I am finally doing blog again :> my 2024 goal

Why Blog? Why Not Just IG Story!

I know it sounds insane, especially from a person who hasn’t updated her blog since 2020! So for the title — Why Blog? Why Not IG Story?

The truth is, I have a significant attention problem. While writing is not my forte, I have so many things I want to express to everyone! Far more than an IG story can accommodate. My Red House IG has been quite personal; you'd be able to see my daughter’s face, my warehouse, even my rants about various things. I absolutely won’t keep this platform the same! But for many of the things I’ve been doing, whether it's my day job as a founding designer at an ed tech startup, my life as a new... er mom’s life, or my Red House business life, I really want to document them! It stems from the thought that I want to be helpful, rather than solely focusing on branding myself as a small business guru.

How Has It Been for Red House in 2023?

Businesses often have their ups and downs. Who would have known that after the highs of 2020-2022, 2023 would be a downturn? In February 2020, I attended my last trade show in New York. Upon leaving, I thought, “How lucky I was! It was a great show.” Why? Because we actually received a $20k order from one of the chain stores. They were particularly impressed by the quality of our washi tape, noting that it was different from MT Tapes. However, that order, along with nearly all the other orders I secured at NYNOW, vanished following the infamous shelter-in-place order in March. I also left my day job, thinking, “Woo hoo, I made it!” , Also my day job at that time was very toxic.

When shelter-in-place hit, things seemed doomed for perhaps two weeks. Then, as we all know, for online introverted business owners, maybe it was ideal. In general, it was good, very good. Extremely good, until 2023 arrived.

my booth at NYNOW Feburary 2020

In 2023, interesting things were happening! Shows began to occur, but they don't accept me :> Renegade Craft Fair, West Coast Craft, Urban Craft Up Rising - these are a few of the events that you used to see me at! I wasn't in them, not because I didn't apply, but I just kept getting put on the waitlist. Online sales have been quiet! I would have been happy if my new product drop could bring in four digits! What we relied on was mostly wholesale! We even moved our studio from San Jose Japantown to an actual warehouse at the end of 2022! We incorporated ourselves... so we ended up paying lots of taxes :'(. We expanded at a time when I thought my future was so bright (whisper: just like how I left my day job in 2020 :P). PLUS! I gave birth to Arley, my daughter.

installing shelves at our current studio

I vividly remember in August, September, Oct, November before Thanksgiving, I felt SO SCARED! It was the second time I felt so scared and screwed up! Wholesale was quiet, Retail was quiet, IG algorithm changed, and so my IG also went quiet! Until Thanksgiving hit! We finally turned back to positive. However, with the sweet holiday season past, right now we somehow reached back to the lowest point in August 2022 again. This brought me to think… What did I do wrong? Or, more importantly, what did I do right in 2020-2022?

THE RIGHT! THE WRONG! THE UNKNOWN!

The Right !

• Lean in on social media! with daily live painting every-night at 10pm

• Lots of new product drops

• Lots of new categories

• Switch back to be a one man band in the first 6 months to cut budget

our usual shipping volume in the pandemic, and its all shipped by me!

The Wrong!

• I gave up social media because of no mental load

• we sent a lot less email

• we did not gather more email, basically no email marketing!

• our business and product direction is unclear, and its still unclear

• we expend too fast, still too fast!

• can’t figure out the right person for the right things to do! or a lot of the task I do just have no one can replace

our double booth at San Jose Made Holiday show

The Maybe?

• maybe social media is not my forte? I need to find my media

• maybe I didn’t expend at the right time with the right hire

• maybe doing frequent drops is THE WAY

• maybe I didnt have the right tool to scale

Now we have the right, the wrong, and the maybe! So, WHAT IS NEXT? What should The Little Red House do next?!

Maybe this is the easiest part of them all! In the following months, I should try to do lots of audits! Audit our process, audit our inventory, audit our productivity tools, and audit our people! Then, TEST, TEST, TEST, TEST! While I cannot figure out WHY craft shows don’t accept me anymore, I can definitely figure out email marketing, IG marketing, TikTok, or what I am doing now - blogging! ...or maybe even turn this content into YouTube videos!

At my day job, and in any scenario where we are trying to problem solve, I often tell my teammates to just list out the pros, the cons, and then list out a plan B! Many problems in the world are unsolvable, but I never believe business is the case! IF we believe in our own product - and I do! Better yet, I know many people are on the same page as I am, believe in The Little Red House, and love the illustration style! Therefore, our revenue is a solvable problem. I think at least I have to end it with a good note!

Another Thankful Post for USPS

I am not that used to updating our blog so often :>
its almost unreal for me !
However, while I cannot do more! I guess I should express my thankfulness to all the Essential working in my own little way!
this is the Pages that I ve done for you all to download :> so you can print it out, show it to USPS worker! Tape it at your doorway!

