Local Love: Just Peachy

Walking into Just Peachy's downtown storefront is like walking into a pop up card - a tiny space packed with unexpected delight. Streamers hang from the ceiling over harmonious clusters of party goods, thematically grouped. There are plates, napkins, banners, candles, confetti, and crowns for every age and interest (and maybe even some you didn't even know you were interested in until you saw them!)

A year ago this space was a consultation room for clients who wanted balloon garlands for their events, but when the pandemic shut down large gatherings, owner Christen Byrd had to pivot. First she added helium bouquets, teaming up with local ice cream shop Loblolly Creamery, where she worked before launching Just Peachy, to create a bundle of joy that could be delivered to your (or someone else's) doorstep, anchored by a bag of ice cream pints.

My middle with his birthday balloon bouquet - after his sister

had one last summer, it was deemed a new family tradition

Christen says that turning the up front into a storefront had less to do with strategic planning and more to do with her dream of always having a little storefront filled with beautiful things. She's accomplished that goal with a curated selection that will make you want to throw a party, even if just for yourself. "All in all, we take happiness all over town. I felt that we had to create happiness where we work!" she says.

Behind the shop space is a series of rooms filled with inflated balloons, some salvaged from past displays but still fresh and some bagged up for installation later that day. Balloons are knee deep in one area, and stacked up against the walls in another. Space has become an unexpected challenge. "I never dreamed Just Peachy would explode like it has," Christen says. "Up until May I was doing everything myself. But it was getting to be way too much and I was completely burned out. I thought I’d hire someone for just 15 hours a week… and that quickly turned into 2 people working almost 20 hours a week each. It just exploded. Then we added another person in August. People and balloons take up a lot of space!"

Drive by celebrations, business reopenings and anniversaries, outdoor distanced gatherings and intimate family parties of all kinds are adding to their cheer (and visibility) with balloons and goods from Just Peachy, all grown from an initial just-for-fun balloon garland to celebrate the opening of Loblolly Creamery's shop. Christen says, "About 4 years ago I shared with [my sister] my dream of this magical storefront and balloon business, thinking it would never happen. And here we are. I can dream."

You can find Just Peachy at

217 W 2nd St Suite 105

Little Rock AR 72201

order installations and party goods online

and see amazing photos of their creative work

on Facebook and Instagram

Comments

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