Step Inside A Creative Outlet

A Creative Outlet brings whimsy and fun to the downtown area of North Dakota’s capital city of Bismarck. With its creative offerings, the store highlights local handmade artists with its unique displays. Stephanie Smith is the owner and curator of A Creative Outlet, and I’m so excited for you to get to know this beautiful, quaint shop better!

Another unique offering at A Creative Outlet is the presence of a floral shop located inside the store. Crabapple Floral offers gorgeous modern bouquets that are as visually appealing as they are fragrant. This exclusive pairing of stores makes for a one stop shop for your gift buying needs.

If you’re still working on your holiday shopping this season, you’re in luck. A Creative Outlet will have extended hours of 9:30am-7pm on Friday, December 19^th as Santa will be coming to Downtown Bismarck! Find handmade pieces to be treasured for years to come. 

Get to know Steph and ACO better in the following Q & A!

When did your love of handmade begin?

My dad made me a dollhouse when I was about 5 years old. He made all of the fixtures, furniture and even put wallpaper on the walls! I would say that's when I realized how much love and thought goes into handmade creations. Architecture school is where I really started to appreciate craftsmanship. The time, effort and detail that would go into building an architectural model truly makes it an art. 

Are you a crafter yourself? If so, what do you like to make? 

I am constantly sketching and diving into new projects. Being around creative people on a day to day basis inspires creativity, it's contagious! 

What inspired you to open ACO?

Both my husband and I grew up in western North Dakota, and like many others we decided to settle down and raise a family here. There is a great community of young entrepreneurs in Bismarck, especially Downtown, and that energy really inspired me to create a space that celebrates the unique handmade works from around the region. 

How did your partnership with Crabapple Floral begin?

It's such a small world! Kelsey's husband and I work at the same Architecture firm and when they made the move to Bismarck from Grand Forks they were looking for a place for her to continue her business. I had been opening the shop one weekend per month, so with Kelsey being able to be at the shop full time it was the perfect fit! We did some renovations to add a sink, cooler, shelving and other necessities to run a floral shop. It has truly been a perfect match. Kelsey has really created a buzz with her business and continues to amaze me with the unique arrangements that she creates.

When customers step in your store, what can they expect to find?

Upon entering the shop you'll be hit by the most amazing smells from a new shipment of flowers. You'll very likely get caught up giggling through our collection of handmade greeting cards or browsing the unique prints available. We carry a variety of handmade jewelry, leather products, stationary and most recently have added a section to the shop featuring wedding items. 

Why should people shop at ACO for the holidays?

When you're looking for that perfect gift always remember that buying a handmade gift means that you're not only buying an item with an amazing story behind it, but also supporting an artist and helping them to continue to do what they love! 

Shop A Creative Outlet:

303 E. Main Ave.

Bismarck, ND

Thank you to the lovely Steph and Kelsey for their kindness, and for allowing me to feature them in this post! 

Catch the latest Taea Made happenings on Facebook!

Drop me a line at: taeamade@hotmail.com.

Kindness is Contagious

I'm a huge fan of kindness. Making a positive difference in someone else's life is something I strive for in my day to day living. My husband and I have made it a goal to complete one random act of kindness each month, with nothing expected in return. It's had such an impact on our lives, and made us happier people. 

When I met Diana about a year ago and learned about her Be Nice movement, I knew I wanted to take part. Diana has created boxes customers can buy to spread kindness, called the Be Nice Box. She wrote a blog about completing 365 acts of kindness, which led to her creation of the boxes as a way for others to share in her efforts. 

"As the blog was growing, I was falling in love with the idea of completing good deeds & spreading kindness. I was finding that I was happier, feeling more grounded & really feeling rooted in my community. I wanted to find a way to share that feeling with others across the country. After some brainstorming, the Be Nice Box was born!"  

Through my business, Taea Made, I contributed 100 fiber art bookmarks for this quarter's Be Nice Boxes. My hope in taking part in this project is that it will inspire others to do good and share their talents with others as well.

Let's take a look at the Fall Box I received!

(A sweet hand written note.)

(My favorite part of the box! 30 different kindness tasks :.)

I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to take part in this project. Thank you to Diana for asking me to contribute, and for spreading kindness!

(Give Thanks banner from this quarter's Be Nice Box.)

Shop Be Nice Box:

Minneapolis, MN

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Drop me a line at: taeamade@hotmail.com.

