We're welcoming our new BABY!! Huge thank you & an UPDATE

For about 5 years now we've been trying to conceive our 3rd child. With extreme heartache along the way with many losses, all whilst raising two beautiful children & growing this amazing business, we are thrilled to share that we finally get our last little member to our family. And the amazing part is, she's due to join us any day now! It's been a long journey, this has been a very hard year business wise & we cannot wait to end 2022 on such a happy note.

.

That being said I, Carrie - owner & designer for SAA - wanted to send a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us this year. And that's not just with a purchase, there are so many of you that follow our journey as a business & family "just because" you enjoy it. Every "like" on our social media platforms, every share of our latest newsletter, comment, email, baby gift, donation... I could go on & on - but it means so much. For 7 years before I started this business I owned a brick & mortar store where I got to see the same people every year - they became like my family. I thought for sure I would lose that once we moved our business ventures to an e-commerce platform - but boy was I wrong! We've grown so much in the past 6 years & it's all thanks to our amazing IG following & those who support us "in real life"


.

On a business note, I do want to update everyone as to what will happen with SAA in 2023. As of today (12/22) I am spending my last day in my studio SOLO... isn't that crazy? Next time I come here I will bring a sweet baby with me. I am aiming to get as much designing done today as I can so that Arleen (our amazing seamstress) can continue to make our lovely bonnets throughout the month of January. That means that weekly restocks will be put on hold for a little while here. I need to focus on the biggest task at hand & that's welcoming this baby girl (name TBA on IG when she is born!)

.

Our plan is to have a January release & if you've been around for a while you'll know that when we started this business we ONLY had monthly releases - restocking the website with anywhere between 400-800 bonnets at a time. We add the same amount of bonnets (sometimes more) each month now but we broke it down into weekly restocks - mostly to help us navigate our finances better. So with this January restock we will have what I am coining a "Retro Storybook Collection" & "Strawberry Goodness Collection" along with other designs that I will throw in the mix. I plan on sharing these new designs by mid-month in January when I am able to make it into the studio for a few hours each day (don't worry, I am VERY set up here to snuggle a baby at the same time as I pick away at some work!) Once we're settled on what we will be restocking (date TBA) I will add all of the bonnets to the website, weekly release style but it will instead be a HUGE restock for the month of January.

.



A lot of people on our social media platforms have expressed that they're "over the moon!" monthly restocks are back - & if this is true for you as well I would advise you to NOT get settled on this schedule. I need to figure out what works best for me as I navigate having a baby with me while I work. It may make sense to stick to monthly, we may go back to weekly, or we may try something else entirely - I am just not sure. I have never run this business (although have dreamt for a VERY long time about it!) with a small baby. We started this business when Leia was 6 months old & went on to have it be our full-time income very quickly. I was able to manage it all by having two small children at home with me along with Marc but only time will tell what this business schedule will look like whilst I have a baby with me flying solo at the studio downtown.

.



That's one of the perks of owning a very small business. We have very little overhead in terms of this studio, materials, & employees. We've always aimed to keep it that way & I have always made it a point to remain transparent with you all about it. We live a VERY simple life in our personal life & right now our main focus is this baby (of course) & making sure our one full-time employee (Arleen! we love her!) can continue to work. It's a time of transition & I couldn't be more proud of the way we've run this business because it's always allowed us to put family first all while sustaining a job that we LOVE doing. I could cry about it right now (thank you pregnancy hormones!) - there truly is no other job in my lifetime that I have loved more than this one. I get to do it every day because of you guys - we cannot thank you enough for that.


.


So, here we go. I have been dreaming of this moment for almost 5 years now & I cannot believe it's actually happening. Love, bonnets & a new baby. This is such a magical time for us & I am so grateful I have you all to share it with.