How "Wonderland" Began...

*I have always loved to shop. Even when I didn't have much money, I loved to look at all the items available. My Irish Auntie Betty enjoyed telling the story of one of my visits to her home in Dallas when I was eight. Auntie Betty was very amused when I showed up in her kitchen, all dressed, holding my purse with my savings at 8:00 a.m. the first morning of my visit. I was most annoyed that I had to eat breakfast and wait for the stores to open!

*About fifteen years ago, I became disenchanted with shopping. It seemed everywhere I went, I saw the same merchandise over and over. Few stores stood out with any unique finds.

*Luckily, my love of antiques kept me from giving up . When I went on "safari", as I called it, I often found one-of-a-kind treasures. During this time, I told myself that one day I would own a shop that was a "wonderland" of unique items--both new, old, and handmade. It would be a shop unlike any others I had ever seen.

*Ten years ago I met a lady who was selling five large wooden Alice in Wonderland cutouts on stands. They had been custom-made, hand-painted for a nursery in a model home in Atlanta. She had bought them at auction and had stored them for five years. I told her that I needed them because I was going to have an Alice in Wonderland themed shop someday! Of course, the cutouts lived in my garage for another five years before they became the centerpieces of my shop The Looking Glass on Main Street in Buda.

*Now that I'm in my fifth year of business, I've decided to blog about my many adventures as a shop owner! If you're near Buda, (It's only fifteen minutes from Austin), stop by and visit. As my Auntie Betty often did, I'll make you "a spot of tea"!

Jo Ann