When I decided to take a step back and re-brand myself, I knew it was going to be a rocky and complicated road. For me. All the good, positive stuff that would come out of it, and how much happier I'd be for it. And I am. SO much Happier, and I'm still only beginning to come into my new skin. When the journey first started, what feels like a lifetime ago, I really wasn't sure what to expect. (you can read all about those first steps here)
What I didn't anticipate was the confusion and backlash from those around me. While I thrive with change, not everyone else does. We grow apart, we move on. This has been my challenge of late. Maybe we don't like to see our friends and loved ones move on to better places, if we're stuck. To see them settle and happy when we're not. Or maybe we're confused by their new being and don't know how to ask. I can't answer these questions for someone else. But I can react. And that's where one of my faults lay. Because I don't. I let it slide and distance myself from the negativity. Classic Michelle.
But my friend Christine summed it up quite well for me (she's so smart that lady!) She said (and I'm paraphrasing here a bit) that we all have our people in boxes. The way we know them, and have known them for however long they've been in our lives. Now they've moved to a new box and we aren't sure about it. It's change. It can be confusing. We want them back in the box we are comfortable with. Maybe they need an adjustment period to get used to this new box. Maybe they aren't sure they will be in this new box with you, or will want to.
Just remember folks, when someone is growing and changing, it's good to support them. Not poke fun at what you may not understand or what might be a challenging time for them. We are all human and should support growth and new challenges and passions. If we don't understand it we should engage in conversation. It's good for both sides to talk it out and then hug it out.
With all that said, it's time for the business and blog and personal life to part ways. I was blogging about personal life changes here and it's been a big part of my growth - and thunderpeep has been such a big part of me, but we've grown apart a bit. I did contemplate walking away from it entirely, but it's still enough of a part of me, and there is still lot's of fun to be had that I just can't.
But it's time for my personal blogging to have it's own space, as it's really become so much larger than I'd ever anticipated. So folks who want their thunderpeep can still have it and those who want some of the new #Grexy Michelle can have that too. (you're going to want to read about that #Grexy on the new blog)
So most of my blogging will be happening over on my personal blog - michelleinthesnow - and you can come visit as you wish. thunderpeep blogging will continue as well, with less personal content but all the fun will remain. So Bear With Me... Both are in transition for the month as I get them both setup and scheduled in between life and work!
I'm really excited for the new blog to take shape and see how thunderpeep settles back into itself. It's been a long road but what lies on the road ahead is so much more exciting.
This post was started a few weeks ago and has just sat there. Literally with one first sentence (which is now gone). Taunting me to say more. But like everything else I do, this updated needed time to brew. Letting people into your personal space is kind of an uncomfortable feeling for me still. But that's kind of all about to change. In a very big way.
Grandma somewhere in California (not positive)
and yes she most likely made that dress herself!
I'm a wanderer. It runs in my family. My grandma was a a wanderer and beautiful soul. When I was really little my friends often referred to her as Mother Nature. She was a really cool woman who I wish I could have spent time with now, as a partial grownup. I don't own a house. I am not married. I don't have kids. To be honest I don't want any of those things. I don't want to be tied to one place, I want to live it all the cool places. I love being Canadian and all the opportunity it has given me. But we live on an enormous planet. Why would anyone not want to explore it ALL. Ok, even I don't want to see it all (you know all those really hot places with big bugs are not on my list of must-see places) I don't want to do the same jobs for my whole adulthood. I've had some incredibly sweet gigs and loved (almost) all of them. But I still have a long list of things I want to do. But living in chaos is also something I don't want to do. Time to make some decisions already.
So, what the hell does that mean? You guys have patiently come along this ride of re-branding and now it's all coming to a head. That's what it means. I need to get out and explore and share and experience, I absolutely can't sit still anymore.
I'm back in trip planning mode. 1.5 years to plan, save and strategize.
Wait, what?
A trip. Where to?
My instagram followers may have noticed this recent post linking to a new social media identity. That's where you can follow all the trip details as they unfold (please excuse my one photo there - I put that up so my friends would know it was me when I followed them). And even come along with me when I set out in 2017 (yeah, it takes a long time to plan and save to take a big chunk of a year off and wander) There's also a new blog so I can keep business and personal a bit more separate. It's still a work in progress but it's coming together pretty quickly so you should head over and start follow it here
Thunderpeep is already starting to fold into a more personal creative business, which you'll get a taste of as they roll out over the fall/winter. I'm super psyched about this years calendar. It's pretty grand! More books are also coming next year. And I'm SO FREAKING HAPPY. The adventures of Mina and Runa and the Trolls will continue in 2016. Best thing I ever did in this life was take a step away and follow up on that dream of writing my first fairy tale. Over this past year there have been a lot of confused looks when I talk about where I'm at and what I'm doing. Some good, some well kind of sad. So many people are just too stuck or afraid to really follow through on a dream or passion. If my journey can help even one person break the chains of societal pressures I'm happy. If there's a will, there's always a way. Always. You just have to put yourself out there and be ready to get knocked down a couple (or lot's) of times.
Well, maybe not EVERYTHING. Some things should stay old and in the past. Like acid wash jeans. Seriously what is up with them? Every now and again I see some random person wearing them. Sure they are young and still trying to find themselves, but still... I. Just. Can't.
