The day finally arrived. My shop is open - for almost a day now - m.s.inspired is live! I have some of my basic bows listed currently, along side a few Halloween items. As soon as the rest of my Halloween bow, and bow tie supplies arrive those will be listed, too!

I'm really excited about this new venture, and thank you all in advance for your support and encouragement. If you have something custom in mind (I've posted a lot of other headbands on instagram) I'd be happy to collaborate with you to create something special. I already have some winter ideas brewing, and will be introducing some crocheted pieces to the shop in time for the cold weather.

I know this is short ... Noelle turned 11 months yesterday, and this last month of her first year is sure to fly by ... just like all of the others did. Shesh!

Hi Friends! I apologize for the radio silence over here. I've been working on some super fun stuff away from the blog, and am finally prepared enough to share it with you!

I've shared some pictures of my sewing projects before, and have been dusting off my skills for the past week or so. Seriously, it had been about 12 years since I last did any major sewing. But, I'm back in the groove, and have some awesome projects in the works.

Within the next week (hopefully) I'll have my very own Etsy shop up and running! My current focus is on Halloween and Christmas. The shop will have goodies for boys and girls, so nobody is left out!

If you follow me on Instagram you can find more regular updates on my shop. I will take custom orders (if you're inspired by anything you see that's not in the shop) so please email me at mallorysilverman@gmail.com if you are.

I'll see you at the shop when our doors are open!

P.S. All of the headbands in this post I have made. They all won't be immediately available, I'm starting with Fall (think, your favorite team colors) and Halloween! If you see something you like that's not up, let me know and I'll accommodate a special order.

I came across an article about how Ivanka Trump is expecting her second baby. She was quoted about being a working mom vs. being a stay at home mom. I had to share what she said because I totally agree with her on this topic.

"“I hate the expression ‘working mom,’ because when I’m with Arabella on the weekends, I’m much more exhausted on Monday morning than I am on Friday night!” she told Redbook recently. “I think the expression ‘working’ versus ‘non-working’ implies that a mother who stays home doesn't work. It’s far more difficult than anything I do in the office,” she admitted."

Bottom line? We're all "working" moms. And, while staying at home with baby girl all day is usually more exhausting than being in the office, if given the choice, I think I'd still rather stay at home. Being tired is a small sacrifice to get all of that extra time with Nono!

Sorry for the low quality, but this is my favorite picture of Noelle and myself.

We hope you have a great weekend!

While doing my daily news reading I came across this article about Elizabeth Vargas' interview with Sheryl Sandberg. Sheryl is the COO at Facebook, a director at the Walt Disney Company, and  author of the book 'Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead.' I haven't read it yet, but might will be buying it on my Nook tonight!

It got me to thinking about the best advice I've received over the years about career, and life. While it may not have been advice received, actions speak louder than words, and I was very observant!

My mom was a working mom, my grandma was a working mom, and they both set a great example for me. When my mom was a girl, and my grandma worked they lived with family. There was always someone to help watch and tote mom to and from activities and school while grandma was at work. When I was little, we went to a sitter, and our Great Aunt pitched in during the week when mom and dad had to work too. I learned a lot from both of them (and still do) about being a working mom. It takes a village. Really. Being a working mom is not easy, and all I want to do is be home, but right now it can't be that way. Maybe one day it will.

This taught me that it's ok to lean on others. It's ok to ask people for help. We have been lucky enough to find a nanny for Noelle that we are so happy and comfortable with as our caregiver while we are working.

When my sister and I were little my mom said we would say "we love Linda" (our sitter), and they would then say something along the lines of "doesn't that bother you?" My mom would reply with "No, I'm glad they love her. I leave them with her every day." I'm sure it was hard for my mom to hear us say that, and be away from us every day, but she's very strong, did what she had to, and made it work. Being a kid with working parents I learned to be independent, and I'm very happy for this experience. My mom set a great example for me, and I admire her very much for it.

My favorite piece of advice in this article comes from Elizabeth Vargas. "Slow and steady wins the race." In today's world, it is very hard to not want more, and wish that you had what your colleagues and peers have. It's very easy to get caught up in the race, but her story is one that I'm going to try to remember. And, you can ask David, sometimes I do not have much patience, I get "excited" easily, but I'm working on it.

To get more information on the Lean In movement you can check out their blog or follow them on Facebook.