Monthly Studio Journal - January Edition
January 2025 is when I decided to get back to be consistent with my email newsletters.
After doing my yearly review for 2024, I realised (as I do every January) that I’m paying for a service (my Flodesk subscription) since August 2020 but not using it. Since then, I think I’ve sent an embarrassing total of 10 emails.
However, I got an idea recently about how I can be more consistent with my emails in 2025.
In 2024, I’ve been posting a monthly roundup on my IG page at the end of each month, but the caption space is limited. And since their latest update, you can now have fun using templates to create emails.
And this how the idea for a similar monthly roundup in an email newsletter came to life.
For now, it’s called "Monthly Studio Journal."
And I decided to share in a blog post the ‘January Edition’ I sent a few days ago to give you a glimpse of what they will look like.
My aim with them is to share more personally and authentically about what’s happening in my business each month, a few bits from my personal life, what’s inspiring me, what books I’m reading, podcasts I’m loving, new recipes I’ve tried, and even share some highs and lows I’ve experienced etc.
Excited to share my first official ‘Monthly Studio Journal’ - January Edition + a few updates of what's to come in February.
As an introvert, I find it easier to share things in writing (than by talking about) and I really enjoy the writing process. I know my writing isn’t perfect since English isn’t my first language, but I’m eager to improve.
If you would like to join me on this journey over on my email club, please subscribe below at the bottom of the email.
+ As a thank you for reading my emails, I’ll be sharing a couple of freebies —a digital desktop calendar and a phone calendar for the month ahead.
A slow start
If I had to describe January, I’d say it was a month that moved at a slower pace—almost like the world itself was in no rush. Workwise, it was a quiet month, but in the best way possible.
I took advantage of the slower rhythm, diving into projects I wouldn’t normally have time for, and also allowing myself to rest and recharge.
I was ill with a bad flu and fever from Christmas through to New Year’s, so the first week of January was all about getting my energy back.
But the magic of the month didn’t stop there. The mornings in Kent were frosty, with delicate ice crystals on the ground, and for a few days, everything seemed touched by winter’s breath. We made the most of it, heading out for long walks in the woods with our little boy. There’s something about being surrounded by the trees, the quiet of the forest, that always helps me clear my mind and find peace.
One of the highlights of January was our first little adventure to Chiddingstone Village. It’s one of the oldest villages in England, and it’s tiny—just the kind of place you can wander through in a few hours. The village is home to a stunning castle, though it was closed during our visit. Still, the frosty sunshine made everything look magical as we strolled around, taking in the history and charm of the place. We wrapped up the day with a delicious lunch at The Tulip Tree, the village's only café, which was the perfect cozy spot to warm up after our walk. A short Reel video from this day, you can view here.
By mid January, I started slowly to get back to some work which was mostly admin work to reply for February inquiries for onsite events.
After doing a 2024 review, I made my list of goals for 2025 and made a vision board. But first, I read the book ‘Goals’ by Brian Tracy.
A quick overview from it, when you write your goals, write them at present tense, positive form, and set a limit. Instead of writing 'I want to earn £3000/month'', write down ‘I earn £3000/month in 2025'. Write your list of goals religiously every morning in a notebook, in the evening read them and visualise the actions you need to take to achieve each and note them. Then next morning, flip the page in that notebook and without looking at the previous page, re-write your list of goals. Some goals you’ll remember easily (maybe because is something you want) but some you won't remember, which means they are not so important as you thought.
I did this practice last year religiously for about 4 months everyday and then switched and did for a couple of times per month and it's been a game changer for me. And doing it again this year too.
From the Studio
Work in the studio was quiet. I only had two orders to make and no onsite events. And even though it was a slow month with almost no actual work, I had some December invoices that were paid in January, so money onto my account came in. Phew! What a relief! any small business owner like me will relate to this feeling. And I still have some December invoices to be paid in February.
In studio engravings
This bride contacted me back in October 2024 to inquire about having six engraved Chanel compact mirrors for herself and her bridesmaids. Her wedding is in April this year, and we agreed to complete the order in January. I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from her asking for my address to send the mirrors. I really appreciated how organised she was. Each mirror was engraved with a name on the outer part, just below the logo, and inside, I engraved 'Bride' and 'Bridesmaid.'
Custom birthday card
The second one was a custom birthday card for my local jewellery client. I create these cards on a monthly basis, and they always come as last-minute requests to be dropped off the next day at their shop in our town center.
It's a great opportunity for me to get outside and even treat myself to something at Gail’s, since it’s on the same street. :)
Upcoming February onsite events
All the admin work I did in January paid off, and I now have 4 confirmed onsite events for February. However, I’m still awaiting final confirmation for 2 more.
The first confirmed event is for my 2024 client, VS UK (details about the event below). The second is for a tequila brand, and the contact person is a repeat client from last year. The third confirmed event is for Charlotte Tilbury, which will be held at a new location for me —Heathrow Airport. Lastly, the fourth confirmed event will be my first time working with the amazing Kristine Yeung as part of her team at MFK John Lewis Stratford, for which I am so thankful for asking me.
Valentine's Day in store activation with Victoria's Secret UK
Victoria's Secret UK became my client in 2024 and truly grateful for their trust in me to be working with me in 2025 too. There will be a Valentine's Day engraving and calligraphy activation at five stores: two in London, one at the Trafford Centre in Manchester, one in Dublin, and one in Cork.
