It’s the last day of February. We survived.
I feel like it merits a survival of the fittest party because it was that kind of a month.
I have been really hustlin’ lately. Working hard long after the kids are asleep so I can have my mornings with them. Whenever you start a new business you can guarantee hours of sleep will be sucked into a vacuum and dark circles will be painted on your face. However, I have never been more at peace with where I am at in life both in my business and as a mother.
I told Gabe the other day as hard as having three little ones can be, I know I am going to wish for just one day in this phase of life down the road. Nothing beats the sweet cheeks of a baby, the curiosity of a two year old, and the comedy of a four year old’s language:) As crazy as it even seems to myself, I love the chaos of my life right now. I don’t love it when I am tripping over cars and making sandwiches at the same time as Max is trying to squirm out of my arms, but really, I am lucky to even have the little struggles that remind me that I even get the chance to do this whole motherhood thing. It is a privilege to me.
I am going to be taking the day off tomorrow to hang out with some old an dear girlfriends which can sometimes be the most rejuvenating thing! And of course on Sunday I will be watching the Oscars (and most likely live tweeting my honest thoughts if you want to join in;)).
What are you up to this weekend friends? I hope you get some sun after these weather patterns of gloom! 😉
x, Anna
P.S. Bought this tank after I scheduled where the next Brand Market Workshop will be. Hint! 😉
Brielle Brenner has a knack for making eye make up tutorials approachable and easy.
Head on over to Style Me Pretty Living for the How- To and what materials to use!
A special thank you to Chelsey Heidorn for capturing the photos!
x, Anna
*You can check out more beauty tips and tutorials here!
One of my favorite pair of sandals that are repeat offenders here on IHOD. Well as you may or may not know, they are from ShoeMint. Now, if you asked me the most comfortable pair of shoes I own I would immediately tell you its the two pair of Aldo shoes that Gabe has given me. They go the miles and then some more. So, you can imagine my reaction to hearing Aldo now manufactures ShoeMint shoes! I couldn’t think of a better pairing!
I thought I would show you two looks for these nude leather and suede pumps. During the week, the first look is more accurate to my day to day with a pair of leopard flats. Putting on a pair of nude pumps actually takes the comfortable outfit to a ready to go out look. The second is what I would wear for Sunday best, and these pumps gave me just the right amount of height I needed to wear this Zara skirt I have been waiting to whip out;)
In case you need more convincing to check out ShoeMint – it is a free, members-only website, with personalized style recommendations (which I find particularly fun), and the styles are timeless classics to wearable versions of the latest and greatest trends. Luxurious, stylish, and high quality, made from refined materials, including real leather and suede. They add new styles every month with an edited assortment of emerging and established brands which keeps me coming back! And the best part of an online shopping experience: always free shipping and returns.
Giveaway: Ready to win a pair? One of you can win a pair of ShoeMint shoes of your choice! To enter, sign up for ShoeMint ( no obligation to buy), and comment on this post with which pair you would choose if you win! (Giveaway is open to US and Canada and will run till next Tuesday!)
*All photos thanks to my husband Gabe! This post is sponsored by ShoeMint and all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that make IHOD possible!
I first met Courtney of Honeycomb Studio when she attended my very first Brand Market Workshop in November. When I saw her work, I knew I had to have a first hand look to share her talent with you. As soon as you walk into the studio you feel the creative vibe, and you know you have walked into an artist’s territory. Lucky for us, Courtney so kindly opened the door to her studio to give Kimberly (who took all these beautiful photos!) and I a behind the scenes look at her process, her pieces, and what she loves most about the life of a ceramicist. I was enamored with the small details of her designs that left them with a flawless finish. Rows of beautiful and delicate pieces that I could easily fill my home with;) I will let you get to know her…
When did you first start Honeycomb Studio full time? Honeycomb Studio was born in the summer of 2012 when I left my job in non-profit fundraising and charged head first into the world of the working artist. I spent the first 3 months renovating a disgusting old garage in my backyard into my dream studio and then, in late October, fired my first kiln.
What is your day to day schedule like to run the studio? I wake up around 7:30/8 and, with the first of MANY cups of tea, check emails and print shipping labels for outgoing orders. I head back to my studio around 9 am and begin the process of opening the kiln that I may have fired the day before (hope everything survived!) and starting in on the tasks for the day. Sometimes that task is production, sometimes it’s glazing, sometimes it’s mold making. Because pottery is such a physical discipline, I also try to make it to pilates or the gym around lunch time 3 or 4 times a week.
The afternoon is when the real work gets done. One of my studio assistants usually comes in around 2pm and we work our fingers to the bone and lose all sense of time until 6pm, when they go home. I usually stay in studio until 7ish, which is when I try to wrap everything up and head inside for a glass of wine and dinner with my husband. After dinner, I check emails again, and look in on my website to see if I have any new orders or any inventory that needs updating.
Do you currently have your products in any storefronts? If so, which cities? Yes! Honeycomb Studio’s ceramics is currently for sale at about 25 select boutiques around the world, and we’re adding more stockists every month. In addition to the shops listed on our website, we’ll also soon be found in shops in Nashville, Brooklyn, Toronto, Mexico City and Perth, Australia. If you are local here in Atlanta, you can head to Steve Mckenzie’s on the Westside, West Elm in Atlantic Station, and Young Blood Boutique in Poncey Highland to see pieces in person!
