Boutique offers beauty and happy endings

Posted Jan 5, 2012 By Richard Turtle

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Stirling - Since opening her new business two weeks ago, Tammy Latchford has had little time to relax but that job, she says, is for her customers.

Latchford opened the doors to Bella Ever After Boutique on West Front Street in the village on December 13 and, she says, "there's been a phenomenal response."

Latchford chose Stirling after considering several other communities but says the artistic and cultural nature of the village and surrounding community tipped the scales. Citing the Stirling Festival Theatre and a mix of independent stores connected through the local BIA or economic development department, she says the location had virtually everything to offer both for her and her primarily female customers.

The boutique, which offers scarves, purses, jewelry and accessories as well as a few men's items, is a longtime dream for its owner whose career until now has been varied and diverse. A recreation and leisure activities director at a long-term care facility she has also worked in employment services but notes, "this is something I've always wanted to do."

A Tweed resident who once reigned as Hastings County Queen of the Furrow, Latchford says she has always enjoyed working with the public. And one thing she wants to do, she notes, "is to make people see and discover their own beauty."

The name of the shop, Latchford explains, is a combination of the Italian word for beautiful and the ending of her Cinderella, her favourite fairy tale. And individual each person's beauty, she adds, is a thing worth celebrating.

"I just want people to relax and enjoy the environment," she says, adding one feature of the store is a lounge area with a fireplace and plenty to read. While there are wallets and belts on offer, the comfortable seating is primarily intended for husbands of shoppers who prefer to take their time, Latchford explains.

Much of the stock, which includes various fashion accessories from fascinators to earrings and necklaces, are drawn from as many local and nearby sources as possible, Latchford says, and include products from several local makers including the newly formed Kat and Thistle, based in Stirling.

And while the new coats of paint are only recently dry and a formal opening isn't scheduled until January, Latchford is already thinking of what to add to Bella Ever After.




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