Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Owner Maria Sinnott is offering ready-to-go gift bags.
Maria Sinnott of Lil Bit of Posh in Occoquan has made a name for herself in the small town with her focus on friendly customer service. In 2013, she wants to take customer service at the clothing and accessories shop to the next level. The center stand in the store will now be full of ready-to-go gift bags. "Everybody has a very hectic schedule," Sinnott said. Customers may sometimes miss special events because they don't have time to go out and buy a gift. "People can just come here, and they're going to find unique gifts." Customers can also call ahead to order a custom gift bag, with their desired theme and price range — most gift bags fall between $35 and $95. "The bag will be ready for you with a balloon and greeting card. In five …
Monday, January 14, 2013
Owner Denise Bush is always on the hunt for new beads and new designs.
This year, Off the Beading Path owner Denise Bush is looking for new beads, new designs, and time to experiment. "A lot of my beaders keep me challenged, because some of them are just so creative," she said. "Right now, with the seed bead world, there are a lot of new beads coming out. New shapes, new patterns, and people are using them in new combinations." Some of her customers think Bush just sits in her store and works on beading all day, she said. But she only gets about two hours a week to do such creative work, and much of it is spent creating samples to show customers what could be made out of her diverse collection of beads. Like Lake Ridge - Occoquan Patch on Facebook. "That's always a challenge, keeping things new and fresh," …
Monday, January 7, 2013
Owner Kathy Alden is working hard to tear down walls, repaint, and get the shop ready for its reopening later this month.
The Spiral Creations owners are expanding their shop to include the former Kelly's Artbox space, and owner Kathy Alden let Lake Ridge Patch take a peek at the renovations. The renovations started in early January, and will last about two weeks. Despite the "closed" sign on the front door, customers still ask Alden if the shop is open for business. However, she said the shop is closed for the duration of the renovations. All the merchandise has been moved into the back rooms, as the front rooms are stripped and repainted. The wall between the two shops has been torn down, and the back room in Kelly's Artbox will now be Alden's office. If you're a die-hard Spiral Creations customer, take a look at her Etsy shop. To shop for jewelry, try …
Friday, January 4, 2013
Kathy and Tom Alden at Spiral Creations are expanding their business in January.
Since Kelly Campbell has vacated the shop next to Spiral Creations to pursue her art business online, Spiral Creations owners Kathy and Tom Alden are expanding their shop to include the former Kelly's Artbox storefront. The renovations started this week and will run at least two weeks, Kathy Alden said. The store will be closed during renovations. "I'm going to be taking down walls, and painting, carpeting and putting a fresh face on everything," Alden said. "We'll be reopening toward the end of January." Like Lake Ridge - Occoquan Patch on Facebook. With the added space, Spiral Creations will expand its inventory, offering customers more of the same handmade, custom and vintage jewelry, art and accessories. Some of Campbell's …
Friday, December 28, 2012
Owner Kelly Campbell's business has grown, and she wants more time to focus on her art commissions.
When a small business closes in Occoquan, it's often because the merchant just couldn't make ends meet. But Kelly Campbell, owner of Kelly's Artbox, is leaving Occoquan because her business has only gotten bigger in the last five years. Her last day in town is Dec. 31. "Retail for me hasn't been very good, but my online business has been booming," she said. "So instead of just pulling myself in so many different directions, I'm just going to focus on online. I'm going to work from home; I can do all my commissions from home." Customers rarely buy any items right off the walls in the Occoquan shop, Campbell said. Instead, the vast bulk of her business comes from online sales and art commissions, and the art work in her store serves as a …
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Kathleen “Kay” Pietrewicz hopes to reach new segments of the community in 2013.
The New Year is the beginning of several weeks of down time for Haunted Occoquan, as the ghost tours only run from March through December. But for owner and paranormal investigator Kathleen “Kay” Pietrewicz, the hiatus just leaves more room to plan. Since she officially took ownership of the ghost tours after the Occoquan Merchant Association folded last fall, Pietrewicz has been planning to expand and diversify the ghost tour business, and reach more of the community. "I'm planning on offering historical tours, without the ghost tours, because we have so much history here," she said. "I would like to gear some to children." She wants to reach out to home school groups for weekday tours. Creating a web page is also on her to-do list. …
Robert L. Sinnott
12:06 am on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
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