Up creaking steps and through the front porch door, antique furniture, women's clothing and home decor cover every inch of surface at Bless This Nest in Hutto. A gentle breeze runs through the backyard, nearly muffled over the sounds of shoppers entering and greeting each other with smiles and laughs.

"There's nothing like it," Marci Wagner, owner of Bless This Nest, said with a smile. "I've never experienced anything like it, and that's why I don't think it can be duplicated."

Wagner ran Bless This Nest off Mays Street in Round Rock for 4 1/2 years before relocating her business to Hutto in July 2018. The shop, she said, has become a virtual second home for customers who seek out candles, women's clothing, antique furniture and home decor. But the true pull, she said, is the sense of community shared between employees and every person who walks up those creaking front steps.

"Anybody I hire, the first thing they're told: I don’t care how many mistakes you make on the cash register—but if anybody ever leaves here and they don’t feel like they were loved on and taken care of, you’re not for this job," Wagner said.

The boutique also hosts beginner and advanced furniture-painting classes and will feature live music in its backyard in coming months, Wagner said. Along with its class offerings, Bless This Nest is also known for its monthly Wine Down Wednesday where women show up—families in tow—for a night of conversation and hospitality.

Wagner said a woman who recently became a widow stopped by her shop, made a cup of coffee and sat outside by the pond, listening to the water. Sometimes, Wagner said, customers only need a familiar face to make them feel at home—a sentiment, she said, that is the driving force behind Bless This Nest.

"It's like 'Steel Magnolias,'" Wagner said, "but with a boutique and not a salon."

Bless This Nest

201 N. FM 1660, Hutto

512-846-4002

www.facebook.com/marciwagnerhomes