Barbara Lawlor, Ward. Last January, Dennis Solem and Kayanne Pickens thought they were never going to see the sunshine again. They had both been injured in an accident in Boulder when a texting person hit them from behind.
Although their visual injuries were not major, they suffered the internal and emotional injuries that left them basically disabled and depressed, unable to climb out of the dark hole the collision had thrust them into.
They went to a chiropractor but did not go after the medical help that could have helped them recover sooner. In January, they went to the community for help in a GoFundMe campaign and received enough donations to pay their bills and purchase what they needed to get through the winter.
At last Kayanne was able to finish her shop which will add to their income and give her the independence she desires. Perched on the side of the Peak to Peak Highway, just south of the turn into Ward, the Emporium of Delight is a roadside attraction. A large metal sculpture of a robotic miner playing croquet is as unique a yard decoration as one could ever conceive of.
Steps lined with metal flowers lead to the one room shop where Kayanne, dressed in her colorful layers of vintage clothes and her hand crafted jewelry, greets visitors, delighted to see them and share her treasures. She defines her work as "upcycled finery," and there is no doubt that it is one of a kind.
"I had many customers on Memorial Day who were intrigued by our sign and by the robots. The big robot is molded after Tick Tock, the mechanical man of Oz. This year we will finish the house. This is a success story in Ward."
Kayanne loves to sew and loves to combine recycled clothing with recycled art work: a repurposed jeans jacket with a retro picture of Jean Harlow on the back. No one else has one like it.
She says her clothes have a hippie gypsy flair, part of the creative life she acquired from parents who taught her how to sew and make jewelry. The shop sits on the old East Columbia mine Lode, which had one of the heaviest yields of gold in the county, a history she loves to share with visitors.
Kayanne says her future includes increasing sales and success.
"I feel so much better now. I have five grandchildren and this may be in their future. We have gone through a major turnaround thanks to the outpouring of love and support. My faith in humanity has been restored. We were scared and stressed and now we are out of that place. That is pretty awesome."'
Emporium of Delight is located at 43507 Highway 72, Ward. Colorado.
