Making Plans

Here is a little update on a few things. I haven’t had daycare on my first nights back to work so I woke up yesterday morning and didn’t lay down until this morning so I feel dead to the world. I don’t feel like I have been as productive as I had hoped to be. Kimber came over Monday and we were able to discuss a few things, and Lyndi got to play with Jameson and Zeff.  We are going Monday to get our LLC. From there we can get all the necessary documents to be official and start making things happen! Of course Uncle Sam has to be sure to get his cut of whatever we make :). We are hoping to hit up a trade show in January, hopefully I can get those days off! Its really hard attempting a new business while you still have to maintain your other job! Kimber and I have discussed some really awesome products and our hopes and what we can offer that local people aren’t. For me, I want affordable gifts and décor. Who in their right mind can pay $200-$300 for a sign? Who has needed a gift for someone that you wanted to spend under $50 and you couldn’t find anything? These are things we want to be able to offer. We are still looking for the perfect property, who would have thought it would have been such slim pickins? We are currently working on our website and products, hopefully we can go live soon!

I see different Insta’s of people who have businesses and I always wonder how hard it was for them, what struggles they encountered and if they are successful. I hope that with this blog we might be able to help someone who is wanting to open a business, but doesn’t know where to start and we can offer information what we go through. Business is confusing! Of course Kimber and I both have degrees that are absolutely worthless when it comes to business!

Anyway, I have to go back to work tonight, it’s freezing outside and I’d rather be snuggled up on the couch with my kids, but I guess I will go to work instead!

Until Next Time-

Melissa

(Thanks to the 2 readers who might read this :), one of those 2 being Kimber 🙂 🙂

Let’s talk about milk paint!

Hey,

Hey there, Melissa here. Something I like to use on my signs is milk paint. There are lots of different brands and you can even make your own (the thought of intentionally curdling milk makes me gag). I’m currently loving Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint. It comes in a powder form and you mix up as much as you need in the consistency you need. I was a chalk paint fan, but not anymore. Milk paint has been used for years and years and it’s the perfect paint for your vintage furniture. There are so many different techniques to get the chippy paint look. Next time you want to paint an old dresser or  bed, I’d give milk paint a try! Also, there are no harmful chemicals, no smells, it dries super fast and clean up is so easy! Are you sold on it yet?

HEYYY YOU GUYS!!! (IN MY SLOTH VOICE)

Hey ladies ( & gents, maybe?),

I am probably the most uninteresting person ever. If you grew up with me you probably know me as Miss, and if you didn’t, Melissa. Right now I work night shift at an ER as a nurse. I attend college for my BSN. I have had so much stuff to do lately and have been evaluating things that I decided to take this 5 week course off and pick up the class at the end. I seem to have lost my motivation somewhere. In the last year my goals have changed drastically. Even if I start a brick and mortar business I will probably try to continue on to get my masters degree. I just don’t know at this point, I almost feel like an 18 year-old attempting to find their way.

I have a step-son, Gideon who is 13. Zane is 9, Jett is 3 and Lyndon (the only girl) is 2. My husband has normal work hours and it seems like we see each other in passing (he does instrumentation & controls, don’t ask he will talk about random things you don’t even understand). What does any of this have to do with Revival House? I have gotten tired of missing school programs, important events and holidays! I want to do what I love, I want my kids to be able to go with me to my job, I want to be able to provide people with awesome things that they didn’t even know they needed! Most importantly, Kimber and I have such a love for God we get really excited to text scripture back and forth and articles and discuss our favorite podcasts (Apologia and Sheologians). We want a business that shows our love for God. We want you to have a hand painted sign with scripture on it on display in your house. We want this business to be for the glory of God. We have so many ideas and hopes for this little business that it keeps us up at night! Some of you might read this because you are excited and want to see us succeed, others might read it just to see us fail. Whether we fail or succeed, at least we tried!

There is a lot happening right now, business plans, LLC’s, properties, locations, merchandise. It’s all foreign to me, luckily Kimber seems to be a little better at all of that. We might only get 2 views on this blog page, (Kimber and I viewing it LOL) but we want to document this journey. We also want to give tips and share cool products or junk we find!  I think I have rambled on a lot, it is 5:40 in the morning and I’ve been up since 2:00 yesterday (#nightshiftlyfe). This was a bit of my boring story and don’t fret, I’ll return with some more boring stories! Or maybe we can talk about some crafty things, I know, you’re on the edge of your seat and can’t wait to see what the next blog post will bring!

I NEED TO REMEMBER TO NOT WORRY, AND MAYBE YOU NEED REMINDED OF IT TOO!

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:25-34)

*And don’t forget, if you have something in mind you want us to make, shoot us a message, we can at least tell you if we could make it, and give you a price!

-Melissa

In the beginning…

If you’ve made your way over here you may have come because you’re wondering “what are they doing?”  Well, so are we!  It is one thing to have ideas and dreams, but its a whole other ball game to be writing business plans and articles of organization, looking for wholesale products to feature, looking at real estate, all while trying to create large and small scale handmade products that don’t just look wonky and unprofessional!   We’ve been brainstorming on the daily to figure out where we are going.

So here is what we’re thinking: first, our goal is to create an occupation for ourselves that does not impact our flexibility and our availability to our families, we know who our God given audience is, and who we are to serve first.

Secondly, we want to be a missional business that honors God and serves others every chance he gives us to do so.

And lastly (this maybe should’ve went first), we LOVE all things; junk, vintage, farmhouse, rustic, french county, antique, handmade, re-purposed, and just anything that is of the best quality and is timeless. This is what we will feature, things made conscientiously and with love.

We have a long way to go, and that’s what is exciting, the road ahead!  It’s fun to learn the different paints available, how to stain wood with fabric dye, and the porosity of different wood types, lol, seriously!  The great thing is to be blessed enough to have the freedom to have this pursuit, the family support, and a friendship that makes it fun to dream.

So maybe we end up with the shop we want, full of handmade items from local vendors and the coolest stuff we can find wholesale…or maybe we sell our stuff online and fill the homes of our friends and families with custom made decor and gifts.  Either way we will have fun learning and seeing what possibilities the future holds.

We will be keeping you updated, so follow us and see what happens, maybe learn something with us, and if you happen to be a crafter or craftsman yourself…holler at us!

-Until next time, lots of love!  Sola Deo Gloria!

P.S. Why Revival House??  No, we aren’t reviving the cinema!

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revival

Just seems fitting in so many ways.