I'm a wife, stay-at-home mom, crafter, and blogger living in rural New England. As seen in Martha Stewart Living, Food Network Magazine, and more! | Tutorials, DIY, crafts, parenting tips, recipes, money saving tips, product reviews, local product features, New England living, intentional living, and more! |
I've been saying for awhile that signs are coming to the Etsy shop, and by golly they will be!
It's been slow going, especially since I can't use most of the paints and stains I would like to right now (being pregnant limits what I'm allowed to use), but slowly over the summer I'll start releasing some limited New England-inspired signs with more to come later this fall after I recuperate.
As you know by now, I love sharing about companies and products we love on my blog and our Instagram - and most especially those made right here in New England. I decided it would be so fun to highlight some of our local New England Makers regularly on my blog and thought I would kick off the series by sharing a little bit more about myself and Birch Landing Home by answering some frequently asked questions.
Birch Landing Home is best known for hand-etched wooden ornaments, garland, and other handmade crafts. I also run this blog where I mainly focus on New England lifestyle, motherhood, and budget-friendly DIY projects.
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your business.
My name is Sarah and I’m a wife, stay-at-home mom, and self-confessed Pinterest addict living in rural New England with our dog and chickens. I started Birch Landing Home a few years ago after our daughter was born because I was looking for a flexible, creative outlet to work from home while still being a stay-at-home mom. I’ve always loved making crafts and thought selling them on Etsy was a good start, I also thought it would be fun to document the little DIY projects I was doing around our home and so I started this blog also.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My #1 job is stay-at-home mom… so my priority is taking care of our daughter, our animals, and chores around our home. During nap time and after we put our daughter to bed for the day is when I get a chance to work on crafts for my Etsy shop and write articles for the blog. I’m thankful for the privilege to be a stay-at-home mom and the flexibility to be able to work on Birch Landing Home when I’m able to.
What’s your favorite part about owning your own company? And least favorite part?
My favorite part about running Birch Landing Home is the flexibility and adaptability… when I first started my Etsy shop I was making jewelry but then decided to go in a different direction and focus more on rustic-style crafts. It was great being able to change my focus like that and make Birch Landing Home what I wanted it to be. My least favorite part is probably self-doubt… Every time I send out an order I worry if the customer/store will like it, what they will think of it, etc - I don’t want to disappoint anyone. Also, because I use a lot of natural materials there is quite a bit of variation in my work too and I worry people won’t appreciate that rustic aspect of it.
What has been the most exciting moment for Birch Landing Home since starting?
By far my most exciting moment for Birch Landing Home has been being featured in Martha Stewart Living Magazine as the Instagram Favorite for that month. I was so thrilled to be selected and featured - I have been reading Martha Stewart Living Magazine for years and have several of her craft and cookbooks. Such an honor!
What advice do you have for people just starting out?
My advice for those who want to start a handmade business or blog is… just start! It’s easy to overthink everything, over plan, and obsess over details and never get anything in motion. In my opinion it’s better to get things started and then tweak and finalize things as you go. It’s also important to keep finances separate and keep track of all income/expenses for tax time.
What is your long-term goal? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
My long-term goal is to continue to grow my Etsy shop and blog. I would love to get more wholesale accounts for my crafts throughout New England, it’s so exciting to see my items in local shops. I also hope to continue to grow my blog following and hopefully get more opportunities to be featured in print. I’ve been lucky enough to be featured in a few print magazines so far (including Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Food Network Magazine, and New Hampshire Magazine), and I hope exciting features like that will continue in the future.
Why do you love sharing about New England Makers?
I love sharing about New England Makers because I think there is so much talent in our area that deserves to be shown off. There are so many wonderful, hardworking, creative people who work in lots of different materials and styles. I always love discovering new-to-me businesses and sharing about them.
