Look, Ma! I'm on tv! Click to watch my segment on Charlotte Today with the fabulous Colleen Odegaard. And get a peek of the new "Larry is my Homeboy" button commemorating Charlotte's most beloved weatherman, Larry Sprinkle.

About a month ago I received a Facebook message from Michael J. Solender, a freelance writer for the Charlotte Observer. Apparently, the Observer asked him to write a feature article about the "button girl." "Crap," I thought, "Not another computer virus / Facebook spammer." To my surprise the man was legit. A week later I met with Michael, at a Starbucks, and told him the whole Not Made in China story. He was hilarious and great at making me feel at ease. Plus, he asked lots of good questions. Before we knew it, our hour was up and I headed into work recounting and over analyzing our entire conversation. 

The next day, the Observer called to arrange the shoot and asked if I'd be making buttons when the photographer came over. I said, "Sure, I can be making buttons." The woman repeated, "No, will you be making buttons? Is Monday night a night on which you normally make buttons." I said, "Like I said, I can be if you need me to." A tad frustrated, she explained, "You see, we can't tell you what to do when we take the photos. Does that make sense? So, let me ask again, will you be making buttons?" "Oooooooh, in that case, yes," I said.

A few days after that, Jeff Siner (a photographer with the Charlotte Observer) came out to my condo to take photos for the article (shown above). I had cleaned up shop (read: postage stamp sized sunporch) in preparation for the shoot, but when Jeff entered the room he said, "You cleaned!? Nooooo! I want buttons everywhere!" To which I replied, "Aw hell naw, the world can't see my mess!" My mom raised me right: shove everything into a box and hide it when company comes over. 

I thought about wearing my little "NMIC uniform" (hat with a button and NMIC logo tee), but my girlfriends protested,  "You need to look goooooood for the public, not like the silly button girl... errrrr... uhhhh... I mean, you know, dress how you normally dress." I tried not to take offense and finally agreed with their sentiment. 

Jeff took photos of several vignettes: buttons on display boards, buttons on the dress form, me with the button covered dress form and, of course, me making buttons (cough cough, like I do every Monday night). Jeff was also very good at making me feel at ease. I think it's because he's from Indiana. 

Then it was time to wait for the article to run. Originally I was told it would run as a cover feature in the Thursday paper's Style section. After the photoshoot, Michael told me it looked like it might run in the Sunday paper. Whoa!? Sunday paper cover feature?! Who'd my dad pay to make that happen? I was so anxious the night before the article ran that I hardly slept. It was like Christmas Eve and the night before major surgery all wrapped into one. 

When Sunday morning finally arrived, I ran out to my local Harris Teeter and bought 10 copies of the paper. The clerk asked if I worked at a hotel or something. When I explained that I was IN the paper, she held it high in the air and shouted, "Hey look everyone! She's in the paper!"... to all two customers. I blushed and strolled out of the automatic doors with a grin from ear to ear. 

I stopped in at my Starbucks, and as I waited for my iced, grande, nonfat, two Splenda, latte (don't judge me) I saw a man reading a paper with MY FACE ON IT! I quickly reached for my cellphone to get a photo of this surreal coincidence, then lost my nerve and decided to ask for permission to take the photo. "Excuse me, sir, I have a strange request," I said as he stared blankly back at me. "Uh, that's me in the paper you're reading, do you mind if I take a photo of you reading it?" I said sheepishly. "THAT'S YOU!?!?" he exclaimed. Dude, you didn't have to look that surprised. I wasn't wearing make up and had my hair in a ponytail - OKAY?!?! He gladly obliged and I got the picture.

I rushed home to devour the article and scrutinize every single photo in the paper. But you know what? There was nothing to criticize. It was a great article. Michael totally nailed it. His tongue in cheek humor was spot on. In the week since the article ran, I've received a ton of emails about the feature. They mostly go something like... great article, you should be proud... so nice to read some good news in the paper for once... I've got an event coming up, can you make us some buttons?! 

I really can't thank Michael, Jeff and the Charlotte Observer enough.

In case you missed it, read the article online here.

Our American Apparel unisex shirts are now available online at the Not Made in China Esty Shop. Chose from six different original designs: NoDa, Plaza Midwood, Dilworth, Pork Pulled, Shawlit Nocarralyna and Not Made in China.

