Long Beach Woman Finds Success in Etsy Store
* This story was written by Nicole Murphy.
Silke Jacobs is living the true American dream.
After falling in love with the man she would one day marry when visiting the United States several years ago, Jacobs decided that continuing her life in Belgium was no longer an option. While working an administrative job and earning her master's degree in education at Molloy College, Jacobs found her niche in a simple at-home hobby creating handmade bags.
Within a year, after perfecting her craft sewing for family and friends, Jacobs promoted her wears through her store on Etsy.com, under the name Silky Smooth. Today, Silky Smooth makes daily sales of handbags, totes, pencil cases and cosmetic bags to clients across the world.
"I was going on full-time teaching interviews when my husband and I made a pact that if I was making a certain amount of money each week by the end of the summer, I would stick with this business full time," Jacobs said. "By mid-August I way surpassed that amount and it was very exciting."
As Silky Smooth took off, Jacobs received a handful of requests for baby products like burp cloths and bibs, leading her to the creation of her second online store, Kribbe Handmade.
"I started making baby items because they were good to give for baby shower gifts," she said. "A lot of people told me they saw handmade products and I knew I could roll into that. In the near future, I think I want to start designing laptop and smartphone cases."
In addition to her business, Jacobs works part-time in the Oceanside School District as an elementary ESL instructor. Teaching is something she will always love, she said, but sewing has bought her a fresh and exciting shift from the norm.
"If I were still in Belgium, this would have been possible, but the atmosphere here really encourages creativity. Risk-taking isn't exactly the Belgium spirit. I would have pursued my PhD there to become a professor, but now I tell myself I have a PhD in sewing. I know I won't regret this. No matter what happens, I can say I did this. People forget that anything you can buy, you can make yourself, and it's really nice to bring that to customers."
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paul.d.spellman May 21, 2013 at 10:56 am
If you have an alarm system, you need to pay the city fee. They hired an outside company to manage…Read More the payments so now the fee is expected to be collected.
IRISH 4 May 21, 2013 at 10:41 am
I cant believe all the shore towns with boardwalks up and running & Lb hasnt even started .So…Read More much for we are different and are building a better one,Well the first one lasted many years so just upgrade and get finished.& months later and not even a board in & still making excuses AND 4XS THE COST ....WOW WHAT A BARGAIN .
Publius May 21, 2013 at 08:56 am
some observations: one, applicable regulations for safety provide you cannot have mixed swimming…Read More and surfing beaches, so if the idea is to have both, you need to allocate. two, different beaches, because of bottom conditions, have very different waves -- ergo, the selection of beaches for surfing. three, on any given summer day with decent waves, and barely decent on a weekend, the number of surfers is dangerous. truly. I will not let my younger children surf/learn on those days. I won't even surf those days. four, on any given summer day, the number of people in the water, let alone actually swimming, is incredibly small in comparison to our total available beach real estate. five, as a general rule under this schedule, no swimmer should have to walk more than a few seconds to 2 minutes to be on a swimming beach. it is an allocation issue and not everyone is going to like the allocation, but that's often a part of the give and take of living in a community where resources are shared. folks who live near the train station have commuters parking in front of the their houses, sometimes with cars left for 2-3 days. similar for folks who live near the beach and can't get parking for themselves or at least their guests on a weekend. there are unbelievable issues with allocation of sports fields for practice and games. west-enders put up with bar traffic and a lot of other things. in any event, my two cents.
Diana Prince May 21, 2013 at 10:06 am
@goldilx --You are debating with someone who was there and knows the truth. YOUR DOG DIED DURING THE…Read More STORM BECAUSE HE COULDN'T HANDLE THE STRESS. YOU NEED TO ACCEPT THAT.
Again, I didn't ask you why your dog was there to start with. I asked you why your dog was there the night of the storm. Why was your dog in a shelter that received a mandatory evacuation? Why wasn't your dog safe at home with Joe Panz? His dogs didn't die from a stress seizure from five feet of water rushing in and swallowing him whole.
"If everything printed was true they would have been closed down way before..." Seriously??? Their tax forms are fake?? And no, they can't defend themselves this time. You sit back and watch what is going to happen.
You know what Susan? I actually feel very sorry for you. I think you are the single most intellectually blind and stubborn-minded person I have ever known. I could not imagine believing in something so strongly and defending it so adamantly while being so wrong and refusing to see it.
I remember when you defended JohnnyO. Where's your defense of him now? Or did you change your mind with his arrest? One of the many things I will enjoy when this is all over is watching you eat your words.
