What life looks like now.

It's been a long while since I have shared my thoughts.  The world of Facebook and Instagram are so impersonal. It's quick and easy to share posts, but I really do miss the world of writing down my thoughts. While I value privacy, I think since we live in a world that is full of discontent because of social media, a lot of comparison happens.  I hope that by writing down what life looks like, it will help others to realize we are all on this journey called life and there are ups and downs for all of us. 

17 years ago Clint and I made the decision to sell our home, move away and start our little business, Green Fairy Quilts. I had already done a bit of traveling and tinkering with the ideas of writing my own quilt patterns and selling them to stores. We had the website, something I had figured out with my mom. After one particularly successful quilt show, Clint and I talked about risking it all to be able to work for ourselves. I was pregnant with our 3rd child, so naturally I said, "yes!" to all those things. How hard would it be to uproot our little family of five and move 400 miles away from everything? 

Honestly, looking back I can see why so many people in our lives thought we were nuts. Who does that?  Quit work, sell the house, have a baby and 3 days later move away from family..... We were desperate to make it on our own and in our own way.  Not answering to anyone but God. It was a beautiful dream and something that I will always look back on with fondness. 

This life has become our reality and the only reality that our children know. My oldest was only 3 years old when we moved down to Saint George, Utah. Both mine and Clint's families are still up in the Salt Lake City area. We miss family, but we don't regret for one moment the life we have built together. 

It's weird to think that there are still people around us that think that Clint works for me and that I just have this little "sewing company." Nothing could be further from the truth.  Clint and I are equal partners and while he runs the business, doing the work of at least 10, I am lucky enough to be able to create (when I am not needed to help ship orders of course). We have a system that works, but can be overwhelming at times. We work as a family now.  Over the years we have had a few independent contractors who have helped ship out orders, but now it's just the six of us. That will all change when the kids take off and create their own lives, but for now, it's a beautiful thing to be able to work together. 

I usually start the day around 5:30-6:00 am - I wake up naturally, so thank heavens I don't have to listen to an alarm. I first go to our office where all our inventory is, thankfully it's close, lol (home). I work shipping orders anywhere from a few hours, up to 10 hours, depending on the time of year. The kids do school in the morning and then come in and help after lunch.  We are teaching them the ins and outs of running a business.  They learn, we get help, and of course they get paid.  They are all old enough to have a job. Clint does all the computer work: customer service, ordering inventory and office supplies, adding inventory to the website, social media marketing, creating and sending newsletters. In addition to all that he is in charge of finances and making sure everything works out. The stress he takes on is something I know I would never be able to do.  It works that he is a super organized person. Not every day looks the same, but we make it work so there is time for God, us, and the business.  We eat all our meals together as a family and talk about our day together. 

Right now I am trying to figure out who I am again.  Our kids are older and getting ready to fly out of the nest.  It's a weird concept to think about and one part of life that I was definitely not prepared for.  I keep thinking about everything I have done as a mom over the years and my role in their life is changing. In a good way, I know, but all the same, it's weird to have a quiet house because they are content to do their own thing. Am I prepared for a silent house?  It's probably a good thing I am loud and can entertain myself a lot of the time. I think it's hilarious that my husband is so quiet and reserved, yet he married a crazy loud mouth.  Oh, but the joy we have together is abundant.  It's a good thing we like each other still after all these years, soon to be 23. Yay!!

In the midst of all of this chaos called life, I make time for my quilting and designing.  For years I built up this following of quilters watching and looking out for my quilting style.  I shared that style for years, traveling around the world and getting to know so many quilters.  It was a blessed time. It's different now in the sense that I haven't left home to travel to teach since 2020.  The last several years have been insane for us.  When the world shut down, everyone needed quilting supplies. So, we have been busy.  It's been a huge blessing and one that I will never take for granted, but it's been tough on me.  During the shutdowns Clint and I were working 13-15 hour days 6 days a week just to keep up.

I find myself being selfish sometimes because I really want to do my own thing.  It's hard to do when I am balancing other things, like shipping orders. To be fair, Clint and I have decided together that we are happier when it is just us and the kids running the business.  I have a couple sisters who help out when I am out of town, but we don't want to just let anyone into our home to work, even if it would lessens our load. Our home is our sanctuary.

I just want to design, make my own things, and share it softly on Instagram and Facebook and the people who follow me actually see it. I have found out that the algorithms on these platforms make it soooo difficult to be seen. It is so hard to keep up with the fast moving pace; making reels, adding music, making each post something that people "want" to view.  You have to boost posts just to have them seen, and I have pushed back against that on my own pages.  I think it's ridiculous that the people who follow my page won't see my posts unless I pay for it.  I guess that comes with a "free" platform, but it's anything but free if you want to keep your business going.

So, I make time for the things that I want to do.  Last year I made time to take a class that would help me become a fabric designer.  I wanted to be able to take my drawings and create the repeating designs myself.  I have a slight issue with control I guess, but that comes with the territory of being a designer. I didn't realize that some fabric designers have help making their prints, not that there is anything wrong with that, but I wanted to have control over my designs. I wanted them all to be my own design and layout.  So, I am thrilled that Curated Blooms were all my designs and Juju's Petals will be as well. I am currently writing the patterns for Juju's Petals, which ships out in September this year.  I am sooooo excited about this line. Make sure you tell your local shops to get their orders in by April 2025. 

Anyway, thanks for listening.  It's a crazy time for me, but I wouldn't change it for anything.  I have learned a lot about prioritizing what is important and I am trying to keep it as balanced as I can.

God bless!