Well it's been a while. I unintentionally took a break from writing the Homebody Weekly. And it's not that I don't like writing these updates- it's just that this has become the thing that's been pushed further and further down my to-do list. Don't worry though! MCreativeJ is still going strong and exciting things have been happening over these past weeks- along with some baking, sewing, and of course, murder mysteries.
As you hopefully saw, last week was launch week! MCreativeJ released three new embroidery kits, two new Peel Stick and Stitch patterns, and a fresh set of needle minders into the world. I've been working on this collection for a while and it was so exciting to see such a positive reaction to it. Keeping all these designs a secret for the past few months has been SO HARD! I just wanted to tell everyone. I'm one of those people who wants to share something as soon as it's ready to go, but because I knew I wanted to release a few new designs, I figured it'd be better to do them all together than one by one. So if you haven't had a chance to check out this new collection yet, take a peak at my website and you can watch the unboxing of each new item on my Instagram.
So what else has been happening at MCreativeJ? Well, we expanded our list of stockists! You can now find MCreativeJ kits, patterns, needle minders, and decor in more than 29 stores. From Washington to Massachusetts and California to Panama, we're growing! My friend Jess of Fresh Jess was in Bend, OR last weekend and sent me this pic of her visiting one of our new stockists, ju-bee-lee! Can you spot the MCreativeJ kits?
I always get excited when a shop wants to carry MCreativeJ products. I'll admit, it takes work though. It's not easy reaching out to new shops. Paige of Ponderosa Creative gave me a helpful pep talk and reminded me why I should go after what I want. Seeing my fellow small business women flourish has given me the confidence to put myself out there more. And yes, there's been some rejection too- it's not all sunshine and amazingness over here. For those of you fellow small business owners reading right now, don't let my highlight reel fool you. I share a bit of the bumpiness along the journey in my recent packaging update post.
Now you might also be thinking, Melissa, "how do you do all these things with a day job?" And that's a fair question. I'll admit, my work-life balance has been mostly work, work, work these past few days, weeks, and months. It's probably (ok, definitely not) the most healthy relationship to have with your day job and side business, so I'm trying to make more time for family and friends.
Along with doing the Pacific Northwest stereotypical fall activity of visiting a pumpkin patch and traipsing through the muddiest corn maze I've ever stepped foot in, I've also done some sewing, baking, and had a virtual craft night with friends.
Not sure if it's the return of the Great British Bake Off or the colder weather, but I've been in the mood to bake! Most recently we've had banana bread muffins, chocolate chip and cherry cookies, and frosted sugar cookies. I also tried making beef bolognese from scratch (noodles and all). While delicious, I've never used so many pots and pans in my life! I also realized, making pasta without a rolling pin is doubly hard and using a beer mug just isn't the same.
And while all this is happening (unless I'm watching the Great British Bake Off), I'll undoubtedly be listening to a murder mystery. Right now I'm making my way through Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan series. It's definitely different than the TV adaption (Bones) and I like the characters more. If you're a book lover, then you know: the book is always better.
The two exceptions to my murder mystery thrill ride so far this year have been Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger (recommended by Brianne Fleming) and Ghosted by Rosie Walsh. Admittedly, the blurb on Ghosted made it seem like it was going to be a mystery. I kept thinking something terrible was going to happen or someone was going to die throughout the book. Turns out it was a modern day love story and I was VERY disappointed.
Thanks for catching up with me! This post was a long one and I promise to check in more frequently to share more about the inner workings of MCreativeJ and my life as a murder mystery loving, baker prone, small business owner.
Until next time, happy stitching -Melissa