Hello everyone! So I relaunched the site last month, got a couple posts published and then everything took off at once. Seriously it’s been a crazy month and I’m hoping to get things to a reasonable pace in December. This year is surprisingly almost over. We spent the first half of the year taking care of Milo’s cancer treatment, in the middle of a pandemic, and spending the two months in Seattle. Second half of the year turned into a house hunt, resumed after a long pause. We had to pivot completely from finding a home in our hometown of Long Beach, CA and go for something unusual. The housing market is so crazy in LA County. Instead, we found a mountain house in Crestline, CA. It was half the budget we qualified for on our loan and a fixer. We’re in the process now of fixing it up, and getting it ready to be a vacation home and rental for next year.
I’ve honestly been swamped in the house design and not putting enough time towards the blog. I’ve shared some of the process on Instagram stories and reels. I will share more before and after photos as we complete projects around the house. The bulk of the heavy planning is slowing down and we are confirming a contractor and completing decor orders. I’m learning to pace myself. Making a home your own is a slow process, though Instagram makes you feel like you need to hurry and catch up to everyone else out there. Not true.
This past weekend the shop had the most online sales I’ve had in a while. During Milo’s treatment the past couple of years, I wasn’t really promoting and working on the shop. I couldn’t order new inventory and site traffic was way down. Only a random order here and there. This small business Saturday gave a burst to the shop. I partnered with a group of other female owned shops to offer a discount and it helped so much. Seriously thank you to Rachel of The Crafted Life for asking me to participate. I met Rachel so many years ago in SF as bloggers and she’s built an amazing brand. A small product feature in Food Network Magazine, the Addison tea set, is helping bring new customers as well. I know business could slow down again, especially after the holidays, but at least there’s a little bit of life in the shop right now. I have been able to order a couple new items and I’m grateful to keep my business going. Here are all the shops I participated with in the small business sale just in case you missed it. These ladies are all very talented! Finish your holiday shopping list by supporting small businesses.
- The Crafted Life
- Sarah Hearts
- Oleander and Palm
- Good In Store
- This Is Tisa
- Ann Shen
- Bobo Design Studio
- Megan Roy
- BNB Creative
- The Merrythought
- Roots & Bones Vintage
- Ann Kelle
- The Tiny Tassel
- Jeanetta Gonzales
I’m currently working on a new design project for one of my dearest friends. They just got a new place in Oakland and it need lots of help decorating a big blank canvas. I’m spending the next several weeks decorating their home and finding beautiful pieces that suit their budget and style. Calling this project The Modern Pharaoh, a mix of midcentury modern and Afro/Caribbean influences. It’s definitely a different direction from my typical feminine vintage pastel style, but the challenge has been okay so far. I’m finding a lot of great pieces from brands like Article, CB2, and West Elm. I found some great moody paint colors from Clare and beautiful woven textiles from Bole Road, and gorgeous patterns from Jungalow, all black female owned brands. It’s a goal of mine to include black designs in every project that I do, including our own cottage in the mountains.
In all honestly, I’m looking forward to taking a break at the end of the year once all these projects end. We really haven’t had a chance to rest in a very long time. We went straight from having a baby, to cancer treatment, to getting back on our feet with work, and buying our first house. January is going to be a very slow month and I want to take advantage of that time to truly rest. The dark circles under my eyes have become a bit permanent.
How are you spending the holiday season? Will you take time to slow down?
