Chapter One: the ride so far - and honest journey of a start up business. Let me introduce myself. My name is Alex, I’m 27, following my dreams and dancing along a winding road of setting up a boutique full of Love, Passion and Kindness. My motto throughout life is ‘if you stumble, make it part of the dance’. Here I will share my honest journey and the insights in to THOH HQ. After I graduated, I had a burning desire to set up life in London, with the prospect of exciting jobs and a fun-filled lifestyle. Not long after moving, I managed to land myself what I thought was my dream job working for one of the world’s most iconic luxury fashion brands, globe-trotting business class from country to country. What’s not to like about that?! However, as the months progressed the hustle and bustle of city life did not serve me well. I began suffering from severe anxiety, meaning simple parts of life, like meeting new people, going out for dinner and going on London’s infamous underground, all became tense, uncomfortable and sometimes unbearable experiences. I’d relish the opportunity to escape the city and get to the countryside to spend time with loved ones away from the concrete jungle. Then when the time came to return to city living good old anxiety would rear its ugly head. Don’t get me wrong, at times I loved being in London, after all it is the city of dreams, right?! My day job taught me the value of beautiful craftsmanship, quality and design. Little seeds were planted in my mind for a love of all things handmade and unique, created with love and passion. It was these seeds I often found myself willing to grow into a beanstalk to get me back to my much-loved countryside. In the summer of 2014 I brought a little run-down flat in the suburbs of London. I had a tight budget to transform the flea-ridden carpets and black mouldy walls into something beautiful – I was determined to stick out London for at least another year and cocooned myself into making a lovely ‘cottage’ flat (you will be pleased to know I lasted another 18 months). I fell in love with the challenge – the whole process inspired me to follow my love for interiors. When it came to furnishing the flat I went to antique fairs, eBay and craft fairs, trying to find beautiful quality pieces that weren’t expensive. The tricky part was accessorising. As an advocate for shopping small and supporting handmade, I wanted to fill my home with unique one-off pieces that were made from the heart and full of love. It was at this point my beanstalk started to grow and soon after, The Home of Handmade was born. 
Be sure to keep popping in as I document how I’ve got to where I am today – cup of tea in hand, roaring fire, two gorgeous puppies and a beautiful little cottage in the middle of the country. Until next time. Much Love. Alex xxx