Anyhow… we're here talking about old cards getting a fresh makeover.
Yep. Part of the thunderpeep re-branding will result in the re-design of pretty much all the old cards. There are a couple of the newer ones that are safe, but everyone else better hold on to their acid wash pants (no really, I think I'll have to find a way to work some of these hideous jeans into a design - and NO this does not mean I'll put any of the Trolls in acid wash jeans Lindsay!!! ) Out of the 8 new designs coming to the shop, 3 of them are actually re-designs.
With the exception of the BFF card, both the 30th birthday and You're Old were not huge sellers, so they made sense to be first up for re-design. Now, for the BFF, the greeting card side of thunderpeep is moving away from the character driven illustrations a bit, to fit in better with the new aesthetics (don't worry I have a post coming up that gives you the ins and outs of the re-brand)
These, along with the new, new cards will be available in the Etsy shop this Sunday. Wondering about the new, new cards? Well you'll have to wait until the weekend to get your first peep at those ones, but I can tell you that there are 2 new birthday cards, an engagement and 2 new friendship cards. Well maybe 3 new friendships. One is still not quite right, so not sure if it'll make it in time.
So, a couple of weekends ago it was something like the Great Escape over here at thunderpeep headquarters. It was a mad rush to get the hell out of the city (those pics above are my idea of what I needed - peace and quite and nature) You could feel summers' sweet breath in the air, trees were green again. All the signs were there. It was time to camp.
I'd kind of dragged my feet committing to this camping trip. There ALWAYS seems to be something that needs to get done. But more important than any of that stuff, I needed to get away from everything and clear the noggin and just think about some stuff that needed to be thought about. And my good friend Amy had been pestering me (in the best possible way of coarse) to take a road trip with her up to Algonquin. We both needed a Chill The Fuck Out weekend. Very tempting, considering neither one of us had been there (what??? I know!) and it was Moose season. You see, Amy and I have very good Moose karma. It's like they know we're coming through and all come out to the road way to say Hei! No seriously, I'll have to dig up that video from Newfoundland - you guys will love it, and it embarrasses the heck out of Amy!
Now, if you're one of the random folk who've been following the blog since way back in the very beginnings, or longtime friend of thunderpeep, you'll remember the good old days when this whole blogging thing was all fresh and new. When it was just a name and a reputation. This blog started as a way of having a bit of fun while chronicling the Adventures of Thunderpeep and her group of strange folk (with some serious exaggerations!) There was the Fan Bus adventure to Kelowna (this was back in the BC days remember) the trip to Apex (but most of that story had to be edited out ;) and all the Giants games shenanigans! And most of those adventures included Amy, so this post is kind of suiting the whole re-birthing that is taking place with thunderpeep at the moment. We're going back to where we started, in a way.
And lucky you, it's not even Thursday and you're getting throwback gems here. Those are some banners from the original blog, I dunno around 2003 or 2004. Anyway, where were we? Oh yeah, that trip to Algonquin and the Moose.
Since Amy doesn't live in Toronto I was a happy camper to be starting my end of the trip by taking the GO train up to Barrie to meet up with her (you know I love train rides, but can't say the same for time spent in Barrie. We just don't get along. No story here, keep moving)
I'm not going to talk about Barrie. It is what it is, and for some reason whenever I am there I always encounter the shadiest of Barrie-folk (I have also learned that Barrie is the Sasquatch hotbed of Southern Ontario - this does not surprise me in the least!)
So once Amy picked me up and we were en route it was FUN TIMES. There's a very good reason we've stayed friends all these years, despite living in different cities or provinces for 90% of the relationship - we know how to have fun. Nothing is off the table, nothing is too dorky, we have one of those friendships where you just whole heartedly accept the other person for whatever weirdness comes out of their mouth. The music was up, the roads were clear, the sun was out and the forest was waiting.
Entering Algonquin was amazing. I have missed that feeling of being surrounded by nothing but dense trees. It makes you feel so tiny but so alive. It's so tranquil yet so full of life. Everything just works in the wilderness. It all fits together so perfectly. And you just find your place and fit right into it. I know the great wild isn't everyone's cup of tea, but even if you don't like to hang out with it, you have to give it the respect it deserves for persevering despite the chaos us humans throw upon it. That's as far as I'm going on that topic because this is a happy happy fun fun post ;)
And just as I stated, the Moose were there, waiting for us to drive through….
If you look really closely you'll see Bruce right there in the middle. He was a big guy and didn't seem to be bothered at all by the crowd on the side of the road taking photos. (this picture does him no justice - he was HUGE) That is until I opened my big mouth. That's just the way I roll, like Dory in Finding Nemo, I think I can talk Moose (ok she thought she could talk whale but whatever - I can totally talk whale as well as Moose) So as I blurted out my greetings to Bruce the earth just stopped moving. All except for Bruce, who slowly lifted his gaze to mine and gave me that look. I'm sure all you parents have that look too. The "you've gone too far this time little lady" look that let me, and all the others know that photo taking time was officially over. He definitely won the stare down, as Amy and I turned tail and ran back to the car. Luckily for everyone Bruce just went back to eating. I told you I had Moose Karma. I'm always able to make eye contact, and as intimidating as it is, it's an incredible experience.
