the days are cold, the nights are long

According to the winter solstice, days should be brighter and longer from now on out, but it certainly doesn't look or feel that way from where I'm standing. I'm really dreading winter.

Mornings are especially hard this time of year and all I want to do is linger in bed ever so slightly longer as the weekdays progress. Life is a bit up in the air for me these days. As much as I want to embrace this uncertainty, who am I kidding? I always need something to keep me grounded and lately I don't have an anchor holding me in place, which makes me anxious. I'm wrapping up a project soon and need another to fill my days. And there's also the daunting task of culling most things I own to prepare myself for a much-needed move. There are so many things on the horizon, and it sucks that I can't control the timing of them all. 

Sigh, at least there's still photography to help me capture a bit of beauty in the most repetitive of tasks.

(See more on Instagram.)

this week in photos

My succulents and Charlie soaking up some sun.

Made lunch for mom and me. Ham and fried egg sandwiches with melted provolone and mozzarella, mayo, lettuce, and sliced kosher pickles. Yum!

A new self-portrait to replace the old and barely identifiable one my friend took of me almost half a decade ago. (And sporting my new favorite tee from Everlane!)

west seattle love

Spent some time with friends strolling around West Seattle this past weekend for their annual garage sale. Didn't pick up anything good, but managed to snap a few shots here and there of the charming little neighborhood. Also found a cute nursery that I hope to visit again soon. 

Photos from Instagram: Lights at Cafe Ladro, pretty things inside Fleurt, sidewalk scene, and fuchsia golden gypsies at West Seattle Nursery.

the bear and the bunny

Regina from Oh, Albatross makes the sweetest little animal toys. The bear and the bunny are my two favorites. She has some great vintage finds, too.

let's talk business, ch.2: being true to myself and my craft

It's funny. Not too long after I wrote my first "let's talk business" post, several conversations that I took part in (online and off) coincidentally were centered around the topic of being true to yourself, your work, and your values. It's weird how the universe has a way of grouping certain situations like this together. It doesn't happen very often, but I find it quite serendipitous whenever it does.

When I started One Fine Dae almost four years ago, I knew that one of the things I always want to do is be true to myself and my craft while running this business. Because to me, crafting is an art form, and art to me should always make me happy. But I've learned that business combined with art can sometimes blur the line between doing something because you truly want to and believe in, and doing something because of money. 

It's hard when large, well-known companies approach me wanting to do business, but require me to alter my work that makes me feel uneasy. Or when they want a large order, but their target demographic or style isn't aligned with mine. Let me tell you, it's a tough call sometimes. But so far, I've managed to make decisions that haven't left me feeling anxious, regretful, or uttering the phrase "Seriously? WTF." I've felt those feelings and uttered those words many times before, mainly in less ideal circumstances, and they never sit well with me. Thus, it makes sense for me to be a little selfish and protective of my company and ideals, especially when happiness is on the line. 

Aran Goyoaga's studio, via Instagram.

I went to a blogging event last Friday, my first, and one thought that resonated with me that all three speakers agreed on was that you should find your own voice and create things that ring true to who you are, and not what others like or are already doing. I couldn't agree more. I remember one time in English class my senior year, we were learning about European authors and the rise of Shakespeare, and my teacher was talking about an author whose work was considered to be like Shakespeare. I asked him how come he's not as well-known, and he calmly said, "Nobody remembers second best." 

It's hard, I admit, not to try to do something that someone else has already become so successfully at. Or not to lose my sense of self or style when business opportunities arise. I just have to stick to what I know and value, and be dedicated.

a trip to swansons nursery

I took my mom to Swansons Nursery this past weekend. A first time for both of us and...wow! This place is huge. With a great selection and so much more. There's even a gift shop, cafe, and koi fish pond, all nested inside a bright greenhouse. 

Much of my time was spend browsing houseplants and getting tips from a friendly sales rep on how to keep succulents alive for more than a month. (Yeah, quite sad, really.) After a couple of hours, both my mom and I walked away with happy purchases. 

Here's my stash. The miniature ones are the cutest.

let's talk business, ch.1

Blooms, taken with iPhone

. . . . .

So, I wanna talk business. Not quite sure how the rest of this post will turn out as I did not brainstorm this topic prior to writing it. I just had a jolt of thought around the idea of doing business as I was finishing up some work, so I want to document it before it quickly flutters. Sorry if this post will sound choppy.

Anyway, business.

