Grateful for the Good Stuff
Grateful for the Good Stuff: Small Towns, Family, and the People Who Show Up
A Note from Adriane, Owner
Before anything else, we want to say this loud and clear: Thank you, Flagstaff.
As a brand-new business this year, we could not have imagined how warmly received The Creative Casita would be by this community. From the very beginning, you showed up. With encouragement, excitement, and genuine kindness. It has meant more to us than we can ever properly put into words.
This town embraced us in a way that still feels a little surreal. One of those moments came when we were featured in Flagstaff Business News. An honor that felt less about us and more about the incredible support surrounding this shop. If you’d like to read the feature, you can find it here:
https://www.flagstaffbusinessnews.com/the-creative-casita-brings-a-pop-of-personality-to-east-flagstaff/
There’s something really special about living in a small town long enough to watch it grow, and still feel like home.
I’ve lived in Flagstaff for 35 years. I’ve watched our “small town” expand and evolve, new neighborhoods appear, and businesses come and go. And yet, somehow, some way, you can still make a genuine connection with almost everyone who walks through the door.
That’s one of the things I love most about this place.
Even now, at The Creative Casita, I’ll be mid-conversation with someone new and suddenly realize we have a mutual friend, a shared history, or crossed paths years ago in some unexpected way. That kind of connection doesn’t happen everywhere. But it happens here, all the time.
Before opening the shop, I spent almost 20 years working at NAU and nearly 10 years with Flagstaff Unified School District. I also spent almost 25 years with Thornagers Catering during those same years. Those years weren’t just jobs. They were chapters that wove me deeper into this community. You get to know a lot of people when you work in places rooted in education, families, and amazing food. You learn faces, names, and stories. You build trust without even realizing it.
And when it came time to take a leap and open a business… those relationships showed up in the most beautiful, humbling ways.
They showed up by helping move furniture.
By spreading the word.
By checking in.
By popping in just to say, “You’ve got this.”
Not flashy.
Not loud.
Just steady, kind, meaningful support.
The kind that doesn’t make headlines, but absolutely makes the difference.
Small towns have a quiet magic. They hold space for people to cheer each other on. They allow businesses to be more than transactions. They turn customers into neighbors, and neighbors into friends. And when you’re building something from the ground up, that kind of support feels like oxygen.
The Creative Casita exists because of that support.
Because of family who believed.
Friends who showed up.
And a community that values creativity, kindness, and connection.
We are endlessly grateful for the people who pop in “just to see how things are going,” who bring friends from out of town, who tell someone else about our shop that they love. Those moments matter more than you know.
They are the good stuff.
And they’re the reason this place feels so full of heart.
If you’ve been meaning to stop by, come say hello. If you’ve already visited, thank you for being part of our story. And if you believe in supporting small, local, community-rooted spaces, please keep spreading the word. Every visit, every kind sentence, and every share helps keep this little corner of creativity thriving.
As we look ahead to 2026, our hearts are just as full as our shelves. We have so many surprises and exciting things in the works, and our little Casita continues to grow in the best way. We’re now home to over 30 local artists, makers, and small businesses, with new treasures arriving regularly and fresh creativity filling the space. What started as a dream has truly become a living, breathing community and we can’t wait to share what’s next with all of you.
And if you’re looking for an easy way to support us from wherever you are, following along on social media truly makes a difference. Liking, sharing, and cheering us on helps our little shop reach new friends and keeps this beautiful community growing:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecasita928/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecreativecasita928
Happy New Year!
Adriane and the Creative Casita Team