You haven’t heard from me in a little while because I’ve been up to my eyeballs with Make It. Our Vancouver show ended just over a week ago, and I’m still recovering from all of the excitement! This year the shows were back to back which is always a challenge. Edmonton was also in a brand new venue, and although we were really pumped, it’s always very stressful to move locations. Needless to say, the last month of my life has been totally cray cray!
I’m absolutely thrilled to report that both Edmonton and Vancouver had the highest attendance yet. Combined 40,000 shoppers came out to support! Not only that, but many Makies had their most successful show, and some even sold out. To witness how awesome they felt when they were able to sell more than they ever thought possible was incredible.
A lot of people ask me how I feel after Make It is over. There’s certainly a lot of relief when the show is complete and the attendance was even higher than we predicted. I love to celebrate, so Chandler and I went to Whistler last week to ski and relax at the amazing Scandinave Spa. The feeling of being ‘done’ is really sweet, but I always get a little sad.
For Make It, we work SO SO SO hard leading up to the show and then *POOF* suddenly it’s all over. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this before, but it can feel sorta anticlimactic and confusing. I know I should be over the moon, but I also have to figure out what to do with my time because suddenly there’s a whole lot more of it. I know it’s a pretty awesome problem to have (it is!), but if you’ve experienced this kinda thing before you likely know what I’m talking about.
I’m so incredibly grateful to all of the people who came out to support our Makies. Without customers, we wouldn’t have a show and since I work at the front door a lot during Make It, I know what awesome customers we have. But, my deepest gratitude is towards the Makies. They are the heart + soul of the show and their love, enthusiasm and talent is something that I never take for granted. Year after year I’m in awe and amazement of the calibre of artist we attract. The fact that so many incredible humans want to do our craft show still blows my mind.
The vibe in Edmonton and Vancouver was particularly high this year. I experimented with some of the techniques I learned at Tony Robbins and did a little pep talk each morning that included lots of high-5ing! I know there’s a lot of factors that contributed to the energy at Make It, but I think this may have taken it over the edge.
There’s still a lot of work Chandler, Brigitte and I have to do post Make It and my brain has been running a million miles a minute with new ideas. I know that after accomplishing something big, it’s super important to take the time to slow down and reflect. My instinct is to keep on running, but I know that the magic comes in the quiet moments upon reflection. I did have a few really lazy days where I allowed my brain to catch up and process the goodness.
About a month ago, I had the inspiration to make something! I was in a sensory depravation tank at Float House, and BOOM the idea to make inspirational prints hit me like a bolt. I was very excited about the idea and immediately contacted our graphic designer Carmen because Illustrator is not my forte. I created a Pinterest board and started to brainstorm.
My original plan was to get an online store up before the holidays, but the timing wasn’t quite right and physically and mentally I was drained. I love to launch new ideas, but I also know there’s no point in rushing into something unless you can do it right. Plus I have to respect my own limitations because I know that if I have too much on my plate it doesn’t serve anyone.
Having that surge of inspiration and creating something tangible is something that I used to live for back in my Booty Belt days! It’s been a while since I’ve made anything that people could touch and feel. I’m really excited about my inspirational prints because my intention is to help inspire you to keep making your dreams happen! There are 6 prints to choose from and they are each available in pink, black and gold. I really love them and can’t wait to put a few up around my condo.
The prints aren’t going to be ready to ship until early January, but as a special little bonus I’m offering you 20% off when you use the promo code: preorder. I know you might still be focused on getting all your last min Christmas shopping done, but think of this as a sweet little 2016 gift for yourself 😉
Thank you SO much for all your love and support. Writing these messages feels really good for my soul and I hope that they inspire you to keep doing the things you love. Your comments always mean a lot too so please share them below.
Happy Holidays!
