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NEW BEGINNINGS
Katrina brought an abrupt end to the business in 2005,
as her shop was just two blocks from where the levee broke. “Without flood insurance, we had to rebuild on a hope and prayer.
It was our community and customer support that enabled us
to open a second shop in Old Metairie, and also reopen in our original location,” says Sobrino. She offered a wider selection of furnishings and clothing to fill local needs. In 2015, she added a tween shop in Metairie, called MISS Muffin.
“All our stores are in community settings and we believe in supporting those communities by whatever means we can,”
says Sobrino. She sells ornaments to support the City Park, and holds trunk shows and sells the work of local artisans, including Ginger Leigh, Gabby Gumbo, Heather Elizabeth and Jax Frey.
She buys products from charitable-minded vendors, such as Fleur-de-Light, which donates $1 per candle sold to the local food bank. “We give them a check for the inventory we buy, and match their contribution,” says Sobrino. “If you build your business on service and relationships, it always comes back to you.”
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