Last week, we celebrated STUFF’s 22nd birthday. Several months ago, we signed a new 10-year lease. We are here to stay, and we are excited.
When you start a business, people talk a lot to you about plans. “What is your business plan, your 5-year plan, your 10-year plan, and what is your exit plan?” “What if it doesn’t work; what is your plan?”
If we are completely honest, we didn’t have a plan. In its place, we had a dream. We started our store by accident. We meant to open a “hobby” business that would feed our creative souls and let us get outside our political and corporate work worlds. We wanted to “play shop” in our “spare time” while we decided what was next.
That quickly changed. We fell in love with our dream. We fell in love with art in all forms. We fell in love with creating a space for people that was dedicated to inspiration, art, creativity, community, shared ideas, happiness, and connection. We fell hard.
We moved within six months out of our “hobby” space – that was only open occasionally – and moved to our Westport location. Within a handful of years after that move, we were invited into Brookside. We have been here since.
This past spring, when our lease needed to be renewed, we looked at all our options. We looked around. We looked at buying a building with the vision of more space. We looked at darned near every shopping center in town, again allured by more space.
After each outing to view spaces, we came home to Brookside.
Brookside is where we belong. The neighborhood is as authentic as our store. The buildings were built in the 1920s. You can see the history in the bricks and in the worn edges, and our space still has an original bank vault and other remnants of its past. Our space is too small, our floors are warped, our doors are sticky, and the power goes out sometimes. It’s like living in an old house you have grown attached to.
On our 22nd birthday, we sneaked out to lunch. We asked ourselves two questions: What are your best memories from the past 22 years? What do you want the future to look like? Daunting questions, you would think. Looking back was easy. It quickly dissolved into the retelling of our funniest moments. Think “America’s Funniest Videos” by the STUFF sisters. We started laughing so hard, there were snorts and tears. When we finally ended the retelling of our embarrassing, goofy, silly, and hilarious past, we looked to the future.
The next few minutes were filled with silence. We were a bit stumped. Then it occurred to us: We want ten more years of embarrassing, goofy, silly, playful, and hilarious days. Moments would be fine too. Fleeting or grand.
We want to retain the ability to laugh at ourselves, to shed our stress with gratitude, to replace our losses with warm memories.
We want to keep waking up, suiting up, and showing up in our community.
We want to keep supporting artists, creators, and makers.
We want to keep living our dream.
We want to look back in ten more years and snort-laugh at our past.
In ten years, we will be entering our sixties. We have no illusions that people will be asking us about our retirement plans. We will just smile, laugh, and remind them that you don’t need a plan to live a dream.
We invite you to help us celebrate our renewed commitment to our dream. We hope you will visit us this holiday season. We look forward to sharing a laugh, a hug, a conversation, and a treasured connection with you.
We are always thankful for your business. Happy Thanksgiving….
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And we , your public and your friends, are thankful for you.
I have a great-uncle that, admirably, in his 90’s had a 5 year plan.
You girls work and live magic.
Thank you for that.
Rachelle:
Magic. What a word. Thank you.
And, we want to be your great uncle!
xo
-sloane & casey
OMG what a great blog to be published today. I am thankful for your dream and renewed commitment. Stuff is my “go to” happy place.
Thanks
Cindy!
Funny, it’s our go to happy place, too!
Thank you for your note and for your smile at our counters.
Happy Thanksgiving~
– sloane & casey
Thank you for all you do for our community and just being your authentic selves. Happy Thanksgiving and here is to another 10 silly, amazing years!
Robin:
Silly it is! Thanks for sending a note and for being such a great customer, friend, and neighbor!
Happy Thanksgiving!
-sloane & casey
Your commitment to the community goes far above your ‘space’ in Brookside. You are two of the most generous, fun women around. Thank you on this day of giving thanks, for your caring and support of so many wonderful causes. And, yes, I love everything in your store too!
Liz:
You are so kind! Thank you. We love our city and her people. To get to work with local artists every day and to share their passion with customers is, obviously, a dream come true.
Have a terrific holiday season and come and visit us soon!
– casey & sloane
Thank you!! We are so lucky to have you in our community.
Mary:
Thank you for taking time to send us a note. And for being so kind in your comments!
We wish you a happy holiday season and look forward to seeing you at the store.
-sloane & casey
I absolutely love your store, your customer service, as well as your support of local artists. The variety. Your store is as alluring to me, the customer, as much as it was part of your desire to open up your hobby and let it grow and thrive. I’m glad your there for another 10 years. I will be seeing you around!
vickie
Vickie:
What terribly nice things to say. Thank you.
We look forward to seeing you this holiday season!
-casey & sloane
Thank you!!!
I look forward to shopping with you for the next 10 years!
Frances!
And we look forward to every visit!
Happy Thanksgiving!
– sloane & casey
I’m so thankful for both of you and your beautiful store! Thank you for your continued commitment to artists and your community. You are amazing women!
Julie:
And we are thankful for you! What a terrific world we have created with so many people we admire and adore!
Hugs and kisses to your family!
– sloane & casey
My favorite local art retreat – a great stop for fun and wonderful creative gifts! Everything from paintings to useful, treasured crafts and adornment…by real people for real people. So pleased to have you and all this STUFF ‘in the hood’!
Jill:
We are pleased to be back in the hood to stay!
Come and see us soon!
– sloane & casey
Renewed commitment- wonderful words. Wonderful news. On behalf of a grateful community, thank you. When I think about where to go shopping on Small Business Saturday STUFF is first on my list. You guys embody beauty, goodness, integrity, value and giving back. Why shop anywhere else? Happy Thanksgiving Casey and Sloane!
Kate:
We look forward to your visit on Saturday and you humble us with your kind words.
Thank you.
– sloane & casey
Our 10 year plan looks like a bunch of Stuff, glorious Stuff. 😍
Ann:
You are so stinkin’ sweet!
We love your plan …. and our plan!
xo
– sloane & casey
What great news! STUFF is my go-to spot for gifts and cards to go with them. I’ve even been the lucky recipient of incredible gifts myself from STUFF, given by a sweet husband and children who have shopped with me and know I love everything you sell. Shopping local and supporting local artisans is my favorite. I’m glad I have 10 more years to do that at STUFF.
Melinda!
Thank you for your kind note.
That you are so darn happy makes up happy. We look forward to seeing you in the store soon … heck, go crazy and build a wish list!
Be well and, again, thank you.
-sloane & casey
You may have absolutely no idea who I am…or you may. But each time I step into your little crooked, squeaky wonderland you greet me like a long lost friend and somehow walk with me to just the right thing I didn’t know I needed. Yes….I can enjoy 10 more years of this until you sign the next 10 year lease.
Marcia:
We hope you introduce yourself next time you are in the store!
Thank you for reading our blogs and for shopping at our store.
Be well.
– sloane & casey
you two do this so well and give so much back. i am glad that you still find joy in your “work”. congrats.
P. Claire:
I bet you two were unstoppable!
– sloane