Hello dear friends, I'm writing today with a full and grateful heart. All of you even keel, non-feelers out there, be warned; it's about to get real!
Chelsea's Garage began on a wing and a prayer during the fall of 2009. I was spending long days living in Fairfax County Hospital while on monitored bed rest pregnant with our twins. During my time there I began researching how to refinish furniture, (among my other daily activities of crocheting, walking to the bathroom, and watching Ellen at 3). I saved a file full of the supplies I'd need, tools, and techniques; I really learned quite a lot before I ever picked up a paint brush. While the little babies played wrestle mania in my tummy, a little dream was stirring around in my mind.
The dream was tucked in my back pocket and stuffed with soiled spit up cloths and pacis while we survived our first year with twins in our apartment at the time. The funny thing is, I never felt anxious to get started. The Lord really gave me so much patience in waiting until the time was right. It's not in my nature to wait well and with a good attitude, so I am so grateful for that gift of patience during that time. God asked me to wait again when He surprised Matt and me with our third child, Mason, who was born right before the twins were 17 months. Before Mason's birth we had settled into our first home with not much more than our kids to our name.
It was after Mason was born that I jumped into the furniture refinishing / blogging world. I didn't know anything!!! I barely knew who I was as an artist, a designer, and much less, a creative business owner. But what I had without question was passion for inspiration and creativity. Over the last few years of publishing posts, (today's is the 400th!), on creative DIYs, refinished furniture pieces, and home decor ideas, I have learned more than I could ever have imagined, and the passion has only grown stronger.
About a year ago, Cate, (my talented sister-in-law who has been guest posting every Wednesday), and I started talking about building a business together. We've collaborated ideas, discussed goals and mission, and have a very clear direction with which we would like to move forward. Our aim is simple: to provide a top-notch resource site that is chalk full of information and inspiration for all styles. We want to provide not only imaginative DIY ideas, but where-to-find lists, how-to-make tutorials, and share more of what other creatives out there are doing as well! We want to offer a one-stop source that promotes sharing information and tips, tricks and techniques, and supports a positive, encouraging community among it's readers.
Although the content will be similar to what you've seen on Chelsea's Garage, (we will both continue refinishing furniture, flipping great deals, and sharing imaginative ideas), I've decided after much prayer and thought, that it's time to move forward with something completely fresh and retire Chelsea's Garage.
We are so very excited about this adventure but we know it will be a lonely ride without you all. We hope you will take this leap with us as we become something new; as we transition to
STYLEMUTT.
Naming our new site Style Mutt came very naturally; we both feel that our own personal styles are an eclectic mix of this and that, and I endearingly likened this mix of styles to a style mutt over a year ago here on Chelsea's Garage! Our hope is to build a resource that is helpful, informative, and inspiring to all breeds of style.
We are working hard on creating a clear sense of StyleMutt's mission, and building the site ourselves, so we will likely be taking most of September off so our focus can be clear. This does not mean Chelsea's Garage will cease to exist by October. We don't know exactly how long the site will take us to build, and we will still be posting to Chelsea's Garage, (except for September), until Style Mutt is completely ready. During this time of transition we hope to continue working on refinishing furniture and are still accepting custom orders, so don't hesitate to contact us if you have something in mind! We'll be sure to keep you posted on all that is happening with Style Mutt and hope as this new beginning approaches, you'll be as excited about it as we are!
Thank you so much for hanging with Chelsea's Garage all this time - your 'company' here has meant so much to me and I could never have imagined the countless blessings that would befall over me through this blog. I feel so much peace about closing this door as I completely trust that the new door opening is so incredibly worth it. And I know you'll all be right there when this new door opens. You have to be; we need you!
Thank you, as always, for stopping by!
~Chelsea
P.S. You guys rock.
This post was published under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.