Free Coloring Pages ! Let's Color

Gratitude toward you all’s kindness

Let’s all admit , last month was insanely difficult for all small business. However, we are really lucky to have all of you! Supporting us either by joining my 10pm pst Instagram live section, or purchasing our items! Because of that, we made it thru last month! and if things continues goes like last month , we will make it thru this month as well !
In order to show our gratitude , I made 3 free downloadable pages for you all!
Please keep supporting us! means a lot to us

We will make it thru!
Best wishes,
Aggie

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Join Us!
After you join our email list, you will be able to shop at our Secret Shop from now on! All items will be pre sell before it hit the market! This shop is made for Friends and Family like you.

Work and Wine Tuesday

Join Aggie and Genevieve as we prep out new line of products. Fold cards, Packaging enamel pins, have wine, and enjoy some snacks. 

Discount and thank you gift bag for helpers.

Fold The Little Red House

A few months ago, when I started to brainstorm what I should do for this year NSS pre show mailer, I ran into this video that was made by Leyla Torres and she happened to made a pattern of folding a Little Red House. Thats why we decided to play a little game with all of our retailer this time to fold The Little Red house :>  
Knowing how difficult all the steps are, we decided to Pre- folded a lot of the step and leave some steps for the people who receive that! 
this is the video that Leyla Torres updated ! 

Credit to Leyla Torres

Have Lots of fun folding this! 

Love is in the Air

It is almost valentines day, and we have a few suggestions for you all  

Also 10% off Everything until 2/14 !
code: LOVE102017
 

Halloween Give away time!

You can enter our completely Free giveaway for this Lovely Ghost king Pillow ! 
There will be 6 of them available for Raffle and we will do a Video on Saturday to have 4 lucky people receive this hand made ghost king pillow

INSTRUCTION 

FILLING THE FORM BELOW

Traveling Japan

I finally got to manage my photos at japan and decided to do an virtual tour for my favorite must go stationery shop ITOYA! 

Each floor presenting different type of stationeries items
Some are home goods, some are personalize stationeries, and some are paper supplies.

Thats the door to the stationery paradise!!!!

The selections of Greeting Cards are CRAZY!

different type of card boxes

They have one whole floor for Envelopes and this is the selection of Envelopes in the same colors :> I want them all!

also a floor for personalize item like agenda 

PAPERS! it has a wall of papers. Paper Lovers' paradise. I can live here!

more papers! 

EVEN MORE PAPERS! 

Address: Japan, 〒104-0061 Tōkyō-to, Chūō-ku, 中央区Ginza, 2 Chome−２−７−１５

I am sure I will go to this place again in next july :> and soon when I know the details I will definitely announce it to you all ! 

Fab x the little red house

If you follow us since last year, you probably realize we did quite a few leaps in terms of our business direction!
One of the biggest opportunity that we have was partnering with FAB.COM ! We are gonna talked about how all these things begun. 

HOW DID WE START?
Last summer, we were lucky enough to have one of the Fab Buyer approached us, and presenting us this new category they have in their platform, NOVELTY. Of course, we nod our head immediately and being very excited to get into their family :> 
Around mid September, our products launched on their site and people seems okay with my cats! At that time, I felt like that is it! People are okay with it, and by saying That is it I mean the sale I think thru out the year that would be it, that is the workload! Totally  chill! 

my cats' family picture on fab.com

THAN WHAT?
then around october, fab.com was so nice that they gave us a few email feature, and onsite feature! the business was better  we have an order everyday and again we thought "THAT IS IT!". We simply thought this is the best that we can do 3 orders a week! Don't take us wrong, we love our products! We just don't have enough confidence on ourselves that we are able to do better V___V.

our best seller! The Little Black Kitten! 

THE HOLIDAY SEASON
THEN! the holiday season came! While it was approaching the thanks giving we don't have sleep in the studio ! (YES WE STILL HAVE OUR DAY JOB! ). Our schedule was crazy! Slept at 4am to fulfill orders, wake up at 9am drove another 1 hour and work another 8 hours. hitting the traffic when we got off for 1.25 hour, back home Fulfilling order again!  Our Weekend, was pathetic ! Since everything is handmade, every weekend I would be sewing, cutting, and more orders to fulfilled. That schedule last till right before christmas. WE HAD A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON! THE BEST ONE INDEED! 
WE LOVE IT! 
 

our most featured Siamiese :>

WHAT'S NEXT?
At the beginning of this year, Fab decided to make the Novelty category to be the year long category! They also picked 2 more new pillows to be on their website ! So Thats NOW! 
We are so excited to announce that we have the Minky Rainbow and Brown Bunny on their website! 
Hope this year we have another happy stuffing year with fab, and I am sure it will happen!

our rabbit with our little kitten

everyday is rainbow day!

San Jose Made X The Little Red House

So excited to be included in San Jose Made residency in wholefood san jose!
from now on every sat until march 12th I will be at San Jose Whole food! 
come and see us! 