Check it out, NMIC DNC Buttons and Magnets featured on Charlotte's WCNC local news station! Click to play.

For the first time, in about a year, my house isn't covered, smothered, peppered, scattered and chunked in buttons. I'm officially organized. Hallelujah.

It took me an ENTIRE weekend to transform my sun porch (which had sadly deteriorated into a storage closet) into my new corner office. I was able to purge quite a bit, but not before reminiscing over every old receipt, photo, paycheck stub, 3- hole punch (why do I have four 3-hole punches?) and 8 year old bottle of acrylic paint. Now I can't stop staring at my office.

Everyday, before I leave for work, I pop my head in and bask in its glory. Then, when I get home, I peek again... as if all the button makers and hole punches had a party while I was gone... just in case, I have to make sure they're all still in the exact right spot.

My favorite part of the room is probably the Jadite and milk glass cabinet. All my collectible wares together in one place. Whenever I attempt to buy a new piece of vintage glass, my boyfriend reminds me that not only do I not cook, I don't entertain or use anything besides Lean Cuisine trays on a regular basis. Alas, I have created a legitimate use for the antique glass: to be admired.

Next on my to-do list: blog, dammit.

The Democratic National Convention is just around the corner - get your swag on today! You can now find your favorite Charlotte DNC buttons and magnets at the NMIC Etsy Shop!

Crafty Feast is almost here! I've managed to develop SEVENTEEN new NMIC designs for Columbia / South Carolina (I'm just as surprised as you are!). Here's a sneak peek at SIX of the new (soon-to-be) bottle openers, magnets and buttons.

I must say, these would not have been possible without the help of two dear friends who grew up in Columbia (and now run an amazing catering company in Charlotte called Salivate). Thanks to Sally and Katie Wright, I was able to gain some genuine insight to the "other" Carolina from a couple of Cola natives.

See these, and the other ELEVEN designs, next Saturday, April 16th in Columbia at Crafty Feast.

BIG NEWS: Not Made in China is featured in the April issue of Charlotte Magazine! From what I'm told, the editor bought one of our clever bottle openers at The Common Market and decided to investigate. A few weeks later an article was in the works and I went in (with all my swag in tow) for a photo shoot at their studio.

They have an awesome creative team who had a plethora of quirky ideas for the shoot. One of which involved their staff throwing handfuls of buttons at me. Needless to say, none of the "raining buttons" photos made the cut (probably because they couldn't find a single image without me flinching as if I'd been struck with a sudden case of Tourette's).

We tried shots from this angle and that, with a hat and without, looking down, looking up, pretending to put on a button, funny faces, straight faces, laughing, smiling, biting a button between my teeth - I was up for anything, so long as it didn't entail a nude photo shoot with a few buttons oh-so-cleverly placed (as one friend suggested).

It was a wonderful (PG) experience and I'm so flattered to be featured in such a great publication. So, go get you a copy of the April issue of Charlotte Magazine... before my mom goes and buys them all!

Just wanted to interrupt the regularly scheduled postings to say "thanks!" to all my fellow bloggers who have recently been spreading the Not Made In China love. I'm so flattered and humbled to know that y'all are taking time (and precious blog content) to repost, link to and write about this little operation.

Motherland , Noelle Munoz Jewelry , Oh So Beautiful Paper , Tellason , Belle Terre , Thrillist Atlanta , K.I.D. Collective , Daughter of Whitman , Rely Design , Indie NC Blog , Circle the Confusion , France in Philadelphia , Pinterest , The SunnysideUp

Drumroll, please... Now you can be the envy of all your friends while carrying your shiz in a handy dandy "When Life Gives You Hands, Make Handmade" tote bag! That's right, the original hand-lettered design, by Cory Clinton, is now a portable work of art.

At 14.5" wide, by 16" tall, the bags are large enough to carry a laptop, four boxes of Wheat Thins, six Barbara Streisand records, eight skeins of yarn or seventy-three plastic Easter eggs.

Each bag comes wrapped with a 1.25" button of the same design... so you can still rock the saying during the unlikely occasion you are sans tote.

What's more? The bags are screen printed by a fellow one-person operation called InkBot Printing. AND they're only $12 a pop! Operators are standing by.

(click here to purchase)