Meet Celeste Mendoza of Celestial Creations in Northwest Houston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Celeste Mendoza.

Celeste, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I learned to crochet when I was seven years old. My grandmother Aurora Maria, and her sister, my Aunt Bea, taught me. I always had a fascination with color and textures and I loved the look of knitted and crocheted items. I learned to make doilies and baby booties first. Later, I learned different techniques and started creating doll clothes and baby blankets. When I was a little older, maybe 10 or 11, I taught myself how to knit with two pencils! I remember going with my mother to a thrift store and there was a ball of blue yarn with knitting needles and someone’s work still attached to the needles. My mother bought them for me and I found that knitting was not as easy as crocheting, but I was persistent and I learned. By the time I was 15, I was knitting and crocheting with ease and creating all kinds of items. This was also an era of beautiful “Stevie Nicks” looking skirts and shawls and I soon found myself creating very trendy scarves and floppy hats.

Since then crocheting has also served as a way for me to be creative and relieve stress. I find it very therapeutic and relaxing, but I also enjoy the challenge of harder designs. When I learn new patterns and conquer new techniques, my crocheting is pushed to the next level!

I married young (18) and had my first child at 19. My husband was in the Air Force and we were stationed in Germany. It seemed like everyone knitted there! My landlord’s daughter taught me how to make knitted pullover sweaters, and I became obsessed with the yarn boutiques and all the different textures. When we returned to the United States, our little family grew and we were blessed with two more children. I soon found myself with very little time to devote to my craft. It wasn’t until my children were older and we were settled back in Houston that I was able to pick up my crocheting again. I started crocheting beaded socks for my youngest daughter and soon my friends were ordering pairs for their daughters and my little business started to blossom. That was over 20 years ago!

My craft started very personal and without intentions of creating for others beyond myself and my family. Knitting and crocheting were a way for me to tune out the world and focus on something that I was passionate about. I think people started to notice my passion and encouraged me to stretch my skills and create any chance I got. Those closest to me would check-in and hold me accountable. They wanted me to keep creating because they knew how much joy it brought me. This then led to people asking if I could make certain items. I didn’t want to say no, so of course, I had to learn! It was around this time that I recall starting to get actual request and orders from people. This skill that I kept to myself that brought me a sense of purpose was now a gift to be shared with others – and to this day sharing that gift gives me such a sense of accomplishment.

I love to make crocheted gifts for my friends and family. I especially love crocheting items for special baby gifts! My children are grown now and I still work full time, but I always have time to crochet! My family is super supportive of my craft and have encouraged me to create. They help me to display my creations and they promote my business to their friends and co-workers, too. It is my desire to make this my full-time job, but for now, I continue to work full time as a secretary at a high school. Crocheting allows me to bring in a little extra income and make things that bring other people a little extra joy.

My friend Firi has a beautiful little shop called “Firi’s Spirit Garden” tucked away inside a bigger store “Cypress Outlet, Cheap Cheap” here in Houston that she co-owns with her partner, David. I work here part-time on the weekends, and Firi has generously offered me a space in her “garden” to display my creations. Firi’s Spirit Garden provides a beautiful, serene atmosphere amongst tranquil water fountains and crystals. A perfect setting for Festival Tops and Stevie Nicks shawls! Crocheting is indeed an age-old art. I’m blessed to have had a grandmother and aunt who taught me. Crocheting is almost a spiritual experience for me. I feel connected to the items and the people who purchase my creations. In “Firi’s Spirit Garden” my crocheted festival tops and shawls and stash sacks along with the crocheted crystal holders fit in perfectly with the beautiful and spiritual setting of the numerous crystals and variety of incense.

Being able to work at something that I love and have loved for nearly my entire life is an incredible feeling. I’ve always felt a spiritual connection with my crocheting and knitting. I still have one needle that my grandmother gave me and another that I bought over 30 years ago. I love the history and memories of the lives intertwined and those who have received them. I have bins and bins of yarn and I still can’t resist buying yarn and the passion I feel” for what I’m going to create with it!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road. One of the struggles I have faced has been time. I work full time and also have a couple of part-time jobs. A few years ago, my husband had been laid off and I was not working at all. I quickly applied and got a job with one of the school districts here in Houston. While working for Cy-Fair certainly has its perks, the pay is not one of them. My husband also is now employed by the school district, so I’m not complaining, because I am so grateful that we have jobs. We quickly were hired within the district for various part-time jobs, after school hours and on the weekends and I work every weekend. So, time is a huge challange. When I am off during school breaks (I do work during the summer too), I crochet as much as I can! I try to crochet for a couple of hours a day during the week, but sometimes it’s hard to squeeze that time in. I feel if I could devote more time to crochet, my inventory would be well-stocked and my business would benefit from it. I know one day this will happen and I’m super excited for that day to come! Another factor, of course, is money. Good quality yarn is not cheap. I wait for it to go on sale, use my coupons and try to stock up! My family and friends are always on the look-out for good yarn sales and for me!

Celestial Creations – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I crochet and knit beautiful and unique clothing items such as sexy Festival Tops and bikinis! I also crochet beautiful baby clothing, blankets, scarves, shawls, stash sacks (drawstring pouches) and crocheted crystal holders. I believe what makes my creations different and unique are the colors I choose, as well as adding beads and charms to enhance the look of the product. During the summer months I specialize in those sexy little Festival Tops and bikinis, during the fall and winter months I specialize in scarves, shawls, and boot toppers. Baby items are usually special request orders. I’m very proud of the fact that everything I make is unique and there are usually no two exact same products. I can customize just about anything the customer is looking for and I am extremely proud of the fact that my entire family is involved. My oldest daughter is my biggest advertiser! She is always telling her friends and co-workers and showing off scarves that I make for her! My son and my youngest daughter are the ones who come to the store and “stage” and photograph my inventory. My youngest daughter also manages my social media accounts. My husband helps me balance the cost and keeps track of my inventory. I believe what sets me apart from others is that I am very affordable and I develop a personal relationship with my clients.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Right now, I am very proud of the fact that “Celestial Creations” is being recognized by Voyage Houston! After over 40 years, my “hobby” has been recognized as a talent worthy of its investment. I have a beautiful place in Firi’s Spirit Gardens to show and sell my creations and also get to meet, greet and connect with my clients.

Pricing:

• Festival Tops start at 25.00
• Custom and seasonal items, prices vary and require a deposit
• Custom orders take two weeks (depending on the complexity)
• Many items that start at 10.00
• Shawls start at 80.00

Contact Info:

• Address: Items are available for purchase at Firi’s Spirit Gardens at 11121 Huffmeister Road, Houston, TX 77065
• Phone: Store: 281-653-9733
• Email: celestialcreationshtx@gmail.com

Image Credit:
Melanie Mendoza

Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.