Wild Cedar Co. Valentine's Day Collection

I just shared some Valentine's Day DIY card ideas earlier this week, but if glitter and gluesticks aren't your thing, these printables would also be a super cute Valentine's Day gift. And by super cute I mean even the Target dollar-section can't compete with a hand-lettered print. 😉 

Our Etsy shop's Valentine's Day collection is now live, and you can check out all the different printables we now offer. All you have to do is purchase & print at home (or at Staples, or at your local library, or at your neighbor's house...I'm not trying to tell you how to live your life so you just go ahead and print that little guy wherever you'd like 😉) and it's ready to be framed! Question: does a Valentine's Day gift get any easier than that. Correct answer: nope!

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Wild Cedar Co. 2018 Goals

I admitted in my last post that I'm not setting any official goals (yet?) for myself, but that laid back approach won't work for our Etsy shop. Courtney & I spent over an hour on the phone working out our plan for 2018 (I'm still sad she lives in West Virginia now and we aren't having "business meetings" in my living room while Aiden pulls out every toy he owns!), so here I am to share some of our goals with you. 

Not sure what Wild Cedar Co. is about? Check out the meaning behind the shop name and how we got started (and try not to laugh at our old branding and designs!). 


2 0 1 8   G O A L S: 

1. Effectively re-divide the workload: I'm now doing shop and finance management, customer communications, in-stock signs, and social media. Courtney's in charge of branding, design, shipping and production! Let me know if you have easy job titles that we could borrow 😉 
2. Try offering hand-lettered paper products. This could be wedding invitation envelopes, watercolor nursery signs, etc. 
3. Focus in on mugs, paper, and wood. We will have other items still listed (like these tea towels!) but we want to expand those types of listings.
4. Streamline the custom order process. The majority of our sales comes from custom orders, which we need to simplify! We just created this super easy custom order form, and we're going to work towards "custom order sessions" where we have a certain number of custom order listings in the shop. This is to help us from filling custom orders one at a time throughout the year...but in the meantime, if you have an idea for what you'd want on a sign, let us know! We're still taking custom order as they come....for now 😉 

What are you goals for 2018? Follow us on Instagram for all the behind the scenes + updates! 

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Wild Cedar Co. Gift Guide

*Update: for Christmas delivery, order by Dec. 7. 😉 

Let me help you out as Thanksgiving approaches......and then Christmas gets closer and closer. The Etsy shop I started with my best friend Courtney has all the gifts you'll need for LITERALLY EVERYONE in your life. (Except maybe your brother. But not to worry, I found you a gift for him: this beer belly fanny pack.)

All our products are fully customizable, so make sure to read my suggested edit for what to have your gift say...

Click the photos to see the item in our shop!

For the person who's hosting Thanksgiving:

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Wild Cedar Co. // Fall 2017 Line

The last update I shared about Wild Cedar Co. was our one year shop anniversary back in August, where I shared some of our goals. Well, here we are, towards the end of September, and we've gotten a start on some of those goals!

We're super excited to share that our shop now has digital prints and mugs up for grabs!

We now offer a Printables section in our shop! These digital downloads of our hand-lettered designs are an affordable option to add hand-lettering to your home decor. (All you have to do is purchase the digital download and the file will be emailed right to you! Because who always has time to wait for shipping?! 🎉🎉🎉) 

Pumpkin Spice Print 

 Be Joyful Print // Give Thanks Print // Pray Continually Print

Psalm 25 Print 

And here are some of our wood signs, in case you're looking for Christmas gifts! (Too soon?)

Be Joyful Framed Sign // Choose Joy Round 10" or 20" // Give Thanks Wood Sign

 It's been so fun to brainstorm what verses & sayings to use and what sizes/designs to come up with with Courtney! If you're thinking about starting an Etsy shop, let me just say that it's way more fun to do it with a friend!! Make sure to follow us on Instagram (@WildCedarCo) for updates and sales 😉 

What are some of your favorite Etsy shops? Which sign/print is your favorite?!

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One Year of Wild Cedar Co.+ New Goals

I started this Etsy shop with my real life & blogger friend Courtney last July (2016), and it's been so fun to see it grow from strange tree cut-outs (what I made) to more complex lettering signs (made by me, lettered by her). Our shop just celebrated it's "one year anniversary"...maybe you saw the giveaway we hosted on Instagram? Over the past year, we've redesigned our logo, honed in our style, and had such fun discussing WCC in coffee shops & my living room. I've LOVED getting to talk design, reclaimed wood, social media, and future goals with Courtney, as we think about what God is doing next with Wild Cedar Co.

As our shop celebrated its one year anniversary, Courtney and her husband moved across the state (which I shared a bit about here). We're still continuing the joint effort Etsy shop, but now Courtney will be doing the social media & design work remotely, & I'll be more of a productions person. With a plan in place, we're hoping to try out some new things this next year, like new products and such!

