Beauty and truth...I cannot think of two words that better describe what Bella Marketplace is all about. The business name itself is rooted in beauty from its original language -- "Bella" means beautiful in Italian, with that being a large portion of my nationality.
When I first opened Bella Marketplace in 2019, I launched it with a mix of excitement and quite a few nerves, truly having no idea the first thing about running a business. I had never touched social media in my life, hardly knew what a hashtag meant, and was ready to run at the first sign of technological difficulties. You may be wondering why someone like me would be starting a business in a state like that - and that is a GREAT question ;)
I had rough-sketch plans to get a college degree, but then the Lord closed those doors for me, and all of a sudden, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to pursue. I had always loved being creative and making beautiful things, and hand lettering had become a newfound hobby and love of mine. I had never thought about turning it into a business though – it was just something that I did for fun and enjoyed immensely.
I had lots of different interests and passions, but I knew that someday, Lord willing, I wanted to be a wife & mom, and I really wanted to be able to homeschool my children. I grew up in a homeschooling family and it greatly shaped me into who I am today, and I knew I wanted to give that same experience to my future children.
So as I was talking with my mom about my seeming "lack of vision" for the future and feeling discouraged by it all, she encouraged me to think ahead with my long term goal in mind (raising a family and homeschooling), and to take a skill that I had cultivated and start an online business with it. That way I could work from home and learn how to build and operate a small business in the here-and-now, and then could have something set up that I could potentially run from home with a family someday if I wanted to.
So with that, I took a giant leap of faith and decided to open an online business, using my new skill of hand lettering as the base for my products.
I had been lettering Scripture for years and started placing it all around my home to keep truth in front of me at all times and always on my mind, and I had witnessed first-hand in my own life the incredible power that words have. I believe that what we set in front of our eyes is so crucial and directly affects the way that we think, speak, and act. We need to be reminded of truth on a daily basis.
I desire to provide those same reminders of truth for you and your home, through every-day products that will add a touch of beauty and encouragement to your life. I pray that everything you find here at Bella Marketplace will strengthen your heart, be a beacon of beauty and truth, and most importantly, point your eyes to Christ and His Word.