Most great ideas are born of a need... and sometimes even a wish. A time-deprived mother of three, Kelly knew the importance of life's celebrations and more importantly, the inconvenience of driving ten places in order to organize one simple birthday party. What she really needed was a one-stop shop for the woman on the go. With neighborhood barbecues to attend, birthday functions to plan, teacher gifts to buy, wedding showers to organize and presents to wrap for each of them - not to mention juggling the rest of life's every day activities - she needed a place that could provide the answers. Oh, and she really wished it could be housed under one roof! It was then that the concept of Swoozie's was born.

She and her husband, David, a 30-year retail veteran opened the first Swoozie's in Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia in March of 2001. Kelly and David immersed themselves in the world of gifts and invitations. Half of the visually fabulous store features invitations and stationery and half is devoted to gifts, many of them being personalized. The gift area of the store is theme based. It changes with the seasons, but also features a couple of staples including birthdays and wedding that customers have come to expect of Swoozie's.

We are passionate about many things here at Swoozie's including recognizing and celebrating life's occasions. Our customers count on us when it comes to celebrating their children's birthdays, their parents' anniversaries and their daughters' engagements. They come to us when it's time to recognize a friend's struggle, a neighbor's battle with cancer or the etiquette of saying thank you. We are also passionate about our community. As a member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America when he was little and then going on to be a trustee on the board, David instilled in us the importance of giving back. At Swoozie's we believe that it's always better to give than to receive.

In 2007, we lost David to cancer. This was an irreplaceable loss for Swoozie's and has only motivated us to be even more active with local cancer research foundations and charitable organizations.

Over the years, many things have changed at Swoozie's. We have had our challenges and our celebrations. Luckily, they have made many of our relationships stronger within our communities.

The Gart Company out of Denver purchased our company in 2010 and is a valued partner in building it. We currently have seven locations please look for these locations at swoozies.com.

But, the fundamentals of Swoozie's have not wavered - brilliant products, personalization that sets the standard, outstanding customer care, and giving back to our communities. These are the things that make us who we are.

That is our story. Thank you for being a part of it.