That Time I Owned a Children’s Store
It’s absolutely wild to me to that it’s been exactly 13 years since we bought, and took over ownership, of our little children’s store in Chilliwack - lellow. I love a good #ThrowbackThursday and boy oh boy, this is quite the milestone one! It’s cliche to say “it feels like a lifetime ago” but it truly does. SO much life has been lived since then - we’ve had three more kids, bought and sold houses, started more businesses - and it kind of all feels like a distant memory.
The details are all a little fuzzy now, but on a visit back to Chilliwack to visit family, we felt the pull to be back in our hometown, and made a very quick decision to buy the store after seeing an old Kijiji ad for it! Before I knew it, we were moving back into our little house we still owned in Chilliwack, and doing the not so fun dance of back and forth to Alberta. Shane had to stay there to work (and fund the costs of the store 🙃) and would come back as often as he could, while Sophie and I held down the fort and ran the store!
We had a little living room space set up in the back room, and it became a gathering place for my family and friends to visit! I have such sweet memories of my grandparents coming for lunch and bringing us all Timmies and watching Happy Feet with a very little Sophie on the old tv! I love this old photo I was able to find (vintage instagram filter and all lol) of my grandparents 🫶🏼
It wasn’t always easy, and sometimes I wonder just how I actually ran a store with a toddler by my side, but it was an incredible season of growth for me personally! We eventually decided that it was better for our family to move back to Alberta and close up shop, but I learnt so much for the time I owned lellow. I learnt about the retail biz, how to style a window display, manage employees, and engage in community, but I also learnt how to take a leap, and dream a little!
While the chapter of owning my sweet little store is over, I will always have just the fondest memories of it!
Until I blog again,
Alex 🫶🏼
