Whew! I can’t believe 2009 is about to come to a close. 2009 was filled with a lot of happy occasions along with some challenging times–I don’t know too many people who weren’t affected by the down economy. I myself fell “victim” to company layoffs. Without faith and the support of family and friends, I don’t know how I could have coped with all the stress. But I do believe that things happen for a reason, and it opened my eyes to opportunities that I might not given much thought to before.

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and I would have to agree with that sentiment. I remember vividly one day back in May 2009 when Cathy and I took the kids on one of their first official playdates, and the idea to start a business together came about. In one way, it would help occupy our time as we were both out of work. It could even potentially bring in some income for us while we searched for that elusive job. But the best thing of all was that it allowed us to put our passion for creativity to work. And I’m not just talking about making cute, knitted and sewn baby items, but also the whole entrepreneurial aspect as well – Web site building, promotions, sales, marketing, and more! And so embe was born on July 15, 2009!

These past five months since the launch of our online shop has been very fulfilling. We learned a lot, met some great folks, and developed some partnerships along the way. We continually seek new ideas and are in constant amazement by the community of handmade crafters!

Looking ahead to 2010, we will continue to create, inspire and share our stories as we reach new milestones of motherhood. We look forward to introducing our “Spring” catalog in the coming months and welcome your ideas for what you would like to see. Stay tuned for sneak peeks and additional details…

We wish each and everyone a prosperous 2010 filled with love, joy and creative inspiration!

-Mary & Cathy

mary@embeshop.com, cathy@embeshop.com