Archive for August, 2010
Closing Up Shop
It’s so hard to say goodbye, but in the words of Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton: something’s gotta give.
Parenthood, home improvement projects, and tons of other blog related undertakings have turned us into busy bees. So much so that our little t-shirt and print shop will be closing its virtual doors since we no longer have a spare second to keep up with the whole mom & pop operation anymore. We proudly rely on two local printing and t-shirt companies to create all of our YHL wares, but we do all of the designing, stocking, packaging, and mailing ourselves. We know that we can probably outsource those responsibilities, but it just feels like something else we would have to juggle – and what can we say, we like to be the ones who get our hands dirty and do the work ourselves.
Even though we know closing this door will open the door to future opportunities (and free us up to tackle more projects and write more posts instead of standing in line at the post office and calling in orders) we’re still sad! But we keep reminding ourselves that by simplifying and streamlining our to-do list, we can continue to bring you guys lots of makeovers, before and afters, giveaways, house crashings, and other things that you know and love. Which turns our frown upside down so to speak. Anyway, we’ve assigned an inventory number to everything that’s left in our shop (about 30 items remain) but when those things are gone we’re officially sold out for good.
But enough Debbie Downering (yes, we just made that a verb). Let’s get to the hearts and unicorns portion of this post. We love you guys for your support of our shop over the past two years and we owe a huge heartfelt thank you to everyone of you lovely guys and gals who ordered from us. We’re beyond honored that our prints hang on your walls and our t-shirts hang on your bodies. Seriously, nothing is cooler than that. We so appreciate your support and your interest in our designs!
So now all you guys have to do is stay tuned for more beefy blog stuff that you love. We’ve got big plans for this fall!
Burning Question: Stormy Weather?
This week’s topic at hand: storm doors. Do you love them for the light they let in, or do you hate them for the extra frame of metal that clutters up your entryway? What about screen doors? Do you enjoy the breeze that they provide, or hate how flimsy they feel? Is a single solitary wood or metal front door the best bet, or do you prefer something with a little glass?
Whatever Happened To My Old Corner Office?
Many people have requested a few photos of my old office in the corner of the den so I’m here with the goods. Before we created our office/guest room/playroom this small “corner office” was where I worked full time. Here’s what it looked like back then with the old printer and a few file boxes along with my trusty laptop:
We decided to keep the desk around as a place for letter writing and web surfing during the weekends (when we don’t want to be holed up in the office). We also think that eventually it’ll become a great place for Clara to draw and do homework while we cook/hang out nearby since it’s part of the living area. Here’s what it looks like now:
It doesn’t really look that different from my old full time office of yore, other than the fact that we didn’t need the phone or the printer out in the den anymore (since we upgraded to a wireless printer in our new home office). And a lot of the boxes and other office-y stuff could also be removed.
Oh and we switched out our homemade botanical leaf print – just for fun. I’ve always had a thing for the coral leaf that’s in there now, although the palm one was fun while it lasted.
Oh and the old desk lamp moved into the office and our beloved gourd lamp took its place (it used to live on the side table back when the office was a full time guest room). You know we’re all about working with what we have and moving things around from room to room so it was a fast little switcheroo.
Sure it’s huge, but we love the oversized silhouette, especially because it creates some nice balance in the den since it’s the same height as the floor lamp with a similarly shaped drum shade across the room. And isn’t it amazing how much warmer it makes that corner feel thanks to the soft creamy light that it casts? We love turning it on at night and watching TV with it glowing in the corner. It’s also worth noting that all the after photos were taken with our new camera so that might also add to the ambiance that we’re finally able to capture.
So that’s what became of our small full-time office-turned-part-time-casual desk. Do you guys have a desk in a living area that you use for writing cards, laptop surfing, kid art/homework, or anything else? Do tell.
And while I’m at it I’ll share a personal little morsel about that gold & white notebook in the foreground above. That’s actually a sweet little leather bound notebook that I scored on clearance from Anthropologie. For the last two years I’ve been using it as a gratitude journal. I know it sounds corny, but jotting down a few things that I’m thankful for every day really helps me remember to appreciate all of the little (and big) things that make me smile- so I don’t take anything for granted. I highly recommend it! Anyone else out there with a gratitude journal? I never could stick to keeping a diary, but listing a few things that make me happy each day is so much easier.
Psst- Wanna see the rest of the den? Click here for an update about our new rug.
