I’m honored to have been invited to complete a simple Love Your Home Challenge inspired by the new book, Love The Home You Have, written by my blogging friend Melissa @ The Inspired Room.
Beauty creates connection.
“Create a home inspired by your life & what you love and then your home will inspire you.” ~ Melissa Michaels
]]>Visit LoveFeast Shop to see our NEW Spring Nests & Velvet Mushroom Sets & find inspiring, beautiful things for you & your home!
Our journey began almost 21 years ago. Within minutes of meeting each other we were dreaming about potential entrepreneurial things. We went on to raise our first 7 tinies together, spent countless hours sharing meals and shared a commercial space with two different businesses. My husband and I ran a coffee shop and Chris Ann sold her antiques on our third floor. Our lives took a major shift about nine years later and had our families move miles apart. But, distance was never a deterrent.
We continued to dream and scheme a start up or some kind of collaborative venture. One day over sweet potatoes fries, we decided to start blogging and LoveFeast Table was born. We wrote together, attended conferences together and met amazing friends through this joint venture. We kept dreaming and in 2010 we started LoveFeast Shop. We went to market, walked the floors for hours, discovering decor items, gift items and other products that spoke to us. We tend to have a similar aesthetic, but together it became honed and refined as a LoveFeast look.
We started this baby as a way to stay connected, always intending it would be a slow grow, one that would grow with our growing families. Our families were our priority. With nine kids between us and two amazing husbands, we never wanted to take away from that; we wanted LoveFeast to enhance our already full lives. Well, LoveFeast grew and the time demands on us as well. Even though our kids are in similar life stages, I have had 3 at home, homeschooling them for years. My husband and I also have a business that was growing at the same time. The hours I could give to our growing business LoveFeast, didn’t change, but the need did.
I began to reevaluate my priorities and realized I was becoming overstressed at trying to keep all the balls in the air. And something had to change.
In December of 2014, I stepped down from LoveFeast Life, LLC and handed full reigns over to Chris Ann, my best friend.
Our friendship is intact and our belief in one another is stronger than ever. I have no doubt in Chris Ann’s ability to take LoveFeast in amazing new directions. She is passionate about this space and about the brand that is being built. After all, it was built on scraps of dryer lint and dreams, hand over fist, by two friends who enjoyed the journey they were on.
LoveFeast Table and LoveFeast Shop, will take some new turns in the coming year. Chris Ann is still dreaming and scheming what that will look like and I know she’ll keep you posted.
I may pop in every now and again. My husband and I own a home remodeling company, Ripristino Remodeling and are in the process of fully gutting and flipping a home, as well as gutting and remodeling our own, new home. We will be up to our arms in constructions, design and creativity. I may come in and share a glimpse into what we’re doing.
But, for now, if you’d like to keep in touch with me, you can find me at these places:
Blog: potlertribe.com Instagram: kristin.potler Email: [email protected]
I’ve built some amazing friendships through this space and will forever be grateful! Life’s journey is full of twists and turns, may we never be fearful of what those changes bring!
All my best,
Kristin Potler
co-founder of LoveFeast Life
We started the beginning of 2015 at one of the most inspirational places for home decor and gifts, the New York City Home + Lifestyle Market. There we walked the aisles, meeting new friends and greeting old. We discovered beautiful wares and must have gift and home decor.
We can’t wait to share more with you as we load up the new products starting this spring!
With a discerning eye for beautiful things, high quality, and inspiration, we are curating the perfect things for you, your home, and gifts you wish to give!
Sign up for our NEWSLETTER so you don’t miss a thing!
]]>We discovered Voxer about a year ago. It was introduced to us by a group of friends. It quickly made it’s way into our own friendship and has become an invaluable tool. Here are a couple of quick facts about Voxer:
What is Voxer?
Voxer is like a walkie talkie, but a sophisticated one. With this program you can send voice messages, pictures, as well as texts.
Where can I use Voxer?
You can use Voxer on your phone or desk top. We use it on our phones.
Personally we have found huge benefits for using Voxer:
- Voxer basic is free.
- You can have multiple people on one thread.
- You can use Voxer anywhere you have wi fi.
- You are not committed to a full on conversation in the midst of your busy day, but can have an ongoing conversation.
- Messages can be retrieved at any time.
- For more complex thoughts, it’s quicker and easier then a text.
- But, if you want to text, you can.
