Hello dear friends, and have a great summer!! I realize it’s been almost two months since I blogged here, which wasn’t really my intention when I decided to take a little break in April. The past few months have flown by, and when I realized it was July and I’m still checking in here, I thought it was time to give you a health update before resuming our regular content.(yes!).
After our last pop-up shop in April, I needed a reset. The energy I first ran with in the post-confinement world was – apparently – unsustainable. I greatly underestimated the amount of daily activity, input, socialization and movement my body and brain are now able to do. After a year of re-evaluating and prioritizing, I should have known better, but old habits die hard, right? Especially if you’re excited about new projects, like I’ve been talking about the store. It was exciting to think that I, or one of us, would be able to just hit the resume button on life, and I found myself losing energy with the go go go.
This fatigue seems real to many of us. On the other hand, wesowe are ready to stop living in our bubbles, get off our screens, and get back to tangible reality. For me, that real feeling made spending time online unfulfilling and not really where I wanted to be – that’s why I’m not here. On the other hand, going back to a busy schedule, seeing friends and family, and expecting to work the way we used to do doesn’t make sense. So, over the past month, I have found myself setting new boundaries. Say no to other hangouts. To reduce the pieces of work. Giving yourself more time to discover what this new pace looks like. And I have come to some conclusions.
Anyone who is an entrepreneur knows the joys(sarcasm)to play the role of CEO, COO, CFO, Marketing Director, Email Returner, Book Balancer… all in Errand Runner. I have been running this blog and this business mostly by myself for 14 years(our anniversary was in May!),and during that time I’ve explored a lot more than creating the content here. I’ve been a market planner, marketer, and interior designer. I joined supper clubs, I used the workshops(still does!)and styled product in the sets of the likes of Amazon and Starbucks. I’ve thrown so many events that I’ve lost track, and I’ve done it all while using this wonderful internet space.
Looking at thisa lotthe full list makes me proud and exhausted at the same time! I’m so glad I took the opportunities that came my way when they did, while exploring a variety of creative careers. Each of them helped me to clarify my path, and made me who I am today. Along with that, this past year or so has finally given me the space I needed to step back and focus on the future of this blog and this business. Although I have known for a long time that changes needed to happen, I have finally started taking steps towards those changes, many of which you will see come to fruition this fall! So what’s next? Here’s a quick look, with more to come…
New Marketing and Website:The big news to share is that I have started working on a completely new look and feel for not only the blog but the brand. We will be integrating this site with my store and services to create a cohesive experience that is easy to explore and navigate. I incredibly ENJOYED this on various levels, and I hope you do too! The new site will feel more aligned with where I am personally and aesthetically.
Store:The store will be the focus, as that is the space that brings me the most joy lately. It’s been a refreshing addition to my repertoire, and I’ve really enjoyed the thrill of hunting for vintage goods, sorting through items from my favorite artisans, and enjoying the pop-up themed shops here in Seattle. My previous experience in retail taught me how much I love creating experiences for people, while supporting the community, and that’s how I approached this new place. Are we going to see a brick and mortar store sometime soon, too?? Stay tuned!
Blog:I will continue to post on the blog, but it will take a back seat in that posts will probably only be once a week. I want to bring more intentional, inspiring posts back to this space with original content focused on the same topics we’ve always loved to share with you: interior style, home tours, local highlights, recipes, travel, and personal posts. We’ll be sprinkling in some in-store content, too – sharing our favorite things, events, and more.
Styling Services:Although I loved the time spent with interior design clients, I learned that my passion and strength is in the details, not the big picture. A fact that should not surprise anyone! So, while I will work with a few other designers in Seattle to take on larger projects here and there, the only service I will provide directly to clients is interior styling. What I love about this aspect of the design process is that this is where we get to tell the story of the homeowners. Adding character with vintage finds, artwork, and finishing touches. And of course, to deal with problems such as large built-in bookshelves, or wrong corners. I’ll be adding more information on this soon, with packages and giveaways coming in the fall! We will also provide this service to businesses in the tourism industry such as restaurants, hotels, or wineries that want to update their spaces.
So there you have it friends – LOTS of goodies are just around the corner! I finally feel re-energized and aligned with how things are going here, and I can’t wait to share more of the process with you. I hope you come along for the ride!