MOUNT CARROLL – Ever since the grand opening of dabluz boutique in the Hotel Glenview a decade ago, downtown Mount Carroll hasn’t been the same. It’s been much more lively and colorful.

Laura and Lindsay Miller, mother-daughter entrepreneurs, opened the door to the unique boutique on April 1, 2006. Since then, Lindsay has moved to Iowa as a real estate agent, and Laura got married to Larry DeSpain.

“Larry’s my good little helper. I call Larry “Sneelock,’ the character for Dr. Seuss’s book, ‘If I Ran the Circus.’ There was a kid who had all these grand ideas, and Mr. Sneelock was there to help him. That’s my Larry!”

Even her logo is unique – no capitals, please. Lindsay created it 3 years before the shop opened.

“It represents the energy we both share for new ideas. We’re a great team, and our energy radiates in the items we create and the shows we attend,” Laura said. “Our name – dabluz – and our logo, never categorized us. In hindsight, for two women who really didn’t know what they were doing, that was a smart choice. We’ve been able to change, to evolve. Lindsay and I still bounce a gazillion ideas off of each other. I love where we are now: New, handmade and vintage. I like the shop. I love my space.”

“The tourist trade through the area is good for my business. Carroll County can build on that. My shop being in the hotel attracts visitors. That’s the magic. The tourists that come in are very receptive, they love it.

“I love the whole idea of being downtown. When I first opened, things in Mount Carroll were just starting to build up. There was a lot going on downtown. Now we have a new coffee shop, the Kraft building is full, and a doctor downtown, and that’s good for my business, too. We have live music at Charlie’s, and open mic night at the Kraft building. The Farmers Market is wonderful. It’s more cars on the street. When there’s no place to park, it’s a good thing. There is energy downtown. People are trying.”

Originally, everything in their shop, located on the first floor of the historic downtown hotel, was handmade.

“At our ribbon cutting, someone said, ‘Nice shop, Just need more stuff,’” said Laura. “Soon after, we invited others to offer their handmade items, too. We’ve had over 100 different artists sell their items in the boutique. Now, we have about a dozen artists and crafters, with the primary focus being up-cycled arts and crafts.”

Now when they go “picking,” Laura said they look for vintage items that are “fabulous as is,” or that can be repurposed into something new. The boutique is not only filled with vintage and handmade desirables, but also vintage supplies for the creative types who want to create their own new treasures.

“We have a small supply of new crafting items, like chalk paint, glues, and scrapbooking paper, in addition to handmade and vintage things, like Mona B bags that are made from old tents and tarps, home decor with a vintage flair, coloring books, watches, and more — always more!” said Laura.

There is an “ephemera room,” where one may find old maps, wall paper sample books, scrapbook paper, tools, and more. “Always more!” she said with a smile.

Last fall, Laura hit the road with her popular Trunk Shows, where she sets up shop in private homes, bringing wares that are specifically geared to appeal to the hostess’s guest list.

“The home parties are so much fun. It’s an affirmation that what we create and offer here is good.”

She now has a ‘classroom’ set-up, with tables for Pinterest Parties and Sunday Fundays, surrounded by new and vintage crafting supplies.

“Folks can just pop in and we’ll help them make stuff too. Mostly we’re just trying to use up ten years of accumulating stuff! We figure other crafty friends probably have stuff they’d like to use up or repurpose, too.

“Recently, we had a chalk-painting class where gals brought in something to be painted. It was fun to see old stuff made new again. We’ll keep perusing Pinterest for more repurposing ideas, and we have a sign-up sheet inviting others to let us know what they’d like to learn,” Laura said.

“Lindsay and I have had good success at our Bike Expos, too, so we’ve created a lot of bicycle jewelry and accessories. We’re working on a section for our website called Team BOB — Boutique on Bicycle. There’s a brand of ‘stuff’ called Life is Good. I really like that mantra. I want to incorporate that into my little boutique, too. Focusing on the good stuff. Just being happy with what we have and what we’re doing. We’re living in the present!

“We love Mount Carroll. We’re glad to be here, and we’ve made some wonderful friends. This is a celebration, and we’re going to celebrate all month long — on the weekends. We’re here, and we’d love for you to stop in, especially if you’ve never been here! If you haven’t been here for awhile, it has no doubt changed.”

The shop is located at 116 E. Market St. in the Hotel Glenview, and they’re open Friday through Sunday. Visit dabluz.com, their Facebook page, or call 815-244-4058 for more information.