By Jenny Lamothe
There is certainly someone on your list who loves beautiful things. And whether it is your mother, your partner, your best friend or your sibling, it can be hard to find the unique and eclectic gift that their style would indicate.
If you have a lover of little, perfect details, someone who loves having an item no one else does, and enjoys round-the-clock compliments about their favourite piece, then Sudbury has something for you.
When Cristina Masotti opened One Sky – Local Fine Goods with co-owner Karen Ylitalo, they had a purpose in mind.
“We wanted to make a store that features local artisan makers and a variety of things locally made by hand,” said Masotti. When selecting items for the downtown store, they followed “the idea of beauty and purpose, the idea that things that are beautiful can also be useful.”
She said if you are looking for a one-of-a-kind gift, you should start with a few thoughts to the receiver’s personality.
“I would say, well, can you name a few things about her personality or a few things she likes, and I can help lead you in the right direction. That leads to more questions about their personality, and that one thing — if you can describe them to me — leads to a lot of the other questions.
“I’ll ask age as well, and I’ll ask about what their budget is, because we have a lot of different price points.”
It’s this hunt for something local and special that will give you the unique gift you’re looking for — shopping for this person at the big box stores just isn’t going to cut it. Look for a store that features the work of artists and artisans – One Sky features more than 70 – and a wide range of items.
Luckily in Sudbury, you have a great deal of artists to choose from.
“We have a few metalsmiths and have beautiful jewelry, we have beautiful pottery, beautiful kitchenware – pepper mills an culinary boards — we have all kinds of health and beauty products,” Masotti said. “We have candles, we have some clothing also and art, of course. Knitwear, socks, you name it we pretty much have it. I think the only thing we don’t have in the store, are things that appeal to teenage boys. Although we do have little ‘lumps of coal’ soaps!”
These local artisans are making it very easy to find unique gifts in the area, so much so that even if you don’t know the receiver very well, you can find something perfect. This is because of the universal truth that everybody needs to relax, even just a little.
Found at One Sky, as well as online and at many other retailers in Sudbury, including at Be Greater Organics and many Sudbury Home Hardware locations, are products from The Cucumber Tree.
The Cucumber Tree was started by Monique Sarazin, who was inspired to create the gentle products she wanted for her daughters, but was unable to find them.
“It was a struggle to find a bath product line that was free of parabens, BPA (Bisphenol A), and PEG (Polyethylene glycol) when they were younger,” she said. “This led me in experimenting with my own soap making. After months of experimenting, I developed a recipe that was gentle, lathered nicely and was mildly scented.”
She has continued to develop her recipes, and now has a full product line that is “vegan, all natural and sustainable.”
Beautiful things for the person you may not know well can be as easy as bath and body products, allowing those who love the lovely to pamper themselves accordingly. Of course, Monique has an obvious answer when inquiring minds ask what gift would be best.
“When a customer asks for a gift suggestion, my answer is simply ‘The Cucumber Tree sampler!’ The sampler comes with a little of everything, a sudsy soap, a relaxing bath salt, a fizzy bath bomb, a luscious lip balm and a sugar scrubby.”
If there is someone in your life who is unique, an individual, and a lover of fine things that are only found off the beaten path, than the local artisans of Sudbury can help out. With so many ideas and items that fit the ‘something beautiful” bill, everyone you buy for could have a gift like no other, showing them that to you, they are like no other.
Jenny Lamothe is a freelance writer, proofreader and editor in Greater Sudbury. Contact her through her website, JennytheWriter.wordpress.com.