WCC Goals: 

• --start making digital prints
• --sell mugs & throw pillows with our hand-lettered designs on them
• --standardize wood sign sizes (which makes shipping/pre-making signs way easier!)
• --create a custom order form so people can easily share their ideas for their custom sign
• --participate in at least 2 farmers' market/craft fair events!

This is an example from our custom listing, where we have 2 sizes of wood rounds and can letter whatever you'd like on it!

We're on Instagram & Facebook, and would love to connect with you there!

What else would you want to see in our shop? Also, join our email list to get the jump on all the newest things added to our shop/all the sale info!

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What I Learned from Starting an Etsy Shop (like math is hard and friends are fun)

Like I shared last week in this post, it's been so fun to have this new creative outlet of running Wild Cedar Co. The shop opened July 2016, which means it's been nearly a year since we started this adventure! Here are (a few unexpected!) lessons I've learned this past year:

Math is hard.
Starting a shop has stretched me to use parts of my brain I don't usually. I taught high school Spanish, so the only math I had to do was calculate the curve after an enormously difficult final exam. Now, I'm thinking about what our profit margin is on each sign based on how long it took to make, what percentage of the profits goes back into the business, etc. I'm no business major, so running this little business is making me think in new ways! Pro tip: Find out how other shops do things if you feel stuck with the business side of things. 

It's rewarding to physically create something. Even if you're selling digital prints or stock photos, you're still creating SOMETHING to list and sell...and each time we finish another sign, it's so rewarding to hold it and say "look! we made this!" (It's harder to feel so accomplished when you fold laundry because you know that tomorrow there will likely be more to fold 😉 )

Make new friendships with other Etsy sellers. I probably never would have "met" or started following Danielle from Field & Sea Shop or Cristen from Woodline Crafting if I hadn't started the WCC Instagram!

Trust God & commit everything you do to him. 
Before opening the shop last July and ever since, my prayer has been that God would have his way with the entire endeavor and that it would bring him glory. Each time I'm struggling to come up with new product ideas or see our social media interactions go down, I try to stop and ask God that he would have HIS way in this entire thing. If it's meant to fizzle out or only last a season, may we encourage others to the max during that season!

Running a shop is more fun with a friend!
Courtney and I started this shop together (we're real life friends, but she also blogs here), and it's WAYYY more fun to run this small business together. We get to play to each others' strengths: she does the lettering, photography, and shipping, and I make blank signs and manage the social media side. Plus, we always have someone to bounce ideas off of! Plus. There's NOOO way I could have designed a logo like this new one on my own. Gracias as always, Courtney.



What are some of your favorite Etsy shops? What have you learned in your latest new adventures?

Read more about how we got started and the meaning behind the shop name.

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Things That Inspire Creativity

I was listening to The Happy Hour Podcast (as always), and one of the guests talked about how she helps her young kids stay creative by doing random fun exercises around the dinner table. Am I the only one who needs to practice being creative and thinking of new ideas?!

Whether I'm struggling for a blog post topic, a new Wild Cedar Co. idea or just want to feel like I'm DOING and MAKING (instead of washing [dishes] or folding [laundry]), it takes some external things to get my creative ideas jump-started. Sometimes I feel super uncreative, and if ever that's you, here are some things that are sure to get your creative juices flowing:

1. Read any book. Reading helps your ideas flow because you're "introduced" to new people, places, and perspectives. Check out Chelsea's post on what she read in April & her list of must-reads to get started!

2. OR Read a book outside your usual genre. For me, that's The Samurai's Garden because it's not the chick-flick fiction I usually read.

3. Check out the graphic design of Audrey White (and read her post on why she also crafts!) or the beautiful paintings of Kendra.

4. Go for a walk outside and notice the details--intricate plants, cloud shapes, etc.

5. Check Pinterest. Jk. That's overwhelming. 😉

6. Go somewhere you've never been before: a new coffee shop, a pretty park, a new town.

7. Try a new recipe. Not from Pinterest. But from a recommended source, like Susannah's dairy-free caramel macchiato, Jacqui's cinnamon blueberry protein muffins, or anything from Audrey's post here.

What do you do to feel inspired & creative? 

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Decorating with Bible Verses

Last summer, I shared 4 ways to grow your faith during the day, even on the busiest of days. This sort of goes along with that, as I am trying to keep God's Word at the forefront of my mind.

Why decorate with Scripture? 

// It helps me memorize verses. If it's always up and visible, I'll be able to look at it consistently during the day or at night and will be able to memorize it faster. Why put your memory verse on a small index card that might get lost?

