Goodwill Hunting
‘Get Out and About On The Quest For Creative Gifts To Spread Yuletide Cheer’
By Susan Schoenberger
Close your eyes for a moment, and think back to a time before online shopping’s maze of endless links. Now go back even further, before malls and food courts and chain stores that rope off the check-out like it’s a ride at Disney World.
Let’s all take a deep breath together and remember, or discover for the first time, when holiday shopping wasn’t compiled on a spreadsheet. Instead, it was a hand-written list of name---just names --- that we took to our favorite stores, to shop owners who knew just what to suggest.
When the idea of shopping makes everyone fret, it’s not a bad idea to reach into the past and reconnect to the experience of a dazzling hand-decorated Christmas tree, a friendly smile, a helpful suggestion, a relaxed and personal atmosphere.
And it’s still there if you know where to look. One such gem is the Tapestry Rose gift shop in Rocky Hill, housed in an old railroad station near the Rocky Hill Ferry landing.
The artfully adorned Christmas trees and carefully edited gift items radiate the goodwill and grateful attention of the owner and staff members, all of whom love the holidays and helping customers find the perfect present.
“I think everybody is ready for an uplifting season,” owner Sally Farrell says while unpacking Christmas ornaments.
Joan Farrell Edwards, who works at the store and is Farrell’s sister-in-law, hopes shoppers will remember small boutiques and locally owned stores when they plan their holiday purchases. Tapestry Rose carries a wide price range of items for the home and garden, as well as jewelry, clothing and baby gifts, and they wrap gifts with signature flair.
“We have so many unique things,” Edwards says. “People who are tired of mall shopping like to come here.”
…store owners are aware that shoppers may still be on a tight leash this season. They’re happy to help people find items that fit their budgets and find the joy in a thoughtful, rather than expensive, gift.
Finding a little joy in the search also puts everyone in a better mood, no matter how much they spend.
As Tapestry Rose’s Farrell puts it, “I’m really hopeful and excited. But whatever happens, we have fun.”
- Hartford Courant, At Home section, 11/20/09.
