We've missed you!

You may have noticed a lack of blog updates over the last 10 months. If you know me (or follow us on instagram) you know that I’ve been pregnant. If you know me well (or pay attention to my hashtags) you know that my pregnancy was not an easy one. Far from the “pregnancy glow” that other women seem blessed with, I was hit with the joys of nausea, exhaustion, extreme sense of smell, and a general lack of energy - not a good combination when you’re chasing after your very adorable and very energetic 2 year-old daughter while running your own business. As the pregnancy began taking a toll on me, I opted to give myself a “pregnancy pass” and take a break from the blog. This was not the easiest decision, but the truth is no one wants to read a blog that bums them out! We hope you understand our absence and are ready for more consistent updates from your favorite greeting card company.

CONROY WATSON CARTER

Happily, many great things have come from the last 10 months of misery. The first and most precious is our son. Ladies and gentlemen, we’d like to introduce you to our newest employee… Conroy Watson Carter. Weighing in at 7lbs 5oz, 20 inches long, this perfect little man will supervise production speed and efficiency. After almost being born in the car, he came into the world 14 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. This kid doesn’t waste any time.

BEST FRIENDS ARE THE BEST FOR A REASON

Best friends are the best for a reason. They are there for you during the great moments as well as the not-so-great ones. If it wasn’t for this handful of people, I’m not sure if I could have got through my low moments. Having friends that you can email, text, or call at anytime of day is amazing. Thank you again, guys. You know who you are. Our “Dear Friend” collection has always been at the heart of Love Jac. There’s nothing like getting a card in the mail when you’re having a bad day. The positive thing that has come out of my bad days is a long list of new “friendship” cards that we look forward to creating over the next several months.

BROOKLYN ARTS & CRAFTS

During my pregnancy I also started teaching an art class for children at Hank & Jojo’s shop in Brooklyn. While this was a lot to take on when I didn’t feel 100%, it gave me the purpose I needed to stay positive. The students in our class were amazing – smart, enthusiastic, and creative. I also loved getting to know the parents, nannies, and babysitters of these happy children. Brooklyn is such a wonderful community of people.

In my second trimester, I did get that surge of energy which made it possible to post how-to instruction on some of the unique cards we made in class. Check them out if you haven’t already. If you live in New York you should definitely stop by Hank & Jojo’s shop. If you have kids be sure to sign them up for a class. The space is exceptional and we look forward to getting back into the classroom soon.

SMALL BUSINESS MEET-UP

There are two groups of women I was fortunate to meet while moving forward at a slightly slower pace than I had been. They have all been a crucial part of growing Love Jac and inspiring us to take our company to the next level.

The first group is full of female entrepreneurs with businesses of their own here in Brooklyn. They are all incredibly determined and successful. Here are links to some of their businesses if you don’t know about them yet.

Eleanor’s NYC // Honeysuckle & Hearts Vintage // K Batty Stationery // Pepper Press // Anne Woodman // Roots in Rust

INSTAGRAM INSPIRATION

The second group I was introduced to is all on Instagram. After I posted a photo of my obsession with tape, my friend introduced me to his wife Margot Miller. We have so much in common that she knew I would enjoy following some of her friends that blog about design, fashion, and photography. My top 5 favorites are: @elsiecake, @emmaredvelvet, @skunkboycreatures, @elisejoy, and @modernmaven. They are talented and post interesting photos about their business and their life.

Also after seeing a book at Hobby Lobby about scrapbooking, I started following @kellypurkey, which led to following @amytangerine, @dearlizzy, and @beckyhigginllc.

I also started flowing @taza, though I’m not sure which group of women I found her through. She’s pretty awesome, has two kids, and is living in NYC. She definitely gave me hope that I did not just ruin our happy life by getting pregnant with our second child. Three weeks post-partum, I can tell you her photos tell the truth... Life in New York isn’t easy, but it sure is fun – especially with two kids!!

If you aren’t on Instagram yet, I have to tell you, it’s the perfect way to take a moment to focus and appreciate the positive in life. Whenever something would happen that would make me happy, I took a quick snapshot with my phone and posted it. Taking that minute made me really appreciate what we do have. It has also created a wonderful photo collection of all those little moments in life.

Much more happened over the last 10 months and we look forward to sharing all the fun projects, inspiring events, and happy moments with you, the biggest one being the wedding planning and invitation design of my best friend’s wedding. Thanks to the blogosphere we will be able to do that. We are so happy to be back. We missed you dearly.