Last week, I made the decision to shutdown my Etsy and Redbubble shops.

Not because I hate selling and sharing my work or even because I hate having a store (let’s be real, I’m human, and I like making money…). Rather, I shut them down because I do love selling and sharing my work, and I wanted to do it the way that felt best to me. Doing it through Etsy and Redbubble just didn’t feel authentic to myself, and so I opened my own store, right here on my own website.

 

 

I guess, I’m a little bit possessive because now that everything is all in one spot under my domain, I feel so much happier and willing to share it all! So today, since it marks almost one week since my little shop opened here on madelineshayne.com, I wanted to talk about some of my favorite products and why I chose to carry them.

 

(As a sidenote, if you sign up for my mailing list, I’ll give you a coupon code for a 10% discount to use in my shop! Just sign up below!)

 

 

Now, here are a few (three!) of my favorite things!

 

First, I love the Magic’s Origin Journal. Magic’s Origin is one of my very favorite pieces I have ever created and it’s because of the source of its inspiration: my heart. When I create, I want all of my pieces to stem purely from myself and my life. While it’s fun to create beautiful photographs, it would all feel so meaningless to me if there wasn’t a story behind each piece.

Of course, I offer Magic’s Origin as both a print and a journal, so why is the journal my favorite, and not the print? Because I love the nature of what a journal can be for people. Photography has become one version of journaling for myself (as the story behind Magic’s Origin has shown) and has become a place I can pour out my thoughts and feelings. I loved the idea that, as a journal, I was in turn creating a place where you could pour out your own thoughts and feelings (and maybe make your own magic)!

 

Second, Princesses and the Peas, though far simpler than many of my other pieces, is one of my favorite prints in the shop, as, to this day, it remains one of my favorite images I have created.

 

 

Again, this is largely because of the story behind the piece, which I share in my product description:

“When I was a child, my dad went on a lot of business trips. While we were always sad to see him go, his trips away did see us rejoicing at one particular place: the dinner table. You see, my dad HATES peas, while everyone else in my family would gladly eat them at every meal. Dinners when dad were gone often meant that, for just a few days, we were allowed to have our beloved vegetable for a few nights.⠀

This image is a silly story-book version of these two very strongly held opinions towards peas that existed in my home as a child. Dedicated to my dad: hater of peas, but a wonderful father, nonetheless.”

 

Last, but certainly not least is a piece that is currently sitting very high, if not at the top of, my list of favorites: The Warrior. Faith and religion are a very integral part of who I am. From a young age, I have learned and come to know without a doubt that strength doesn’t only come from the physical fight. It also comes from the moments spent on our knees as our fears and doubts are whispered to our Heavenly Father above.

 

 

When I look at this piece, I see that strength, and I see our Father’s love. Perhaps it is in the light, streaming in from the left corner and resting gently on her shoulders, just like a father’s gentle hug of reassurance would settle around our arms when we are in need.

Now of course, even though I’m only sharing three of my favorite products, there are many more in my shop that I really do love, so come take a look! And to celebrate, for the next week, I’ll be offering a discount code that can be used on any item in my shop, but only for my friends on my mailing list. To get the code, come join the story by filling out the form below!