For Sheila Karnes, life is good.
Literally.
As owner of the Life is Good, she focuses on selling apparel and accessories “for the convivial optimist.”
“I’ve been a fan of the Life is Good brand for years,” she said. “I’ve wanted to do it for years and I decided now is a good time.”
Karnes, 37, said she learned of the brand five years ago through the biking and outdoor culture.
“It’s a brand you can’t really find anywhere except specialty stores,” she said.
And now, with her.
Her Life is Good store, which opened in December, is located inside the Gallery School of Music & Dance at 702 Bay Street.
Her husband teaches guitar in the same complex.
“This is the perfect location,” Karnes said, “because this is one of the hubs of positive energy in Port Orchard.”
And positive energy is important to Karnes.
“The people who know it come in,” she said. “And the people who don’t know the brand are instantly in love with the positive message.”
“We target everyone — men, women, teenagers — it appeals to so many different types of people,” she said. “We mostly look to have an optimistic outlook on life.”
She explained that parents like the brand because of its message. “There’s so much hardcore stuff with a negative message out there on the market,” Karbes said.
The Derry, N.H.-based company started in 1994 and prides itself on a belief in goodness.
Apparel includes colorful T-shirts and sweatshirts bearing such messages as “Take your sweet time,” “Stay cool,” and the trademark “Life is good.” Prices start at about $25.
In addition to clothes, she sells items such as books and mugs that are 1950s style with thick handles.
Karnes previously worked as a sales associate and clothing buyer for Silverdale Cyclery, which she says gave her the experience needed for her current job.
And it’s a career she’s hoping will evolve.
“Throughout the season, you’ll see different types of apparel,” she said of Life is Good, which is open Monday through Friday 1 to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. “It will always be fresh.”
