A Hendersonville bookstore owner steps out.

by Mick Kelly . photos by Matt Rose

When Valerie Welbourn first wrote to us about why she needed a makeover, we giggled. “The other week someone asked if my 11-year-old daughter was my GRANDDAUGHTER!” she wrote. “Please help. I’m only 42, for Pete’s sake.”

Welbourn, now 43, sounded like she could use a little sartorial sizzle. She also seemed to have an excellent sense of humor about the whole situation. Yes, her hair started graying early (during her makeover, she admitted she couldn’t even remember what her natural color was). And yes, you might describe her everyday look as plain. Welbourn, who spent 15 years as a land surveyor and recently opened Fountainhead Bookstore in downtown Hendersonville, spends most of her days in simple sweaters and pants. She’s a mother of two and a voracious reader. The only time she really needs to dress up is when big-deal authors swing by the store for readings, in which case she wears a black skirt with a grey tank top. “My mother and my daughter both said frumpy is my style,” she says.

But we found Welbourn to be anything but. In a sexy sweater-and-leggings combo from The Sanctuary in Hendersonville, the seemingly modest, studious mom turned positively flirty and fearless. Strutting down a Hendersonville street, Welbourn’s chunky Sanctuary jewelry and beaded boots from The Beehive gave her a look that would have fit right in at any big-city literary cocktail party. After a mod cut, color and new hairstyle from Danielle Shook at Moxie and dramatic gold and purple eye makeup from Suzanne Warren at ResultSpa, Welbourn could have stopped traffic—or joined a band.

Now, when high-profile authors stop by the shop (her pick would be the California novelist and “literary hottie” Percival Everett), she’ll be ready. And in the meantime, she’s heading out to dinner with her husband Tom. In either place, there’s no chance she’ll be mistaken for a grandma again. She may have plenty of other words in her vocabulary, but right now, “frumpy” shouldn’t be one of them. 

Valerie’s hair by Danielle Shook of Moxie Salon & Spa in downtown Hendersonville. www.moxiesalonandspa.com
Makeup by Suzanne Warren of ResultSpa in Hendersonville. www.resultspa.com
Clothing by The Sanctuary in Hendersonville. 828-698-2646.
Boots by The Beehive Resale Shop in Hendersonville. www.beehiveresale.com