Update from 2017!

Update Time!!

          I know its been a while since you heard from me and we are already 2 months into 2018, but the last 14 months have been exciting, stressful, scary, happy, sad, and so much more!  Even though there have been some low times, I continue to TRY to focus on the positives...I know, NOT always easy!  

          First off, 2017 started the beginning steps of my real teaching career! I started substitute teaching and got the chance to be in ton of different school and teach different grades.  Sooo for 5 months I was a substitute teacher and was hoping to start a full time job with my own classroom in the fall.  

          Over the summer I worked a day camp for the 7th year getting to work with kids outside of the classroom.  I was continuing to search and hoping to get a teaching job, but after applying for a handful of jobs, nothing seemed to pan out, so I decided I would just continue subbing for the next year.  Then I could get more experience and meet more people to get my name out there more in the education world.

          While subbing and then during the summer, I also really focused on my business....creating new products, getting my business name out there, and even finding new ways to sell my products. 

These two journeys have really developed and had coinciding progress over the years.

          At the end of the summer I finally felt like I was ready to change things up! And that I had enough inventory to try a Craft Fair! I wanted to be more than just a social media page that people sometimes look at from time to time.  I wanted to get out to meet and talk to potential customers.  

          In September, I finally did it! I participated in my first CRAFT FAIR!!  And I gotta say I was impressed with all the interest, even if there weren't as many people there as I hoped.  But this experience really validated that people liked what I was making and it was exciting seeing my products bring joy to others.

          The week before this craft fair my life took an unexpected turn and I was offered and accepted my first full time teaching job!!  And it couldn't have been a better fit for me...teaching title I math in 2 elementary schools I get to teach ONLY MATH and still get to teach the younger kiddos.  I couldn't believe both my business and my teacher career were both finally taking off!

          By the end of October I decided to do another Craft Fair and literally the next weekend in November I did my third!  It was crazy how quickly things were growing....unfortunately, life happened, work got busier, and other things were going on so LexPDesigns had to take a backseat to other things.

          But then the year was coming to an end and I reflected on all the resolutions and goals (see my last blog post) I accomplished during 2017 and I knew things needed to change!  I was losing sight of the goals I had been working towards for so long.  I decided that teaching and LexPDesigns were what made me happy!!  I enrolled in classes to start my masters in January and spent more time researching and advertising LexPDesigns more.  

          I also focused on sanding, painting, and staining whenever I got stressed or overwhelmed.  It has really been the best thing for me (along with MUSIC) to escape from the stress and problems in life....whether it is with work, friends, or family....MUSIC and ART are my escapes!

          So far this year, I have focused on LexPDesigns and furthering my education more.  There has been a lot of stress recently from all the education issues in WV over the last few weeks.  I am so glad I have had this business to spend time building when other parts of my life are just out of my control.

          For 2018, I really want to take LexPDesigns to the next level and get it closer to where I've always seen it going!

          I know that I wouldn't have been able to get where I am without the support and help from my parents throughout my different journeys.

          And I also want to THANK all those customers that have helped me get to this point in my entrepreneur journey because without customers businesses wouldn't be anything!

I can't believe how much this business has already grown in just a little over 2 years!

Looking forward to continue to grow this business and make sure to check out my Instagram and Facebook pages (search LexPDesigns) to check out products available and keep up to date with whats happening in the world of LexPDesigns!