I do love a good story. So this post is the story of how Central Texas Spirit Wear came to be.
In 2010, we put our boys in public school after ten years of homeschool. When homecoming came around, I sorta urged my oldest son to ask a girl to homecoming because we needed the experience of making a mum. The mum was pretty bad. There is a very grainy picture around here, somewhere. But I enjoyed making it so much. The next year, I made two and the next year, two more. Each year getting a little better and still just enjoying making them so much. Raising boys is fun. Truly. But when cammo and school colors are your laundry sorting categories, you realize something might be missing. For me, it was glitter!
For a couple of years, I tossed around the idea of selling mums. I'd get bogged down in the business end, get scared and put that thought away.
The last several years have been difficult for our family and I desperately needed something in my life needed to change. I started a blog that was geared toward moms of athletes. I intended all along to have some kind of shop attached to the blog. And after researching selling shirts and jewelry, I decided to set the blog aside and just go for the shop! I got all the requisite legal stuff rolling. And I started researching the business end of making homecoming mums. I contacted MelzMumz for some advice and she pointed me in the direction of Mums, Inc, a professional organization for mum makers. I cannot say enough that they been a God-send to me.
I planned for and expected to sell about 5 mums for the 2015 Homecoming season. I ended up selling 25! I had to reorder supplies weekly. I made mums for 5 different schools, one of them totally unexpected and out of the blue!
To fund the mum supplies, I started by making car decals. Then, I was able to purchase a slightly used tshirt press and have been making shirts as well.
I am so excited for the 2016 Homecoming season! I am already planning new mums designs. I have been working on a new, hopefully, more functional website. I am trying to wrangle social media to work for me and not the other way around. I even have some specials that I am developing that will save you money.
I do hope that you will subscribe to The Loop, it is the weekly (mostly) newsletter for Central Texas Spirit Wear. The business of homecoming mums has always been word of mouth and will always be word of mouth. In the 21st Century, that mouth has a digital component. So sharing the newsletter is always appreciated.
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