{sw shoppe} etsy shop is now open!

You guys.

I finally did it - I opened an etsy shop! 

I never realized just how much work it really is. I always thought it sounded so easy and simple and convenient (which it is, in a lot of ways) but starting any kind of business is a lot of work. I've been fancying the idea of opening up a shop for about a year now. I always loved handmade things - and loved that etsy supported small businesses who also shared my love for all things handmade. However I kept giving myself excuses -- I'm not professionally trained, I have absolutely no formal training (My last art class was in 4th grade!), I don't know anything about photoshop or printing, all my supplies are from target or Michael's a.k.a ghetto, nobody will buy my stuff! 

I decided to just suck it up and do it. I've decided to use it to help me fund my mission trip to India (I'm going in just a few weeks!) and that gave me the fuel and direction I needed to get my act together and get er' done.  I've learned a lot and did a lot of things in these last few weeks to prepare for my shop:

•  I downloaded a trial version of Adobe Photoshop and learned a few tricks (thanks to my graphic artist sister Audrey! Thanks sista!)
• I learned about all the different paper/card stock types and the different weights/textures,
• I learned A LOT about my printer and researched about the type of printing it does and the type of paper it can work with.
• I learned how to do a 1/8'' bleed on PS! (I watched a video online, haha!)
• I learned that buying things in bulk is risky but cheaper!
• I found out that google is pretty legit and the kind of support they provide is phenmomenal. I actually got to chat with someone because I was trying to resolve an issue! She chatted with me for over an hour and provided me step-by-step instructions in real time. Technology is crazy, man.
  
• I've received more packages in the last week than I have in a few month's time.
• I've read so many different policies on shipping, selling on etsy, etc.
• And..if you haven't noticed, I've morphed this blog into a personal + shop blog (and bought a domain online!)

It's been wild. But I'm happy to report that we are finally open!
It's exciting (and sorta scary)! 

Obviously, I don't have a legit studio or anything. I actually barely have space in our little apartment to manage all of the supplies I have. There is washi tape, and short-ends of twine and little pieces of cardstock EVERYWHERE. Yikes. Our dining table is doing a decent job so far -except, we haven't been able to use it for eating! It's still a little crazy in here but I'm sure we'll find a system soon enough. (P.s. don't mind the fact that we're almost in February and I still have my Christmas stuff out. hehe)

I've grown quite an appreciation for small businesses. Some etsy folk are super crazy. I've been humbled so much while fumbling through the beginning process of this mess. I've also grown quite an appreciation for kraft things (aka brown paper bag material) 

The thing I love most about etsy is that it's just real people with real passions who are just trying to share what they love. The beauty in small business is the personalized touch that it gives. I hope that I'll be able to find new ways to keep it personalized. :) My stuff is pretty newb - I printed all of these cards before even knowing how to do anything on photoshop (!!) so there is a lot of imperfections that I wish I could go change. I was initially so conscious about it but I'm learning to just find beauty in that too. That's the beauty in handmade things anyway!  

We currently only have two things for sale right now. 

// The first is a set of Valentine's Day Cards that are sweet, cute and "pun-ny". I've always loved good puns and these were so cute and sweet - I had to compile my favorites and illustrate them! I had to rush-make these because I wanted to have them in time for Valetine's Day. But really, they would be good for any occasion! 

They all come with a kraft envelope. 

See how cute that brown looks! Who knew paperbags could be so artsy and lovely. 

This one always cracks me up. 

You can buy the cards individually for $3.95 or a set of all 9 cards for $30.

The prices will go up after Valentine's Day so get em while they're cheap(er)!

// The second item we currently have is this nursery print. It was inspired by a quote from Dr. Seuss + my current love/obsession for all things maps and globes. 

These are just a few of my globes from my collection. I know I'm weird. It drives Eugene crazy that I keep buying globes...but what can I say, I love them! 

Please visit the site here {www.etsy.com/shop/sweetwhimsicality} 

... or the link can also be found at the very top of the blog. I hope to be able to bring a lot of sweet goodies in the near future! I still have a lot of insecurities about all of this - but I'm trying not to worry and just have fun with it.  : )

Well, here goes nothing!

My first shipment of orders go out tomorrow! 

p.s. if you are local and I see you in person on a day-to-day basis, you can opt out of the shipping code by entering the coupon code: X0X0SHIPPING (those are zeroes and not "o")

xoxo

everyday life - week 4

Can't believe we are already in the last week of January - this week is buzzing buzzing by.  

