Business name: Strength & Grace Boutique

Address: 115 Church Hill Road

Owner: Caitlin Lucian

Business background: I was previously an elementary school teacher and was looking for something a little more flexible, so I would have more time with my now 5-year-old twins. They are one of the most important reasons that my husband, Justin, and I do what we do every day. Our son’s name is Ethan, which means strength, and our daughter’s name is Madeline Grace, so we named Strength and Grace Boutique after them. They are our namesake. They are our everything.

The business began as an online boutique. It was operating out of the basement of our house in Sandy Hook, where we would primarily do shipping to different areas in the country and a lot of local clients, as well. We would sometimes have people over to shop in the basement. We had a vision to someday, if the perfect place came along, have a storefront in our local community.

When I was driving my children to school one day, I saw this building and pulled over. I took a picture and sent it to my husband saying, “This is it!” The stars were aligned. It’s a beautiful building, and it’s in such a wonderful location. We officially opened in this building on January 19, and we’ve enjoyed every second of it.

Business focus: Our main focus is apparel. We carry XS through 3XL, because we want to be able to service women of different shapes, sizes, and body types. We encourage everyone to come in, look at our products, and try things on to get that boutique experience that isn’t always afforded to them in some of the more niche boutiques that don’t carry their sizes.

We carry accessories and handbags, as well as different gifts and home goods. We have partnerships with various local artisans to bring in their jewelry, woodworking signs, and art, because we want to promote other small businesses in the area and give them an opportunity to grow their businesses.

We also really focus on affordability. All our items are handpicked and hand-curated, and we get new items on a weekly basis. We work for uniqueness, affordability, and comfort.

Important to know: The biggest thing for us is creating a personalized shopping experience. We want to get to know our customers and for them to know us. We are fully family run right now. We want to be able to provide our customers with items and clothing that are specific for them. We want you to be part of our family.

Future events: Our ribbon cutting ceremony with the Newtown Chamber of Commerce is coming up February 23, between 10 and 11 am.

Hours: Tuesdays from 10 am to 5 pm; Wednesdays from noon to 7 pm; Thursdays and Fridays from 9 am to 2:30 pm; Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm; closed Sunday and Monday. Extended hours coming in the spring and summer.

Website: strengthandgraceboutique.com

Social Media: Facebook and Instagram @strengthandgraceboutique

Phone: 203-491-2090

E-mail: caitlin@strengthandgraceboutique.com