Peter following passions, closing Bittersweet
TOM PINNEY/DAILY FORUM
Bittersweet Floral and Gifts owner Vanessa Peter poses next to a display of scrapbooks and scrapbooking materials. Peter will be closing up shop at the end of September to focus on scrapbooking.
After Bittersweet Floral and Gifts sustained some water damage earlier this summer, rumors began to swirl about the shop closing its doors. To quell these rumors, owner Vanessa Peter took to Facebook, assuring customers that she would not be closing any time soon.
But, as Peter put it, God had different plans.
Due to the water damage the store sustained, Peter had started to put the store’s inventory online to sell. That’s when she said she received word that she needed a change.
“God spoke to me and told me it was time to put the shop aside and focus on scrapbooking,” Peter explained. “It’s going to be sad closing the store, there are a lot of people that come in and buy my products. But I’m excited for the new opportunities that are coming my way.”
As a result, Bittersweet will stop taking floral orders on August 31 and close up shop September 30 after 13 years of business in Maryville, the last four of which Peter owned the store. This won’t be the end for Peter’s business, however, as she will be moving it online.
“When you have a physical shop, your reach is only so big,” Peter said. “But moving online could mean that I reach the world.”
Getting rid of the brick-and-mortar shop will also give Peter some flexibility, both in time off and ability to travel.
“I’d like to go to some craft shows and teach others about scrapbooking,” Peter said. “With a physical store, it’s so hard to close up shop to go somewhere.
“I also have family that I haven’t been able to spend much time with, and now I’ll be able to do so. I have grandkids now that I’ll be able to see more.”
Scrapbooking was always Peter’s first passion, and she said a lot of it had to do with the amount of creativity that goes into scrapbooking.
“I make the scrapbooks by hand, from the designs to the binding,” Peter said. “It’s a great way to show some creativity and create lasting memories.
“Right now, we have a lot of people who have their pictures on their phones, and the phone is really the only thing that gets to enjoy the moments. By creating scrapbooks, people can have something physical that they can bring out and show to their kids, their grandkids, and so on so that the memories last forever.”
Bittersweet Floral and Gifts is open normal hours until September 30, when Peter will lock the door for the last time. Her online scrapbooking business will be located at sistersscrappinitup.com.