On one Voxer thread, we have almost 20 of our friends. These friends live all over the United States and one is even in Canada. We are able to share our day to day antics, check in to share a funny story, or a frustrating moment. We have found (especially for moms) who feel isolated some days, that they have a group of girlfriends right at their finger tips in a moment’s notice to chat with. Inevitably someone is around to listen and respond. It’s like a facebook group, but this way we get to hear each other’s voices. Sometimes we laugh with one another, cry with one another, hear a friend sing a song that’s been rolling around in her mind all day long or just throw out an encouraging word. It has brought us together.
We are on another thread with a friend who just moved to Africa. She checks in daily to share what’s going on, how she’s adjusting. Recently she shared pictures of her groceries. It’s keeping her connected to her people here and allowing her to not feel so isolated. It’s allowing us to be able to understand what she’s going through daily and hear her newly adopted, daughters’ voices.
Professionally we have found huge benefits for using Voxer:
- We can send the same message to our team all at once.
- Everyone can weigh in on the conversation and be heard by all.
- We can use this to connect with our international VA (virtual assistant) throughout the day.
- It’s free. We don’t pay for long distance phone calls.
- Because our team is on different time zones, everyone can check in at times that are convenient for them.
One of our virtual assistants moved to Ireland last year. We have barely felt the distance. Not only can we chat with her to hear about her daily life, but with Chris Ann in Minnesota and Kristin in Baltimore and all the different time zones, we are able to all keep business communication rolling. The three of us are juggling 11 children between us, school and sports schedules, work schedules, doctor appointments and daily chores. Voxer has allowed us some flexibility in the way we communicate and stay connected throughout the day.
]]>
Two weekends ago Kristin and I were together in Baltimore. Which makes being apart today, Kristin’s Birthday, somewhat bearable.
Happy Birthday to my bff and biz partner! Here is to another year filled with JOY and all sorts of good things!
Over that weekend we savored every moment, doing the things we love, sharing dinner with friends, planing and talking over our business and catching up. Of course in order to run our business we talk everyday on the phone or skype, but nothing beats being together in real life.
Nothing for us is ever too far removed from sharing time together at the table. We did some of our meetings over tea.
and others over cappuccino.
It was about 5 years ago now over sweet potato fries that we hatched the plan that became our business. Who knew where we would go after we started taking the steps that would lead us on our LoveFeast journey.
“I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.” ~ A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
LoveFeast Table & LoveFeast Shop is run by us ~ two friends from two different cities who have step by step built our online boutique and lifestyle blog to inspire you to experience a beautiful life.
Looking for inspiration for 2014? Choose a ~ One Word For The Year
]]>Have you heard about the trend of choosing one word as your theme for the upcoming year? The idea is to choose one word as an expression of a goal that you want to accomplish or work towards in your life for that year. Yes it’s February 1st and 2014 has begun – but it’s not to late to create intention around what you want your future to look like.
Having ONE WORD to focus on, is like driving down a long highway with your word at the horizon. It might take a while to get there, but your location is on the horizon and you can see that you are driving in the right direction.
Choosing this type of intention for your year can began a baby step of opening your eyes to possibilities in your life and seeing things a little differently then you might have. Once you put your mind to something it’s amazing how things began to come into focus and bloom right before your very eyes.
1.) Choose a world that harmonizes with your soul. It needs to ring true. You need to feel it in your guts.
2.) Choose something that encourages and inspires you and puts hope in your heart.
4.) Choose a word that gives you vision of how you want to live and who you want to be.
What do you want your ONE WORD to be for 2014? We’d love to have your share it here!
]]>Our LIFE category is where we share a bit more of the behind the scenes of the LoveFeast lifestyle. You will see a bit into our personal lives here as well as the beauty and inspiration we find along our journey.
This year we started the year going to NYC Gift Fair. It was there we found these beautiful hand embellished dishes which have become a popular item in LoveFeast Shop.
This past summer we packed in all the good things that make summer special.
LoveFeast Instagram Summer Memories
We love to see new things, and taste new foods and of course we love to travel.
London Weekend ~ Places To See & Be
This is the third part of our Friendship Story. We have been friends for 18 years…there is so much to tell! Just to give you a glimpse, we lived in the same neighborhood while raising out first 7 (Kristin 4, Chris Ann 3) children. We sold both of our homes within a month of each other with Chris Ann’s family moving back to Minnesota and Kristin’sfamily traveling the world. We wanted a way to see each other, so 4 years ago, we started a business together.
You can read Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE.
