But the words swirled around, crashing and mashing themselves up against a huge wall of work and upheaval. If the words somehow made it past the wall, Feelings and Avoidance Mountain (elevation 149,000 ft) made sure not one word would pass. I buried my head in 16 hour days and put it off one more time.
I didn't know what to say. So I'll start from the beginning.
I opened Persnickety's in 2012 with 2000 bucks after the death of my grandparents while working a shit job and losing my home all in the course of a few months. I felt I had nothing left to lose. Let's turn this all around, I thought. Build something that would take care of my parents when they got old, unlike the 17 years I had spent in an industry that couldn't even allow me to keep my house.
The store sat between a tattoo parlor and a smoke shop on an industrial street. My family came together and we worked day and night to make it to the next day and night. Granted, they thought I was nuts...but they were right there. Always.
And soon, super talented, amazing people popped into our lives and wanted to be a part of the shop.
And then somehow, thanks to so many of you amazing people and all of those talented folks, we made it work. We hustled to find old things with promise, and fixed them up. And you bought them!
Man, seeing those things find their way home to your beautiful homes was an honor that filled me with the kind of gratitude I still lack the ability to fully explain. Each and every time it meant the most.
And then we made it to Main Street. And then we were named Best of Western Washington two years in a row. The struggle was always real. It was always hard work. A struggle for every dollar. But it was fun, man. 25 hours a day obsessed (watch out for this) fun. Constant work. And I loved it. I loved working beside my mom every day. Had never been happier.
And then I opened Finder's Market.
And at first it was good. Later, there were 10 million reasons why it wasn't.
Last September, there was an electrical short at Finders Market which shut us down for days. And 10 million other things happened at the same time. Because, life. So even though little Persnickety's was all mine and what I loved most in the whole world (this is also something to avoid, just so you know), I had to move my little store into the big store and took on a full time load of side work to keep things going.
And as they say (dramatically with a resigned sigh while gazing through a rain-streaked window), things were never the same.
What I did not know then is how glad I would be for that. Here's the thing about being on the other side of things never being the same...they can be better.
And family got me through all of it...my own and my work family: My best friend/brother from another mother and that other mother.
Matt and Janice from Antique Liquidators Seattle have been the best in the business since 1970. After the loss of Matt's father and Janice's husband Carl last year, their business was at a turning point as well.
So in April we became a team. We moved 20000 sq ft of furniture out of their old warehouse and created the most beautiful store in the most amazing building in Sodo. We find the most ridiculously good stuff that gets shipped to buyers around the country and around the world. Big things are happening here and more big things to come. It's so nice to do the things I love again. Finding and creating. Driving big trucks of awesomeness and lifting heavy stuff. Making a store pretty. I am so grateful to be here. And they are grateful I'm here. And that's pretty much the best. It's a hard go alone, but we are making it together.
Without Matt and Janice and my family, Persnickety's and Finder's would have died before there was a chance for another breath. And to be very honest, I may have too. I will be forever grateful. No one really understands what kinds of hard work, pressure, and the kind of goal driven ridiculousness that comes with brick and mortar shop ownership like another shop owner. It's really hard to go at it alone. And together we are better. We all bring something to the table. The Persnickety's chapter has ended for now but it is not the end of the story.
Follow us here to see what we are up to while we bring the best of the best to Seattle and beyond. Come to the store. We ship globally and deliver locally. You can also find us in our satellite location in La Conner at Nasty Jack's.
And soon, south enders, you can find Persnickety's and Antique Liquidators in Tacoma at Ruston Mercantile, the new home of our talented friends from Smithbuilt. Troy and Lacy are opening a darling shop that is sure to be right up your alley. They are soft opening in September but you should follow them here (insert links) for all the updates and to see the goods they are making and bringing in. We are very excited to get in there and see your faces.
I'm also going to get the Persnickety's Purge page back up and running because oh holy Moses there are a lot of things you should buy that are currently taking up space in every available space. Garage sale? Would you come over for that? Come buy my stuff. I have bills, people.
And as for Finder's Market, it lives. One of the most amazing chicks on the planet (that loved Finder's way more than I did) took over in April. She and her awesome husband carry the torch now. If you have not yet met Song and Dave, please meet them immediately and check out all the goodness they have in store. I am only sorry I didn't tell you about them sooner. They deserve all the goodness and success in the world.
As does my Anna, who opened next door at the Rustic Farmhouse. Go see her and her darling shop. She carries the torch now.
Persnickety's FB will be back in full swing with some changes. Hopefully you'll stick around.
I'm learning a lot on this journey of starting over. And the starting over thing is happening from A to Z in this life of mine. And while there are days that I don't recognize myself or the life I used to live, there are many more days that I am glad I don't. I've made myself healthier and stronger to face these changes. And that has been made possible by the people who have touched my life and carried me through. I have been given a lot of grace by people that know that starting over, while necessary, is messy. I am so thankful for them. For my family. And for you.
I've got more wins in me. Trust me, so do you. And I've learned you recognize the shining lights a lot more through tears, you guys. So if there is one thing I can impart while sharing this wall of text with you, it's the power of both. Gratitude for what was and what will be, even when things are super scary. Finding the light in the dark. Losing one thing and gaining another. With a lot of help from our friends.
Oh, life. It's hard. It's all the bad and all the good. It's both. Join me and let's do both together.
I'm so thankful for the time we spent in Sumner, come visit us in Seattle. We can't wait to see you.
