Many business owners in Cypress have found their niche by opening the first shop of its kind in the area, and Kellie Girouard and Shantell Legaspi are no different.

Last April, the women opened a full-service party boutique for girls geared toward dress-up parties, which have themes ranging from rock star diva to spa parties to fairy tea party.

"Shantell has a little girl who had a birthday party at a place in the Heights, and we thought it was a great idea," Girouard said. "We started doing research to see if there was a similar type of business in Cypress, and there was nothing here geared toward just girls."

The parties at Duchess and Divas typically last about an hour and a half to two hours, and activities range from runway shows to chocolate facial masks to mini manicures and pedicures.

"We offer certain themes, but we do our best to customize things," Girouard said.

For 2013, Girouard and Legaspi hope to continue getting the word out about their new business. They have become active in the Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce and have enjoyed meeting other members of the Cy-Fair community, Girouard said.

"We rely on the parents who attend our parties to get the word out," she said. "At the end of the day, I think people want a recommendation from someone they know."

• 16518 House Hahl Road, Ste. F, Cypress
• 281-975-2556
• www.duchessanddivas.com