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Annalynn Abbott, 8, left, with her mother, Andrea, and sister Audrey, 12, stand in front of the family owned and operated A&A Boutique at 300 E. Broadway in downtown Alton. A&A Boutique currently hosts more than 50 local vendors and artisans.

A&A Boutique includes local souvenirs for people visiting the Riverbend.

Andrea Abbott's own line of F-Bomb Momma items are offered at A&A Boutique. 

A&A Boutique includes locally created artwork, such as these door signs.

Also available at A&A Boutique are locally made ice cream, dog treats, salsas and pickles.

A&A Boutique's offerings include hand wire-wrapped crystal trees created by 12-year-old Audrey Abbott.

ALTON — Andrea Abbott took a hiatus from her concept shop A&A Boutique. But she's back at it and planning the second anniversary of her return to running the multi-vendor site later this year.

"I had no intentions on ever opening another shop," recalled Abbott, who sold the business about five ago to a vendor who had space at the shop.

"But the space came available in the middle of the pandemic," said the mother of two. "So I asked my girls if they thought it was a good idea. They said, 'Heck yes!'" 

A&A Boutique, at 300 E. Broadway, features more than 50 local vendors, including lines from both of Abbott's children. Audrey, 12, creates hand wire-wrapped crystal trees. Annalynn, 8, creates magnets and fairy garden sticks. The shop is also home to Abbott's F-Bomb Momma line.

"I had former vendors who had become my friends begging me to do it again since I was successful with the other shops I had," Abbott said. "I was honored they thought so highly of me to be in my shop again." 

Abbott owned A & A Beads in the same space for 10 years before she had children. A&A Boutique will celebrate its second anniversary on Sept. 1.

"My goal has always been to give vendors an outlet to sell their products and make money," she said. "I think so far it has been a great journey yet again.

"This round the shop is named after my daughters, Audrey and Annalynn Abbott," she said. "They are my partners — signed agreement and all. My Annalynn loves to work the cash register, just like I did as a kid."

The elder Abbott got her first real cash register for her 10th birthday.

"It was the best gift ever!" she recalled. "I cried I was so excited — then sold my family everything in the house."

"Audrey is very into making jewelry and designing art," Abbott noted. "I still have a lot of beads left and she is all about it.

"Teaching her how to make jewelry has been a lot of fun," she said. "And she can wire wrap so much better than I ever did. I love to see how they both have different traits of me in them. There is nothing more that I love than being a momma to these two little ladies."

As a single full-time mom, having the shop has given Abbott the freedom to be there for her girls when needed. She said she has a few vendors who will volunteer to help out when she needs to focus on her girls during shop hours.   

Vendor lines at A&A Boutique include clothing, candles, jewelry, floral wreaths, tumblers, door hanging signs and CBD products. Its collection of vendors includes Peter’s Produce featuring local jellies, jams, pickles, salsa, smoked cheese and honey; Bodi Bites with homemade all natural dog food; photography by Marty McKay; local artist Ruthi Dooley; the Ice Cream Factory; and Wells Farms.

A&A Boutique also offers Riverbend tourism such as landmark art and souvenirs, including coasters, photographs, ornaments, puzzles and magnets. 

Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; and noon-4 p.m. Sunday. A&A Boutique also has special events, such as live Facebook sales and Botox Open Houses.

Abbott started organizing popular quarter auction events at the beginning of the craze. That effort also continues, with quarter auctions the second Thursday of every month at the Alton Owls Club, 227 Blair Ave.

For more information email aaboutique2020@yahoo.com or visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/aaboutiquealton/ .

Jill Moon is an award-winning journalist and features editor for Hearst Newspapers. She also is editor-in-chief of Hearst's award-winning On the Edge of the Weekend monthly culture and entertainment magazine.