A Boutique History

  Finch's Holiday Time Boutique started in December of 2006 by me, Elisa, and my pup, Finch as an excuse to get motivated to finish my MANY started/mid-progress projects.
 
  At the time I made lots of fun stuff like plush 'friends' for kids, cards, handmade books, and artwork. I really needed a reason, a deadline, to keep creating at home, especially when I'm wiped out from the day job. I asked around, mostly at work, and came up with 12 other local artists/designers to participate and we figured that December was the right time of year to be the most productive - right before the holidays, when everyone is mostly still just starting their gift shopping.
 
  I asked all of the participants to donate $5-$10 that would go towards my annual fundraising for Relay For Life for the American Cancer Society - this would be a great way to raise money and support a great cause, and I was willing to do the work (along with Finch, who mainly supervised, and my mom, Bonnie - without whom ANY boutique would have happened).
 
  So! I invited lots of people, opened up my home in Minneapolis for a weekend - the front living room and dining room space, with a "check out" area in the kitchen - and served hot apple cider and cookies to everyone who came by.

Our First Boutique

  We had a great turn out - especially since we really weren't quite sure what to expect - and lots of people began to contact me and ask me about next year. "Are you going to have the boutique again? I want to come shop!" or "I want to make stuff, can I participate next year?" Deal - perhaps we would do it again...

  We followed up the original boutique with more holiday boutique events in 2007, 2008, and 2009 as well as a Spring Time Boutique in May of 2008.

  Each year we added more and more participants, more and more cool, new items and with that came more and more boutique visitors - a few hundred people coming through my house in two days is a few more than my typical entertaining guest list... I had to clean out a guest room, so that we could expand space off the living room in order to display more fun stuff!
 
  In 2008 we hit 45 or so participants and even gained recognition in Minnesota Monthly who featured us as one of their Holiday Shopping destinations - that was so cool!

2008: Boutique featured in Minnesota Monthly Magazine

Our 2008 Boutique

  We took a year off to get married, get settled, only to move houses and get settled all over again... and then I was back in action!

The 2011 Boutique was in our new home in Minnetonka, MN - where we had more room for my now husband to keep out of the way as I got everything all set up. Huge Success.

Our 2012 Boutique featured 60+ sellers and out very first VIP pre-shopping event, the Friday evening before we opened. We raised over $900.00! We knew though, after the sale was over, that we had absolutely outgrown our space...

We took another year off - 2013 - this time, at 8 months pregnant, I was in no shape to plan, set up and manage the boutique.

2014 was new and fun, as I partnered with Sarah of On Solid Ground Vintage to create Finch's Warehouse Boutique. Sarah graciously allowed us to used her warehouse space in NE Minneapolis to create a new, bigger and better shopping experience for you. She's a great partner in crime!
It was awesome:

Now we're all caught up to 2015 - we are back in action and planning for another year of amazing, unique items from local artists and designers. Hope to see you at the boutique!

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