Jackson Free Press

Swanky children's apparel store Cosmo Tots will soon expand to include clothing and accessories for women. The boutique, which carries designer clothing and accessories for babies and children, opened in Fondren Corner in 2005, and current owners Missy Massey and Liz Spratlin took over the shop in April 2009 with the hope of one day selling women's clothing as well.

That day came sooner than expected when MAX furnishings, also in Fondren Corner, announced it was going out of business. Massey and Spratlin decided to seize the opportunity.

"When we bought this store, we'd always talked about owning a store together ... and typically (we imagined) it was women's. We thought (at the time), 'The kids' (shop) is up for sale, so let's just start with that, and eventually we'll expand," Massey said Wednesday. "When the MAX space became available, it was out of the blue, so we decided, 'Why not start a women's (store) and just move kids over there as well, and we'll do half and half.'"

The new store, Blithe & Vine, will open Oct. 1 in half the space that was MAX Furnishings. It will share that half with Cosmo Tots. Fondren businessman Ron Chane will open a store in Cosmo Tots' current location and will also occupy the remaining half of the MAX space.