So off we went through Algonquin. We did see some more Moose a bit further down the road, we figured they were Bruce's lady friends waiting for him, and the sun to set so they could get their party on! Because what else do Moose have to do all night? I can tell you what Amy and I had in store for the night. Some cold drinks and a campfire with roasted marshmellows. Because what else do friends have to do in the Forest at night? So let's get to this campsite already...
So, the first thing wrong with the above photo is the Bear in Area sign. This was what greeted us when we drove into the campground. I mean, I know this is bear country and it's their home not mine, but there is no part of me that wants any kind of encounter with a bear. Even the times I've seen them from the safety of a car was too much for me. All respect to them. They are the boss. Plus it was dark enough out, so I was going to be nothing but nerves every time I had to get out of the car or tent. I mean in the dark I would probably just hear his huffing and pee my pants!!! The second thing wrong with this photo is the temperature. Notice the difference between the outside temp on the left and the temp on my heated seat on the right (I know totally got spoiled with the heated seats. Such a luxury, but my bum is always cold so I welcome them!) Well, that's a bit colder than we expected. We still felt prepared, but we had no idea the temperature was going to continue to drop. Yeah, you can already see where this adventure is going!
It all started out ok. Other than the fact that the wood shed was closed and Amy had decided NOT to take the firewood her husband had offered before she drove off. No campfire for us. So, ok, we'll just hang out in the tent with our flashlights and eat cold marshmellows. There's always tomorrow night for roasting and campfire stories. Now, as we unloaded and setup the tent we didn't really notice the temperature. All that moving around tends to keep you warm. But once you settle in to your sleeping bag, even with a couple of extra layers of blankets, it gets cold. And you've heard me mention before that I quite like the cold. I much prefer it to the sweaty heat. But this wasn't just cold. It was -7ºC (I have no idea what this is in Farenheit so just say it's fucking cold) COLD. Shivering in your sleeping bag kind of cold. As funny as it was, we still made the decision to pack up the sleeping bags and climb into the car. We're still camping, just not in a tent. I felt slightly ashamed, we're both hearty campers, we came prepared. No one wants to end up sleeping in the car. But we did. It didn't get much better for us though. Don't forget there's that bear in the campground ***SPOILER ALERT - I am just dropping that bear reference in for dramatic effect, we never actually did see said bear*** But there is one thing you may not know about me. I'm a bit claustrophobic. And the back of Amy's journey is roomy, but not roomy enough for my tight space anxiety. Despite the giggles while making fun of ourselves, it was 3am and we still weren't asleep. It was still cold in the car and we both had to pee. But who the hell wants to get out of the car now, with a wild bear roaming around. I'm not going to get mauled while peeing! (it's amazing where your brain goes when you've been awake almost 24 hours) But I just had to get out and stretch my legs and shake off that feeling that everything was closing in on me. There was no way around it.
And it all worked out (which you know because of the spoiler a couple lines above. That bear wanted no part of our ordeal, he would have just rolled his big bear eyes at us, all curled up in the car and kept on walking. Probably towards that wild pack of coyotes we heard howling away earlier) If you ever find yourself in minus whatever degrees weather while camping, and are forced to sleep in the car (or for any reasons other than the weather) it may not seem like it would be the best option, but the front seat is where it's at. I just couldn't handle the feeling that I was lying in a coffin, in the back end of that journey so Amy booted me to the front seat so she wouldn't have to get kicked a million times by my fidgeting and wimpering (no not really, I'm not a wimperer, but I most certainly am a night time fidgeter) And let me tell you, it was better for my anxiety, but way worse on my fear of that bear. I had to pull the covers over my face, I was so freaked out that I was going to open my eyes and see that bear peeping back in at me (and of coarse when you have sleepy brain you can't stop opening your eyes and peeping out the window to see if he's actually there!) Holy Hell. We were a wreck! Seriously.
Finally the sun came up and we just gave up. We probably had a combined 4 hours of sleep but we just couldn't be in this car anymore. Plus we had to pee again, and it was light enough to make it to the washrooms (this is provincial park camping so thankfully I didn't even have to think about those outhouses) We then proceeded to the camp office to see if maybe one of those warm looking yurts was free, you know so we didn't have to spend a second night in that stupid car. As we waited in line a friendly older gentleman chatted us up by telling us about how cold it had been up there the day before. They had been out on the lake fishing when a snowstorm blew in (I'm sorry, a snowstorm at the end of May??) Amy and I both responded in unison "yes we are aware of how cold it was, we slept in it last night". He chuckled and told us he hadn't noticed he slept in one of the yurts (one of the yurts that were all taken so screw you Amy and Michelle). Never in my life have I wanted to punch a cute old dude as much as I wanted to punch that guy, in that moment. But I'm a well mannered camper (despite the inappropriate language I may have used during the night) and I refrained from any physical encounters. And I noticed the weather forecast for the day was posted. It wasn't getting any warmer. So, I was totally wrong about summers' sweet breath, we were in store for the morning after, hangover breath. Thanks Mom Nature!
