Hi, I'm Larissa, and I'm thrilled to have you here to share our story. My husband and I embarked on this journey out of our home in April of 2023 with a vision of making fashion accessible to everyone. We wanted to offer quality products at affordable prices. The idea stemmed from my passion for fashion and the love we share for our children. We aimed to create a family-friendly shopping space where both our kids and customers could feel at ease.
My husband was employed, but In today's economy, I needed a job as well to help support our little family. With daycare costs soaring, we chose to keep our children at home to cherish more family moments together because the benefits of spending more time with our children far more outweighs the benefits of putting them in daycare and working a regular 9-5 job.
After careful consideration, we devised a plan for a Women's Clothing Boutique. Initially, we planned to operate only from home, festivals, and pop-up shops. Our little ones even tagged along with us sometimes, which we did face some challenges in keeping them occupied, we did manage to make it work.
The venture gained momentum, and as summer drew to a close, we pondered our next steps. Should we wait until next spring or transition to a physical store for winter? We searched and searched for a viable option, we even got a place in Prestonsburg, KY, but that building had some setbacks so we had to sell it (That's a whole other story). One day, me and my husband found the perfect storefront for lease in Pikeville, Kentucky and we made the move! It was already set up for exactly what we needed, two dressing rooms, kitchen area, restroom, space for a play area for the kids, checkout counter, and all the racks and shelving we could ever need, it couldn't of been anymore perfect!
Now that we had our very own Brick-and-mortar building, we transformed the space into a place where our children could play and be entertained, while we manage the boutique. This setup allows us to provide excellent customer service while caring for our kids, striking a harmonious balance between work and family life. We dedicated some space in the back of our shop for our children to be able to relax and just be themselves. We made their space kid friendly and it has a nice comfy couch, television on the wall for their movie time, and lots and lots of toys! For the most part, they are very content in their play room, but sometimes they want to run freely throughout the store. They enjoy watching mommy and daddy work and they will ask to help, so we give them some paper and pens to write with, and they do such a very good job! It really excites them to "help us" and we love the joy it brings us by seeing the looks of happiness in their eyes.
Our children adds joy to the shop, greeting customers with their infectious smiles and hellos everytime they walk through our doors. We have a door bell on the front door and no matter if the kids are in their play room or up front with us, when that door bell dings because someone opened the front door to come inside, they both scream with joy and say "Hello!", "Hello!", "Hello!", "Hello!", "Hello!"...I'm not kidding, haha, it seems like they say hello a thousand times sometimes. So be ready to be greeted with love and kindness from our little ones when you come into our Boutique.
Sometimes they aren't in the best of moods, their sleepy, their hungry, and sometimes their even over the top hyper. Many times I have found myself helping a customer, changing a diaper, helping a customer, and then changing another diaper. I'm not going to say that this is easy for any of us, because it does have its challenges to care for our children while taking care of our small business. Even though juggling both roles comes with some challenges, we collaborate to make it work. So far, so good, we are being successful at both and growing!
The laughter of our children, the warmth of our customers, and the passion we have for fashion all come together to create a unique and welcoming atmosphere in our store. We are committed to maintaining this harmonious blend of family and business, as it is at the core of everything we do. From our humble beginnings at home to expanding into a physical store, each stage has been both thrilling and demanding. Our journey is fueled by our love for our children and our passion for fashion, which truly makes it a wonderful adventure. As we navigate the boutique's daily operations and care for our little ones, we embrace the need for harmony between work and family. Every day presents opportunities for growth and learning, and we appreciate our customers' support for our blend of family warmth and exceptional service.
Our journey continues, and we are eager to serve our community with dedication, passion, and love. Our dedication to providing quality products at affordable prices remains steadfast, and we are constantly exploring new ways to enhance your shopping experience. With each passing day, we are reminded of the importance of cherishing family moments and fostering genuine connections with our community. We invite you to join us on this incredible journey, filled with love, dedication, and endless possibilities.
Thank you for being a part of our story, for supporting our dreams, and for sharing in the magic that is our family-friendly boutique. Together, we are creating something truly special, and we are excited to see where this adventure takes us next. Stay tuned for more exciting updates, new arrivals, and heartfelt moments that make our boutique a place like no other.