Opening Estrella has been such a pleasure on so many levels.  I love the creative process of curating a small gift shop full of beautiful and delicious products that are meant to inspire moments of joy in the experience of shopping and giving.  But, my joy in opening this tiny little enclave is more than the obvious of "I love to buy beautiful, interesting things"...I DO, but my innate joy is to give back and help support small business by being a small business advocate. I am also a woman-owned business and an active member of Hunger Free Colorado's Full Plate Society working on reducing hunger.  Social impact is important to me and I am dedicated to helping as much as I can to support small businesses.

I have been a small business owner for my entire career of 24 years.  I started with my private practice, Bellwether Nutrition & Speech-Language Pathology in 2003, opened 3D SLP a subscription box company in 2011, Pop Kitchen & Events, a culinary incubator and coffee house/cafe, in 2023 and Estrella Enchanting Gifts & Collectibles in 2025.  Being a start-up four times has taught me many things...it is not for the faint of heart, but it is one of the greatest PhDs life can give you in the research, facilitation, hard knocks, moments of pure joy and fulfillment that can come from creating an idea and guiding it into fruition.  I honestly can't imagine it any other way and am constantly amazed by the learning inherent in this process. I love each part of my business history coming together into my newest venture, Estrella.

Estrella is a social impact gift shop showcasing products from over 50 small businesses that are woman and/or minority-owned, sustainably-focused, give back, source and buy in ethical and fair-trade practices and work on missions to empower women, reduce hunger all while producing a superb and often award-winning product.  These things don't happen by accident.  They are conscious choices made in every step of planning, sourcing and execution.  There is so much to admire and discover in each of these outstanding companies, I am constantly in awe.

I am thrilled to continue my mission of also working forward helping people communicate in my work as a speech-language pathologist through side by side off hours appointments with both pediatric and adult patients onsite in Estrella.  As a registered dietitian, I also actively seek and stock outstanding products to help people with dietary allergies or sensitivities have options to enjoy and adventure in a culinary journey as they expand their ability to shop and enjoy the same deliciousness of all.  Culinary incubation is alive and well in my building in Old Colorado City with the residency of The Happy Cow thriving in the former Pop Kitchen & Events space. 

There are many ways we can create and support the beauty of the universal small business community.  Choosing to support local, state and social impact businesses as they work forward in their mission and purpose is both an honor and a privilege that I look forward to every day and thank you for supporting this mission in coming to see what Estrella can offer.  I am looking forward to blogging and telling you more about the faces and stories behind our products.