The Backstory: Why I Opened MYE Boutique: The Heart Behind the Brand
MYE BOUTIQUE was born from a simple yet profound desire: to offer small, precious pieces that capture the beauty and significance of life’s most meaningful moments. What began as a passion for crafting unique items soon evolved into something much more: a dedicated mission to support women, particularly during the transformative journey of motherhood.
My name is Catherine, and I am a wife and a mother. I have three children: Felipe, who I hold dearly in Heaven; Giuseppe, almost 2 years old; and Fatima, who is 4 months old. My journey through motherhood has been both challenging and full of joy. Through this experience, I've come to realize just how important it is to honor both the physical and emotional aspects of this journey. As a newly pregnant woman and soon-to-be mother, I found myself on an emotional rollercoaster. There were moments when I would cry and feel overwhelmed, often thinking, “Will this ever end?”
Of course, it did! Hormonal changes during such a pivotal season of life bring an intensity of emotions that, in my experience, felt impossible to manage all at once. The physical challenges also made me question, “Why wasn’t I better informed about what this would truly be like?”
That said, I deeply cherish the opportunity to experience the love and sacrifice that motherhood brings. As women, we are gifted with the opportunity to understand, for a second, how God sees us—full of love and willing to give it ALL for His children. During the postpartum period, I literally had to stay in bed and couldn’t enjoy playing on the floor with my firstborn until he was around six months old. My physical condition took a drastic turn. But I keep saying this: “I would do it a million times over because it is worth it.”
BUT I am human, and the pain I felt was unlike any other. (Although, in February of 2023, when I was about 4-5 months pregnant, I went to Hawaii and decided to go kayaking in the middle of the ocean—because why not? I ended up severely burning my legs. I thought I never got sunburned, so I skipped the sunscreen. The consequence? I couldn’t use my legs at all and was essentially handicapped for at least five days. I needed help with the simplest tasks. The pain I endured in both of my legs was intense, but it still didn’t compare to childbirth. I truly believe God was preparing me for the pain I would feel during labor.)
One day, during postpartum, around 6 months: It was time to clean out the closet.
I was dreading the day when I had to get rid of every piece of clothing I owned. The reason? Because it would no longer fit me. I literally said goodbye to more than 25 dresses (or more), not to mention jeans, tops, and other items. Yes, it was not okay that I owned that much—I always told my husband, “We women need to dress appropriately for the occasion, whether casual, formal, etc.” But really, us ladies know, it’s just another excuse to accumulate. Once I actually took all the clothing—around 5+ filled-up bags—I felt good. It felt nice to get rid of so many things. But of course, going through childbirth, changes occur in all aspects for us women. I actually became a bit depressed. I didn’t want to admit it, not even to myself. I didn’t like how I saw myself when looking in the mirror. Of course, I love how I can give birth to such beautiful children, who are the fruit of our marriage and the love we have for each other as husband and wife. But then again, I didn’t feel good about myself. I did start going to the gym, but very quickly, I was pregnant with baby #3, just 6 months postpartum. Yes, that soon. And the reality is, there is weight gained because it is natural and healthy at some point, especially during pregnancy.
With all that being said, time passed, and I started to embrace the beauty of what birth does for us women. It is definitely traumatic for the body. And at moments, there will be no human being on earth who will understand you.
It was May 2024 when I was on Facebook, looking for some playdates in the area and/or activities to do with my baby. I was a bit overwhelmed, as Facebook had changed drastically since I’d used it last. When I saw a post saying, “Vendors needed! Sell your handmade items, gently used…” etc… once I clicked on it, I saw what it said about what items could be sold. I had many hobbies, and one of them was journaling and planning. I had accumulated many arts and crafts items. Other than that, I had liked getting rid of the clothing a while back, so I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to sell all of these new/gently used items and get rid of them, but still make something out of it?’
Long story short, I had scheduled up to 6 events to vend at around Oregon. We set out a budget to have the appropriate equipment, and ta-da, we were on our way to those events—me, fully pregnant. It was nice to actually do it and meet other sellers to learn about what they do. I loved seeing the children helping their mommies (yes, there were more moms working at these events, something I never thought of), and I was talking with them to know how they started their little businesses. BUT because we had a small budget, we couldn’t do more than just my arts/craft items, handbags, and other things I kept selling.
( the rest of the blog post got deleted, my apologies, but will try to retell the story )
An inspiration came to me: to be able to offer graceful attire for women, for them to feel beautiful and know their true worth as a child of God.
BUT of course, I had to wait before anything happened. It is important to take time for discernment and know if it is a good fit or not. I asked my husband at the moment, but due to many turmoil changes in our lives, he said to wait on it. OF course, I continued to search for dresses and put them in my bag from a wholesale marketplace online. I had a conviction that I will be able to make this a reality one way or another.
I became a SAHM after quitting my job.
I knew I had to help out somehow, but what can we do? I started putting everything together, and ta-da…we have a website, color schemes, logo, and of course, there is always room for improvement.
We were able to make this online boutique a reality and on St. Valentine’s Day at 10am, I put the page live for everyone to go and see the hard work that has been put in the process. I hope you are able to enjoy the bits and pieces of everything in the boutique and to read these blogs, perhaps you resonate with me, all the experiences as a wife and a mother (2 under 2).
