OUR STORY

Hello!  My name is Jen.   I'm the gal behind Opal Jean's Handmade Boutique.   I'm wife to my husband, Roy.  Mom to our teenage son, Nolan, and our two rescue pooches, Lily & Kylo.  I'm a breast cancer survivor and somewhat of a health and fitness nut.  I currently work part-time as a decorating and design consultant for our family business.  When I'm not working with the family, I'm cutting, sewing, designing and painting pillow covers, wine bags, and more.

  

My foray into this handmade business hadn’t been the least bit strategic — it was just something I loved to do as a hobby. What started out as a fun way to bring seasonal changes to my own couches, then transitioned into personalized gifts for my family and friends.  As I thoughtfully chose paint colors and/or sayings to match each person's home and lifestyle, I hoped the handmade gift would mean more to them than just a gift card to a store.  Immediately, I was asked to make and sell pillow covers for them to give as gifts also.  

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I knew very little about Etsy, working with local retailers or hobby shows — I just knew I had eager buyers, a love for making pillows and wine bags, a desire to give it a try, and absolutely nothing to lose.  And so, Opal Jean's Handmade Boutique was born.   And in case you were wondering how I choose my boutique name...Opal Jean's was named after two women that I love and miss tremendously, my grandmothers.