Our Conception-20k and a dream

This is a re-publish.  It was first published two years ago, when we turned 21.Someone came in today saying that she'd read it.  Crazy that she'd done that It's a little bittersweet to think about 23 years ago, or even just two, or, you know, the last 4 months!  These are strange days for all of us. 

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Twenty-one years ago.

Twenty thousand dollars and a dream.

It is our 21st birthday! It was a crazy leap of faith and fashion that led to our opening.  I was working in retail and was working way more than 40 hours a week.  I had a fabulous, amazing 20-month-old son, and a recently unemployed co-parent. I was missing my boy so much as the sole financial supporter that I had an idea. So, I took almost every penny that we had to open my dream- a place that provided new moms and moms to be a well-edited-“best of the best for bump and beyond”-collection of maternity and mostly non-maternity styles that made people look great and feel like themselves, in an environment that was warm, supportive, friendly and welcoming. 

Ah, but…...  Really?  It was insane. (Oh, and did I mention that I wanted to get pregnant again?)

Yep, dreams to come true and like babies, they grow up. 

It worked out!  We’re 21, and we are better than ever we have 3 locations, wonderful staff, and awesome clients whose kids we have seen grow up and meet new soon-to-be mamas daily!!!

Great friends, colleagues, and family make all the difference when you’re building a dream, or in this case, celebrating a birthday!

What did building that dream look like?  Like this:

Here I am in front of the wall that “I” built. Yikes. I am not handy.  Thank goodness for friends! It hasn’t fallen down-because I have friends who are handier than I am. (And, although I like to think of myself as ahead of the trends, those jeans were “self-destructed”. Ha!)

There was all this cabinetry built into all around the space that we leased, and it was in there prepared for an earthquake.  It was not moving.  Nothing a 30 year old and a 20 month old, and almost everyone else I knew, couldn’t handle:)

Juice box breaks were regularly scheduled.

Bars for the fitting rooms-Dad’s on it!

More work, more friends.

More work, more friends.

Then, finally, the Grand Opening! Yes, there were only about 4 hangers per bar, yes there was a dreadful dropped ceiling, and yes, it would appear that literally everything was black.  A lot has changed!

Hundreds of thousands of women (crazy but true) have trusted us to dress them for everything from red carpets and presidential inaugurations to interviews and careers, from weddings and funerals to playgrounds. Moms have shared their stories, their tears, their fears and their dreams.  And they walked out looking and feeling better than when they walked in. We have been honored to be of service, and are so grateful to all of them for their friendship.

That little helper 20 years ago is all grown up now.  And still adorable to his mama. (And, 20 years ago, Raffi was all the rage among the toddler set, one of his big hits was Bananaphone. This fella still answers his, particularly when the girlfriend calls:)

I succeeded in that goal of a second pregnancy, so, yes, 8 months after we opened I had a baby. Yeah, the insanity did not end, but that’s a whole different story. And, he grew up too!

Our mission has never changed, still having a blast bringing on the best of the best for bump and beyond. 

So much fun!  And, it’s just begun!

Rockin' on to the next 21 years!