the beginning.

////Hey Y'all!////

I'm not really sure what the norm is for your first post, but I figured I could give y'all a little bit of a rundown on who I am, why I'm here, and what Hope Collective is all about. Sounds good? Here we go!

////About me////

I'm 25 years old (about to turn 26, holla!)

A believer in Christ's hope and grace 

Love to create

Addicted to coffee and beads

Have an amazing boyfriend

Love my crazy family

Have a penchant for most things weird + silly (i.e. hedgehogs -see above picture, the Wienermobile, Star Wars, Grumpy cat)

Introvert, but once you get to know me, I let my ridiculous flag fly high

NC girl, born + raised

////What is Hope Collective?////

Hope Collective is my handmade business - I sell "Handcrafted goods for you and your home". My passion is jewelry-making, so you'll find a lot of that there, as well as notecards, embroidery hoop art, accessories, and watercolors (coming soon!). I started selling jewelry when I was about 14, and have kept at it ever since. My goal is for it to become a full-time venture, but for now, I do it on the side while working another full-time job. I started Hope Beads on Etsy awhile ago, but wanted to start selling more than my jewelry, so Hope Collective came about a few months ago. I chose the word "Hope" because in the coming months I will choose a non-profit to donate a portion of every sale to. I want my work to bring a small ray of hope into someone else's life. 

////What will my little corner of the blog world be about?////

I'm going to use this space to show my creative journey, my processes (joys + struggles), and highlight products from my shop. I want to inspire + motivate others, especially young women, to pursue their creative talents, and use those to give back since God's given us so much. I also will be highlighting other handmade shops, on Etsy and other sites, as well as shops that give back in their communities + around the world. I'll throw in a little bit of my personal life, because who wants to read about beads and shopping all day?? (well, I might...) I will do a few features on cities I've traveled to, as well as favorite spots like coffee shops, boutiques, etc.

////My Goals + Dreams for this blog////

Gain 50 followers in 2014

Post twice a week

Show that a creative business can be used to bring people hope + glory to God

Attend Influence Conference

Gain exposure for Hope Collective

Make great blog friends!

I got a lot of my ideas on how to organize what my blog is and isn't about, dreams, goals for it, etc. from this post by the lovely Rachel over at oh, Simple Thoughts:    

 5 "big picture" questions to regain BLOG FOCUS

{Like my blog design? Rachel also designed it! If you're looking for a new blog design, she is the girl for you! She is very talented, and she was super helpful and got my blog up very quickly. So great to work with!}

So, tell me, what are your goals + dreams for your blog? Introduce yourself, I'd love to get to know y'all! :)