When local family photographer and small business owner Lauren Tyler Middlecoff started carrying baby clothes at her photography studio, the support of her clients and friends quickly grew into an idea to start her own children’s boutique. Livi Littles, named for Middlecoff’s daughter, Olivia, opened in early 2025 and has quickly become a local favorite for beautiful smocked dress clothes, bamboo pajamas and so much more.

Middlecoff, a Pocahontas native, attended Arkansas State University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 2012. After graduating from the University of Arkansas in 2014 with a master’s in social work, she moved back to Jonesboro and worked for more than four years in a school-based mental health setting as a therapist. But it wasn’t long before Middlecoff found an appreciation for small businesses and decided to turn her passions into her professions.

“During my college years, I also worked for a women’s boutique, where I learned a great deal about small business ownership, customer service and managing day-to-day operations,” said Middlecoff. “That experience gave me an early appreciation for the work and heart that goes into running a small business.”

Middlecoff met her husband, Tanner, in 2012 while they were both in college. The pair married in 2017 and welcomed their daughter, Olivia, the following year. After Olivia was born, Middlecoff made the decision to step away from her career as a therapist so she could stay home with her daughter, which led to Middlecoff making a career of her first passion – photography.

“Photography had always been something I dabbled in just for fun,” she said. “It was a creative outlet and something I did on nights and weekends for friends and family. In 2018, when I decided to stay home with Olivia, I was receiving more and more requests for photography sessions. I took a leap of faith, and what started as a hobby quickly turned into my full-time job: Lauren Tyler Photography was created. Photography gave me the flexibility to work around my husband’s schedule while still being able to stay home with our daughter.”

Middlecoff opened her first studio in 2020 and never looked back. She soon shifted her focus to primarily newborns, children and families and is highly sought-after for her bright, airy style. 

“Since opening my studio, I have photographed hundreds of newborn babies and thousands of children and their families,” said Middlecoff. “Along the way, I have made so many meaningful connections and lasting friendships. One of the most special parts of this work has been walking through life alongside my clients. I have photographed some of them for their senior portraits, then their engagement session, their wedding, and now their newborn and family photos. Through both photography and motherhood, my love for celebrating childhood and families continued to grow, which ultimately led me to the next chapter of life, opening Livi Littles.

“In the fall of 2023, the dream of owning a children’s boutique began to take shape. I started exploring different avenues and ultimately decided to begin by carrying clothing and accessories in my photography studio, primarily for my photography clients.”

The small business owner says the response from both her photography clients and the community was incredible. 

“Seeing my photography clients shop outfits for their sessions and their children modeling the clothing made me realize how naturally everything fit together,” said Middlecoff. “Before long, I was running out of space in my studio for the clothing, and the demand from the community continued to grow. I also realized I needed help to keep up with everything, since I was also still doing photography full time, so I made the decision to temporarily table Livi Littles until I could find the right space to open a storefront and hire employees to help run the business.”

When a commercial space opened up in the fall of 2024 next door to her best friend, Ryanne O’Donnell Richardson, who owns a local women’s boutique called Honey and Hope Boutique, Middlecoff immediately knew it was the perfect opportunity to create a destination where moms could shop for their children and also find something for themselves right next door.

“Managing both businesses definitely keeps me busy, but they complement each other really well,” said Middlecoff. “I have found a balance of days I work in the studio versus days I am in store. Even on days I do sessions, I still pop in to check on things at Livi Littles. When I first knew I would be opening Livi Littles, I did lighten my workload that year so I could give the boutique the time and attention it needed in the beginning as a new business. Now that we have been open for over a year, I feel like I can do more with my photography clients again. 

“I also have an incredible team at Livi Littles who help keep the store running smoothly, and that support allows me to continue focusing on both my photography clients and the boutique.”

Middlecoff credits her supportive clients and a locally-minded community with the children boutique’s early success.

“One of the biggest advantages of opening Livi Littles was already having strong connections within the community,” said Middlecoff. “Many of the families who shop at Livi Littles are families I have or continue to photograph, so there was already a sense of trust and familiarity there. I truly believe that foundation helped the store quickly grow this past year. Both businesses are centered around families and children, so in many ways they naturally overlap. Our Livi Littles customers often turn into Lauren Tyler Photography clients, and vice versa. Almost every family I photograph has shopped at or supported Livi Littles in some way. It is something I never take for granted.”

Laci Black is one of those local longtime clients turned customers, and she says it has been a pleasure to watch Middlecoff’s businesses grow in a way that makes it so much more than a shopping experience.

