By Jessica Wilson
As cliché as it might sound, you really do need to love what you do. There is something special about the products and services provided by people when their heart is involved in every aspect of the company.
Beverly Gunderson and Keiley Caldwell, a mother-daughter duo whose love for small-town charm and creative passion set a perfect example of what can be accomplished when someone makes a courageous decision to invest their heart into their work.
Keiley opened Main Street Blooms last year on Valentine’s Day in the historic district of Buford, Georgia. The shop is located in the old Pure Gas station opened by the Burton’s in the 1960s at the corner of West Main Street and South Lee Street. This old building packed full of character and love offers an open and fresh storefront which is perfect for displaying beautiful floral arrangements and unique locally made gifts.
As a child, Keiley would help her mother collect fresh flowers, vines, foliage and berries from the gardens at their home as well as in the wild. Not knowing at the time that these simple trips to the garden would one day be the driving force behind her passion and her success.
Keiley found her passion in floral design. Her designs are unlike that of other floral designers in the area. Her style is a unique mash-up all her own. They are part European chic and part southern charm.
Growing up in a tiny town in south central Kentucky, Keiley understands the value of a small-town’s historical charm. This is what drew Beverly and Keiley to the area, “We love the heart and history this town has.”
When Keiley began looking for a brick and mortar location, she fell in love with the old gas station and desired to leave as much of the building’s history as possible when starting her shop. The layers of paint, she said, “reflect the years of memories for so many who were raised here”.
Hearing memories associated with the building from many generations of native Bufordites has connected the hearts of Beverly and Keiley to the community. Hearing stories about people buying their blue jeans there when it was Dick Burton’s or learning that the store was the first gas station around to sell lottery tickets have made them feel as if they were part of the memories too. “I have even had the grandchildren of the old station owner tell me the history of the old Victorian next door which used to be a funeral parlor and now an attorney’s office,” explains Keiley.
Keiley has fallen in love with her little shop and it’s many layers of history and the people of Buford. She feels that Buford is where she is supposed to be and it makes her heart happy to bring joy to the residents through her floral designs. She knows that she was meant to be here and to make a difference in her own way. Customers come back time and time again telling her just how much her creations made someone happy.
There is an undeniable warmth that radiates from these two business owners. When you invest your heart, everything becomes more beautiful and love will naturally begin to bloom.
Main Street Blooms is located at 298 West Main Street in Buford, Georgia. For additional information, call (678) 541-5447 or visit www.mainstreetblooms.com.
