Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout
haven't archived this post yet. have a subscription? use the importer!

Content

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.

Files

Previews only

Comments

Omar Flores

Thanks for the update! Hope this year keeps getting better for you! Definitely been enjoying the page more and more each month!

Thunderclees

Glad we have been able to be there for you in your time of need. Im sure we are all grateful for what you share. I know I am ❤️

Kevin Turner

I didn’t know this whole backstory, makes me feel even better to support- I hope this year goes much better. I’m starting a business myself this year after going through some health issues that have affected my ability to work like I did before.

Robert Thomson

You are very welcome. I am thankful that I ran into an amazing complex human being that seems to live on Simple principles: work hard, be creative, love art, someone real and fantasy as one and be the best always at what one sets out to do. I know, impossible impeccabilities but very real and achieved by you. Thanks HCL. Pockets rule.

DarthSilentBob

I miss the booktok and bookstore stuff but I’m so happy to help keep ya going until you can get back to it (if that’s still a goal for you.)

Chimera Costumes

There should be more book content coming now that I'm mostly done with insurance docs. The docs were taking up 30 hours a week or more 🙄 in fact I just published a new blog on SandmanBooks.com

Kevin L

I will have to tell my friends who send interminable Christmas letters that they are stuck in the 90s. :) So glad things are looking up!

TND

Thanks for the update, I had just visited the book store the week before Ian and while I'm sad for all you've had to endure since, I'm still happy I got to see it (and the magnificent book arch). Happy to support a fellow Floridian and book lover. Came for the books, stayed for the pockets, appreciative of the spice!