So we went back to our beautiful campsite (right on the lake, you can't ask for much better than that!) And Amy had a serious breakfast to cook for us. We may not have slept but we had bacon, eggs and toast (see I told you we were serious campers - we have a camping stove that comes with a toast rack. That's serious stuff) Of coarse we'd both forgotten any tea or other form of caffeine, and the eggs were the hard boiled ones that Amy accidentally grabbed, but whatever. It was a new day. While we lounged over our awesome breakfast we contemplated our hikes for the day. Considering our lack of energy choosing which ones wasn't hard. We were going for the short ones, with perhaps some naps in between. That plan was more ambitious than we realized.
We drove for a bit, enjoying the scenery and looking for more moose when we decided upon the Whiskey Rapids trail. Because it has to do with Whiskey, so of coarse. (to note: I have actually never had whiskey before) It was pretty gorgeous, the rapids are only a small bit of the trail, but it runs along the river and you're all cozy in the trees - lot's of scenic points. And the story with the name is something along the lines of some fisherman carting some barrels of whiskey along with them up the river, they all get thirsty but don't drink the whiskey yet, then they all go mad, someone gets tossed overboard but takes the barrels with them and none of them are ever seen again. This is the way my sleep deprived brain remembers the story. If you are in Algonquin park anytime soon and get the full story, please feel free to share it. Because my version sucked it. You're welcome!
That was exhausting (no not writing this novel of a post, the actual hike). Algonquin 1 - Amy + Michelle 0. 40-somethings just don't have the ability to pull all nighters and then hike all day. At least these 2 don't. Algonquin had beaten us. It's slightly crushing, but it was all in the name of Good Time Forest Adventures. You certainly can't say our stay was boring. Because the stories were going to be so funny. Everyone was going to laugh at them. Or us.
We went. We saw Moose. We had Fun. We chilled the Fuck Out (literally)
So the journey was packed up and we headed home. At least to Amy's home. It was so much closer and I wasn't ready for the big city yet. Plus she has a sweet fire pit, we could actually roast some marshmellows in. YES! Nope, by the time we got home and her husband Tom made fun of us we watched "The Great Outdoors" with the always hilarious John Candy and Dan Ackroyd. I'll leave you with a clip from the movie, what NOT to do when you encounter a bear. At least I can say I've still never encountered a bear in the forest.
I've been meaning to do this for awhile now, but you know how it is…. always on the never ending to-do.
But today was different. I was updating the Society 6 shop (go check it out some fun new patterns and designs up and still a few more to come) and one of the pieces for sale are laptop and ipad covers. Basically that's almost the same sizing as my laptop screen so a couple of extra minutes was all it took to make some of the designs into Desktop Wallpapers… For You!
I'm going to make a point of having a couple available each month so you can always have a little piece of thunderpeep fun with you. (hopefully you're not like me lately, with all the crap on my desktop cluttering up over my background image. sigh!) These 2 are from this years Midsummer collection.
Just click on any of the images below and it will pop up in a new window. Right click the image and download it onto your computer, select it as your new wallpaper and voila! you now have a super Fun image on your screen. (please note that these images are for personal use only they are not for resale)
OOAK Spring 2014: I never got a full finished booth shot (bad me) / The Home print from the calendar was a hit / Ferdinand the Fox and I filled up on yummy lemonade
Yesterday was my first full day of NOTHING. I slept in (waking up at 7 is still sleeping in if you went to bed at 9:30 the night before, right?) lounged and tidied up and napped and lounged and watched crappy movies.
It was really nice. Sometimes you just need nothing days, and I needed that one. So much has been happening lately, and still so much more to come. It can all be overwhelming at times. But so exciting that I can really only mellow for one day then I get itchin' to get back on the wagon and get shit done.
That's where I am today, as I work on the new To Do list, that is much more complex than I anticipated. The Midsummer Collection is starting to take shape and I'm pretty excited about it. It's going to expand into some new (well not so new - more like reborn) pieces, there's a a book all about Trolls, there's a pretty freaking awesome collaboration with my good friend Quilter Steff and I've already got Christmas back on the list. What the….??? Yep, seems June is when all your favourite card selling stores want to take a peep at the Holiday collections.
Crazy. Right?
But I figure that gives me July to kick back and plan my big trip next year. And other BIG adventures. And to figure out how the heck I'm going to fit in a big 40th shindig one week before the Holiday One of a Kind show.
Small Business never stops plotting and creating and planning and conquering. I know this because I'm just finishing up Arlene Dickenson's "All In". Highly recommend it to anyone and everyone on an entrepreneurial path, or even for those who have crazy entrepreneur friends and loved ones.
Don't forget to follow me over on Instagram (thunderpeep) for all the sneak peeks and if you want to share your card giving or card receiving adventures tag your pics with #thunderpeep and I might just share it with all my peeps! I'm all about sharing the love (and non-love ;)
There's been a lot of growth over here at peep HQ over the past couple of months, and even more in the works.
It's been exhausting, exciting and I won't lie, stressful. When you run your own business you have to keep moving forward and that journey has been rather interesting with thunderpeep. When I look back at the past 3 years I honestly did not expect this to be the path it took. But I'm also a firm believer in everything happening for a reason, people come in and out of your life for a reason and all you can do is enjoy the ride and never EVER let any opportunity pass you by.
