The CEO and founder of Chalkfulloflove shares a peek inside her winter wonderland.
By Courtney Runn, Photos by Sarah Snyder
At Sarah Snyder’s house, the lights and tinsel come out mid-October. She grew up as an after-Thanksgiving decorator, but with seasonal products to market and Instagram followers eager for her Pinterest-perfect décor, the Christmas tree now comes out a few months early.
“I ultimately want to be a source of inspiration for others when it comes to decorating,” Snyder says. “I hear it a lot from my followers that they don’t know how to put things together, so if I can give them examples of what I bought and how I put it together, I love helping them out.”
Snyder moved to Austin in 2013 and started selling hand-lettered chalkboards on Etsy as she looked for a job. But what started as a side gig soon became a full-time job. She has since expanded her online Chalkfulloflove store to include mugs, candles, prints, sweatshirts and phone cases, all marked by her signature loopy cursive. With Instagram-ready phrases like “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”and “It’s Fall Y’all” and her Gilmore Girls-themed “Stars Hollow Fall Festival” sweatshirt, Snyder deals in the currency of cozy, seasonal and feel-good items. Her products are essentially the Hallmark Channel come to life.
Beyond decorating tips and aesthetically pleasing Instagram pictures, Snyder also hopes to offer her followers and customers practical advice about surviving the early days of entrepreneurship. She compiled all her advice from five years of running a small business into The Shop Talk Guide, a digital download for purchase that includes information about marketing, taxes, manufacturing, branding and more. She even includes links to where she buys specific product materials and what apps she uses for “serious lady bosses who are ready to take their businesses to the next level.”
The holiday season is busy for any business owner, but especially for one with seasonal products. Snyder says the “earlier you start marketing and planning, the better,” and this year, she got an extra-early start while on maternity leave. She gave birth to her daughter, Emerson, this summer, making this holiday season all the more special.
“I am so excited to share my love of the holidays with Emerson! I can only hope she enjoys them as much as I do,” Snyder says. “I hope she remembers our home as warm, cozy and full of love, so much so that she would want to come home every holiday.”
“I think, in my head, I am a minimalist decorator but in my heart, I am a more-is-more kind of lady with some hoarding issues. I tend to always enjoy the home with minimal decorations or neutral color schemes. But then I try to do it and I just can’t stop adding. I am always finding inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest.”
SARAH SNYDER