Just a little update....

Hey guys! I haven't written a "real" blog post in a while so I want to update you on whats been going on around here.

I am happy to report, I am very busy and thats mainly the reason I haven't blogged. Back in late November there was a lot of family stuff going on and with the holidays everyone wants their order ASAP. I was stressed out and a bit depressed about things. I was also contimplating whether I should get a part time job to provide more financial cushion. But struggling with whether that was a real option since my husband's work hours can be unpredictable, and if we had to pay for day care that would take away any cushion I earned. But Decemeber really surprised me and I ended the year with my highest grossing month ever. I probably could have done cartwheels.

I was excited for the new year and really optimistic for what it could mean. But truthfully I was also worried. I have been basing my product focus and assumptions about what months will be busy or not on the last two years of my party shop stats. But those last two years the shop was a "side thing" and some months I didn't do anything with my shops because I was too busy with my day job.

I noticed since summer ended that the what people are buying from me has changed and with the clipart shop thats a whole new set of customers that I'm still trying to figure out. So I have been spending a lot of time refocusing my attention and my products but I was worried it wasn't going to work out.

But so far January and these first 6 days of February has exceeded my expectations. I seriously have been having a squeal-fest with each and every order. I'm just so happy with where things are going. I do still know that every month is a different story. I do a lot of seasonal items, and I know sales change once the holiday is over.  But I have put a lot of focus on non seasonal items as they have become more popular for me lately and up until my current Valentine surge, my non seasonal items where making up most of my orders which is awesome!

I am really working on staying positive and trying not get bogged down in what other shops are doing and just be happy with my successes and my path (easier said than down). But one of the great things about being busy is I don't have the time to worry about that stuff. 

I will try to be better about recapping each weeks new products and doing a "real" post way more often. 

Whats Better Than Love In The Air...?

A SALE!!!!

Shop WITH ENVY PAPER

Shop WITH ENVY HOME & APPAREL

Shop WITH ENVY PARTIES

Valentine Facebook Hop LIVE!

The Etsy Digital Designers Team Facebook Hop is in full swing!! Make sure to grab your 37 amazing freebies! The hop runs until Feb 28th! Below is my contribution. 

Start Hopping HERE

Also I have a couple of items that coordinate for purchase at With Envy Paper. 

AVAILABLE HERE

AVAILABLE HERE

Oh and as a bonus my blog, Facebook fan exclusive and newsletter freebies with be using the same color palette. Stay tuned for those to be released the beginning of Feb.

Happy Tuesday!!

Freebie Preview

Dropping in to share a preview of my contribution to Etsy Digital Designer's Team Valentine Facebook Hop. Also as a bonus I will be adding a few coordinating items probably to With Envy Paper soon. And better yet my new blog and FB Fan freebies will also coordinate color wise. 

Hop starts January 28th!

Are You Ready For A FREEBIE?!?! - NO LONGER AVAILABLE

This freebie is no longer available. I did make a new update set for the teams in 2016 you can find it HERE

I'm SUPER excited for this Freebie!! I love football and I love the Super Bowl. I have great memories of my family's Super Bowl parties (I didn't really watch the games much back then but the food was sooo good!). 

Here is a freebie to jazz up those Super Bowl celebrations. The colors coordinate with each team's colors. You can download just one or both for a fun "house divided" type of celebration. 

Sets include:

*2” Party Circles, 6 designs, 12 circles per page

*8.5”x2” Water Bottle Label, 4 designs, 4 labels per page

*5”x.5” Beverage/Food Flags, 2 designs, 24 flags per page

*2.5”x3.5” (when folded) Tented Food Cards, 1-2 designs, 4 cards per page

*8”x10” Football Sign

*Party Banner, includes capital letter A-Z, each panel 5”x5” 2 panels per page

*PERSONAL USE ONLY

ENJOY!!!!

I have a REAL job...

I was inspired to write this because its something that has been gnawing at me for a while, especially this holiday season...


I am a person, I am a wife, I am a mom, I am a business owner.


I work 7 days a week, holidays, weekends. From 7:30am until at least 1am on most days I work, I fill orders, create new items, put out customer fires, grasp at any article or bit of advise that will help me grow. I spend my day tracking what I earn down to the penny to make sure my revenue is where it needs to be. I spend my day examining and re-examining my shop to figure out what to change or do more of. I spend my day worrying about what the future will bring and being excited that I've made it this far. I spend my day regretting my decision to go out on my own and regretting that I have any small sense of doubt. I spend my day doing a mental cheer each time my phone dings to tell me I have an order. I spend my day grateful that at least for now I don't have to spend my morning stressing over what to wear to work and trying to get out of the house on time, inevitable forgetting something. I spend my day trying to decide if I really have time to do this or that when I really need to spend as much time as possible working. I spend my day longing to be in my college form where I could pull an all nighter. I spend my day hoping that my kids, my husband and my family will one day understand why I often have to tell them I can't do something, or we can't buy something and feeling like the worlds worst wife/mother every time I say it. I spend every minute of everyday working in some form.


Just because I can do it in my pajamas without leaving my house doesn't make it less real, less hard, less stressful. Just because I LOVE what I do, despite the instability, worry, stress and tears doesn't make it any less of a REAL job.


I work 80+ hours a week, I am supporting a family, I am making FAR less than what I made at my last stable, benefits providing, cooperate job. I have to think about every penny I earn and every penny that leaves the house. But I am not stressed because I work so hard and in the end it doesn't matter, I am not trying to maneuver the work politics, I am not up at night wondering what I forgot to do, that I didn't even know I had to do, I am not depressed at the thought of getting out of bed and getting dressed to go some place that I hate. I am finally happy with my REAL job.


One of my big goals this year is to be more willing to express the above by not being nervous or embarrassed to say that I work from home, that I'm self employed, that no I wasn't fired, I chose this path. Still a work in progress...

NEW Items at With Envy Studios 1.6.14-1.12.14

This past week was my first week back to my "regular" work schedule in 2 weeks. My mom and sister visit from a little before Christmas to right after the New Year. I still worked during that time but mainly at night and I was kind of scattered with things. 

Here are some of the NEW items that I added this past week. 

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED PARTY COLLECTION

REVAMPED TRAIN PARTY CIRCLES/CUPCAKE TOPPERS

MONKEY BABY SHOWER PARTY CIRCLES/TOPPERS

WHIMSICAL GLITTER CLIPART

WHIMSICAL GLITTER PAPER

HEART MONOGRAM DIY IRON ON

XOXO PERSONALIZED DIY IRON ON

There are probably a few more items that I forgot to add but needless to say it was a productive week! I have LOTS more to add. I will try to recap the new items each Monday. I show off some of the new stuff on my Facebook page when I list them.