Modify Watches X The Little Red House

Another exciting news :>
our modify watches's site is officially up! 
this is the first series that I designed for modify watches! 
stay tune for more series :> more pets, more animal MORE EVERYTHING! 

I personally purchased a set already and I hope it will come in  soon so I can wear it ! 

Casetify X The Little Red House

I am a person that really like to change my phone case from time to time. However, its always hard to find a phone case that is durable and cute for me. Thats the reason that I decided to start making phone case after I saw casetify's video! Looks like now having nice case or durable case is not a hard choice to make because it can be co exist!

I hope you all would enjoy the phone case as much as I do! 

the making of pillows

Creating story is my life mission, and making pillow naturally become one of the chance for me to create stories. I used to have all sort of allergy when I was small and I am not allowed to have even stuff animal. I would always imagine to have stuff animals or any toys to have tea party with me because my brother would only wanna do action movie in our play time =__=". 
Thats why I told myself, if I have a kid...I am gonna spoil them! 
I think while the cat pillows definitely fulfilling it mission to bring people happiness. Its important to share some making of photos

 

thats the end product 

I hope you will love your cat pillows a little more after knowing so much love has been given into them. Handmade products are not easy for small business owner like us, but making heart warming product that made people smile is such an awesome feeling. I am really addicted to making more and more pillows and products that make people smile ! 

thanks for reading it and we will have more new products release soon :> 

Re Cap of december of 2015

I know I am so bad on blogging! my 2016 plan is to learn keeping myself on schedule :> 

So on December I did quite a few things
On december 5th, I had my first and ever pop up shop experience at San Mateo Scribble me Happy. I was eternally grateful for this opportunity, and I learn so much in this little pop up!

the look of the pop up area ! 

image of me trying to tell people the steps

coloring my screen with my little color cheatsheet

the little helper started to take over the screen making and printing process

Regardless, how uncomfortable I am to stand in front of people to do a demo, I DID IT!  In this pop up event I did a Riso Gocco Demo! Its for me such a good tool, clean and easy to use. Right after the night of pop up event! 
I flew all the way to LA in the earliest flight 6am! With help form my friend I set up my booth within 30 mins! 

 

my table set up :> I call this the successful example of economy of space! 

As Always Unique LA did such a good job allowing us to set up earlier, giving us lots of exposures, tasty food vendors, free drinks, and lots of boutique coffees (by saying lots....I drank 3 coffees a day over there !). Also, over there i got to talk to so many vendors, doing some christmas shopping. Last but not least, we all had so much fun over there.

Then on to my last event with San Jose Made. It was my first time to be in their event! It was so nice to be able to back to my root. Little History about myself, I was graduated from San Jose State Animation/ Illustration program, and there was a good 5 years that I live in san jose , that of course, was the most memorable experience! My First time event with San Jose Made well well, so well that I will do so many events with that ! I definitely miss the feeling of going to indie show, really put time to talk to customers, and really understanding what they are looking forward to see in the little red house. 

my set up in the morning, I love the high ceiling

I know its late! but Happy New year everyone! 
I will update my blog much more often :>

Make a Special Thanks Card

Billy Buttons is always my favourite flower because its in such a cute simple shape. 
However, I usually don't know what I can use it for except decorating my work table. Until lately I think I should combine my love toward Billy's Button and Stationary together ! 

So YES, I made a downloadable template for this little craft project to combine my passions! 

HERE WE GO! 

before you start you will need these ! 
Please download, print it out, and cut it in the correct size 3.5X 4.75

HERE WE GO! for the steps!

 

Than Thats it ! you are done! 
See what I did :)

 

I hope you enjoy this little tutorial 

Thanks San Francisco Renegade Craft Fair

It is the first post in this new shop ! I think nothing better than do a recap of San Francisco Renegade Craft fair. I think it has been my 3rd time doing SF renegade, and I fell more and more in love with this show after times! It never stop amazed me about the people, the customer, the vendor and the design of the booth. This year is especially special too that they got two buildings ! Its so sad that I didn't get to walk around because I am always going solo with Buluchu . Also, its the first time that I seriously put some thought into my booth, and I launch a whole new card series and 4 new wrapping paper designs. Its all mile stones. 

This is probably the best close up I have for part of my products. I received lots of positive feedback toward my new business card, that is THE LITTLE RED HOUSE! It was also a relief that people love this set of new greeting cards! I am so glad that they all find good homes!

Photo by Buluchu, it was the sudden rush around 3pm. I was so busy talking, and doing all the stuff.

I usually would take a photo after we wrapped up. I think it represent the sweat and blood we put into the show. Imagine it was one big blank canvas , with the help of renegade craft fair, we  filled up the show with goodies. It best represent team works for me. It was also the prettiest moment of a craft show! 

This is my prius after I packed up. Back in the days, I start with maybe a box or two. I could even carpool 3 other people. However, Its just the matter of time that we run out of space in my car one day. It was so amazing to see the growth of our booth. 

I had such a great weekend! Thanks San Francisco!!!!