COVINGTON, Ind. — Cathy Coffman of Covington, Ind., knows what it’s like to beat the odds. Two years ago, at a time when many mom-and-pop stores were fighting for their survival, she opened the gift shop Taylored by Grace in her home.

Last year, as the economy started to turn sour, Coffman moved the store to the courthouse square and expanded. And now, as the country is grappling with the worst recession since the Great Depression, Taylored by Grace is thriving and recently more than doubled in size.

“I’ve learned that with God on your side all things are possible,” Coffman said. “If you turn on the TV everybody is talking about how bad the economy is, and the world is telling me I’m going to fail. But the economy has been bad before, and we’ll get through it this time too.”

Ironically, the fact that the economy was slowing down already before Coffman opened her store has helped her deal with the current economic crisis.

“I’ve told people I’m fortunate that I’ve only been in business for two years because I don’t have much to compare to. My figures are still going up so I know I’m going in the right direction.”

Coffman’s philosophy has always been to grow her business one “baby step” at a time, but when she was offered to expand from the back room of Gray Bear Antiques all the way to the front of the building on the south side of the courthouse square, she jumped on the opportunity.

“My ultimate goal was to be visible from (Liberty) street. And it’s really helped being accessible from the antique mall,” she said.

Even though the expansion enabled Coffman to add some new product lines, she has stayed true to the homey, shabby-chic feel of the original store. The merchandise runs the gamut from handmade baby clothes and inspirational books to scented candles and vintage cabinets — all held together by a spiritual ambience that reflects Coffman’s personal faith. That said, she’s not marketing Taylored by Grace as a Christian store.

“I want to minister to everybody,” Coffman said. “This way, people from all walks of life come in here and I can plant a seed here and there.”

The added space also allowed Coffman to expand her Christmas displays, and her Nov. 7 Christmas open house drew a crowd of 75-100 people just by word of mouth. Aside from Nativity scenes, ornaments and Santa figures, the holiday display features two Christmas trees prepared by local decorators Rick Randles and Nancy Wagner.

“I knew it was going to be beautiful. When I walked by the window it just took my breath away,” said Diane Ingalsbe of Veedersburg, Ind., about the Christmas displays. As she browsed the store’s merchandise on a recent morning, Ingalsbe praised Coffman’s creativity.

“She’s a blessing,” she said, “I’ve never seen anything like this anywhere else. The first time I came in I don’t know how long I looked.”

Conversely, Coffman said one of the biggest rewards of running her business is seeing people like Ingalsbe enjoying the atmosphere of Taylored by Grace.

So what’s next for Taylored by Grace? With the reputation of Covington’s thriving downtown spreading, and billboards along Interstate 74 attracting passers-by from all over the United States as well as other countries, Coffman sees a bright future.

“I think Covington has done a great job (attracting businesses to downtown). I hear people comparing it with Noblesville and Fishers all the time. That’s quite an honor; I think this town is really blessed.”

FYI

Taylored by Grace is located on the south side of the courthouse square at 215 Fourth St. in Covington, Ind. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST Monday through Saturday. Call Cathy Coffman at (765) 793-4040 for more information.