That all being said, one of the big projects I've been working on has finally launched and I can share it with you guys! Back in January I was approached by Etsy Canada about designing some online invitations for a collaboration they were working on with the online invitation site ECHOage.com Now I've been a bit hesitant about online designs and the digital download side of invitations, but this collaboration was the perfect opportunity to take the leap to the *other* side!
Head on over to ECHOage to check out not only my designs, but those of other Etsy artists!
You will also notice that some digital downloads have started to pop up in the invitation section of my Etsy shop, including the super popular and FUN 40th birthday card design being re-designed into a party invitation (awesome!)
You can check out the DIY listing here and the custom invitation design here. They're already working their way up to BestSeller status!
Unfortunately though, with all this fun stuff happening, I haven't had the chance to really work on the Midsummer collection is no longer going to be debuting at the Spring One of a Kind Show but back to it's original launch date of June 1st. Don't be sad though, there are some seriously FUN new products that will be new at OOAK and this gives me the time I really need to bring all the awesome I have in the works for the 2014 Midsummer collection.
And stayed tuned for all the other fun things that are in the works!
I have curly hair. Pretty nice curly hair that is fairly low maintenance (you can be jealous, it's ok!) That is until I moved back to Ontario and we had a real winter {because the first 2 really weren't that different than Vancouver winters}
I love wearing toques (that'd be a knitted winter hat for all you non-Canadians) but between the toque, the super dry air and the static my hair is a flat mushy mess.
The lovelies over at Simple Smiles know all about these dramas, being makers of super fine knitted head wears (and other goodies). So they made up a little video tutorial to give us all a couple of sexy options for hair and headwear solutions.
Here's the video, and you can read the full post here
Have a FUN weekend I'm off for some BFF time and to soak away the past few crazy months at the spa. You'll be even more jealous when you see the pics!
You remember those books you got in elementary school, the ones with all the lines to help you practice your letters with? I still love those books, and they've become even more useful to me know as I've taken on the task of learning Modern Calligraphy. I found this amazing class through Skillshare (what you DON'T know about Skillshare -> go look now!) I really want to start working more hand lettering into my work so need to up my skills.
January has been a tough month. Still trying to reclaim all the spent energy from the Holiday. It seems that sometimes once you stop and take a moment it can be hard to get back into a groove. At least for me. And so many distractions!
I've got a couple of new collaborations in the works that have helped to get the creative juices flowing. And all this time spent getting the house & studio back in order were accompanied by great tunes. I love just putting random music on and was getting bored of my same old itunes selection, so I headed over to Songza (if you don't know it you must check it out) Being that I love most things Nordic and Scandinavian I decided to search to see if there was anything under either of those categories. Gold Mine! I found this amazing Scandinavian Folk mix. I'm not really a fan of any one specific genre and really the only folk I like is the more modern Of Monsters and Men and Mumford and Sons style. So I was a bit skeptical, but it also listed Bjork on the playlist and I love her quirky tunes.
One thing I do tend to lean towards in my music is dark and moody lyrics. Might surprise some, considering the style of a lot of my work, but there it is. Along those lines I found a couple of great new bands that are great for working to, just getting lost in the words and melodies, so I thought I'd share them.
First up is First Aid Kit, a Swedish girly duo. So pretty and moody and you just kind of want to lay in the grass and stare at the clouds all day music. Did I really just say that???? Listen for yourself
Next up is the adorable Jens Lekman, who is also Swedish but his record label is called "Secretly Canadian" so you have to love it for that even if you don't like his music ;) He's a bit more pop jazz??? Not sure what to call him, but he's cheeky and I like it. He's got a song called "Some Dandruff on Your Shoulder", of course I'm going to like him!
He doesn't seem to have any videos that I can find so this will have to do. Turns out this was actually on the Whip It soundtrack (bonus points for that because that movie was rad - still trying to bring that word back ;) And he may remind you of a certain British singer….
It seems with all this Swedish music being thrown into my universe I may have to actually add it to my big 40th birthday trip itinerary.
Any new tunes you've recently discovered that you want to share?
So much has been happening for usually slow January. You will notice the blog looks a wee bit different today, it's undergoing a bit of a facelift. Not quite fully functioning at the moment, but it'll get there. And we'll all have a fun as we get there :)
So first thing, the super sweet Ashley over at chic.toronto did a feature on thunderpeep today and it's fantastic. It's a funny thing, seeing yourself through someone else. But the most exciting part… there's a super fine giveaway happening on the post so GO check it out. You could win!
A couple of super exciting collaborations are in the works, I can't quite tell you about them yet, but hopefully by early February I can spill the beans. It SO hard not to say anything!
The Spring One of a Kind show is coming up really fast… and this marks a bit new step for thunderpeep. A big booth. Like a mini storefront. Scary or exciting or perhaps a bit of both. I'm starting work on the booth now and you know there'll be sneak peaks up on Instagram as it's being constructed. Lucky for me I have an incredibly talented co-worker who is quite versed in carpentry and has offered her assistance. The ideas for all the new designs are slowly being worked on, some of the Midsummer collection will launch at the show with the rest being debuted at Midsummer in June.
For now let's all bundle up and enjoy the winter weather!
