The State of Things

It's been 6 months since the last time I wrote a blog post. Blogging was always on my to-do list, but never seemed to make it to the top. At some point this last year I decided that it would become a priority again when I had the time, and that I would give myself permission to not feel guilty about it until that time came. 

The last 6 months have quite literally flown by. 6 months ago, my littlest boys were just 3 months old, and I had just returned to my full-time job. 6 months ago, my oldest had just turned 3, and was adjusting to his role as a big brother. 6 months ago, I made a commitment to myself to truly reevaluate my business, and to think really hard about how, and why, I wanted it to grow. I made a silent vow to myself when I opened Bella Carta, that whenever I stopped feeling that pull to design - to be creative - that I would stop.  After the twins were born, I was so excited to get back into designing, to bring to life new ideas I had written down over the last few years… to truly challenge myself. If in the end, if it didn’t pan out the way I thought it would, I didn’t want to look back and say I could have tried harder.

So while the last 6 months have been busy with life, they’ve also been very full. Raising 3 little boys, working full-time, and devoting all of my extra time to the business. My train commute to and from work, nap-time, bed-time, car-rides – anytime I’m home, and not being “mom”, I’m in work mode. I’m totally guilty of trying to also do work while they’re awake, but it never, ever, works out, and just leaves all of us frustrated. The balance is totally elusive, but I work really hard to be present, and to do all my jobs, well.

As you can probably tell (maybe not, if you read this blog in BlogLovin), the blog is now a part of the website. And while that is slightly confusing and maybe not the best business decision, there was too much history in my blog to abandon it, or change the name, all-together. Maybe one day, just not right now.  So while a lot of this blog has been very personal in nature, I’m not exactly sure if it will continue to look like that in the future. I’m sure I’ll continue to share pictures of the kids once in a while, but I’m not sure that every post will be about them. Originally, Earning Our Stripes was intended to be mostly about our home renovation projects, which most likely will continue to live on here. Most of our projects have ceased – both for a lack of time, and for a lack of updates that need to be done. We’ve completely outgrown our home, and are planning to move in the next year or so, so any updates made from now on are with resale in mind (read: maybe not my style!). I do love looking back at my old posts, so for now, they’re not going anywhere!

I will be sharing a lot more about the business in this space – about the brand, my goals, our milestones and our struggles. I hope to share a bit more about some other small business owners that I’ve met this last year, who have helped shape me, or my business, in some way. I hope to be sharing some new products, inspiration boards, parties and gift ideas. I hope that this place becomes a spot for others to reference when looking for vendors, color palettes, inspiration or advice. And if you originally came here to read about my home, or my kids, I hope you’ll continue to read and be inspired. I’ve made some wonderful – no, amazing – friendships from blogging the last few years, and I’m so thankful for this community of inspiring, creative woman who continue to support and encourage each other. I’m excited to be “back”!

pictures courtesy of Tandem Studios