Great Gifts In our first issue 10 years ago, we sang the praises of downtown gift shop Elegant Alley Cat—which, unfortunately, is no longer with us. But it’s wise to keep a great shop where you can count on finding the perfect gift. Ten years later, here are our downtown favorites.
Jewelry on High The past decade has seen Bead Monster evolve into the artisan jewelry design studio Silver Pennies.
Hoot and Howl highlights handmade goods from artisans in West Virginia and across the country. You’ll also find vintage goods curated by the shop’s owner, Stephanie Swaim.
Creative customers still find at Silver Pennies a selection of beautiful beads and gemstones and all the findings they need, plus assistance with design and assembly. At the same time, the shop is a lush display of finished pieces that celebrate natural materials: polished and unpolished stones and gems entwined in leather, set in lustrous metals, dangled from glistening chains, often asymmetrically but just as often in symmetries that are surprising in some way. Now the largest selection downtown of jewelry design and crafted by West Virginia designers and artisans, Silver Pennies promotes a simple aesthetic grounded in organic colors, shapes, and textures. Silversmithing is a recent expansion of the shop’s creative scope. Dallas has been a downtown merchant for 17 years now. “We really like the proximity to the university, and then there’s the history behind downtown and the businesses,” she says. “It’s such a community—we all promote each other and enjoy each other.” silverpenniesjewelry.com, @silverpenniesjewelrydesignstudio on FB
In 2011, Bead Monster was an oasis of creativity on High Street, a shop filled wall to wall with irresistible hand-picked beads and a wealth of findings: the clasps, earwires, and such that turn great beads into favorite wearable art. The shop had been helping customers design and assemble their own pieces since 2004. Bead Monster offered workshops in jewelry-making, too. “I mentored people, and we had a growing number of artisans who had great designs,” says shop owner Robin Dallas. To present their designs, she launched a catalog of finished jewelry she called Silver Pennies—and, in the first issue of this magazine, we welcomed that beautifully photographed and designed catalog. Times were changing. Major craft supply chains were adding mass-produced beads and findings to their shelves. Dallas responded by evolving her store in the direction of the catalog, showcasing unique, handcrafted jewelry in a beautiful setting. She renovated the shop and re-opened it in time for the 2013 holiday season, changing to the name she’d borrowed for the catalog from a book of poetry.
Old Stone House, run by the Service League of Morgantown, supports many outstanding projects in the community. Browse the collection of West Virginia–made items and unique gifts.
River Fair Trade is committed to selling socially conscious, eco-friendly, and fair trade products. Find the boutique downtown and browse the shelves of gifts, décor, fashion, and more.
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