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One of the great songs of all time is Leonard Cohen’s Closing Time
“The gates of love they budged an inch
I can’t say much has happened since
But closing time.”
Well it’s come to Closing Time for Aphrodite in Pictou
We have basked in seven years of lusciousness, surrounded by racks of beautiful clothing and walls of gorgeous art, making new friends, laughing our heads off at the crazy antics of some of our staff, being awestruck by the sheer talent of many of our artisans and experiencing the delicious world of femininity in so many of its forms. Aphrodite was founded by an amazing group of women who were fundamental to building the joyous spirit that emanated from everything that evolved. It has all been so much fun!
On the flip side we did it all in a leaky old building run by rabid landlords in downtown Antigonish, struggling like hell with the challenges of retail as the public flocked to buy online, endlessly justifying the higher prices of decency in manufacturing during an era of cheap clothing made in places like Rana Plaza in Bangladesh, dealing with the age old issues of progress as the new highway bypassed the town and watching in awe at the insanity of town officials who purportedly support small business but put their own interests first and then hitting the wall with the local RCMP and justice system that demonstrated such a limited grasp of the law. Whew!
The sudden move to Pictou was a calculated risk – downsizing to a cool old building that began its existence as a foundry for shipbuilding in the 1800’s and today is owned by some of Pictou’s finest. But alas the town was not impervious to the changing world of retail and hence nor were we. We’ve seen it all and it’s been a great adventure with loads of great memories and then some heartache just to even things out.
To everyone who supported us from the get – go I give a hearty big thanks! Risk does not always equal regret and despite the losses I do not regret having had this wonderful experience within a community of totally extraordinary women (with some men behind them :).
I am sad to see Aphrodite go as is our fabulous staff and supporters. We all tried our best but ran out of strength to keep swimming upstream. I will miss all of you more than I can say. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We will have one last call for your, our customers, before closing time. It will happen on the weekend of February 15 and 16. It will be followed by a last, last call the following week for the general public. Stay tuned and plan to come by and say goodbye. It will be a celebration!
More photos and stories to come.
APHRODITE 
Dearest Tiiu, So heartfelt and eloquent. Your honesty shines through your words and all the friends you’ve made are testament to your vision and hard work. Time for the next chapter my friend….. xoxo
Sent from my iPad
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Dearest Mimi, Thank you for your beautiful comments. They mean a lot!
So sad to see you close. I always treasured each item I purchased from your beautiful collections. They will remain some of my favourite pieces. Good luck in the future. You are an elegant , charming lady. Always thankful to have met you !!
Thank you Linda. I’m grateful to have met you too!
Aphrodite set a high standard for wonderful style in Eastern Canada….treasures in these small Nova Scotian towns. It … and you…will be remembered as long as these classic fashions will be worn. We will hear women say to one another… “Aphrodite?” Thank you for your courageous gift to all of us who had the privelege of buying from you. And Tiiu, YOU will continue to make your mark! Cheers to a Champion, XOD
Dawn – I can’t thank you enough for your friendship and your encouragement.
You are loved!
Tiu, good luck in any new ventures. I was so excited to find Aphrodite when I moved to Antigonish. And so sad to leave you behind when I moved back to Ontario. I loved the quality and style of the clothing and the approach to ethical fashion manufacturing. The wine was great too…as was your warm and welcoming staff. Good luck!
Thank you for your nice comments and for being a supporter. All the best! Tiiu
so happy to have been a part of your dream for a while.As you always do you gave it everything you had and were let down by circumstances beyond your control.For a while Antigonish had the finest women’s fashion shop in Eastern
Canada .Your energy and beauty will not be forgotten.
fly onwards and upwards my dearest friend. Rob xxoo
Thanks Rob. You had a lot to do with this dream! You and the Flight have been a shining light for me and for many.
Tiu, I am so sorry to hear this but I definitely could see the writing on the wall. You persevered against some serious obstacles! I am so thrilled with my beautiful and unique purchases over the years. The personal attention I received from you and your wonderful staff in helping me select things or showing me ways to put things together was fantastic. I will definitely miss Aphrodite! Many thanks and all the best to you and your staff. Anne
Sent from my iPhone
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Dear Anne,
You have been such a delight – lighting up the store with your presence. Thank you for all of your support!
Good evening…..
Sorry to hear that your closing. Continued success in your next adventure. I won’t have a chance to get to Pictou but would love to see what you have online. Will check it out.
Patricia Watson, Singer 902-766-4511 pwassoc@eastlink.ca
P.S. Here’s a link to my new music video titled, “You Got the Power”.
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
Dear Patricia, I watched your video and it’s wonderful. The words resonated with me as they do with everyone who hears and watches it. I’m sorry the modelling gig didn’t transpire. Your beauty would have been astonishing. Soon – we’ll cross paths again!
