When Anne DeVault confided in her sister, Laura, that she wanted to change careers after 10 years as a kindergarten teacher, she received more than encouragement to pursue her lifelong dream of opening a bookstore--she got a business partner. Laura's interest in art collecting then led to the decision to include a gallery as part of the space. "We hatched the idea that night, and I quit my job the next morning," said Anne. (She did stay through the end of the school term.)
Today the siblings are opening Over the Moon Bookstore & Artisan Gallery in Crozet, Va. The town is about 15 miles west of Charlottesville, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and has a literary connection. It's the setting for the "Mrs. Murphy" mystery series by human-feline duo Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. Anne previously lived in Crozet before moving to Charlottesville, where Laura also resides. She is planning to move back within the next few months to be closer to the store.
Over the Moon is a 1,000-sq.-ft. general interest bookstore and is in Crozet's historic downtown. The DeVaults originally planned to open a children's bookshop but changed their minds after discovering that theirs would be the only bookstore in the county. (Charlottesville is surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County.) The building that houses Over the Moon was once a feed and grain store, a barrel-making facility and, most recently, a hair salon. Among the features in the completely renovated space are custom maple and cherry bookcases and other furnishings made by a local woodworker. 
On a Saturday evening in mid-May, future customers were invited to a preview potluck while the store was still under construction. Sawhorses were moved aside, the floor swept and candles lit. "We had a blast," Laura said. "We wanted people to feel like it was their store and they were part of the process. Our supporters and fans were invited to check it out, to celebrate how far we had come. It was also a tease. Come see it when it's in hard-hat stage, and then come see the transformation."
A small section of the store will be dedicated to the gallery. To integrate the two entities, some artwork will be placed throughout the books section and art and nature tomes will be displayed near the gallery. Wares include glasswork, jewelry, pottery and enameled panels, discovered in places like the Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival and an American Craft Council show in Baltimore, Md. Each month a different artist will be featured, beginning with a local landscape painter.
The sisters will host gallery receptions as part of the Second Saturdays series, along with author events, book group gatherings and parties for MLCs (Most Loyal Customers). Also in the works is a single malt Scotch club, inspired by glasses showcased in the gallery. On the agenda for kids are story times and writing contests. Young visitors can make their way into the children's section by walking or crawling through a two-and-a-half-foot archway cut into the wall, while grown-ups can use a more traditional entrance.
The DeVaults would like to start an independent business coalition for Crozet merchants. "We got some great ideas about how to do that from an ABA session at BEA," said Laura. Despite some apprehension about leaving the store mid-construction to head to New York City to attend BookExpo America, "it was so important for us to do," Laura added. "We learned so much and became re-energized to come back and handle drywall and electricians."
On their return trip home from BEA, Laura and Anne were at the train station when they realized they had left a suitcase at their hotel. They ended up missing their train and weren't able to get another one until the next day. With a free afternoon in New York City, they headed to Brooklyn to visit Boulevard Books & Café (Shelf Awareness, May 9, 2010), whose owner, Tatiana Nicoli, they had met at a Paz & Associates workshop. Another fellow Paz participant, Janet Geddis, who is planning to open Avid Bookshop in Athens, Ga., later this year, traveled to Virginia and spent a week in May helping out at Over the Moon. 
A priority for the DeVaults is to hire a store manager, in part so they can continue their tradition of vacationing together. On a beach sojourn last year, Anne bought Laura a wooden plaque adorned with the phrase, "A woman without her sister is like a bird without wings." Laura later bought one as a gift for Anne. One of those plaques will now have pride of place behind the cash wrap.--Shannon McKenna Schmidt
Over the Moon Bookstore & Artisan Gallery is located at 5798 Three Notch'd Road, Crozet, Va., 22932; 434-823-1144.