I always love when you hear comments from actors or musicians who say they used to practice being interviewed when they were kids. I love these stories. The quirky things we do in our private spaces!
Now, I've got no aspirations to be an actor or musician, but I do have one secret interview skill I have been practicing lately. You know those "Quit Your Day Job" interviews on Etsy? I totally practice what I would say if I were ever chosen, what advice would I give, what have I learned so far in my journey. What funny stories do I have to tell. One problem. I still have my day job. It's about time I stepped it up and made a plan, believed 100% in thunderpeep. Well really I already do this, but there has to be $$$ to back it up. Being able to live and run this little company without a backup paycheck is scary, and honestly not a reality at the present moment. I'm a single lady living in a rather expensive city. I don't live an extravagant lifestyle, that's one thing I have going in my favour, but those are the nuts and bolts. People love to say "there's never a right time, just do it". Those people are always have a significant other at home with a paycheck and just want to live vicariously through you. Do not listen to them. They are the little dark angel sitting on your shoulder, the one who is always coaxing you to do the wrong thing. I require some savings and a strong plan to cover the slow times. That's the reality of it. I'm making this statement of resolution today so that by the end of this year I will be ready for Etsy to come knocking about how I made the transition to sole entrepreneurship. I'm making it to all of you so that at the end of the day I have someone to answer to.
Some other Goals for thunderpeep this year…
1. All of my products are switching over to being silkscreened by the end of the year. That was the original intention when I started designing, but production was a challenge in my wee studio and the limited time I had, what with that Day Job interfering. It's still going to be a tight schedule and a bit more work, but I love it and miss getting dirty with my inks, so it's a sacrifice I'm more than happy to make. And honestly, how awesome are those Trolls going to look silkscreened.
2. Build my blog {pretty sure I say this one every year, but this year I mean it. For reals. Mean it}
3. Do 1 travelling show this year {right now it's tied between Edmonton & Chicago}
4. Notch 5 new wholesale accounts - outside of Ontario {if you have any suggestions of awesome stationery shops where you live let me know, I will reward successful tips with cards ;}
5. Have Fun.
6. Finish and print my Troll Stories books --> this one I'm aiming to launch with the Midsummer collection! So Freaking EXCITED
Some Goals for Michelle this year…
1. Have Fun
2. Don't forget your friends & make some new* ones while you're at it
3. Have Fun
4. Get past the beginner phase in my Learn to Speak Norwegian quest
5. Take more pictures
6. Plan your big adventure in celebration of turning 40!
Now, for that #5 Goal I'm starting a challenge over on Instagram {mainly because I'm addicted to it and love ogling everyone's pics} My intention is to take a pic of a moment in my day, everyday, all year. If you want to join in use the hashtag #welcometomyday Hopefully we can get loads of us doing it and a) we can all get some new followers and b) spy on people's lives. I'll try to make sure my life is spicy and interesting for you!
It's kind of overwhelming. Looking back at the past year. So. Much. Went. Down. Since I'm much for a visual person than a wordy one, I thought I'd do a bit of a montage of some of my fav moments. From massive snowfalls to Spring OOAK, to smashing Etsy shop goals to the surreal Christmas OOAK. Overcoming some personal barriers and orders from super fun peeps from all across the globe. Learning new tricks and fancy new haircuts! So many milestones, so many good times. 2013 was a bit of turning point. As with any great success, there are always fallouts. Many old relationships fizzled out but so many shiny new friendships were started this past year. I am blessed to be surrounded my some truly amazing a supportive peeps as I head into another big year. Many some resolutions for some new *friendships* too {but that one you'll just have to see if it plays out on the blog ;}
As for 2014… well there are lot's of thunderpeep goals I hope to achieve, a handful of personal goals and one HUGE resolution.
Etsy has some really fun stickers if you ever see them at an event. I was super excited to get my hands on one of these at the Toronto Etsy Street Teams Christmas Show. Now, I love stickers {who doesn't really} but they come with a certain kind of commitment. So, in order to stick with my one big resolution for 2014 I stuck this sticker right on my Big Poppy Imac. Yep, My focus this year is on building thunderpeep into my 100% money maker. There's a blog post solely on this resolution coming up, for now just enjoy the pretty sticker!
What about you… any lasting thoughts on 2013 or goals for 2014 you want to share?
As has become the trend the past few years, Black Friday sales are going online and have invaded the Canadian market. What was once a US based Holiday sale day, coming the day after US Thanksgiving, is now becoming a worldwide event.
Last year was my first year hosting a sale and it was well worth it. I wasn't sure if I'd do it this year, as I'll be at the show, with most of my stock. But last years sales during this weekend were too good to not do one again. Luckily for me I have a couple of great friends who are willing to help me out with posting the sales too!
Black Friday ONLY the entire etsy shop is 10% off BUT.... for the entire weekend (that's Friday all the way through to Monday night) I'm offering you FREE shipping*. And that's for EvErYoNe.... EvErYwHeRe in the world :)
You can also get in on the sales this weekend in the thunderpeep Society 6 shop. Free Shipping all the way through Cyber Monday! That's all sorts of prints, phone cases, mugs, tees, totes and now.... onesies and kids tees.
Looking for more Black Friday deals from small creative businesses? Check out all the deals at the Poppytalk Marketplace!
