For Aledo resident Savannah Lacefield, May Flowers Mobile Bookstore is a labor of love.
Lacefield, 25, opened the store about a year ago, and to this point has had a phenomenal reception.
“The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive,” Lacefield said. “People were thrilled to have an in-person location to shop for books.. It’s also a unique concept, so people are interested to come into the trailer and see what it is and what’s inside. Getting connected to the community is one of the best parts of the job.”
The idea for the store came about during a late-night brainstorming session Lacefield had with her husband, Riley.
“I had a dream of opening a bookstore, but wasn’t prepared for a brick and mortar,” Lacefield said. “My husband mentioned that he had a cargo trailer he didn’t use and the next day we started clearing it out to turn into a bookstore on wheels. It was the perfect solution to make my dream a reality.”
Then they went to work on renovations.
Lacefield brings the store to various events around Parker County with the help of some fairly sophisticated engineering.
“My husband helps me haul it to and from events,” Lacefield said. “The books are transported on the shelves and I use small tension rods on each shelf to keep them from falling off during travel. Riley sets the trailer up and I unload the inside and make the shelves look like a bookstore.”
The biggest difficulty for Lacefield is winter, when operations slow down quite a bit.
“The challenge with having an outside business is that you heavily rely on good weather and outdoor events and markets,” Lacefield said. “Winters in Texas are not fun, so there are very few outdoor markets after the holiday season. Things tend to pick back up starting in March when it warms up, but Spring brings rain showers which are a challenge too. Weather is definitely May Flowers’ biggest challenge.”
While the mobile bookstore draws customers from all over, it is mainly people from Parker County who shop at May Flowers.
“This is largely because I prefer to stay plugged into the community and only do events in Parker County,” Lacefield said. “I will get people from outside of Parker County when I set up at Weatherford First Monday Trade Days or Weatherford’s Second Saturday Market.”
The Aledo bookstore owner said one of her favorite memories was launching at Christmas Tyme in Aledo in 2023.
“I grew up in Aledo and grew up going to Christmas Tyme in Aledo, so it was special for me to get to launch my own small business in my hometown,” Lacefield said. “It was also an ‘I did it!’ moment because the response and excitement were overwhelming. I felt like I had accomplished my dream and was beyond proud of the hard work that I and everyone who helped me put into it.”
What stands out to her the most, however, was an episode from a summer series Lacefield did called Popsicles In The Park.
“Every Wednesday over the summer, I set up at Gene Voyles Park in Hudson Oaks and hosted a free story time,” Lacefield said. “We would read a few books, sing and dance a few songs, and then at the end everyone got a Popsicle. These events weren’t about profit or having somewhere to set up the trailer — sometimes I didn’t even bring it. They were about engaging with kids in the community and getting them excited about reading. It was also an opportunity for parents to get their kids out of the house for an hour. I loved interacting with each kid and having them come back each week so excited and ready for a story and a Popsicle.”
Lacefield attended Aledo High School during her first freshman and sophomore years and Fort Worth Country Day her junior and senior years.
She also graduated from TCU with a degree in Psychology.
The Lacefields have two children, River and Winslow, and two dogs, Honey and Preacher.
Her family has lived in Aledo for four generations.
Lacefield enjoys camping, fishing, and reading, and said her ultimate goal for May Flowers is to give more people access to buying books in person...eventually.
“My favorite days always include a trip to a bookstore,” Lacefield said. “So having the opportunity to be a part of someone’s favorite day is a blessing. I honestly don’t know where I see May Flowers going in the future.
“I would love to have a brick-and-mortar store one day, but I’m in a season of life where I get to be home with my little ones and it is my greatest joy. Being a stay-at-home mom to River and Winslow is my ultimate dream job and being able to do May Flowers on the side when I can is a cherry on top.”
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