008 · Radical Acts of Resistance
self care, seasonal changes, restocks, holiday goodies & more!
I ~ Community
In my last newsletter I wrote about grief and how it inspires my work. I wrote about the inspiration behind my most recent shop update and my most recent body of work - my Nana.
My Nana was my best friend, the best person, and an absolute force who shaped who I am today. She passed away last Monday - on the day my new products were scheduled to launch - serendipitously. She served her community, her neighbors, her family, and her church for the majority of her adult life. Despite everything she went through, she always lead with kindness. She did not have one mean bone in her body - and I mean that. At her funeral, I saw the impact of this and, like others, shared how she changed my life for the better.
The past few weeks have not been easy - adding a flooded apartment, typical holiday small business-owner stress, and a pretty brutal sinus infection to the mix. During these times I am grateful for the way others show up for me (with flowers, helping hang up flyers/complete work tasks, a cup of coffee, checking in…) and remind me of my purpose and greatest joy - community.
It’s not easy for me to rely on others, but during this time i’ve been reminded how precious it is to have people to lean on. Right now, I am choosing to let needing human connection feed my desire for building community.
After all, all we have is each other.
Community helps us challenge power structures meant to keep us apart and it can be a powerful tool. I am trying to remember this when I feel weak or depleted.
As I process this loss, I feel called to take care of my community in the ways my Nana did - and called to protect my own energy to better serve others.
This has looked like:
~ Setting better boundaries with clients
~ Setting better boundaries with loved ones
~ Sweating it out
~ Being more selective with the events I attend and participate in
~ Being more intentional with my professional relationships
~ Letting others in
~ Hot baths
~ Being less self-righteous
~ Delegating tasks
~ Being more honest with my feelings
~ Eating chocolate cake (a peace offering from the neighbors who flooded our apartment)
II~ UPDATES
My shop re-opened last week and new arrivals have been selling quickly! Thank you for your patience and support as I get orders out and simultaneously work on client projects and prepare for my holiday pop-ups!
It means so much to me that my most recent launch has been so well received. Not only is it so special to me, but it also validates the time and resources it takes to design, source, package, photograph, ship and sell each product.
In addition to new stickers, prints, post-it notes and keychains, I added two holiday offerings this week to my shop! I pulled these cute doodles from my sketchbook just in time to create some seasonal Gift tags and Holiday Cards available now in my shop.
If you are interested in wholesale or stocking these products in your retail store, please email hello@melandrel.com or find me on faire.
Big shout out to my amazing pal (and first ever paid employee) Savannah, who has been packaging up orders to all my friends, customers, and stockists - and whose heart bursts just as big as mine whenever an order is received!
‼️ LOW STOCK ALERT ‼️ Pasta Notes & Tomato-do Lists keep selling out before they even hit my site. Set your alarms for a big restock planned for December 7th - and be sure to order before December 11th to receive in time for Christmas!
I hope you use them to share a recipe with a friend or bookmark some tasty recipes this holiday season!
III~ SHOW/TELL
Label art for Belleflower Brewery’s latest release, Belle & Friends (a collaboration with Bread & Friends) Available now on draft and in 4-packs in Belleflower’s tap room!! 🥖+🍻=❤️
Now that our walls are dried and patched up and painted and things are (kinda) normal, Pete and I got our Christmas tree! It’s our first time getting a real tree together. Seeing them tying it up on the roof of our Subaru made me smile so big. Truly the happiest I’ve been in years. We have yet to decorate, but here’s a peek…
Sending you warmth & big hugs wherever you are xoxo
UPCOMING EVENTS:
12/3 • Makers Market @ Thomspon’s Point • 10-3pm
12/3 • Saudade Winter Market @ Silverfish Art Studio • 5-9pm
12/9 • Holiday Mini-Market @ LB Kitchen • 4-9pm
12/17 • Makers Market @ Thompson’s Point • 10-3pm
Thank you for reading my bi-weekly newsletter. Please consider subscribing if you aren’t already. Feel free to share excerpts of today’s newsletter on social media, forward it to someone who might enjoy, or text it to a friend.
🌀Email: hello@melandrel.com