With Penny donned in one of her latest fashions, my husband and I would take her to events to fit dogs of all sizes for their very own custom coat or costume. And of course, no custom coat could truly be complete without having their name on it, and that was the start of my embroidery empire!
By 2004 we had 4 dogs, two children, and had moved 3 times, finally settling in Virginia Beach, VA when my husband got stationed to NAB Little Creek after graduating EOD school. With my new found love of embroidery, my business evolved from dog coats to custom embroidered tee shirts, ball caps, and patches for the EOD community under the name Xtreme Crab Wear.
In 2010 we moved to the Blackwater area of Virginia Beach. As our children became involved in 4-H, sports, and horses, my business evolved again to include screen printing. As I was now serving more local businesses and clubs than the military community, we rebranded to Blackwater Custom Apparel. In 2014, Penelope passed at the age of 15. After our hearts healed, my husband said that when he retired from the Navy he wanted to get two Dachshunds and name them Starsky & Hutch.
I know... I know... You're probably still wondering what all this has to do with tomatoes. Fast forward to 2023, with our new puppies, Starsky and Hutch, in tow, my husband and I built our dream home in the Sandbridge area of Virginia Beach. No longer being in Blackwater, rebranding was once again necessary, but this time I wanted a name that could withstand any possible evolution to my business and location. Taking inspiration from our Dashshunds, Starsky & Hutch, I became "The Striped Tomato" - Starsky's beloved 1976 Ford Torino from the show... And yes, that really is their very own Striped Tomato Power Wheels!