By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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CHERRY VALLEY — At first glance, you might not be able to make out the writing on a few of the shirts inside Aggie’s Uncluttered Cottage.

That’s OK. Those squiggles — with messages such as “ϱnoɿɈƨ ɘɿɒ υoY” and “lυʇiɈυɒɘd ɘɿɒ υoY” — aren’t designed for onlookers. They’re meant to give the wearer a dose of good vibes when they read the backwards cursive writing in the mirror to reveal “you are strong” and “you are beautiful.”

The writing comes from the hand of 92-year-old Aggie Cain, who has long delighted her granddaughter Sarah Homola with her unusual talent for backwards cursive penmanship.

“When I was a kid she would leave notes, and you could look at them in a mirror to read what they said,” Homola said.

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Those shirts are now part of the selection at Homola’s new women’s fashion boutique inside The Bricks, 125 E. State St., in downtown. The style runs the gamut from vintage to contemporary and there’s new clothing, gifts and jewelry as well as resale items and soon a selection of merchandise sold on consignment.

Homola held a grand opening celebration Saturday and starts regular hours this Friday.

Homola said her grandmother, who is now in hospice care, always instilled confidence in her and “made me feel comfortable being exactly who I was.” Cain has also been a source of constant happiness, even insisting that no one wear dark clothing at her eventual funeral and that it incorporates bubbles, because “bubbles make everybody happy.”

Now the store named in her grandmother’s honor aims to spread that feeling of joy to customers, who are invited to “find your happy” at Aggie’s Uncluttered Cottage. You can also find Cain’s artistic touch both with her writing on the Bella + Canvas shirts and with miniatures she created that are displayed at the store.

“She is an artist through and through, and her heart and her soul give off happy,” Homola said. “She just brings so much happy and comfort to so many people, and I just feel like that’s how I want this space to always be.”

The store’s decor blends a beach theme with the building’s industrial history. The dressing room is built from old wood pallets, clothing racks are made from metal piping, there are exposed HVAC ducts and a vintage wooden door is the tabletop of the front checkout desk.

Homola, who lives with her husband, Jeremy, and their five children in a nearby renovated farmhouse, said she had watched as The Bricks started to come together with more and more businesses.

“This location, the people down here, this opportunity, there’s so much possibility,” she said. “If something doesn’t work, I love that I have the ability to shift.”

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She also wants to create opportunities for other creators. The first is Amy Keller, who makes earrings, necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry from polymer clay, leather, cork and other materials. Keller’s business, Adorned by Grace Boutique, has a display inside the shop.

“I watched her work so hard at something that she’s passionate about, that makes her feel good about herself, that she’s helping her family,” Homola said of Keller. “I want to be able to do that with other vendors. Bring unique gifts in, kind of shift it around, have new clothes in.”

Keller, of Roscoe, said she and Homola have similar philosophies on life and business.

“I always try my best to bring joy and happiness to people,” Keller said. “I want to do my best to bring happiness and joy and show love to others, and that is Sarah and her shop to a T.”

Homola said her business will have unconventional hours to start as she balances work and family. There will be regular weekday hours from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and appointment-only shopping on weekends and evenings. That’s done so she can continue to put her family and five children as her first priority.

“That’s everything that I live for. I didn’t want a business to turn into, I’m not going to be a mom. I wanted a business to allow me to be a better mom,” she said. “I think the people who understand and support that are the customers that I’m excited to draw in. I think fellow moms will understand.”

Homola said the lineup of clothing, gifts and jewelry will change to keep it fresh for return customers. She said her first lesson after her grand opening was to expand the array of sizes she offers.

“I want people to feel comfortable coming in and finding different pieces,” she said. “I would like everybody to be able to come in and find a little something. Something that brings them a little bit of happy.”

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About | Aggie’s Uncluttered Cottage

Where: 125 E. State St., suite F, Cherry Valley

Hours: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; evening and weekend shopping available by appointment

On the web: shopaggiescottage.com

On social: facebook.com/AggiesUnclutteredCottage; instagram.com/aggiesunclutteredcottage

Phone: 815-262-0850

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