*Unfortunately by Friday I cannot guarantee Christmas delivery to Etsy purchases outside of North America unless you purchase express shipping, which isn't part of the Free Shipping sale.
Thanks to the awesome peeps over at Society 6, I'm able to offer my designs on all sorts of fun surfaces!
All designs on Society 6 are available as prints, canvas prints, tote bags, tees, tanks, hoodies, pillows, iphone cases/skins, ipad/laptop skins, cards and MUGS! So much to choose from.
All these pieces are available now online and will be with me at the One of a Kind show (except for the tote bags) I'll also have a limited selection of the gift wraps that you may have seen over on the facebook page
You may have seen the sneak peek of the mugs on the facebook page, but come back on Thursday when I'll showcase some other exciting pieces that would make excellent gifts for your peeps
I had the opportunity to hang out and catch up with some of my crafty circle friends this Saturday and it was exactly the medicine I needed. I am truly blessed to know some extraordinary women who run creative businesses, all different mediums, at all different stages of their business. All inspiring and encouraging. I wasn't sure, when I first moved back to Toronto from Vancouver, if this was going to be the case.
I"m less than 2 weeks from a crucial time for my business and it's been a tough couple of weeks, for the business and on a personal level. But as I sit here typing on Sunday evening I feel like I could kick the crap out of anything the universe throws me.
But enough of the Dr. Phil moments. Friday I got to hang out with the Roses at Ikea. I love that place. I may have to cut out the Swedish dinners from now on (yeah, Ikea is most definitely NOT a gluten free friendly eatery!) But all my booth building necessities were acquire and some salty licorice seemed to have fallen into my cart as well (I can't leave Swedishland without some sort of treat ;) and the building of thunderpeep arcticland has started. Guys.... I am SO excited for you to see the finished product. Ao psyched about this display!
So, I'm on schedule. The product is all packed. I feel ready. I know I still have a ton to get done. But this is going to be the best Christmas season ever.
There's a couple of really fun posts coming up this week, to help kick off your Holiday shopping - that is if you haven't already started. Maybe some more extra ones as I'm feeling guilty about last weeks lack of posts.
Now... I've been saving this one for a few weeks, but now that the Christmas show season has started I figure it's safe. It's a bit more Solstice oriented and pretty funny.... enjoy!
So, this happened on Friday. One of my Christmas cards popped up in the local Metro paper.
That was pretty exciting. If you spot any OOAK ads with thunderpeep products feel free to send
me a pic, it never really gets old!
My weekend wrap ups are getting boring. No seriously, even my Le Day Job coworkers don't bother asking what I'm doing over the weekend because they know the answer. Working (ie: packaging). Even when that awesome 80's cheese "working for the weekend" came on the radio, they accused me of requesting the song, because that was my weekend (all in good fun of coarse)
So, this post is going to be about some of the FUN things coming up in the next few weeks (and not all One of a Kind events!)
This week I'll be stocking up my stockists in Toronto with Christmas goodies, so if you're out shopping keep an eye out for them.
• November 16th is the Toronto East Rotary's Christmas Fair. I'm sad I couldn't participate this year but I'll definitely be there to shop. If you're in Toronto, check it out. One of my favourite shows of the year!
• November 23-24th is the Swedish Christmas Festival. Now, you know how much I love all things Scandinavian so I'm so PSYCHED to be able to attend this year. I always have a show the same weekend and miss out. I've definitely been missing all the scandinavian influences I had out West, this is going to be good for the thunderpeep soul. Plus they have a real St. Lucia parade. I'll have loads of pictures. Extra Plus it's my birthday weekend so extra celebrations.
• Oh yeah, it's my birthday on the 20th. Last birthday before the 4-0. Last year as a 30-something. Going to be a great one too (and of coarse looking forward to the massive 40th year trip - really must start the planning!)
• Of coarse I'll have all the thunderpeep goodness at the One of a Kind show (november 28 - december 8), but for all the non-Torontonians the Etsy shop will be open for business the entire time. Including during Black Friday / Cyber Monday. Sales all weekend long so be sure to save the date. During Black Friday everything in the shop is 20% off, and for the rest of the weekend it's 10% off - right un until midnight on Monday.
• Very important is the release of the 2nd Hobbit movie on December 13th. Can't wait for Bilbo and co. to continue on their epic journey.
New Years is fast approaching too. I never know what I'm doing until right before but if you're planning a party or dinner.... perhaps you need some swanky invitations. I have you covered. 8 pack sets are available in the shop, but if you need more/less that can be arranged as well!
Now I'm also prepping blog posts during the days of the show, so you'll still get thunderpeep reads. I have a few ideas, but if there is anything you would love to see me post about let me know. Ideas always welcome. Also there will be a ton of FUN updates on Instagram and Facebook so be sure to follow along there as well!
Now, it's time to break out in dance, because being an adult doesn't have to be such a bummer!
Happy Sunday peeps!
Blogging has been a challenge lately. Not just to find time, but to find interesting topics!
This is leftover from the Blog Challenge I did in September.... Write about a moment you'd love to relive. I loved just thinking of what moment I would love to relive! What a great way to spend an hour. Plus today was one of those days.... if you haven't heard about Toronto's lovely Mayor, just google him. This is the "civilized" city I live in. It's definitely getting to be time for a move, so I was already thinking of all the lovely places I've travelled to and while there are a billion moments in those travels I could relive, my visit to Estonia is a perfect one for today.
