Victorian Heart Shoppe

170 Years of Unbridled Passion:
The Women of the Victorian Heart Shoppe

Spectacular one-of-a-kind "Victorian Teacup Wreaths", designed with treasures from the past and present. Each "original" creation is assembled using roses, vintage teacups & china, jewelry, pearls, rhinestones, lace and vintage teaspoons from Treasured Heirlooms.

Ranging in age from 35 to 70, their bios read like the pages of a 19TH Century romance novel.  Meet the women of the Victorian Heart Shoppe and take a walk into history through their passionate dreams fulfilled.

They came from all walks of life as their paths crossed, from shopkeepers to innkeepers, from artists to teachers, from home-schoolers to thoroughbred race horse trainers, from writers to illustrators, from secretaries to classical musicians, from “Cookie Queens” to runway models.  Let these women weave you into their lives, but beware, as you will become entwined in the common thread of all things Victorian.

Although they own boutiques, galleries, home studios, bed & breakfast inns, gift shops, and booths in antique malls most of them have created their Somewhere in Time moments in a virtual reality known as the “web”.  Diane, who lives in upstate New York, described her 15 minutes of fame as “having the courage and faith to start my own business and to do what I always dreamed of doing!”  And, they have all shared a passion to create and collect!

[IMAGE: This “Gathering Flowers Jewelry Music Box” opens with a lovely "Greensleeves" melody to retrieve rings, bracelets or trinkets.  This box is richly lacquered cherry with a green felt lining and can be found at Diane’s Fine Things.

Our women’s online Victorian businesses gathered at a quaint little “town square” website appropriately named Victorian Heart Shoppe.  Since January of 2004, when Victoria’s dream of coordinating a “window shopping” Victorian mall was realized, she mused:  “With the help of my husband and webmaster, we built it and they came!”

Pet Scribbles provides pet lovers with a unique line of greeting cards.  Many of the designs feature Victorian illustrations of dogs and cats, and are enjoyed by all people whether or not they own a pet.

At Roses and Teacups, a portion of the profits from their sterling silver spoon bracelets with broken china charms goes to their own “Broken to Beautiful” program for women ascending out of abuse.

The women of the Victorian Heart Shoppe have been modest when it comes to their accomplishments.  Their shops and products have been featured in magazines such as Romantic Homes, Romantic Country, Country Victorian, Elle, Greetings Etc. and more.  Their artwork has been incorporated into books and even on puzzles, such as Shelley’s “Please Mr. Postman” done by Ravensburger in Germany.  Darna had 36 of her amazing hats worn at the Kentucky Derby this year.  Lisa had her children’s book Matilda Private Eye: The Case of the Missing Socks published, and Galia had a book of inspirational poems published.  Nancy and Julie are in the process of expanding their Broken to Beautiful program, an outreach to women in domestic violence situations.  They love every minute they spend volunteering for many organizations.

The Tea Cup and Saucer Tote is a wonderful way to take your favorite teacup and saucer to your next tea party.  See a variety of fabrics and styles at Sweet Necessi-Teas.

Visit the women of the Victorian Heart Shoppe and take a walk through a secret garden, to a haven, to a simpler time, to another era, to their Victorian world.

Web site: www.victorianheartshoppe.com

Author’s credits:   Victoria Laurian Otto along with her husband, Jeff, created the Victorian Heart Shoppe back in January of 2004.  They are both semi-retired and love working together on this endeavor.  Victoria describes it thusly, “He’s the brains and I’m the heart, both vital organs!”