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Bells Box Collective

A sweet + pink DIY Studio located in the heart of Old Town Cornelius that focuses on bringing connection + creativity to our community!

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@bellsboxcollective

bellsboxcollective

Owner of a Sweet Pink DIY Studio & Flower Bar * Charlotte * Let’s Be Inspired * Dreams In Glitter * Runs On Wine *#womenpodcasters * #diycrafts

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Welllllll hey y’all! If you watched my stories today you already know that I have had a heck of a week...it started out with a weird rash on my face and turned out to be a staff infection! I totally hid out from the world while I recovered and I was so embarrassed because in the words of jimmy Fallon “ewww Gary!” But today when I shared what has been going on, I got a ton of responses saying that they had had a similar experience! I had no clue it was so common!! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
That’s one of my favorite things about the gram...when we step outside of our comfort zone and share more than just a pretty photo, we can find some pretty cool connections! So today in honor of #fridayintroductions I thought I should share a few more things that you might not know about me, the big haired, glitter loving gal behind the pink studio! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨ i love pink! Ok ok that’s not the secret...but growing up in the mnts of NC with a bowl cut and a boy name (Cory Fox here!) I was determined to be as girly as possible. Insert the start of my relationship pink! If it was pink and had ruffles, I wore it! These days I love that my name gives me a unique factor and I celebrate it! ✨ I am super outdoorsy! Say what? Yep in HS and college I was an adventure leader at my dad’s Adventure Center and I hold the record for fastest blindfolded climb on our alpine tower! ✨ I am a speed reader! Growing up we didn’t have tv so I read. Like A LOT! I loved getting to transport myself into the world that was playing out on the pages and these days, while I don’t read as much, I still prefer getting to create the vision that books let you to movies and shows! I credit this ability to vividly see things in my mind to a lot of my creativity! So while younger me cursed my parents because I never knew what was happening on Dawson’s creek, now I am super thankful because it’s that creativity that lets me live this colorful life!! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Ok, your turn!! Tell me something about you! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Do you ever have a hard time getting yourself motivated to do something that you just don't want to....yeah I get it! ✨I am notorious for putting something that I dread off till the last minute and try and say it is because I work well under pressure.
Yeah right! Let's call it as it really is: I am just a procrastinator who has the talent to get stuff done just under the wire! Well, last year my sister shared with me something that she was working on with her executive business coach and I have to tell you that it became my mantra last year.
Be Better. ✨So simple and yet so inspiring for me. Every day, I would roll out of bed, groggy-eyed and I would start my journey to put my contacts in and try and start my day. And then I would say to myself "Be Better" and that would motivate me in a giggly way to turn around and make my bed. Be Better. Be better than walking away from a small task that will make you feel better. With that simple little phrase rolling around in my mind, I would continue throughout my day and find ways that I could be better than I was the day before. And not in a life-changing - huge commitment be better but more along the lines of simply being a little bit better than I was the day before!
Then over the holiday break, I let that little mantra slip out the door a little more each day. So by the time the holidays wrapped up, I was living the messy unmade bed, procrastination city lifestyle! Ugggg!!! So I needed a reset. And yall, that reset didn't happen overnight. In fact, I am still kind of in it. And I am ok with that, because every morning, I am waking up and telling myself to be better. Be better than I was yesterday! And it is working! I also have a new little mantra that I have added to that and I can't wait to tell you what it is later this week! But in the meantime, tell me! What's your mantra?! #creative #entrepreneur #letsbeinspired #femaleentrepreneur #womeninbusiness #ladyboss #instapodcast #thefutureisfemale #diy #lkn

