook; according to my “look back” video it was 2008.

and this is where I love to be:

Hugs, Kisses & Love,

Tricia

SnowJam2014

My second post ever was originally going to be a little “About Me” and my vision for this blog.  However, I cannot Not write about this crazy week!  I live in the Metro Atlanta area and well if you have turned on your TV, checked your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram feeds you might have seen us!!  Words that were trending "#SnowedOutAtlanta #SnowJam2014 #atlsnow #atlantartica

This picture pretty much summed it up: A scene from the Walking Dead and Atlanta on Tuesday.

The stories of what friends and neighbors went through to make it home was so heartbreaking and I couldn’t sleep till I knew everyone was either home or in a safe place. 

Read what you want and say what you feel but it was a “perfect storm” of sorts and I know everyone in Atlanta (and surrounding states) will now have emergency kits in their cars. 

Be Safe

Tricia

My first Post on a Blog Ever!!!

Let me start off by saying WELCOME to HKL Designs.  It truly is a pleasure to have you along on this ride with me.  What started out as a party favor has, well turned into something I never imagined.

And how did this get started.  Let’s go back to September 2012.  I was planning my daughter’s 3rd birthday party.  Minnie Mouse was the theme—think pink polka dots and lots of Ears!  I was tired of the traditional “candy in a bag” party favor and wanted something different.  I stumbled upon inexpensive water bottles (thank you dollar store) in pink & blue and thought “These will be perfect-now if only I could put the kids names on them somehow, without it coming off”.    Well along comes my friend, Megan (yes, this is her real name).  Megan tells me about this fantastic machine that she has that cuts anything, I mean anything.  I investigate a bit and ask her if I could borrow it.  And this is what it produced:

I was beyond excited on how cute they came out.  Each water bottle had Mickey Mouse Ears on one side (I started off simple, now I know how to add the bow!!) and the other side had each guests initial in a Disney style font. 

The party goers loved them and parents inquired “where did you get these?”.  I responded with a proud smile “I made them”.  The next day, one of the moms called me and asked if I could make them for her son’s birthday party.   Welcome to HKL Designs!!

The party was a success! 

                  

Hugs, Kisses & Love

Tricia