Grateful for YOU and another year!

To put it as simple as we can, YOU could have shopped anywhere in the world this year, but you chose US! How humbling and gratifying it is that we had as many opportunities to touch the lives of our friends, our family and our community as we did. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

As Christmas arrives, we get to settle into the quiet of what was once a buzzing and busy house. The hustle and bustle of daily routines get flipped on their heads and we find ourselves exhausted but full of appreciation. This year, like many in the past, has been a whirlwind of emotions. From the highest of highs, to the lowest of lows. We saw many firsts this year, we experienced loss, we experienced overwhelming joy and we experienced the love and loyalty of a community that has embraced our crazy ideas.

We shared our first campfire s'mores with Arrow this year in February where we danced late into the night, singing too loud and way off key. We experienced incredible support from you all when we launched Arrow as a store-front in March. Sadly, we said goodbye to our beloved dog Kazman in April. We shared 13 great years with him and his presence is missed daily. He was a great dog.

We camped some more with Arrow, where I have finally gotten comfortable with the black tank dumping process. Don't ask, it wasn't pretty. But I'm good now. Scared, but good. We got to share Arrow with you all a few more times, including our first annual Highlighting Handmade Christmas Sip and Shop. (That's a mouthful). What started as a crazy idea to bring a market to our driveway, ended in a seriously fun day that turned into a Friends-Giving Feast. If you missed it this year, keep an eye out for it next year!

What always leaves the most lasting impression on us is the custom creations we get to make.  I recently heard that being an Entrepreneur means you give more to your business than it gives you. While that may be true for a lot of the year, what we get back from all of you this time of year is far better than any amount of money we earn. Like many of you, we had to create a memorial ornament for our own tree this year with the loss of a dear friend, taken too young. So we share in your grief as well as the gratitude of a well thought out ornament. It's far more than just an wood and ribbon. It's capturing a smile on wood, it's the symbolism of a hawk looking over your shoulder from the nearby tree. It's the butterfly or hummingbird fluttering by that reminds you of a loved one. We understand that a recipe is more than food and spices thrown together.  It's the handwriting and tastes of a time gone by. It's laughter and memories with a pinch of love.  We get to share in those stories with you all, even just for a moment. That is what drives us to be better. That is what drives us to grow. And for that, we are forever grateful!