In the dead of a midwest winter in Northern Ohio, I started word strings in my college dorm room sophomore year. (talons up– BGSU baby!) Up there, its cold flat + windy. I liked to thrift and found myself sitting on my floor one day in February stitching the words, "Dance with Jesus, not the world" onto a navy blue crewneck I thrifted earlier that week.

I posted about it on instagram + to be honest, the rest is history. At first, I hand-embroidered all my pieces and offered custom sayings.

Thus, the name word strings. I strung words onto your clothes and gave you the opportunity to wear them. 

I made a dedicated Instagram for Word Strings + found myself with a little side hustle.

That summer, my best friends and I moved into our college house. I found myself with a pretty big closet + used that to store all my thrifted sweatshirts.

Eventually, I outgrew that space too and made a new home for word strings in our basement. It wasn't Ideal, but it was a real space for it all on its own.

Just in the knick of time too, because things were about to pick up speed!

My roommates Dad owns a Banquet Facility with a full commercial kitchen that was closed down due to covid restrictions. We were able to use their whole kitchen for tie dying. It was the biggest blessing.

My parents and sisters drove up every weekend for a month to help me tie dye the hundreds of crewnecks and fulfill all the orders. I signed off on volunteer service hours for people I hardly knew + bought chick-fil-a, pizza and coffee for everyone every day.

I have never felt more loved or supported as I did in those few weeks.

It was the first time people poured love into Word Strings + boy, did it pay off. Since then, I knew this business was more than sweatshirts.

At the beginning of the summer of 2021, I graduated college wearing a word strings zip up under my gown. It only felt right.

I started looking for what was next for me after graduation and I found a remote job that let me work relatively flexible hours. At the same time, I moved into a house that didn't have a basement which pretty much forced me to find a new home for word strings.

I found a corner suite in downtown Bowling Green that shared a bathroom with some local army recruiters and looked over onto my favorite part of town. It was all mine + I felt like I lived in a 2000s coming of age movie when the golden hour light poured in my windows.

I stayed here for a year. I loved every second, except for lugging inventory up the stairs to the second floor. that, not so much.

I grew in the studio. I took myself seriously. I went through a lot of change. For the first time ever, I invited people to come shop with me in person. I hugged people who bought from me, I met people who knew of word strings for years. It was exactly what I needed. I am so grateful for that small space. It was the first place that was mine.