DO YOU OWN A NEW ENGLAND-BASED BUSINESS AND WOULD LIKE TO BE FEATURED IN AN UPCOMING INTERVIEW? OR WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN HAVING ME STYLE, REVIEW, AND FEATURE ONE OF YOUR PRODUCTS? Please drop me a note.
It's always fun to explore your own state and see what hidden gems there are. This past weekend was gorgeous and we decided to head out to the Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm in Tamworth, NH to get a taste of rural living over the last 200 years.
The
Remick Museum chronicles the life of two rural country doctors, their families, and the way of life as it used to be. It's a working farm with livestock and gardens coexisting alongside historical artifacts and buildings. Our daughter was a HUGE fan of the petting area where there are friendly goats, sheep, and a miniature horse to interact with and feed.
Hello there!
There are many outbuildings and dirt paths to explore - and the views are gorgeous!
My favorite part of the property are all the amazing artifacts and antiques - it's incredible how far medicine and home life in general has evolved over the past 200+ years. The Remick Museum does a great job showcasing the old and new(er) way of life.
Old Kitchen
Newer kitchen of a later generation
No rest for the weary, wether you're a farmer or a doctor - and especially not if you're both!
Overall we had a great day at Remick Museum and will be back for sure! They host lots of fun events throughout the year, including kids day camps, programs on different farming subjects, ice harvesting in the winter, and more.
Just a short walk from the museum is the
Tamworth Lyceum and
The Other Store (yes, that's really what it's called), which are perfect stops for lunch or coffee before heading home. And if you visit in the summer months, you can catch a play at the The Barnstormers Theatre in the evening (check their schedule for details and showtimes).
So the reason I haven't been posting as often lately is we're expecting baby #2! ...and those early pregnancy symptoms have been kicking my butt the last few months (morning sickness? I think you mean all-night-and-most-of-the-day sickness). But I'm finally starting to feel a little better and am excited to get back at the blog and Etsy shop more regularly again.
Please let me know if you have any favorite New England-made baby brands - I would love to check them out and shop local when I can :)
(Fun Fact - the duck pull toy in the photo was mine when I was a baby!)
Last call, folks! Orders received by tomorrow night (12/10/16) are guaranteed to ship in time for Christmas. After that I will do my best to get all orders out ASAP, but I can make no promises that they will definitely make it in time.
Please click the "SHOP NOW" button below if you would like to order anything. Thanks so much again for all your support!
We're celebrating Plaid Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday all weekend long! Enjoy 20% off everything in our Etsy shop through midnight Monday with the coupon code "20PLAID".
Quantities are limited at the moment, so shop sooner than later. Thank you all again for your support and shopping small!
Look what came in the mail today! New Hampshire Magazine's December issue along with their 34-page Holiday Gift Guide (available to magazine subscribers only), packed with ideas of local places to shop, products to buy, and fun holiday events to do. And we're so excited to be included - you can find Birch Landing Home right on page 12 in their "Master the Yankee Swap" Gift Guide.
Make sure to check out all their great local selections in the Gift Guide, and if you're not a NH Magazine subscriber the guides can also be found online here.
And did you hear the news of our upcoming sale?
We'll be hosting a sale all this weekend for Black Friday/Plaid Saturday/Cyber Monday (whew). The sale code will be posted online Friday, but subscribers to our Newsletter will get the code Thursday night - if you don't want to miss out on the sale be sure to sign up now!
Correction: There is a misprint in NH Magazine's writeup. While I have in fact been featured in Martha Stewart Living Magazine, I haven't been featured in Yankee Magazine (yet anyways - hopefully someday soon though!) :)
So honored to be included in New Hampshire Magazine's Yankee Swap Gift Guide this year! If you're looking for a locally-made, affordable gift to bring to a party this list has you covered. Be sure to check out all the other great NH makers and products they rounded up too and remember to shop small this season.
Correction: There is a misprint in NH Magazine's writeup. While I have in fact been featured in Martha Stewart Living Magazine, I haven't been featured in Yankee Magazine (yet anyways - hopefully someday soon though!). :)
