Little luxuries of life under 1 new roof

WASILLA — After nine years of nursing, Christina Mulneaux is changing the way she helps Mat-Su Valley residents.

Mulneaux is the proud owner of Lotus, a new business in Wasilla that provides an unusual assortment of products. Shelves are stocked with Alaska-made gifts, coolers are filled with colorful flowers and the front counter is where customers can order a hot cup of joe.

“For me, they all kind-of go together,” Mulneaux said of the variety at her store. “They’re all luxury items; there isn’t anything here that somebody has to have, but they are things that kind-of soothe your spirit.”

Mulneaux said the venture got off the ground when a private investor gave her the necessary backing to start her own business. So, she decided to quit her job, came up with an idea and put the plan to work in two months.

“I had to figure out what I wanted to do long term, and flowers are a way to not get burnt out,” Mulneaux said. “I can do that forever and I just love doing it, and to get paid for it is even better.”

After finding a location in an old, yet charming Quonset hut, Mulneaux said she realized a flower shop wouldn’t take up all the space available inside the building. So, she decided to add a little more to the store and her passion for good coffee found a place.

“I love coffee,” she said. “So, the coffee was really about supplying myself. If somebody else decides to buy one while they’re in here, then great.”

Selling coffee fits her needs and space, but Mulneaux decided to provide even more for her customers in the form of Alaska-made gifts and products.

“Looking at the economy and the perspective of that, it’s important to support locally, because I think the economy builds from every local market,” she said. “And I love my Alaska, so I wanted to support anybody that I could.”

One of those local suppliers is Pat Pittsenvarger, owner of Covered In Chocolate, who sat patiently at the shop waiting to reveal an array of tasty treats. Hidden in several lavishly decorated bags and boxes was an assortment of chocolate candy.

Pittsenvarger said she traveled from Anchorage to hopefully supply Lotus with some of the products offered by her newly formed business. And while some may think chocolate might not have a place in a flower-coffee-gift shop, Pittsenvarger believes it’s a perfect fit.

“Coffee and chocolate definitely go together,” she said. “And when you buy flowers, sometimes you need a little extra gift.”

Although turning a profit is the prime focus of business, Mulneaux said that in addition to earning a few bucks her ultimate goal is to find something many people search for throughout their busy lives.

“Personal satisfaction and being happy with my job long-term” are her goals, she said. “I was always happy nursing, but I always took my work home with me at the end of the day. Now, the work I take home is a little different and I can have peace at the end of the day.”

Lotus is located at 370 East Railroad Avenue in Wasilla. Store hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about Lotus, call 373-6885.

Contact Chris Gillow at chris.gillow@frontiersman.com or 352-2284.