Dearest Tiiu, Turn the page. Thank you for making the world a more beautiful place. I look forward to seeing how you do it with your next project. Lots of love, your fan, Gillian
Thanks Gillian. I was enjoying a review of pics with you modelling. So nice!
For my own selfish reasons, I am so sad to see this lovely ode to women, fashion, and community go. Will miss the feeling of kinship with a shopping spree as a bonus. Alas, it’s in uphill battle for small business. You gave it an amazing run and for that Thank You! Unfortunately will miss the grand goodbye, will need to catch up another time. Xoxox Ania Kx2
Dear Ania, My friendship with you and John and your family is one of the best benefits I have realized from Aphrodite! Thank you!
And vice versa. Looking forward to the next adventure:)
HUGS from Ray and I.
I know you have something else amazing up your sleeve….so hurry up and reveal !!! I love new beginnings and we wish you all the best. Ps where am I going to find my signature cross your heart clinging tops?? ( I digress, it’s not about me) take some time and come to the valley this spring…we’d all love it. And the beat goes on, C &T
We will miss you so much! You brought a much needed sense of style, adventure, risk and joy to an often colorless and staid world. Love and hugs. Xoxoxo
So sad, sure miss you in Antigonish.
Tiiu = Goddess. Look it up in the dictionary. You are it. ❤❤❤
Sadly we never visited the store in Pictou but I can see in the pictures that it was as nice and classy as the one in Antigonish. But unfortunately retail is not what it used to be. However, I trust that you will embrace the next chapter in your life with the usual enthusiasm.
Hey Richard! So nice to hear from you. I’ll be in touch with you and Lisa soon.
Dear Tiiu,
I’m sorry to hear that it’s Closing Time for Aphrodite. The favorite clothes in my closet are a reminder of your lovely store on Main Street in Antigonish which was always such a joy to visit, have a chat, to shop or just to look at beautiful things. It was always a first stop for King when he was looking for something special for me or his daughters and former wife, and for my daughters as well.
I’m sorry I didn’t get to Aphrodite in Pictou as often as I had hoped but found that I just didn’t have the energy or time when en route between Halifax and Antigonish to take the detour.
We wish you great success in your next endeavor for I have no doubt that there are plans bubbling away in your beautiful head.
Aphrodite was a successful imaginative and beautiful adventure. That is the way it will be be remembered.
With love and luck,
Nancy and King
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Dearest Nancy, Your comments mean so much to me as does your friendship. Our visits will resume at your place or mine. Lotsa love to you both!
Tiiu! I wish you all the best in the next step of your journey! I’m so happy to have been a part of ” The Originals”. You and the girls each have a little piece of my heart 🙂
May we meet again!!
Oh Cori, we still miss you! Those were the days! Yes I hope to see you again soon. Hope all is well with you and your babies.
Dear Tiiu
I know a few things about closing down a beautiful store.You are on autopilot right now ,because you need to be,but in the back of your mind youre thinking what happened.?
What happened was you took a chance,you poured yourself into a project,you believed,and you shared.You had fun,you played to win,you showed up,you did your best,and you made something happen….but just like they always say at funerals…everything has a season.And the season changed.
What I do know, is that in so many peoples memory,your name is synonymous with good taste and style and fashion and manners.And it will remain so forever.
Thats the beautiful thing.You did something and people will remember it.fondly.
Im speaking from experience here.
Good for you Tiiu.
Theres another season just around the corner.
Love Shaun
Shaun. You and I know it – us interminably unemployable dreamers and entrepreneurs. I’m proud to be in the same camp with you!
I’m so sad! I loved Aphrodite, it was the most amazing, beautiful shop. Retail is hard, and corrupt local officials just make it harder. All the best to you in your future adventures.
–Rhonda xo
Dear Tiiu –
How sad to hear that Aphrodite is closing. I know how long and hard you worked to keep this dream alive.You faced the hard and unfair obstructions that came your way with optimism, courage, and willingness to start anew. Aphrodite was an amazing store, and only someone with your unique vision, boundless energy, and creative abilities could have realized such a beautiful enterprise. You succeeded in bringing the most gorgeous clothes to the Province and creating an atmosphere that delighted and empowered your shoppers. You also went the extra mile to make Aphrodite a force for good in both the Antigonish and Pictou communities, and your blog will be remembered for its combination of fine wit, fashion expertise, and heart felt social consciousness. I’ve never been to a boutique that had more beautiful merchandise, and it was a must stop for my visiting friends; each of them always left with a treasure as well as having an absolutely delightful time with you and your terrific staff.
Thank you for including me in you slide show. I am thankful for the times I could participate as a “temp” at Aphrodite I will miss having the pleasure of shopping there and being made to feel like a total goddess. I will remember it as special gem in the community. I know you will be on to something new and exciting and I wish you, my friend, great success in your next endeavor! Love, Virginia