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Blue Buddha Boutique Closing After 13 Years of Pouring in 'Heart and Soul'

By Linze Rice | January 20, 2016 5:49am
 Rebeca Mojica talks about her jewelery collection at Blue Buddha Boutique, 1127 W. Granville.
Rebeca Mojica talks about her jewelery collection at Blue Buddha Boutique, 1127 W. Granville.
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DNAinfo/Linze Rice

EDGEWATER — After 13 years, chainmaille and jewelry shop Blue Buddha Boutique is set to close its doors at the end of February, owner Rebeca Mojica said in a statement.

The store at 1127 W. Granville Ave. in Edgewater will keep its retail side open until Feb. 28 and its website running through April 10.

"This obviously was not an easy decision to make; I’ve poured my heart and soul into this business," Mojica said. "I am a creative person at heart and over the past few years the demands of the business itself became all-consuming, taking me away from the creative side."

Mojica said though she found she was talented at building her business, even growing it quickly to the point of $1 million in sales, she realized her strengths and passions weren't in the business and marketing side of things.

That made it financially difficult to stay afloat and pay herself, a "stinky" aspect of running the store she said she had endured for the past several years. She also said more and bigger competition in the industry has things even harder.

Similarly, last fall Mojica announced the end of the DIY Trunk Show after its 11-year run, citing hardships in keeping entrance fees for artists low and running her own business at the same time as organizing the massive event.

Despite the difficulties, Mojica said she kept moving forward because of her love of the work and the staff and customers she's come to know like family.

Plus, she said, the business has impacted her physical and mental health in ways that became "intense."

"Over the summer my doctor told me in no uncertain terms, 'Rebeca, you’ve got to take steps to reduce your stress level,' " Mojica said. "I paid attention to this and vowed to start thinking more of what I needed to do to take care of myself."

For the remainder of January, business will be as usual as possible, Mojica said.

In February, there will be a slowdown of their online inventory, with some collections being closed, while others will move to different online venues, including Etsy.

No more jewelry-making classes will be held in February, and on Feb. 26 the store will have a close-out party and final sale before its closing two days later.

All sales online in March will be final, and on April 10, the store's website will close.

Going forward, Mojica said she wants to focus on writing a second book and will also be teaching classes and setting up booths at festivals across the country.

She said some day she'd like to see Blue Buddha back in some form, but is "relieved" to be able to take a break to focus on other endeavors for the first time in more than a decade.

"I love humanity and this planet, and look forward to finding new ways to make the world a better place," Mojica said.

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