It’s time! Get ready and mark your calendars. We’re officially reopening October 17th!
I’ve essentially been on “maternity leave” for three years now. I announced that we would be closing Jitneys in October 2019 until further notice, mainly due to our precious Izzy girl being born. “This decision has not been taken lightly; in fact, we’ve been struggling with it heavily as it’s been tattered with an array of emotions, doubts and fears (which is why I’ve been so delayed in even posting this announcement); but we also have full confidence in where Jesus is leading us, that He has called us to this decision and that He goes before us.”
Oh, how the Lord had gone before us in that decision. He knew what was laid out before us in the upcoming three years: extensive postpartum depression, the pandemic, the loss of grandparents and JD’s dad, my best friend being diagnosed with breast cancer, among many other things. Our season of stepping away opened us up to care for our friends, our family and ourselves intentionally. These years held a tremendous amount of depth, heaviness and heartache. Yet the Lord was faithful and still is.
I stopped painting when Izzy was born. Part of this being because we had a newborn, and partially because postpartum depression entangled me deeply. I didn’t want to do anything or go anywhere. Katy Jo McDaniel showed up on my doorstep with a stack of cards. One side had a characteristic of God written on it and the back had scripture to support that Truth written on it. Hers had been seasoned with tears amidst her own story and she graciously let me borrow them for a season too. Brain fog was a big part of that season for me, but having tangible cards to flip through reminded me that I wasn’t fighting alone and gave me words when I didn’t have any.
When I was ready to pick up a paintbrush again, I cut watercolor paper into notecard sizes and copied all of the words from her cards. Eventually I was able to breathe again. I started painting illustrations that were symbolic of that particular Truth for that card. Soon enough, I added to the stack of the characteristics of God that He was revealing to me personally. He is a Generous God and walks with us in our pain and our joy. The few people I shared this idea with quickly asked, “Are you going to sell these?! I want a set!” At that time, I responded with, “We’ll see where the Lord leads,” because I truly had no idea if we’d open back up for business. But I kept feeling like “these aren’t just for me. There has to be a bigger purpose here.”
I’m thrilled to announce we’ll be including The Character of God notecards as a featured product this fall and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on these, to be washed by the Word in the midst of it. My prayer is that the illustrations will move you and help the Word to dwell richly in your hearts, to create a mental attachment between a visual and a Truth about who God is and how He cares for His creation deeply.
Keep your eyes open for new and class Art Prints that proclaim truth and beauty:
We will also be bringing back your favorite greeting card sets that boast of the loveliest floral details and a sturdy 14 pt. paper weight, perfect for sending all of your love via snail mail.
You may be wondering… where are the Agendas?! Don’t fret! We hope to add those back into the product line in coming years, but we’re tiptoeing back in for now. I’m also planning on introducing intro watercolor floral classes both in person and online in the spring.
Let us know what you’re looking most forward to in the comments below! It’s so good to be back and we are excited for what’s to come! Thank you for supporting our small business!
