hey there, hi, hello, welcome back to my little corner of the internet.
I have been absent from this blog for far too long, and I have a very good reason for that: life has been absolutely unhinged in the best possible way. Like, I have been living. So pull up a chair, grab a snack, and let me catch you up. I am so excited to share with you!
I Was on a Podcast!!!
This one is a big deal to me because it has been on my business bucket list for a while now.
I got to sit down with Sarah Schwartz from The Paper Fold, and we talked about everything. My viral moment (if you missed that, go read [that blog post] - I'll wait). Tradeshows. Social media. The whole messy, beautiful journey of running a small business.
There is something really validating about someone looking at your brand and your products and deciding they are worth putting on display. Worth sharing. Worth a whole conversation. Being invited onto a podcast feels like that. Someone saying, "what you are doing matters, and other people should hear about it."
Sarah is a genuinely respected voice in this industry. People in the stationery and gift world look up to her. So getting to have that conversation and getting my brand in front of her audience felt like a real moment.
Patreon Came Into My Inbox and Changed Everything
Okay. Buckle up.
Back in April, I got an email from Patreon. I gave my phone the side eye because I thought it was fake or a scam. I already used Patreon, so I knew who they were, but I still had to do a little investigating before I believed this was a real email from a real person at the actual company.
It was real!!! (but don't get me wrong, I had anxiety the entire time haha)
They wanted to take one of my stickers and blow it up, like, physically JUMBO, to display on buildings and cars in Brooklyn during a weekend craft fair called SUNNYDAY Market.
My reaction after THAT sunk in was embarrassingly enthusiastic.
This meant someone at an actual company looked at my work, liked it enough to make it big, AND wanted to pay me for it. That checked about four boxes at once.
Zach and I immediately made plans to drive up to Brooklyn to see it in person. We got there, we looked around, and...
They were gone. Every single one. STOLEN. And not just mine. The other artists that were involved had their work stolen.
I know I should have been more upset about that, but ehhh? People liked my sticker so much that they committed minor crimes for it. I am choosing to see that as a compliment.
But then Patreon came back with a follow-up offer that made the stolen posters feel like a completely irrelevant footnote.
A billboard. In Times Square. For a week.
I gasped so loud when I read that email that I genuinely scared Zach. I said yes. Actually, I said HELL YEAH.
We Went to NYC (Times Square Edition)
Zach and I booked train tickets and a hotel. I obviously had to see it at night!
The billboard featured a lineup of my stickers: "They Hate to See a Silly Goose Winning," "Undiagnosed But Something Ain't Right," "Stop Being Afraid of Being Disliked by Losers," "Everyone Was Thinking It I Just Said It," and more. My designs. My words. In Times Square. Lit up at night.
I genuinely do not have the words for what it felt like to stand there and look up at it. I am so glad we made the trip. It was everything and more.
We also ate incredibly well while we were there. Ukrainian food, Chinese dim sum, a lox bagel with a truly generous schmear, and a classic New York pizza slice. We did not miss.
I will never stop talking about the billboard. It has become my entire personality and I have zero plans to change that.
And Then Patreon Asked Again
While we were in NYC, Patreon reached back out about another collaboration. This one is in person, back in Brooklyn, and it is coming up soon.
June 24th. TALEA Brewery in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. 6 to 9 p.m.
Here is the deal: dig out those tote bags you have been hoarding (you know the ones) and bring them. We are decorating them together. I will have my stickers available as iron-on patches, and it is going to be a whole thing. Come hang out, have a drink, make something cute.
More details to come, but mark your calendar now. I will be sending out a link to register. It will be free!
Arbutus Arts Festival
In between all the New York chaos, I also tabled at the Arbutus Arts Festival.
I came $24 shy of my goal. TWENTY FOUR DOLLARS. I am still thinking about it.
The best part was seeing so many of my favorite customers in person. One of them even brought me a Buc-ee's mini bucket, and I almost cried. You guys are the reason I do this.
Life Stuff (The Real Kind)
We also drove to Richmond to spend time with my cousin before she moves to San Diego. I am genuinely sad about it. Cross-country cousins are not something I am used to. But I am so excited for her and her family. And I will absolutely be using it as an excuse to visit California.
We also made a trip out to Pittsburgh to visit Zach's mother-in-law. She lives in Texas, so having her only three hours away for a stretch was a treat we were not going to pass up.
And between Brooklyn, Manhattan, Richmond, and Pittsburgh, I have come to one conclusion:
We traveled a lot. Too much? No. The right amount. Definitely the right amount.
Maryland's weather has been completely deranged this spring, but I finally got my garden going outside.
Okay But Seriously
This has been one of those seasons where I keep stopping and going, "Wait, is this my life?" And the answer is yes. It is.
A podcast. A Times Square billboard. More Patreon collabs on the horizon. Customers bringing me Buc-ee's gifts at festivals.
I started this business because I wanted to make things that made people laugh, and somehow it turned into all of this.
Thank you for being here. Truly.
Now go shop for some stickers. You know you want to.