Something old, something new, something striped, something blue!

I've wanted to redesign my windows for about 3 years. First, I didn't know what to put on them, and then I didn't know what I wanted them to look like. So, I contacted my fabulous graphic designer, Heather, over at Heather L. Myers Graphic Design. We'd recently spent a lot of time working on my business cards, so we had a few ideas for the windows to make them all match. Here's my card design:

We all know how much I love stripes! As soon as we finished the design, we looked around for some quotes, and I was ASTONISHED at the price. I had no idea vinyl was so expensive! I saved up, found some other quotes, and eventually went to Cypress Instant Signs. I sent them the designs that we came up with...

...and when I pulled up to the office yesterday, I saw this:

These are just the front windows. They also did my side windows along Tivoli, my door, and the windows by my door. I love them so so so much for the following reasons.

#1: The vintage-looking typewriter font that we used is my way of sneaking a little something old into my office.

#2: The logo is new. It's something that I paid for, something that I love, and something that soooo represents my business. I'd used up some favors having my other logos done, and they weren't quite right.

#3: If you know me, you know I love stripes. They rock my world.

#4: The blue matches my business cards, my website, my blog, and my walls in the office.

#5: I started off doing one-on-one tutoring, and because of the wonderful families that I've met, I've been able to do so much with this business. They are my inspiration, they are a joy to work with, and they are the backbone of this business.

#6: We are now (finally, proudly, anxiously) offering group tutoring. If you know me, you know I love stripes, and also that I fought negotiated with the city about my business license FOR-EV-ER. A wonderful man named Robert at City Hall (yes, I used 'wonderful' and 'City Hall' in the same sentence) finally granted my request, and I can now have up to 6 students in my office at one time. It's a Christmas miracle, really. If you live in Long Beach, you know about our business license division. I set up the office as a place to do group tutoring in the first place, and I'm so happy that we can now offer it to our students!

#7: I have an office phone number. You know you're legit when you don't have to use your cell phone number anymore. Most people have it, and I still receive many calls on it, but it's not our primary phone number.

#8: We have a website that isn't free and made from an out-of-the-can template. I designed it myself, I edited a bunch of fluff, and I think it captures our spirit here pretty well.

#9: We have a Facebook page and a blog that have been sorely neglected. Click here to view the blog about that. I'm excited to get those rolling again.

#10: I love my windows because they represent a new beginning for us here at KUC. I'm so excited about what the future holds, and I can't wait to share all of our new happenings with the 3 or so people that possibly read this. Haha, j/k...I think we're up to 8. J/k again.

So...when so many of you liked and commented on our Instagram photo yesterday, these are the reasons that is meant so much to me. They're not just windows; they're a new chapter. Happy Wednesday all!

13 Blog Posts in 2 Years is Sad

I'm calling myself out. Yes, you read that right. In the past 2 years, I've only written 13 blog posts here. I've written many in my head, but only 13 have made it here. That's just sad.

Since I started this business 5 years ago (5 years, wow), I've always put the kids that I worked with before everything else. I haven't always had a camera to capture their work, I haven't had the energy to come home and rehash what I did all day, and I haven't had the free time to sit down with a cup of coffee and write. My time has always been spent writing and revising lessons, emailing teachers about student progress, and figuring out schedules for 29 kids, give or take a few. And then when you throw in BTSA, a baby, and a husband, it's just crazy.

Over the past 2 years, I've started and completed my BTSA induction program with LBUSD, which involves volunteering in a classroom one day a week and spending countless, and monotonous hours completing a 3-inch notebook worth of documents. I've also moved, planned a wedding, gotten married, and had a baby. Combined, the past 2 years have been a bit, um...busy.

"Ok, but Kristen, why do you feel the need to share this on your blog?" I can hear my mom's voice now. And to that, I would respectfully reply with the following:

"I am sharing this on my blog because I enjoy reading other people's business blogs. So many of them seem so perfect, and when I read a post like this that I can relate to, it makes me feel more human. It's taken me 5 years to learn how to balance my work life and my personal life, and after 5 years, I've realized that I bring too much of myself into my business to pretend like they don't affect one another. This summer marks a new chapter for my business, and I can't wait to FINALLY have a place where I can share all of the wonderful (and not so wonderful) things that my kids do. I want prospective parents to be able to look at our blog and understand our process, what we REALLY do, and find some comfort. And plus, it's my blog, and I can do what I want to with it."

So here it is: I have been a horrible blogger for 2 years. I am going to change that. I'm excited to have a few "big ticket items" off of my to do list because it frees up more time for me to share this journey with anyone that chooses to read it...even if it's just my own mom.

Coming tomorrow ... a post about my fabulous new windows and why I'm so jazzed about them!