By Marla Jones, Managing Editor • marla@southerntorch.com

AUBURN, Ala. — This week, Rainsville’s very own Alice Pettyjohn of Alice Circle branched out with a new pop-up shop in Auburn.

The local merchant, whose business specializes in personalized items, won an opportunity to fill a space in the Auburn Mall from now through the first of 2020. 

In a statement made via Facebook, Pettyjohn wrote: 

“Because we open the Auburn shop in a short 24 hours, I’d like to tell the story of Alice Circle: Auburn

Two years ago, almost to the day, I was on a Texas road trip with Starr Mitchell and Connie Cochran. Alice Circle sold some T-shirts to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Harvey, and we decided to take a little trip to deliver the funds to a Texas relief foundation. During our travels, we discussed creating a business focused on providing merchandise for sororities.

Earlier this year we started that business: Pep+Rally. We selected the name because we are all former cheerleaders, and we’ve been cheering one another on for as long as we can remember. Our goal is to provide items that represent organizations, as well as to create a culture of encouragement.

We decided that Pep+Rally would prosper near a college campus and soon after my friend Pam told me about a Pop-Up Shop contest in the Auburn Mall. We applied as Alice Circle, knowing Pep+Rally would have a huge presence inside the shop since it would only be a few miles from Auburn University. We were chosen as a winner of this amazing opportunity. We have a big space to fill inside Auburn Mall, and we can’t wait to show you all that the three of us have been working on! We’ve had fun putting this shop together, and I couldn’t ask for better friends to partner with for this opportunity.”

Despite some thoughts, Alice Circle has not abandoned Rainsville. 

“Alice Circle is still in Rainsville and will continue business/activities as usual. I’ll be spending time in both shops for the next few months...We have a ton of great gift ideas at both shops. I will be in constant communication about what you’ve ordered and what you need,” Pettyjohn continued. “For those family and friends who have prayed, let us stay with you, given ideas, let us borrow props and volunteered along the way, thank you! This is truly an adventure that is impossible to go on alone.”