Hey there, I know it's been a while and I feel like I owe an explanation, or even just a recap.. so here it is (lightly).
Paris in 2018 took a lot out of me, it was the highest point of my career and when I came back I decided to take a little me time. This me time ended up with finding my partner at the start of 2019. This rolled into a life I never had, I had more than just Dark Thorn now, my life had MORE meaning. This partnership came with a beautiful little step-daughter who needed me just as much as I needed her.
All I have to say is 2020. Covid. May I also add that in 2020 I decided it would be a marvelous idea to start another boutique called Local Collective Boutique. Originally the boutique was created as a place where I could work on Dark Thorn. Somewhere away from the house where I could have a studio where I work on Dark Thorn while I also sell other local brands in the shop front to keep things rolling, if you know what I mean. Covid really made things difficult. With closures and lockdowns I really struggled.
The first Local Collective Boutique Space
In 2020 we also took my step-daughter on full time which made it difficult to juggle the shop and care for her but things were improving with the shop and I started to outgrow the space we initially had. So we decided by 2021 to move to a larger space, four times the size of our original and then Local Collective ended up taking up ALL of my time, energy and money and I no longer had time to work on Dark Thorn.
The second Local Collective Boutique space
2021 rolled around, I opened the new space, welcomed new brands annnnd then I fell pregnant.
17wks Pregnant at work
Due date November 2021
I spent so much time and energy to create a space that was unique and welcoming to all of my customers. An experience as they walked in. I knew it would be hard to continue while pregnant but I did. Time ticked on, my due date crept closer and closer, soon my midwives were telling me i NEEDED to stop and relax. I had pre-eclampsia.
Unfortunately the pressure of trying to keep a shop afloat during covid, pregnancy, renovations (i also forgot to mention that we moved into our farmhouse renovation while i was 38wks pregnant...), and becoming a new mum was accumulating too much and I had to close the physical Local Collective Boutique. It was a hard decision at the time but it was the best decision I made.
Original picture of our renovation farmhouse
I also realised how much i have missed Dark Thorn. Dark Thorn was my first baby, it was 5 years of my life from the age of 18 to 23 and I had just abandoned it. It was my creative outlet, it helped me socialise with so many people and create this amazing atmosphere of creativity and inspiration from other inspiring artists.
I have always been a creative person and Local Collective really didn't feel that void that I was missing. Originally it was created so I could create but it just consumed me. The past two years since I created LCB has been the most stressful and hardest two years of my life, more stressful than Dark Thorn that's for sure! I've also been struggling postnatally as well. Adjusting to new mum life but with a toddler, trying to keep LCB going financially and also dealing with my weight issues trying to come to terms with that fact I am still two to three dress sizes bigger than I was pre-pregnancy... lets just say its been hard for me mentally lately and I haven't really come out and admitted that yet...
So in 2022 I vouch to make a return to Dark Thorn. I am working on being able to create my own small batch designs in house by studying further. I will also be working on offering accessories and certain items I have been working on. I will be slowly stripping back Local Collective eventually it will only sells items either my mother or I have created. We are both creative and we have made so many creative ventures in our lives. Candles, hand sewing, kids clothes, screen printing... you know it.
I cannot wait to see where the future takes Dark Thorn now... but first I need to work on stripping back Local Collective and continue my studying ventures so I can focus purely on Dark Thorn.
So for now please use the code WELCOMEBACK to get 15% off EVERYTHING currently online.
If you made it this far thank you for listening to this new mumma ramble on, it was quite therapeutic...
Talk next time!
T-A xx
