Book Talk with Rebecca Rivera

I'd like to introduce you to our last featured small town shop. Twenty-three-year-old Dana Harn is the daughter of Deborah Harn, the owner of yesterday's featured shop, Vance Street Market Flower Shop. Dana will be opening Southern Roots Florist, Gifts and Event Rentals on Front Street in Warsaw this month. Like her mother, Dana, too, wanted to run her own business. Because of the help of dear friend and stellar designer, Stacey McNeil, Dana was able to quit her job in Maryland and return to North Carolina to begin work on opening a florist shop. Creativity: Though Stacey will be in charge of design at the new location, Dana is also discovering a talent for creating floral and decorative arrangements. Dana finds inspiration from the creativity of others and discovering new things. "It helps me expand my own creativity and develop my style. I end up loving things I would not have otherwise thought of." Dana is drawn to decorative items that lend themselves wel...

Today I'd like to introduce you to Deborah Thompson. She owns a shop, also on the square in Clinton, called Simply NC. Each of her products have been made in North Carolina or feature North Carolina. Deborah's goal is to have at least one product from each of the 100 counties in North Carolina.  Deborah's shop is a gift store and a coffee shop. My favorite part of the store is the coffee shop. Comfortable seating surrounds a fireplace where customers can sip on coffee drinks made with beans roasted in North Carolina or indulge in unique ice cream flavors like Campfire Delight made in our city's capital, Raleigh. Deborah also sells made-to-order gift baskets that can be filled with a variety of items such as homemade jams and jellies, muscadine juice made from her own vineyard, Crooked Run Vineyards; and a variety of crackers, nuts, dip mixes, handmade soaps, pottery and novelty items like these cute tooth savers. Deborah opened Simp...