Photographer, educator and now small business owner Tracy Federwitz opened a new store Happy Little Stars earlier this month. Located on Capitol Drive in Shorewood, the retail store and creative space specializes in upscale and playful party supplies and children’s decor. It’ll also offer services like a balloon bar, photography, parent-and-child workshops and more.
Federwitz says she came into the idea of the store primarily from being a mother herself. “Having young children and just wanting to celebrate their milestones, [I’d go] out to these larger retailers [and] just not being very satisfied with the selection of the party supplies you can find,” she says. “[I was] searching for supplies and decor that more reflect my kids.”
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Along with party design consultations, the store also offers a curated selection of party goods and decorations, as well as wall art, furniture, toys and more.
Happy Little Stars came together in a short amount of time, according to Federwitz. She says that the amount of time from when she put together the business plan, to opening her store, really only transpired over the course of four months.
Federwitz, who got a fine art degree before becoming an art educator for 12 years, says the skills she learned during this time have come in handy in her small business venture.
Describing the aesthetic of her store, she says she tried to keep a line between neutral and bright colors. “Neutral enough so that the items that I have can really stand out on their own,” she says. “I did not want to take away too much from those items.”
One of Federwitz’s goals is to eventually branch out into the community for her store’s workshops. “Another big vision of mine is to also employ young artists,” she says. “Magically [if] I could employ some of my previous students of mine, that would be the dream.”
Specifically, she mentions her previous dance major students, one of her ideas being to offer dance workshops. According to Federwitz, she would facilitate some of the workshops herself, but she wants them ultimately to be about branching out into the community.
And all of these things feed into the mission of the store, which is to help parents make lifelong memories with their little ones. “If I can help to create those memories and maybe even capture them through the space, that would be a huge honor,” she says.
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