Well, hello, thanks for stopping by – let me tell you a little bit about justkim!
I am a Maine native, from generations of Mainahs, but spent most of my adult life in Newburyport, MA, raising my four children. As amazing a community as Newburyport is, when I became an empty nester, I felt the coast of Maine calling me back home. I now reside in the greater Portland, ME area, but continually feel Newburyport pull at my heart strings…I feel so fortunate to call both places home!
Life likes to throw you curves, and I’ve had my share. An unexpected job change birthed my business. Why call it “justkim” you ask? I’ve always looked for, and paid attention to, signs sent to us by those unseen positive forces, be they God, Goddesses, Angels, or perhaps one’s own inner intuition or Spiritual Guides. During the time of my last job “transition”, as my fiance and I were heading north from MA to ME, a good friend called to see if I might be interested in helping her friend with a new business he was contemplating…during this conversation every fiber in my body was screaming “NO!” At that very moment, Brad tapped my knee to point out that a car was passing us. This was not just any car, but one with a license plate of “justkim”! I knew at that point, whatever my next move would be, it would be all mine, just about me!
Weeks later, as I started making and creating a market for my bags and accessories, it was obvious that my new business had to be called justkim, especially since I am indeed just Kim: no Kimberly here! My dad had also recently passed, and I couldn’t help wondering how many times he had to tell someone “no, she’s just Kim”? On one First Friday in my Portland store, a woman walked up to me and asked why I called my store justkim. After a quick synopsis of the story, she exclaimed “that was my Mom’s car!”, and introduced me to her Mom! This Kim also had a lifetime of repeating “no, it’s just Kim”, including at the Motor Vehicle Division where she decided to now have this written on her new plates. We had some good laughs that night, and I continue to smile every time someone says they have seen my car somewhere…nope, unfortunately that justkim license plate is not mine, but I thank you, Kim, for passing us on the highway that day, and being the sign I needed!
After creating a couple of brick and mortar local artisan stores in Portland, I have returned to working in my home studio, concentrating on building my justkim line for the many shops, co-ops, and shows where I display my “wares”.
justkim bags are funky, fun, and functional, just like me! Many of them are also reversible, and therefore a reflection of my Gemini personality…why have one side when you can offer two?!
I love combining bright colors and patterns in unusual ways…as a child I was told you do not pair pink with red, or red with purple – well, I’m an adult now, so all bets are off!!
My customers over the years have kept me inspired and excited for what I am fortunate to do every day…I thank you for this from the bottom of my heart! I also thank those of you who are new to justkim, and I look forward to adding you to the “fabric of my life”!
Best to you all, Kim
