SEEK JOY IN THE SMALL THINGS
One of the best parts of traveling is getting a little distance from your everyday life and getting a fresh look and new perspective on things. While away it was nice to see what I love about Ellery reflected back to me and how what I love is reflected in this special little shop.
They say that you shouldn’t focus on selling products, you should focus on selling a lifestyle.
It makes sense to me logically, in a very sales-y way but it doesn’t ring true for me personally. I can’t relate because I LOVE things.
Things, tangible items, are what I wholeheartedly love. Whether or not I always identify with a brand I more often than not fall in love with how I got it, where I found it or how much joy it brings me to look at or use an object.
I don’t buy things often but when I do they all become meaningful to me.
I love my car like it’s a member of my family and don’t plan on getting a new one for a long long time (knock on wood).
You should ask my mom and sister how many times I talked about my souvenirs from our trip out west or how many times I wanted to look at them and see them.
Getting things and collecting things brings me joy. Everything that I wear or use almost always has a story behind it.
Sometimes at Target I’ll treat myself to a new candle to celebrate the start of a new season. Getting a cold brew and a pup cup for Dagwood always feels like a fun way to celebrate the start of a work day after a great morning walk. Even popping open a pamplemousse La Croix while working feels special to me.
Sometimes I think about this quote from the Notebook:
“I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man (woman), with common thoughts and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul and to me this has always been enough…”
But in my case, it’s that I want only what I love with my heart and soul in my life.
I feel like I come by this mentality naturally. We moved around a lot growing up but there are items that both my Mom and Dad have always taken with them to each new place. My Grandmother's home is FILLED with what she loves and so is my aunts and cousins house.
To have things around me that I love feels vital to me. I think that’s why I love setting up pop-ups so much. I get to touch and arrange all of the things that I want to share with you. Pieces that I love and hope that you love too and then I get to tell you why I love them and share their story.
You know that scene in Mary Poppins when she gets to her new room at the family's house and starts unpacking all her stuff to make her room homey from her bag. I feel like that’s what I do everytime I set up a market.
While we were traveling out west we stayed in hotels, air bnb’s and a family's cabin. Staying in a hotel isn’t exciting to me. It could have all of the amenities one could want but they always feel so cold to me. Generic, bland and not personalized. I understand that they have to appeal to many people and no one has time or the budget to make them feel homey and that their purpose isn’t design related. But I'm not here for the clean and sterile aesthetic.
The place that I felt most at home was the cabin that we stayed in. It was filled to the brim with a rich history of the family that it belonged to. Old kids' toys that were passed down a few generations were in baskets, family photos filled the cabin, a menu from a restaurant that they loved on the fridge. Books on the bookshelf that someone had read that weren’t just there for show. You could tell what they loved and what brought them joy, just by what they had in their cabin. I lived for these details and things.
While we were hiking my mom told me that she thought it was cool that we were all wearing Ellery things and that we were doing things that seemed very “Ellery” and what I think she meant was that we were doing things that we loved and made us smile.
To me, Ellery is all about seeking out what brings you joy.
Shopping from other women owned businesses brings me joy.
Finding beautiful jewelry that I can wear every day brings me joy.
Taking time to be away from work and surround myself in nature brings me joy.
Maybe these things bring you joy also, if not, find what you love.
Find what brings a smile to your face. Use only things that you want to tell your friends about. Wear your favorite things every day. Life can be hard and tough, but we have so many opportunities in the day to do things that bring us a little joy.