Somewhere near Detroit, Michigan, there once lived an Italian grandmother named, Concetta. She stood approximately five feet tall and wore size six shoes. In 1948, when she was just 9 years old, she and her family left Italy for the United States. At the age of twenty, Concetta married Vincenzo Mariani, an Italian American carpenter, who had moved from Italy to the United States on his own when he was sixteen years old. The beautiful married couple brought five healthy children into the world and eventually 12 grandchildren followed. In 2019, the first great-grandchild, Madelyn, was born, prior to Vincenzo and Concetta going home to be with our Lord Jesus in February of 2020 and December of 2021. Concetta is fondly remembered for how she loved to cook; loved to eat; and loved to feed her family. No one was allowed to leave without a big To-Go plate of food in tow, plus an additional bag of various goodies to take home. At family gatherings, Concetta would make sure of it that every belly was stuffed full, even to the point of physical immobility. :) On one ordinary afternoon, Concetta’s eldest granddaughter, Christina, was reading “The 5 Love Languages,” by Gary Chapman, when she nearly fell out of her seat, so moved by a clear epiphany: “Grandma Mariani’s primary (speaking) love languages was Gift Giving!” “Duh!” Christina exclaimed to herself. Amidst a family of mostly “Quality Timers,” this brand-new perspective brought increased clarity & understanding to various family personalities, needs & dynamics. Special occasions had always been a big deal to Grandma Mariani, and not solely due to the quality family time that they ensured. She put a great deal of time and effort into finding the perfect gift for each one of her five children & 12 grandchildren, every single birthday & Christmas season. Even when her shopping days were long gone, Concetta would still sneak envelopes of money into the hands of her loved ones, every occasion that she could find. Ironically enough, Concetta, herself, was nearly impossible to shop for, and any human being who could find the right gift for her- an item that would not be returned to the store the very next day- became highly regarded in the family as someone who possessed special superpowers (i.e. Aunt Janel) and was quickly perceived to be an angel sent by God to help save the rest of exasperated shoppers in the family. Concetta’s extreme pickiness may have been largely misunderstood by the family. She was one-of-a-kind in that she often seemed to know what she wanted; the only problem was that the item typically did not exist in stores or online at the time. I, Christina Mariani Engle, was born with the same Concetta genes: I greatly enjoy gift-giving, but if you buy me anything, there is a 99.99% chance that it will be returned or re-gifted, expeditiously. Nearly every single item that I desire in life has already been custom designed in my head and rarely can it be found online or in stores. Even still, I will search until I find it, regardless of how small the needle in the haystack is… I am a huntress (feminine archetype) and treasure hunter. To me, the process of the search is as cherished as the item, itself. In cases where the item does not currently exist, then I, or someone close to me will create it. As it takes one to know one, it has become very clear to me in recent years that Grandma Concetta Mariani was a designer at heart. She had her own unique sense of style, and obviously she needed all of her clothing and household items custom-made.; there is nothing better than this. Neither Grandma nor I will settle for something that we do not want, nor for something that we only sort of like; nor do we feel any sort of pressure to buy anything out of convenience, simply because it is in stores or on trend. My husband, Joshua Engle, is a carpenter who began working at age 12, leaving home at age 16. He started his own construction company prior to turning 18 and his personality is strikingly similar to that of Vincenzo Mariani’s. This small & humble boutique is greatly inspired by the beautiful legacy marriage which was comprised of the uniquely paired personalities of Vincenzo & Concetta Mariani. With their heavenly stamps of approval on each item, this shop will continue to be filled with only the highest quality goods. From handmade gifts & cards to home goods and original art, each piece is handpicked, handmade, and proudly displayed for sale as one of Christina's carefully collected treasures. Each one is awaiting its rightful, loving new life in its new home. May you and your loved ones enjoy great success here in finding the perfect gift to help you in celebrating each one of life’s special occasions with one another. Let the ultimate treasure hunting journey begin! :)