Snuggly Monkey, LLC was officially established in 2011. After nurturing a healthy fabric addiction for several years, I decided to turn my passions for sewing and crafting into a business. In this era of big box stores and bar codes, I crave the small business shopping experience where you have the opportunity to chat with the shop owner and learn the story behind your purchase. So, when I decided to start Snuggly Monkey I made a commitment to create high quality items and to provide the best customer service possible.
Deciding to leave the “working world” and become a stay at home mom was one of the biggest and most life altering decisions of my life. There are as many different ways to parent as there are children in this world, and I think that the key is finding what works best for you and your family. For us, having one parent at home is what felt right, so I packed up my office and work clothes and headed for home. Soon after having my oldest daughter, Snuggly Monkey was born.
Felted Wool Rattles
My business, much like my life, is an ever evolving and changing process. Snuggly Monkey v1.0 began as a ring sling and handmade children’s toys business. I enjoyed making waldorf-inspired dolls, felted rattle balls and ring slings, but because of CPSIA and liability issues I decided to move away from children’s items. My business name was created during that time though, and it was just so darn cute, I had to stick with it. So, where exactly did “Snuggly Monkey” come from? Well, when I was pregnant we decided not to find out whether we were having a girl or a boy. So, when folks would ask what I was having my answer was usually “a monkey”, which led to a monkey themed baby shower and A LOT of monkey things in our house. When it came time to pick a business name it felt only natural that “Monkey” should be in there somewhere. Since I started out making ring slings and waldorf-inspired dolls and other snuggle worthy items, Snuggly seemed like a good descriptor. And that is how Snuggly Monkey got its name.
Ouchie Pouches
All of the items I make in my handmade shop have been inspired by some need in our daily lives. Living with two very active little monkeys means lots of bumps and bruises, and so Ouchie Pouches were born. It also means a much greater appreciation for the rare moments of quiet and relaxation {hence the eye pillows}. I did go back to work part-time for awhile and had to use an ID badge. I was working with an Early Head Start program as a Home Visitor and the children I was working with were always drawn to my ID badge holder, so the idea for cute, colorful badge reels and lanyards came about. My baskets are my creative outlet. I have always wanted to learn how to make pottery, but I have found making baskets and bowls with fabric to be a whole lot of fun. And as Ben & Jerry’s used to say… “If it’s not fun, why do it?”
To that end, I recently decided to expand into the world of craft supplies. I love crafting, experimenting and creating, so I thought it would be great to share that love with others. Snuggly’s DIY Supplies focuses on bringing you high quality craft supplies that will {hopefully} inspire you to create and have a whole lot of fun in the process. I work hard to identify reputable suppliers of high quality items. I use all of the items I sell in my own creations and when crafting with my own children, so quality is important to me.
Greetings from the owner
Hello! My name is Claudia, and I am the one woman show behind Snuggly Monkey. Being a Stay At Home Mom and Small Business Owner is the most challenging, enriching, difficult, thrilling, exciting, demanding, and just-plain-fun set of jobs I have ever had (and I’ve held my fair share of jobs!). I am a firm believer in life is about the journey, not the destination, so my journey has been a long and winding path filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, adventures and not-so-exciting moments. My formal education prepared me to be a global nomad. I have a Bachelor’s in Comparative Area Studies with a minor in Japanese and a Masters in International Education. I’ve traveled the world from Romania to Japan, lived in 3 different countries, 5 different states and 18 different dwellings (that is A LOT of packing), but finally found a place to call home about 5 years ago in Durham, North Carolina. {The bestest big little town ever, in my humble opinion}
Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read what Snuggly Monkey is all about. I always welcome your comments, ideas, suggestions and questions, so please feel free to contact me via email or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.