I’m also lucky to have a team of four amazing artists helping with this activation
Details for the Valentine's Day in store engraving and calligraphy activation at Victoria's Secret stores:
Date: 13th February
VS London Oxford st - 5-9pm (Uliana, that's me)
VS London Westfield White City - 5-9pm (Michelle)
VS Trafford centre, Manchester - 5-9 pm (Ayesha)
VS Grafton Centre, Dublin - 3-7pm (Laura)
VS Cork - 5-8pm (Eleanor)
On the Blog
Another thing I did during my slow January was finish all the blog posts about the onsite events I had last year. These are short posts where I reflect on the events and include a photo gallery. Hopefully, this will help with my SEO in the future.
I’m also really proud of writing an educational blog post in January. It’s aimed at calligraphers who are considering giving engraving a try this year. The post serves as an introductory guide, covering my favourite tools with links, safety tips, the engraving process, and advice for achieving smooth lines on glass.
I already have a list of follow-up blog post ideas, so stay tuned for more!
New memberships …
+ One of my goals for 2025 was to get back into high-intensity activities. Until August 2024, I attended a group-coaching gym that focused on strength training, but they closed at the beginning of September. I kept putting off finding a new place, but finally decided to take action this month. I booked a trial at Shredquarters, loved it, it's just a 4-minute drive from my house and costs only £16/week for 2 weekly sessions
+ Another membership I signed up for is something I've been wanting to try for a while—Reformer Pilates at Zero Gravity Pilates. They had a great offer in January, and a local mom friend helped me with a referral, so we both got 3 extra sessions.
The plan is to do 2 gym sessions during weekday and finish with a Reformer Pilates session on a Saturday morning.
I’ve been following this schedule for 2 weeks now, and I love it, so I’ll continue with it.
Personally, I’ve noticed that when I pay for a service like a gym membership, it motivates me to show up for every session. I tried doing free lessons at home, but it didn’t work out. Too many distractions made me forget.
Do you feel the same way?
Things I bought …
+ For the studio, I bought a new tripod. I needed one to get overhead video shots. It's this one from Amazon.
+ I also stocked up on lots of burs. I placed an order for burs on eBay, if these arrive, I will share the link in my next email.
+ I also bought an Yokefellow engraver as a back up to have at onsite events (my main one I use is from Ink me this). The Yokefellow one, I ordered on Ali express and I was surprised to see that arrived within a week. This is the one I bought.
+ I also updated my wardrobe for onsite events. Two pairs of trousers, two blazers, 1 top and 1 blouse. I can't wait to wear these. A mixture from Reiss and Karen Millen, two of my favourite brands.
Things I listened…
+ My lovely husband got me headphones for Christmas, so I started to put these to good use. I don't usually listen to music much, but I started to listen to a few podcasts.
I personally love podcasts that are less than an hour, 20-30 minutes is my ideal. Anything over 1hr, I can't focus to finish to listen. Anyone like me?
+ One is ‘Starting the conversation’ by Alice Benham, but I only started to listen to the ones from January 2025, they are short and on point just how I like. I particularly loved this Clarify your vision for 2025 with these exercises
And her latest one ‘My biggest launch ever - numbers, reflections and learnings’. I loved how open and transparent she was sharing those numbers.
Things I read…
+ My goal for 2025 is to read 1 book per month. In January, I already mentioned the first book I read was ‘Goals’ by Brian Tracy. It's a small book so I finished quite quickly and started the second one - The Power of Self-Discipline, also by Brian Tracy. Both books are on my Kindle.
+ I also bought two physical books. One is ‘The Digital Marketing Handbook’ by Alice Benham
+ The second one is The best 90 days ever - how 10-minute marketing can transform your business one day at a time by Hannah Isted.
+ It was ‘National Handwriting Day’ on 23rd January and this article I read was so interesting yet so scary - Signature moves: are we losing the ability to write by hand?
+ Also loved this article on Southern Hospitality Company written by my favourite calligrapher, the one that made me want to learn Copperplate style - Suzanne Cunningham - The Timeless Art of Calligraphy
Some life and random things…
+ My little boy (now 2.5 yo) started to say more words which makes me so happy (and we think he started to have a little ‘crush’ on his friend Eve we see twice a week; he says her name everyday :)))
We use both English and Romanian (our mother tongue) and I think he was confused for a while. He doesn't speak sentences, but it's fun to hear him saying words in both languages. We also had 4 sessions with a speech specialist in January and hopefully some activities she suggested would make him want to speak more.
But, I tried not to worry much about this, as I know every child has their own pace with talking.
+ I watched so little TV in January. But, in one weekend I binged watched the 2 seasons of ‘Departure’ on Netflix. If I happen to accidentally see a trailer to something and intrigues me, I need to watch it quickly. Anyone else?
+ Instead I prefer watching silent vlogs on You Tube and this is my favourite account - Koko Home. I found that silent vlogs evoke a sense of calmness and comfort which help me relax, especially the videos from this creator.
+ It was my husband's birthday on the 25th, and it is tradition that I bake his cake. I love baking and I collect a lot of recipes I buy from favourite bakers. This year I made a Napoleon cake. Obviously, it wasn't perfect, I missed one ingredient in one of the creams, but we ate it all. :)
+ For his birthday, I surprised him with a lunch reservation at a local restaurant we never been before and had a 5 meal tasting menu. If you ever visit Tunbridge Wells, save this spot - The Counter by Robin Read.
If you made it till the end, THANK YOU for reading it.
I enjoyed so much putting this together and I can't wait for the next one to send.
If you would like to join on my email list, it will mean the world to ME.
See you at the end of February!
