It is hard for me to believe that we are quickly approaching Maylis' first birthday. The past year has felt like a crash course in what it means to be an entrepreneur—not so much the endless Googling and to-dos; more so the emotional rollercoaster that comes with believing in a vision/product/brand that you've brought to life and feeling the weight of if it will succeed (or, unthinkably, not). 

My original plan for Maylis was to launch new seasonal colors/materials in collections twice a year. After the whirlwind of launching the Classics and the Gathering Collection in pretty close succession, plus a new baby for our family in November, I decided to pump the brakes a little. I stepped back to try to celebrate the milestones we have already reached, evaluate mistakes I've made, and truly take in the feedback our beautiful new community has provided, whether through what women have shared with me face-to-face, or simply through how our different styles have performed. 

I am tempted to want Maylis to grow explosively—the guest room-turned-office where I keep boxes of shoes carefully stacked like light blue Jenga blocks clearing out faster than I can keep up. This would be so much easier if this business went viral! I think, If only we blew our sales goals out of the water every single month! Wouldn't a bigger budget for XYZ be great?

But what I know in my heart, especially in this season of my life when I am juggling and reevaluating childcare set-ups and work hours every few months, what I need is a business that grows slowly, carefully. One that is introduced to individual women thoughtfully, the way one friend introduces another at a cocktail party because she knows these two people have something in common, not one that is blasted out to the masses through a hefty ad spend.

I don't want Maylis to explode. I want it to bloom.

We don't have new colors this season, but instead, I was inspired to curate a selection of our existing styles that I especially love for this spring and summer. Sneak a peek at the inspiration below, and stay tuned for the reveal of the Bloom Capsule, complete with beautiful new images by Hannah Alyssa, next week!

Image sources: Row 1: Kristin Chambless, Grace J Silla, Sezane; Row 2: photographer unknown, Lucy Cuneo, screenshot from To Catch a Thief; Row 3: Irrelephant, Sezane, Kristin Chambless