I've been out of commission for the most of last week because I caught the yucky cold. I wasn't able to go to work for the majority of the week - which meant I spent a lot of time at home and drank a lot of tea. I'm finally nearing the tail end of it and I'm excited to have full energy again. However, the husky morning voice has sorta been my fave. I've been singing a lot of John Mayer and Norah Jones lately. It's been lovely! 

The first day I got sick I slept for almost 7 hours during the day and woke up craving fries. Since all of our favorite soup places were closed on Sunday - Eugene took me here and it was a good decision. 

The next day we got the soup though and it was worth the wait. Those green onions, though.. 

Like I said, we drank a lot of tea. Like almost 4-5 cups a day. 

Of course we drank some iced tea too! I was so thankful for this rare but sweet mid-week date! 

Eventually I went back to work and back to my usual snacks. 

I also finally did a soft opening for our shop. We currently only have two items --  some "pun-ny" valentines day cards and a nursery print. check it out -- {www.etsy.com/shop/sweetwhimsicality} everyone has already been so, so supportive and I have felt so blessed.

once I felt a little better, I dragged myself out again. this obviously made it kinda easy to get out there and start doing things again. this was my favorite kind of morning. 

I finally went to go see my primary care physician. here I am getting checked for my cold, getting my annual done and getting my malaria and typhoid pills for my trip.  we're leaving in just a few weeks - yipes! 

It rained this week. so Eugene requested chili and grilled cheese. that panini maker is doing magic for us right now. 

Eugene has been super busy since starting school again and one of my favorite things about this year is that he's been studying more at home. He often takes power naps and ask me to wake him. This kills me every time. 

<3 

 I'm screwed when we have kids. I'm probably gonna just take 100 photos of them sleeping everyday - just warning you. 

Here we are drinking tea again. This one is camomile. Loose leaf is so gorgeous. 

I had to snap a picture of this because it so accurately depicts our life right now. A lot of dirty dishes and when I say dishes, of course I mean Tupperware. Can't wait to have a normal life and eat dinner at home with my hubby every night once he's done with school!! 

We ate a lot of pizza at work. I may or may not have stress-ate 5 slices that day.  I still need to detox this out of my body..

finally learned the beautiful art of photoshop.. thanks to my graphic artist sister Audrey. learning photoshop myself means being able to do fun projects like this whenever I want. I've been wanting to make this house rules print forever!  Hopefully will be able to get this printed soon :) 

Getting Porto's on a Saturday morning means 1-hour waiting time in line. Which also means that a dozen pasteries were bought to make the wait time worth it. Only made sense. 

One of my fave pics of one of my fave couples. Thankful that they always let me third wheel.
Starbucks trips with them are my fave. 

cheers to a healthier week!

Xoxo

moments > milestones

Something I learned early on in my young adult life was that no matter how amazing your job/circumstance is  -- you're prone to have hard/bad days, grow disgruntled + discontent and/or find something to be complain about (I imagine even those who dance in the parades at Disneyland have days when they have to drag their feet to work! Hard to imagine, but I'm sure it's true!) Work is hard because people are hard - and taking care of real people with real needs who have real problems (and sometimes with real, deep, serious, cray cray family situations) is no easy feat.  

In any sort of career, we often find ourselves fueled by our passions: to do good, to be the best we can be, to be excellent in all that we're doing. Although we start with good intentions - it's so easy to slip up. I've come to see that in a lot of ways, we live in a "dog eat dog" world and people try to overpower, overachieve and one-up each other in the game to get ahead: to be #1, to be recognized as the "best" or superior over the rest. When I'm not careful, I find myself in that same boat too. That's a dangerous path to slip on when you work in a profession that is responsible for caring for the well-being of others. We oft have to remind ourselves that it really isn't about the title, or the reputation or climbing up the hierarchy of success but our focus needs to always be to care for people entrusted to us in the best possible way, even at the cost of ourselves. 

I'm learning to redirect my thinking and energy to find my joy and sense of fulfillment in moments and not my milestones. What good is a great title, reputation or recognition - if people are not loved, served and cared for? I've learned that I am humanly unable to devote myself wholeheartedly to my patients when my focus is on myself in any measure. What good is man's praise to me - if in the secret and privacy of my patients' rooms, I am not fueled with love, compassion and a personal conviction to care for them as my own family?

In hospitals nationwide - there has been a tremendous push to increase patient satisfaction. We rely on surveys, numbers and statistics to determine and dictate how well we are caring for our people. I understand the necessity and importance of these things from a buisness aspect, but to be honest, it sometimes dehumanizes for me the reason why I pursued this career in the first place. Inevitably, it causes us to pay closer attention to strategy and tactics - rather than strengthening our commitment to love and care for our patients as real people. 

