Having a shop of her own has always been a dream for Denise Hebert, owner of The Blue Butterfly Boutique in New Iberia. For ten years before opening her store at 141 West Main Street, she had been making soaps and candles and, for several years, also held a decorative painting business. She was comfortable bringing fragrance, style and beauty to people through her products, but it took a significant and meaningful sign to convince her to take the next leap.

“After my mother passed 28 years ago, I started receiving or seeing image after image of blue butterflies – many on significant days – and I came to realize that they weren’t coincidences,” Hebert recalls. “When I finally decided to open a boutique, I searched the availability of the name “blue butterfly” online and discovered the Blue Butterfly Pancreatic Cancer Fund, the same cancer that my mother had. I took it as a sign to move forward.”

What’s Inside

Opened in 2014 The Blue Butterfly Boutique is a one-stop shop for women, men and children’s gifts. Hebert still makes her handmade candles and cold-pressed soaps (cured for four weeks), which bring her repeat business. Among the best soap sellers: lavender patchouli, oatmeal milk and honey (with ground oatmeal) and Happy Hippy with ground calendula. The bath line includes silky whipped sugar scrubs and a variety of bath bombs for every gift-giving occasion.

For men, there is the Duke Cannon line of soaps and colognes, and candle- lovers keep coming back for Hebert’s three-wick, dough bowl candles. She has also purveyed some locally handcrafted items for her store, including Louisiana- themed gifts like the charcuterie/cutting boards in the shape of the state and gumbo bowls and spoons, which make great wedding gifts. There is a large section of religious items: holy water bottles, door blessings and other truly unique keepsakes, and the store is the area’s exclusive dealer of Willow Tree figurines. Now popular in her jewelry line are Bella bracelets, a dressier version of the Little Words Projects, which allow tracking of jewelry passed from friend to friend. Finally, in an effort to add new items,“without compromising quality,” last year Hebert brought in women’s clothing, including well-known brand jeans.

A Little History

The building where Blue Butterfly is located has served as various retail sites over the years. Some recall that in the early 1900s it was a print shop; in the late ‘80s, it was a children’s clothing shop, and years later Sanford’s Jewelers. By the time Hebert came on the scene, it had been the storefront for Ashley Blue Jewelers.

Q&A with Hebert

What is your personal clothing style? A little Bohemian, but I like the Western look, too. Boho chic, I think best describes it.

What do you look for when shopping for the store? I’m going to Dallas market in January. Whatever I buy, it has to be something that I love.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? I love visiting with my customers. I love it when people leave happy with what they’ve bought, going home with smell-goods and new clothes. We pride ourselves on customer service and want people to feel special. If they love the store – and us – they’ll come back.

What does it mean to you to have a shop in your hometown? I love our town and I want it to grow and expand, and if I can be part of that so that people don’t have to go somewhere else, that makes me happy. I think New Iberia is getting to a point where there’s no reason to leave town to find something.

Why do you like being on Main Street? I’ve always been drawn to the downtown area of cities; they’re quaint and nostalgic. Downtown is the history of a city and where everything usually began. New Iberia has a beautiful, historic Main Street – and it’s on the bayou. I also like that we have downtown events. (The boutique was first on Parkview Street for a year when the opportunity opened up to get a store downtown.)

Be sure to check out Blue Butterfly’s website, bluebutterflie.net, for details on their upcoming Annual Christmas Open House.