We’re Going Brick+Mortar Baby!

I can't contain the excitement I feel for this to be coming to fruition... When I started this thing up in 2021, I knew it would be a while before being able to go brick + mortar but it was always the goal. To finally be at this stage after three years of a slow build feels surreal. But persistency and hard work are paying off, and the support from everyone thus far has obviously been integral. 

I can't fully unveil the location just yet, but I am beyond thrilled for where Cats Eye will be in Boise, amongst amazing neighbors and other cool businesses. Can't wait to share those details soon! I should be getting access to the space starting November 1st and hope to be opening for business in December this year! 

The plan is to be part retail, selling gently loved arts and craft supplies, and part classroom, where myself and other instructors will lead affordable creative workshops. I would love to know what classes folks in the community would be interested in. I'm thinking, collage and card making nights, monthly zodiac themed crafts, embroidery and macrame, assemblage, etc. I'm also planning to incorporate more kids' programming as well! Think birthday parties at Ceramica, but with creative reuse projects instead - Build Your Own Diorama, Rube Goldberg Machines, Sewing Stuffies. 

The truth is, I have a million ideas and visions for what I want Cats Eye to be and the roll I want to play in everything. And I'm going to have to be very careful to not overextend myself or teeter too much or too often on the edge of burnout - as I will be the sole person running this operation for the foreseeable future. So I'm planning to stick with a slow progression. An unfolding. Like unwrapping a sweet gift with intention and care. 

I'm excited for you all to be a part of the process and progress! There wouldn't be any reason for doing this, or any fun in it, if it weren't for the people in this community who think this is as cool as I do, haha. Thanks for being here! 

Spring Cleaning?! - Boise Area Donations Resource Guide

Many of us know where we can donate clothing and household items we no longer want or need. There are Idaho Youth Ranches and Goodwills conveniently scattered throughout the Valley as well as plenty of other local thrift stores. You could even sell or consign clothing at places like Uptown Cheapskate or Serendipity Boutique. OR save up your unwanted clothing for a local clothing swap! But other items, like electronics, paint, eyeglasses, etc. can feel a little trickier to get rid of when we're done with them. Please don't throw them away! 

Here's a short list of businesses and organizations in the area that accept different kinds of donations.  

For Arts and Craft supplies:

Cats Eye Creative Reuse (obviously😛) will happily take any arts and craft supplies, or other “creative potential” items that you no longer want or need.

Review our Donation Guidelines and schedule a donation drop-off appointment via our calendar scheduling tool.

The Reuse Market 

Co-located upstairs within the North End Organic Nursery

3777 W Chinden Blvd.
Garden City, ID 83714
Material donations are currently being accepted on Tuesdays from 10am - 12:30pm
http://www.reusemarket.org/donate/

For Home Improvement and Building Materials:

Second Chance Building Materials Center  - 2 Locations

1423 W Grove St. Boise, ID

204 3rd Ave South, Nampa, ID

(208) 331-2707

Wjuarez@secondchanceboise.org

Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm

https://www.facebook.com/SCBMC/

Habitat for Humanity ReStore - 2 Locations

10537 W Overland Rd
Boise, ID 83709
Phone (208) 375-5256
Monday - Saturday 9am - 6pm
Donation Hours 9:30am - 5:30pm

4716 W State St
Boise, ID 83703
Phone (208) 331-6653
Monday - Saturday 9am - 6pm
Donation Hours 9:30am - 5:30pm
https://hfhboise.org/restore

For Electronics, Technology & E-Waste:

The Reuseum

3131 W Chinden Blvd. 
Garden City, ID 83714
The Reuseum accepts “sort of working, or non functional technology and e-scrap for Reuse and recycling”. 
https://www.reuseum.com/donate-2-0/

For Eyeglasses and Hearing Aids:

Envision

1090 N Cole Road
Boise, Idaho 83704
(208) 338-5466
https://www.envisionsight.org/glasses-hearing-aid-recycling

For Household Hazardous Waste:

The City of Boise's Curb-It program offers Household Hazardous Waste collections at different sites throughout the valley once per month. You can dispose of these materials properly and safely by bringing them to a collection site. Things such as automotive products like oil, anti-freeze and other fluids, batteries, paints & stains (that are old and unusable), pool & spa chemicals, garden chemicals, etc. are accepted at these sites. Please don't throw these things away in your residential garbage. Visit the Collection Calendar at the link below to see when and where the next collection site will be!
https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/public-works/curb-it/hhw/

Happy Spring Cleaning!

So it’s been 2 years, what?!

Where does the time go? Anybody?... I truly had the best intentions of blogging throughout the process of starting and growing Cats Eye. Let me start by saying that starting a business is (probably) much easier with capital (duh). I work a full time job as a production manager for a local ceramic artist (Clay by Shay (yes, two Shays)). And I also own a mobile art party business called Indigo Easel. I teach paint & sip style parties steadily once or twice a month and I schedule sporadic private events throughout the year. 

Time often feels like our most valuable currency, and I just haven't had enough it seems... Even so, I've managed to continue making progress with Cats Eye and I'd love to share a little recap of the last two years.

Cats Eye table display at a local pop-up market

Since August 2021, I’ve taken in over 4,000 pounds of donations - filling two small storage units. I’ve fulfilled dozens of online orders and have shipped to Texas, New York, Indiana, Alabama, Florida, Missouri and more! I’ve popped up at around 20 markets, including the Boise Flea. I joined a “creative reuse alliance” - an amazing network of colleagues in this exact line of work all over the country who have exchanged so much support and advice. I’ve represented Cats Eye while volunteering for the first Repair Cafe events in Boise - an amazing way to encourage folks to repair things instead of discarding them, and I've donated my time and craft materials to the Boise Brick House for their after school teen program. Oh yeah, and I’ve taught 26 paint parties in order to save around $4k to go toward the progress of this beautiful dream of mine…

I definitely still struggle with time management as well as work/life balance, but I've been doing my best. It's fulfilling to have a creative job and to help another small business scale, so I'm really grateful for my full time job with Clay by Shay. And fortunately, the hours are flexible enough that I'm able to commit at least a couple of hours most days to Cats Eye projects - whether that's prepping for an online shop drop, sorting donations and "cherry picking" items to bring to markets, working those markets (which can be truly exhausting with all the loading and unloading over and over again..), doing research and taking advantage of educational opportunities, volunteering, driving around picking up donations etc. etc. But then I still have to clean house, do laundry and dishes, and take good care of my pup and myself ya know?! While also trying to maintain a social life filled with joy and lots of play. But every day, I wake up thinking about this business (which is much more than just a business to me if you can't tell). And I remain excited about its future and mine. It's allllll worth it.     

Cats Eye Creative Reuse is a passion project, yes. But it’s also a life path that I’ve chosen. It’s what I love and feel like I’m good at. I intend to nurture it through all of its stages of growth (and growing pains). It’s how I’ve decided to combine my love and passion for 1. Creativity 2. Sustainability & 3. Community (and we’ll throw in 4. Organization✨) to forge the career of my dreams, while providing a wonderful and valuable resource to my community and beyond. And I’m doing it one day at a time, baby. The end goal is and will remain, to make Cats Eye my one and only full-time gig. My career. My life's purpose. It’s been a slow build, but I’m saving up for the day when I’ll find the perfect, Boise retail shop for Cats Eye. The best store in the woooorld haha. Make sure to stay tuned. 

Big love,

Shay