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Shew!!! Well you guys...I am slowly getting back into the swing of things after the Holiday break! During our holiday workshop and gift rush - I am not going to lie, if you saw me I probably looked a little more than frazzled and not so fresh 🤣
And well, the studio was feeling the same!! I was in the crazy cool rotation of wreath classes and candle workshops (along with some other awesome holiday workshops sprinkled in there!) nightly. Meaning that I was rotating out ALL the greenery and ALL the wax along with all the other supplies every day. My days were spent cleaning, whipping up custom gift boxes, and then teaching till 10! By the time the last gift was wrapped (with all of our wrapping paper was hand stamped with, errr love - that’s a story for another day 🤣) and our last workshop was done, I was too! I had so little energy left to give to my family and friends for the holidays because for over a month I was running on champagne fumes and adrenaline!
So I took a break. As in I didn’t open my laptop, I left the studio in complete disarray for 15 days, I didn’t post work stuff on social, I didn’t craft, and I recharged my little creative battery! I left the studio with empty champagne bottles stuffed in extra flower containers at the last minute - and the studio still has a super yummy smell of Christmas that can be detected miles away from all the scent that was spilled on the floors!! And y’all!! That break was so good for me! Towards the last days of our vacation, I was waking up with ideas and content running through my mind. I started to crave being back and getting my hands into something crafty. For me, that is the coolest feeling! Because just a few days earlier, there wasn’t motivation anywhere to be found!
So while I have been wading through all the left over holiday mess this week so that we can open our doors next week, I wanted to pop in and give you a sweet little reminder that you are allowed to need a break. You are allowed to be messy and not have the perfect social media game! Giving yourself time to recharge and get that spark glowing again that makes you who you are is essential in thriving! So tell me! How do you recharge?

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Well y’all 2019 is a wrap!!! In honor of this year...heck of this decade....I am skipping the glass and going straight for the bottle for this cheers! Because it deserves it!! ✨
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I am not sure where to start with all the amazingness that this year brought me! It has been a lot. I have found out a lot about myself - strengths, weaknesses and all! I have had some of the most amazing people rally around me and have found some my biggest cheerleaders. And I have found a community that I love being apart of! Over the last year we have welcomed more than 340+ people through our doors. I have hosted 32 events in our sweet and pink spot - from workshops, bridal parties, birthday celebrations, holiday happening, and more - i launched our first season of our podcast #letsbeinspired and interviewed some awesomely inspiring people - I stepped out of my comfort zone and have gotten to share our story all over Charlotte through our tv appearances - I have spoken to 400+ people at different places with our different speaking engagements! 💕 shew!!! And that’s just business stuff!!!! 🙌🏻
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I told Jason today that my word for last year was experience. I got to experience so much this last year in my business and I was so lucky to have a platform that I was so passionate about! And guess what...2020 my word (or words) is “do it.” This year I had many moments that I was nervous or overwhelmed with decisions that kept me from always moving forward...so this year I am taking my experiences from last year and this year I am going to DO IT! Come hell or high water! When you see me and wonder what I am up to, just know that I am not worried about perfection this year, but I am excited share as much as possible with my community! ✨🙌🏻🥰
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So cheers friends to our next decade and to our next year! Thank you for all the amazing support and I am so excited for all that’s coming our way!! And I can’t wait to see what this year brings to YOU too!!! #charlottenc #diy #diycrafts #makersgonnamake #makersofinstagram #clt #oldtowncornelius #lkn #charlottesgotalot #scoopcharlotte #scooplkn #charlottelately #corneliusnc #lakenorman #charlottecreative #creative #create

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✨Yesterday I wrapped and packaged up 45+ gifts to go out to help spread holiday cheer! By the time I got home and poured myself a glass of wine, I was beat but it has been so much fun helping people put together gifts to give their loved ones the last couple of weeks! ✨This adventure in retail has been so much different than my first gig (remember when I told y’all about working at Ann Taylor loft for a week in college?! Yeah this is a bit different 🤣) Instead of feeling forced to sell things just because it’s my job, I get be genuinely excited about each and every item that someone picks up to give to someone! Every single thing that I picked for our retail wall or made was because I loved them and knew that for most of us, there would be a place in our lives for them to add a little joy, functionality, and a dash of sparkle. So when I tell you that your sister, your friend, your mother in law will love something, it’s because I know that each item that has been picked out with a lot of thought and care! ✨That’s one of the magical things when you shop small and support local. Everything is a labor of love from that business owner and not something that has been shipped from some dusty warehouse by drones! Nope! Small businesses hand craft each element of your purchase with a lot of heart. 💕 The deeper and deeper I get down this journey, the more it is amazing to me how many small businesses are out there, putting one foot in front of the other, creating for others and building something on their own. In fact in North Carolina, we have over 145k small businesses and we are lucky enough to live in #Charlotte which has been rated the #3 city for small business owners! How cool is that??! So what I guess I am saying as a ramble on on this rainy morning is that I am so grateful to the community we live in for giving me the opportunity to help with their gifts this year! When I finish up in the studio this week, I am going to be popping around town to make sure I shop small this season to support all of my other biz owners out there hustling during the holidays! So tell me! What are your favorite local shops here in the #queencity that I need to check out!!

