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Don’t Shop
’Til You Drop Elsewhere
Special Gifts Are Closer to Home Than Ever Before
by Jesse Klein
I have to admit that several years ago I would have
raised my brows if someone had said that I could spend not just one but
several days in our local area scouting out ideas for holiday gift giving,
but that is exactly what I did.
Arriving early on a weekday morning I treated myself
to breakfast at Mugs that was full of local people enjoying the atmosphere
and the camaraderie that the year old specialty coffee shop has brought to
downtown Swedesboro. Not only is the food great, but the conversation is
lively, and the crowd welcoming.
Mugs is offering customized gift baskets for the
holiday with coffees, teas, candles, and chocolate. Just let them know in
the morning your sweetheart’s delight and they can have it ready that
afternoon. For a quick jolt of great caffeine or a last minute gift Mugs
will be open until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Then since the Kings Highway storefronts were not
quite ready to open for the day yet, I decided to take the short drive up
to Beckett Golf and Country Club in Woolwich Township. The 27-hole course
looked magnificent dressed in its fall foliage and is open all year round.
On the weekends a round of golf is just $35 and weekdays they run
specials, a round of golf and lunch just $22 so how about a gift
certificate for the golfers in your life?
My next stop was One More Time A Unique Consignment
Shop tucked in the small strip mall off Auburn Avenue. The store accepts
consignments by appointment Mondays through Friday.
The store has high standards, this is not goodwill,
so you will find lovely things ranging from outfits for the entire family
to home décor. Unlike chain stores they like to keep things seasonal, in
other words you can actually find winter clothes in winter.
One More Time is not your traditional thrift shop.
They offer to donate any items that they cannot accept to charity. Their
generosity extends well beyond that. This Christmas they are hosting two
area families in need, providing gifts of clothing and toys as well as a
complete Christmas dinner. To help out their cause simply drop by with
gifts of food or a toy that never made it out of the box.
Returning to Kings Highway, I was thrilled to find
the recently opened Needles and Pins Quilt Shop. The former card and gift
shop has undergone an utter transformation under the skilled hands of
Marie Kinsella-Diddio.
Open every day but Sunday the shop is loaded with
beautiful fabrics and not only offers classes in quilting but a “home away
from home” where anyone from novice to seasoned seamstress can come to
relax learn and create.
The sign hung above the door to the classroom area
that houses many work tables and top of the line sewing machines is in
earnest when it reads “therapy in session.” Women congregate here not only
to learn but to get to know others, relax and share their enthusiasm for
the art of sewing.
The store had attracted so much attention that
Kinsella-Diddio is now planning to have a kids quilting camp to be held
during those doldrums days between Christmas and New Years. She is now
accepting reservations for that 3-day class.
The shop also has a vast array of unique gift ideas
for the seamstress inside us or the one we know and love.
After leaving the warmth of the quilt shop, I
wandered down to the equally inviting Petals and Paints that offers fresh
flowers, fruit and gourmet baskets, plants, and balloons. They also
specialize in custom framing and unique gifts and decorations for the
home.
Just a little further down King’s Highway I poked my
head into Angela’s Accents. I had been curious for quite some time as to
what the store had to offer. Open Wednesday through Sunday, Angela’s
Accents offers custom arrangements and unique home décor conversation
pieces such as the knight in armor that you meet at the front desk.
Angela, an X-ray technician, always had the dream to
put her unique decorating talents to use. She remembers too well when she
and her husband moved to the area how difficult it was to find unique
curios for the large open spaces in her new home.
As she herself perfected her talents, her husband
thought it would be a wonderful idea to buy her the shop so that she could
share her gift with other residents. Angela actually offers to go into
people’s homes and examine different areas that could use a special touch.
With all the newly built large homes complete with
cathedral ceilings, large foyers and arched windows, Angela is available
to do “house calls” and come back with recommendations that will give each
home a feeling all its own.
As I continued my journey down King’s Highway I was
delighted to come upon the newly opened women’s clothing store, Talex,
filling a much needed void for the local shopper. Owner Tracy Kerr
describes the store as a moderately priced boutique, and with her
background as a former buyer for Burlington Coat Factory and TJ Maxx, she
knows a lot about affordable fashion. She said she tries to focus on
“what’s hot” in shoes, handbags, jeans accessories, and funky tops.
