Heather Jones is the proprietor of the new store in Westminster called Strong and Courageous Boutique at 6 E. Green St.
“When I graduated from Westminster High School, I became a caregiver. When COVID came, I took the leap of faith to start a business. I had always wanted to start a business. I prayed about it and chose a name, Strong and Courageous from Joshua 1:9 as my inspiration,” Jones said.
“At first, I started selling Paparazzi jewelry,” Jones said. She was a consultant and made commission. She sold jewelry for a year but was not making enough money.
Jones decided she wanted to sell a wider variety of merchandise such as clothing, jewelry and accessories. She decided to open a store. Jones sold online for four years.
As part of her online sales, Jones has been posting live sales on her Facebook page every year showing toys that people can purchase to donate to local children in need. Last year, local residents donated toys to the Westminster Boys and Girls Club and Live Hope Laugh, a project of the Alexis Ross Foundation’s Night of Giving.
Jones decided to get a brick-and-mortar business. At first, she investigated a shop in Littlestown, Pennsylvania, but it did not work out.
When her husband Dominic Jones found a building for rent on East Green Street in Westminster. They jumped at the chance to rent it.
“It was meant to be,” Jones said. “My grandparents Margaret and Jim Waltz owned a home on East Green Street so it has good memories for me.”
There are three sections in the store including home décor, clothing and accessories and a sweet smells room including candles, wax melts, room sprays and bath and body products.
There is a wide variety of unique merchandise for sale, including craft artists’ items. Sandy Martin hand makes figural snowmen. She also makes wreaths out of real turkey feathers. In addition, Martin makes stuffed pumpkins out of fabric and homemade ornaments out of fabric and yarn.
“Everything made by Martin is handmade with love,” Bell said.
Dominic Jones also will be selling his artwork and home décor. His work includes handmade wooden tables with images engraved into the top as well as coasters. They can be customized. Dominic Jones will also have hand painted saw blades for sale. They feature images of Carroll County scenery. The blades can also be customized. He will have paintings and prints exhibited for sale.
Veteran Arika Stiles, also called the Crochet Queen, is featured at the boutique where she sells her beanies and ear warmers. Stiles also makes dream catcher style earrings with crocheted centers and feathers added.
She also makes earrings out of epoxy. Stiles makes earrings in different shapes from hearts to teardrops. For Christmas, she has made snowflake earrings, wreaths and Christmas trees. Some are decorated with glitter. There are also cow faces, paw prints and turtles on earrings. “They are colorful and artsy,” Jones said.
Wonderful warm chunky hand-knitted yarn blankets by Cindy Georg, of Hampstead, also are part of the unique inventory at the boutique. The soft and warm blankets can be customized by making any size or color.
Goat milk bar soap, made by Casey Lehr, is also available at the store. Lehr raises her own goats. Their goat milk is used as an ingredient. The soap is colorful with many different scents offered. Lehr also makes goat milk body lotions and sugar scrubs for softer skin.
Cameron Livesay, a 12-year-old baker from Sykesville, has a business named Soulman Sweets. He won the 2023 Light of Carroll Entrepreneur Award. Livesay donates his baked goods to local food banks.
Livesay was also the Farmers’ Almanac Honey Recipe Winner for 2022; a finalist in the Restaurant Association of Maryland’s Makin Bacon Contest, the first-place winner in the Melissa Produce Family Baking Challenge 2022, the Judges Pick in the Most Marylandy Marylander Contest with Route One Apparel, recipient of the Guppy Tank Kid’s Grant for Young Entrepreneurs and took second place in the BroHo Hot sauce Chile Cookoff.
The boutique is selling his cocoa bombs, which are chocolate decorated globes that you drop in milk, water or coffee. A variety of cookies will be part of his baked goods for sale including seasonal specialties.
Tatiana Bell, of Westminster, has one-of-a-kind hand-painted hats displayed at the shop for sale.
They will also be adding more local crafts makers’ creations and unique gifts in the future.
Strong and Courageous is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays.
Jones can be contacted at strongcourageousboutique@gmail.com. They are also on Facebook.
Lyndi McNulty is the owner of Gizmo’s Art in Westminster. Her column, An Eye for Art, appears regularly in Life & Times.