“What makes Livi Littles so special to me is the friendship behind it all,” said Black, a mother of three. “I’ve had the joy of knowing her through photography first, and getting to watch her step into this new chapter has been so exciting. 

“It’s been such a natural transition from being a client to now supporting her as a shop owner. You can truly feel the love and care she puts into everything, and that makes shopping there even more meaningful. It’s not just a boutique, it’s something built from passion, creativity and heart, and I’m so proud of her.”

From the start, Middlecoff wanted to use her new business venture to give back to Jonesboro. She says one of the most important things to her when creating Livi Littles was being intentional about supporting the community and making sure the store stayed rooted in that purpose. 

“One of my friends, Rebecca Propst, owns a local nonprofit called Local Mpact,” she said. “Local Mpact supports families who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss. All of the proceeds from the faith-based items we sell at Livi Littles are donated to Local Mpact each month. This give back has been incredibly special and meaningful. It allows our customers to not only support a local small business, but also an organization that helps families navigate one of the most difficult seasons of their lives.”

When creating Livi Littles, Middlecoff says her goal was to help bridge a gap she felt was missing in the community by bringing in new styles and brands that weren’t already widely available in the area. She wanted the store to feel a little different than anything else in Jonesboro.

“At Livi Littles, customers walk into an intentionally curated space that feels organized, welcoming and thoughtful,” said Tyler. “Every piece in the store is carefully selected with families in mind. Livi Littles carries clothing, accessories, baby shower essentials, books and gift items for children from preemie through youth size 6. Our goal is to offer thoughtfully curated pieces that are both beautiful and practical, whether families are looking for something special for photos, celebrations and milestones, or simply something comfortable and trendy for everyday moments. We also carry a selection of faith-based items and clothing.

“When selecting pieces for the shop, I try to balance items that are perfect for special moments like photo sessions and milestones with pieces that are stylish, comfortable and easy for everyday wear.”

Middlecoff’s background in photography has also given her an eye for colors, textures and styles that photograph beautifully, which naturally influences the pieces she chooses to bring into the store. 

“I pay close attention to what families in our community are drawn to and what styles they are asking for,” she said. “I attend market to purchase many of our brands, which allows me to see upcoming collections and stay up to date on current trends each season. Our vendors and sales representatives are also a great resource for showing us new styles and helping us select pieces that will resonate with our customers.”

The boutique owner says some of Livi Littles’ best-selling clothing items are smocked outfits because they are classic, timeless pieces that families love. Casual sets and bamboo pajamas are also popular because they are soft, comfortable and perfect for everyday wear. She says any piece from Magnolia Baby is also a must-have when shopping for a baby gift. 

“Anything camo or duck-themed is always a hit around here; those pieces quite literally, pun intended, fly off the shelves,” said Middlecoff. “We also restock several of our sensory toys and activities every week because they sell so quickly. Some customer favorites include Glo Pals bath toys, as well as all our sensory dough and sensory slime. We recently introduced the brand TRVL Design, and it has been a huge hit. They create travel bags and totes that make wonderful gifts. Our best-selling toy to date has been the Talking Jesus Doll. It is a plush Jesus doll that says 10 different Bible verses.”

Middlecoff and her staff work to be able to keep their loyal customers on-trend no matter what the occasion or child’s age.

“Style-wise, we are seeing a big trend in comfy, slouchy sets for toddlers that are perfect for everyday wear,” she said. “For babies, many moms still gravitate toward pieces like bubbles and rompers.

“Theme wise, the goose or silly goose theme has been very popular this spring, along with hydrangea patterns and different toile prints. For boys, farming and outdoor themed items continue to stay trendy, along with dog and puppy prints. At market this year, we saw mallard prints on almost everything, so I think that trend will continue, as well. Trends can vary by region, but these are styles our customers in this area really love and frequently request.”

As the local business owner continues to pour into Lauren Tyler Photography and Livi Littles, she hopes to impact her customers’ lives as much as the style of their little ones.

“My prayer has always been that both our employees and our customers would feel something when they walk through these doors and when they leave, that our team would feel valued, supported and proud of the work they do here, and that our customers would feel served, seen and loved – not because of what they are buying, but because of how they are treated,” said Middlecoff. “My hope has always been that this space would be a light to our community.

“From being trusted to share pregnancy announcements and gender reveals, to celebrating new life, milestones, birthdays, special events and the everyday moments in between, Livi Littles has become deeply invested in the families and the littles we serve. It has truly been the greatest honor.”

Livi Littles, located at 2810 E. Highland Drive, Suite J, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information and to stay up to date on pop-up events and special guests like the Easter Bunny and Santa, call (870) 926-9120 or find Livi Littles on Facebook.