Hi friends! I've got some exciting news which I've been itchin' to share with you! But first, a little back story...
Chelsea's Garage has remained a home based business for the past 2.5+ years despite some very kind and tempting offers to display and sell through some of Northern Virginia's most popular antique shops and barns. For this moment in life, however, it feels right to keep Chelsea's Garage, well, in the garage. I can work while my babes play in the front yard or take their afternoon nap just upstairs. I get to meet every person face to face who purchases a piece from me - a unique pleasure which I would have to sacrifice elsewhere. And finally, in staying true to my personal mission for Chelsea's Garage, I can create and offer beautiful, one of a kind pieces at reasonable prices because I have no overhead expenses such as commission or rent. Indeed, life in the garage is good and right for this time.
But the decision to keep my business home comes with it's own hardships. Owning and operating your own small business is both beautiful and trying.
When you are successful, that blessing is yours to be grateful for and you can feel proud of all your work. But when things are slow and the business account is empty, you own that responsibility, too. I wish I could say that since I first started out in the Spring of 2011 that the business has enjoyed a snowball effect, growing exponentially and moving forward with zero setbacks. But that is far from the truth! While I can say that Chelsea's Garage has grown greater than I had imagined, I must also admit that there have been times of fierce discouragement.
Nevertheless, I have felt a lot of peace about deciding to keep Chelsea's Garage at home. But, I've also discovered that doesn't mean I have to commit to working alone!
When my beautiful friend and future sister-in-law first expressed interest in working together, it just felt right. She has only just started, (and has her own job plus a wedding to plan), but it's been such an honor already to get to work alongside this creative soul and I'm excited about what she'll be sharing with us here on the blog, (you'll hear from her about once a week). She will no doubt inspire us all with her ideas and you'll even have the opportunity to purchase her creations through the Available for Sale link. She's begun to settle nicely into working on her own projects in the garage - a space which we not only share for working, but our dreams, ideas, and tons of laughs, too!
Meet Cate.
We are both excited about where this adventure will take us all, and are ever so grateful to you for your partnership through reading, sharing and supporting Chelsea's Garage.
Thank you for reading!
~Chelsea
This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.
