Story Time: 9 years ago.

Yesterday we celebrated nine years of Adornment & Theory!

Back in 2017, I was offered the opportunity to take over an existing jewelry business. The deal fell through (a true blessing in disguise). I allowed myself a one-day pity party, and within 48 hours I walked into City Hall and filed the paperwork for my own LLC.

Exactly three months later,I opened the doors to our first location in Logan Square.

I wanted to create the kind of jewelry store I actually wanted to walk into and feel welcomed. Somewhere I could showcase my own designs alongside the work of my incredibly talented BIPOC friends, whose work I rarely saw represented in traditional jewelry stores. A space that felt welcoming, creative, and presented Jewelry as the art form that it is.

I had poured nearly all my money into tile, display cases, and three months of rent. Whatever was left had to stretch toward inventory and making new jewelry for the opening. My stress had me waking up at 5am and going to bed around midnight, completely exhausted and anxious about money. Looking back at photos, I was at my lowest weight from the stress. Another reminder that being thin and being healthy are two very different things.

Fueled by Faith & Housewives

My two mantras during that time were “Failure is not an option” and “God’s got us.”

The soundtrack to those three months was a truly unhinged mix of Bravo Housewives, worship music, and Cardi B’s 2017 mixtape. 😂 All of this played in the background while I was designing, making jewelry at my bench, dealing with construction, and generally trying to keep it together. My friendships were also a huge part of what kept me going.

And then, the night before our grand opening, I walked into the store with fresh flowers and discovered that a pipe had burst in the apartment upstairs and FLOODED THE STORE.

Of course it did.

But, after a very long night of cleaning, we opened the next morning!

It was a beautiful, sunny, crisp October Sunday. My friend Alicia made our very first purchase. Throughout that first week, friends and neighbors showed up with flowers, gifts, and so much love. I still remember how that felt.

I also couldn't have gotten through that season without the incredible love and encouragement of my then husband. There were so many moments when I was running on fumes, and having people who believed in me made all the difference.It took months for my nervous system to finally settle down. But every morning, when I turned the key to open the store, I would say out loud, “Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this business.”

Nine years later, I still say the same thing every day when I walk in. It's a great privilege to be exhausted from the work you prayed for. To make a living from my creativity. To have spent nine years surrounded by art, beautiful jewelry, and people I genuinely love.

Thank you, as always, for allowing us to continue creating. We consider each year that we are open such a blessing and we are eternally grateful for all of our amazing customers’ and clients’ support.

With Love & Light,

Viviana Langhoff
Founder & Creative Director,
Adornment & Theory