Marching Along

Greetings, friends!

Happy March and happy official segue into spring. We did it! The theme, or mantra I should say, for this month’s post is “awakening”. As the days get longer, the perennials begin poking their heads out through the soil, and we start to feel that little tinge of sunny warmth on our skin again, I can’t help but feel things shifting internally as well. Instead of reading “see you in the spring” posts online from local businesses, I am seeing more and more reopening notices, which is so exciting!

fun & delicious event at turtle gut in wildwood crest. tried my first oyster! we hadn’t seen our friends at turtle gut since december, so this just shows how businesses are opening back up in an exciting way!

From a shoppe perspective, I am in buying mode. I am preparing new spring and summer merchandise orders while scouring vintage shops for unique finds that reflect the seasons as well. I have a consistent pop up schedule (1x a month for the next few months), which feels like a great starting point going into the new season ahead. I am going to look into a weekly farmer’s market to participate in as well to help continue getting my name out there. I had a full weekend of pop ups towards the end of February and while packing and prepping for the events can be a handful, they are beyond worth it for the positive momentum they create! I also had a winter clearance sale that was pretty successful, so I am thinking I’ll do another one soon to keep things moving with online orders. As I’ve said before, the creative and marketing sides of this are very easy to me, but figuring out optimal margins and truly becoming profitable are still things I’m learning about. I reported a loss on my tax filing this year which was good for our refund but is not something I want to see going forward :). I feel silly admitting these things, because financials are at the crux of making a business successful or not, but I’m trying to give myself grace and time as I learn. Much of the early phase of this business is just gut decision making and observing what seems to click and what doesn’t. Am I growing at lightning speed? No. Am I pressuring myself to devote every waking second to this? No. Am I enjoying it? Yes! So I’m just trying to be patient and consistent with my work and see what direction it continues to take me in!

had the chance to tag along on a buying trip to NY Now in Manhattan! I didn’t buy anything but just being in that realm gave me a lot of energy and positive inspiration.

In other news, I landed a job with an event planner in the shore area - shout out to Ella Events Co.; web revamp coming soon! ;) . I am very psyched about it for a few reasons. I think there is synergy within the events and retail worlds. I love experiential retail more than anything, so if there is a way to fuse what I am doing with SL and my new role with EEC down the road, I would be thrilled. I also am excited to learn about running a service based business, interfacing with clients and building a new network with local hospitality outlets. I am pumped to be working for an intelligent female business leader, to feel less isolated down here, and to be making a bit more cash on a consistent basis! It’s part time which feels perfect for continuing to work on Spruce Lane as well. There is a bit of a learning curve with balancing my own business and the new job, but I think once I become more comfortable I’ll find a good rhythm. I will definitely let you know how it all goes and in the meantime, if anyone needs help planning an event, don’t hesitate to contact me! We do events (weddings, corporate, parties, etc.) everywhere too - not limited to down the shore!

here is my first pop up at reed’s farm! i am excited to be back there again over the course of the next 3 months. if anyone knows of a portable steamer i can buy, let me know! lol.

All of this flows back to my mantra of “awakening”. I think the cold, slow days of winter are really in the rear view mirror now in so many aspects. I wrote last month about how I knew life would not always be so stagnant, and wanted to show appreciation for the simplicity that this past winter held. It was special. But now, the town itself is waking up. My calendar is filling. More opportunities are surfacing. And best yet, flowers are blooming and the sun is here to stay! I can only hope the positive momentum continues as we get deeper into the spring, and eventually into the summer. Usually, hope paired with hard work and determination can yield great results. So another hope is that if you are aspiring towards something, you read this and harness your own sense of “awakening”. It’s time to get up and make things happen! We had our time to rest and rejuvenate, and now we shine <3.

we had a beautiful hike at eldora nature preserve, in dennis twship. nature in these parts will never go unappreciated to us!

Cheers to a happy and hope-filled spring. Till next month!