Me and one of my favorite patients ever // permission granted to share photo, don't report me. :)

 The most rewarding experiences for me have been when I allowed myself to see beyond the blue hospital gown. When I remember that my patients are real people with real lives and real families - it brings greater value and worth to the work that I'm doing. I love hearing their stories and getting to be a part of their inside jokes. I love being invited into their lives and - ever so naturally, inviting them into mine. (I have a family member who still tags me in photos when a fried egg is involved because I told him it's my fave. Hi Steve!) I no longer fear if they will sue for this or that, or if they will fill out a disgruntled letter or dissatisfied survey because I'm not afraid to ask them if they're unhappy. I love to hear how I could better help them feel more at home (however "home-y" a dinky hospital room could be). I rejoice with them and cry with them. We hold hands as we undergo CT scans and video swallow evals - because we are both longing and rooting for the same thing. It's no longer just about getting meds in on time, or making sure our response time is less than X minutes. The quality of our service is motivated by compassion when we genuinely love them. Every moment we spend trying to get a hold of a physician, or obtain an order, or rush a bedpan is not done because of fear or obligation, but love. 

I am so imperfect in this. 

I'm realizing the only way I am ever going to be able to do this is if my love for my patients is modeled and motivated by Christ's sacrificial, wholehearted, unconditional love for me. To remember that even if my "numbers" don't reflect it, or if the survey speaks otherwise -- that I can have a clear conscience before God that I did my best every single day "not by way of eye-service as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord" (Colossians 3:22) and that I worked wholeheartedly "as for The Lord and not for men" (Colossians 3:23).

When I look back at my nursing career - I don't want to remember my time as a nurse by any milestones I reached in my professional life - but rather, the small and seemingly mundane moments that made the people I'm caring for feel loved, valued and cared for. I hope that this would be what I strive for and that everything I do would be a means to this end. 

// TO CELEBRATE TODAY'S MOMENTS//

•  Singing a song and dance about Coumadin that my patient and I made up and sang all day because he was so bored that his Coumadin was the "highlight of his day".
•  When my patients say "I love you, too!" 
• Seeing my stroke patient's strength improve throughout the day after spending hours exercising and doing passive range of motion 
• HUGS. My fave. Always. 
• Getting two rounds of pizza and of course eating it both times. 
• Caring for a patient who has the active influenza virus (after having been sick for a week myself!) but thankfully he was the cutest human being ever and was worth every minute in that horrible surgical mask. 
• Crying with my patient and his whole family while reading the cheerleader card I wrote for him before he left for rehab 
• Being able to meet some of the most inspiring people ever and being able to have the honor and privilege to care for them as patients.

Work is hard but God is good. 
There is so much beauty in the mundane.

everyday life - week 3

Happy Sunday! 

Eugene just finished his LAST first week of school for (hopefully) the rest of our lives. yippeee!

here's what our week looked like :) 

earlier in the week, we were blessed with a little kiss of rain and it called for hot tea and boots!

 i hosted a belated secret santa party at our place and we did DIY tacos. it was lovely.

ramen is eugene's fave. always. everyday. 

tried the new taiwanese dessert place - Meet Fresh. it was interesting but so tasty! 

a hard work week means multiple trips to the cafe. 

busy days at work means snacking at work in lieu of lunch. 

the day that meg showed me love in drumstick language. ("WE HAVE NEEDS!")

learned the beautiful art of henna to prepare for our trip to India. can't believe we're leaving in less than a month! 

a rare outing with my sweet co-workers at the ARC Restaurant to wind down after a long day! definitely need to do this more often. xo

first time trying the new Flat White at Starbucks. It was surprisingly delightful! 

they were't joking when they said henna was semi-permanent. 

it took a lot of courage - but I finally started the first few steps to opening up our shop. follow us on Instagram and support us - hoping to open shop by next month! 

therapy thursday with my sister is my favorite. damage was done. hearts were full and our tummies were happy. 

besides trader joes and target - paper source is truly my happy place. 

finally tried the pork belly bahn mi at Medocino Farms! sweet date with erin (+ matt)

i think it goes without saying that going to my mom's house is one of my fave things.

mid-retreat starbucks run with some sweet girls. 

eugene being back in school means we are getting back to eating more at home. we recently got a panini maker and it is currently serving as our toaster and it is da BOMB

i'm fighting off a cold right now - and hoping that this will buff up my immune system for my india trip. have a sweet week, everyone!

xoxo