Been a long time, huh? It’s always in back of my mind that I gotta blog then something comes up. I know, lame excuse, but seriously this summer has swept me away.
We’ve been spending a lot of time up in Michigan working on Joe’s speech along with other good stuff. And the time spent in Fort Wayne has been filled with Art Fair, moving 435 to 4031, getting ready for our Trunk Keeper Dress Rehersal and just trying to make some time to be a better friend. Ya, lots to juggle but juggling with a smile makes it all that easier.
I gotta tell you, it makes me pretty sad to move out of 435. I loved that place from the moment I laid my eyes on it. My friend was looking at it as a possible space to divide into studios and I tagged along. I was still working out of my garage at the time. It had me at hello. But it was way too big for my small little business. I ended up moving into Fairfield Manor a year later then revisited the possibility that they would let us rent just a small part of 435. Oh, the girls were so bummed about moving there and now it is our home. And I am so bummed about moving out. We all are.
I need to keep in mind the new building will grow on us. It’s a place we desperately need in order to run things smoother. It’s hard growing up sometimes. I mean, I begged for a nice dolly for years and finally splurged when I was pregnant with Joe, then we got a pallet jack at 435 and now we are proud owners of a forklift. This is weird. So weird.
But I guess what keeps it all manageable is that each and everyone one of us at Matilda Jane has grown up right along side it, and you’ve all seen it. We want MJC to flourish. It helps us all grow, learn and be able to find our passions. It’s so great to watch as MJC gets bigger the way my girls step up to the plate, take ownership in their work and want nothing more for MJC to get better everyday. They want it for their own personal growth. They want it because see as we grow we are also able to help more and more people and organizations. But really, I think they love it as the years go by The Trunk Keepers, Customers, and team at MJC become a bigger yet closer family. Thank you for that. Gosh, thank everyone for that!
Beautifully written! It’s been amazing watching you guys grow and good gracious, I’ve grown too! We all have! You do an awesome job of not forgetting the little people as you get bigger and bigger!!!
Much love to all of you as you move up to the bigger space.
PS Glad you are getting some friend time in!
PPS I saw a house burned on Old Mill Road. I hope it wasn’t any of your friends and I hope everybody is ok. I know fire is DEVASTATING. (Total side note. Sorry!)
It is hard growing up:( But I know that you guys will have that place buzzing with all your creativeness before long! I am so excited for the future of MJC! It takes a lot of faith to grow- are we doing the right thing? is this too big or too much to handle…. But with that comes strength and courage to take on things we never knew we could do:) Best wishes to the whole team in the new place!!
Growing pains can certainly be rough at times, but with growth always comes new experiences and opportunities and that is exciting to look forward to. I have enjoyed watching my daughter grow up so far in Matilda Jane and look forward to what the future brings as well!
Denise,
I know you probably don’t remember, but I got to run into you at Art Fair! I saw you once and wanted to say hi but got too nervous. Then I literally ran into you while you were adjusting one of the racks. I was so excited that I got to talk to you and was so star struck that I don’t even remember what I said! All I remember is that I ended up saying something about my boobs being sweaty! (I alway, always say really dumb things when I get nervous.) This was my second year at Art Fair and I just wanted to tell you it was AWESOME! The best part was getting to meet you even though I made a fool out of myself!
Our children have grown up with you too! It would be interesting to see some kids wearing some of your first peices and what they are wearing now. We have only been wearing your clothes for four years, but I still love to look at pictures of my daughter wearing her first MJ knot dress. (Hotline Ollie with the Goldie ruffles.) Today, our new favorite is the Annabelle ellie.
That was so well written. It is kind of sad and exciting all at once. I remember the first time I heard of Matilda Jane. A woman in Janie and Jack was showing the cashier her daily chart of what her daughter was going to wear and I saw the MJ and had to ask about it. I never looked back. That was in 2005, 2006 and I have been buying since 2006 I think when I finally found it on ebay (no clue at the time ya’ll had a website) and then in Jan. 2007 I bought my first official MJ and I have been buying ever since. The clothes are beautiful, and innocent and addicting. They make my almost 8 year old look like a little girl instead of a 16 year old. THANK YOU for creating such beauty. She has already asked me about buying the adult line when she gets older.