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NATCHEZ — Two moms who know what moms are looking for in children’s clothing have come together to start a new business expansion that aims to provide just that.

Best friends Taylor Cooley and Kaelin Russell were already in business together at Kaelor & Co., which as of September is located at the former Burns Shoe Store at 414 Main St.

When the need for more space forced them to move, a vacancy for new business opened up at Kaelor & Co.’s former 503. Franklin St. location.

Cooley had kept a lease of the building since it was her photography studio and later subleased it to her friend Kate Lee Laird for an art studio. Now, she and Russell give it new life as a children’s and mom’s clothing store.

“It seemed like the one thing we didn’t have already at Kaelor & Co. and something that everyone else wanted to have downtown,” Russell said of the store.

The two best friends met under sad circumstances in 2018. As Russell learned that her first son Wyatt had severe prenatal birth defects that would end his life shortly after birth, Cooley offered to preserve his memory with photographs. The pair have been inseparable friends since and became business partners, first through wedding photography and later with Kaelor & Co.

Russell’s now four-year-old son Justin played freely in the store this week while the pair made a hard sprint to get the store ready for opening on Friday. The opening comes just in time for the fall Junkin on the River — the Miss-Lou’s busiest shopping day next to Black Friday — and the Natchez Balloon Festival, Russell said.

As moms, they know most moms want affordable play and dress clothes, especially since children outgrow them quickly.

“We understand kids because we have kids,” Russell said. “When we went to market, affordable, everyday kids’ clothes was the goal.”

As business owners, they also wanted to be sure that their store wouldn’t overlap with anything that is currently being offered in Natchez, she said.

“Before we even decided to jump in with this idea, we went and talked to Sandy at One of A Kind, because she sells some kid’s stuff. We didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. … I’m a firm believer in the more doors you can swing open, the better it is for everybody.”

As business owners, Cooley and Russell both have a lot of doors open between them — A Gallery, Cooley and Co., Kaelor & Co. and now Kaelor & Kids.

They have their hands full with running those, a photography gig, and chauffeuring their children to school and extracurricular activities.

How do they manage it all?

“I have frequent phone reminders and piles of ADHD lists,” Cooley said with a laugh.

Thankfully their husbands, Trey Cooley and Sean Russell add a lot of handyman support and heavy lifting to the team. They may also be hiring an additional person with weekday flexibility, for anyone interested in work, Russell said.

As of its Friday opening, Kaelor & Kids will be open Thursday through Sunday to catch weekend traffic and may possibly open for longer periods in the future, Russell said.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Their hope is to also add more merchandise to the store than it will have at opening.

“We won’t be at full capacity when we open but we’re going to gradually get there,” Cooley said.

To start, Kaelor & Kids carries pajamas, everyday clothes, athletic wear, matching Mommy and Me outfits and some toys in a kid-friendly space, Russell said.

“We have a kids’ play area where the little ones can hang out while their moms shop without worry. We wanted this place to be stress-free,” she said.

For more, stress-free shopping, customers can also shop Kaelor & Co. and Kaelor & Kids online at kaelorandco.com.