By Nancy Jennings
February is looking to be a busy month for Kim Knox
The owner of Whimsy Etc. since November 2017, the former instructional assistant in Special Education for the Molalla River School District, is excited for its “Grand Re-Opening” on Feb. 2.
She is looking forward to greeting customers on Silverton’s February First Friday and having them check out the sale items and notice the changes in merchandise.
“We just got back from a tradeshow and we have lots of new stuff coming in,” she said, including a mix-and-match clothing line and a year-round Christmas decoration corner.
Her other business, The Chocolate Box, is preparing for Valentine’s Day shoppers with their eyes – and taste buds – focused on all things chocolate.
“We make our own Valentine’s Day boxes, so anyone can come in, pick out all the chocolates they want and make a custom box,” she said.
All their chocolates are made in Oregon, including Moonstruck Chocolates and The Candy Basket from Portland, Euphoria Chocolate Company from Eugene and Ladybug Chocolates from Canby. Knox and her crew make their own chocolate-dipped pretzels.
“We will probably have chocolate-dipped strawberries again like last year,” she said.
Knox, 41, took ownership of The Chocolate Box in September 2016. She, her mother-in-law, and daughter Audrie are business partners in this family venture.
“We were pursuing a restaurant in Molalla, but that deal fell through. I found ‘The Chocolate Box’ on Craigslist when the former owner, Aylene Geringer, put it on there. I called her up out of the blue,” she said.
After many meetings and perseverance, the women worked out the details and closed the deal.
Knox’s father, Lee Roberts, 73, has been helping at the shop since she acquired Whimsy Etc. in November.
He is very proud of his daughter.
“She went from being a pig farmer to working at the Molalla School District to owning two businesses – and raising three girls. It’s quite a leap,” he said. A Salem resident, he is enjoying meeting new friends.
“I like to get to know everybody,” he said.
Changes are afoot at the chocolate shop with the phasing out of the wine and wine tasting and the addition of more gift items such as teapots, napkins and tea towels.
Knox and her husband, Robert, have three daughters: Audrie, 22, Kira, 15 and Brooklyn, 6. Kira is on her school swim team, which keeps their calendars full. The family is also involved in 4-H and FFA.
