About Us

Hi, I'm Ruben — owner and creator of Stella Ray Miscellaneous.

I was raised by my grandmother, a wonderfully creative and artsy woman who taught me to love making things from scratch. From a young age, she showed me the magic of DIY — including how to put together amazing Halloween costumes on a budget. That spark of creativity never left me.

My dream was always to have my own business. In 2020, my husband Ray and I packed up our lives in San Diego and moved to Omaha, Nebraska. We both come from the food service and restaurant industry, so customer service has always been at the heart of everything we do. For a while, I put my handmade business dream on the back burner.

Then one day in 2022, everything changed. I was putting laundry away with YouTube playing in the background when a melt-and-pour soap tutorial by Ann Marie from Bramble Berry came on. Something inside me lit up. I ran to Michaels, grabbed a couple of 1lb blocks of melt-and-pour soap, three fragrance oils, some micas, and dried herbs — and the rest is history.

I started making small batches of soaps, then bath bombs, then candles, and gave them away to coworkers and family. The response was incredible. Stella Ray Miscellaneous was born.

The Name Behind the Brand

I'm allergic to cats. Having one was never part of the plan. But you know what they say — if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.

One evening I came home from work and noticed a tiny shadow dart across my driveway as I pulled in. I opened the garage door and the little shadow ran right in. The next day, after a long shift, I played cat sounds on my phone in the garage — and after a few minutes, I heard a faint meow. There she was: a 3-week-old kitten, lying flat on the floor under a table, barely moving. I thought she was gone. But she wasn't.

I fed her milk and water through a syringe, wrapped her in a blanket, and kept her warm through the night. By morning, she was back on her feet. I kept her — allergies and all — and named her Stella.

When it came time to name my business, I chose the two things I love most: my cat, Stella, and my husband, Ray. Stella Ray Miscellaneous is more than a brand — it's a love letter to creativity, resilience, and the unexpected little blessings that change your life.

Thank you for being here and supporting a small handmade business with a big heart. 🐱🧼