Crest Hill Outlet and ‘Safe Space’ to Hold Grand Opening February 19 – Shaw Local

Ashley Searing of Joliet is hosting a grand opening on February 19 for RejuveNate – Plants & Wellness LLC in Crest Hill.

The plant store’s goal is to raise mental health awareness with “custom-made, hand-painted therapeutic pottery pieces featuring locally grown air-purifying plants,” according to the RejuveNate website. .

Items range from $5 for some hand-painted pots to over $100 for some items, Searing said. But during the grand opening, Searing will also be offering “a ton of incentives,” she said.

“And we’ll toast Nate to the sky,” Searing said.

Searing’s brother, Nate Searing, was 25 when he died on February 9, 2020, following a suicide. February 19 is her birthday, she said. Nate is the inspiration behind the RejuveNate concept, Ashley said.

Prior to opening the physical location, Ashley took orders from RejuveNate through her website, social media, and at craft fairs. Ashley lacked the space to create pieces at home. But that wasn’t his main reason for acquiring a physical location.

“I wanted a safe space for people to come in and go out zen,” Ashley said, “and a safe space to come and ‘rejuvenate’ your soul…now, instead of working outside my home, I’m working inside the back of the store; I make everything here. I always do custom orders and always match them [painted flowerpots] with plants. »

All pots for sale in the store are hand painted. Some are paired with plants, and some are blank so customers can pair their own. Ashley also assembled “paint kits” — the pot, paints, brushes and even a bag of soil, she said.

“They can buy it, take it home, and do it at their own pace,” Ashley said.

Ashley also offers people the option of painting their own pots in store. She currently offers a children’s paint and plant class for children ages 2 to 12, a paint and plant class for teens, and in-home paint and plant nights, she said.

But she also wants to organize courses and conferences on mental health. RejuveNate’s teen wellness classes focus on self-care and stress release, Ashley said.

“I just want this to continue, to educate the younger generation and what mental health is and how we can take care of it,” Ashley said.

However, Ashley, who has enjoyed both plants and painting for years, had no idea of ​​a plant store that supported mental health when she visited the store days after Nate’s death.

But while she was at the store, she noticed a sign saying “Aloe you Vera much” and some Aloe Vera plants behind it. So Ashley bought a plant and planted it in one of the flower pots she painted years ago.

For a time after Nate’s death, Searing lost his desire to create. But one day, she pondered the healing power of plants, which eventually led her to develop a business plan for RejuveNate.

“I just want this to be a tribute to his life and to keep him alive in my heart,” Searing said.

RejuveNate – Plants & Wellness LLC is located at 2212 Plainfield Road in Crest Hill.

For information, call 815-514-3979 or visit rejuvenateplants.com.