Grand Opening: This Love of Mine Brings a 'Different Attitude' to Main Street

Stillwater's new Main Street store, This Love Of Mine, is hosting a grand opening celebration Friday, Sept. 30.

Owners Cheris Murphy and Steve Reeser are hoping to compel customers to rethink how they shop for clothing, jewelry and home decor with their "all one-of-a-kind inventory” and shopping experience.

Stillwater’s historic mom-and-pop shopping district has always provided shoppers a place to find a variety of unique items—and This Love Of Mine adds to that variety, while hoping to act as a hub for residents and visitors alike to meet up, before heading out to shop.

Jewelry and Clothing

This shop connects customers with one-of-a-kind items such as handmade and re-fashioned vintage jewelry by designer Cheris Murphy. She makes the jewelry in her studio at the front of the store—commonly attracting a small crowd that watches her work through the front windows.

The store offers hand-selected clothing that is chosen by style, brand, fabric and condition.

“The majority of our inventory is gently used, which means it's worn maybe twice,” Murphy says; adding that she sorts through hundreds of pieces—bringing back 10 to 15 percent of what she sees—making sure each piece is different.

"The best way to shop our clothing—both men's and women's—is pull your sleeves back, dig in and try stuff on,” Murphy says. “But most of all, it’s about having fun."

Art, Décor, Antiques and Collectables

The store also offers unique art. One Chance Photography is just like the jewelry in that each piece is unique and will never be duplicated.

Steve's wife, Karin, reveals a remarkable view of the obvious. It's impossible to take the same picture twice; thus, the name One Chance Photography.

“There’s one chance to create it and one chance to own it,” Reeser says.

This Love Of Mine’s vintage decor is an uncommon mix of antiques and collectables that Reeser discovers in auctions and estate sales.

"The goal is to get these culturally-rich, story-filled items out of the dust-ridden boxes they live in today and get them into the hands of people who will add to their story tomorrow," he says. "The mission is to inspire happiness by creating a home-like environment that allows people to connect with beautiful things they can make uniquely theirs."

The idea is to have customers experience a sensation of discovery each time they visit—so it’s Reeser and Murphy’s job to keep the inventory moving.

“We are creatively aggressive buyers,” Reeser says. “We get great deals so we pass them along without devaluing the pieces we create or buy.”

Grand Opening Details

The Grand Opening event is a celebration of the future of Stillwater, as well as the surrounding region, Reeser says.

“We hope Stillwater becomes the place where people come to be still, forget about the pressures of their lives, visit the local flavors of shops and restaurants and leave fulfilled, relaxed and ready to jump back into their normal routines,” he added.

During the grand opening celebration, everything in This Love Of Mine—located at the corner of Myrtle and Main next to Savories—will be 20-percent off all weekend with live music from local DJs and many other specials and surprises.