UncategorizedDream a Little Dream with Me September 20, 2012It all started with a dream. Four years ago, as I was about to graduate from college, I was desperately trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and what type of job to pursue. I was coming up with nothing. My mom asked me if I could do absolutely anything, what would it be? I wasn’t sure. But over the course of a few weeks, she and I had dreamed big. We dreamt of a family business that incorporated everything that was important to our family. That sounds like a tall order, right? That dream was building on twenty-two years of family traditions, seasonal and home decorating, and party throwing…really the whole gammet of making life special, even magical if you will, for our family. We have always loved doing that for ourselves and wanted to find a way to do it for others. The tough part was, we had no idea how. You see, four years ago, I couldn’t have told you what a blog was. I had never heard of sites like Etsy. And this whole community I’ve grown to love and be a part of was a mystery to me. All we could think of was opening some sort of local store front and trying this thing locally, which didn’t seem like a great option. It didn’t fit the bill of exactly what we wanted to do, but we saw no other practical way to make it happen. So, over time, our dream business became something we might get to one day and then eventually died away. About a year later, I found blogs and fell completely in love. It felt like the most wonderful way to do a part of the business we’d planned. I get to decorate my home, plan parties, etc., and share it with others. I remember us talking about how perfect this blog name was for the business we’d dreamed about. That is exactly what we always try to do: create a “life of splendor.” Our life is no different than anyone else’s, but we seek to find splendor and magic in the small things and make each day special for our family and those around us. And as much as I love this blog, there was still something inside us that wanted to venture out as a family and create for others. It has been a lingering thought and we would discuss it every now and then. But this past summer, we decided to act. After four years, those dreams that we had, haven’t gone away. We don’t want this to become something that we look back on and wonder what this seemingly perfect business for us could’ve been. And so, us three ladies got our heads together… … and Life of Splendor the business was born. Our long range plan is to incorporate everything that we’ve loved growing up: parties, home decor, family traditions, and elements of faith. Now, we’re starting with an Etsy shop and a couple of different collections. I’m going to talk more in depth about the collections that we’ll be offering next week when the shop opens (I’ll be sure to let y’all know!). But for now, I wanted to give you a little sneak peek. We’ll be working with a country/rustic vibe that has a fresh feel. Does that surprise you? It’s definitely the style you see around here and it’s what us girls love most! We’ll be using wood A LOT, especially in our Wood Rounds Shop (I never dreamed how much we could make out of wood rounds)! We will have a Life of Splendor Essentials Collection with tabletop items and home decor for every day. And of course, it couldn’t be our shop without some seasonal flare. We will have a new collection for each season focusing on a party set-up and some home items. Our big photo shoot for products is on Sunday, but I can’t wait to show you a little sneak peek of our two fall lines from our test shoot last night. They’ll change just a bit when you see them next week, but this dry-run went pretty well. Here’s our first one that we’re calling Grateful Harvest. Our other fall collection we’ve called Enchanted Autumn. It got dark for these pictures, but you can get a little idea. I’ll have better ones after our little shoot 🙂 I am so excited about this start to our new business venture. I feel so blessed to be working with my two best friends, my mom and my sister, on something that for so long has only seemed like a dream to us. I can’t wait to share this awesome ride of life with y’all.
Patty Page says September 20, 2012 at 7:08 pm How cool & exciting to do something you love and are passionate about! I’m still dreaming that I’ll do that some day! Reply
Jennifer Dudley says September 20, 2012 at 7:48 pm I LOVE it! I LOVE it! I LOVE it!!! Can’t wait to see it all!!!! Reply
Melanie says September 20, 2012 at 9:55 pm How awesome to be able to put a dream into action, especially with your mom and your sister! What a dream come true! I can’t wait to see everything in your Etsy shop. Reply
Jillian says September 20, 2012 at 10:01 pm Congrats! This is amazing! Having just launched my Etsy shop last month, I can totally relate to how you’re feeling… its thrilling and terrifying all at the same time! Looking forward to seeing your shop and following along on the journey! Reply
Kristen says September 20, 2012 at 10:07 pm Congratulations! So excited for you and your dream for “Life of Splendor”. Can’t wait to see what is in your shop 🙂 Reply
Debbie Wilson says September 20, 2012 at 10:27 pm What a fun idea! Best wishes to you with this endeavor!, Reply
Kristina says September 26, 2012 at 11:57 am What a fun, cool idea! Y’all are going to do great–I just know it. As talented as y’all are, how could you not? Reply
Kelly @ Talk of the House says October 4, 2012 at 12:33 am This is amazing, and I am so excited for you! How in the world do you have time to teach, write this blog, and be able to design and operate a store? You must share your secret! Kelly p.s. I was catching up on your blog tonight and read all your posts in reverse order. The lines you will offer look beautiful! Reply