3 Cheers for 6 years
6 YEARS!
This one snuck up on us but means so so much. 5 years is generally the window in which most small businesses fail. (Personally, we hate that language and that statistic, but that's for another day.) Hitting the Year 6 mark means we've officially beat the odds. But not only did we beat the odds, this past year has felt better than any other year. We've welcomed so many new businesses and artists to our OE family - friends we're proud to know and are humbled that they let us into their worlds.
To be honest, this time last year it was tough to write a positive anniversary blog. Our shop situation was tenuous to say the least and our spirits were at an all time low. We spent December "forcing laughter, faking smiles," as Taylor Swift says. But shutting down in the face of adversity has never been our style. Molly picks a mantra on New Year's instead of a resolution. You take stock of the past year, envision where you want to be next year, and then find the words to repeat to yourself to make it happen. For 2024, that mantra was "The only way out is through." Those words became our rallying cry during every sleepless night and every success. Almost 1 year later, we're out of the rut and sailing on brighter horizons.
From moving to our new location, to sponsoring and organizing multiple fundraisers, this year was packed full of joy. We've gotten to test our chops with embroidery and have loved exploring that new challenge. (Fingers crossed that there will be another embroidery related announcement before Year 7.) After some trial runs (shout out to Pangea Printing for so much help!), we officially brought heat pressing into the shop this Fall. We've already done some super fun customized designs and are hoping to test the boundaries with it moving forward. And after 9 months we're almost done painting! Hopefully within the next couple of months our last touches will finally be complete. From starting in our tiny basement, to a lamentable warehouse, to our new permanent location - our shop is finally coming together like we've always envisioned. This Spring, the belated 5 year anniversary party WILL happen and we're so excited to share our space with you all.
Maryland felt like it came alive again this year. So many of you grew your businesses, took on new challenges, and made our community better. It's been exceptional to watch and an honor to be part of. We all know Maryland is a special place and the heartbeat of that is how much our communities come together to drive us all forward.
So cheers, Maryland! To a fabulous 2024 and what we know will be an even more outstanding 2025!
