An Update

I'm so lucky to have you all as subscribers! It's been more than a year now that I've been doing this gig, and I realized that newer members may not be aware of how we got here so I thought I'd do a little year-end update. You know, like a 90s Christmas letter. But with better photos.

I owned and ran a bookshop from 2006 - 2022, when my shop was hit by Hurricane Ian (we were directly in the path of the storm) and two MORE storms in the following weeks. There was a lot of Drama-With-A-Capital-D with the landlord. I can't give you much of an update on that because we're in litigation now, but I can say without violating any rules: in my subjective opinion, he is a bad person. Possibly the worst person I have ever known. May he get what he deserves.

The store was insured, of course, but it's been an uphill battle getting the insurance company to pay out. Yesterday I finished a massive report that should * hopefully * be the last thing needed to get them to pony up. Since there was little income and quite a few expenses since Sept 2022, I have some large bills to pay and I can't do that until the insurance comes through.

With all the damage in the area we couldn't find a new place for the shop yet so we built a satellite location in Saugatuck, MI. That means that last summer, I completed my FIFTH bookshop build. It was expensive and exhausting but worth it.

In the meantime, you guys saved my bacon. Literally. My only income this year has been patreon/costume related stuff and ya'll have been supportive, patient, and generally kind as fuck. You are the BEST. In the midst of such chaos, to be able to actually make a job out of doing what I love best (costumes and sewing and photography) has been incredible.

I am so excited for 2024 : with the project I finished yesterday out of the way, I'll be able to devote more hours to costumes, sewing, and livestreams. I have exciting things coming of age this year (including those wings that some of you heard whispers of) and I'm happy that I get to do what I love every single day instead of fitting in an hour here and there between my day job.

Genuinely: thank you. I appreciate you.