Bits & Pieces: Wrapping Up One Chapter, Stepping Into the Next

As this year comes to a close, I’ve found myself reflecting on just how many bits and pieces came together to get us here — and just how much has changed along the way.

This year began with me stepping into ownership of The Lilypad. I knew it would be a big undertaking, but I don’t think I fully grasped how big until I opened the backend of the store and felt like I’d accidentally walked straight back into the 1980s. (Guess what, we survived!!!!)

The very first thing we had to do was stabilize the foundation. That meant moving the entire site — store, forum, everything — to a new server. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was absolutely necessary. Sam, our server wizard, has been nothing short of amazing through that entire process. His knowledge, responsiveness, and steady presence made an overwhelming situation manageable, and I’m incredibly grateful to have him as a long-term partner keeping us online and running smoothly.

Development, as many of you could probably tell, was a little bumpy at first. The initial developer didn’t work out, and the migration company took one look at the complexity of our old store and decided it wasn’t for them. So I rolled up my sleeves and migrated the store myself while development continued building the new site in the background. That period explains why, for several months, you barely saw or heard from me — I was deep in the weeds, learning systems, untangling data, and keeping the lights on.

During all of this, my family was also navigating significant personal change. That journey is ongoing, but it shaped this year just as much as the professional work did. It was a season of learning how to hold responsibility, uncertainty, and resilience all at the same time.

And yet — here we are.

As we close out the year, we’re standing on entirely new ground: a new server, a new store, refreshed blog, and an upgraded forum. When I look back at where we started, it’s honestly incredible to see how far we’ve come in just one year.

Along the way, we said farewell to some familiar faces, and we also welcomed others home. Val with Little Butterfly Wings and Jaimee with Just Jaimee returned, Elisa with EHStudios transitioned from a Polly to a designer role, and we were thrilled to welcome Kiana of Studio Kaleidoscope to the team. Change is never simple, but it has brought fresh energy and renewed creativity into our community.

What excites me most is seeing longtime community members becoming active again — reconnecting, creating, and sharing their stories. That tells me we’ve done something right. We’ve stabilized. We’ve grown. And we’ve rebuilt with intention.

I know there was hesitancy at the beginning of the year. Many of you placed your trust in me during a time of uncertainty, and I don’t take that lightly. From the very depths of my heart: thank you. Your patience, encouragement, and support made this year of rebuilding possible — not just for me, but for our designers and our community as a whole.

As we step into the new year, it truly feels like the next chapter. We’ll be kicking things off with Month of Challenges 13: The Next Chapter, and I can’t wait to see what the next season brings for all of us.

On behalf of myself and our designers, thank you for standing with us this year. I wish each of you all the best the new year has to offer, and I’m so grateful we get to continue this journey together.

x-Esther