A Brand New Blog- The Pretty Note.

Hey there! 
Welcome to The Pretty Note. 


I've been wanting to start a blog for awhile now, but wasn't sure what to write, etc....so here it goes!

In case you're new here- I'm Ashley, Owner of K Designs, Home & Gift Shop in Bucksport, ME. I'm a fairly new business owner, as I just opened in January of 2025. My goal with the blog is to share my experiences, tips and tricks, gifting ideas, behind the scenes, and so much more. I feel like when customers come into my shop, I'm always talking and giving ideas, etc- so I thought, why not put it online? 

I'm also sometimes a perfectionist- so most of these I'll probably write out a few times, delete it, rewrite it, and keep doing it until I hit save and post 🙃 (I've already done it like 5 times- but this one is it!)

As I said, I'm a fairly new business owner, but recently I've had some newer business owners asking advice, etc. and it made me realize that I actually do have a little experience now, but it's all still super fresh in my mind (because it feels like yesterday!) and I want to share it with all of you. I'm constantly finding myself on Pinterest, or Google, searching for new ways to do things, or business ideas, etc. and I thought, "why not share mine?"

I also thought I'd add in a little personal life stuff too as I go- such as parenting, pet tips maybe? I'd love to leave it open ended, and take suggestions from you as well on what you all want to hear. 

I've learned a lot in my past year having a brick and mortar gift shop- and believe me when I say it's been a learning curve! I still feel like I'm "wingin' it"...I mean- I definitely am. But I've learned SO much. If you're thinking about starting your own small business- or maybe you already do but want someone else's perspective...bookmark our site so you can come back and check out the blog. I'm hoping to post fairly often so it's always new stuff....but we'll see where life takes us. ;) 

If you haven't checked out our "About Us" section yet- here's a little intro for the new ones here. 
Again, my name is Ashley, and I own K Designs, Home & Gift Shop! I'm a Mom to a wicked awesome little girl. I'm married to my best friend, Dan (he's also my neighbor here at the shop- he owns Two Rivers Realty!). We have a mini Goldendoodle, Sunnie- who comes to work with me every single day! And we have a sweet kitty, Luna. Dan and I both are from Bucksport, and love our little town. 
A few fun facts about me: 
-I love country music. Like SO much. There will always be country music playing in the shop. I've been to Nashville twice- and can't wait to go back!
-I LOVE concerts.
-I am very family oriented, and spend a lot of time with close and extended family. 
-I love pretty things- and funny things! If you mix flowers and pink with smartass sass- that's my jam!
-My family loves to travel! We spend a good amount of time in Florida every year. -I can't leave my house without earrings. 
-I could craft all day. It's the most relaxing thing for me. Ever. 

Thanks for reading my very first blog post 🩷
I'll see you all soon!

-Ashley