Compostable Thoughts

Musings, snippets, and occasionally unwarranted opinions on the experience of running a small gift shop, featuring a young business owner trying to find her way through trial and error

Pictured: me (Ali) in our 2023 Annapolis pop-up shop

Compostable Thoughts

Weeks 1-3: A Whirlwind

Suddenly, on a Friday afternoon, after 11 months of delays, a Montgomery County building inspector approved Green & Bean Boutique to open its doors to the public. It's been so...

Weeks 1-3: A Whirlwind

Suddenly, on a Friday afternoon, after 11 months of delays, a Montgomery County building inspector approved Green & Bean Boutique to open its doors to the public. It's been so...

Moving In: All of Our Furniture is Secondhand

The other day I stopped by Home Depot to grab a couple knobs and bars to hang some of our smaller items on. Think silk scarves, crinkle toys for babies,...

Moving In: All of Our Furniture is Secondhand

The other day I stopped by Home Depot to grab a couple knobs and bars to hang some of our smaller items on. Think silk scarves, crinkle toys for babies,...

Moving In: Everything That's Gone Wrong So Far

It seems the last tenants built a bathroom into our closet. Gasp with shock and horror ~ the closet-sized bathroom is not up to code. Instead of just slapping on...

Moving In: Everything That's Gone Wrong So Far

It seems the last tenants built a bathroom into our closet. Gasp with shock and horror ~ the closet-sized bathroom is not up to code. Instead of just slapping on...

Moving In: Best Laid Plans

The first iteration of our lovely seating ares It's the end of October, and we've been without a physical location since May. To me, this was the worst-case scenario. Maybe...

Moving In: Best Laid Plans

The first iteration of our lovely seating ares It's the end of October, and we've been without a physical location since May. To me, this was the worst-case scenario. Maybe...

Signing a 10 Year Lease: Jumping Right In

In an interview once I was asked where I envisioned myself in five years. I replied "Uh, in a field?" You're wondering. I did, in fact, get the job. This...

Signing a 10 Year Lease: Jumping Right In

In an interview once I was asked where I envisioned myself in five years. I replied "Uh, in a field?" You're wondering. I did, in fact, get the job. This...

Coming Soon to Bethesda!

We're coming to Bethesda! After our brief stint in Annapolis, we knew that we wanted to continue having a physical location for people to shop at, and had to decide...

Coming Soon to Bethesda!

We're coming to Bethesda! After our brief stint in Annapolis, we knew that we wanted to continue having a physical location for people to shop at, and had to decide...

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