I have always pictured myself owning a shop in a quaint little town. In fact, it was this mental image that brought me to Elora in the first place. With stone cottages lining the riverbed, cedar trees peering over the edges of the gorge and a deep rooted Celtic history, Elora made me want to stay.
My design business had done well over the years but the industry was changing. Interior design had become seemingly attainable to the masses by way of Amazon, Wayfair, HGTV tutorials. I quietly opened an online shop as a means for a little "beach money" (money that can be made while I am sipping drinks on the beach :) and never realized that I was one step away from my dream of owning a shop in a quaint little town - all I needed was the shell.
And then it happened. I noticed that the local jewelry store, where my husband and I had our wedding rings made, was moving. In businesslike fashion I emailed the owner of the building to see if there was a plan for the space. Her email reply was quick - she had a renter. Unfortunately not quick enough because from the time I hit 'send' to the minute she replied, the idea had already taken root - I realized how close I was to my childhood vision. It was the impetus I needed to begin the search for a shop.
A week in to my search, she contacted me again with, "are you still interested?...". I signed the lease 2 days later and the renovations began.