Welcome, welcome!
Want to know a little more about The Tabitha Shop’s journey to where it is today? There is so much I could include here, but I did my best to pare it down for you in a few small snapshots. I hope it encourages you that all good things take time. ;)
June 2014: Driving down to my in-laws, I mention to my husband a story I read in the Bible about a woman named Tabitha. She sewed dresses for the poor widows in her community. I was so inspired by that because that was exactly what I wanted to do. Maybe not sew (straight lines, scissors, and I do not get along), but I did want to use creativity to bless others in need.
July 2014: Sitting in a Starbucks, I tell myself it’s time to stop deliberating and make this public. I click “publish” on a Facebook post about how I’m selling mugs and necklaces and donating a portion of the profits.
May 2015: After a difficult 5 months of processing, my husband and I decide it’s time to sell our home and move from our little suburb to the big city of Dallas so he can finally finish seminary. It’s a difficult decision, but we know in our guts it’s the right one.
October 2015: I realize it’s time to make a career shift like my husband and quit my full-time job to work part-time for a small Etsy business nearby. I learn everything there is to know about running a small business from a husband-wife team killing it as I packaged and shipped out orders for them.
He graduated! And I couldn't have been happier for him or for me. ;)
March 2016: After realizing that mugs and necklaces aren’t my jam, I shift gears towards what I really love: paper. I dabble in letterpress and launch several failed products until I added a personalized “Thank You From the Future Mrs” card to my shop. Within a few days, it starts selling. Within a few weeks, it’s taking off.
I also decide to take action against my growing anxiety about our future. My husband is about to finish seminary and we don’t know what’s next. Instead of complaining about it, I decide to keep a gratitude calendar. Every morning, I write down at least one thing in one of the calendar squares of a black Mead planner. It changes everything for me and I haven’t stopped since.
January 2017: By God’s grace, I take a huge leap into running this business full time. I’ve committed to weddings and in love with it.
January 2018: There have been a few huge hundreds of dollars mistakes, but so many more lessons learned. I’ve launched wedding invitations, save the dates, wine labels, bridesmaid proposal cards, and to my mom/dad cards as well. And I’ve had the privilege to serve hundreds of brides in the process. And that’s my favorite part: getting to help brides during a potentially stressful season of life. To help remind them that it’s not about the flowers or dresses, but about the future they’re creating together with their future husband. I’ve also been able to donate thousands of dollars to causes both in our backyard and around the world.