In January of 2010 I took my dream trip. The one I'd been dreaming of and planning for years. I twas supposed to be a trip through Estonia / Finland / Sweden but thanks to a snow out at Heathrow I lost a few days and had to drop Sweden from the itinerary. So really it was a trip to Finland, with a day trip to Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia and oldest capital city in Northern Europe. Because I went in January when NO ONE travels anywhere near the colder climates, I was a lone traveler. Which I kind of like. It means I get the locals all to myself ;) Including my lovely tour guide, yes I had a private tour. You can't ask for a more perfect trip.
The reason that one day within my trip, was so memorable was hands down the people. Estonians are the warmest, most genuine people I've ever encountered. They truly have a zest for life. They've been to hell and back and embrace their freedoms like nothing I've ever seen. They know how quickly it can be taken away from you. Now growing up in Canada it's easy to take these things for granted, but that one day changed my life. I see the world in a very different light. Some days I forget that, but all I need is to look at the people around me to remember what it could be, and good even my shittiest of days would look to a whole other nation of people.
One day I hope to make it back to Estonia, and see more of the country. And eat their yummy food (I tried real homemade sauerkraut during that visit and it was delicious!!!) And get lost in the Estonian culture. It'll happen :)
I could write forever, but I thought I would share some images instead. My day there was pretty foggy and damp, but I got a handful of pics (just goes to show that the feeling you come home with is always better than the pictures you might take!) I'm sure at some point I'll write more about it, just not today....
One place I would just love to sit, and write or draw or just be is The Song Festival grounds. What a beautiful place and unbelievable part in the independence of the country. Read about the Singing Revolution in Estonia here
Someone posted on facebook that there are only 9 Saturdays left until Christmas.
I was shocked. I mean, I KNOW it's the middle of October, but still... only NINE Saturdays?
So, I can't help you with your shopping, but I can help with shipping woes. I certainly don't want you to be that frazzled person standing in the massive Post Office lineup so I've put together some super FUN shipping deadline graphics for you. Feel free to download them to keep on hand and pass around so all your friends and family send out their parcels on time (especially the ones to you ;)
These are based on shipping out of Canada, if you're outside of my awesome country just check in your countries postal website. I'll list a few at the bottom of this post for you.
Now, if you're looking to order some gifts from the thunderpeep etsy shop or the Society 6 shop(which are both fully stocked with Holiday goodies) here are my shipping deadlines to ensure arrival by December 24th. Don't forget that during the super busy Holiday shipping season things can get delayed, especially crossing borders so it's always best to order ahead of the deadline.
Here's a list of links to some other post offices:
Last week SUCKED. I don't know what was in the air, but it was one of those weeks where everyone seems to be off and nothing goes right. This weekend was a welcome retreat. And I do mean retreat. I burrowed in and worked the weekend away, watched some scary movies and played with the kitty cats I'm looking after for the next week. You may have seen pics of Brutt on my Instagram but now she's got a younger bro, Jasper, who's a bit of a diva. They get a long for the most part, but if I pay too much attention to Brutt then Jasper gets a bit jealous and gives a wicked stink eye!
Brutt and those soulful eyes ~ Jasper is just a big sucker for attention
The pressure is on to get everyone ready for One of a Kind. I have a gal in my building who has been doing the show for years and she was giving me some advice on how much stock to bring and now I'm starting to think I need to plan on more. MORE. Oh my gosh, my little house is already stuffed to the gills and so much packaging needs to be done. Plus I have to start planning my online stock and all my lovely stockists. The Joys of small business. I do have a packing party planned for next Saturday. Putting all the little elves to work stuffing and wrapping and cutting and stamping.
On some really FUN thunderpeep news I put the finishing touches on both my 2014 calendar as well as the Polar Nights collection. I'll be test printing this week and then the calendar will be available next weekend and the Polar Nights on November 1st.
The Calendar is a collection of typographic works of some goofy and perhaps somewhat inspiration sayings. Kind of like the cards, but not really occasion based. I realized last year that the season illustration calendar was a harder sell when my customers are all over the globe. Not everyone has the same seasons at the same time as I do here in Toronto. There are some really funny ones, and some will make their appearance as cards next year. Oh yeah, and I forgot to tell you, in 2014 I'll be officially switching over to silkscreening all the cards, not just limited edition ones. Yay. That will mean some re-designs, but that's all good!
As for the Polar Nights collection, I may have mentioned that this one was inspired by my love for the polar regions and this year I stayed closer to home, focusing on the Canadian Arctic. The illustrations feature and new Troll character as well as some Arctic wildlife among polar scenery. I'm in love with the collection and I was showing the cards to a coworker who is usually my first test market and is a pretty good gage for what will be well received, and she was ooing and awing and giggling so I'm super excited to bring it to everyone else :)
As it is still October, the month of all things horror, I watched a lot of scary movies this weekend. That means I didn't have any musical inspirations for your Monday video. SO.... how about one of the most awesome music videos ever made, that features Vincent Price. Can you guess?
