A blanket made by Nancy Stevens lays by a pile of holiday-themed books, which were also curated by Stevens, in the Sand & Pine pop-up shop on Friday. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Over the week leading up to Christmas, a family-owned business helped local residents “deck the halls” with fresh greenery, signature scents and seasonal decor.

The pop-up shop was the third Sand & Pine has held in Evolve, since the business was founded on Oct. 1, 2022.

“When the pandemic hit, it kind of made us realize all of the time you take for granted. My daughter’s three now, but she was born in May 2020, when everything was shutting down. We realized we all had time on our hands,” said Chloe Kissinger, of Martinsburg, who manages Sand & Pine’s online sales out of her basement.

With their free time, Kissinger and her three siblings began developing a business plan that would combine all of their interests and strengths together. Martinsburg resident Drew Stevens works on the operations side of the business, while Kissinger manages supply, Leesburg, Va. resident Maddie Humerick helps keep the vision alive and Cornatto, Calif. resident Sidnie Flood maintains the financial and technological side of the business. Their mother, Charles Town resident Nancy Stevens, also helps out on occasion, by manning Sand & Pine’s selling events and using her years of experience in retail to create impressive window displays, such as the two winter wonderland window displays in the Christmas pop-up shop.

“We each have our own little thing,” Kissinger said in a phone interview on Dec. 21. “And then our mom is the artistic touch that helps us tie it all together!”

Drew Stevens, of Martinsburg, stands beside his mom, Nancy Stevens, in the Sand & Pine pop-up shop on Friday. Tabitha Johnston

Kissinger noted that the business name, Sand & Pine, is reflective of the brand’s focus on celebrating togetherness.

“The reason behind the name of Sand & Pine, is that we see either sand or pine trees when our family meets together,” Kissinger said. “We look for those pieces that are hopefully going to become heirlooms for other individuals or that will remind people of items that their mom used. Really, it comes down to helping people decorate for special occasions, to help people to continue to create special moments together. Even though our price points are higher than some, we try to make sure that the quality is also high so the items will last people for many years.”

This third pop-up shop in Evolve was the longest Sand & Pine has held to-date, and allowed the business to fully experience what it might be like to have its own brick-and-mortar store.

“There’s definitely a dream to open our own brick-and-mortar and potentially hire a couple of full-time employees to run it, while we continue to pick inventory,” Kissinger said. “My sister, Sidnie, is the person who I think will be the general manager of that. Her husband is currently in the Navy, so she has that flexibility to run a store. I would say I could see it happening within the next year, if we found the right space in the right town.”

While Drew said opening a shop in Shepherdstown would be ideal, considering the positive experiences Sand & Pine has had there so far, he recognized that might not be possible, with the stiff competition in town over open storefronts.

Greenery and holiday decor accent a faux fireplace in the Sand & Pine pop-up shop on Friday. Tabitha Johnston

“The town and the people just suit the demographic of what we’re selling and who we think would be interested in aesthetically pleasing, environmentally conscious items,” Drew said, noting he and Kissinger both have a history with the town, since they attended Shepherd University. “We’ve had some success here in Evolve. In the future, we would love to have a permanent spot here.”

For the four siblings, owning this business has not only allowed them to celebrate family, but has also allowed them to maintain closer ties to each other, as they regularly meet up for virtual meetings on Mondays, which inevitably lead to them catching up on each others’ lives.

“Honestly, this has been something so special for my family and I to do together as a team. We’re very fortunate to be able to do this — it has such a big place in our hearts, no matter where it goes next,” Kissinger said, noting the siblings’ inventory has been greatly inspired by beloved pieces owned by their French-Italian grandmother and mother, who was born in Denmark. “We can only hope that these items will bring as much joy to peoples’ homes as some of these items did in our home!”

Sand & Pine can be found online at https://www.sandandpine.co/.

Shepherdstown residents Shannon Gibson, left, and Linda Batton browse through Sand & Pine's French soap selections in Evolve on Friday. Tabitha Johnston

Sand & Pine held its third pop-up shop in Evolve over the week leading up to Christmas. Tabitha Johnston