The Store, New Project, and Upcoming Adventure

Lately, I’ve been deep in research mode, figuring out the best home for my shop. After a lot of back and forth, I’ve decided to move over to Big Cartel. It keeps things simple and affordable, which matters a lot for a small handmade business like mine. I’ll be working within a 50-listing limit, but honestly, that just means I get to be more intentional about what I share.

While I’ve been making those changes, I also gave my Carrd site a little refresh. (Yes it is caRRd , not card) I added two new galleries—one for my craftwork and one for my nature photography—so everything feels a bit more like me. All of my links are updated too, nice and clean under “Social Links.”

And… this one’s a little different—I started writing a novella.

It follows a 16-year-old peasant girl growing up in 1300s medieval England. She carries a quiet, inherited “gift” from her mother. It’s not a world of knights and fantasy magic—it leans more into historical fiction, grounded and subtle.

This story actually started years ago as a college paper. I always liked the idea, but back then it leaned too far into fantasy. This version feels more honest. More real.

I’m writing it mostly for myself. I don’t expect to make money from it, and I’m not planning to publish it. It’s just something I want to see through—however long that takes. (And I suspect… it might take a while.)

Now that all of that is in motion, I’ve got something else on the horizon—my next adventure.

I managed to snag a permit to stay below the rim of the Grand Canyon.

I’ve hiked the canyon before, but never overnight, so this feels like a whole new experience. I did have a second trip planned, but I decided to cancel it—between the cost (those pre- and post-hike hotel stays add up fast) and the rising heat at the bottom, it just didn’t feel like the right call. Canyon temperatures can climb 15–25 degrees higher than the rim, and that’s no joke.

The upside? More time for summer camping.👍😁

For this trip, I’ll be hiking down the South Kaibab Trail to the Tipoff, then cutting across Tonto West to Havasupai Gardens (formerly Indian Gardens), where I’ll camp for the night. From there, it’s the big climb out on Bright Angel.

As always, for safety reasons, I’ll share dates and details after I’m back home in Phoenix. 😉

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