Right now I relate to that clip of Paul Rudd on "Hot Ones" where they are saying, “Look at us. Who would have thought? Not me!” You know that clip, right? Go google it right now. I'll wait.
    I started Little em. with very Little direction. Plus I’m sort of a quitter, but LOOK AT US, who would have thought? Two whole years of being in business, like actual business! Not just me funding my own hobby. Little em is definitely not where it should be after two years of business, but it has been able to reach some really great milestones.
    We’ve sold over 1,000 air fresheners, and the new items launched earlier this year are doing just as great. Speaking of the launch, I started the Little blog, and while only my mother reads it, I’ve been really enjoying working on it. (Hi Mom!) We’ve shipped to 38 states, and we’re in 5 different retail stores. Really early on, we were featured in Voyage Houston Magazine! I thought this paragraph would be longer, but that’s okay! Maybe in two more years I’ll have a longer list of accomplishments. 
    Little em. wouldn’t be anywhere without the customers (and the silent admirers!). So, I want to thank you. Thank you for the support, and thank you for loving the stuff I design! I want to keep doing this for as long as you’ll let me. I have so many more ideas, and new stuff in the works! So, please stick around!

    I know, I know, Sunday Comics were phoned in, there was no Monday Message, and there wasn’t a fun Wednesday graphic. It’s been a busy week. To make a long story short, at this moment, we think my dad is finally cancer free after a three and a half year battle! Please Knock on wood, kiss your lucky rabbit foot, and keep your fingers crossed! (Fun fact about Little em, I opened the shop the same day my sister had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from her lung. The launch was planned, the cancer was not.)
     A few weeks ago, my dad was pitching product ideas to me, and he mentioned the word, ENDURE. He said Endure has sort of been his mantra through this whole cancer thing, but it would probably resonate with a lot people. The dictionary definition of Endure gives me complacency vibes, but that’s not how I’m choosing to define it. To me, it means staying tough while you fight through whatever it is that is causing you pain, or discomfort, or frustration. When you’re about to give up, don’t. Endure it. Work through it. You can do it! You are so much tougher than you think.      ​      
     This post is super cheesy, but I’m optimistic today. And I'm rooting for you.

I'm posting this clip from The Sandlot simply because it makes me feel good.
July 4th feels different this year. July 4th is different this year.
The country is going through, and growing through something.
You're a mess, but you're my mess.
Happy Birthday America

How is everyone doing? 
Me? I’m fine, thanks for asking. 

     I don’t have any silly story to give, or any nostalgia to hit you in the face with this week. Just me checking in on you.
We are finally seeing the other side of ~The Quarantine~ tunnel. Some people are really excited about it, and some people aren’t so excited about it. Both feelings are okay! 
Shoot, I’m excited to not hear, “In times like these…”, “In these unprecedented times…”, or “With everyone staying home…”, on my TV anymore! But I’m not excited about all the tension it’s caused. 

    I’m already feeling nostalgic for this time. Obviously, I can do without the fear, the deaths, and the economy tanking, but there weren’t any expectations of me. My time didn’t belong to anyone else but me. Have you ever said, “If I just had the time, I could…”? Well, you know what, I had 3 months worth of time, and still didn’t do any of that stuff I talked about doing. Not to say I didn’t do anything productive, because I did. But no, I did NOT learn how to play Feelin’ Alright on my Casio like I’ve been wanting to do since Christmas.

     I hope all of you learned a little bit about yourself, because I know I did. I think that is most important. Living through a Pandemic is awful. There is no doubt I’ll remember it that way, but I want to also remember it as a time where I made some positive changes in my life. Like learning how to prioritize my time better, or learning how not to touch my face so much (honestly! Who knew it would be so hard?). And I hope that for you, too. I hope you’re doing alright. I hope you aren’t sitting at home pouting about all the things that were taken away from you. Pouting feels good, but it’s never the answer. Same goes for cheese, trust me. 

     Before I go, I want to thank all of you who have supported this little business through…sigh…these unprecedented times. You have kept me busy, hopeful, and happy. I am going to add a video below of a song that has been stuck in my head the last few days. It goes along with this post. I hope you dance a little bit while listening to it. But just a little.

Be cool, & (responsibly) party on.

     If you know me, you know I’ve recently fallen in love. And his name is S’mores. It wasn’t love at first sight, but rather a slow burn. I really slept on S’more my whole childhood, but now I’m hooked, and I can’t get enough. 
     It all happened last summer. I said to myself, “Self, we have to do something to make summer nights special, otherwise it’s just another night.” (I re-wrote that sentence 1,000 times, and every time I sound like a 1950s housewife.) After deciding that a “summery” cocktail every night would be absurd (but would it?), I landed on S’mores. Something changed in me that first night I made them. I became a believer. 
     When summer ended, I cooled off on the S’mores. But when we were ordered to stay at home, and the world seemed to be ending, I decided to treat myself again. My first panic buy was a supply of S’mores ingredients. I absolutely have my priorities straight. 
     Anyway, I wrote this for you, S’mores. I love you.