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

Week 6: Progress, Expectations, Me, and You

It's our 50th day party next week! Looking back, it's been a dense time. I've been in the shop 6 days a week since Sept 26 when we opened. Furniture...

Week 6: Progress, Expectations, Me, and You

It's our 50th day party next week! Looking back, it's been a dense time. I've been in the shop 6 days a week since Sept 26 when we opened. Furniture...

Week 5: Not new anymore?

It’s official: we aren’t really new anymore. I still have the same conversation every day which starts something along the lines of “I always walk by and this is the...

Week 5: Not new anymore?

It’s official: we aren’t really new anymore. I still have the same conversation every day which starts something along the lines of “I always walk by and this is the...

Week 4: A Whole Month!

Today marks a full month of being open. If you asked me last month, the prospect of ever being open at all was quickly fading considering we moved in 11...

Week 4: A Whole Month!

Today marks a full month of being open. If you asked me last month, the prospect of ever being open at all was quickly fading considering we moved in 11...

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...

Ali's Go-to Gifts

View all

Favorite Collections