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Holy smokes y’all!!! How is it only 9 days until Christmas!! In typical Cory fashion, I had the biggest plans to make this the most magical Christmas ever. In my mind, Jason and I were going to be the most festive little elves every single day and we were going to skirt through the holidays with eggnog in one hand, wrapping paper in the other, all while singing Christmas songs! Our home had plans to be perfectly decorate and the studio too of course! I had holiday photo shoots planned and was for sure going to have the perfect grid for insta all month long! 🤣
Welp. Life has had other plans for us this year!! My vision of our perfectly coordinated plaid holiday season could not be any further from the version that we are living. We kind of got our house decorated, I only barely managed to get my pink trees out at the studio, I am living in a dry shampoo world of dirty clothes (have I worn deodorant?! I can’t remember) and take out and there hasn’t been a stitch of eggnog in sight! 🤣

But while my holiday season hasn’t been exactly what I expected it to be...it has still be so full of some serious holiday magic! Both Jason and I are knee deep in building and nurturing our businesses and this holiday season has coincided with a lot of activity for both of us. For me, part of this years unexpected holiday magic has been seeing how much Jason and I truly vibe off of each other’s wins and successes and stand behind each other to help inspire and encourage great things!
This morning as I get ready to head back to the studio for my last few days of the year, I am so grateful for this season. As different (and if you saw my workspace at the studio - messy) as this season has been for us, I am amazed and grateful at the fact that by some stroke of luck, we are living in this merry and bright world together! So this holiday season, I hope that when things aren’t working out as planned, you take a moment to slow down and find the unexpected magic ✨ (and to say an extra thanks for the inventors of dry shampoo! 🙌🏻🙌🏻) 📸 @heatherisonphoto 💕

#charlottenc #smallbusiness #maker #inspired #pinkchristmas #merryandbright #charlottechristmas

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City sidewalks, busy sidewalks. Dressed in holiday style... In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas! ✨ The hustle and bustle is real at the studio and our little pink walls have never felt more alive than they have the past few months! All of the workshops and events that we have gotten to be apart of have just been a blast this year and I am loving it! This week is a little bitter sweet for me because tomorrow night is our last public workshop for the year as we spend the night decorating the most perfect holiday cookies!! And y’all...we are ending the year of workshops in perfect fashion...with a sold out class!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 As our holiday workshops wrap up this week, our holiday gifts are just getting started!! In fact, check our our insta stories tonight for an insta sale on our grab and go gifts made with teachers, friends and holiday parties in mind! So hop on over and check it out!
Ps. Need something custom?! Good news there is still time so send me a message!

