Remember that studio apartment I wrote about in an earlier post? Yeah...it's mine! I am feeling a kind of excitement I have never felt before. It is almost as if my whole life has changed and I'm a new person. Who would have thought that one rather insignificant (in the whole scheme of things) life alteration could make such a difference in my happiness. I think this feeling stems from the fact that even though I've been living "out of the house" for upwards of 2 years, I really haven't been in the sense of independence. My first time out on my own I was living in my mom's condo with some roommates and not my mom, it didn't really feel like I had left home at all, and the whole experience drove me crazy. After a year in that situation I moved into the dorms and well, let's just say I am not a dorm person. I haven't connected with anyone in my building and it's probably because they all seem so far from what I am that it hasn't been worth trying. Being in the dorms has also made me feel even less independent than when I was living in the condo. I don't feel like an adult here at all. I'm always having to report to someone and the roommate thing is awful. I guess I just must not be a people person.
Thus, having my own apartment is a dream come true. I have been having a hard time sleeping at night, ever since I found out the place was mine, thinking about how I will decorate it, what I will cook in my kitchen, where I will put the furniture, it is also so exciting! In fact, I have already gotten started on my interior design stuff and I don't even move in until May 1st...
My first design purchase was this print from Etsy seller Hidenseek
I cannot get over how darling it is, I think it will be a real conversation starter when people come into my place. Don't you think?
Well...that is all I have time for now so I will write more about my new place as things develop.
P.S. I looked at a building for the store on Friday, it was really beautiful but alas it was far too expensive. The quest continues.
My dad is a real entrepreneur. For the past few years he has been spouting out ideas for businesses he wants to start. When the US economy started to dip he gave up on his own ideas but began to encourage mine. None of them have come to fruition, except this one. Green Sleeves: An Eco-Friendly Clothing Exchange.
Dad and Me: High School Graduation 2006
I first came up with the idea in November of 2007. My dad had looking for business opportunities for me. He searched through a broker to find startup businesses that were being sold. After a few days of searching he discovered a consignment shop in Salt Lake City that was for sale and told me to go take a look. Unfortunately it wasn't my thing. The store was cramped and cluttered. It was packed from floor to ceiling with vintage furniture and house wares, things I didn't have a clue about. Even though I wasn't interested in the shop the trip was not a waste. The idea of taking used goods and reselling them as a gems stuck with me.
Instead of furniture I settled on fashion and felt I had enough savvy to open a business selling just that. For several years I have been an advocate for "going green". The nature of a resale/exchange clothing business was in itself good for the environment, but I didn't want it to end there. I wanted to create a business that encompassed the "green" idea in all ways. From using soy based inks for printing to painting with environmentally friendly paint, I chose for my store to be green. Green Sleeves was born.
At the age of 19, with my dad as a financial backer, I set out on a journey to set up my own business in the heart of Salt Lake City. This blog is my story, and the story of trying to make the world a better place, one green idea at a time.
