February 5th, 2025
To be clear, that title was not directed to the month of January or Old Man Winter who decided to reside in it.
We've been spoiled the last few years with somewhat mild(ish) winters with splashes of ugly winter here and there to remind us of where we live.
I had a bit of a chuckle with our UPS driver as we were commiserating about the weather, the roads, the drivers and well… winter, when he exclaimed that his wife LOVED the winter.
I looked at him like he had three heads and immediately asked “does she work in it?” He then giggled and said, “no, she works from home and likes watching the snowflakes fall outside.”
I laughed and said, “ya, that tracks”. And as he left, I quietly mumbled “same girl, same.”
I love winter in its tranquility and beauty. The calm, crisp mornings where everything looks and feels like its been tucked up snug in a fluffy white duvet.
Mrs. UPS wasn't totally wrong.
Although the weather seemed to be the theme of January, Mark and I also got away for our semi-annual peer group meeting.
A much needed space for Mark and I to leave the farm, and really dig deep into the business behind it.
It's far too easy as farmers to get caught up in the day to day work, the chores, the pushing snow, the thawing of frozen water… the list goes on. We never leave ourselves time to sit and grind over numbers, goals, and future direction of our business when we are home. It's too easy to find work that seems more emergent.
So twice a year, we force ourselves to leave.
We meet with a group of fellow farmers who also have to leave the farm to make space for the business side of what we do.
Personal development has always been a core value of ours, but often the last thing we nurture… so I'm glad we make the time for this.
Another big life event (for me, anyway) was finally moving into our official Sheepishly Me merch room!! I even had a little ‘Winter Blues’ launch just to start re-stocking the website, but unexpectedly sold out! I didn't even have time to advertise it!!
So, as an apology to my newsletter community… you get the FIRST look at our Sheepishly Me Valentines Day drop.
I am SO EXCITED to once again collaborate with another local talent, Nicki from Wick+Bear, who just so happens to be my most favourite candle maker ever.
I messaged her weeks ago with an idea to celebrate Valentine's Day with a candle scent that captures this holiday, but also that deep feeling of winter.
And I wanted to call this candle Red.
To celebrate our favourite redheads in the sheep barn, but one in particular… Willow's bestie, Red.
Nicki ran with it, and came up with the perfect scent.
Although we had a bit of heart failure last weekend when it looked like our US customers would have to pay a tariff on Canadian goods, thankfully, we were given 30 days to get this stuff to you guys!!
Which finally circles back to the title of this long winded newsletter.
This weekend, I chatted a bit on my Instagram Stories about how nervous I was about these tariffs and what it means for this new business we took on, and how I just didn't see this coming when getting the bank approval a year ago.
I worried about everything else, but THIS was not on my radar.
And so many of you messaged me with such love and support, it brought me to tears and solidified the reason behind the shop.
The Sheepishly Me Shop was and is made out of the love of this community. It was brought home so I could align with locally woman owned businesses who I've come to love and respect in both business and now, friendship.
I am so proud of what this little shop is. How it's challenged me, wrecked me, but also made me stronger as a now small business owner just learning to fly.
So thank you for this gift.
The gift of trying, failing, learning and growing.
~sheepishly yours, s.
…ps. i love you.