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In typical Cory fashion, I am skirting in sideways at the last minute to make sure I post for today’s #meetthemakerweek challenge!! Hey! The holidays are hectic for us all!!! 🎄
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Today’s topic is where you can find me! Well friends, most days you can find me inside the sweet and pink walls of our studio in @oldtowncornelius scheming up different projects, workshops and pretty things to sell on our retail wall! But did you know that isn’t the only way to connect, see what I am up to and hang out with me?! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ✨most months I pop by to see my friends at @clttodayshow with some kind of fun seasonal craft up my sleeve! In fact, stay tuned for this month when I stop by to share my fav ways to make a holiday wreath!! 🎄 so make sure you tune in!! ✨ our podcast! This year I launched our podcast #letsbeinspired and our first season was so fun! We interviewed so many amazing women (and a man!) about different topics to help light a fire and inspire you! And you guys...I learned so much during our first season! Not only from our amazing guests but also on what all goes into producing a podcast! (Spoiler! It’s a lot!) Season two is coming for you in 2020 with a different layout but the same purpose! ✨ pop ups! I have loved doing pop ups this last year! From charity events to corporate offices, to hanging out with my favorites @kendrascott - this year I have taken our favorite crafts on the road to teach all over! It has been so neat to share my love for all things crafty and next year I am teaching with a cool new company @crafthappyco to bring some of our classes to downtown Charlotte!! I can’t wait! ✨
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Connecting with you all had been such a catalyst for some amazing things for me this year and I can’t wait to see what next year brings! Until then I am going to be crafting my fingers to the bone and enjoying every moment of this holiday season!! 💕
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Ps. I try and pop into my blog with awesome DIYs for you and in my insta stories and Facebook a couple times a week....and our newsletter comes out monthly and always has a sweet promo so hop over to our website and get on the list!!!
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Good morning! Todays #meetthemakerweek challenge is to show you behind the scenes of my workspace....to that I say, come on over to the studio and see ALL the spots that I work in!
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To be honest, at the moment there are parts of the studio that are not safe for Insta, people! Having multiple areas that I create within, means that I have stations all over the studio to craft at! Our studio is 3 floors - our first floor is our sweet and pink DIY & retail space, our 2nd floor is home to my "office area" and where lots of projects get their starts, and the 3rd floor which is home to our bedroom suite for photographers with its gorgeous light! And while I keep our pink space downstairs tidy and cute since it is on display and where we party, the rest of the studio is fair game for me to bounce from one project to the next as I try to do ALL the things! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
At the moment, if you walked through the studio, my office area looks like a hobby store and a Christmas tree farm had a major meltdown and well, then exploded! Being a maker at the Holidays means that every hour is filled with crafting and creating on repeat. And for me, who isn't the *most organized person or the best at time management for that matter, keeping my workspace under control is a little bit of a challenge for me! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So if you come hang out in the studio between now and December 25th, you might get a glimpse of the wild craftastrophe that is my workspace! But y'all, I wouldn't have it any other way! Because what others see as clutter and mess, I see as creation and inspiration! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What about you? When you work, are you super clean and organized?! Or are you the kind of creator that throws glitter into the wind to see what kind of magic can be created out of chaos?
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#InstagramChallenge #Photoaday #Photoadaychallenge #SupportSmallBusineses #ShopSmallBusiness #MakersGonnaMake #MakersMovement #Meetthemaker #meetthemakers #abmlifeiscreative #wearethemakers #makerscollective #SmallBusinessOwner #handsandhustle #charlottenc #oldtowncornelius #lakenorman #charlotteworkshops #charlottecreative #lkn #creative

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What what?! I am popping up in your feed two days in a row AND I didn’t use a scheduling app for it! You must be real special to me! 🥰

Today’s challenge for #meetthemakerweek is to show you my range and go into more detail about your craft! Well you guys some days I am a weaver, some days I am a florist, some days I am a jewelry maker, some days I am an embroiderer, some days I am a candle maker. Heck, Some days I am just a glorified toilet scrubber! 🙋🏼‍♀️ But everyday I am a maker and a teacher! I love getting to share my craft - whatever it is that day - with our community! Last night I spent the evening teaching a group how to make amazing holiday wreaths and tonight we are learning how to make the most delicious smelling holiday candles! Filling our studio with eager women who want to learn how to make with their own two hands is super empowering to me and I love that everyday is different!
Have you ever been to one of our workshops?! Tell me what you learned and how it made you feel!!! Ps. How gorgeous are our containers for tonight’s class?!? I am in loveeee!!! 🤩

#InstagramChallenge #Photoaday #Photoadaychallenge #SupportSmallBusineses #ShopSmallBusiness #MakersGonnaMake #MakersMovement #Meetthemaker #meetthemakers #abmlifeiscreative #wearethemakers #makerscollective #SmallBusinessOwner #handsandhustle #abmcrafty #businesschallenge #makermovement #instachallenge #creativeminds #creativepreneur #creativityfound #mycreativebiz #makersofinstagram #makersofig #heytheremaker

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