// It's a conversation starter. Whether people believe in God or not, I bet the verses you hang on your walls & set out on your coffee tables are meaningful to you and when someone asks about it, you'll get to explain what God's doing in your life.

// It shows the priority you've put on God's Word. What the Bible says is so important to me that I've chosen to give it prominence in my house.

Where to start:

// Wall art...like from Wild Cedar Co., obviously 😉 . The Etsy shop I started with my friend Courtney offers Bible verses lettered on wooden signs, along with other signs inspired by our faith in Christ. Though we are sold out of lots of our Bible verse signs, we still have this Abundant sign from John 10:10 and this dark-stained round from Colossians 3:2.

// Printables. I've shared some free printables of verses (like these minimalist ones and other fall-themed ones). My blog friend Sally has this cute printable up in her Etsy shop for only $4!

// Other ideas: these diy coasters, lettering a canvas from a craft store, or diy fridge magnets.

A custom order request from our blog friend Glo

What are some of your favorite verses you'd decorate with? 

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DIY Wood Stain

You only need 3 things for this easy DIY stain, and it's going to save you soooo much money if you were about to buy stain for your next DIY project. I've already admitted I'm a cheapskate, so we can chalk this up to me wanting to save money. It will also be super useful for my Etsy shop stuff!

Up until now, Courtney and I have been using a Jacobean stain stain for our Wild Cedar Co. signs, but now we're going to try using this method since it fits with our whole "use repurposed materials"/"create less waste" business methods. Make sure to follow our shop on Instagram (@WildCedarCo) for newest updates and coupons!

What you need

--Vinegar. I buy the enormous gallon-sized jugs of it because it's also an inexpensive cleaner.

--1 old container with a lid. Think: salsa jars, jelly jars, applesauce containers, etc. 

--Nails (or some other old metal scraps?). If you don't just have a ton of nails lying around work area/basement floor (what, some of you have CLEAN, non-renovation storage basements?!), then ask a friend who does carpentry or something. Don't spend money on them, though! The more nails you have, the quicker your stain will darken in the jar. 

--A strainer of some sort (colander, small kitchen strainer, piece of paper towel, etc.)

What you do (warning: super exact precise suggestions ahead 😉 )

1. Fill up your jar with vinegar and drop in those nails. 

2. Let it sit for a few days. Tip: 2-5 days =weathered gray stain, 2-3 weeks=mocha dark stain (depending on how many nails you have in the jar. The more nails, the faster the stain darkens.)

3. After a few days, test out your stain on a scrap piece of wood. I usually apply it with an old rag or paper towel. Let the wood sit for 5-10 minutes to really absorb the stain, and then decide if the stain is dark enough for your liking. If it's not dark enough, let the stain sit for a few more days. 

4. Once you've determined that the stain is the color you were hoping for, strain out the nails by pouring the stain through your colander/strainer/paper towel and into another container. Once you've removed the nails, put the stain back in your lidded jar and store for 3-6 months! (I have no idea what happens to a vinegar-based stain after 6 months. You're on your own after that 😉  )

Are you working on any DIY projects? What's your favorite stain color? 

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Wild Cedar Co. Fall Line

This past spring, my friend Courtney and I started an Etsy shop because we both love making wooden signs (and our husbands will only let us hang so many wooden signs on the walls. Which means to keep making them we'd have to start getting rid of some.) I wrote about it here and here, and Courtney and I are really excited to share the next round of signs.

Our purpose behind this next batch of signs is to remind us to be thankful. The largest sign with the Greek word "Eucharisteo" appears in the passage in Luke where Jesus broke bread and gave thanks for it. It's a reminder that we need to be thankful, and its meaning goes beyond the typical Thanksgiving-decor feel. (And for all your language-loving friends out there: the Greek word for grace, "charis" and its root, "chara," meaning joy, are embedded in the word eucharisteo. Grace and joy are literally found in thanksgiving.)

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Grand Opening of Wild Cedar Co.

The day is finally here! Wild Cedar Co. is open for business on Etsy!! (All the praise hand emojis!)

Last week, I shared how the idea for an Etsy shop grew, but today I wanted to explain the name behind the shop. 

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In Isaiah 41, God is talking to the exiled Israelites and he tells them...

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Projects and Dreams

You know those ideas that you've had, bouncing around in the back of your head? Why haven't you started working towards those goals, those dreams, those projects? Robyn's been inspiring me with her big career change and the careful planning to make it happen. Olivia's rebrand and new blog purpose showed me that it takes time to pursue a dream for your online space but that it can be totally worth it.

So. Here I am, finally admitting that I've got a semi-secret project a-brewin'. Semi-secret in the sense that I haven't talked a lot about it, except when sharing a few behind-the-scenes looks (here, here, and here) on Instagram.

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