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Shop Point Roberts: Make a local retailer happy

By Meg Olson

This Christmas save time, money and gray hairs by avoiding the crowds and shopping locally. The Point offers dozens of places to find something that will be a pleasant change from the usual tie and slippers under the tree.

Local retailers cover the gamut from power boats to gift cards, and don’t let your imagination stop at stuff. With a gift certificate from Dockside Café or a two-for-one card from Brewster’s Restaurant you can fit one or more romantic dinners in an envelope. A gift certificate from local hair stylist Robin Nault can mean the gift of a new look for New Year’s Eve. A consultation with local nutritionist Lori Schloss or massage therapists Sharon Barnett or Gina Ball might be just what a loved one needs to get over the post-holiday blahs. Another stress buster could be a pre-paid hour of computer expertise from Small World Tec or Point Computers, or a carpet cleaning from Point Roberts Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning.

You can bring out of town loved ones closer with a night at Maple Meadows Bed and Breakfast, or invite them to share in the Point’s glorious summer with a spot in a local RV park or campground.
Then you can always just give of yourself: a homemade gift certificate for five nights of babysitting, a dozen backrubs, a pie a month for the whole year, or just a romantic picnic on the beach. The holidays are about love and sharing, and you don’t have to go far to find it.
Fairs

This year the Point will be home to several holiday craft fairs that will benefit local causes while bringing together dozens of local crafters and artists.

On November 27 the Around the Point event will bring together as many as 40 vendors in nine locations. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. shoppers can meander through paintings, gift cards, slump glass platters, hand crocheted gifts and locally made dressings and relishes at Brewster’s, then pop across the street to more original creations at the Blue Heron Gallery. Down Gulf Road Caffé Capanna will have handmade crafts, jams, chutneys, flavored oils, and a cozy place to stop for a scone and a latte.

Up the street Liberty Wine Store will offer holiday deals on special wines for special meals. A dozen vendors will gather at the community center with antiques, original quilts, and more homemade holiday treats. At the Marketplace, Dollars for Scholars will have their annual bake sale to fund scholarships for local students.

Country Farm Gardens and Bloomers on Benson Road will have poinsettias, wreaths and other floral arrangements to cheer up drab winter days. On Mill Road Sunflowers will be open with their unique carousels and handmade crafts, and the Point’s own signature barbecue sauce.

On December 11 local crafters will come together to peddle their wares and support the local food bank with a holiday dinner (catered by Steve O’Neill) and sale at the community center. Tickets for the dinner are $15, which goes into the food bank coffers, and they get you into a room full of special holiday deals in addition to great food. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets visit Caffé Capanna on Gulf Road.

Larry’s Liquors
Larry Musselwhite at Larry’s Liquors on Tyee Drive has brought in a tantalizing selection of special sets for the tipplers on your list. From a Jameson’s Irish Whiskey cocktail set or a Stolichnaya vodka with a kit to make your own ice shot glasses, to gift sets especially for the golfer or poker player, there are dozens of combinations to fill the hole in anyone’s bar.

Nielson’s Building Center.
Nielson’s has a lot more than lumber and paint. The local hardware store has an eclectic collection of fun gifts from paintball gear to fuzzy hats. New this year is a bike repair section, “perfect for stocking stuffers – tubes, pumps, don’t get me started,” said store employee Mike Hurlburt. As Christmas approaches the store will be bringing in a selection of small household appliances and more toys. There are also the more traditional hardware store gifts like chainsaws and leaf blowers, and Hurlburt pointed out a new section featuring small power tools. “They’re inexpensive and decent quality,” he said. Nielson’s is also the Point’s Christmas tree lot, and trees are expected to start arriving the first week of December.

Dylan’s
Dylan’s Mini Mart at the Shell Station on Tyee Drive is more than a quick stop for chips and pop. They roast their own coffee, bake their own bread and pizza and specially import gourmet food items. The store will be putting together gift baskets for sale starting in late November featuring their house-roasted coffee and a selection of gourmet items. Employee Jayson Deacon also said they were taking special holiday orders for baked goods, such as fresh breads, cinnamon clusters and specialty pizzas. Dylan’s will be having a candy sale starting in late November and bringing in special holiday candies for stocking stuffers.

Westwind Marine
Point Roberts’ chandlery, boat brokerage and marine service center, Westwind Marine, has plenty of things to put under the tree for boaters and non-boaters. You could go big and buy your sweetie one of the dozens of boats listed for sale, or give them a gift certificate for haul outs and services come spring. On the small side, you could spring for a tiny twinkling snowman pin or a book of shark tattoos.

Blue Heron Gallery
The Blue Heron Gallery on Gulf Road is packed with treasures – antique platters hiding amidst flags for the garden and original paintings, photographs, prints and jewelry. The work of dozens of local and not-so-local artists is featured in the gallery, including watercolors by Valerie Mayer capturing the Point’s natural beauty and history, starting at $75 Canadian. Many of the creations in ceramic, glass, cloth, iron and mixed media have a local flavor.

In addition to original artwork owner Kitty Doyle has stocked the gallery with a collection of seasonal items, from cards and calendars to handmade ornaments that start at one dollar. Not to miss are Doyle’s own Point Bob Bags unique handbags that start as cigar boxes and end up … something else entirely. The gallery is open Friday through Sundays and adjacent is the Waves clothing store with casual to formalwear at Canadian prices.

Marketplace
Christmas shopping at the supermarket? Absolutely. The Point Roberts International Marketplace has a growing selection of toys and seasonal goods. Choose from boxes of candy, festive stockings and even a low-priced toboggan. When planning holiday meals remember the store has a full service meat department that welcomes custom orders.

Starvin’ Sams
Starvin’ Sams at the MP gas station has a bewildering assortment of inexpensive stocking stuffers for sale that rivals any dollar store. A lighter shaped like a pig, luminescent bracelets, tiny plastic farm animals and goofy hats all compete for space along the counter. The store has expanded its wine and cheese offerings for the holidays.

Caffé Capanna
Caffé Capanna on Gulf Road offers more than a cozy place to curl up with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Over the holidays the café will be selling gift baskets featuring Kicking Horse Coffee and their fresh baked goods. They also have a number of specialty cheeses coming in for the season. Tucked into corners beside comfy chairs are gift items from glass jewelry to candles also for sale.

Bloomers
The local nursery is closed for the season but Connie George and Deb Baker will do their best to fill any holiday garden requests. Leave a message at 945-1359.

Country Farm Garden
Florist Sandi Simundson is taking orders for holiday flower arrangements, or spoil someone with a year’s worth of monthly floral surprises. Subscriptions run from $15 to $25 a month.