You probably have already read the happy news here about our little family of two welcoming our third member in the spring. Going off from that post, it’s true that things will be changing for me and Anastasia Marie.

I started this company as a full on custom stationery + cards design service, but I’m going to be toning that down now. I remember being asked a couple years ago if I would ever consider shifting gears and letting some things go and I confidently said “no.” But once expanding our little family became something more of a reality, my whole view changed.

I love getting crafty — working with paper, glue, and glitter like it’s my job (oh wait, it is…) and as I confidently said “no” to letting it go, I’m confidently saying “yes” now. No, that doesn’t mean Anastasia Marie is no longer going to exist, but we are definitely taking a whole new spin on what Anastasia Marie is. My husband and I talked it over, made decisions that are best for our family, and I’ve been implementing them these past several months as we prepare to get taken over by babies.

So what is this new reality? Anastasia Marie’s main focus will no longer be 100% custom. There, I said it. I will still be taking on a limited number of custom projects per year (this past year was my first year doing that), but my goal here is to free up my schedule a bit and make things more flexible. I want my family to come before business. I never want to a mama who has to tell her kids “no, leave me alone today because I have deadlines to meet.” Running my own business has proved to be a job that goes beyond the average 8-5 schedule. I’m constantly thinking about deadlines for custom projects, what I can do to spice things up more, scheduling, new blog content, etc. on top of actually getting the projects themselves done, packaging up orders, answering emails, etc. I find myself after these 3.5 years still neglecting certain aspects of my life because I’ve been so goal-oriented without thinking how it may affect things + people around me.

I’m hoping that by not having to juggle so many custom projects at a time means that I can actually work the amount of hours I planned to work that day. It means that if family life beckons, I can postpone the release of a new product until the following day. It means that I can stabilize my days and do what needs doing around the home and with the family. I hope to be able to have that time daily to share with my little ones and nourish them, take care of the home, have dates with my husband, and have personal time for myself where I can continue to grow and have that little break to take a hot bath every now and then. So no, for me it’s not taking a step backwards, but taking a step forward. I might not be superwoman (you never know, right?) but I definitely know that I won’t be able to manage a full on custom stationery business and an expanding family. I have decided that what matters is not how big + successful my business is, but how enriched my family grows up. That’s where life is and that’s where I’m going. I want this business to support my family life, not take away from it.

So you might have noticed that there have been lots of new packaging supplies showing up in the shop lately — and that there isn’t too much new of any of my usual things, like cards, stationery, and rubber stamps (it won’t be like that for long, no fear). This is all part of the new Anastasia Marie. The shift started months ago, and will continue on for some months still as all my brainstorming earlier this year comes to a full reality.

So on top of what’s already in the shop, get ready to start seeing more of my signature 3D layered cards, but simplified variations that are more budget friendly. I’ll still be keeping the intricate ones around for those that love them. I will also be adding enlarged ones that will become available as wall art for your baby’s nursery or for your own creative space. There will be more packaging supplies arriving soon, like washi tape, glitter tape, gift tags, etc. I’m hoping to spend the winter finalizing all the bits and pieces and then have the last of these goods debut in the spring right before the baby arrives. New items will continually get added seasonally after that.

Feel free to check out the Shop to see what’s new!

NOTE: and just to clarify, no, it doesn’t mean that I’ll take forever to respond to your emails and messages. No, it doesn’t mean that I’ll stop posting updates on social media and adding new content to my blog on a regular basis. No, it doesn’t mean that the quality of things will go down the drain and I won’t be focusing at all on the success of Anastasia Marie. Far from it. All those things I plan to keep up with the same consistency and devotion as before. I do hope to improve and simplify the way I go about those things, but not quit altogether. Here’s to the new Anastasia Marie!