‘Life’s Rosie’ began long before it officially existed. Nearly eighteen years ago, when Rosemary Bostrom first signed up for Etsy, she registered the name on instinct – Life’s Rosie – without knowing that one day it would become the heart of her creative career. At the time, she was busy with life, family, and a long career in furniture sales, but creativity was always threaded through everything she touched. She painted, she designed, she refurbished, and she filled her home with pieces she had transformed herself.

Her love of furniture hunting became legendary among friends and customers. Marketplace was her playground, and her garage, she jokes, “is like a furniture game of Jenga.” She gravitated toward the pieces most people avoided – the old, the broken, the “ugliest, nastiest” finds that required the most work. Those were the ones that gave her the biggest thrill. “The end result is even more astounding,” she says. “You look at it and think, look what I did.”

When COVID hit, Rosemary was already painting furniture, canvases, and statues, and ordering large amounts of supplies for her own projects. That’s when everything shifted. She realized she trusted the products she was using so deeply that it made sense to become a retailer for them. She took the leap and became a seller for Fusion Mineral Paint, Redesign with Prima, Whimsykel Designs, and several other creative brands. She expanded into transfers, molds, stencils, rollers, brushes – everything someone would need to start their own creative journey.

Dressers and small accent tables became her specialty. She sourced constantly, often receiving calls from people offering her pieces, though she now has to be selective. “I have an addiction,” she laughs. “I have to be very discriminative to what I purchase at this point.”

The response was immediate and global. Orders began arriving from Germany, Thailand, Australia – just to name a few. Her work resonated far beyond Thunder Bay.

One piece in particular changed everything: a cabinet she painted two or three years ago, known affectionately as “the bird cabinet.”

It went viral in the art community, drawing worldwide attention and inspiring countless recreations. Whether people bought the decoupage print from her or from another retailer, the ripple effect was undeniable. Her work didn’t just sell – it inspired.

Teaching became another extension of her creativity. Rosemary hosts workshops (currently paused until late summer) where she teaches the art of decoupage – the French‑rooted craft of gluing tissue prints onto furniture and blending them seamlessly so they look painted rather than pasted. Her workshops are joyful, hands‑on, and filled with people discovering their own creativity. She loves helping others, sometimes to her own detriment. “I’ve told people so much that they’ve opened Etsy stores competing with me,” she laughs. “But that’s who I am. I’m everybody’s biggest cheerleader.”

Behind the scenes, her granddaughter Carly Benson plays a vital role. Carly unpacks shipments, adds products to the website and Etsy store, boxes orders, creates postage labels, and sends tracking numbers. It’s invaluable experience, even though Carly dreams of becoming a nurse injector like her mother, Ashley Elliott.

The past few years brought challenges beyond business. Rosemary cared for her husband through a difficult health journey and lost him earlier this year. Through grief, her business became more than a livelihood – it became purpose, connection, and a source of strength. “The support I received from customers, friends, and family reminded me how important those connections are,” she says.

Etsy remains one of her strongest platforms. She praises it as the best place to start a business because of its recognition and built‑in marketing tools. Her Facebook community – more than 45,000 followers – also plays a major role. When she posts a new piece, people around the world see it, share it, and often recreate it using products from her shop. Her reach is global, but her impact is deeply personal.

Creatively, she’s returning to her roots: florals. “I’m excited about doing more floral dressers again,” she says. “That’s where I started – red roses, pretty florals – I love them.” She also enjoys playful pop‑art pieces, like her whimsical cat designs, but florals remain her artistic heartbeat.

Leaving her furniture‑sales career was terrifying. She was the sole provider for her family, with a mortgage and a husband unable to work. But she knew she couldn’t stay in a toxic environment. “I just didn’t fit there anymore,” she says. “I wasn’t mentally healthy. I needed to do something else.” So she jumped – and she soared.

Her advice for anyone starting a business is simple and powerful. Talk to friends and family, but trust your own instincts. Expect negativity – and ignore it. Don’t chase money; chase meaning. Think about how you can benefit your community. Choose the train that aligns with your heart. And above all, believe you can do it. She knows what she’s talking about – she once ran a marathon without ever having run before and came in first for women aged 50-59. “I wanted to prove you can do anything your heart desires,” she says. “The world is your oyster.”

Rosie will soon be offering intimate decoupage classes for groups of four, so be sure to check her website and social media for updates.

From a garage full of furniture to a global creative brand, Rosemary Bostrom has built something extraordinary – not just a business, but a community, a purpose, and a legacy. Life’s Rosie isn’t just a name. It’s a philosophy. A reminder that beauty can be restored, creativity can be shared, and even the most forgotten pieces – furniture or otherwise – can be made happy again.

FOLLOW LIFE’S ROSIE

Life’s Rosie Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/awholelottarosey/

Life’s Rosie Website: https://lifesrosie.ca/

Life’s Rosie Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/LifesRosie