#SoSisIRL Was Built with Heart & Opens Tomorrow!

So opening a store is not a walk in the park. It's hard work that takes an army of people to accomplish. #SoSisIRL is incredibly lucky to have more people on our team than we can count - people who tackled impossible tasks to help us open our very first storefront. Saying "thank you" just isn't enough. We simply would not be opening TOMORROW without them. 

We wanted to share with you, our sistas, a little about the people who made #SoSisIRL, a real thing. 

Our mom the creative spirit and ultimate go getter 
We're pretty sure "girl boss" is our mom's middle name. It's like when we tell her an idea we have - no matter how crazy it is - she drops everything and makes it happen....for us. Our mom embodies unconditional love and will truly do anything for us. She left her own successful business many days to come and paint floors, hang wallpaper, paint walls, build a counter, clean windows - everything. We simply would NOT be open today without our mom. 

Our dad the carpenter, construction expert and sign maker
Our dad is a man of many trades. Since we can remember, he's fixed everything, built anything and figured out solutions to just about any obstacle. This is why on the opening day of duck season (a time we are convinced is our dad's favorite day of the year), he did not go hunting. No, he came to install our counter - the one that he and his great friend built from scratch and our mom came in and finished it off. He's also responsible for our sign - one that we LOVE - and countless other things inside our store. 

Our aunt the pro painter and powerful, hard working woman we are lucky to know
Our aunt Rachel works really hard, day in and day out, to create beautiful living spaces for clients throughout Louisiana. Since we can remember, she seems to always be helping our mom paint, lay floors, fix walls, etc. Aunt Rachel is the main reason why when our landlord asked if we needed a quote for painting, flooring, etc., we said "no, we've got that covered." Without her, we may still be knee deep in white paint touching up the molding. 

Our husbands - the supportive, encouraging, not-so-handy guys we love 
Annie Claire's husband, Brad, is a successful and passionate baseball coach and teacher. He's a hands-on dad who loves his girls. What most people don't know is he's also a great track light hanger, metal sander and Christmas tree getting guy who has truly given so much to SoSis. Many nights, he's become the primary caregiver to Aubree and Gracie while Annie Claire works late at the store. It's because of his understanding heart that we are where we are today - OPEN for business! 

Chelsey's husband, Robert, spent a good amount of perfect golf weather kind of Sundays at SoSis putting together clothing racks, figuring out just how weird mannequins are and running errands for everyone hard at work. But really, even more valuable than his time physically working at SoSis was his never ending encouraging word, positive spirit, and unwavering support of SoSis and all that it entails (can you say "crazy Chel" coming atcha). 

Our sistas (and brothers) from other mistas 
SO MANY people came out to help us get ready for this opening day! We can't even begin to tell y'all how thankful we are.

Amanda King and Laura Bass are the ladies who put together furniture (so patiently), cleaned up mess upon mess, watched babies while moms worked and made everyone laugh in a stressful environment. Thank you both for your support and encouragement.

Danielle Laborde is our cousin (more like sista) who drove into town just to install light bulbs, hang dressing room curtains, stamp bags and clean. We can't express how much your encouraging words and support mean to us.

Megan Bass is the SIL (sister-in-law) that never stopped giving. She spent multiple of her days off of work with us to help tag clothes and get ready. She even wiped stressful tears when challenges got a little too big to bear. Thank you, Meghan, for giving us so much of your time and making sure we remembered to have some fun. 

Robert Karam is our little cousin who has been like a son to our dad since forever. His heart is as beautiful as his ability to put up molding, hang dressing room hooks and teach us how to use a power drill. He's just simply a good human. His mom, Rachel Voinché (Chelsey's godmother), did a pretty good job with him. She is our  cheerleader and has been a LYLAS Box subscriber for forever thanks to her daughter, Camille. 

Lacey Rabalais is our friend and talented photographer that gives so much of her time and energy to SoSis - time she takes away from her sweet family. She came in on Sunday like a breath of fresh energy and positivity we desperately needed. Her enthusiasm for SoSis and ability to cheer us on is invaluable.

To our landlord, Tony Clayton, and his wife, Paula - thank you both for working with us through this stressful time. We appreciate everything you both did to get us to opening day! 

So many friends and family like Mona and Bruce Bass, Annie Claire's Maw Maw Carrie and Paw Paw Junot, Donna and Matt Canova (and their fam), Mallory Lafargue, Shelia Lusins, Lauren Blankenship, Shelby Dunbar, Jo and Richie Blankenship (and the whole fam), Bridget Cloud, Lily Brouillette, Emilie Lafargue, Caroline Gardner, Austin Theriot and MANY more were the positive words (and prayers) we needed right when we needed it. 

To all of our friends and family members not named in this post, we hope you know that your support and kind words do NOT go unnoticed. We would not be here without you and we appreciate your ongoing support. Thank you for believing in us, cheering us on and getting us to OPENING DAY. We're ready to take on this new journey and simply would not be here without YOU. We are forever grateful. 

Love Ya Like a Sista (or Brotha),

Annie Claire and Chelsey