What do love most about being able to do your craft for a living? Honeycomb Studio is a labor of love. It is, undoubtedly, the hardest that I have ever worked but it’s hard to explain the power of seeing something you love grow. Of course, I love my days out in the studio with my hands in clay and having the power to realize new designs, but being able to put my work out into the world and have people respond to it is incredibly gratifying. The process of owning a business, has also stretched me in new ways and made me realize new strengths (and weaknesses) that I’d never known.
Big goals for Honeycomb Studio in the future? Can you give us any hints at upcoming products? 😉 Oh yeah, I’ve got all kinds of goals! First and foremost, keep growing, keep connecting with my customers, and keep innovating. I have lots of new forms in mind, as well as a planned foray into lighting. I’m also kind of outgrowing my cute little studio, so I’d also like to start looking for a larger studio space – perhaps with some sort of retail component where we could host fun community events, like a Porcelain and Prosecco night. We’ll see what the future has in store!
So grateful to Courtney for allowing us to spend the morning with her. She is as genuine and sweet as they come. So happy to support her work and can’t wait to see her achieve all those up and coming goals! Porcelein and Prosecco night? I am there!
GIVEAWAY: Courtney also wanted to give a Copper Bud Vase to one of you readers! All you have to do is visit her shop and leave a comment letting us your favorite piece to enter!
Every month as a business owner and blogger I learn new tips and shortcuts that make my work time a little easier. I usually want to keep my time on the computer at a minimum and with so many distractions wanting to pull and tug every time I open my laptop, I have to stick with a consistent plan of action:)
I have set aside times in the day for email, blogging, social media, outreach, and brainstorming. You can get a good idea of what our day in the life looks like in this post.
When you are running two businesses it can easily take over your life if you aren’t careful. ESPECIALLY if you work from home. So it doesn’t take over my most important role in my family, I have to make the most of the little time I have and stay focused.
I have started to use a few tools that really help me stay organized across the board so today, I am going to share how Bing is one my greatest tools to stay organized:
BING – The newest member of my online resource family:) I started to hear a good deal about Bing Rewards through fellow entrepreneurs and bloggers so I thought I would give it a whirl. Easy to use, just as much results as google, and what I feel like is an intuitive search engine. I really love how it is not loaded in ads and has a clean (and entertaining) interface. I use this on all our devices (computer, ipad, and iphone). There are options to view web results, image results, browse history, etc. which makes it a very convenient all in one resource for me!
ALSO, I found out about their Rewards Program and I decided it was time to make Bing my home page. We are now in a serious long term relationship;) The major bonus is that you can actually earn gift cards for using Bing. You rack up credits just by using Bing to search the web, and when you have enough rewards, you can redeem for gift cards to popular stores such as Amazon, Starbucks, Sephora, Groupon, etc. Yep, I kid you not. This was such an exciting thing to learn about and put into play! You can use the rewards program on your mobile now as well! It integrates really well with pinterest which is another reason to get on board, and leads me to my next point…
Pinterest – The easiest way for me to save future project ideas or note brands I want to work with. I have private folders for both The Brand Market and IHOD. I will save social media sharing ideas, brands and companies that I hope to work with, mood boards, color schemes, etc. I am able to pin images straight from Bing to pinterest, which blew my mind! I was looking up places for our next local notes feature (hint below;)), and was able to pin straight from the search results!
Evernote– After I discover a website I want to come back to, I can actually write out notes onto the screen before taking a screenshot. You can install the small widget on your internet browser to pull up the options on the side whenever you are on a page. I will search via Bing, pull up results, mark up to remember what I specifically came to the site for, screenshot, and save to a folder. Its a lifesaver!
Of course I still use a good old notepad and paper calendar for keeping days straight and to-do lists in order! Although I sure wish Bing had been around when I first started blogging. I would have stacks of gift cards by now earned through search rewards! Ha! What about you? I would love to hear about the way you stay organized for your home and business!
I’m required to disclose a sponsored partnership between our site and Bing. I have been compensated in exchange for this post in the form of payment, product or experiences.
What a week it as been friends! Full of highs and lows, but I think it’s important to end this one on a high so….
You all are probably familiar with Lulu & Georgia by now, right? I have featured them a few times, and absolutely love this company. I wanted to round out the #IHODLovesWeek with a giveaway of something everyone could use!
Lulu & Georgia in addition to the best array of home decor items has a gift boutique as well that will fast become a resource for all occasions. They are going to give one of you the doormat pictured above! Enter easily through rafflecopter below.
Don’t want to wait around? Get 20% off your order with code “HEARTDAY20”! a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Check out the rest of the IHOD Loves Week giveaways here.
P.S. I realize tulips in boots is sort of awkward…but you know.
I had the pleasure of working with Jenny here in Atlanta in the beginning phases of The Brand Market. She has a contagious smile, warm spirit, and she is creatively talented in more ways than one! She wears many hats…blogger, designer, and soon to be mama!
You might be swept away by every single print in her shop, Jenny Highsmith Lettering. She has exquisite hand writing/hand lettering! I am giving “It was always you” print to Gabe for V-day;);)
She is giving away FIVE “Let all you do be done in love.” prints as pictured above! It is one of my favorites and so thankful to her for letting me give away some to you all. Enter through rafflecopter below!
