Her creative nature takes control
By Debbie Lowe Staff writer

Makin' it happen! Kathy Shank takes pride in custom flower arranging and decorating in her shop on Main Street in Delphi. Comet photo by Debbie Lowe

Many women nowadays learn how to successfully juggle careers and family. Kathy Shank is one of those women, but now instead of juggling career and family, she's juggling two careers. Well, one is more an expanded hobby with a storefront. But nonetheless, she has found that she can divide herself between two loves - helping children and handcrafting flower arrangements.

Shank works for Carroll County's Division of Children's Services. And last October, she opened Seasons Boutique in Delphi, but has been in preparation for the business since she attended grade school in Flora.

"I always enjoyed handcrafting and making a product to sell," Shank said. "I made potholders and sold them with (friend-since-birth) Cindy Jones while in grade school just like other kids had lemonade stands. I always enjoyed making concoctions with materials."

As life went on the hobby led to learning to knit and other processes that involved material and flowers. However, the traditional life continued for Shank. She graduated from Carroll High School and Purdue University, got a job, married, moved to Delphi and raised a daughter, Jami.

"The idea of doing this as a dedicated hobby struck me when I did the flowers for Jami's wedding in 1999," Shank said. "That was when I did my first solid hour in Hobby Lobby and loved it!"

"But I've done several of those shopping trips since then!" she added.

Shank said about that time, her husband Bill converted two bedrooms in their house on Front Street in Delphi to a craft room and another into a storage room, but even that amount of space did not hold all of the flowers she was accumulating. Finally Bill offered her the use of a storefront on Main St. that housed his feed store.

"I recognized I needed to fill that empty nest when Jami got married and left the area," she said. "I like the idea of order, control, completeness and creating a thing of beauty."

Shank said she recognized her hobby had gone out of control, but said she is comfortable with where she is with it right now.

"I enjoy giving my arrangements to family and friends," she explained. "And I have several loyal customers. I really appreciate the patronage and support of those community members. But I'm not a florist; it's just a hobby for me."

"I want people to be happy with my work and I like the feeling of providing a personal touch," she continued.

"I really enjoy designing arrangements for my customers. I enjoy that people like what I do - it's an esteem builder for me," she added.

Shank's shop at 114 E. Main St. is next to Shades of Brown Tanning Salon and is open Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Customers can enter the shop through the tanning salon. The shop is also open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The growing business offers handcrafted flower arrangements and memorials, soy candles and natural lotions, soaps and home decor in an aromatic environment, which includes soft and relaxing background music.

"I'm taking this hobby-inspired business one day at a time," Shank said. "That's a little cliche` I know, but it's the truth."