Everything Happens for A Reason - New Construction and New Paths

How many times have you had something just click and think “it was meant to be”? For me, there is no such thing as coincidence; otherwise, we would have to think that life is just random. I believe that everything we do, and everything that happens to us, does so for a reason. Whether we find out what that is immediately, or some day much, much later, eventually we have a moment of clarity and it all makes sense.

About Cardinal and The Dog

So, if you read my “About Cardinal and The Dog” post, you know that there is a lot of special meaning behind the new venture and journey that I’m on. It isn’t just another boutique; it’s about spreading joy not just to our customers, but to all of the people our customers give joy to via our gifts. It is also about turning back to a simpler time before FaceTime, Kindle, the internet, cell phones - a time when all we really had were personal connections and spending time creating memories.

Unable to Find Anything That Spoke to Me

Our initial thought was that the community needed our store because there wasn’t one like it around. We searched high and low, and we just weren’t able to find anything that spoke to us. So, after switching gears to look in Tampa, our wonderful real estate agent handed us over a hundred different locations that were within our possibilities. Although we were overwhelmed and already exhausted from our prior disappointing searches, we decided to forge on.

Like Kismet…

Ironically, as with most things, our pursuit led us back home to a location where I used to live and work in what now seems like my former life. When we drove up, it was nothing like what we expected: it had a kitchen and was being used as a health food store — nothing like what we had envisioned…until we walked in. No, it didn’t have the decor we have envisioned, the ambiance, or the setup that would be conducive to our store. What it did have is a homey feeling and endless possibilities to make it ours, and it just felt like kismet.

It Was Written in the Stars

As my husband and I sat looking around the space and considering the work that would likely have to go into the conversion, I looked outside to see children and their parents in the surrounding establishments — families together, and I instantly knew it was fate. Yes, everything happens for a reason; in fact, it even has a place for me to bring my beloved dog so I don’t have to leave him at home alone. It was meant to be in every way possible.

Forging Ahead with Optimism in Our Hearts and Bliss in Our Souls

So, although we are probably looking at one of the most unprecedented times in history for building, materials, and all things construction, we are forging ahead with optimism in our hearts and bliss in our souls. It is like everything is coming together perfectly, as if it all landed in our laps.

I know from the bottom of my heart this all was truly meant to be.