ONTARIO — Tabitha Burchfield spent so much time preparing to open her new business that her family members named a mannequin that was sitting in their living room.
“That’s Vanessa, she doesn’t have a great personality — we said she’s mean because she stares at us,” Burchfield laughed.
Burchfield opened Peony & Burch Boutique in The Ontario Center (formerly the Richland Mall) in August. The shop sells handpicked clothing, jewelry, home decor, candles and more.
Vanessa the mannequin now stands proudly at the entrance of the shop next door to Journeys.
Burchfield grew up between Mansfield and Bellville and graduated from Clear Fork High School.
The former Crestline school librarian said she was always doing “random art projects” and started an online business when her kids were younger to sell the work.
Peony & Burch Boutique carries handpicked items from small businesses
Burchfield said she enjoys being able to talk with customers more than she was able to running an online store.
“It’s been really nice to listen to people and learn a little bit about their lives and stories,” she said. “By the same token, it’s cool to tell people where different pieces came from and what my vendors put their hearts into.”
The overwhelming majority of items available in Peony & Burch are from small businesses, most from Ohio. Burchfield said the top seller so far has been Christian jewelry.
“I asked God to allow me to be a light for people when I opened this business, so I think it’s really neat that’s been one of my top sellers,” she said.
“My goal is to be welcoming and for this to be a place where you can feel comfortable and uplifted.”
Burchfield said she is already friends with some mall walkers and regulars who talk to her frequently. She also sells homemade soaps and decorative scented candles at the store.
“I made those with my grandma in mind because she doesn’t like to burn candles, so I wanted to make them fancy and fun so she could still display them,” The mom of three said.
Burchfield and her husband Bradley have three children — ages 10, 8 and 5. She said she wanted to open the boutique so her children could see her achieve a dream.
“They were very much a part of this — they helped us paint and dealt with our living room being full of stuff,” she said. “They named our mannequin when she was sitting there for three months.
“I tried to make it fun for all of us, and the kids come hang out with me sometimes. I really want them to see they can achieve whatever they want through seeing me do this.”
Burchfield said she eventually wants to get a larger space for the boutique so she can make candles in the commercial space instead of in her home. She also wants to bring in more vendors, as well as self-care products, men’s and kid’s clothing.
Peony & Burch Boutique is on Facebook. It is located near the food court and next door to Journeys.
Peony & Burch is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and noon to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Burchfield said she will post on Facebook if she will have Sunday or Monday hours.