5 Years

To view the evite for our anniversary party, click here.

Back in 2002 I found our current retail location in a local newspaper ad. I had a tiny 100 square foot studio the second floor of a nondescript building, but I was hungry for a space that customers could visit. I was ready to stop doing the craft show circuit, and to start offering custom design options.

I still had a full-time job, and Otis wasn't yet born. When I found the space, 450 SF seemed really huge. Jeff did so much work getting the bedraggled walls and ceiling ready. Finally, early in November, I opened. I was there on my own on Saturdays and Sundays only, with very minimal inventory. I'm sure people who drove by the shop with the teeny sign wondered what I was thinking.

Well, here we are five years (and 600 SF) later and it's time to celebrate. Laura Bee Designs is no longer just me here on the weekends, but is now a full-time enterprise with a team of professionals, more than 60 handmade products, and a loyal customer base. We're still a shoestring operation, but I'm proud to say that we're thriving.