We made it through the holiday season....it has been somber here at Little Cabin Soaps. Christmas was quiet, we remember and miss Fella. Our first Christmas without him in 14 years...our pack shrinks and it is sobering.
Focus shifted to make sure we give that kiss, lend that helping hand, be generous with praise and hugs and thank yous. (for humans and canines alike) Take every single day as a gift, say goodnight I love you. Give the good morning I'm glad you're here cuddle... don't be in a hurry and skip it. Do it. Always. That has been the takeaway for the past month as we adjust to a family that looks different. Don't ever skip a moment to show affection and love - there is never such a rush that those things cannot be done. I am a changed person. There will never be hurry hurry hurry, there will always be time to say I love you. Always.
As the year closes out a new adventure is on the horizon. Our collaborations were VERY well received and inspiration came to begin something new. A one stop online shop where you can find all things handmade. A mini Amazon if you will, a mini Etsy that's not flooded with pages of vendors, a place that is FAIR to vendors, not making them pay to be found.... trying to shop handmade this year wasn't easy. One of our goals was to turn our earnings right back around and put them into the small business handmade world. After sifting through pages and pages of people on different shopping platforms, hearing how many fees they had to pay, being forced to give free shipping and taking a loss on many items...we were inspired. We're not knocking these platforms, but hearing how hard it was to be on them, let alone to be found, let alone to make a sale.......again we were inspired. Starting up is terrifying - trying to be discovered proves difficult. Succeeding and becoming a staple in households near impossible.... every maker wishes to sell out. Every maker wishes to be a must have favorite. Every maker wants what they do to be their j-o-b. Our goal is to help that happen, to make it easy for you the customer to find handmade things in one spot. Our goal is for the vendors to be treated fairly and be able to make what they make so well, while providing for their families. Not to make a giant wealthy corporation more wealthy.
Red Front Door Store will be launching in February. A one stop shop where you can find all things handmade, made right here in the USA. Not art, but artisan. Handmade small business items intended for daily use. We'll be working with many of our current vendors (folks we collab with and create sets and baskets with) and seeking as many as we can bring on board. You'll find jams, soaps, wovens, ceramics, men's products, bath products, candles, items for home, pantry and every room of the house. From a scarf to keep you warm, a mug to drink from and soap to bathe with - we are motivated to bring you the items you need on a daily basis (or seasonal basis). We will work hard to help you create ambiance in your home, the handmade way. To eat, bathe and live - the handmade way. Once we launch we'll begin actively seeking vendors, encouraging you to send your favorite handmade artisans our way. Everyone is local, to their town. We are excited to be able to work with people across our great country.
In the meantime we offer our first post holiday sale.........in hopes that vendors sell out. Nothing is more satisfying and gratifying than letting a vendor know when their items sell....every single one of us dreams of selling out. While profit margins for smalls tend to be quite low, we offer this sale in hopes of being to tell them "Guess what? You SOLD OUT" - and a real person will do the happy dance. A real person will add to their grocery budget. A real person will cry tears of joy, feel valued and validate. A real person will be encouraged to continue on, don't give up, keep creating. A real person will feel just that - real. You are a real business. You are really making this happen. People really love your stuff. You are really helping people. You are really doing it. This is the joy of collaborating for me, when I get to text someone to let them know what sold. There is nothing better.
It is scary trying this adventure. It's overwhelming, frightening and.......possible. And...in the end I'd be crushed if I didn't try. We will pull all of the amazing folks we can on board, to help row row row this boat. Failure is in not trying....while the possibilities of what could happen are endless.
Onward we go. Find the new adventure at www.RedFrontDoorStore.com --- for now many items are here with Little Cabin Soaps. But sign up for emails to stay in the know for launch, for vendor seeking, for all the things that are about to happen. And wish us luck in the meantime, as we pick up our oars and prepare to row row row the boat of handmade.
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