10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Birkland Boutique

If you’ve been around Birkland Boutique for a while, you probably know us for our faith-based clothing, Christian apparel, gifts, and fun in-store experiences like the Shirt Bar and Hat Bar.

But there’s a LOT behind this little boutique that you probably don’t know.

Birkland Boutique has changed, grown, and evolved quite a bit since I started it in 2018. So I thought it would be fun to share a little bit of the story behind the business, and the person behind it.

1. Birkland Boutique Didn’t Start Out as a Faith-Based Boutique

This might surprise you!

Birkland Boutique actually started out making more farm and homestead-style inspired tshirts, with a little bit of faith sprinkled in.

Faith-based apparel was always the direction I wanted to go. I just didn't know if there was really a customer base for it.

Then I started adding a few more faith-based pieces.

And they sold.

Really well.

That opened the door for me to start moving Birkland Boutique in the direction I had envisioned all along.

Today, faith-based clothing and Christian apparel are a huge part of what we offer, and I’m so thankful that God opened that door.

2. It All Started With Crochet Beanies

Before the t-shirts, hoodies, crewnecks, and Christian apparel, there were crochet beanies.

My grandma taught me how to crochet, and I started selling crochet beanies on Etsy.

I wanted to make them stand out, so I started making little metal-stamped tags that customers could personalize with a word of their choice.

I would then sew that little metal tag onto the beanie.

Those metal-stamped tags eventually led to metal-stamped jewelry.

The jewelry led to shirts.

And the shirts eventually led to…well, Birkland Boutique as you know it today!

It’s funny to look back and realize how one little idea led to another.

3. I Almost Started a Screen-Printing Business

There was a point when I was seriously considering starting my own screen-printing business.

I really wanted to make my own designs, so I thought the answer was to buy the equipment and learn how to screen print everything myself.

Then a friend who owned a screen-printing business reached out to me.

She basically said, “Yeah…that’s not what you want to do.”

😂

Instead, she introduced me to screen-print transfers.

I had never even heard of them!

She explained that although transfers can cost a little more up front, they save a TON of time, mess, and headache.

That conversation ended up being a pretty pivotal moment for my business and played a huge role in shaping how I create shirts today.

Sometimes you really do need someone who has already been there to point you in a better direction.

4. The Shirt Bar Was Inspired by a Family Vacation

The Shirt Bar is one of the most fun parts of Birkland Boutique, but it actually came from a family vacation to Seaside, Oregon.

While walking around Seaside, we wandered into a shop that had a heat press, blank shirts, and a bunch of designs customers could choose from.

My husband and I looked at each other like…

“WHAT?!”

The funny thing was, I already had a heat press.

I already had blank shirts.

And I already had transfers.

I just had never thought about putting them together in a setup like that!

So when I opened my own shop, I decided to create my own version of a Shirt Bar.

It looks quite a bit different from the shop in Seaside and definitely has my own flair, but that's where the idea was born.

Today, our Shirt Bar gives customers the chance to choose from a variety of designs and create a shirt right here in the boutique.

5. The Hat Bar Came Later

The Hat Bar wasn't part of the original plan either!

It came along much later, and honestly, it's still evolving.

That's probably one of the biggest themes of owning a small business: you start with an idea, and then the business grows and changes right along with you.

What Birkland Boutique looks like today is very different from what I imagined when I started.

And I’m pretty sure it will look different again a few years from now.

6. I Went to College to Be a Library Technician

This one surprises people.

I went to college to become a library technician because I LOVE organization.

I also thrive on repetition.

There are actually parts of owning a boutique that fit my personality really well. I love organizing, keeping track of things, creating systems, and doing repetitive tasks.

The creative side of the business is also something I really enjoy.

But then there are the parts that I struggle with.

Like overthinking.

I’m really good at that one. 😂

Being a business owner means wearing a LOT of different hats, and not every part of the job comes naturally to me.

7. I Was a Bank Teller Before I Became a Mom

Before I became a mom, I worked as a bank teller for several years.

And surprisingly, that experience has helped me quite a bit as a business owner.

Being a bank teller taught me a lot about money, transactions, accuracy, and keeping track of things.

Since opening Birkland Boutique, I’ve even taken an accounting class because I knew I needed to strengthen that side of the business.

And you know what?

I actually LOVE accounting.

I love numbers.

I love keeping track of things.

I love the organized side of the financial part of the business.

So while being a boutique owner requires me to be creative, it also gives me plenty of opportunities to use those organizational and analytical skills.

8. Slow Days Are Probably the Hardest Part of Owning a Boutique

You might think the hardest part of owning a boutique would be the long hours, the inventory, or all the behind-the-scenes work.

For me?

It's the slow days.

When the shop is quiet and I have nothing to do, that's when I start questioning all my life decisions. 😂

But God has always been faithful.

And I've noticed something about those quiet moments.

They usually end up being when I get creative again.

I start writing emails.

I work on the website.

I work on SEO—which is never my favorite thing. 😂

I brainstorm new ideas.

I work on the things that I don't always have time to work on when the shop is busy.

Maybe those slow days aren't wasted after all.

Maybe sometimes the quiet is exactly where I need to be.

9. I’m the Main and Sole Operator of Birkland Boutique

Birkland Boutique is a small business in the truest sense.

I have an incredible amount of help and support from my husband, but outside of that, it's primarily just me.

No big team.

No employees.

Just me trying to figure things out as I go.

I've taken courses, learned from other business owners, and spent a LOT of time figuring things out along the way.

And I hope someday I reach the point where I don't have to do everything myself.

The first thing I'd probably love to hire is an employee.

But I'm not there yet.

There's a certain level of consistent monthly sales I need to reach before I feel comfortable making that decision.

And that's okay.

I'm learning to appreciate where the business is right now while still working toward where I want it to go.

10. I Would LOVE to Have a Coffee Shop Someday

Okay, this one is probably a little random.

But I would LOVE to have a coffee shop someday.

Maybe not in this particular store.

Maybe that's something much further down the road.

But my very first job was as a barista, and I absolutely loved it.

There's something about a coffee shop that I really enjoy—the people, the conversations, the community, and the feeling of having a place where people can come in, sit down, visit, and enjoy themselves.

I would love to incorporate some of that feeling into Birkland Boutique someday.

Who knows?

Maybe one day you'll be able to grab a coffee while you're shopping for your favorite Christian sweatshirt. 😉

A Lot Has Changed Since 2018

When I look back at where Birkland Boutique started, it's pretty crazy to see how much has changed.

It started with crochet beanies.

Then metal-stamped tags.

Then jewelry.

Then shirts.

Then a storefront.

Then the Shirt Bar.

Then the Hat Bar.

And somewhere along the way, the faith-based vision I had in my heart became such a big part of what Birkland Boutique is today.

It's been a wild, unexpected, constantly-changing journey.

I'm still learning.

Still dreaming.

Still figuring things out.

And I have absolutely no idea exactly what Birkland Boutique will look like five years from now.

But I'm excited to find out.

And if you've supported this little business along the way—whether you've bought something, visited the shop, shared a post, brought a friend in, or simply cheered me on—thank you.

I'm so grateful you're here.

Here's to whatever comes next. ❤️