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Giving the gift of the Cariboo

Shoppers this holiday season can enjoy some fresh new ideas at Bloom ‘N’ Gifts, opening this week next to Dollar Dollar on Second Avenue.
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Sheila Chometsky is all smiles as she gets ready to welcome customers to her new gift store in Hodgson Place Mall called Bloom ‘N’ Gifts – gifts with a unique Cariboo flavour.

Shoppers this holiday season can enjoy some fresh new ideas at Bloom ‘N’ Gifts, opening this week next to Dollar Dollar on Second Avenue.

The new shop features a unique Cariboo flavour, with gifts and décor designed and created by local artists and crafters.

Owner Sheila Chometsky says she carries fresh flowers, silk flowers, plants, floral arrangements, wreaths and Christmas items, indoor and outdoor custom arrangements and cut flowers.

“We will offer delivery service: if you want to send flowers to someone across Canada we will take care of it for you. Our products and services are personalized and custom-made for you,” she notes.

Most of all, the store will contain lots of the Cariboo – gifts, décor, furniture and more, Chometsky says.

“There are a lot of talented people in the Cariboo and I want to give them exposure for their products. I want people to be able to come in and take a part of the Cariboo home with them,” she continues. “Visitors, guests and friends: anyone can find a piece that speaks to them.

“What appeals to me about this is finding and sharing products from here. I love the Cariboo. It’s a beautiful place to live and it’s home to me now. I like the people here, the down-to-earth lifestyle, the lake, the mountains and the four seasons. And there is so much rich history here.”

Sheila says she has a former Williams Lake resident photographer who is bringing in some Cariboo pieces matted and framed, and  that the store will also carry bulrush baskets with antler handles.

“I really like artists who take things from the Cariboo and create art that speaks to your heart and practical, beautiful items that make your life better – and they don’t leave a footprint on the planet,” she adds.

Bloom ‘N’ Gifts will carry lovely maple leaf pottery, all-natural hand-made soap, including soaps for babies.

“We will have baby blankets and things for children including homemade wooden toys,” she says. “There will be one-of-a-kind alpaca items and log furniture, including benches, tables, shelves and coat racks.

“When you have loved ones far away with ties to the Cariboo, this is a way to send them something from somewhere they know. It’s deeply meaningful to give them the ‘Cariboo feel’ again.”

She wants shopping in her store to be an event – an occasion that her customers find enjoyable and that help make wonderful Cariboo memories.

She adds that her customer service is flexible and adaptable and that she will make the experience work for her customers: their lives and their budgets.

“A wonderful lady in a local store gave me the opportunity to ‘play with flowers’ in a gift shop setting. This new opportunity will give me the chance to immerse myself in local artistry, crafts, and the amazing people who make them,” Chometsky stated.

“I believe in doing what you love and loving what you do. This is my chance to share this philosophy with my community in real life.”

She wants her customers to walk in and really feel welcome and feel at home. “I want to assist them to find what they’re looking for, and I want them to feel that they’re getting fair value for their hard-earned dollars,” she says. “I want to give them the quality and variety that they deserve, in a friendly, hometown atmosphere.”

Bloom ‘N’ Gifts is located at 83D Second Avenue South. For more information, phone 250-392-6016