Whether you’re shopping for a spouse, boss, bestie, or even yourself, you can find the perfect gift for everyone who made it on your “nice” list right here in Fort Worth. When you shop local, and support small, women-owned businesses, you are giving a gift with purpose.

Courtesy of Brooke Wright Designs

Brooke Wright Designs

3986 West Vickery Blvd.

Designer Brooke Wright turned her love of classic, clean lines into a wildly successful apparel company called Brooke Wright Designs. Her dresses and kimonos will inspire dreams of prosecco on the beach and are all available in-store and online. If you love accessories as much as I do, you need to swing by her adorable brick-and-mortar location on West Vickery Boulevard. Her shop features vintage quilt capes and a top-notch headband bar. Shop for the perfect stocking stuffers for your gal pals, including earrings, sparkly clutches, and hats perfect for the rodeo.

Gifted ftw

Website: www.giftedftw.com

Leaving a successful career at Dickies, Esther Miller forged a new path, opening a brick-and-mortar location on Carroll Street in the Foundry District. This beautifully curated store showcased independent makers, enchanting lifestyle goods lovers looking for the perfect gift for family and friends. As a gift and lifestyle shop, Esther struggled to keep the store open during the pandemic, ultimately pivoting to a pop-up model and closing the shop. During the holiday season, support local, female-owned makers by shopping at Gifted ftw. Her website features candles, jewelry, and so much more. Additionally, Esther and her team provide gift wrapping services and shipping supplies, for gifts purchased from her online store.

Hale House

4900 Camp Bowie Blvd.

Believe it or not, Hale House got its start out of Bekah Pollock’s vintage Airstream, where she sold vintage jewelry and home goods. A few short years later, she outgrew the Airstream and opened a brick-and-mortar location, now located on the bricks of Camp Bowie Boulevard. Offering a thoughtfully curated selection of apparel, jewelry, home goods, and gifts in a fun and inviting environment, Hale House is a well-known hot spot for sipping on champagne while indulging in some delightful retail therapy. Hale House features stylish collections for every season, adding glitz and glamor matched with high-quality style for any home or wardrobe. If you’re searching for a jaw-dropping holiday dress, you’ll find it here, along with festive earrings and sparkly boots to match. Swing by the store to find fun items you won’t find anywhere else, or shop 24/7 on her website.

Stayin’ Alive Succulents

3400 Bernie Anderson Ave.

My favorite plant shop in Fort Worth with all the cool vibes is Stayin’ Alive Succulents. A former self-proclaimed “black thumb,” Jayme learned to care for succulents and found joy in sharing her knowledge with others. For beautiful arrangements in cute, quirky, modern planters, you can shop online or in her location in The Market at Ridglea. A few of my favorite planters include the tiny typewriters, the skate shoe, and the llama. Of course, you can’t go wrong with the disco ball or macrame with bling. Whether for at home or for the office, these adorable succulents make great gifts.

Studio 74 Vintage photo – courtesy of Laura Simmons

Studio 74 Vintage

5926 Curzon Ave.

After retiring as a police officer, Laura Simmons opened a vintage clothing store, Studio 74 Vintage. Recently relocated to Curzon Avenue, Studio 74 Vintage is the place to find your vintage vibe. A self-proclaimed “old soul” Laura offers customers a whimsical blend of vintage finds from the 1950s to the 1980s, for men, women, and even children. Every piece has a story, and Laura is giving these gorgeous vintage items new life. Her store is a blast from the past, with unique pieces found at estate and private sales. For the nostalgic friend who adores everything old school and retro, I can’t think of a better place to find a complete collection of timeless products they will absolutely love. Laura curates a fabulous time capsule with an expansive and ever-changing inventory. Whether you’re in the market for a vintage leather fringe vest, mod mini-dresses, or vintage western boots, support local by shopping in-store or visiting Laura’s website.

Happy shopping and remember to support local!

The post Shop Local This Holiday Season first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

These are just a few of the hats Katie Murray wears as she contributes her many talents to the art and culture of Fort Worth.

Currently, Katie is the Chief Creative Officer at M2G Ventures, a commercial real estate group. Katie is the artist responsible for making Cowtown more beautiful one mural at a time. As a guest on The FoundHers Club Podcast, Katie opened up and shared how “career fear” nearly held her back from making the career move of her dreams.

At her kindergarten graduation, a shy Katie leaned into the microphone and announced she wanted to be an artist when she grew up. During her first art class in high school, she became enthralled with the act of creating, and her teachers supported this newfound passion. Outside of school, she frequented art museums with her parents and engaged in cultural activities offered in the area.

“As a kid, I was extremely shy… a total introvert. I tell my friends that I used to let my parents talk for me. They liked to talk, so it kind of worked out. I would literally hide behind them, and people would ask me questions, and they’d answer for me. As I got older, I remember my dad telling my mom that she had to let me answer questions for myself. Now that I’m older, I draw energy from friends, family, and parties. It’s not that I necessarily want to talk during these things, but I like to be around a lot of people to observe and explore.”

Photo courtesy of Katie Murray; photo by Reverie Photo Co.

Katie started out in college majoring in fashion design but finished with a degree in graphic design. She found herself gainfully employed and sitting in front of a computer all day, where she spent time daydreaming about her true love – painting. She went Texas Women’s University and earned a Master’s of Arts with a focus on painting. “After graduating with a degree in painting, I had my first child and took some time off. I wanted to get back into art, but I didn’t know how.”

In one of those serendipitous turns that life sometimes takes, Tarrant County College was looking for an adjunct professor of design. Katie got the job and after teaching her first design class, she was hooked.

It was while she was teaching that Katie was offered an incredible opportunity which jumpstarted her career as an artist. Sisters Susan Gruppi and Jessica Miller had formed M2G Ventures and offered Katie a new role in which she could combine her knowledge of graphic design, architecture, and art by creating a series of inspirational murals on commercial buildings.

“[Susan and Jessica] hired me to paint murals… to inject life into old buildings. This added a new medium into my repertoire, and I am forever grateful to them for giving me a public platform to express myself through art… When this opportunity approached itself to me, I was really nervous about it because I had never painted at that skill before.”

We women are our own harshest critics. As soon as an opportunity presents itself, our first response is that we aren’t good enough to take it, or we don’t want to let anyone down. Imposter syndrome is real, and sadly, it is far more prevalent among women.

“My greatest challenge was overcoming an insecure mind,” said Katie. “It took a lot of self-encouraging… I realized I had to stop the self-doubt and recognize the amazing opportunity I’ve been given. At one point, I actually typed an email to Susan telling her I can’t do this and thank you for the opportunity, and even recommended a couple of artists who I thought would do a great job. I typed it out and it was ready to be sent. I deleted it and decided I was going to make it happen. I’d figure it out.”

Katie took a leap of faith, and now her murals are helping to turn Fort Worth into one of the most colorful cities in Texas.

So, what’s next for Katie? Be on the lookout for ‘unicorn cycles’ which integrate Katie’s design and art in a new partnership between M2G and Fort Worth Bike Sharing, which has bike share stations across the city.

These days, Katie finds inspiration all around her. Katie loves traveling, visiting other museums and galleries, and especially curating. She can find inspiration absolutely anywhere.

“You’ll find inspiration everywhere, as long as you’re open to it.”

Cortney Gumbleton is the creative genius behind the new podcast, The FoundHers Club, which focuses on the incredible stories of the unapologetically ambitious women founders who are redefining the wild world of entrepreneurship.

The post Finding Inspiration All Around You first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.