If you live in the Greenhorn Valley, you have likely seen some of Sherri’s Blings ‘n Things work. Probably as an eye-catching piece of apparel someone was wearing, certainly some of the local sports team's shirts, or maybe the catchy cap your neighbor gave you advertising his business.
Sherri’s Blings ‘n Things has grown from humble beginnings into one of the Valley’s most popular local businesses. Owner Sherri Marquez shared, “I got my start when my daughter was in sixth grade, about seven years ago now. The sixthgrade basketball coach needed shirts on a budget for the team. I checked into things and wound up making them. That’s where it started for me and things kind of spread by word of mouth. Someone would see someone else wearing a shirt they liked and get my number from them.”
Marquez plied her trade out of her home for several years while learning new skills, acquiring more equipment, and expanding her inventory. The popularity of her business was so great that she won the Greenhorn Valley Chamber of Commerce Best Business of the Year Award in 2018 while still working from her home.
In November, of 2019, with the busy holiday season in mind, Marquez had the chance to open a pop-up shop in the Ace Hardware Shopping Center. She was overwhelmed by the response and felt the increased foot traffic, over her home business, would sustain her leasing the shop. She opened that shop full-time in February, of 2020, and has never looked back. She expanded and moved to her current, larger shop in November of 2020.
Marquez acknowledges that 2020 was a rough start-up year. “I just got the shop opened, invested in more inventory and equipment and the pandemic shut everything down. There was no school, no school sports, some of my best business customers were shut down. Things really dropped off. I am incredibly grateful to the local businesses and community. They kept me going by ordering their business uniforms, face masks, caps, etc.”
Marquez believes this will be her best year since the pandemic struck. She says she is already seeing an increase in shoppers as things open back up and word spreads about her latest shop.
In the new shop, Marquez has ample room to display her ready-to-wear clothing items and offers a dressing room and three-way mirror.
She has also been able to expand her wares from clothing and apparel to include creating mugs, key chains, nearly any type of promotional products, super-soft custom baby blankets, gifts for team sports, duffel bags, stickers for car windows, vehicle decals, and signs. Wall art, door clings displaying business hours and name, outdoor advertising signs, and banners can be custom made. She also makes Department of Transportation identifying numbers for semi-trucks and trailers that will withstand power washing. The shop is fast becoming known for its quality, custom sports team uniforms and school varsity athlete letterman jackets.
There are several things that set Sherri’s Blings ‘n Things above your average store. Along with the great customer service Marquez offers, is the fact that every garment she sells leaves the store marked with a little SB, Marquez’s personal guarantee that quality products have been used and made to last.
Small orders are welcome at Sherri’s Blings ‘n Things. Anything from one to one hundred can be designed and ordered.
Marquez is now offering a line of Carhart winter clothing that can be custom decorated.
With a smile as bright as the rhinestones on her products, Marquez shared, “I have come a long way since I started, but I couldn’t have done it without my family and friend's help and support. I am self-taught in graphic design so if someone doesn’t already have a business logo designed, I can help them with that. I am learning and getting new equipment all the time. This has been a fun ride and I’m not done yet.”