Shopping Local
by Ariel Klatskin '13
As a senior, I've been in Carlisle for a few years, yet I feel there are always more shops and restaurants to discover. Whether you're shopping for a gift-giving occasion or just want to explore the town, you can easily make an afternoon of it in downtown Carlisle. Here are four cool places I found:
Camellia's Sin Tea Parlor
My hard-to-shop-for brother recently discovered that he loves tea, so I purchased some delicious pumpkin spice and snowflake varieties. I also bought a chocolate-chip scone mix for my mother, who loves to bake but doesn't always have time to do all the prep work. The gift shop is full of teas and scone mixes, children's books and tea sets, as well as all the materials you need for your own tea party at home.
Georgie Lou's Retro Candy & Gifts
As someone with a bit of a sweet tooth, I found Georgie Lou's to be a highly appropriate destination. Aside from the candy and other tasty treats, there is plenty of fun, retro-style memorabilia to choose from, like old-school metal lunch boxes featuring Audrey Hepburn or superheroes. Resisting the temptation to purchase every last sweet was difficult, but it was the mini-gumball machines and the kaleidoscopes I found particularly hard to resist.
Miss Ruth's Time Bomb
The Time Bomb is a treasure trove for second-hand shoes and clothing. There are tons of gems like leather skirts, brightly colored button-down shirts and vintage velvet dresses. I also found a fantastic pair of cowboy boots that, unfortunately, were not my size. The dollar bin at the front of the store also was full of fun, miscellaneous things like bracelets, magnets, coasters, hair clips and more. They've recently undergone a renovation, so the store feels spacious and new.
Pat Craig Studios
Pat Craig Studios on Pomfret Street is full of fun trinkets, including Adirondack chairs in various forms like ornaments and key chains. I also was taken by the assortment of mints, which came in retro-style containers like the one with Marilyn Monroe proclaiming, "Mints are a girl's best friend." It's a fun shop to explore because you don't know what you're going to find next. On the second floor is a small bookshop, So-Hi Books, which features vintage, used and new books and gifts with a literary bent.
Check out LoveCarlisle.com for a full list of shops, restaurants and more.
Ariel Klatskin '13 is a senior English major from Yardley, Pa. After graduation, Ariel will return to England, where she spent part of her junior year abroad, to pursue a master's degree in information science.
Published December 19, 2012