Children’s store opens in downtown Winter Garden

When Elsie Medina finally was able to take her prematurely born baby home from the hospital, she had trouble finding a special outfit for her tiny girl. Years later, when she opened her own children’s clothing shop, she vowed always to offer a selection of preemie outfits.

Medina is hosting the grand opening of Valerie’s Garden Boutique in downtown Winter Garden this weekend, and the children’s shop will sell unique clothing for boys and girls up to size 7.

“I wanted a place where they could come and get a special item you couldn’t find anywhere else,” Medina said.

The clothing comes from Spain and Peru, and much of it is made of soft Pima cotton. The shop sells Melissa and Doug children’s toys, as well, that are nontoxic, organic and natural.

“We wanted safe items parents could bring to their babies,” Medina said.

In addition to layette sets, the shop sells clothing for special occasions such as Easter or weddings. Everyday outfits with popular labels are available too, as are accessories including hairbows, purses, ties and shoes.

The new space is small, but that didn’t stop Medina from getting creative with the merchandise layout and utilizing all available space. Prior to opening in downtown Winter Garden, she operated a similar shop for five years in Mount Dora. When the family moved to Hamlin, Medina decided to bring over her business too.

“We’re within this community and thought how wonderful it would be to open a children’s store in downtown Winter Garden,” she said. “We were excited to see they don’t have a children’s store and it would be a good addition.”

Medina has started designing girls’ clothing and is in the process of interviewing different manufacturers for her new line.

VALERIE’S GARDEN

Medina’s inspiration comes from her twins, Valerie and Vanessa — and especially from Valerie, who was born weighing 1 pound 15 ounces at birth when the girls joined older brothers Adam and Christopher in 2015. The girls were born at 28 weeks’ gestation, and Valerie spent seven months in the hospital NICU.

When Valerie was 3 months old, she experienced a medical setback that had Medina rushing to the hospital. When she arrived, she noticed a picture of a garden with flowers and a butterfly made from her baby’s handprints and footprints.

They called it Valerie’s Garden.

“When I saw that I just cried and I felt like there was hope,” Medina said. “I felt this sense of peace. … And that’s where the inspiration came. … The Valerie’s Garden drawing brought me comfort. … God was working there. Everything is going to be OK.”

The girls, identical twins, are now 8 and thriving, she said.