It's Our Birthday Weekend!
Twelve years. 4,380-ish days. A lot of grit, so many new wrinkles, and definitely more stress than we will ever publicly admit - but also a whole hell lot of fun and laughs.
This week, Common Deer officially turns twelve, which in small business years is basically 112! Most small businesses do not make it past their first few years (many do not even make it to year five), so reaching twelve feels rare, hard earned, and honestly pretty cool.
And we did not do it alone.
Real Talk: What Twelve Years Really Looks Like
Running any business for this long is no small thing – doing ANY job for this long is no small thing. Keeping the same business running, year after year, through big changes and uncertainty takes a certain kind of stubborn, slightly delusional passion.
There are moments when it feels repetitive. There are days when motivation disappears. And when the [insert anything] keeps shifting under our feet, it can be exhausting in ways we do not publicly talk about. With the economy, pandemic, staffing shortages, local climate, and more… some times have been pretty heavy. But we have kept going, one step, one season, one hard earned lesson at a time, because this work matters.
We are also incredibly lucky. Lucky to be in the position to build a business from the ground up. Lucky that our community believed in us from our earliest days. Lucky that this shop has grown right alongside our lives.
Common Deer has seen one co-founder through the birth of two children, through the chaos of raising little ones while running a shop, through moments where doing it all felt more like doing my best. And without an amazing understanding team, the wheels really would have fallen off. And with our other cofounder now reaching the age where people start using the word retirement a lot more - she continues to re-engage with the business and plan for the next phases of Common Deer, without so much of a “maybe I should slow down” thought. The fact that we are both still here, still showing up, still committed, says so much about what this place means to us.
To our Customers
Whether you have been with us since our baby deer days or just found us recently, thank you. Every visit, purchase, message, share, and kind word has helped carry us through moments when we wondered how we would keep going. You are the reason this business made it to twelve.
To our Makers and Vendors
Thank you for saying yes to partnering with our business. Your creativity and craftsmanship are the heartbeat of Common Deer, and we are honored to represent your work.
And thank you for your patience with us at times. We know we can sometimes be hard to reach or a little chaotic, but that is part of the reality of wearing many hats at once. We are grateful for your grace, your partnership, and your willingness to grow with us.
To our Past and Present Team
To everyone who has stood behind the counter, unpacked boxes, merchandised displays, wrapped gifts, solved problems, kept the lights on, and kept us laughing, your fingerprints are everywhere. You helped build this place with us. Thank you to all of you - especially some long term team members that got us through some craziness, including personal stuff.
How to Celebrate With Us
Snag a new tote with us during our birthday weekend (November 14 - 17, 2025) on purchases over $100. We have brought back the tiny tote for this occasion, but you can pick from either the big market tote or the itty bitty one.
For those able to shop with us this season, we are so deeply grateful. But if that is not in the cards this year, there are plenty of other ways to support us and celebrate our birthday…
- Share us with a friend, good old word of mouth does WONDERS.
- Leave a review online, we like google particularly.
- Follow, like, share, and comment on Instagram at @commondeer
- Tell someone about a maker you discovered here
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Or simply keep cheering us on from wherever you are
Every small gesture helps this small business keep going.
Thank you for being part of our story, whether it has been twelve years or twelve minutes.
We built this from scratch, in a small spot in Shelburne, and we have been privileged to watch it grow, evolve, stumble at times, and stand back up again. That is a gift we do not take for granted. We are excited to see what the next year has in store for us….yes, the pun was intended.
