The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
These books are written and illistrated by a family of women who live and work in Wyoming, an important aspect of the vendors with whom the boutique works.
Co-owner Jordan Ann Thurston Miller loves her new business location next to Subway because it brings back memories of the local "hub" she enjoyed as a youth.
Eight years ago, Jordan Ann Thurston Miller and husband Chancy decided to start a mobile clothing boutique called Criss Cross Chaos.
"I was student teaching at the time. I had gone to a local clothing store and was so excited with what I'd bought; I went to work and three other people walking down the hall had the exact same thing on," she says.
She later said to her husband, "I think I'm going to try this..."
Jordan had a plan and Chancy was on board.
So, with a goal of following trade shows and rodeos, offering more unusual and unique clothes, shoes and other items than what is found in the box stores, Chancy remodeled a cargo trailer "and that has been our work space for a lot of years".
Jordan explained the draw of this venue at the time: "Some of my most unique and fun finds have been found at rodeos in little boutiques that had just set up with a table."
A couple of their biggest endeavors are the Black Hills Stock Show in Rapid City, SD, the College National Finals in Casper, WY and the High School National Finals as well.
Five years after moving from Gillete to Moorcroft, the couple began to feel the need to again shift gears.
"We felt like we'd about grown out of it a little bit and we wanted to be a little more efficient with our time," she says.
So they found the empty half of the Subway building and, when they decided to expand last year, contacted the owners, "who subsequently remodeled the space."
The Millers are not leaving their nomadic business behind, though; they intend to continue that facet of the business along with the storefront in town.
The couple also feel strongly that their business should support US-based, women/veteran-owned and handmade craft businesses. To this end, one of the clothing brands they sell is Texas based; the soy candles are made by a veteran; a series of children's books are written and illustrated by the women of a Wyoming family; and they are now offering flavorful handmade delicacies called Simply Secret Sweets.
Jordon spoke to her appreciation of Moorcroft's small town atmosphere that still has "a lot of opportunity" and she would like to see her boutique become "an addition to our community".
"I think it's really cool to be set up by the Coffee Cup [Fuel Stop]," Jordon smiled. "I feel like rodeoing and just growing up, the Coffee Cup was always this place where we stopped, a hub, and now, to have a store here, it feels really cool."
While the sign isn't on the front, yet, stepping into the space is a treat and worth the stop. Criss Cross Chaos days hours are currently Thursday, Friday, from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
