By SHELBA NIVENS / Community Columnist

Kimberly Valentine-Pierrottie worked as a retirement plan administrator when she decided she’d had enough.

“It was a high-stress job,” she said. “I had a lot of deadlines and no time for my children. My husband (Brian) had to do everything with them.”

She’d always loved to consignment shop, she said, and decided Chelsea needed a shop where people could get good merchandise at a discount. So she quit the job and opened a consignment shop in Chelsea.

Her teen-aged children, Bentley and Cullen, help her in the shop during the summer, afternoons during the school year and on weekends.

Valentine-Pierrottie said that before she opened her shop, The Cat’s Meow Family Consignment Boutique, she researched the Internet, bought a book on How to Consign from the owner of a successful consignment shop in North Carolina and took advice from the owners of The Clotheshorse, a very successful consignment shop in Vestavia Hills, where she has shopped since 1998.

She would like to sincerely thank the owners of Ruff & Tuff, The Chunky Monkey, One Stop Printing, Groomingdales and other businesses in the shopping center where her shop is located, she said. “I would not be here without their support! It is refreshing to see business done the old-fashioned way.”

The Cat’s Meow has everything from name-brand clothing, shoes and accessories for the whole family to books, jewelry and home accessories. “Contemporary home décor accessories and housewares are always in demand,” she said.

A few of her bestselling brands are Gymboree, Gap, Baby Gap, Banana Republic, Sax Fifth Avenue, Liz Claiborne, Jones New York and Chicos.

She accepts 15 items at a time for consignment, including English and Western tack and show clothing.

Items in good condition should be brought in during normal business hours between Tuesday and Thursday.

She is presently taking summer to fall transitional items and will begin accepting fall and winter items in August, she said. No appointment is needed to bring items in.

Newly received items include Strasburg, Pottery Barn and Nautica bedding, Petit Frere, Coach bags and much more.

A 50-percent off semi-annual sale starts this week, she said.

The Cat’s Meow Family Consignment Boutique is located at 10699 Old Highway 280 Plaza next to Ruff & Tuff.

Hours are Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m-5 p.m.

For more information call 903-9805, email kvp@thecatsmeowconsignment.net or check them out on Facebook or their website at Thecat’smeow consignment.net.

Shelba Nivens can be reached by email at Shelbasn@juno.com.