The Story Behind Shop Jack Fox

Hi there! My name is Stephanie Fox. I grew up in Charleston, SC, went to college in Lakeland, FL and spent most of my 20's in New York City. I now live in a place no one has ever heard of in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. I'm married to the best guy and have the sweetest son. Shop Jack Fox is their name and my dream. And here is how that dream was born:

When I was in college, living in a dorm room full of girls, I would often go to Target to escape into my own little world. I would browse the aisles, looking at and touching all the pretty things - home decor, candles, glassware, clothes, accessories, etc. I didn't have the money or space for them, and I didn't realize it then, but I just wanted to be surrounded by pretty things.

After college I moved to New York City. I lived there for five years and lived in 6 different apartments. All of them, except one, was an apartment that belonged to someone else or was full of roommates. The spaces weren't my own, much less bring me any joy. In fact, one was just down right terrible. It was 3 bedrooms and filled with about 7 girls. Not only were there 7 of us girls, there were rats. Like, rats that took over the place and called it their home. A serious phobia of rats was born inside me in that apartment.

NYC is wonderful and hard. I acquired many escapes there, some not so great, but one continued with me from college - going out alone to be surrounded by pretty things to escape the chaos. I would often find myself in cute cafes or boutiques in the West Village, walking around Central Park or sitting in Bryant Park, roaming the MET, walking the Brooklyn Bridge, or spending time in DUMBO to get a view of the skyline of the city. These places brought me calm and joy. They made me feel centered. I literally just took a nice, deep breath thinking of them. Even in the buzz of the greatest and craziest city, I found peace in these places.

(My husband encouraged me to mention what the heck DUMBO is for "98% of us people" - it's a perfect waterfront neighborhood in Brooklyn that has the best views of the city. Ok, there, I did it. Continuing on..)

After 5 weird, wonderful years in New York, I moved back to Florida and very quickly got married. I finally had a place I could call home and could call mine (well, and of course my husbands). It was a space I could create and make feel how I wanted it to feel. I clearly liked being around pretty things but that's when I realized how much I liked creating pretty spaces. We lived in a couple of apartments in Florida but it wasn't until we moved into a 100 year old farmhouse in the mountains of Western North Carolina that I could create a home that brought me all the things I would so often escape to feel -

calm, peace, joy, a little more put together.

I'm not sure I would appreciate it the way I do now if it weren't for the tiny spaces that belonged to others and were filled with roommates (and rats!). But now putting together a space with things that I love and bring me happiness are so important to me.

So, that brings me here: a dream I didn't realize I had, a vision God has unexpectedly given me.

I want to be an avenue where you can find pretty things for YOUR home and personal spaces. I want these things to bring you a little extra joy in your day. I want you to feel a sense of peace and calm as you look around your home so you don't have to look for that peace elsewhere. And on that note, have fun looking through these unique finds and hopefully you'll see a thing or two that could add some beauty to your own home and life.