03/20/2026
Four years ago, on the first day of Spring, Gregg and I decided we were going to move here to Decorah.
I don’t think I fully understood what that decision would grow into at the time.
There’s something about this time of year… things begin again, sometimes in ways you don’t expect.
Standing in this space now, it feels like something that’s been unfolding ever since.
It was never just me.
There are so many hands that built Sissa.
Some of the most tangible pieces of this space were built from scratch by people who took the time to really listen to what I was trying to create, even when it was hard to explain.
Paul Cutting designed and built all of the display shelving, each one made to hold and move with the flow of the space. He also created the main counter, something we couldn’t just go out and buy. It’s beautiful, grounded, and intentionally built to be multi use so I can move it out of the way when the space shifts into classes and gatherings.
These aren’t things that exist off a shelf somewhere. They were imagined, talked through, and then brought into reality with care and skill.
And Spruce Roots Renovations - Gregg Kollasch - put in so much time behind the scenes to make sure everything came together the way it needed to. From flooring, to lighting, to paint.
There are so many small details you don’t always see, but Gregg’s mechanical mind is what pulled so much of this together.
I couldn’t have done this without them.
Four years later, and stepping into spring with so much gratitude.