Step Inside Eco Chic Boutique

I've had the good fortune to work with and get to know Maria Bosak, owner of Eco Chic Boutique, and her super sweet staff over the past few years. Whenever I've had the opportunity to pop into the shop, I'm greeted with a smiling face and a kind heart. Besides a warm greeting at the store, you'll also find eco-friendly products, clothing, accessories, home decor and re-purposed furniture (their specialty.) 

Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan is sold at Eco Chic for updating furniture and making one-of-a-kind items. This brand of paint is very user friendly for creating unique pieces. Classes on how to use Chalk Paint are taught on a regular basis at the store. You can find many furniture pieces redone with Chalk Paint at the Eco Chic stores, and from vendors at Junk Market. Junk Market, an event that was originally held in Eco Chic's parking lot, is a two day event held in three buildings at the Red River Valley Fair Grounds each spring and fall. 

When I stopped into the Fargo Eco Chic Boutique location to take photos for this blog post, Michelle and Katie were working. It's easy to see that Maria views her staff as a big asset to her company. You can tell there's a lot of fun and laughter that goes on behind the scenes at Eco Chic. I'm glad to have had a chance to get in on it while I was there!

Get to know Maria and her eco-friendly store better in the following Q & A I did with her for my "Step Inside" series, featuring stores that sell Taea Made products. 

Have you always planned on being a small business owner?

After spending 12 years in the corporate world managing stores for someone else, I found myself becoming more and more stifled and really felt a strong desire to be in control of my time and talent. I've always been hardworking and a little stubborn, so being my own boss in control of my own destiny fit me well. 

What brought you to the F-M area?

I grew up in Webster, SD and came here to attend college at MSUM. Once graduation arrived I already had a job, so here I stayed. Once I met and married Tate, I knew this was home forever.  

When did your passion for remaking furniture begin?

The repurposing passion was one I didn’t know I had until I had to find it. The original concept of Eco Chic featured more baby, mom and home eco-friendly items. It wasn’t until customers started wanting our display fixtures did I realize there was a need for such a store. We slowly transitioned into what Eco Chic is today, and in the meantime I found a love and passion for home decor and furniture that I didn’t know I had. 

What makes Chalk Paint unique compared to other paints?

Chalk Paint is unique for a couple reasons. One, it will adhere to most any surface without sanding, priming or stripping. This is usually what people love the most. Also, the finish and versatility of the paint draws the customers in once they start working with it. You really have to experience it to completely appreciate it. 

How did you become involved with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint?

Once we started selling furniture we were using spray paint to repurpose it. This became messy and toxic. Once we researched paint, we kept stumbling across Annie Sloan on blogs. We ordered some and fell in love. So much in love that we inquired into selling it. It was a 3 month process before they agree to allow us to sell it. They are very strict on where they place it. They want a certain family feel and love of painting to be displayed in all their stockist. We luckily fit the bill. 

Do you offer advice for furniture remaking newbies?

All Day Long…We love talking to newbies about project. Heck we are still newbies. That is why we are here. To help.

What do you most like about owning Eco Chic?

I love my employees and the customers we bring joy too. It is so much fun to help others bring joy to their homes. 

What do you see for the future of Eco Chic?

Well, besides our expansion into Bismarck last summer, we have big plans for a larger version of who we are in Fargo. We think we have a presence that is tv worthy. We will just have to see what HGTV thinks. (wink wink)

What is Junk Market?

Junk Market is a event that features the best junking, salvage, and repurposed vendors from the upper Midwest. It is held every May and September. It started in our parking lot but has grown so big we moved it to the Fairgrounds. What started as a one day event is now a two day event with around 100 vendors. It is like Eco Chic only on steroids times three. 

You can shop Eco Chic Boutique at two different storefronts in both Fargo, ND and Bismarck, ND. The Bismarck location will soon be moving to a new downtown location! Be sure to follow their latest store happenings on Eco Chic's Facebook page.

I recently had the chance to visit the Eco Chic Boutique in Bismarck, ND, where I received an equally warm reception from Kelsey. Below are a few current photos of the Bismarck store.

Shop Eco Chic:

4955 17th Ave. S.

Fargo, ND

2100 E. Broadway

Bismarck, ND

Thank you to Maria and her lovely staff  for sharing their passion of eco-friendly and remade products!

Catch the latest Taea Made happenings on Facebook!

Drop me a line at: taeamade@hotmail.com.