Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Martinez.
Sophia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It all started from a desire to create pretty spaces on an affordable budget. As a stay at home mom for just about twelve years, I had to learn to get creative on a single income. The lack of income coming in really fueled my creativity and I taught myself how to take one person’s trash and turn it into treasure. I really wanted my home to look put together and welcoming but we just didn’t have the budget to do all the things I wanted to do. I would go to yard sales and estate sales knowing I would find pieces with good bones, and I would take it home to paint. One summer I lived in Sacramento and things were really hard financially. I just had a baby and my other two kids were young and full of energy as most kids are. I didn’t have the money to take them anywhere and so I would buy them bubbles from the dollar store, blast music outside and paint pieces that I picked up from yard sales or even curbsides. I found that being outside sanding and refinishing furniture became really therapeutic for me. I became addicted to the process of taking an unwanted item and turning it into a glamorous, colorful piece for my home.
After a while, people would see me working on projects. They started to ask if I was selling what I made, and I was surprised they thought what I was doing was good. My passion for restoring furniture continued to grow and my home became full of these colorful, creative pieces, As time went on people started paying me to do projects for them. I sold at flea markets and on social media. In my heart, I always knew I wanted to open up a shop and my husband always encouraged me to do so. I had big plans for opening up a shop in California, but we ended up right here in Buckeye, Arizona. And you know what, this is exactly where we are supposed to be.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road to opening up this shop taken many years and has been an incredibly bumpy. Working hard, being discouraged, being disappointed. It hurts but it makes our roots grow deeper. If you have the right perspective, it can increase your faith, because you know it will all work out for the good. And all the hard stuff, all the rough seasons…that’s where the good stuff grows. Its made me who I am.
Had things been easy for me, I wouldn’t be as grateful as I am today. But I know where I came from. There were times we had no money and no understanding or support about choices we were making. But my husband and I sacrificed many years to live in a way others wouldn’t dare to. But we had goals and plans. And we still do have big dreams for our lives.
The biggest struggle has always been me learning how to unravel from the dependency of others on this road to build my dream. The thing is, people may not ever understand the dreams you have for your life, and you have to be ok with that. I’ve only ever had two dreams… one was to raise all three of my kids myself and the other was to open a shop. Its been twelve years and I have done both. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been worth it and I know one thing for sure, that with God in front of me and my husband right next to me. I can do anything
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Screws and Sparkles – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Screws and Sparkles opened in October in Historic Old Town Buckeye. People always ask me about the name Screws and Sparkles. It came to me one day while my husband and I were working on some handmade pieces. I said “You build it, I’ll make it pretty. You do the Screws and I’ll do the Sparkles.” And that was that.
We are known for our colorful handmade, hand-painted pieces of furniture and home decor. I love using vintage pieces in or around our creations because I am drawn to the colors, patterns, and textures. You will always find colored glass in our shop. And you will always find a turquoise piece of furniture. Its become a trademark of mine.
We started out at a flea market at Ohlone College in Fremont, CA with a trailer full of furniture and young kids in tow. Early morning set up and hot dogs for breakfast just hoping and praying someone would stop by.
Now we are a brick and mortar, in the 7th fastest growing city in the nation, featuring handmade designs from the most talented creatives I have ever met. What I’m most proud of is the culture we have in the shop. Its all rooted in gratefulness and I couldn’t be more proud to build in this city.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Buckeye is like the quiet kid in school that most people overlook. Not too loud, not too flashy but content and secure in who she is. Imagine asking that quiet kid in school what their passions are and what they envision for their life. And while talking, they just come alive because what’s inside of them is bigger than you could have ever imagined or expected. Its the heart of the people here. Most people drive through Buckeye to get to the East Side. Most travelers overlook it. But don’t sleep on us… things are happening and I’m so excited to be a part of it all.
Contact Info:
- Address: 425 E Monroe Buckeye, Arizona
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/screwsandsparkles
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SSVintageandHandmade
Image Credit:
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