About

A little about Me...

Hi, I'm Suzanne.  I am a mother of 7 and a grandmother of 9. I adore anything old, antique, and vintage; anything with history. My mission is to foster joy and hope... through a piece of décor that reminds you of a loved one from long ago, or by assisting you in unlocking your own creativity and thereby enabling you to express yourself, and your uniqueness, through that creativity. If I can be creative, anyone can.

The Shoppe's History

I started painting at a time in my life when I was utterly overcome with grief at the loss of my first grandchild and needed something constructive to do that would divert my thoughts. Painting small items and transforming them became my therapy and I found that I could be creative; not a term I would have ever used to describe myself. In time, I felt confident enough to start painting pieces of furniture and eventually I even started to sell them. I also found that through painting and being creative, I was beginning to feel a sense of hope that I could go on living, even though a piece of me would always feel broken. I still really struggle at times; some days are almost unbearable, and on those days I paint. Painting gives me hope that in time, my grief will become more bearable.

I grew up the daughter of life-time merchant; my father owned and operated a general store in the small village where I grew up, and even though I went on to have a career in education for 32 years, I realized I was very much my father’s daughter, so on October 22nd, 2016, House of Hope was born. I have since renamed the shoppe and it is now called Hope’s DIY Boutique.

About Our Name

I chose the name House of Hope for a few reasons, but largely because Hope is the middle name of that special, first-born grandchild. I have since changed the name of the shoppe to Hop’s DIY Boutique. Still to honour her, but to better reflect what my shoppe is about. Hope is also about new life; restoring a battered, broken piece of furniture…..or locating an item popular in the days of yore and knowing it may bring back cherished memories for you, or someone else, from the past and become a treasured item. Treasured memories bring us joy and joy fosters hope.