A Crafty Barista

kar·ma noun the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. Destiny.

It all started out for me with candles. In 1999, I decided I couldn't find a store bought candle that was worth my time, so I decided to create my own. Having had no previous "crafty" experience, I turned on my computer and did hours of research. The first candles weren't pretty, and some didn't even smell good, but through trial and error, I got it right. Wax melts, and soaps came shortly after, and then I started dabbling in paper goods and jewelry, and furniture and housewares soon followed. Being a military spouse, I wanted to be able to help support my family, so I sold online for a while, first on Ebay, and then (and still) on Etsy. I searched for local outlets for my wares, but was never quite happy with my options, and of course, as is the life of a soldier's wife, we moved several times. As we moved around the country, I did all of these things out of my home, first in a kitchen, then a basement, then an attic, sometimes even in the yard, but all the while longing for a brick and mortar store to call my own.

A few years ago, we finally settled for the long haul in Sanford, North Carolina, a quaint little town that I have grown to love, and I decided that I would do anything I could to *some day* realize my dream. Through a strange twist of fate, that some may call Karma, an empty storefront practically fell into my lap,