Rembrandtz was born on a summer night in 1994. My Mom was recovering from a life-threatening operation, and we were having a tearful heart to heart conversation on the couch of her living room. A fire was crackling, though it was 70 degrees outside. She was curled in a blanket, and I sat next to her, listening, sharing, and praying.

Anyone who has ever met my Mom knows that she is a strong lady. She raised six children, worked full-time, challenged us, loved us fiercely, and always expected a lot from each of us. She was proud of us. We knew it. But we all were raised with a a sense of determination and a willingness to create our own destinies.

For me, at 24, seeing my Mom cut down so swiftly by an unforseen medical situation that put her on the brink of life or death...well, it rocked my entire world. I had lost my Dad to cancer at 14, which was honestly the toughest and most heart-breaking thing that had ever happened in my life.

So to hear my Mom say that her entire life she had dreamed of having a gallery, well, really there was no question, no hesitation. This was going to happen. We were going to make it happen together.

Rembrandtz "Fine Gifts for FUN People" was opened in 1995. In the months that followed that life-changing conversation on the couch, we had found the building, renovated it ourselves, figured out all the endless details of licenses, permits, etc that it takes...and opened the doors.

We had a celebration with family and friends, with wine, food, ribbon cutting and hoopla...and then the work really began. Running an art gallery and gift shop is not for the faint of heart. It is an incredible amount of work and effort, financially, emotionally, physically...in every way imaginable.

But I have to tell you, with 15 years retrospect, I would make the same decision again. We have certainly had our ups and downs, we have both had to compromise many times, and re-adjust our expectations of ourselves and eachother in a hundred different ways. I didn't go back to college for my masters degree as I had planned, she didn't spend a year traveling the world, as she and my step-dad had planned. But it's okay, we love what we do. We love who we do it for. We have gotten to know so many wonderful people in St Augustine over the years. It really is a unique and special city, filled with people who are constantly trying to find ways to make it an even better place to live. We appreciate our customers sincerely, and we do love our business. It is a work of heart, it always has been, and it always will be.

I am thankful for all of our customers who come in and just make me smile, some by telling me, "I voted for you because you really are the best," to those who come in and share how they sometimes just stop in because they "want to a place that makes them feel good." Those comments and conversations mean so much to me, and I am so grateful for all of the wonderful people I am lucky enough to call friends because of Rembrandtz.

My Mom is in great health, and as any of you know who have met her, she can run circles around any 20-year old, and it's impossible to conceive that she could be old enough to have six kids. I attribute much of this to our wonderful family, and her loving husband, Eric. We have much to be thankful for...every single day.

Thanks for reading. This is our story, and you are a part of it. God Bless and Many Thanks,

Kimberly