2021 Year in Review

The end of the year brings about a feeling of nostalgia for the passing year and excitement for the new year. As I take this time to reflect on 2021 I feel so much gratitude for how far we've come as a business and the community we've built along the way. At the moment I am visiting my family in Greece. I feel blessed to be able to be here and ring in the New Year with my parents, sisters, nieces and nephews. Last time all of us were together was Summer of 2019!

My word of the year for 2021 was PURPOSE and boy, did that play out to be such an important word in all areas of life and business! This year was a big year for us! Our team grew and stretched in more ways for one. Our community showed up again and again to support us and we continued to hone in our mission to serving them not only through beautiful products but more importantly continue to build a brand where all feel loved, heard and supported.

Let's take a trip down memory lane these past 12 months...

January - We launched our "Your Story, Your Heirloom", a special way of working with our customers to craft a piece that tells their unique story.

February - We launched two new collections. Our Handwriting Pieces, and the Charm Holders. The Handwriting collection included medallions and tags featuring children's lettering, handwriting of loved ones, love notes and special messages. The charm holders are a perfect solution for customers wanting to add new charms to necklaces and bracelets without having to always send in their jewelry. They have been such a hit in helping achieve many fun looks and styles in both necklaces and bracelets.

March - March was a big month for us. We celebrated 13 years in business, rebranded our company with a new name and a refined look. We moved our studio in to a new location in Scott's Addition and were so excited for our team to work together (safely)! We introduced two new partnerships with two women owned businesses: Susan Gordon Pottery and Yearly Company. Our business got featured on the Scout Guide Richmond as part of a group of small local businesses. It was an honor to be part of it and a great experience to get our work photographed for the guide.

April - April was a busy month for our team. We crafted and shipped hundreds of Mother's Day orders.

May - I continued working on more commissioned custom home illustrations (something I enjoy doing a few times a year through a limited batch of commissions). A limited number of our custom home ornaments were back in stock for a limited time and they sold out in 2 hours!

June - I was invited to become a member of The Female Founder Collective, a network of businesses led by women, supporting women.⁣ This month we also invited a diverse group of local customers to be photographed together in our studio as part of a photo shoot representing diversity in our community. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences we had! We launched our first Rewards Program as a way for our repeat customers to gain points and rewards every time they shop.

July - Summer was a fun time both personally and for the business. We were able to take our first "real family" vacations since the pandemic started, enjoy the summer outdoor activities. We launched our Summer Fun contest inspiring parents to take photos with their families outdoors and submit them to get silhouettes made. It was such a fun process! Our Christmas in July Sale marked July as our busiest month and one with the most sales received in the history of our business.

August - We took time to rest and enjoy the last days of summer with a family vacation in Rosemary Beach, Florida. It was dreamy and all we needed to hit pause for a bit and recharge our batteries. We launched yet another successful new collection, the Falling Letters.

September - This month marked the beginning of in-person learning for our kids. Life continued to show signs of returning back to normal. Custom home ornaments were back to stay and we sold more of them than all ornaments combined. They truly are such a fun product for commemorating the places that hold our hearts. You helped us raise over $2500 in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. We look forward to making this happen again in 2022!

October - We launched our Ready to Gift collection as a way for customers to receive our heirloom products at a quicker turnaround. We participated in Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month and blessed 3 families in our community with a custom heirloom product representing their angel babies. Giving back is something close to our hearts and we feel called to continue to bless families in our community.

November - We were excited to launch our Build Your Own 14K Gold Pearl  Necklace - inspired by a local customer. We had a feeling this product would be loved by many, but had no idea it would become an instant best seller. But we didn't stop there. After months of designing and prototyping another fun product, we launched our Enamel Medallions - a collection of medallions featuring silhouettes, names, initials enameled to perfection in two colors (black and white)  and a way to continue customizing necklaces and bracelets with the people and stories dearest to you.

December - It was a busy month with shipping hundreds of holiday orders.The making of our Team's Holiday Card was a highlight and we had so much fun putting it together and mailing it to all our VIP customers.

We continue to love what we do and knowing our products bring joy to so many, inspires us to keep going. Our team is excited for all the new opportunities happening in 2022 and can't wait to share them with you all. Make sure to get on our email list HERE. Wishing you a Happy New Year!