Biz Beat: Turlock boutique updates wardrobe

TURLOCK -- Livie Perez has a lofty goal: She wants to make women of a certain age feel good about themselves.

"After you turn 40, sometimes women let themselves go," said the retired paralegal. "My vision was to help women just to really appreciate this wonderful middle age."

Last year, Perez opened Livie's Boutique in downtown Turlock. Located in an old house, the shop is designed to put women at ease while Perez helps them to look their best.

"I work a lot with the interior, as well as the outside," Perez said. She said her store offers new items as well as high-end consignment pieces of all sizes. She said she has suggested clothing for women that they wouldn't have imagined for themselves, but once they put it on, they're convinced.

"I'm having a lot of fun helping people get out of their usual box."

Perez said she usually can provide a shopper with a new look for $50 to $75.

"I love it," she said. "I do it out of the love of my heart."

Livie's Boutique is at 723 E. Main St. The store is open Wednesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and by appointment. Contact Livie's at www.livies boutiqueturlock.com or (209) 632-7033.

Elsewhere around the Business Beat:

After more than three decades in business, Nature's Own Florist in Modesto's Roseburg Square is closing. Margaret Worth's parents opened the store in 1979, and Worth soon took over operations, providing floral arrangements for births, weddings, funerals and all sorts of life events.

She said her decision to retire and close the store is "kind of a bittersweet thing."

Although the struggling economy helped prompt Worth to close, she has three larger reasons. "I have three grandbabies I would like to enjoy," Worth said. "With my own daughters, I kind of missed a lot of things."

"There are fun times ahead," Worth said. "But (closing) is still the hardest thing I've ever done. You've done the mom and dad's weddings and the new babies and now their children are getting married and you do their weddings."

Worth will close up shop for good Thursday.

Modesto's Vintage Faire Mall promises some news in the next few weeks. Senior Property Manager Maria Halstead told me last week that the mall is working on a couple of contracts for new businesses and should have some more information to share soon. Stay tuned.

Have an item for Business Beat? Contact Patty Guerra at The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352; (209) 578-2343 or pguerra@modbee.com.