" You have to keep everything together because people depend on you."

-- Carly Luitgaarden, 12

During a trip to Maine this summer, 12-year-old Carly Luitgaarden's dad bought her a $100 dress she really wanted on one condition: She had to repay him.

Carly agreed, but the Marshall Middle School sixth-grader immediately realized she had a bit of a cash-flow problem.

"I needed to find a way to make money," Carly said.

At the time, it never crossed Carly's mind that her idea to make bead and elastic bracelets and sell them for $5 would snowball into an enterprise that makes real money and donates 10 percent of its profits to charity.

"I just needed to buy one dress," said Carly, of Marshall.

Since making the deal with her dad, John, in late June, Carly has sold more than 250 bracelets at school, craft shows and high school football games.

She spends some of her profits on supplies and stashes some money away in a jar in her bedroom. From the beginning, though, Carly decided she would donate a portion of what she makes to charity.

"The first two months' [profits] went to my church," she said, referring to St. Brendan's Episcopal Church in Franklin Park.

Because October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a portion of that month's profits are going to support breast cancer awareness and research, Carly said.

Choosing that cause was easy, she said. Her aunt, Jan Barnes, of Chicago, was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago and is now fully recovered.

For November, she's researching a charity that helps needy families buy farm animals so they can generate their own food to eat and sell.

"I think it's really incredible," said Carly's mother, Laurie, of her daughter's blooming business and thoughtful business sense. "I'm really proud of her. It teaches her how to talk to adults, how to take care of herself, how to save money and let's her know she has to provide for herself."

Carly, who wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up, initially designed bracelets to match her favorite clothing line, Lilly Pulitzer. The line is known for producing clothing in bright blues, pinks and greens.

In addition to taking orders for personalized bracelets, Carly approached Lilly Pulitzer clothing store managers in Sewickley, Shadyside and Maine about selling her matching bracelets on consignment.

"She came into the store, showed us these bracelets and she had this enthusiasm ... this sparkle," said Kathy Shields, manager of The Palm Place in Sewickley.

"They are very Lilly colors. She put a lot of thought into making these for this particular store," Shields added.

A few weeks ago, Shields called Carly and placed a special bracelet order for a customer.

"She was in here with it the next day," Shields said, adding how impressed she was with the sixth-grader's work ethic. "She has a real sense of drive."

Carly also is developing a sense of what it takes to own a business. "You have to work hard to do what you want to do. You have to be organized," Carly said. "You have to keep everything together because people depend on you."

When it became clear that Carly's idea was taking off, her parents helped her set up computerized record-keeping that allows her to track orders and the cost of supplies.

Carly's knack for entrepreneurship isn't surprising, her mother said.

"When she was younger, she'd pack up vegetables from our garden and wheel them around in a wagon and try to sell them," Laurie Luitgaarden said.

Now that she's a few years older and a little wiser, Carly finds ways to take orders and fill them between family events and school activities. She figures she can make 10 bracelets in 30 minutes while watching TV.

"She's very, very good about it," her mother said. "It doesn't take away from her social activities. It's a perfect fit. Family and homework come first."

The success of Carly's bracelet business hasn't been lost on relatives who, much to Carly's surprise, not long ago asked for a cut of the proverbial pie.

"My sister wanted to franchise my business," Carly said of her 14-year-old sister, Emma.

Carly declined, instead agreeing to hire Emma and her friend as employees. They'll make $2 per bracelet.

"I don't think I'm going to stop anytime soon. Not with this many orders," she said before adding with a chuckle, "I am a businesswoman."