Welcome to our store! Its been a work on progress but we finally were able to make the website at least functional to open it now. There are still a few bugs to work out. My name is Julie, I founded Julies Hidden Treasures. The name came from my fiancé making jokes about my constant package deliveries, and how I'd hide them. I'd like to tell a story of where this idea came from.
The business evolved into an idea from another side business I had selling second hand and other items that were new. Mostly the items were from my closet or household. I tried the reselling part too from thrifting and finding good deals closeout stores. But then I realized I wanted to upgrade what I was doing. It was more of a hobby for extra cash until I ended up with medical issues from time to time.
Back in 2022 I had my first short term medical leave from work, a heart attackat age 43. It was devastating, I felt like my entire world was going to fall apart. The medical leave lasted 6 months, I felt financially it was going to destroy me. My position at the time was as a registered nurse - insurance liaison, I worked from home. The stress of the job is why I had to stay out so long per medical providers. Back then I knew I needed to find something else to do as a backup for income, in case it ever happened again being out of work for so long. The short term disability doesn't pay much, not for the bill I have.
Currently I'm a registered nurse at a hospital, float pool nurse. My job is to go to where the need is that night on med-surg units including ED, PCU, Oncology, Palliative care, MOU, and some surgical units. I could be on the same unit for the full 8 or 12 hour shift, or I could get floated again after 4 hours. For me its not a big deal, I actually really like floating but it's hard when my body doesn't know if it's going to act out again. Usually I work 12 hour shifts, all straight nights. I only do 8 hours if I need extra time to do something earlier in the day. Also, I am only per diem. I work full-time hours but when it comes to receiving all benefits, I only get health care insurance because I had an agreement to work at least 20 hours a week to receive part time benefits. I make up my own schedule, no holidays unless I chose, and its double time. Weekend requirements are simple, only a few compared to full-time and part-time. But it's been a challenge to not have my body not give out on me.
Let's start go back to 2022. From that point on since May 2022, it took me a few more years of trying to find what it is I wanted to do, and good at. I had other issues in the past where if I was working where I do now, I would have been put on medical leave. Shattered heal requiring surgery in March 2021, along with a tendon release on the bottom of that same foot, the left. Chronic lower back pain since 2007, left knee injury in 2002, that left my right knee compensating for the left, later right knee pain. Chronic and at times debilitating migraines, many years it would affect working for days, weeks at a time. A week stay in the hospital for a week in September 2012 for periorbital cellulitis of left eye.
All these circumstances led me to decide to find other ways of income flow. Some ideas failed, but the idea to create what I've got now was at the top of the list from the start. Money to invest into the equipment and having enough money to buy products to use in making my creations was an issue at the time. My debt had crept back up, I was almost debt free when I had the heart attack in 2022. No money to do anything. So I continued to sell my unwanted clothes, household items, and good finds at the stores to resell. It helped me to have money to start my new adventure. That new adventure wasn't quite known yet, just some ideas with a main goal of finding something people would buy and something I'd enjoy doing.
Fast forward to last spring, April 2025, I had another medical leave that was longer than intended. I knew even when I went back to work it was going to be short lived. Left knee surgery, an arthroscopic arthritic cleanout and debridement, partial meniscectomy. It didn't go as planned. Lot's of pain, hard to walk, and my right knee started giving out as well. I was able to go back to work for a few months. During that time last summer it hit me while visiting places on weekends. My idea started as one thing and it turned into something else. As I researched and learned new ways of doing things my ideas expanded.
When more money became available, it molded into other ideas that I wasn't expecting but things started working out. Things were finally coming into place. I figured out the LLC thing, managed to get through all the paperwork, understanding it all. And I slowly started buying equipment, products to make my creations, and started building my website.
As I got better and better, some flaws and defected items were to be expected. I finally was able to piece everything together. I had this vision and it came to light. It's still a work in progress, but its worth it in the long run. Today as I write this, I'm out yet again for another medical leave...partial knee replacement on the left knee. I'm still out, and now my right knee pain is back in full force. The injection I received for it in February wore off just after my surgery on the left knee in March.
So now I know all my hard work may pay off, I need this to work out. It's still trial and error, hopefully no errors. This is my chance to get something I worked hard for so long, to grow with it. This is just the beginning of a new chapter. Help me write the pages, please give me feedback of what I can do better. Its a work in progress, any business isn't always complete there is always room for improvements. As I gain additional skills, more and better equipment, etc. I hope to expand this even further. Starting June 12th through September 12th, every Friday and Saturday I'll be a vendor at Swan Bay's Farmer's Market in Alexandria Bay, NY. I'll be there most dates. I'll post to social media dates I'm there and not. Thank you for reading message if you read to this point. And thank you for helping support my small business!
