The Start of Read and Rally Studio: A Little History Lesson

Today feels like the perfect time to share the “why” behind Read and Rally:

Where it came from
Where it’s going
How it all started

Growing up, I wanted to be a writer. I entered every short story and poetry contest I could find (and actually won a few!). At one point, my brother and I had this brilliant plan: I’d write children’s books, and he’d be the illustrator. Like many childhood dreams, though, life shifted, goals changed, priorities changed, and I found myself needing direction. So, I joined the military.

Reading turned into instruction manuals and study guides. For a while, books were more about mission briefs than escaping. But toward the end of my service, I started picking up books again, and suddenly, I remembered why I loved it. The problem? Once I started a book, I had to finish it. Immediately. Sleep? Who needs it when you’re 400 pages deep? Let’s just say I didn’t show up hungover... I showed up with a book hangover (which I didn't know was a thing until finding the bookstagram community.)

Now, I needed a way to get more books quicker. I remember when I got my first Kindle in 2008, shortly after they launched. Fast forward to 2022, I needed another one. I was tired of reading on my phone and had this giant TBR list calling my name. Around the same time, I reconnected with a reader friend from my San Diego days, and she introduced me to BOOKSTAGRAM. Suddenly, I wasn’t weird for needing to finish a book in one sitting or escaping into a series for 12 hours straight. I found my people.

Herei s where Read and Rally Studio joins the chat.

My Bookstagram handle was always “Read and Rally” because, let’s face it, reading is how I slow down… and rallying is everything else: parenting, real life, the chaos. The name stuck. Then one Thanksgiving, I was at my parents’ house when my brother showed me his 3D printer. I had a lightbulb moment: “Wait. I can make all that cool stuff I’ve been buying for my bookshelves?” Add in his laser cutter… and yeah, I needed one of those too.

I’ve always loved the technical side of things, the software, the measurements, the detail work. It scratches the same itch that reading does: total immersion. So, it just made sense that I found my new hobby.

The final piece of the puzzle? We don’t really have a local bookstore that carries new titles around here. After doing a few vendor markets, I thought "why not provide the stories along with the decor?" which is how Read and Rally became more than just a name… it became a one-stop shop. A bookstore. A dream. A new kind of long-distance relationship with indie authors and other crafters, which honestly? I’ve been training for my whole life.

So here we are.
Welcome to Read and Rally Studio...where we read, we rally, and we make a little bookish magic along the way.