The Short Story:
I have a great passion for re-purposing clothing & hunting for vintage treasures. I get so much joy out of this little shop and I'm so thankful to have a way to do this - thank you Etsy! Thank YOU for taking the time to look around!

A More Detailed Story:
"The things you are passionate about are not random. They are your calling."
- Fabienne Fredrickson

I have always had a passion to create. I'm an introvert by nature and love working on my own. I was also brought up to be thrifty and taught not to waste, so my upcycling path was not only organic, but my destiny. My love for sewing, painting, & thrifting led me to the idea of opening TheJoyVault. It thrills me to see that other people find value in the the things I make and find. It thrills me more to know that together we are making the world a little better by slowing our waste blueprint.

My love for vintage started at a young age. I come from a very close family and had aunts and uncles that were more like siblings. Receiving their hand-me-downs and playing dress up with their things is what likely led to my obsession with thrifting. It allows me to reconnect with the past and brings happiness to my soul.

More than my love for vintage, is my love to create. I'll never forget the day in pre-school that I got to sew a tooth fairy pillow! I knew from that day forward that sewing would play a big part in my life. When I was around 8 years old, I got my first sewing kit and loved messing around and creating "stuff". I finally got a sewing machine on my first Mother's Day (about 13 years ago)! I spent about two years literally sweating while sewing, like most beginners do, hoping not to ruin the project - wanting so desperately to be good. After a lot of anxiety & a little time later, I found that I was finally one with my machine. This allowed me to move into more creative projects. I found that patterns made me a little crazy while providing such little reward. I started playing around with creating my own designs. Around the same time I found out that this cool thing I was on to had a name - repurposing or upcycling. It was like a dream come true! I decided to put myself out there and see if I could sell the things I loved to create. When I sold my first creation I think I did about 50 backflips! I still get that feeling to this day when I make a sale!

Besides sewing, I also love to paint. These two things are my creative passions. I'm working hard these days to try to find the right balance so that I can do more of what I love. My hope is to continue to grow this shop. My dream is to make it my full time job.

More about me: I'm a mom of two smart & amazing young ladies. They are my biggest cheerleaders. I lead both of their Girl Scout troops and have dedicated a large part of my life to growing strong girls in my community. I also work part-time for a wonderful company that trades in the futures market. I am married to my best friend, Lee. We are big on family! Lee and I love parenting and spending time with our girls. We love camping, hiking, biking, and all things outdoors.

I want you to know that each piece that I find and present to you at TheJoyVault is one that I truly cherish. I also believe that everyone is unique and that it is important to embrace what makes you different. Wearing vintage and repurposed clothing enables one to showcase their uniqueness. It should also make you feel good to know that buying vintage and repurposed clothing helps save our planet, too! You are giving these items a new life, a rebirth, and I know that if they could talk they'd thank you for it.

Happy shopping and many thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this.

Yours Truly,
Michelle