Past the Holidays

Hey 👋🏾 Hope all is well in your world. it’s been a few weeks since I have tapped in but I’m still here growing and showing. The holidays tend to put a strain on people but due to my new found freedom from retail, (please see my previous post) I was able to enjoy the good that is expressed during that time. It would’ve been my 7th year behind someone else’s register as my family gathered for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I got to sit at the tables this year and it was great.

Outside of the exchanges with family and friends I was preparing to take on the workload of my annual showcase that found it’s home in Texas and not Louisiana last year. The change in scenery was needed and a goal for me. I will not say it was easy but I was able to accomplish that goal and December 3rd of 2021 became a staple for me and my brand. Below is a view of how it went :

My first showcase in Houston went well despite minor issues. Family and friends watched as we presented our winter/fall collection. It was an intimate and fulfilling experience. It actually led to our first collaboration that crossed state lines. We were invited to begin the new year preparing for another showcase with a much broader audience.

I will say that there is always something that will occur to interrupt some amazing plans and my particular situation is no different. On Christmas Day I was exposed to Covid and began to feel terrible around New Years Day. In the midst of preparing I had to rest my body. When I went to get confirmation of my Covid diagnosis at a clinic I was involved in a car accident. There was little to no sewing being done for about a week, as i sadly had to rest.

As soon as I could sit behind my machine with some ease I was back at it. It was our first time building a selling rack in addition to what is presented on the runway. We usually present our works as made to order pieces. Creating a design and then replicating it 3-4 times was hectic and out of the norm for us, but we did it. Below is some unofficial footage of the looks presented and currently available for purchase:

Official footage will be posted soon.

After all is said and done this past month of changes and growth has been beautifully stressful. I got sick, got into a car accident, gained 15 pounds, my alopecia flared up, and the January show was accomplished with the help of new sewing students. I also can say I spent family time, got in some workouts, worked on sewing lesson plans, learned some health tips, loved on my friends cross state lines, and showed myself that my established limits are not my actual limits. I came home with a super optimistic outlook and set up my workroom and had to refactor most things in my business to have 2 brands coexist. Heading into February looks like new everything. New thought processes and routines. I have to balance work and working out because the journey of health and self care was abandoned in the past month. I have to do better and I will. I’ll share as i gain traction but honestly I’m trying to get my space and food intake in order. It’s so hard, but I’m trying to just gain balance as things around me change. I prayed for things unfolding now, and I’m so humbled by it all. I’m grateful.

Below are a few pics that show ups and downs from this past month: