4.6.25
I wanted to take a second to give you, you guessed it, the life + business update you didn't ask for. Cool? Ok, awesome.
Picture this. It's the year 2022, and the madness that was 2020 is just starting to simmer down, when my husband and I are presented with the opportunity to move back to East Tennessee, and to build a home on 32 acres of land, tucked beautifully in those east TN hills, all while being back near family and friends. After an amazing almost 8-year stint in the lovely area of Western North Carolina, and a few lonnggg conversations, we decided to go for it. And when God put our home under contract in less than a month, we knew it was the direction He intended for us to go.
Then, the self-contracting process of building our home began. Why, you might ask, would we subject ourselves to such pain and uncertainty (haha!, but also, not really haha!) by self-contracting? Well, we ended up building our home for around $65/sq. ft. That's a good enough "why" for us, to be brutally honest; especially in retrospect. Anddd there's also the fact that my husband is the handiest man I know, who can do (or teach himself to do) anything. He's also an electrician by trade. So this was just the path for us. Anyway, understandably, during this time of home designing, planning, and really just straight up surviving, my little business fell to the wayside. Before our move back to TN, I was making at least a few hundred dollars per week by way of creating art for my Etsy shop and my (then) art agent.
But, that all ended when we uprooted our lives in NC to start this building journey in lovely east TN. Side note: I do like to remind myself that, even though losing my business revenue was quite painful, we ended up saving SO much more in the long run by self-contracting our build; when I play the numbers game in my mind, this fact really helps, haha! Just yet another humble reminder that God was/is/always will be in this story, and in the details.
That brings me to the here-and-now (April 2025), yayy! Sooooo, as of November of 2024, we finally have a completed home (with still a ton of exterior/landscaping work to go, but we're getting there). And I'm now more freed up than ever to get back to my sweet little business. Did I mention that the youngest of our four kiddos is now almost six, and I turned the big 4-0 in March? Annnnnd, I'm living in my absolute favorite season of life to-date. Not even kidding. I feel so inspired and hopeful for the future. And with that has come a huge business assessment followed by a branding change.
Since October of 2014, when I started my little design shop on Etsy, Heart of Life Design has been my business identity. I am foreverrr grateful for that name, brand, the sales under that brand that changed my family's livelihood, just... all the things. But, as I've tinkered around with branding changes that better reflect my art style, and that also open me up to more opportunities in the future, while still remaining true to my love of the Bible and all things Jesus, Honeyfield Design Co. quickly captured my thoughts -- and there was no going back.
In the Bible, a field of honey often symbolizes abundance, prosperity, and divine blessings. And, honey is frequently associated with the Promised Land (Exodus 3:8, 3:17). What's even better, honey can represent wisdom and the sweetness of God's words and teachings (Proverbs 24:13) which encourages the pursuance of wisdom - the principle thing!
What's more, after taking Surface Design Immersion with Bonnie Christine in 2022 (which changed my business mindset for the better, forever), I decided to title my very first fabric collection Among The Fields. I truly feel like I found my design style, my artistic calling, because of Immersion. And my new business name, Honeyfield Design Co., just feels... right!! I love, and am indescribably always drawn to, all things tribal, rustic, boho, and spiritual. So, here we are! I hope you'll continue on this journey with me after this exciting pivot. I am really so excited for what's next, as I refocus on not only my digital goods-based Etsy shop, but also on my Spoonflower (Fabric+Wallpaper) shop, as well as on my Creative Market shop where I'll be offering digital goods to help support other makers!
Thank you for being here!
xo, Tara
Find these fabric+wallpaper designs and more in my Spoonflower shop!
Reworked Fish Scale Stripes
Monochromatic Symmetrical Florals
Boho Butterflies on Coral
Fish Scale Stripes in Plum
Come On Boots! In Camel and Cream
