About Us

Welcome to Mema and Mija!

My name is Ashley and I'm a high school English teacher currently taking a sabbatical from in-classroom teaching due to the pandemic. This past year has been full of many changes and pivots, but opening this store has been a lifelong dream.

Our name Mema (pronounced: meh-mah) and Mija is in honor of my grandmother, who I called Mema. She taught me the importance of community and pride in mi cultura. This store is a culmination of those two loves: community and cultura.

Every Saturday morning, Mema took me to yard sales around our neighborhood where she'd scoop up things she liked and things she thought her family and friends would like. She loved to shop and she loved supporting local businesses and artisans. She used to talk about opening up a small neighborhood store and together we'd dream up things to sell. While this small business looks different than the one that we dreamed up back then, the spirit of it remains the same.

My Mema passed away over ten years ago, but this store is one small way I continue to honor her memory. She loved throwing family parties, doing arts and crafts, and celebrating life in any small way she could. May these papel picados bring you joy as you use them to decorate your home, parties, offices, and classrooms.

Your purchase helps to support me as a teacher on sabbatical and also supports my dream of owning this small business since I was a niña. Thank you for being here!

Con amor,

Ashley

Please don't forget to follow us on social media. You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest: @memaandmija