TAMPA, Fla. - Two women-owned small businesses are joining forces to power through these tough times. 

Chi Chi Crocker of Rustic Love Vintage and More was excited to open her doors for the first time this month. 

“Oh my goodness we were so excited we were counting the days to it,” she said.

COVID-19 put a stop to her grand opening. 

Her shop now sits full of furniture, yet empty of customers. 

“It's really heartbreaking because we thought for sure on April 3rd we were going to be able to open,” she said. 

Some neighborly love, however, is keeping her spirits up.

Kristina Lavallee, who owns The Cake Girl just two doors down, is partnering with Crocker to sell fun DIY kits to keep families entertained while staying home. 

It includes a cupcake decorating and paint kit. 

“We want to help them out too, as well as they’re helping us too, so it's awesome to collaborate with both and become a big family,” Lavallee said. 

“We figured this would be positive for the kids to have something fun to do and keep them busy and entertained cause it's hard for everybody,” Crocker said. 

Hard times for sure — but there’s always a silver lining:

“It’s brought us a lot closer even than we were before,” Crocker said. 

Interested in supporting local businesses by buying your own DIY kits? You can purchase them here.