Prior to opening in Swedesboro, Tracy owned a
boutique in Sea Isle City. She is looking to repeat her success as a
private retailer but this time in her hometown and year round.
Talex got its name from combing Tracy and her 7 year
old daughter Alex’s name who loves to help mom picking out new lines and
setting up the store window.
My next stop was Sweetsboro Pastry Shoppe where they
will be baking up a storm this holiday season. Specializing in old
fashioned scratch baking with a European flair they will be offering a
plethora of Christmas cookies as well as pies, breads and cheesecakes.
Making my way across Kings Highway I entered into the
surreal and peaceful setting of Epiphany “A Healing Place for Your Mind,
Body and Soul.” Epiphany’s beautiful foyer is filled with lovely gift
ideas ranging from jewelry, candles and crystals to a buyer favorite, a
vast collection of fairies.
The shopping experience alone is magical and the
services they provide are equally enchanting. The highly trained staff
offers a full range of massages including hot stone and raindrop therapy.
There are facials for men and women and acne treatments for face and back.
Epiphany even offers laser dermatology to treat loose
skin and cellulite, and ear candling an ancient Egyptian treatment for
upper respiratory and sinus problems.
Other ailments that Epiphany offers to help customers
with are insomnia and anxiety, sinusitis, congestion, headaches and
migraines. I’m sure all of us could put that as a gift idea on our
Christmas list.
On my way back up through town I stopped in at the
Swedes Inn and spoke with owner Toni Beltz. Swedes will be featuring live
music every weekend during the holidays including Mike Dugan and the Boys
Mission. They are actually sold out on Dec. 15 for the return of Almost
Fab a Beatles cover band. They are accepting evening parties of up to 50
people and will be open Christmas Eve with their last setting at 8 p.m.
New Years Eve they are also offering a peaceful dining experience and will
have their entire menu available.
A quick walk brought me to the door of Botto’s
Italian Line Restaurant. While Botto’s is booked for evening holiday
parties they are still taking reservations for a lavish six course dinner
on Dec. 6, featuring wines by the Beam Wine Estate and Clos Du Bois and
dinner prepared by Enrico Botto.
The menu that he has planned is mouth watering and
Enrico himself said that while seating is limited the restaurant is
planning to make tickets available up until the morning of the event. This
will make a great holiday gift idea for the couple that has everything.
Botto’s is offering holiday luncheon packages for
groups up to 15 and can accommodate anyone who needs off premises catering
if they are planning a holiday party at home or workplace. Botto's is also
offering live entertainment every Thursday through Saturday with a variety
of live acts scheduled. On Christmas Eve they will be serving the
traditional Seven Fishes Dinner with the last seating at 7 p.m.
Before leaving downtown I wandered across to Tribeca
one of my favorite area salons for its cosmopolitan feel and service.
Owner Alice Montgomery shared that the salon offers gift certificates for
cuts and waxing and will be offering customized gift baskets of Bumble and
Bumble products for both men and women. Tribeca is also an active
participant in the Locks of Love Program for anyone who is thinking of
giving this year instead of getting. The beautiful lengths program
sponsored by Pantene encourages anyone of any age that has at least eight
inches of hair to spare that has not been bleached, chemically treated, or
turned gray to donate their hair so that wigs can be created for women
living with cancer. What a great way to show Christmas spirit.
As I walked out of Tribeca I was thrilled to hear
Christmas music being broadcast from the roof of the Bethesda United
Methodist Church. The lovely chiming sound of Silent Night really got my
Christmas spirit in gear.
Then I put my car in gear and went for the treat of a
lifetime to Stechers Country Store in Woolwich Township. I truly did not
know what I was in store for, and I gasped when I saw the many rooms
decked out for Christmas with some of the most beautiful decorations I
have ever seen. I could have just sat there for hours looking at all the
unique and delightful Christmas displays.
Beyond being a Mecca for Christmas decorating ideas
Stechers offers wagon rides for parties of six or more that go out into
the field and choose a fresh tree. They can’t accommodate everyone so they
recommend that you book in advance.
If you go on Saturday and Sunday after 10 a.m. you’ll
also get a chance to see Santa and if you’ve been nice this year maybe
even get a picture taken on his knee. If you’ve lost your Christmas spirit
a stop here is a must and will surely revive even the grumpiest of
grouches. |