I don't really consider myself an entrepreneur. Okay, I'm not. I think that word applies to those people who are always hungry to start new companies, open up new businesses, and take big and risky investments, one right after the next. It's their thing. They're entrepreneurs. It's what they do. I'm not like that. At all. I've actually never wanted to own my own business of any kind. The thought of having to deal with difficult clients, employees, finance, and business politics do not sound fun to me at all. A friend of mine who recently opened up her own company can certainly attest to that. 

However, I've always been a person who loves making things. Inventing things. Creating new things from old stuff. Giving things new life. A new purpose. And the happiest feeling of all comes when my creations are used by other people. When they're weaved into the daily lives of others. In a way, that's how I know my work is admired and has meaning. This is probably true for creative businesses of any kind, so I might be saying something that goes without saying, but I think it's nice to express it in writing.

Another reason why I don't consider myself an entrepreneur is the fact that I've never had an interest in anything relating to business. I've never taken a business class or gone to a business seminar, and in some ways I don't care too much for all the text-book stuff on how to run a business properly...especially ones that have expectations for their bottom line to be a certain number by a certain year. I get that. I get that typical businesses have to have all that, otherwise they seize to exist. But I feel kind of like a rebel at times for not thinking that way. Is that wrong? Perhaps. But I'm doing what I feel is right for my kind of business. And not what a business in general should do. 

Everything I've learned up to this point and done for my little paper shop have been through gut feeling, trial and error, personal values, social media, conversations with other small-business owners, and success stories from businesses that I look up to. It hasn't been efficient or smart, at times, but I love the learning curve. It's valuable to me to know something doesn't work or feel right because I've personally tried it, not because I read somewhere or someone told me that it doesn't work. 

The past few months, I've put in a lot of time and energy into my shop. Brainstorming new ideas, releasing new designs that have been idle for however long, and taking care of boring administrative stuff that I wish would do itself. And recently, I finished putting together my wholesale line sheet. Not just something written out in the body of an email (yes, guilty). A proper line sheet! I didn't expect putting something like that together would take so much time and effort, but it did. And I did it. And you know what? It feels so good. It's definitely one of my first big steps to putting more structure into growing my shop, and taking this whole business thing a little more seriously. 

The thought of owning my own business still scares me at times. Maybe because I don't have a formal education on it, or the desire to get one. Or because the term business to me sounds stuffy and sterile. Not sure, really. But my small shop grew out of the idea of wanting to make the perfect planner to use (ha, I'm serious!). Which eventually morphed into wanting to make pretty paper things, sharing it with the world, and making money in the process. And I am so happy and proud to have it be a business. I've treated it more like a hobby rather than a business at times, but that's okay. It's all part of the learning curve I mentioned. It's been a slow journey, one with hiccups and mistakes no doubt. But the steady, organic growth that is taking shape is something that feels right, and that's what I'm sticking to. 

I've mentioned my shop and shared my creations before, but never talked about the business aspect of running a shop and owning a business until now. I want to make this an ongoing series and share with you my successes and failures as a business owner, and hope to hear your experiences and stories in the process. 

new items in the shop

Phew! What a busy end-of-winter it has been for me. Chucking away late at night...reminds me of my brutal college years. But I am so happy to share with you a few things that I've recently finished and added to my Etsy shop. 

These pencil sets are the latest addition to my growing collection. I call them "simple love" as each word, phrase, or code conveys a love message in 4 characters or less. 

These journey scrapbooks/sketchbooks are such a treat and I am very excited to have them in my shop. The covers are wrapped in vintage newspaper maps from a publication called "World News of the Week" that began in the 1930s! The maps cover all sorts of topics of its time using illustrations, graphics, and text. I only have a few of these guys available, and no two book covers look alike. A limited edition piece for sure. 

Finally, a couple of pocket notepads for everyday use. They fit comfortably in your hand but big enough to take notes or sketch on. I French-folded the front cover and stitched them together for extra thickness and durability. Even though the threads have a functional purpose first and foremost, I think they also bring a bit of charm and personality to the overall design of these books. 

And here's a group photo! Visit my shop for more photos and info. 

hi spring

Signs of spring are everywhere! Makes me so happy. Hope everyone is having a lovely week so far.

don't doubt yourself

My friend Vira sent me this video today. A simple message by Ira Glass about closing the gap between your good taste and work. It's for all you creative souls out there.

Video by German designer Daniel Sax.