Back in 1984, when I was in college in Washington, DC, I discovered a store in the Old Post Office Pavilion where they only sold items containing hearts.

I remember walking through the doors and wanting to never leave. I was enveloped by a sea of red and pink hearts. My eyes didn't know where to look first and I wished I could grab a sleeping bag and spend the night there. Once I knew this magical store existed I had the need to visit it often. I would beg my friends to accompany me to the store over and over again.

Ever since I can remember, I have always loved hearts. There’s just something about them that brings me joy and makes me smile each and every time I see one. Maybe it’s because hearts represent love or because I  the colors red and pink are my favorites, but it doesn’t really matter.

 Hearts make me happy!

I vowed that one day I would own my own heart store. I wasn’t sure if I would purchase the store in Washington, D.C. or if I would open one on my own, but one way or another it was going to happen. Then life got in the way and my dream was quickly forgotten. Forgotten until November of  2022 when some mindless internet scrolling jogged my memory.

I was shopping for something (I don’t even remember what that something was) and I typed in “hearts” and then it hit me. My dream that had been lost somewhere in the recesses of my brain reappeared. I had searched for “heart” items my entire life and this had never happened. I closed my eyes and recalled the happiness I felt standing in that store surrounded by hearts. I googled to see if the store was still there but it wasn’t. And then it hit me. I no longer need a brick-and-mortar store, instead, my heart products could be sold online.

My initial thought was that my dream had been just a silly young woman’s fantasy, but then sparks began to go off in my mind.

Why was it a silly fantasy?

Just because it’s almost 40 years later doesn’t mean it’s too late. It’s never too late to make your dreams a reality and I knew at that moment I was going to make this happen.

The next morning I contacted a woman I had met in a mastermind who sets up online stores. I asked her numerous questions to grasp what I'd be committing to if I decided to proceed. I was most concerned about the monetary and time investment it would take. I didn’t have much of either. She assured me that it really wouldn’t be a big commitment. There was no question in my mind, I was doing this even though I assumed my family and friends would think I was absolutely bonkers!

Everything I needed to do to make my dream a reality brought me joy. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face while working on my new project, despite my current circumstances. It brought me sheer delight!

Coming up with a name was tricky. Sure, I had lots of great ideas but most website names were already taken. One afternoon, I was eating my favorite food in the whole world, ice cream, when the answer, which should have been obvious to me, hit me. There is something else that brings me as much delight as hearts-rainbow sprinkles!

A Sprinkle of Hearts was officially born!

The store officially opened on January 14, 2023. In less than 2 months I had made my long-lost dream a reality 40 years later. It's astounding to see what we can achieve when we give ourselves the chance to pursue our wildest dreams.

What dream has been on your heart?

Until next time, 

Debbie