Opened in 2013, Boston General Store began as a small online retail store to promote the products I discovered in my spare time that were created simply but made to last a lifetime. The shop also allowed me the unique opportunity to pay tribute to the person who taught me that not everything had to be disposable, the person who passed down this passion for all things well-made - my Nanna.

I was raised in Houston, Texas, but my childhood was marked by unforgettable summers spent in the Berkshires with my Nanna. She was a strong, seemingly magical, woman who revealed to me the value of life's simple pleasures. The most gratifying days spent with her were when we waded through wild raspberry bushes, wearing the same-old tattered chambrays we used every year, and filled mason jars connected at the waist with fruit. We picked until our hands were smudged red and we couldn't carry anymore. Equally lasting are the memories of the pots and pans in her perfectly laid out kitchen that we would use later in the day to make the jam. These were pots and pans she had my entire life and some of which still exist in my mother's kitchen today.

The goal of Boston General Store is to capture the spirit of how my grandmother lived by purveying functional, high-quality goods, crafted by makers from around the world who share that same dedication for moving passed our generation of disposability. Just as traditional general stores of years passed did, I also hope to develop a deep connection with the communities we serve.

These traits once played large roles in places like the Western Massachusetts town where my grandparents built their families. However, today they have all but disappeared.

Boston General Store aims to bring them all back.