A humble beginning

I have always fancied myself a computer savvy woman. I am often the point of contact for my family and friends to call when they have computer problems, a virus is found, or their email is frozen, etc. I know a very small amount about web design; dabbling in my own personal photo album type site, I created a single page site for my sister when she started hand making items to sell, and I even designed my husband’s construction business site. I also love to decorate. We moved a lot as children, and when we weren’t moving, I was so stir crazy from being stagnant, I would rearrange my furniture just for the change in scenery. My mother gave me this passion for decorating, and I have flourished in it ever since. I have been told most of my life that I have a knack for decorating and I have always felt a sense of pride in that. (Both for being good at it, and for being a little like my mother). It’s no surprise then that I also love to shop. Shopping is therapeutic for me, I do it when I’m down, or I need to relax; I love it. The thrill of finding that perfect item and loving it for the first several months of ownership gives me a high like I can’t explain. It’s a satisfaction that I feel so addicted to at times, that credit cards have quickly become my enemy. In an attempt to turn my expensive habit into a livelihood, I have decided to pursue a dream of mine, owning my own store.

My husband and I bought a house about a year ago in Tustin, that we planned to add on to right away. We have been here a little over a year now (last November) and our construction is about midway from being done. We quickly blew threw our construction budget and of course, added a few extras along the way. (Did I also mention my credit cards are maxed out?!?). I bring this up only to explain why I have chosen to start with an online store, and not a physical store. I figured it would be a good way to get the business started while I still kept my full time job at a mortgage company. Plus, bonus, I am a bit of a computer nerd, right? (Self taught, I might add).

I am a bit of a shopaholic, so even when I don’t go out shopping, I am obsessed with finding great stores online. I believe I have found quite a little treasure-trove in online retailers. Many a credit card of mine could tell you a few stories about just how much I love them. All of them. :) I recently stumbled across a few that had blogs… and in my feeble attempt at keeping up with the Jones’ – here I am writing my very first blog entry. It’s an incredibly humbling experience. After checking out each perfectly designed and stunningly photographed web store and blog, I am feeling a little under dressed with my plain web site with photos of items in my own home, and newly felt lack of web design knowledge. (Poor me, I know…).

Anyway, I am hoping, that with this new medium, I can network my way into the “in crowd“. Already I feel like the site owners I have inspired to be like, are having an effect on me.