{Racing & Rambling}

Well, I've had a difficult couple of days.  As I'm sitting here, my babies close I am content.  On Sunday, our Pastor spoke about faith; comparing it to running a race.  Sometimes we hit hills and need an extra boost in order to make it to the finish line.  In some ways, I'm finding myself hitting that hill.  You see, I have a fun little paper shop on Etsy.  I started it when my son was born because I felt like I needed an outlet, being a stay at home mom and all.  As my business grew, I found what I wanted it to be.  I went through a couple of name changes and I really evaluated what was going to be the most productive.

Fast forward to this time last year.  I discovered photo props!  A easy, fun way to make a few extra dollars to help put the kids through art class and/or gymnastics.  I was one, among many sellers on Etsy selling mustaches on a stick.  We all share one common idea but have different ways of implementing that idea.  I am a very honest person, would never copy another person's work, not even a thougt about it.  Worked well, up until now.  I've got a copycat on my hands.  My photos were copied, my ideas, my words basically cut and pasted into someone else's listing.  Someone else trying to pass my work off as her own.  This is SO upsetting to me on SO many levels.  This person has consumed my energy, my happiness and my pure joy over the past two days, I'm tired of it.  I've allowed someone who has no integrity make me question my own.  I handled everything well, I stood up for myself, my beliefs and my work and that's about all I can do.

My Etsy shop has been "my baby" for a while now.  I've nurtured it, helped it become quite successful with just under 1,000 sales in the three years I"ve been open.  I've taken time off when I've needed to.  I took several weeks off when Ava got her tonsils removed, I worked extra long hours right before Christmas so Santa could buy some extra gifts for the kids.  There was one time, a couple of years back when the only source of income we had was my little Etsy shop.  I have really come to rely on it.

Now, I'm seeing that as life is becoming more and more hectic and the children are changing so rapidly, I want to be 100% mom again.  I want my children to be where I spend all my energy.  I want it to be with them that I spend all my extra hours of the day with.  My energy is better focused on them rather than some copycat Etsy seller.  They deserve my energy, they derseve 110% of my attention.  So,that being said,  I am taking a brief hiatus to focus on finshing that race.  Thanks to all of you for your support and encouragement as I continue up this final hill.