I got an email from Mahar Dry goods last week with very sad news. They are closing their doors after 5 wonderful years in business. And I am very, very depressed.
Mahar Dry Goods was one of the first online shops that actually got me excited about opening my ETSY shop. Robert has stocked exclusively handmade, unique, modern yet vintage children's goods. It always made me so happy to go browse through his shop, and just this year, Mahar Dry Goods picked up some of our family trees and paper dolls. But, as I very well know, keeping a shop up is a lot of work. It looks all clean and neat on the screen, but there are a lot of things that go into the business of keeping up a business. Especially when you are a one-person start-up. And so I am so sad to see Robert's shop close it's doors. It makes me think of all the handmade-make-it-happen-with-your-boot-straps-businesses out there, and all the love and heart that goes into starting something like this. There are rough times for sure! And though I am shocked and very sad to see his shop close down, I also know that it makes me want to support handmade even more. So many of us are making it happen with little or no outside help, and yet have wonderful, amazing, inspired products that need to be out there.
So, I have to mention at least a positive that is happening with all this: Mahar Dry Goods will be open through the holiday season, and with the closeout, there is plenty, plenty on sale that you'll want to get your hands on for Christmas.
So, this is my "support handmade" cheer. Go check out his shop. Do shop handmade this season. Do click on my sponsor column to the right. Go and browse ETSY before hitting the mall. Think of how you can be supporting a young mother who wants to stay at home with her children, and so opened a shop selling personalized paper dolls. Shop handmade, please. Right now, I am wearing a cowl from Tickled Pink Knits, and it makes me so happy to be wearing something I know someone made with their own hands...and that I'm helping them keep their love of knitting alive. So, are you shopping handmade this Season? I am.
I'm getting off my soap box now. But I'm off to Christmas shop here.