I think we all mourned the loss of Bailey local gem The Giggling Goat. For me, Lindsay & Matt trusted me to help build their brand, capturing the essence of their family in their cozy shop, a business built on coffee, community and craft. For some it was their daily dash of coffee or one of her bomb breakfast 'Ritos ordered at the drive-thru on the way to work. Some people used the co-working space on the second floor and many from the community hurried in for Donut Friday. And no matter what kind of day she was having, Lindsay always greeted you with a warm and welcoming smile. But I don't think anyone could have possibly grieved the Goat as much as Lindsay (and Matt, and their two curious and adorably cute kiddos Ruby and Theo). What was next?

Prior to opening The Giggling Goat, Lindsay & Matt discovered a passion for gardening, and when they moved to their Bailey home in 2019, they dreamt up plans for a fenced, raised bed garden. In 2020, with a newborn and an almost 2 year old, they poured what energy they had left from the day into their garden. When I asked what some of the biggest lessons learned over the years has been, she said it was to take risks. "When we started gardening up here I joined a coupled of high altitude gardening groups on social media and there was a lot of 'You can’t do this. Don’t try this. You’re doing it wrong.' So, I left the groups and each year Matt and I just have fun with it and our seed selection. So – in a world of no – get curious and ask why and maybe give just give it a shot anyways. Failure is inevitable, but always a reward in a weird way."

"Bloom" was always just an interim name for Lindsay & Matt to keep The Giggling Goat and her personal social accounts free of the flower spam ;) In a post on March 10th, she writes "I kept digging and trying to articulate the joy I experience when I watch the kids play in the dirt, harvest vegetables, catch 'merms', the awe in their faces when giant dahlias bloom or poppies pop, the stories of construction projects from Theo and stories of garden witches and whimsy from Ruby...It goes beyond the kids though, it's a place for Matt and I to go connect. We danced in the dirt as we built the bed. When we need a time out, we go to the garden. It's something we genuinely love doing as a family and we are just so grateful we landed in Bailey and found this little life here."

She refers to the "Glimmer" reels that were circulating social media and felt a strong connection to the process of choosing to acknowledge the little glimmers of light in the very mundane. So, when I say Glimmer Out of the Goat, despite the heartache and tears, sadness, pain and feeling of loss she experienced while having to close down The Goat, Lindsay was able to find something unexpectedly delightful and beautiful. In her garden, she is able to replenish the energy she has given out during the day. In her garden, she connects with her love, her kids. Through the relationships and friendships she developed at The Goat, she enjoys creating bouquets for those very people for their birthdays, anniversaries or just when someone is having a tough day. She dreams of being an optimistic source to share information on gardening in the foothills of Colorado with an authentic knowledge base so that people who are new and interested in gardening (like myself!) have a place to go. Lindsay shares her perspective humbly, stating "I’m not an expert, I would never claim to be, but I do love flowers and I am happy to share the information I have based off of lessons learned. I would say my biggest dream for Glimmer is to just keep teaching my kids to love and appreciate the seasons and beauty of growth. An unexpected joy of gardening is that it has become a family affair, every piece. The four of us work together in every regard – building, planting, harvesting, planning, playing and learning."

I am so excited to see where the Nedella Family takes this business and how they will continue to share their light in this little mountain community. When asked about her favorite flower, Lindsay expressed that felt impossible to answer, as it depends on the season. "The tulips give me hope for Spring when the dark of winter starts to wear on my soul," she muses. "Our poppies, cosmos and snapdragons are so reliable and beautiful, they bloom through the summer and just keep giving! The ranunculas - wowowow - they are just so magical! And then at the end of summer, as fall creeps in, dahlias show up for the grand finale. They are all so different and so beautiful!"