Hi there, my name is Michelle and I just thought I would introduce myself as the artisan behind Hart and Hope. This business is the start of my dream as a young teenager --to own my own business. I would say little girl, but I wanted to be a veterinarian back then! I always had the entrepreneurial spirit and outside of the box thinking to be getting people together doing something, always wanting to be putting something together. As a kid in elementary school, I remember begging my mom to let me buy warheads to sell at school. It was a huge craze, the warhead candies had just come out and they were a hot commodity with my fellow 5th graders. I had some birthday money so I spent it on a big pack and passed them out for .50 cents a piece! The kids at recess went crazy, I met so many people at my school, I didn't make much money because I ended up eating and sharing a bunch of them! Making money wasn't really the idea, it was my first year in Arizona and it sure was a conversation starter and helped me gain some new friends.
I remember always wanting to be a part of something, so I would join student council and the sports teams and looking back, I loved it all but I remember my art classes the most from school. The ones where I foxused on me and the creativity inside me. My pottery classes, the amazing hands on work we did, painting, all of that sticks out more to me than the GPA and the honors classes.
Fast forward through high school, college (off and on and off and on), so many horrible jobs with horrible bosses but amazing people, moving to Tucson, meeting my soulmate, moving to Sahuarita, having two wonderful children, a wedding and a house together--now--I get to dedicate more of my time to Hart and Hope. My passion project, the culmination of my skills thus far in the crystal biz, the amazing uses and properties of these healing stones that I have loved my whole life, the online live selling knowledge, the social media experience, the in-person selling experience, my degree, my dedication, and my love for art and nature--it's all here wrapped in this blog and this website.
There are many who have helped me out learning the ropes of the crystal biz and many groups online teaching me the ropes of the wire wrapping craft but my husband and daughters are really the co owners of this business as we do this together.❤️ Family must support each other and want to see each other be better and to achieve their dreams- and without my husband, I'm not sure if Hart and Hope would have ever been born. He has encouraged me when I couldn't encourage myself. Raising children is difficult. Right now, we have a 3 and a 6 year old and it is Hard with a capital H. It was impossible to believe in myself when I was fighting post partum depression after both pregnancies and fight the parental battle of being a good parent without going insane every single day. Those girls are the best thing that's ever happened to us though, and it's crazy how fast time is going. Our youngest will be in preschool soon enough and I thought I needed to work to not be depressed but I am finding other ways out of it and exploring therapy and I am so much better at working for myself. I am the hardest on myself haha! But honestly, these wonderful people in my life are All parts of Hart and Hope and making it all work and my reason to keep pushing this dream forward.
A little about me:
I have always been a creator and creative, my parents encouraged the arts and any hobbies I had growing up. I loved musical theater in middle school and high school, was in drama club and was in too many plays to even remember the number. It was a blast.
I played clarinet in the band from middle school to high school and was part of marching band. We used to do the parades in town, it was fun being part of that in the community.
I love the equine world and owned horses for most of my life up until about 6 years ago. I had a horse named Cyrus who was my heart horse. I had him from the time he was 12 until 30 years old. He was a racehorse in his former life, very short-lived as he wasn't very fast, we trained together for shows and I learned how to jump fences on him, we were thick as thieves, he was such a good boy, we went trail riding on the Rio Verde river, he loved the water so much. He was my old man, his neck dried a lot of tears from my eyes, he lived in my backyard for most of my life and anytime I was having a problem or something I needed to think about, I would go out to his stall and just hang out with him and pamper him. He helped me get through the sudden passing of my father when I was 18.
My dad actually gave me the Hart from Hart in Hope. My maiden name is Hart and now I am a McAllister. I was thinking of a name for my biz and I was an engaged stay at home mom and wanted to keep my last name at the time so I kept it in my business and I have always needed the word Hope in my vocabulary and my heart since as far back as I can remember. So, hold onto your Hart and Hope :)
There is always hope for a new beginning, there is always Hope if you have a good heart that you can rebuild and make a better reality for yourself.
Hope you enjoyed the read and welcome to Hart and Hope, check out my shop! I am adding more every day and cannot wait to keep doing what I love, bringing you affordable crystals, decor and handmade jewelry at outstanding prices!
Love and light yall!
Michelle
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