Port Orange resident opens new boutique in Ormond Beach

Ormond Beach Observer
Business

Kate Bell always dreamed of opening her own boutique.

Later this month, she will be celebrating her dream come true with the grand opening of Chuckle & Bliss, located within the Gaslamp Shoppes on Granada at 54 E. Granada Blvd. in Ormond Beach. Offering clothing, accessories and gifts, Bell, of Port Orange, hopes her boutique will become a fun destination for both locals and visitors in search of new outfits.

"I feel like women of all ages can come in here," Bell said. "I think I have something that suits the younger girls. I have something that suits moms like myself — we like to dress up every once in a while, do something special and have a special outfit. I'm trying to cater to that."

Kate Bell has dreamed of opening a boutique for many years. Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Fashion has been a part of Bell's life for a long time. She graduated from college with a degree in fashion merchandising and retail, attended the Paris Fashion Institute for a summer and worked at the first Kenneth Cole boutique in the Upper West Side in New York City fresh out of college.

Her boutique will have sayings on the wall that represent her views on fashion. One says, "Forget the rules, if you like it, wear it." Another says, "Life is too short to wear boring clothes."

"I just like that with fashion, you can express yourself through your clothes," Bell said. "That's always been fun to me."

She had been looking for a home for her boutique last year when local business owner Angela Heaster approached her in August and asked if she would be interested in taking over the space. Heaster had opened Gaslamp Gift Gallery in 2015 and was ready to close up shop.

Originally, Bell was looking for retail space in Port Orange, but she said she didn't find an area in town that fit what she envisioned. Bell works with her husband's family business — a sign company — but while she enjoys the work, the boutique is "hers."

"This is something that I did from the ground up, which is really cool," she said.

The name of her boutique also pays tribute to her two sons, Carter and Bryson.

"I started looking for upbeat, positive words that use their initials," Bell said. "So that's how Chuckle & Bliss was born."

The grand opening for Chuckle and Bliss is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 23. Bell plans to offer mimosas and desserts from Wild Rabbit Bistro, located a few doors down from the boutique.