Behind the Scenes - Sun, Wind, and Rain
Recently, we featured The Cheese Lady (who is now open at 197 W. Clay!) and referenced some other downtown developments in the works. Well, our second retailer of the season recently opened and like our first is run by a visionary woman. “Sun, Wind, and Rain – A Lifestyle Boutique” is the name and Filis Slater is the visionary. She was gracious enough to take a few minutes, in the lead up to her recent opening, to get us up to speed.
MS: Everyone is asking me. What is a lifestyle boutique?
FS: A place where one can find that unique gift for the home or person. We will have that unique gift for baby, child, young person, teen and adult, including fun decorating items for the home and person.
MS: Tell us a little more about the handcrafted jewelry you also feature at Sun, Wind, and Rain.
FS: Each piece is one of a kind, made of the finest stones, pearls, crystals and silver available. Each piece is unique to its own, including jewelry for a bridal party, as much as each piece is the same, each piece is its own. Each stone has its own properties of energy and they are there for our individual needs and desires; each piece of jewelry includes a card with the meaning of the stones involved.
MS: So where are you located and what led you to that spot?
FS: Sun Wind & Rain is located at 477 W. Western Avenue, Downtown Muskegon. The reason I have located in Muskegon is my sister Sherri S. Slater-McCully, who wanted me to return to Muskegon and once I did, thought I needed to open a shop downtown Muskegon. In the beginning all I saw was a bombed out – desolate – empty – nothing downtown. Nothing like when I was a girl. Muskegon felt like a town that had no faith in its property or its people. Sherri continued to work on me, until I started to see there was energy starting to develop. One day she mentioned Bill Seebeck was selling his building. Then Ron Paquette, Sherri Slater, Bill Seebeck and myself were walking thru the building and suddenly my imagination took over and you might say the rest is history. There is energy in Downtown Muskegon and all the others who are spending their energy, money and hope for in Muskegon, believe also in its people and property.
MS: I know you have been busy improving the place. What did you get done prior to opening?
FS: Might be easier to come over for a visit, however, much has been done. We have taken up all the old black/white stick on tile and now display the original maple floor. The long wall is all tongue-in-groove cedar, We exposed the brick wall between the Mercantile and us, all new windows aside from the 3 on the parking lot side, new bathroom, crown molding, and lighting. Come see for yourself the colors and the fun.
MS: Any plans for the upstairs? I know our friendly WSSO critic Bill Seeback used to live there.
FS: Many plans are in store to turn the apartment into an Up-Town space, some of our ideas are somewhat dependent upon the rules and regulations of the city; we will however, be glad to show it off once we are approved with the go ahead.
MS: Well, thanks for letting us take up some of precious time.
FS: Thank you Main Street for helping us get our word out as well! We are all very excited about our opening and being a part of downtown’s revival! I’ve had such a great crew to work with, all the Muskegon Craftsmen and women who have been as dedicated and passionate about making Sun Wind & Rain a reality as I have. Muskegon has so much going for it already with all its culturally significant venues and businesses and now store by store, project by project we are filling in the vacant lots and making downtown Muskegon a point of destination for the Lakeshore and a place we can all be proud of! It’s great to be a part of this new energy!
Check it out on the web
Sun Wind and Rain website
MS: Everyone is asking me. What is a lifestyle boutique?
FS: A place where one can find that unique gift for the home or person. We will have that unique gift for baby, child, young person, teen and adult, including fun decorating items for the home and person.MS: Tell us a little more about the handcrafted jewelry you also feature at Sun, Wind, and Rain.
FS: Each piece is one of a kind, made of the finest stones, pearls, crystals and silver available. Each piece is unique to its own, including jewelry for a bridal party, as much as each piece is the same, each piece is its own. Each stone has its own properties of energy and they are there for our individual needs and desires; each piece of jewelry includes a card with the meaning of the stones involved.
MS: So where are you located and what led you to that spot?
FS: Sun Wind & Rain is located at 477 W. Western Avenue, Downtown Muskegon. The reason I have located in Muskegon is my sister Sherri S. Slater-McCully, who wanted me to return to Muskegon and once I did, thought I needed to open a shop downtown Muskegon. In the beginning all I saw was a bombed out – desolate – empty – nothing downtown. Nothing like when I was a girl. Muskegon felt like a town that had no faith in its property or its people. Sherri continued to work on me, until I started to see there was energy starting to develop. One day she mentioned Bill Seebeck was selling his building. Then Ron Paquette, Sherri Slater, Bill Seebeck and myself were walking thru the building and suddenly my imagination took over and you might say the rest is history. There is energy in Downtown Muskegon and all the others who are spending their energy, money and hope for in Muskegon, believe also in its people and property.
MS: I know you have been busy improving the place. What did you get done prior to opening?
FS: Might be easier to come over for a visit, however, much has been done. We have taken up all the old black/white stick on tile and now display the original maple floor. The long wall is all tongue-in-groove cedar, We exposed the brick wall between the Mercantile and us, all new windows aside from the 3 on the parking lot side, new bathroom, crown molding, and lighting. Come see for yourself the colors and the fun.MS: Any plans for the upstairs? I know our friendly WSSO critic Bill Seeback used to live there.
FS: Many plans are in store to turn the apartment into an Up-Town space, some of our ideas are somewhat dependent upon the rules and regulations of the city; we will however, be glad to show it off once we are approved with the go ahead.
MS: Well, thanks for letting us take up some of precious time.
FS: Thank you Main Street for helping us get our word out as well! We are all very excited about our opening and being a part of downtown’s revival! I’ve had such a great crew to work with, all the Muskegon Craftsmen and women who have been as dedicated and passionate about making Sun Wind & Rain a reality as I have. Muskegon has so much going for it already with all its culturally significant venues and businesses and now store by store, project by project we are filling in the vacant lots and making downtown Muskegon a point of destination for the Lakeshore and a place we can all be proud of! It’s great to be a part of this new energy!
Check it out on the web
Sun Wind and Rain website
Labels: Downtown E-News
posted by Dan & Sarah @ 10:28 AM
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Last week 
The new Hotel Muskegon, opposite the Union Depot, opened by Otto Loescher, and managed by William Duquette, is now open to the public.
