Happy New Year! I hope 2022 is already off to a great start for you!

I had a relaxing break and a wonderful holiday with my family. My siblings and I were able to travel to Connecticut for Christmas, all of us gathering at home with our parents for the first time since before the pandemic began. To say the trip was glorious would be an understatement. A few days before Christmas, we were even treated to a light dusting of snow that lasted through the holiday. I almost never get to see snow anymore now that I live in Houston, so having a “White Christmas” made the holiday that much more special. Our time together was precious, and I will always cherish the laughs we shared and the memories we made.

For Christmas, my parents gifted me with a Lavender Jeweled Calendar Kit, and I absolutely love it. The calendar kits have been around for years, and I remember a few of my relatives making them for our family members since at least the early 1990s. I was always intrigued by the calendars, but I never thought of purchasing a kit, so it was extra-special to receive one as a gift. Spending the first few days of 2022 completing the design above the calendar portion (not pictured) was incredibly relaxing. Stitching sequins and beads onto felt is something I find so calming, making this a very enjoyable project to kickstart the year. I have the calendar hanging in my home office, displayed where I can see it each day. It has been there for several weeks already, and I still smile every time I walk into the room. I especially love the way the afternoon sun kisses the sequins, casting colorful shadows across my desk and computer screen. Sparkly things, especially ones that are purple, have always brought me so much joy.

Now that we’re half-way through January, I finally feel ready to start tackling my plans for 2022. While I greatly admire individuals who hit the ground running on the first day of a new year, eager to accomplish the goals they carefully mapped out for themselves at the end of the previous year, I’m afraid I’m not one of those people. I’m much more likely to ease into the new year, get my bearings, make some lists, then start slowly. I prefer not to rush things, but rather enjoy the process of settling into a new year.

Look Back at 2021

Before I share my goals for 2022, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at 2021. So much of the year was a blur because of the pandemic, as I’m sure it was for everyone, but it was also a year of growth for me and my business. I received almost twice the number of orders in my Etsy shop than I did in 2020, and it really challenged me to be organized and efficient with my free time outside of working my day job. I also learned what works well and what doesn’t, and I knew I had to be brave enough to step out of my comfort zone and make a few changes if I wanted to accomplish the long-term goals I have set for myself (more on that below).

My First Giveaway

Being a (very) small business owner, especially one who isn’t the most active on social media, means it takes a long time to grow a following. I reached 500 followers on Instagram in the spring, which I thought was huge, and wanted to commemorate the occasion by hosting my first giveaway. To show my gratitude for all who have followed me and supported me on this journey, I offered one lucky person the chance to receive a free sparkly handmade felt ornament of their choosing from my Etsy shop. It was so fun to see who entered and to read their notes about what ornament they would choose if they were to win. A friend of mine from Houston ended up winning (I promise I picked the winner at random), and she chose the Ernest Evil Eye, which is named after my paternal grandfather. I loved making it for her, especially because I know how meaningful the design is to her. I’m thinking of offering another giveaway once I reach 1,000 followers and would love to do something fun and creative.

Website Update

This summer I finally sat down to redesign my website. My previous website was just fine as it was, but I wanted something a bit more modern and elegant. Updating it had been on my To Do list for so long, but not being a web developer, it felt too daunting to even start. I always found more pressing business issues to tackle, which meant it kept getting pushed to the bottom of my list. The design bug thankfully bit this summer, so I set aside time each day to work on it, and most days I spent many more hours than I had planned. One Google search led to another, and another, until I finally figured out how to configure each design element I wanted to implement. It gave me a whole new perspective on what webpage developers go through to create gorgeous sites. In the end, after several months’ worth of work (yes, months!), I finally achieved the look and feel I wanted. There are still a few items to update and issues to resolve, but I’m so pleased with the end result – a simple, yet sophisticated site that allows my ornament designs to really shine. I hope you will enjoy perusing the site.

2021 Holiday Sales

If you’ve been following the news, then surely you’re aware of the shipping delays and supply chain issues that continue to plague the retail industry due to the global pandemic. Last summer, reporters began urging consumers to “shop early” if they had hopes of receiving items in time for Christmas. I thought I would be prepared to meet the early holiday rush, but orders began arriving even earlier than I anticipated. I was continuously busy from late August until I put my Etsy shop in vacation mode in early December. I was so busy fulfilling orders that I didn’t have time to finalize new ornament designs for the 2021 holiday season. At first it was discouraging to think I wasn’t able to do it all, as I had hoped to release several new Christmas-themed ornaments for 2021. I worried I would disappoint my current customers by not having an expanded range of items or that I might even fail to attract new customers. I pride myself on setting (and achieving) ambitious goals, and it was heartbreaking to realize early on in the season that I wasn’t going to have enough time to accomplish everything I thought I could. One thing I tried to remember is that if we are to learn anything from this pandemic, it’s that life is so unpredictable and so much is out of our control. Sometimes you just have to let things go. Luckily, I was able to convince myself to be proud of whatever I was able to accomplish, which is not something that comes easily to an over-achiever like myself.

