a concept and a dream....

It’s a specialty boutique that started with a concept and a dream. Owner Kimberly Minier is a registered nurse who decided it was time to follow her passion.

"I've always had a love for fashion and design," she says, "and as a nurse, you realize if you don’t go after your dreams, your days are pretty numbered, so you’ve just got to take the plunge on things.”

Her fashion goal, however, was not to simply open a women’s clothing store, but a combination boutique where mothers and daughters could shop together. 

“I have a 14-year-old daughter, and we've always talked about opening a store because we hated going to places where we couldn’t shop together,” she says. 

So, Minier found an old carriage house in Spring Hill and opened Birdy Grace Boutique in April. 

“We carry women’s clothing in the main room,” Minier explains, “then you go through this cute little hallway, and that’s our junior department. 

She buys for the women’s side of the house, and her daughter, Maddie, does the ordering for the junior section. 

“She takes care of all of that," Minier says. "She's here about once a week, does her work on my computer, and gives me permission on what I can and cannot purchase.” 

They work together well. Between the two of them, they’ve created a consistently well-stocked boutique that has something for everybody.

"We cater to all ages," Minier says. "I literally have people who shop here from ages 7 to 75 years old. Recently, I did personal styling for a 75-year-old woman who walked out the door with the biggest smile on her face.”

And the variety of clothing is well-matched, with plenty of accessories. 

“We have tons of jewelry,” says Minier. “As you walk into the store, you see it’s fully color-coded. All of the blues are together, all of the blacks are together, and then are accessories to go with every item in the store, handbags, shoes, earrings, and so forth.”

Minier strives to pay close attention to customers’ wants and needs. 

“If they come in with a special request, we definitely try to accommodate them. I’ve started adding some kids’ stuff because many of the moms who keep coming in are saying we need little girls’ items, too. So, I brought in a small section of sizes 7 through 14, and that's gone really well.”

Creating a family-owned business often comes with its own set of challenges, but Minier has found running Birdy Grace Boutique to be an extremely positive experience. She’s excited about the example it’s setting for her daughter.

“I feel like it teaches her so many values as far as how to be part of the community, how to be an entrepreneur, and just to chase after whatever you want.”

Minier attributes much of the success of Birdy Grace Boutique, especially as a relatively new business, to the strong support from throughout Spring Hill. 

“I didn’t expect this place to take off so quickly the way it has, but this community is so great. I feel word of mouth has helped us tremendously, and being part of the Chamber has helped a ton. I just feel like this town really comes together.

Birdy Grace Boutique, located at 5323 Main Street, is open Tuesday through Friday, 11 to 7, Saturday, 10 to 7, and Sunday, 1 to 6. Minier often updates new store arrivals on the store's Facebook page.