Today we’d like to introduce you to Cristina Menjivar.
Cristina, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
CM Lux Decor began in 2020 as a creative hobby during a time when I had fallen in love with home interior design. I started experimenting with resin, creating geode-inspired wall art, coasters, and serving trays simply because I enjoyed the process. After sharing my work on Instagram, I was surprised by how many people wanted to purchase my pieces, which inspired me to open my Etsy shop in 2021.
While I loved creating home décor, I knew resin had so much more potential. One day I came across a video about preserving flowers in resin, and it immediately sparked my curiosity. I experimented with a few hydrangeas I had received as a gift and created my very first floral bookend. Around that same time, I had the opportunity to display my work at the Dallas Arboretum, and seeing people’s excitement and admiration for the preserved flowers made me realize I had found something truly special.
Not long after, one of my closest friends, Yaritza, got married, and I asked if she would trust me to preserve her wedding bouquet. I invested in professional materials, including high quality resin, silica gel, and my very first vacuum chamber, determined to create something worthy of such an important memory. When I finished her keepsake, we both fell in love with the result. I photographed it, listed it on Etsy, and received my very first floral preservation order within the first month. At the time, even one sale felt like an incredible milestone.
From there, the business grew much faster than I ever imagined. Brides began finding me through Etsy and social media, custom requests started pouring in, and my catalog continued to expand as I introduced new keepsake designs. Today, I have the honor of preserving wedding and memorial flowers for clients across the country, including places as far as Hawaii—and transforming some of life’s most meaningful moments into timeless works of art. Looking back, it’s incredible to think that what started as a simple creative hobby has grown into a business trusted with people’s most cherished memories.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve been incredibly blessed to have the support of my family since day one. They’ve been there through every stage of the journey, from helping me set up tents at pop-up events across the DFW area to working behind the scenes on all the not-so-glamorous parts of running a business. Having that family support has made all the difference.
In the beginning, I was working a full-time job while growing CM Lux Decor on nights and weekends. I would finish work around 6 p.m., come home, and spend another six hours working on orders, answering clients, and creating new pieces, often not going to bed until midnight, only to wake up and do it all over again the next day. It was exhausting, but I loved every minute of creating.
The hardest part wasn’t the workload, it was finally finding the courage to leave the job I had for over ten years. It was stable, familiar, and stepping away from that security was scary. Looking back, I realized I wasn’t giving myself the chance to fully pursue my own dream. Thankfully, my family believed in me even before I fully believed in myself. They encouraged me to take the leap and reminded me that they would be there no matter what.
Taking that leap of faith changed everything. I’m incredibly grateful that I did because every challenge taught me something, and every sacrifice helped build the business I have today. CM Lux Decor has grown into a business that not only allows me to do what I love every day, but also provides for my family and creates opportunities for other talented women to work alongside me. I still work hard every day, but now I get to wake up doing something I genuinely love while preserving some of life’s most meaningful memories for families across the country. It has been one of the most rewarding decisions of my life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At CM Lux Decor, we specialize in preserving flowers from life’s most meaningful moments, whether it’s a wedding, a memorial, an anniversary, or another special occasion and transforming them into timeless works of art. Every piece is custom designed, allowing our clients to relive those memories every time they see their keepsake.
What I’m most proud of is the reputation we’ve built for quality and craftsmanship. Every flower is carefully preserved by hand, and we take our time with each piece because we understand that these aren’t just flowers, they represent moments that can never be recreated. I also take pride in the fact that we’ve grown our business almost entirely through Etsy and word of mouth referrals. Knowing that so many of our clients come to us because someone they trust recommended us is incredibly rewarding and something I never take for granted.
I believe what truly sets us apart is the experience we provide. We work closely with every client throughout the design process, making sure each keepsake reflects their vision and style. We treat every order as a collaboration rather than a transaction, and we care for every bouquet as if it were our own. At the end of the day, our goal isn’t just to preserve flowers, it’s to preserve the memories, emotions, and stories behind them in a way that families can cherish for generations.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
The best way to work with us is by visiting our website or reaching out through Instagram. We work with clients nationwide, so whether you’re local to the Dallas Fort Worth area or across the country, we’d be honored to preserve your flowers. We also love collaborating with wedding planners, florists, photographers, and venues that want to offer their clients a meaningful way to preserve their special memories.
If someone simply wants to support our business, one of the greatest compliments they can give us is a recommendation. Nearly all of our growth has come through word of mouth and referrals from past clients, and we’re incredibly grateful for that trust. Following our journey on social media, sharing our work, or recommending us to a friend truly means the world to us and helps our small business continue to grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cmluxdecor.com
- Instagram: @cmlux.decor
- Facebook: @cmlux.decor
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CMLUXDECOR
