Work/Life Balance and Oh, Holidays!

In a perfect world work and life are balanced.  However, when you’re this sole proprietor, making handmade items, in the year 2020, well…let’s just say balance isn’t balanced!

This year has been stressful, sales have been all or nothing.  There is free time and no time.  I have been bombarded with problems relating to my co-op all summer.  My co-op used to be a hotel, built in 1924, to accommodate wealthy vacationing New Yorkers wanting to summer in the country hills of New Jersey.  No surprise, there have been plumbing and heating issues, and we need to modernize.

In this preamble to holidays, I’ve been attempting to get the “life” part caught up (one can’t do laundry when the water is shut off), because I have a feeling the holidays are going to be a bumpy ride.

Election Day falls right when holiday sales and order deadlines are ramping up, and this year’s political outcome may have a big impact on buying habits, and delivery times.  All I can suggest is order early.  No matter what the outcome of the Elections, celebrating with those you love is most important…and if that includes a gift from this or any other artisan, please, please order sooner than later.  To that end, I will be starting my Holiday Sale early this year.

My new Holiday Collection features glammed-up sparkle…and in contrast…chunky, brutalist, and oxidized.  Mixed metaphors for my mixed-up year.  New designs will be breaking shortly for early ordering.

Holiday season puts immense stress on all the delivery services, and this year they’ve been handling “holiday-like” volume early because of the pandemic.  I have personally experienced delivery delays going from east coast to west coast from both USPS and UPS all summer.

With every day seeming like a circus juggling act, with fire and wrenches, trying to get everything handled has been a challenge.  We will all get through this year, hopefully no worse for wear, and will celebrate the New Year gladly.