Hello! It's refreshing to be back in Portland after the good times and the bad times of a vacation back east. I got to see my family & extended family, a gift that means more than I can express now that we are living so far away. Unfortunately I also lost my job while I was away, so some parts of our return (I came back with my sister and 5 month old nephews) have been somber. With 40-50 degree days projected for the rest of the week, though, I've got some perspective on what to be grateful for. New England in the raw gray of January is just cold, cold, cold.

So the shop is reopened, along with all those originals and framed pieces I was tooting my horn about right before going into vacation mode. I'm happy to say that international sales are making up for our slow domestic market, and some of the ACEOs I introduced mid-January sold upon reopening! I've been slow to really push the shop in the last few days, unpacking and all that, but as of Monday it is back to work in a serious and focused way.

Those of you following the blog last year also remember that I went into a period of having Etsy as my only employment. Having a full time Etsy shop taught me quite a bit through those rough months. This is one of those crunch times when I have to pull on those lessons learned and find the way to do this creative living that works best for me, and that involves finding a full time job away from the warm glow of Etsy.

But I love my shop, I'm glad to be back from vacation, and whats more- I'm very glad I have this place to come to after a day of baby care, house cleaning, and job hunting. These cards first emerged based on little drawings I would make for my friends as notes~ often it still feels like I'm sending out care packages all around the world. That's a good thing to come home to.

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Photos from the Trip:

Rhode Island under snow, which waited until
our last day to fall.

After not seeing MNJ for 6 weeks he fell asleep in my arms, a welcome homecoming.

My grandpa, EB, with SL.