The Prologue...

Hi friend!

I’m so grateful to have you here in my little cozy corner of the internet. My name is Ali. I’m 29 years old and live in Rochester, New York with my girlfriend and our two kittens, Storie and Vinyl. I wanted to take a moment to share a few tidbits about me and my shop, so I asked my followers on Instagram what they wanted to know. There were two questions that were repeated the most, so I figured I’d answer those here!

When did you become a Swiftie?

I have vivid memories of listening to Fearless on the bus during my freshman year of high school when it came out in '08. I was OBSESSED. I think the first Taylor song I ever heard was either "Teardrops On My Guitar" or "Our Song," so it’s been a while!

I was a casual fan up until the 1989 era. I listened to all of Taylor's albums but wasn’t involved in the fandom online (although "All Too Well" was my favorite song, I had no idea it was everyone else’s favorite too). The OG 1989 era was when I jumped headfirst into fandom culture on Twitter and, for the first time, found my people. I attended the Reputation tour in London (I lived in the UK for a little over three years) and was lucky enough to get floor seats a week before the show (rip to that buying process). That show changed everything for me. It was and still is my favorite concert to date.

So, to answer the question, I’ve probably been a Swiftie for about 16 years. Taylor’s been the soundtrack to my life for as long as I can remember!

Why did you start your shop?

I have soooo much personal lore that I could include in this answer, but it’s extremely long—like spanning 10+ years long. So, here’s the mini version: I wanted to create a space that celebrated people who are passionate in all ways. People who let music, the arts, their feelings, stories, dreams, and everything that makes life beautiful consume them unapologetically.

Taylor was the obvious choice to be the muse for my art because she inspires me the most. Her music has evoked such visceral, intense, and beautiful emotions for me and so many others. She’s someone who also has big feelings and dreams and has always leaned into those things, no matter how much criticism she faced for it.

I know how it feels to be shamed and ridiculed for simply liking something. I know how it feels to be bullied and mocked for finding joy in things that are inherently feminine or popular. So, I wanted to flip the switch and embrace it. I think it’s really cool to love something and love it loudly, so that’s what I wanted the theme of my shop to be. There’s zero room for deep-rooted misogyny or hating things to seem cool or deep. Your passions deserve to be celebrated, so I wanted to create a soft space to do so for people who share my passions. It’s been beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

I hope you feel seen and celebrated here and over on my Patreon. Your loving support means I get to do what I love so much every single day, and I cannot thank you enough. All of this is for you and because of you.

With all the love in the world,

Ali