A chance encounter with an ad for a vintage Airstream trailer sparked a new career for Julie L. Palmer and her family
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Story & photographs by Pamela Price
Having grown up in Karnes County, just south of the Texas Hill Country, Julie L. Palmer felt the tug of the Big City early in life.
“After acquiring consumer science and apparel design degrees in Houston, I spent a million years working in retail management and absolutely thrived on the relationships I was able to build with clients,” she said. “My years at Betsey Johnson were truly lovely. It also provided the creative outlet that I desperately need in my life.”
Marriage followed–to “the love of my life, Kevin Palmer”–along with “a few babies.”
“The retail schedule became a little too much for our family, so I transitioned into a more academic setting at Rice University. There I became an event specialist and was able to continue to build relationships with not only people within the Rice community, but also other organizations and groups around the country. It was a great experience, and I realized that I also have a love for events!”
The H-town traffic proved trying, however. Seeking a different way and pace of life, Julie and Kevin decided to return to her family’s Karnes County farm.
“I worked for the local school district for one year to test the waters and after being asked to return,” she said. “I realized that my creativity really needed nurturing and I needed to do something else.”
Social Media Inspiration
That’s more or less how the Palmer’s Succulent Salon (Facebook, Instagram) came to be–with a little extra nudge from a Facebook ad for a darling 1976 Airstream trailer.
“My husband and I are lovers of all things vintage. We had frequently discussed how amazing it would be to have an Airstream. He came across an ad . . . and suggested we take a look at it. It had previously been used as a mobile boutique for women’s clothing and accessories. We headed to La Vernia and spoke to the most lovely couple about the trailer and all their adventures.”
The drive was there, to make the purchase, but Julie thought through the investment.
“For a whole week I racked my brain about what type of business I wanted to do. I had been in women’s clothing and accessories for years and knew that I didn’t want to house that kind of inventory. My husband’s advice was ‘choose one thing and let’s focus on that.’ After a few nights of lying awake in bed, it came to me. Since moving to the country, my husband and I had assisted in quite a bit of landscaping for my mother’s new house and we chose to use succulents. I have always liked them, but after these projects I had a newfound love for them. I presented the idea to my husband as ‘succulents in vintage containers.’”
Kevin was keen on the idea and the couple bought the trailer. Next came the refinement of the business idea, with their new purchase helping set the vibe and mood.
“We wanted the space to feel airy, but comfortable. I wanted customers to step in and want to stay a while. Hence the name ‘salon.’ You know back in the day ‘Let’s have a sit in the salon.’”
Although the trailer had already been used as a mobile boutique, there was still work to be done.
“We removed stuff, sanded, painted, repaired. You name it, we probably did it. As I tell everyone, it has definitely been a labor of love, but people’s reactions and feedback make it all worth it. We are mobile, so we research different vendor shows and markets to determine where we will go next. The Airstream is a 1976 model so she still requires a lot of love and attention, which is why we typically don’t travel further than one to two hours from our home base.”
Obstacles & Opportunities
As delightful as their journey to entrepreneurship may have been, Julie said there are still major trade-offs and challenges.
“The move from city to country life has definitely been an adjustment for me and my family. The urge to go to Target is real people! Especially when it is over 50 miles away. That being said, slowing things down, having true quality time with my family, and the ability to create beautiful things through succulents makes me feel so much more complete. Some days are definitely harder than others due to the lack of conveniences, but it makes the trips to Target and other places more worthwhile.”
The search for great vintage tins to use in her business provides incentive for travel.
“We scour antique and thrift stores. I spend hours on the computer looking at estate sale pictures. Do they have anything we can use? Is it worth the X amount of miles we have to drive to go get it? And will the price be fair? Most estate sale companies don’t answer questions online. You just have to show up and hope they have something, or whatever you saw, at a fair price. There have been instances where we have driven an hour to an hour and a half away to realize that nothing will really work for us or the price is too high.”
The succulents too, while generally hardy, have presented their own challenges.
“We definitely have had our trial and error moments in keeping these plants alive–from frying them in the greenhouse to the greenhouse actually blowing away in a storm. It has been an adventure to say the least. Even though they may be considered one of the easier species of plants to keep alive, they are definitely very particular about the amount of light they like and also of course, watering. Let me tell you, when it rained for what seems a hundred days straight [this fall], I was losing my mind trying to keep those babies alive. Too much water and no sun are a deadly combination. Every day presents us with something new and while we will never claim to be the ‘experts’ on succulents, we have done countless hours of googling, asking questions, testing, all of the things to try and know more than we did yesterday.”
All of the work, the move, and the career change appear to be worth it for the Palmers–with an added, unanticipated benefit for Julie. The adventure has helped to reconnect her to her roots.
“This business has also, in a way, brought me closer to my grandmother who passed away several years ago. I think of her often when I create pieces because she was such a green thumb and plant lover. Sometimes I can hear her say, ‘¡Que bonita mijita!’ I miss her terribly, and I am positive she would have come along on a few of our excursions if she was still here today.”
Pamela Price is the founder of TheTexasWildlflower.com.
This looks adorable. The vintage charm + the succulents just WORKS.