Our Story
Our story didn’t begin with a storefront. It began around a kitchen table—with two friends, a little creativity, a whole lot of faith, and a desire to build something while raising our families.
In 2021, we started Klothed in Blessings from home, handmaking polymer clay earrings in our kitchens while navigating life as moms and new entrepreneurs. What began as a creative outlet quickly grew into late nights creating, weekends at craft shows and markets, an Etsy shop shipping orders across the country, and eventually spaces inside several local multi-vendor stores.
Along the way, Klothed in Blessings became so much more than earrings. It introduced us to incredible customers, fellow makers, and small business owners while allowing us to show our children what it looks like to work hard, take a chance on a dream, and trust God with what comes next.
With every market, order, and vendor space, we learned something. We learned what makes people feel welcome, how meaningful it is to support small businesses, and just how special a community can become when people come together.
Somewhere along the way, God began growing a much bigger dream in our hearts.
We didn’t know exactly what it would look like or when the door would open. We simply knew that one day, we wanted to create a place of our own.
And eventually, that dream led us to The Front Porch Collective.
Behind the businesses, markets, and storefront, we’re first and foremost two moms, wives, and best friends doing life together.
Between our two families are our husbands and eight amazing children—four in each family. When Klothed in Blessings began, our families were much smaller, and our business has grown right alongside them. Our kids have grown up surrounded by clay earrings, packing orders, craft shows, big ideas, and plenty of conversations about whatever crazy dream their moms might have next.
But our shared dreams have never stopped with business.
Our families recently took another huge leap of faith together and purchased 12 acres of land, where we are creating 11 Arrows Farm—a place for our children to grow up together, explore, get dirty, make memories, and experience a little slower way of life. Inspired by Psalm 127 and its picture of children as arrows in the hands of a warrior, the name is a reminder of the incredible gift and responsibility God has given us in raising these eight little people.
Our husbands are a huge part of this story, too—supporting our ideas, helping bring our visions to life, and standing beside us through the beautiful chaos of raising families, building businesses, and chasing some pretty big dreams.
For us, it has never been about building a business at the expense of our families. Our families are part of the story.
Faith, family, friendship, community, and creating a place where people feel like they belong are at the heart of everything we’re building—from 11 Arrows Farm to The Front Porch Collective.
And somehow, by God’s grace, all of those dreams have grown together.
The story of this space began long before The Front Porch Collective.
For more than a decade, Melville Trading Co. was part of Downtown Mebane. In May 2020, Diana Parker and Celeste Parker opened Sweet Grace Market, and in 2021 they continued the legacy of Melville Trading Co. by creating Sweet Grace Market at Melville Trading Co.
Over the years, the shop became home to a wonderful community of vendors offering antiques, handmade goods, boutique finds, home décor, furniture, gifts, and so much more.
Today, we're honored to carry that story forward as The Front Porch Collective.
The name may be changing, but we're grateful for everything that came before us—and for the vendors, customers, and community who have made this space special over the years.
Now, we're excited to add our own chapter to its story.