I Heart Trading Valentine's Day Trade and STAY!!!!!

okay folks, the starter list is finalized and the details are all ironed out! we're having a "I Heart Trading" trade and STAY event for Valentine's Day! thanks to the 31 members who voted on our poll and to the chatters on the thread for brainstorming ideas!

this is how it's going to go down:

- it starts early Valentine's Day morning and will go for 4 days ONLY. the link to the thread will be posted here and sent to everyone on the mailing list.
- it is a Trade and Stay - if someone trades with you, we just add their shop to the list and yours stays! you cannot be added to the list unless you trade onto the list - meaning that you have to trade with someone who is currently on the list to get onto the list (hoo boy, that's a lot of repeating! sorry!)
- we're also going to track the # of trades that everyone does next to their shop name... oh, the TRUE addicts are going to be revealed, LOL!
- there will be a focus on destashing, but if you don't have any destash, don't worry about it - i have lots to destash eventually, but probably won't have the time to take photos or list before we start. we will most likely have some sort of ongoing destash trade thread in the future, so stay tuned for that.
- the lovely flamingolady and myself will try to keep the lists as accurate as possible - but please feel free to update the list if you have successfully traded. sometimes we get carried away with chatting, LOL!
- please refresh yourself with the rules on trading here on the blog. any disputes can be convoed to me and i'll try to help. and please don't forget your manners - if someone convos you for a trade, please respond - even if they don't have anything you need or want. it's better to get a "no" instead of no response at all!

and just in case you're interested, here is the list! it's made up of the lovely shops that ended our last TnR! thanks, you guys, for agreeing to kick us off this time!!!

http://shellrifficheirlooms.etsy.com/
http://rusticdivadesigns.etsy.com/ or http://gypsywynd.etsy.com/
http://indulgentcreations.etsy.com/
http://makingsbymary.etsy.com/
http://knitsbywhitney.etsy.com/
http://pennyspug.etsy.com/
http://nativebeads.etsy.com/
http://passthelasso.etsy.com/
http://johnnyconflict.etsy.com/
http://chitowncheryl.etsy.com/
http://andreastamps.etsy.com/ or http://ribbonwonders.etsy.com
http://recupefashion.etsy.com

(and no trading with the people on the list before Valentine's Day! LOL!)

i can't wait! hope to see everyone there!

xoxoxo muffin

I Heart Valentine's Day Trade and Replace!

and the tribe has spoken AGAIN! we're up for another trade and replace for our Valentine's Day event! (the scavenger hunt came in a close second, so for spring we'll plan one of those!)

anyways, there have been some suggestions to make this TnR a little different - which i am TOTALLY psyched about! the details are as follows:

- the event will start Valentine's Day and run for a week
- instead of bumping people off the list, shops will be able to trade onto the list and STAY! by the end of the week, the list will be HUGE! but this also will bring more traffic to everyone's shops, and increase the choices for everyone!
- there will be a focus on destashing as well - as they say, one trader's junk is another trader's treasure! so go through your stuff and take photos! we just might end up having an ongoing destash trading thread after this is over!
- we can use the shops that were on the list when we ended the last Trade and Replace. i will convo those shops and make sure that they are okay with that.

how does that sound? any ideas can be discussed on the chat thread here: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6024071 or shoot me a convo!!!!! and don't forget to reread the trading rules!

oh, i LOVE valentine's day!!!!!!!!

p.s. with help from pennyspug, the list of active shops has been purged again. and our new members have been added to all the lists (i hope!) the list on etsy will be updated within a few days once the team gals have gotten around to my email, so don't worry. if i missed you, please convo me and let me know!

p.p.s. fyi - membership will NOT open during this event. it took me this long to get caught up! :)

TradeAHolics' Valentine's Challenge!

february 14th is just around the corner! for some reason, valentine's day is my favorite holiday!!! seeing all the little pink and red hearts everywhere just lifts my spirits!!!! i am sure i'm not alone.... on the most recent Trade And Replace thread, we threw around the idea of having a Valentine's Day challenge/event for the team! so, without further ado, here are the ideas that have popped up! please place your vote ASAP for the challenge that you'd be most up to doing - the poll is on the sidebar!

1. Will You Be My Valentine? - each participating shop will design a "valentine" that will be posted here on the blog! it could be an actual valentine, or something valentine-themed. the deadline for photos to be sent to me (via email or convo, whichever is easier) and i will post them here. we will invite as many people to come and vote on their favorite! the winning designer will be featured in an interview here on the tradeaholics' blog and we will draw for three winners from all the voters! (this means that i will need three donated valentine prizes - you could donate your valentine if you wanted! your shop and the prize would also be featured here on the blog)

2. Secret Valentine Exchange - kind of like our Secret Santa/Hannukah Harry event, shops who want to participate will convo their mailing address to me and i will match them with a "valentine"! no presents required, just a sweet, HANDMADE valentine!!!! how nice would that be, to get an old-fashioned valentine wish in the mail?

3. Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt - each participating shop must have at least ONE valentine's themed item in their shop. questions about each shop owner will be posted here on the blog and people have to visit the shops to get the answers. it's a great way to get traffic to our stores - and exposure to our valentine's items! people will post their answers here on the blog, and we will do a drawing from the people who have the correct answers!

4. I Heart Etsy Blog Feature - what better way to show another TradeAholic that you love them than by featuring them on your blog! all the shops that want to participate can convo me and i'll match everyone. then you go and "interview" the shop that you get... write a valentine blog post about them!

and last but not least...

5. Valentine's Day Trade and Replace - i don't think that i'd need to explain this, now do i? :) we can make it Valentine's Day only (it falls on a Saturday) or for the whole week following Valentine's Day!

so... what do you guys think? nothing too elaborate, but fun nonetheless!!!!!! and if you want to donate a prize, CONVO me as soon as possible!

GO VOTE!!!!!