Shores Life & Style Fall 2021

Sister Golden began as an online shop in 2014 and manifested soon
after as a brick and mortar store in Fish Creek, where locals and
tourists alike say there’s nothing up here like it. Brooke’s passion for
photography and expertise in marketing fused with Vicki’s art and the
pair’s knack for crafty merchandising led to the perfect partnership for
business. They set about forging collaborative relationships with small
artists whose work they admired, sourcing vendors at art, craft, and
gem shows that fit their vibe and aesthetic.
When opening the shop, they were
warned by a previous merchant,
“You’re going to have to buy some
stuff that you don’t like, because
you’ll see that people like certain
things.” Vicki replied, “That’s not
how this is going to work.” Now, in
the middle of their fifth Door County
retail season, they are thriving
without sacrificing their artistic
dream. One change since opening
Brooke has seen is the ease of
discovering artists now that more
people post their work online and on
social media. The women also love
receiving product recommendations
from shoppers or asking about
where a guest found their jewelry.
While stylish merchandise draws
many shoppers in, the shop’s most
unique feature is the back room that
houses the Balancing Mother Nature
Gallery, showcasing Vicki’s flower
art. The natural sunlight sparkling
through agate window hangings
highlights bright white walls filled
with prints of her intricate botanical
creations. When planning the shop
layout, Vicki remembers getting
excited about all the storage space
the room had to offer. “Mom,”
Brooke recalls saying, “that’s not
storage, it’s your gallery!”
Exhibiting her flower art was a leap
for Vicki. While she has never not
been an artist, using botanicals as a
medium was a relatively new
venture for her. She meticulously
balances flowers, leaves, and other
natural elements to create faces and
magical miniature scenes that beg
you to spend some time imagining
yourself in them. Once her work is
complete, it is photographed and
recycled back into nature or the
next art piece. Despite the
photographic evidence that is
turned into a high quality print, the
process itself is a temporary shuffle
of moving parts. This relieves the
pressure of the creative exercise,
but also presents more opportunity
for Vicki to criticize her own work,
as she can’t go back and change
something as if she could with other
mediums like paint.
The reception of her art gallery and
the shop overall has been
overwhelmingly positive. “There isn’t
a day that goes by that we don’t have
such gratitude for it all,” Vicki says of
the shop’s success. She and Brooke
are sourcing the merchandise they
love and would use in their own
homes that embodies their true
style, while supporting small artists
and promoting a more sustainable
lifestyle.