week one - 2025

I wrapped up 2024 with lots of end of year looking back. I reviewed all the things, personal and professional. Turns out, I packed a lot in 2024. It was fun to look back. I wrote several blog posts if you’re interested in reading further.

I rang in the New Year with my favorite people, Mr. Favorite, Jaime and Adam, close fiends of ours. We played games all night, ate delicious food and drank celebratory libations.

Tom and I have been doing Dry January for 16 years and this year is no different. It’s a nice reset and much needed after all the holiday festivities. We also stick to a vegetarian diet. This week my most favorite recipe made was a Cauliflower Tikka Masala. It was savory and spicy and warmed the body and soul. Yeah, it was that good.

I started letterpress printing Valentines and tried out a new heart die I had to have made. My previous die company closed up shop, unfortunately. Emily from Orange Beautiful and Show of Hands recommended Johnson Steel Rule Die, who bought out my previous die place. Serendipity!

The Mr. and I had to replace a gear on my Rosback Scorer. It stopped working the day before Thanksgiving. I started researching used equipment and was floored by the cost for used equipment. I was so busy I didn’t have time to research any other alternative. Thankfully Tom took some time and found a replacement gear. It arrived during One of a Kind Show early December and we finally got a chance to work on it. I never would’ve thought I would be a mechanic and replacing parts when I started letterpress printing 20 years ago. Turns out, there is more maintenance and problem solving in a letterpress small business than anything else and most often, there’s no one but you to figure it out. Thankful Tom was able to assist and we got it done surprisingly quickly.

The retail shop is closed for winter break until January 11th. I took advantage of the quiet to get out the ladder and replace lightbulbs, take measurements and prep for some projects. My goal is to have everything complete by Thursday, January 16th, when we open. Which sounds manageable but wholesale is coming in hot with Valentine’s Day orders and I’m prepping for our Letter Writing Meet Ups, a Booksperience with the Mayfair Public Library and considering a Valentine pop up in our shop. Oh! And of course, we have inventory to do and end of year tax stuff too. So yeah, it’s a busy, busy time for us.



I think that covers it!Week one of 2025 is in the books. Hope you all have a fabulous week.