It was a typical day serving at The Hills Church until Schroeder’s “Read more books” hat sparked a conversation between the two. Schroeder shared her dream of owning a bookstore, and Moore shared hers of being a book buyer, getting the ball rolling on their new reality.
Schroeder was once an elementary reading teacher, and seeing her students fall in love with stories is what made her love teaching, she said. “There was no better feeling than parents telling me, ‘My kids never loved reading until they took your class, and now they read constantly.’”
However, her love for teaching did not compare to her lifelong dream of owning a bookstore, so when it began to fall into place, she took the leap, with Moore by her side.
Vellichor Bookshop is aiming to open in downtown Aledo at 108 FM 1187 this summer. The shop, inside a small white house, will be a community space, filled with books for people of all ages. “We're not just a place for you to come and buy books,” said Schroeder, “we want to know your name. We want to share ourselves and the heart behind everything.”
That heart being, wanting “kids and adults to love reading and introduce them to new books and stories they've never heard of or reintroduce them to authors they love,” said Schroeder. While also creating a communal space where people can build in-person relationships through events, and utilizing the store.
In the bookshop, visitors will find everything from cookbooks and classics to trending titles. “We'll start with what we think our community's going to like…but over time we can adjust our inventory based on [interest and feedback],” said Schroeder.
There are a few spaces to explore in the bookshop. The Parlor, a cozy seating area with many books to choose from, the children's section, and the backyard, where visitors can use the picnic tables, and children can run around.
Within the space, Schroeder and Moore look forward to hosting many events like book clubs, weekly story time for kids, Mahjong nights, movie nights for books that go to screen in the backyard, arts and crafts nights, literacy camp for kids in the summer, and creative writing clubs.
The events are important to the ladies because “we're made to be in community with each other,” said Moore, “to give people the space to do that will be really good for the adults and the kids that live here.”
Schroeder and Moore’s lifelong dream is soon to become reality, housing books for those of all ages and interests, providing a space for curious minds, and bringing people together through communal events – all with the goal for each individual who enters to feel “like they're at home,” said Schroeder.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here