Style 'at home': An interview with Emilie Stephens, owner of Annie-Em's At Home

Emilie Stephens is not just another pretty face. She is busy running the shop her mother built.

Annie-Em's At Home, a home decor boutique that opened in 2001, was the dream of Emilie's mother Karen Stephens. The former elementary school principal named the store after her two daughters, Emilie and the younger Annie. After Stephens passed away in 2012, Emilie adhered to her mother's wishes and took the reins as shopkeeper.

Nestled in downtown Cape Girardeau, Annie-Em's is picture perfect in decor and filled with a mix of classic and modern merchandise to make any house a home. I spent time with Emilie during a recent photo shoot and found out more about the lady and her life as one of Cape Girardeau's most stylish and young entrepreneurs.

Flourish: What is a normal day like for you?

Emilie Stephens (Photo by Turya Nations)

Stephens: My day starts with my dogs. They are my alarm clocks. When I'm not at the store, I'm usually running to Target or the bank for the store. I've learned that owning your own business is definitely a 24/7 job. My days usually consist of returning phone calls and emails, placing orders, unpacking and pricing merchandise, putting together displays and helping customers. When I'm not at the store, I'm always running errands, or I'm out looking for inspiration. There's always something that needs to be done!

Flourish: What's the best part of Annie-Em's being located by the river?

Stephens: I love being downtown. The river attracts all different kinds of people. I love seeing new faces and meeting new people that are just passing through. I always enjoy meeting the people that have been coming in for many years, especially when they say, "We always have to come in here when we come to Cape -- it's one of our favorite stops!"

Flourish: What do you like to do for night life?

Stephens: I love going to little "mom and pop" places. I'm most definitely a foodie. I love cooking, eating and reading about food. So any place that's offering something a little bit different in the food/drink department, that's where you'll find me.

Flourish: What is currently your favorite winter accessory that you'll be wearing all season?

Stephens: I think my favorite winter accessory has to be scarves. I love scarves. I have an entire storage tub of them. You can never have too many! I also love a nice pair of leather boots. Right now I'm trying to find a pair of suede ankle boots to wear with dresses this fall/winter.

Flourish: Give us your best-kept style secret.

Stephens: I think my best-kept style secret is to keep it simple. I like to be comfortable in what I'm wearing. If it's not comfortable, I'm probably not going to wear it, especially when I'm working. It's hard to move furniture and unpack boxes in high heels! I find that I'm way more productive in something that's a little more comfortable.

Flourish: What inspires you?

Stephens: I draw inspiration from a lot of things. I draw inspiration from my mother and her many talents. When I'm working on a display in the store or picking out merchandise, I always ask myself what would my mother think. Or if she were here, how would she do this? She has left me with so many great memories and important life lessons, which just encourages me to work harder, do better and dream bigger every day.