Awesome Blossom

Alex Lehr named her floral-design business after her favorite flower: a thistle. “It’s this angry flower among soft, pretty things,” she says. Its prickliness is hardly analogous to her bubbly personality, but its hardiness might be a metaphor for her decision to open.

West St. Paul native Susie Peterson was living in Arizona not long ago, dreaming of owning a women’s boutique. Wrong place, wrong time. So she moved back to the tundra to give it a go. The result? Suzetra at 50th & France—not a bad first-venture location. She’s cobbled together casual and business looks with special-occasion dresses (she takes a shine to Samuel Dong in particular). She’s also one of the only boutiques in town to carry cult-favorite Fidelity denim at two price points—“One for mom, one for daughter,” she explains. Now that’s a diversified business portfolio. 3825 W. 50th St., Edina, 612-208-0839, suzetra.com

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