Newsletter Issue No. 10

Last night after dinner I was slowly putting together hang tags and my children enthusiastically joined in. JJ punched the holes, Charlie threaded the string, and I tied the knot. I’m still feeling emotional about it. Charlie looked at me with so much conviction and said, “Mom, you take things and make them better.” She added that what I built is a real shop and that I’m good at it.

She’s seven, but something about the way she said it felt like an old soul speaking to me. This is what I wanted all along. A business that didn’t interfere with my family but instead invited them to join in.

All week Charlie has been saying, “Aren’t you so glad I had the idea to do a rack?!” To say she is excited is an understatement. She is a featured curator at next week’s sale and we made it work with very limited time.

When Charlie was around the age where kids start expressing how they want to dress themselves, I have this vivid memory of saying, man, Charlie makes me want to wear fun dresses. She reminds me of my mom in a lot of ways. She organizes the snack cabinet on her own and loves fancy dresses and jewelry.

I didn’t do any of that as a kid. I was a tomboy who played football at recess with the boys. At one point they accused me of taking steroids because I was good. My mom always wanted to go get our nails done together but I played guitar and the polish would chip. I went through phases where I’d get my nails done, but I still don’t really wear much jewelry.

Charlie, in many ways, is my mom’s dream child.

But the point is that Charlie has a great sense of style and she takes risks. I try to let her be even when I think something she picks is a little strange. There have been times I wanted to steer her away from an outfit but I bite my tongue. And then it turns out she was right. What she picked looked great. Of course she has also worn some pretty wild things that got comments from other kids. It doesn’t shake her confidence though. It makes me realize that’s part of the process. Sometimes you wear something and later think, hmm… maybe not.

So when Charlie wanted to be part of the sale, it was an immediate yes.

She reminds me that fashion is supposed to be fun.

The other day she tried on a vintage dress and I said it had some stains I didn’t think I could get out. She said, “I don’t care! I love it!”

I feel that.

That’s exactly how I feel about this work. Stains, holes, imperfections. I embrace them. Clothing shouldn’t look brand new.

I’ve been working hard for three years building this thing. I almost quit more than once, but I kept seeing little signs to keep going. Last night felt like the heartfelt confirmation I needed.