The beautiful view from the balcony at Sprinkle of Joy Boutique in downtown Browerville. Opening day on March 30 brought in many shoppers in spite of the snowfall. Lindsey Rinde and Megan May hope to constantly add to the lines they will carry in the store.
Lindsey Rinde and Megan May waited on customers on their opening day, March 30.
Browerville Mayor Bob Held welcomed Megan May and Lindsey Rinde and their new business to town.
The beautiful view from the balcony at Sprinkle of Joy Boutique in downtown Browerville. Opening day on March 30 brought in many shoppers in spite of the snowfall. Lindsey Rinde and Megan May hope to constantly add to the lines they will carry in the store.
A sprinkle of Joy...New boutique hopes to add variety to area shopping
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by Karin L. Nauber
by Karin L. Nauber
There’s a new store in Browerville in case you hadn’t heard.
It’s Sprinkle of Joy and when you walk through the doors and see the smiling faces of owners Lindsey Rinde and Megan May, you will really understand the name of their shop.
In their own words, “Sprinkle of Joy Boutique is a specialty store where we have unique and fashionable clothing and jewelry for women as well as home décor, specialty snacks to purchase, unique children’s gifts, and we will also be hosting DIY (Do It Yourself) classes starting the end of April.”
The women opened their business on March 30 and in spite of sometimes heavy falling snow, the customers arrived and appeared to really enjoy what they were finding.
Lindsey originally started her own small business last summer, called Bops, Bean, & Belle where she designed and sold graphic shirts and signs.
She knew this was a passion of hers and wanted to grow this dream even more.
While the two of them were camping with their families last fall, they were jokingly talking about Chip and Joanna Gaines and the risks they took in their journey to Fixer Upper (which is a reality TV show).
About a month after that conversation they got together over some wine and had a real serious conversation about this “dream” they had to start a boutique.
“Our goal all along was not only to have a place where we could sell clothing and home décor, it was so much more than that. We wanted to spread joy and kindness to others, especially when it is needed the most in our world.
“We wanted to provide this place where people can laugh, make conversation with a stranger, create a piece of artwork they can feel proud about, and put on something that makes their beauty they have within, shine out,” said Lindsey.
“We want everyone to leave our store feeling ‘sprinkles of joy’ that can be spread elsewhere,” added Megan.
While having that goal in mind, and asking for MANY signs from God, they ended up stumbling upon the perfect building on Main Street in Browerville. The old “Our Neck of the Woods” building.
“It has amazing character and each part of that building shares many stories and memories over the years. With the support of our husbands and many signs pointing us in this direction, the building was purchased in the beginning of February and we were able to start making this dream a fast reality,” said Lindsey.
Their vision is to cater to a wide variety of women.
“We are both crazy busy moms. We understand how stressful it is to go shopping with children along and/or a spouse. So we designed our boutique with a cute little sitting area for a significant other to relax and enjoy a complementary cup of flavored coffee as well as a nice kids area where they can color, play with toys, and be completely entertained,” said Megan.
They also wanted to make sure they made everyone of all shapes and sizes feel beautiful.
The boutique carries sizes S-3XL.
You will also not see a shortage of positive sayings and signs in the boutique.
“Again creating a culture of kindness was key to making this store even more enjoyable to step into,” they said.
With Lindsey’s amazing talent for designing and decorating and Megan’s interest in fashion as well as understanding the business side of things from previously running her own business as a hair dresser, the ladies come equipped to operate and understand a small town business and the needs of their customers.
“Lindsey is the ‘go to’ gal if you are looking to design a special shirt or get some ideas on decorating your home,” said Megan.
Aside from their business venture—which will mostly be open on Fridays and Saturdays, the women are also very busy with other ventures.
Megan works at Breitenfeldt Group Insurance Agency in Long Prairie where she specializes in the Medicare health market. In her free time, she enjoys camping with her family and friends, running (when she finds time), and sitting on her porch with a good glass of red wine.
Lindsey is also a daycare provider. She enjoys spending her days with some of the best kids in the area. She enjoys traveling, redecorating, relaxing in the sunshine, camping with friends and family and the rare “girls’ nights” that she is lucky to get once in awhile.
The story of their friendship and eventual business partnership is an interesting one to say the least.
In their own words, they said, “Oddly enough we grew up in totally different areas, however have some very odd similarities.
“Lindsey is originally from Hawley, Minnesota while Megan was born and raised in Browerville.
“Lindsey met her husband of 11 years, Jeff Rinde, and moved to Browerville right next to his family farm.
“Megan had the intention of moving to a bigger city, but met her husband of nine years, Jake May, and now resides a mile down the road from Jeff and Lindsey.
“When we say odd similarities, they really are. We both have the same maiden name, each have two boys and a girl, married farm boys, loved Celine Dion at a very young age, have a passion for fashion, and often get mistaken for sisters—but we aren’t even related.
“We also both feel very blessed that we get to share our passions and dreams in this amazing building on Main Street of Browerville.”
The store will be open every other weekend unless they are hosting special events. Their hours of operation for the next couple months are:
• April 13-14 and 27-28, May 4-5 and 25-26; Fridays 12-7 p.m. and Saturdays 8-3 p.m.
• May 11 and 12 they will be doing Mother’s Day DIY classes. Stay tuned for more information!
“Our store will be constantly changing and evolving. We will continuously be getting in new inventory.
“We have some amazing local vendors that are able to follow their dream of design and will be adding their flair with different home décor pieces.
“We also can’t wait to host our first DIY classes (make your own sign, T-shirt, frames, clocks...We have a lot of ideas up our sleeve!) coming up as well as hosting private parties, and kids birthday parties.
If opening day was any indication of their success, then people in the area will have a great place to shop and visit for many years to come!