i fell in love with a shop called pigment, in san diego!

oh hello there + it's the weekend! yay!

We're having a very chill weekend over here and I cannot express how much this is needed right now. It's been a really crazy, emotionally draining few weeks but all is okay and as always, I am channelling all my positive vibes.

Also, I should note that I feel like I've got so many blog posts ideas in my mind and am really excited that I am actually making them happen. One of my goals for 2018 was to really get blogging more and producing fun, creative, positive content that I hope you'll share.

I've got a few more posts coming up about our California trip (seriously LOVE Cali so much) and today I am sharing photo's from the most beautiful, magical store I've ever been to in my life (oh! em!gee!) As soon as we decided we were going to San Diego (we had previously booked Ojai but didn't end up going because of all the fires), I found out about Shop Pigment and it's safe to say that it did NOT disappoint!

I spent well over an hour in this shop, snapping pics, and exploring through every little perfectly curated corner. I tried not to go totally overboard, but bought some cute as can be items. Looking back now, I wished I went all out because I didn't end up finding a place that I loved this much in downtown L.A!

Pigment is filled with stationery, home decor, gifts, jewellery, party supplies, kids stuff and plants + planters. I loved seeing goodies from Bando and my gal Sarah from Daisy Natives. I'm literally (california) dreaming about going back there someday. 

Find Shop Pigment on social for inspiration:

// @shoppigment on twitter

// @shoppigment on pinterest

// @shoppigment on instagram

& here are the other Cali posts I've shared so far!:

// I fell in love with Joshua Tree

// Five things to do in Venice Beach

// I fell in love with a Coffee & Flower Shop in San Diego

Etsy Challenge - My Shop is now OPEN!

Happy Sunday, Gorgeous!

+ If you hadn't noticed, my blog is back (oh how I missed it) it was down for about five days and I am excited for it to be back because I have some fun things to post very soon. 

First up, an update on my Etsy adventure ♥ - as I posted before, I was chosen to be the host of the 30 Day Etsy Challenge which was an initiative to encourage creatives from all over to join me in opening their own Etsy shop in just 30 days. 

I've always wanted to open my own Etsy shop, in fact it's something that has been on my yearly goal list for at least the last two years! I've always thought of making and selling my own prints out of my hand written font. The past 30 days have been such a fun adventure, and between my full time job, this blog, our social life and planning a wedding it's most definitely been a challenge for me.

The homework & lesson plans for the challenge really inspired me and kept me on the right track, and the interactive Facebook group was a great way to share your ideas, get feedback and connect with other creatives! ♥  Even if I had a really busy day or week, the plans helped me to stay focused on the task at hand.

For me, I really like sharing my to-do lists, goals and dreams on my blog and social media because it helps motivate me and makes me feel accountable. Joining a community like Etsy motivates you, excites you and helps you in so many ways. This challenge was exactly what I needed to get my act together and really make this little dream I had a reality.

The biggest challenge for me throughout the 30 days, was staying focused and making time throughout the process to work on things to keep me on track. Time flies so quickly and life is busy, so it's important to schedule time for the things we really love, because before we know it the days, weeks, months and even years get away from us. This was a good learning experience for me and I definitely feel like I learned a lot from what I can accomplish if I really set my mind to something.

So, now what? My shop is officially open, but it's nowhere near perfect. I've got my first set of prints ready for the shop, but I know how I would like to improve them for the next round. I have ideas for new quotes and phrases, and other goodies I will sell in my shop! I am being realistic with myself, since I know with Christmas coming up, and nearing 6 months until the wedding, time is of the essence! However, I can't wait to grow this shop and keep it a fun & happy place for anyone willing to check out.

Here is the shop and some of the prints that are available as of now. Thanks everyone for the love and good vibes throughout the whole challenge.

shop cute by jules (!!!)

Etsy 30 Day Challenge With Hey Jules!

Oh hello there, I've got some very exciting news that I am beyond thrilled to (finally) share! I have been selected by Etsy to host the Etsy 30 Day Challenge and I could not be more excited about this adventure!

What is the 30 day challenge? First off, definitely take a few minutes to check out the site for all the details, but to sum it up for you: I am going to be opening my own shop in 30 days! I will follow 8 different lessons to get me ready to make a dream I've had for a while finally come true. There will be 8 lessons & videos (starring yours truly) talking about the lessons & sharing some tips. There will be mentors to offer advice and support and a wicked awesome Facebook Group where myself and other creatives will be posting about their progress, ideas and all things related to the challenge! I am excited to support others with a similar dream to make it happen! I will also be posting my progress, struggles, ideas and more on this little blog here.

I've really thought about opening an Etsy shop for a while now. At first I wasn't too sure what I'd sell, but in the past year I've realized how much I love to write and create pretty things and knew this is what I would do when thinking about what to sell in my shop. I've done some thinking about what I want to create, but I am still in the very early stages and will be really taking this challenge and crushing it out. I've had the thought so many times before, and have even had it on some of my goal lists (like yearly goals, things to do birthday my birthday etc) The 30 Day Challenge is literally the exact push I need to MAKE THIS FINALLY HAPPEN!

Have you or anyone you know ever thought about opening your own shop? I'd love for you to join me! Join & like the Facebook Group and sign up for the challenge if you're up for this!

I will be updating all my social media outlets throughout my etsy adventure, follow along ♥ :

Instagram (personal account)// @heyjulesxo 

Instagram (crafty/etsy account) // @cutebyjules

Twitter // @heyjulesxo

Facebook (hey jules) /HeyJulesBlog

Facebook (30 day etsy challenge) /HeyJulesEtsyChallenge