Goldilx May 21, 2013 at 09:50 am
Again not going to go back and forth -- don't really care what everyone's reasons are for going…Read More after Rescue Ink -- BUT BUFORD DIED BEFORE THE STORM HIT!!!! END OF DISCUSSION HERE -- ITS NO ONE'S BUSINESS WHY HE WAS THERE TO BEGIN WITH -- JUST MINE AND RESCUE INK'S --DON'T HAVE TO JUSTIFY OR EXPLAIN REASONS TO ANYONE -- AGAIN BUFORD WAS SICK WAY BEFORE HE WENT TO RESCUE INK -- HIS CAUSE OF DEATH WAS DUE TO HIS HEALTH ISSUE -- END OF FREAKING DISCUSSION -- AGAIN -- I HAVE READ EVERYTHING ABOUT RI - BEFORE BRINGING BUFORD THERE AND SINCE -- AND YOU NEED TO REALIZE THAT IF EVERYTHING PRINTED WAS TRUE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSED DOWN WAY BEFORE ANY OF THIS BS STARTED -- AGAIN -- YOU ALL ARE ENTITLED TO HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM -- NOT MY CONCERN - YOU WANT TO GO AFTER RI AND MAKE YOUR COMMENTS GO AHEAD -- THEY CAN DEFEND THEMSELVES AS THEY HAVE DONE OVER AND OVER --BUT I AM SICK AND TIRED OF CERTAIN PEOPLE SPREADING THEIR LIES REGARDING MY DOG FOR THEIR ATTACKS ON RESCUE INK --
Diana Prince May 21, 2013 at 09:29 am
@Goldilix - I understand that it may make you angry to read these things because you have been a…Read More supporter and believer for a long time. But I have to ask, why are you so unable to step back for just a second and evaluate the situation? Have you ever been wrong about anything? I have. I once supported and believed in Rescue Ink too.
Then I saw them choose not to evacuate those animals even though the city told them to.
Regardless of how your dog died, whether it was natural causes or drowning, why was your dog there the night of the storm?
Why wasn't your dog evacuated to a foster home? If he was a special needs dog, why didn't Joe Panz take him to his home farther north out of the the direct hit and danger?
Why was your dog there that night to be in danger to start with?
I am not questioning your decision to turn him over in general. But I would appreciate it if you could tell us why he was there that night when he was supposed to be evacuated.
What about the statement that Joe Panz said the day after that "Buford died because he couldn't handle the stress of the water rushing in and had seizure?"
If Buford was in a safe place where he was meant to be, he would not have experienced that stress and may be alive today.
Why are you closed to even considering that?
Have you been to the "Rescue Ink = The Facts" Facebook page? Have you seen the tax returns that literally show they have spent only 6% of donations on animals?
That means for every $100 you have given them, only $6 potentially may have been spent for food and care. How does that make you feel?
Susan, I am not here to criticize you, but at some point, you have to realize and be open to the possibility that you could be wrong about this organization.
Will you change your mind once they are all arrested?
john peri Jr May 19, 2013 at 09:02 am
Food is just one element of achieving health. There are probably thousands. For…Read More instance---exercise, clean water, sunshine, avoiding poisons, proper sleep, stress management, education, etc.
john peri Jr May 19, 2013 at 07:31 am
With my suggestion, the IRS could enforce compliance with bathroom inspection raids.
john peri Jr May 18, 2013 at 06:12 pm
Eddie, is it possible to put on gloves without touching the exterior of the glove?
Patrick Smith May 18, 2013 at 08:59 am
After looking at strongerthanthestorm.com and well Jersey completed the work they did,we got to…Read More replace the clowns we have running all of Long Beach
Warren Vogel May 19, 2013 at 02:01 pm
Biggert-Waters bill NEVER passed Senate:
watch Sen. Landrieu on YouTube.…Read More
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7LptibadAE
Leonard Bauman May 18, 2013 at 10:45 pm
For political reasons, nothing will be said or put in writing. Your request will meet deafness.…Read More Only people in Staten Island and in certain places in Rockaway will be bought out. Sorry, if you don't want to fix up your shack, Shokrian and other opportunistic developer sharks are circling you to buy your shack for 60 cents on the dollar. Sell! Sell! Sell to these sharks or fix it up, your choice!
Eddie May 17, 2013 at 10:19 am
Why can't Staples pay for an ad on Patch instead of posting this stuff here?
Eddie May 17, 2013 at 09:14 pm
Then think twice before you vote Democrat, Crystal. The blood will be on YOUR hands if you do.
Crystal G Piatnick May 17, 2013 at 12:18 pm
There is no question about it. Its not a matter of " right to choose" Its a matter of is…Read More abortion murder...I was so upset with the Orient and what they do to cats and dogs... Look what America does to our children...Cuomo will have their blood on his hands....I am not for abortion at all. But aborting the fetus in the third trimester has to be stopped.. Its murder.. These infants r about to be born..
