this is the unfiltered page. mom life, running two businesses at once, whatever i tried that week that worked or didnt, and yeah sometimes a link to something i actually bought and liked. no polished brand voice here, just me typing while the kids are somewhere in the background.
heads up: some links on this page might be affiliate links, meaning i could earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. i only link stuff i actually use or would buy myself.
Flodesk for a Small Shop: What I Run on It Right Now
Flodesk for small business email: what runs on it here, from a signup form to a lead magnet, and the simple rule I use to judge a list safe to send to.
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Which Heat Press Fits DTF Transfers From 4 to 12 Inches?
Marie Gems DTF transfers run 4 to 12 inches and press at 320°F for 15 seconds. Here is how to match a heat press to that size range, plus hats and printers.
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Live Sale Supplies for Whatnot: Tags, Light, and Backdrop
Live sale supplies for Whatnot: number tags, an overhead phone light, a backdrop stand, size stickers, and a folding board from my Amazon list, with tips.
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Behind the Build: Rebuilding My Link-in-Bio Page for Real
Rebuilding my own link-in-bio page into a scroll film sounded simple. Here are the real bugs I hit along the way, including one that hid my own name completely.
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My Small Business Supplies List, Sorted by the Job It Does
My small business supplies list has 81 items on Amazon. Here is how I sort it by job: pressing, labeling, photos, and paper goods, plus where other lists fit.
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What I'm Building Right Now Across All My Businesses
Five real things went live the same day I wrote this: a new blog pipeline, this site's first Pinterest pipeline, an AI operating team, and a full reorg.
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AI Tools I Actually Use in My Business, and What For
Not a generic top-ten AI tools list. Here's the exact stack running Marie Gems and Marie Glow Studio right now, including the one tool that's still blocked.
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Exactly What I Let AI Handle in My Businesses Today
AI drafts almost everything I publish. It never spends my money, publishes a live storefront change, or finishes a video. Here's the real line I hold today.
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Using AI vs. Building an AI Workflow: The Real Difference
Using AI is asking a chatbot for one thing. Building a workflow means deciding ahead of time who checks what. Here's the real day that taught me the difference.
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How I'm Actually Using AI Agents Across My Businesses
A real look at how I use AI agents across Marie Gems, Marie Glow Studio, and this site: Pinterest pins, blog posts, social captions, and two that only watch.
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From Paparazzi to Marie Gems: How Getting Let Go Became the Turning Point
The real story behind Marie Gems — how getting removed from Paparazzi jewelry became the push to build something of my own.
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Running Two Businesses and Raising 7 Kids: How the Days Actually Work
How I actually run two businesses — Marie Gems and Marie Glow Studio — while raising seven kids in Wichita, Kansas.
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From Bullet Journals to DTF: How Marie Gems Actually Changed
How Marie Gems evolved from bullet journals to ready-to-press DTF transfers — three years of trial, error, and real growth.
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Why I Started Marie Glow Studio After Building Marie Gems
How a hard lesson from building Marie Gems — that a website and its traffic are two different problems — led to Marie Glow Studio.
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Multi-Channel Selling: Shopify, Vinted, and Whatnot Compared
What it's actually like running a product business across Shopify, Vinted, and Whatnot at the same time.
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