Why something new and why Allumer.

It’s been about four months since I made the decision to close my first business venture, Leeta Ruth Boutique. Was it bittersweet closing the doors to what had been my heart and soul for 9 years? Yes, but more sweet than bitter. I had grown so much in those 9 years and there came a point when I knew that Leeta Ruth and her sweet, bright, beautiful brand, named to honor my two grandmothers, was no longer quite reflective of me. Making the decision to end that story and begin another felt exactly right. A new venture had started to drop hints to my heart and soul, but when I closed Leeta Ruth in May 2025 the only clear details about the new business that I knew with certainty was that it would be in the same space and that it would be called “Allumer” which means “to light up” or “to turn on” in French.

I have found the process of creating Allumer to be significantly more difficult than creating Leeta Ruth. When the Leeta Ruth business was born in 2016, she was very much reflective of what already existed in my life at the time. To decorate the boutique I simply brought furniture from my home, much of which had belonged to either my paternal great grandmother Leeta or my maternal grandmother Ruth. Even the flower on the logo was taken directly from one of the many oil paintings that Leeta completed during her lifetime. The concept of Leeta Ruth was also very easy to understand and traditional. It was first and foremost a women’s clothing boutique. When you tell someone you own a clothing boutique, they immediately understand what you are saying.

The story of Allumer has been different. It has been a case of creating something that doesn’t quite exist yet. Or at least that I can’t find. Vague ideas of what I wanted to bring to the world and specifically to women began to become more and more concrete over 2024. By early 2025, I heard the word Allumer used and immediately looked up the definition. At that point I knew without a doubt that that was the name of my new business. The idea of “lighting women up” has always been a thread through which I operated Leeta Ruth. In seeing so many women try on clothes, having so many vulnerable conversations, I knew that more than anything, women desire to feel good in their bodies. They desire to FEEL a certain way in their bodies first and then for their energy and style to reflect that.

I began to examine my own processes that I used to light myself up and to turn myself on. This was a process that I had become increasingly more aware of over the past 10 years and one that I could recognize enough to point to certain tactics and rituals that facilitated a deeply rooted feeling in my body of confidence and self worth…a glow, if you will. I knew that this feeling was the result of being deeply connected with my own body, which I had achieved through yoga, meditation, intentional eating and slow sensory rituals such as my nightly baths. At this point I knew that I wanted to open a space that inspired other women to light themselves up through similar sensory rituals.

But this is where the creation of Allumer has been a challenging process. We have yoga studios, we have all sorts of fitness studios, we have spaces that facilitate energy healing and meditation and breathwork, we have salons offering every beauty treatment under the sun. But there was not another business I could find that was geared just towards lighting women up by utilizing their own ability to experience pleasure in their body through sensory and celebratory experiences.

As Allumer has come more into being over the summer months, in the end it will reflect a combination of my own personal story and a blending of my professional histories. With a graduate degree in psychology from Stanford University, 11 years of professional experience advising young adults, and 9 years running a clothing boutique and event space, Allumer will pull from each of those areas. It will offer a blend of both life, style and confidence advising combined with the opportunity to build on this advising through mindful rituals and curated products in a luxurious sanctuary. My hope is that Allumer provides a variety of holistic services in a physical space that allows women to step into their highest energy- an unapologetic sense of self-worth, a quiet confidence, and a radiant presence that comes from within.

Allumer is fundamentally based on an idea of already existing abundance. Allumer will utilize sensory indulgences, pleasure and presence to help you recognize and amplify the power and light YOU ALREADY POSSESS. By learning to be present in your body, by learning to truly enjoy everyday sensual pleasures, and by celebrating the beauty and light that already exists inside you, you will open the door to a newfound aliveness.

Creating the space at 325 Elm St in Ludlow to house Allumer has been a detailed and extremely intentional process this summer. From paint colors, to wallpaper, to lighting and furniture and the overall style and vibe, every single detail is intentional and has a connection with the overall mission. My sincere hope is that the minute you step into Allumer, you feel inspired to connect with your own inner light. I cannot wait to welcome you in the doors very soon!

Our social media, and on this Substack account are where I will be sharing more about the story of Allumer, my own personal story that led to it’s creation and the mission and offerings. Thank you so much for being here and stay tuned!