A Little background on the little bird stop

If you asked me what I wanted to be as a kid I would have said Mathematician.  How many kids say that??  I LOVE math!  In high school I would have said a Chemist.  I also LOVE Chemistry.  Clearly this bow business was the inevitable result of my two passions.  (cue sarcasm).  

The dirty truth is this, I was a chemist.  For several years.  After moving across the country (twice) and landing in Florida, I was having a hard time finding a lab job in my highly specialized field. Not to mention lab work is boring. Lab work and creativity are not good bed fellows.  I always loved dogs and worked in kennels all through college so I jumped at the chance to start as a bather at an unnamed corporate grooming salon.   Five years later I left this corporate store as the best groomer in the country!  (so my mom says anyway).  However leaving was a scary thing.  As groomers we are often paid only commission and so a steady paycheck is never guaranteed.  Going to a new salon at the start of slow season in Florida was TERRIFYING for me!!  As a result I put a few bows on etsy to try to supplement my income and pay for my crafting attiction.  

Etsy- great for starting out but I made NO MONEY at this!!  It was so disappointing.  Months and months of $5 sales here and there left me feeling pessimistic and dismayed. After asking a customer about my lack of sales she took it upon herself to post to facebook that people should try my bows!  That night changed my life.  I still remember staying up all night watching the orders come in. It was surreal. Over two years later I now have my own website, 1 part time employee (who is also one of my best friends and sources of support!), been to two grooming conventions, and pay my bills with money from my "hobby" rather than grooming.  Don't get me wrong, I love grooming.  I love working with the dogs and experimenting with grooms, but it is so exhilerating to see something I have built from scratch grow like this.  (PS- Many thanks, and apologies, to people who have stuck with us since the beginning.  My first bows were not great. haha).

Are bows my life?  Yes, they are.  Is my boyfriend super tired of being covered in glitter and talking about bows, absolutely he is.  However, life is a journey with many different paths and this is the one I am on right now.  I invite you to walk the path with me, and find out a little more about the inner workings of a Crazy Crafting, Dog Loving, Glitter Using, Bow Making Groomer!  

Love, 

​Aubrey