While growing up as a little girl in Minnesota, Kathleen Bouley dreamed of owning a gift shop with her grandmother Myrtle.
Today, part of that dream came true when she opened the doors to Rose Garden Gifts on Tenth Street in Tyrone.
“That’s truly what this is,” said Bouley, a Warriors Mark resident. “A dream come true. My grandmother may not be physically here with me, but she’s in my heart, and now, in my store.”
Rose Garden Gifts is just that – a gift shop. But this particular shop has the unique gifts that will bring more life to downtown shopping, and hopefully, bring others from outside the area to the streets of Tyrone.
“It is a standard gift shop, but it’s also something more,” she said. “There are items in here that people won’t be able to find in one place anywhere in the area.”
The shop carries a full line of Disney products, glassware, porcelain, china dolls, music boxes and numerous different brands and styles of wild animal statues. And if there’s something a shopper is looking for that may not be on a shelf, she said leafing through the many catalogs may produce that “extra special” gift that just might make someone smile on Christmas morning.
According to Bouley, her dream of owning the shop began coming to fruition about three weeks ago.
“I was standing outside the Salvation Army and watching as C&C Furniture was moving out,” said Bouley. “That’s really when it hit me. I was not working, knew I wanted to do it, and thought ‘hey, that’s the perfect spot for what I want to do.’”
When she woke the next day, she thought: “I had to do it.”
Days later, Bouley and members of her family started the laboring tasks of painting walls, shampooing carpets and installing the shelving.
“I have to give a lot of different people credit for what I have started here,” said Bouley. “My family has been tremendously supportive, as have been the kids from the Joshua House. When we started moving things in, those kids were more than willing to strain their backs and help me move some of the heavier things in. It’s nice to know that my neighbors here in downtown Tyrone were willing to help me with this.”
In addition to the items she has on the shelves and the catalog availability, Bouley said she will be partnering with Tyrone Gina Cameron, who will offer a wide variety of Victorian gifts.
Bouley also said there will be new things coming, such as a line of glass garden products from Bird Brain Inc. and a wedding center that will provide customers with information on photographers, reception halls and other matrimonial ideas.
“We’re also providing a delivery service that will get customers their products in three to five business days,” she said.
Bouley said she is hoping her new store catches on in the downtown, and cited the continued growth of retail business as her ace reason for locating in Tyrone.
“There’s a lot of new things going on down here and I’m excited to see Tyrone growing again. We really have to extend the credit to the Chamber of Commerce,” she said. “Bonnie Patton (director) is wonderful in working with new businesses. We’re lucky to have her.”
A grand opening for the business is scheduled for Nov. 29 and will feature a 10-percent sale on all merchandise.
Rose Garden Gifts, aptly named because of Bouley and her grandmother’s love for roses, is open six days a week: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