There’s other places to find what inspires us! Here’s where we share behind the scenes ~ our life, our shop and the beauty & inspiration we find all around us on our journey!
Join us on Pinterest ~ Instagram ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
Don’t miss our 2014 Promotions & Features ~ SIGN UP for our NEWSLETTER
We’d love to know what were your favorite times of 2013 ~ leave a comment and let us know!
]]>Are you on Instagram? It’s a fun downloadable app for capturing and sharing photos. Kristin and I have found it to be a creative and fun outlet for capturing and sharing beauty, memories and inspiration! On Instagram you can see a bit of our personal moments as well as some shop “behind the scenes” happenings in our LoveFeast Shop.
Follow LoveFeast on Instagram HERE
Where we share behind the scenes ~ our life, our shop and the beauty & inspiration we find all around us on our journey!
Our summer looked a little like this ~
It was a great summer! How about you? What were your favorite summer memories?
]]>Some weeks ago we hosted another BlogLove™ blogger networking event in Chris Ann’s hometown of Minneapolis. We had a great time meeting local bloggers new and old who came out for some small bites, inspiration and networking. This BlogLove™ theme was “Refresh & Renew.
We spread out a LoveFeast Table filled with delicious treats to go along with the signature drink from the evening, jarred Moss Mojitos fresh from a bucket of ice.
Our amazing location hosts, Tina and Ryan of the sustainable living lifestyle store Moss Envy were the epitome of hospitality.
Special thanks to Liv Lane, who inspired us with words to help us define our vision, brand and direction.
Thanks to our Swag Bag Sponsors for providing wonderful introduction to your businesses.
Much thanks to Moss Envy ~ Liv Lane ~ gusto blow dry bar for providing gift blow drys ~ The Salt Cave Minneapolis for gift session ~ Punch Pizza for pizza gift cards ~Kerrygold for cheese and Rustica for bread & gift cards ~ Kiddywampus for kids’ gift pack ~ Massage Envy for facial giveaway ~Be Small Studios for original fine art prints ~ & Burger Jones for drinks.
Special thanks also to White Peach Photography for event photography!
We had a great time once again. Thank you so much for the sponsors, businesses, bloggers and talent that made this Minneapolis bloggers event possible. We’d love to have you join us for the next event! Leave a comment below and we will add you to our guest list! You can see more information on our BlogLove™ events HERE.
]]>We are really excited for BlogLove Refresh & Renew! As always we will have a lovely table of bites and refreshments and a fun gathering of creative and inspiring people. And, a great swag bag filled with some goodies as you leave! ~ Oh and don’t forget that after-party.
DON’T FORGET TO PURCHASE YOUR EARLY BIRD TICKETS THROUGH FRIDAY, MARCH 1ST!
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE.
At our March 9th event at Moss Envy we are excited to have Liv Lane join us for an inspiring message on how to stay inspired and to continue feel creative at blogging. Liv is launching a new blogging ecourse starting April 8th and has tons of insight on how to continue to blog successfully in a way that you truly love. Prepare to be “refreshed” and “renewed” in your vision for you and your blog.
“I can’t wait to connect with so many rising stars at the BlogLove Event and share heart-thumping insights and no-cost ideas for making sure their blogs remain rewarding and fulfilling for years to come. I know it’ll be a high-energy, feel-good gathering – and am honored to be part of it!” ~ Liv Lane
We are grateful for our host, Ryan and Tina of Moss Envy. Moss Envy is a sustainable living lifestyle store here in Minneapolis. Both Ryan and Tina are knowledgeable and passionate about their business. Our lovely hosts are excited to meet and connect with the local blogging community. They will be rolling out the green carpet to welcome us there!
We don’t want to give away all our secrets. But, many local business were happy and excited to reach out to our Twin Cities blogging community. One of the fun bits in our swag bag is something really nice from Gust-o, a blow dry bar, right next door to Moss Envy. With out giving too much away, let’s just say next time you want your hair to look absolutely fabulous – they’ve got you covered!!
We, like many of you look forward to our periodic BlogLove events. There aren’t many ways to connect in-real-life when what you do is tethered to a computer at home. A gathering like “Refresh & Renew” BlogLove event can give you time to make those relationships, have a great night out, and walk away connected and inspired. We hope you join us! We’d love to meet you or if we have already, see you again! ~Chris Ann & Kristin
]]>Check out some of our past events HERE. BUY A TICKET for the March 9th event HERE.