Etsy Star Seller

An unexpected but incredibly positive note is that I reached Etsy Star Seller status for both November and December 2021 (as well as January 2022). I was so excited to receive that honor, as it’s not particularly easy to achieve when your shop is as small as mine. Etsy implemented Star Seller in late July 2021 as a way to reward shops that consistently offer a great customer experience. It is based on shop sales, customer reviews, shipping times, and interactions with customers over the previous three months (Etsy reviews your eligibility on the first of each month). I’m so lucky to have the best customers in the world, and the only outstanding item for me was receiving at least 10 orders (not individual items purchased, but total orders) in a span of three months. The steady stream of orders this fall enabled me to satisfy that final requirement. It may be a small achievement, but I was so touched to earn that status. It’s so humbling to know that people love my work and trust me to create ornaments that will hang in their homes (and those of their loved ones) for many years to come.

2022 Word of the Year

I first learned that people choose a Word of the Year a few years ago and immediately loved the concept. Selecting a word to guide your thoughts and actions each day for an entire year seemed incredible. I attempted it (perhaps half-heartedly) several years in a row, but for some reason, I couldn’t seem to stick with it for more than a few days. I never really had much of a plan on how to do it, and I think that was the main reason it was so difficult to follow. After reading so many stories from people who committed to it and shared how much they gained from the experience, I felt much more inspired to try it again this year – but this time with a plan.

I gave much thought to the word I would choose, wanting it to encapsulate all that I hope to achieve in 2022. I had several ideas in mind, but the word I kept coming back to over and over was intentional.

I have found it’s so easy, especially since the pandemic began, to go through each day almost as if I were on autopilot. My days are relatively routine now, save for a few new opportunities at my day job, and I easily lose track of time. One of my favorite quotes helped me to solidify my decision to choose the word intentional as my Word of the Year:

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

– Mary Oliver

For me, intentional looks like this:

• Being intentional with my time to ensure I’m accomplishing the goals (both big and small) that I have set for myself each day.

• Being intentional with my thoughts to ensure I don’t allow myself to kill an idea before it even has time to take seed.

• Being intentional with my goals to ensure I’m dreaming big, and not settling for less than I know I am capable of achieving (even if, especially if, it means I have to step out of my comfort zone to do so).

Intentions for 2022

With my Word of the Year established, I was able to look objectively at 2021 to see what went well and what could be improved in 2022. Seeing steady growth in Etsy shop orders year upon year was exciting, gratifying, and humbling, but it also sent a clear message that I was soon (if not already) at my maximum capacity for production and wouldn’t be able to achieve larger business goals going forward if I continued on the same path. Furthermore, designing and creating all ornaments myself simply isn’t sustainable in the long run, especially since my Etsy shop is not my main source of income. I knew I would have to take my business in a slightly different direction, even if it meant trying (and potentially failing) a few times before I really honed in on the best plan.

One day in the future, I may hire employees to help with designing and/or stitching, but that’s not on my radar in the immediate future. Instead, I established three main intentions for 2022:

• I have moved away from creating made-to-order ornaments. The made-to-order business model works very well, especially for small businesses, as it helps to prevent excess inventory and avoid unnecessary spending. A downside, however, is that it can be difficult to align processing orders as they are received while simultaneously attempting to grow your business.

• Instead, I will be designing and creating a small number of one-of-a-kind and small batch felt items (ornaments and more?) that I will post to my Etsy shop once they are completed. When they sell out, I will not renew the listings. This is a particularly challenging one for me, as I am a people pleaser and have a hard time saying no when people request items that are sold out. However, I feel like this is the right decision for me at this time, as it will afford me the opportunity to grow my skills as a designer, while also expanding my business in creative new ways. I don’t know how this will actually work in practice, but I’m optimistic I can find success on this path. If not, I am confident I will feel comfortable changing course as needed.

• Perhaps the most surprising change is that I will be dedicating the bulk of my time and energy to creating content for this blog. It is where I plan the most business (and personal) growth. I know people might say blogs are dead, or I’m a decade too late in starting, but it’s something that has been on my mind since at least 2012, and I will always regret it if I don’t try. I love writing (correction: I don’t love the process of writing, but I do love having written), and I find writing a little bit each day to be so helpful in keeping myself grounded and on track. I truly hope by sharing my design and creative passions through blog posts and tutorials that I spark ideas and inspire others to dream and create. I’ll be intentional with the content I feature in my posts, focusing on topics such as design, home decor, and DIY craft projects and tutorials. Since I am also passionate about building community and supporting others, I would love to spotlight small female-owned and operated businesses (especially those producing handmade items) as well. My plan is to post once per week, on Wednesdays, then build up from there as I establish a schedule and craft more content.

I hope you will follow along for creative content, new ideas, and fresh perspectives.

I really believe 2022 is going to be a great year, and I’m excited for what lies ahead. I hope you are as well!

xo, Tiffany