Interview: Heather of Chickabug

I am super excited to have my first "interview" on my blog and who better than Heather of Chickabug!

Heather and I first met when I wrote her in January about invites for my daughter's first birthday. Wait...let me back up :) Know this about me: I am an OBSESSIVE party planner. I love everything about birthdays, parties, and all that goes into planning them. When my daughter was 3 months old (yes, 3 months!) I started searching around for invitations and all things "party". I knew that I wanted to have some sort of garden party and came across these Bug Garden Invitations in Heather's shop. Immediately, I fell in love! I "hearted" them on Etsy and continued on my search. So now we can fast forward to January again :) When I was ready to order, Heather's invites were still, BY FAR, my favorite so I sent her a message on Etsy. A few conversations later she had a custom order set up for me with invites, address labels and favor tags. She changed around some colors & fonts for me and they turned out absolutely PERFECT!

I honestly can not say enough about Heather as a person and her customer service. She is ridiculously awesome! She is soo quick to respond with emails & proofs and is always willing to help out any other way she can. Since that first order for Emmy's party, Heather has also created Ry's 3rd birthday invites, address labels, favor tags, my Emmy's Closet logo, banner, avatar, gift certificates and stickers- all of which I absolutely LOVE and could not be happier with. I really can't thank her enough for all she's done for me with Emmy's Closet. Her designs have put a face (an adorable face) to my shop :)

Go take a peek at Heather's shop on Etsy. You absolutely will not be disappointed. She offers EVERYTHING for all your party needs -- Invites, labels, favor tags, water bottle labels, banners, cupcake toppers...you name it! Oh, and can't forget about all the awesome DIY printables. Heather also has the cutest blog where she offers great party advice and tips and you can see all her creations in action with all the wonderful customer photos.

I am so glad to have Heather as my "internet" friend. She is honestly one of the sweetest girls I know and she has become my go-to-gal for the million things that I need help with. :) I look forward to our weekly chats and can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I SO enjoyed reading all her fabulous answers and hope you will too!

Here we go!

About Heather:

Tell us a little bit about where you're from.

I've always lived in Maryland--I grew up in southern Maryland, attended the University of Maryland, then moved to the Baltimore area and have been there ever since. I've never shelled a crab in my life.

When did you realize that graphic design was your thing?

Halfway through college. It's kind of crazy -- I had never taken an art class until I signed up for Art 101 my junior year. I liked it, and the professor told me I was good at it. The next thing I knew, I was an art major! I got a job at an advertising agency right out of school and have been working as a graphic designer ever since.

What's a typical work day for you like?

My days start early and end late. I try to get a little work in before going to my regular job, and afterward I'll typically work from 6 or 7 until 1 am or so. On weekends I start the day at Starbucks on my laptop, then I work the rest of the day at home. I wish I could say I have some sort of method or game plan, but I really just try to do whatever is most pressing at that moment. I stress out when the most pressing thing is ten things at once--and that happens a lot. ;)

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Still in front of a computer, of course! But -- big decision time! -- Chickabug will be my full time job. I'm very close to being able to work for myself, and that's really exciting and also really scary, too.

About Chickabug:

How did you come up with the name Chickabug?

My first pet was a tiny green parrot named Chicka. I'm big on nicknames, so I often called her Chickabug. When I needed a business name, that's what popped into my head first -- it's cute, it's fairly unique, and chickabug.com was available. Sucess!

How did you decide to sell on Etsy?

I've always loved, loved, LOVED Etsy. Before I was a seller I was totally addicted to Etsy shopping (that's where I bought most of the art in my house -- and I have more art than walls). When I decided to start selling, too, it was a no-brainer.

What is your favorite theme in your shop?

That's so hard to say! I love them all, of course! Design-wise, I honestly could never choose a favorite. But I think the most fun one to write was the robot theme -- there are so many opportunities for cute puns! (The "initiating gratitude sequence" thank you card makes me smile EVERY time.)

Any upcoming projects we can look forward to?

I have so many themes that I haven't had time to list for sale yet, so there's always something new and exciting coming soon!! Also, there are more free printables in the works for How Does She, where you can download my designs for free when you sign up onto their mailing list. We come up with new printables about every 2 months, so there's always something new around the corner for subscribers!

Randoms!

If you could max out your credit card in one store, what would it be?

TARGET! What DON'T they sell? (They even have a Starbucks inside -- now that's heaven!)

What's in your fridge right now?

Fruits and veggies from the farm stand down the street, green tea, and a huge dish of fool-your-cheese-eatin'-friends vegan lasagna.

It's Saturday night, what are you up to?

I'm working -- probably while listening to the Real Housewives, Top Chef or Toddlers and Tiaras. (Reality TV is my guilty pleasure.)

What is your favorite vacation?

Cape Cod, just after Labor Day. It's so quiet then, it's like you have the whole place to yourself. And it's so beautiful -- you have parks, beaches, and lakes, all close by.

Just for fun!

Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate and more chocolate! I'd eat my iMac if it were dipped in chocolate. ;)

Coffee or tea?

I'm a major caffeine addict right now, so I have to have both every day!

Cat or dog?

Dog, hands down! My dog, Charlotte, is an Australian cattle dog mix. I adopted her two years ago, and she's the most loyal and intelligent dog I've ever known. I love her to pieces.

Lake or ocean?

The ocean -- I love the sounds of the waves.

Even or odd?

Odd. Design-wise, most things look best in sets of three.

Early bird or night owl?

Night owl. It's well past midnight right now!

Road trips or fly?

I'd rather fly, but I always take Charlotte on vacation with me, so I have to drive. (spoiled mutt.)

Call or text?

Email -- my cell phone is always lost and/or dead. I'm a terrible phone person!

Summer or winter?

Summer for sure! I can't stand the cold. If it's 70 degrees, I have a sweatshirt on. Plus, the snow really messes with the mail system, which adds SO much stress to my life. ;)

Cook in or eat out?

I almost always cook in, and I eat at my desk WAY more often than at the table!

Welp, there ya have it. I think you can tell by now how highly I recommend Heather and her oh-so-wonderful shop. If you get the chance to work with her in the future, I GUARANTEE (hands down) that you will be more than thrilled!

Show Heather some LOVE :)

Etsy shop

Blog

Facebook Fan Page