I started Ruby's Garden at a time when I knew I needed to create my own lifeboat, a means of making a living that brought life satisfaction I wasn't finding from my home life. I wanted to use my work-brain again without losing the time I had to be with my daughter. When I started looking for products for our shop, I found makers who were creating their own lifeboats too. They were mothers who had also left fulfilling (or not fulfilling) professional lives to stay at home raising their babies. They were using the ragged edges of their sleep-deprived days to create clothing and accessories for children that I knew my customers would love. They were parenting their children the best they could but also trying to pay attention to the voice inside that said: I'm a mother now, but I'm still also ME.

I have loved carrying local brands from day one because I could see in these women a sisterhood I wanted to support and invite others to support too. Even though we've grown a lot since those early days, we've still managed to keep the majority of our sales going to local bay area companies, most of which are founded and staffed by local women.