A grand opening and homecoming for Mae Designs XO
Hannah was in her senior year of college at Davenport University and April was managing Fenton’s Painting with a Twist when the COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity to get creative in 2020.
Today, April and Hannah Rheingans are the proud owners of Mae Designs XO, and the self-described “best mother-daughter duo in the boutique business.”
Looking back at that time, April says about Hannah, “She was involved in everything you can think of (in college). She couldn’t rest, where this was the first time I’d ever had to rest. So she’s like, ‘Let’s start a business and let’s do it tomorrow!’”
Hannah knew her mom had loved to draw when she was younger. “She was home. She had a Cricut she’d never used before,” she says. “I was seeing people on TikTok making stickers that you put on your water bottles, laptops, and everything. I’m like, okay, we’re going to start a business selling stickers on Etsy. Let’s get it started.”
Two months later, the Mae Designs XO Etsy shop was open for business.
Mae for their shared middle name. Designs because they were creating their own designs. The XO was the final piece. “That’s just us,” April says. “Fun, light, and we could sign it off at the end of our posts and everything. That’s what we went with.”
Mae Designs XO launched with a handful of sticker packs for sale. Before long, they were being asked to create custom apparel, photo booth props, cupcake toppers, and more. “We went from just stickers to making everything you could think of,” says April.
A year into the business, Mae Designs XO added boutique items to their catalog and began traveling to set up booths at markets around Michigan. By 2022, Mae Designs XO was operating as an online boutique, focusing on apparel and home decor.
Their next milestone was marked on July 22, 2025, Mae Designs XO’s business birthday, when April and Hannah opened their first storefront in downtown Linden.
Two years before, Mae Designs XO had set up a pop-up shop in the former Come Get Cozy space. April says, “I walked in this space, and I’m like, ‘This is so cute,’ and never gave it a thought. We just followed her on Instagram.” When Come Get Cozy later posted about the store closing, Hannah wondered, “Is this our sign?”
They reached out to the property owner, and April realized their paths had crossed before. “She was the landlord of the tanning spa I worked at in my high school days,” April says. “And she had the donut shop that was in town where the Coney is. That was our donut shop growing up in the ’80s. And she still owns all this property.
“It just felt like home. We are meant to be here.”
According to Hannah, “Everything always happens for a reason.”
Since opening their shop doors, April and Hannah have continued cultivating the community they’ve built online while also welcoming new faces.
Hannah says, “We get some people that travel that met us from markets that live an hour-plus away. But then people that found us on social media, and then also just walking down the street like, ‘Oh my gosh, I didn’t know you were here!’ And they live right around the corner.”
Looking ahead, April and Hannah plan to keep growing into their space. They’ve recently added workshops and private parties to their portfolio alongside events like their Fall Kickoff Party and the now-seasonal Downtown Linden Shop Hop – which they introduced in town last year.
“The first one was us trying to get to know other businesses… to bring people into town and into our spaces,” says Hannah. In September 2025, eight shops participated. The next Shop Hop was on Small Business Saturday that November, and they’ve been recruiting more and more businesses for quarterly Shop Hops since. Coming up, 15 local businesses will participate in the Downtown Linden Shop Hop on Sept. 26, which is also Downtown Day in Michigan.
Hannah likes bringing people together in Linden to see what the town has to offer. “Although we’re small, we’re mighty!” she says.
When asked what they would tell the world about Linden, they describe the town as quaint, cozy, and welcoming. “It just feels like it gives you a hug,” says April. “Being down here, I love it.”
Hannah agrees. “It’s our happy place.”
Mae Designs XO is a mother-and-daughter-owned women’s clothing boutique that specializes in neutral clothing and accessories. Customers can shop via their free mobile app or website, or in person at the Mae Designs XO storefront at 123 N. Bridge St. in downtown Linden (facing Hamrick St.). Connect with them on Facebook or Instagram for collection launches and event updates.