Hey, I'm Kristin!

My husband, our daughter, and I are all originally from Houston, Texas, where we spent most of our lives before trading big-city living for the mountains of North Carolina.

For years, we were doing the whole "normal life" thing: work, school, activities, crash, repeat. Like most families, we leaned pretty heavily on convenience. Drive-thru dinners were practically a food group, and our cleaning stash looked like a drugstore aisle had exploded under the sink.

Fast. Easy. Done. Sound familiar?

Where It All Began

In 2015, life took an unexpected turn. My husband convinced me to leave my corporate job and help run the behind-the-scenes operations of his business. After years in marketing, graphic design, and the corporate world, I traded one kind of chaos for another. But somewhere along the way, life slowed down just enough for me to start questioning a few things.

We started cooking at home. Actual meals. With real ingredients. And, much to our surprise, we loved it. Even more surprising was how much better we felt. We had more energy, started losing weight, and noticed improvements in our overall health. Turns out, a few simple changes in the kitchen could make a pretty big difference. Who knew?

Cooking became our family ritual. Good music, a cocktail (or two), and all three of us in the kitchen catching up on life. It wasn't just about eating better. It was about slowing down, spending time together, and realizing that convenience wasn't always doing us any favors.

And then came the rabbit hole.

It started with an article about antibacterial soap. Remember when we were all convinced we needed to sanitize absolutely everything? Guilty. One article led to another, and suddenly I was reading ingredient labels, questioning products we'd used for years, and wondering why I was slathering myself in expensive lotion every day only to still feel like a lizard.

Naturally, I started making our own products. Hand soap was one of my first experiments, and we're still making it more than a decade later.

One swap led to another. Then another. Before long, I was researching everything from household cleaners and skincare to nutrition, herbal remedies, and the ingredients hiding in everyday products.

And I wasn't alone. Our daughter was growing up right alongside this evolving lifestyle, asking questions, experimenting with recipes, and developing her own curiosity about natural living.

We weren't trying to become perfect. We were just trying to do better. And that's still the philosophy today.

Trading City Lights for Mountain Nights

In February 2020, after more than 40 years in Houston, we packed up our lives and headed for the mountains of Western North Carolina. We wanted less traffic, more fresh air, and a slower pace of life. We found a little mountain town that felt like home almost immediately.

And then, just weeks after arriving, the world shut down. Talk about timing!

That unexpected pause gave me even more opportunity to explore the things I'd become passionate about. I dove deeper into herbalism, holistic wellness, gardening, and learning how to work with nature rather than automatically reaching for a manufactured solution.

It also gave me something I hadn't realized how much I'd missed: time to be creative.

I reconnected with my creative roots, rediscovered hobbies that had been pushed aside for years, and found myself making things with my hands again. Creating, experimenting, and getting lost in a project simply because I loved doing it. All those little things that feed my soul but had somehow gotten buried beneath the demands of everyday life.

For the first time in years, I had room to nurture both my curiosity and my creativity. As a family, we planted herbs, raised chickens, experimented with tinctures and homemade remedies, and continued making small changes that felt right for us. Some experiments were fantastic. Others? Well, let's just say not everything deserves a second batch. But that's part of the fun!

And Then Came Peculiar Closet

Eventually, I realized something: there was an overwhelming amount of information out there about natural living, and not all of it was particularly helpful.

Between greenwashing, confusing ingredient labels, conflicting advice, and the occasional wellness influencer insisting you need to throw away everything you own, it was enough to make anyone's head spin.

So I created Peculiar Closet. Originally, it was a blog—a place to share what we'd learned, products we'd researched, DIY projects we'd tried, and the occasional opinion that might ruffle a few feathers. I wanted to make clean living approachable. No guilt trips. No perfection contests. No requirement to live off-grid, wear burlap, or own a goat. Just practical information, thoughtful choices, and the freedom to figure out what works for you.

But somewhere along the way, that little blog became part of something much bigger. Since moving to North Carolina, I've explored a few different career paths, met some wonderful people, and gained valuable experiences. But no matter what I tried, something always felt like it was missing.

I was working, staying busy, and doing what I was supposed to do. But I wasn't doing what truly made me happy. My creative side was itching for something more, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was meant to be building something of my own.

Owning a little shop had always been one of those dreams tucked away in the back of my mind. The kind you daydream about but quickly dismiss because, well, real life. Responsibilities. Bills. And about a thousand reasons why it probably wouldn't work.

It was a lovely dream, but never one that felt particularly achievable. Still, it never went away.

Eventually, I started asking myself a different question: What if, instead of finding reasons why I couldn't, I finally figured out how I could?

And little by little, that dream I'd been carrying around for years started becoming an actual plan.

A New Chapter: Peculiar Closet Comes to Life

Coming to Downtown Brevard, North Carolina, in early 2027!

What started as a personal journey, eventually became a blog, and is now growing into something I've dreamed about for years: a real, honest-to-goodness brick-and-mortar shop.

Peculiar Closet is evolving into a unique herbal apothecary and retail experience, bringing together so many of the things I'm passionate about under one roof.

You'll find thoughtfully selected herbs, holistic wellness products, natural skincare, and supplies for creating your own tinctures, salves, and other herbal concoctions. We'll also feature products from talented local herbalists and makers, giving you the option to make your own or leave the crafting to someone who already knows their way around herbalism.

But Peculiar Closet won't stop at wellness. I've always loved art, unusual finds, and things that are just a little outside the ordinary. So you'll also discover whimsical handmade pieces, curious treasures, and one-of-a-kind creations from local artists and artisans.

A little earthy. A little peculiar. A little unexpected. And absolutely not your typical wellness shop.

One of my biggest goals is to create a space that celebrates the incredible talent within our community. I want customers to get to know the people behind the products, hear their stories, and have opportunities to meet the artists and makers themselves through featured vendor days and special events.

Because shopping small should be about more than making a purchase. It should be about connection, discovery, and supporting the people who put their hearts into what they create.

The Philosophy Hasn't Changed

Even though Peculiar Closet is growing, the heart behind it remains exactly the same.

I still believe small changes matter. That education is more powerful than fear. That you should be able to ask questions without feeling judged. And that living a more natural, intentional life shouldn't mean giving up everything you enjoy.

I'm still the girl who wears black every day, enjoys a good cocktail, loves a little sarcasm, and believes there's room in life for both common sense and a little magic. I don't have all the answers, and I don't pretend to. I'm still learning, researching, experimenting, and occasionally making a spectacular mess of things.

The difference is that now, I'm creating a place where we can explore it all together.

Here's to What's Next!

Peculiar Closet is more than a store to me. It's the culmination of years of curiosity, creativity, research, a few unexpected detours, and finally deciding to take a chance on a dream that wouldn't leave me alone.

My hope is that it becomes a place where locals and visitors alike feel welcome to wander, discover something new, ask questions, connect with talented makers, and maybe leave with something they didn't even know they needed.

Whether you're passionate about herbalism, looking for cleaner alternatives, hunting for a one-of-a-kind piece of art, or simply curious about what's behind the door, there's a place for you here.

We're not here to be ordinary. We're here to be Peculiar.

And I can't wait to welcome you inside.

Stay tuned for our grand opening in Downtown Brevard in early 2027!