Jonathan Kaplan May 17, 2013 at 10:19 am
I can get you a closet in the West End for only $2000 a month, let me know if you're interested
paul.d.spellman May 17, 2013 at 10:12 am
CMOS, The surfers from out of town come here all year long and add to the economy 12 months a year,…Read More what additional benefit do those people pushing shopping carts full of kid's toys add? Last summer the surfers were give only 1 in 3 beaches and that was base on increased demand, and this year more surfers are expected so it makes sense that more beach be set aside for them, or some kids are going to get hurt and then the city will need to pay for that.
Castles Made of Sand May 17, 2013 at 09:30 am
Paul, after you give us numbers on the "driving" economics of surfers, please tell us how…Read More many surfers come the beach in the summer. Do you know? Or are you just guessing? Your argument that surf shops continue to exist as a result of surfers shopping there is darn near brilliant. I heard a report that supermarkets in town are being solely supported by hungry people. I can't attest to that though. I do know that Empire Kayak is secretly kept in business by Whirling Dirvishes from Instanbul, and not kayakers. But I digress.
Crystal G Piatnick May 16, 2013 at 07:46 pm
I think u r right Joseph. Its really disappointing..:( What the hec r they doing...????? Well they…Read More have 100 days to complete the boardwalk in the middle section. contract started March 12..or the 15th...60 days already and they did nothing...They have 40 more days to complete it. I really hope the town holds them to the contract.. I really do.
Elliot Zuckerman May 17, 2013 at 05:48 am
Paul as a life long resident, the first surfing school in LB and home owners hit hard by Sandy I…Read More thought it was only right to reduce our fee for summer camp.We have had many families here in the same position and just could not afford camp this summer and asked if we can help with local families so we did just that , we will fill up fast so please sign up soon as we do limit our camps to avoid any over crowding.
We also have posted our dates for the ONLY 501c3 special needs surfing foundation in Long Beach, please check out surfersway .org for more info.Its free and open to all special needs kids.
Elliot
paul.d.spellman May 16, 2013 at 07:51 am
Now if we could only get the City to reduce the outrageous fees forced upon the surf schools one can…Read More only imagine how low these prices would go. Does anyone actually know where the fees the schools pay go to?
john peri Jr May 16, 2013 at 11:36 am
Women don't have the right to commit suicide, to become a dope addict, or to sell their body parts.…Read More No one really knows how many post birth murders are being committed. Requiring a camera in abortion rooms would stop post birth murders.
Trying to Make Sense May 16, 2013 at 09:46 am
Eddie, you mislead a lot and lie occasionally. "Gosnell's actions wouldn't be criminal in a…Read More more enlightened state like New York, would they? " Yes, they would be. And you know it. In fact, if the reproductive rights of women were properly respected, pond scum like Gosnell would not take advantage of women whose options are limited and find it difficult to obtain the quality prenatal care and a safe abortion if the need one. I respect your right to be against late term abortion and I am not cheering them on but reproductive rights, control over one's body ought to be protected. And doing so would not only eliminate the Gosnells of the world, but would allow for a full range of services that decrease the likihood that women would face situations that bring them to abortion mills like his.
john peri Jr May 15, 2013 at 01:55 pm
"President Obama’s position on infants who survive abortion is exactly the kind of…Read More position that allows the horrors committed by Kermit Gosnell."
Source:http://www.lifenews.com/2013/04/21/obamas-position-on-infants-born-alive-mirrors-kermit-gosnells/
Warren Vogel May 21, 2013 at 12:07 am
Question:
Are there other religious groups with TEN or more TAX EXEMPT private homes in Long…Read More Beach.................That is over ONE MILLION dollars in taxes that have not been collected in the last decade
. How many of these PRIVATE HOMES are producing rental income, if any? We all know what happened to the last person that had the temerity to ask about this situation. Posters here have claimed there are a total of 67 of these homes in LB. How many belong to LBCS?
Patrick Smith May 19, 2013 at 08:13 am
Mesivta is at beach level ,LBCS is way higher ,they had no damage
Richard Eisenberg May 20, 2013 at 12:54 pm
The next set of complaints from the nickname people is that the boardwalk construction is too…Read More noisy, so noisy that they can't think of their next complaint.
Paul Carrella May 20, 2013 at 09:51 am
Another week goes by and still no visible progress, maybe I am missing something. Our city manager…Read More is advertising that the city is ready for summer. Really? The only thing they are ready for is to sell beach passes. No boardwalk, no retaining walls, just nonsense.
Patrick Smith May 19, 2013 at 08:08 am
Its costing more money in Long Beach to clean up the sand on broadway than to fix the sand dunes…Read More ,sand blowing everywhere . pathetic infrastructure .New jersey up and running