Scrubs, Suitcases & Loungefly: The Real Life Behind ZEN Lounge Boutique ✨

If you’ve met me during a live show, you know I love a beautiful Loungefly bag, a good surprise, and hanging out with my Gemsters. What you might not know is that I’m also a Labor & Delivery nurse.

Right now, I’m on a travel nursing assignment in San Leandro, California. Home is in Washington, where my family and ZEN Lounge Boutique are rooted. So yes, there are scrubs, bags, shipping supplies, and a lot of miles involved.

People sometimes ask how I do both. The honest answer? Some days, I’m still figuring that out.

Nursing Is a Huge Part of Who I Am

I’ve been a nurse since 2020, and I work in Labor & Delivery. I get to support people through moments that are intense, vulnerable, unpredictable, and sometimes incredibly joyful. I love that work. It matters to me.

It also takes a lot of me. A shift can be physically and emotionally exhausting, and when I get home, I’m still a person with a family, responsibilities, and a business to run. Travel nursing adds another layer: learning a new workplace while living away from home for an assignment.

That’s the real backdrop of ZEN Lounge Boutique. It didn’t spring out of endless free time. Believe me, if someone finds some of that, please send it my way.

ZEN Became More Than a Bag Business

ZEN stands for Zeph, Ellie, and Naya. This boutique has my family in its name, and it has a lot of my heart in it, too.

I love finding Loungefly bags and other pieces that make collectors stop scrolling and say, “Wait—show me that again.” I love the details, the characters, the hard-to-find finds, and the moment when I know exactly which Gemster is going to lose their mind over something I found.

But the bags are only part of why I keep doing this. Live selling introduced me to people I genuinely look forward to seeing. Somewhere along the way, customers became Gemsters, familiar names in the chat, and friends who make a long show feel like we’re all hanging out together.

What a Live Show Actually Takes

A live show isn’t just turning on a camera and holding up bags.

There’s sourcing, pricing, organizing inventory, setting up, making show graphics, answering questions, packing orders, and shipping everything afterward. Some shows go for hours. I recently did one that lasted more than seven hours and brought in over $700 after shipping and commissions. I was proud of that. I was also completely wiped out.

That’s the part I want to be honest about: I love this, and it’s hard work. Both things are true.

When I’m live, you might catch me excited about a rare bag, laughing because the chat has gone off the rails, or trying to remember where I put the item that was literally in my hand thirty seconds ago. It’s a real person running this boutique, often with a very full day behind her.

Why I Keep Showing Up

Nursing gives me meaningful work. ZEN gives me room to be creative, build something of my own, and share a little joy with people who get just as excited about a bag as I do.

I’ve been dreaming bigger for ZEN, too. The monthly Mystery Box lets me put together a Loungefly mini backpack and five coordinating items around a theme. I love imagining someone opening it and seeing how all the pieces fit together. I’ve also been working on new ideas for the boutique, even when my schedule makes the pace a little chaotic.

That’s what this season of life looks like: a nursing assignment in California, a home and family in Washington, and a growing boutique that comes along for the ride. Sometimes quite literally. My car has seen enough of I-5 to deserve a loyalty program.

To My Gemsters

Thank you for showing up to my lives, trusting me with your orders, cheering on ZEN, and giving me a place to share this side of myself. When you shop with me, you’re supporting a small business that I’m building around a demanding nursing career and a very full life.

I can’t promise every show will be perfectly polished. I can promise that I care about what I choose, what I send you, and the community we’re building together.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I probably have a bag to pack. Whether it’s a Loungefly or a suitcase depends on the day. 💜

Shop ZEN Lounge Boutique at zenloungeboutique.com, and come hang out with us live on Palmstreet and Whatnot.