Behind the Heart of Brushwood Corners: Holidays, Cardstock, and Accomplishments

brushwoodcorners
Nov 16, 2025
3 min read

A Week of Work, Warmth, and Holiday Preparations

Well, we made it through another week. It’s Sunday, and I’ve got 287 sheets of cardstock waiting to be cut into labels, business cards, and thank-you cards. It’s the unglamorous part of this handmade life, but it’s just as important as the scents and colors that make it to the shelves.

I finally mastered the lotion bars I’ve been testing for two weeks. Seven different recipes… seven attempts… and finally one winner. I’ll be moving on to packaging, labeling, and pouring a couple different scents next.

Meanwhile, Elf plays softly in the background — because that’s the official start of the holiday season here — and my tiny helper is beside me, keeping things light in between the work.

Craft Shows, New Partnerships, and December Events

This week brought a lot of movement for Brushwood Corners.

I completed the show at the 1058 Event Center, a beautiful venue full of chandeliers and holiday charm. Watching customers shop with mimosas in hand was honestly its own little vibe. The turnout was great, and I truly appreciate everyone who stopped by the table.

One of the biggest wins of the week is partnering with Shear Paradise in Wakeman, Ohio. I’ll be meeting with them this week to see the space, and by the end of the month, my soaps, lotion bars, and Moonlight Tallow Balm will officially be stocked locally.

Brushwood Corners will also continue being available at Rhodes Marketplace in Sandusky, where I actually witnessed someone purchase one of my handmade sewn items. It hit me right in the heart — sewing is where I started, and seeing something stitched by my hands get chosen means more than people know.

We also signed up for the Erie County Parade of Lights happening December 6–7 and 13–14 at the Fairgrounds. I’ll definitely be there on the 6th and 7th. Before that, on December 5th, I have the Mercy Allen Hospital event from 9–3. These will likely close out my Christmas season shows.

I’ll also be sharing a few Amazon affiliate links this week — the tins and mold that I’m using for my lotion bars.

Social Media Accomplishments This Week

I also made progress on the social media front this week — which is a win all on its own. I actually posted something on Facebook every single day, which is a first for me in a long time. I got a couple videos up and running, and I even attempted to go live on TikTok. That was its own funny, embarrassing moment. I started off so slow and steady that I didn’t even realize I was actually live… and then when I finally did, I couldn’t figure out how to turn it off. But I showed up, I tried, and that counts for something in this season of growth.

Preparing for Thanksgiving with a Small Circle

My turkey was delivered today, and with it came a familiar little ache. Thanksgiving used to look different… fuller… louder. After losing my sister, my niece, and my parents, the holiday circle has grown small.

This year it looks like it will be just me and my three children, and hopefully my oldest nephew. My younger nephew will be on vacation. It’s not the bustling family holiday many picture. It’s quieter… softer… and sometimes a little lonely.

But small doesn’t mean empty. Small just means ours.

“Family doesn’t disappear when the numbers grow smaller — it reshapes itself around the ones who remain.”

And of course, halfway through typing this, real life stepped in: "What do you need, Hope?" Those tiny interruptions ground me right back into what matters most.

Behind the Heart: Holidays, Cardstock, and Accomplishments

This week held its mix of progress, preparation, business growth, tiny wins, and emotional reminders of the holidays ahead. It was steady, it was personal, and it mattered.