Because of Riley                                                                                          

That is how I got here; because of Riley. She is my inspiration and the motivation to share my passion and creativity with the rest of the world. As Riley turns 3, I look back on the all creative birthday favors, party ideas, cards, endless hours of scrap book pages, and craft projects I have created and I realize how much I enjoy doing this.

Many people have asked if I would be interested in doing custom wrappers or party favors for them. They were always telling that I should open my own craft store, and the thought had crossed my mind many times, but it never seemed possible. It was just a dream that would only live in my heart.

I was working as a Kindergarten teacher and for 6 years I shared my creativity and passion with all the children, families, and co-workers I encountered each day.  After the birth of my daughter, Riley, in 2004, I continued to teach, but I was missing out on watching her grow and mature. Though I loved teaching, I missed being home with her.  Doing all these special favors and crafts for her would not make up the time we did not spend together. When Riley turned 2, my husband and I decided that we wanted more for Riley and for our family. We decided to move to Austin, Texas were life seemed much more family oriented.

We made the move in September of 2006 and are loving it so far. This move has allowed me to stay home with Riley and do more of the "mommy" things with her that I had always wanted to do.  However, I found that I missed shopping, doing crafts, scrap booking, and many of the things that I enjoyed before the move. I admit, I even got a bit bored while Riley was at preschool. So I decided to start selling some of my projects on eBay and became very successful. As I was getting good at listing and selling on eBay, many people continued to tell me to start my own company.  Again the thought crossed my mind, but it still only seemed like a dream. I had no business background or any idea even where to start.

Once we got settled in Austin. I had more time and spent hours researching information on how to start an online business and information about working at home.  This is when my husband and I decided to invest in starting our own business.                                
                                                                                             

It was around Christmas time when inspiration hit me! I was searching for scrapbook supplies for my sister, crafts for my daughter, a new handbag for my mom, an electronic piano for my niece, Elmo things for my nephew, and a new camera for my mother-in-law and so on. I wanted to create a "One Stop Shop!" a place where people could get a variety of things and not have to hop from site to site. I decided to sell products that would appeal to young women, moms, scrapbookers, people like me, who would appreciate the convenience of finding most of their craft and wish list items in one spot. 

My passion is still in the crafts and scrap booking, but I have added a verity of products to this site to allow you to get your shopping done all in one spot. I have even started an electronics section, just to keep my husband (and Scrapbooking Widowers everywhere) from getting bored. So come on in, and see what we have to offer.

Our Goal at Because of Riley is to provide a variety of products to meet the needs of the busy scrap booker and to have discounted prices that make it affordable for you to preserve both your memories and your budget.

If you like what you have seen here and have had a positive experience. Please pass our address, www.BecauseofRiley.com along to your friends and family as we continue to enjoy meeting the needs of our customers.

Gina Wood
Founder and Owner of Because of Riley