As we move into 2014, we have been doing a lot of future-planning, goal-setting and plan-making for this coming year, but we feel like it’s really important to pause, look back at the previous year and assess what worked and what didn’t. So we started writing down our biggest successes, most exciting moments and also the things that disappointed us or we’d count as failures, because frankly, each one of these things will teach us how we want to move forward into 2014. Its not all just list-making though, we are putting on our business women hats and crunching some serious numbers, as well.
We’re so thankful for the new relationships, friends and clients that have come from 2013. It’s truly been an incredible year for our business. We can’t go without recognizing that we are some of the lucky ones that are actually living our dream, doing exactly what we were meant to do! And a huge thank you to all of our Ampersand friends who stop by our little blog to see what we’re up to, we’re grateful for each and every one of you!
We’ve got big plans for 2014 and some of them have already started (ah…you know how we hate keeping secrets)! But before we move forward, let’s look back at 2013, want to come along on the journey with us? Let’s go:
JANUARY // We kicked off 2013 by traveling to Salt Lake City for Alt Summit and we had the honor of speaking at a roundtable about Going Into Business with Friends, (Full Alt Summit recap here). Oh and yes, we got to meet Jessica Alba! // We got to introduce our first stationery collection with teNeues // We launched our partnership with LaPlates for our custom designed melamine plates and platters
FEBRUARY // moved out of coffee shops and got our very first studio space // launched Ampersand iphone cases on our etsy shop // spoke for AIGA Kansas City Homegrown Fashion
MARCH // our very first fabric collection, Cream & Sugar, starting shipping to stores across the world and online boutiques // our work was published in Playing with Type book by Rockport Press // announced we are in over our heads HIRING an intern //
APRIL // welcomed Jordan & Emily to the Ampersand team // partnered with The Honest Co for their awesome products & pinning parties // did a local meet & greet at Harper’s Fabrics to launch our Cream & Sugar fabric collection
MAY // collaborated with Anthropologie for a Mother’s Day craft night event // showed at our 2nd Surtex show in NYC and it was a big success! // full recap of our 2013 Surtex show right here!
JUNE // really tapped into our DIY side for Father’s Day & Mother’s Day
AUGUST // spoke about Branding for Blgogers at Go Blog Social conference in Kansas City //
SEPTEMBER // Carrie had a baby!
OCTOBER // attended Quilt Market in Houston and shot a video // new partnership for kids room decor with Oopsy Daisy // we moved (again)! to the Kansas City Crossroads Arts District downtown // prepared to launch our second fabric collection, 8 Days a Week, with a massive 3-location photo shoot and lots of help from our sewing friends!
NOVEMBER // started selling our screen prints at one of our favorite local shops, Utilitarian Workshop // Had the pleasure of designing The Country Club Plaza Lights banners // hosted a super fun holiday trunk show for The Land of Nod in our very own studio!!
DECEMBER // featured in Spaces magazine // partnered with Mane Message for a custom design package of hair bands // added new stationery items to our shop
And 2013 was so good to us in the press! Thanks to all of you who featured one of our products, our shop, or the work we have done!! We appreciate every single word! Better Homes & Gardens, Apartment Therapy, To & From Magazine, Adore Home Magazine, the cover of Fon’s & Porters Love of Quilting, Camille Styles, Honest to Nod, The Vault Files, 100 layer cakelet, blogshop Philly, Spaces Magazine, KC Weddings magazine and so many more!!
We also took our wholesale business to new levels and added lots of new accounts to our list including Shop Made by Girl in NYC, Collected in Aukland, New Zealand, Take Heart in Austin, TX and our most recent, Schoolhouse Electric!
All in all, we’d like to say a big huge CHEERS to 2013!!!! You’ve been incredible to us and we can’t wait to see what 2014 holds!
(And just in case you’re curious, here’s our look back from a year ago and 2012!)