#DexterFirst Encore By Nancy Nelson Vines

Encore:  giving old items another chance.  When visitors enter this antique shop in Downtown Dexter, they are struck with the inviting atmosphere. All glassware is sparkling and displayed as if waiting to be used for dinner, or adorning a treasured piece of furniture.  “I display pieces together and artistically, to give customers an idea of how it will look on the shelves of their homes,” explains owner Jeanne Charles, who has owned the shop for two years.

“I bought the store from Mr. Charlie and changed the focus to glassware, collectibles, and small pieces of furniture,” says Charles. “I take road trips to Ohio and Pennsylvania where much of the glassware was made.  I visit various venues and am always on the lookout for interesting pieces to bring back to the shop.” 

Besides revising the merchandise she offers, Charles also revamped the merchandising space inside the building.  She estimates that in the 1970s, during the energy crisis, a dropped ceiling was added to the interior, and along the front wall facing the street, a row of windows was removed, closed off, and paneled.  Charles closed her business for six months while the dropped ceiling was removed, the building was rewired, fluorescent lights were eliminated, and the front panels were taken out and windows restored. Under the dropped ceiling she discovered a pressed tin ceiling that is in beautiful condition. “Now the building has a true vintage appeal both inside and out,” she remarked.

Encore is located at 22 East Stoddard and is open 10:00 to 5:00 Monday through Saturday.

Pictured above: Jeanne Charles owns Encore. 

#DexterFirst K-9 Biz By Nancy Nelson Vines

K-9 Biz is a store designed for the dog and dog-lover.  While dog training is a main focus of the business, an array of toys, accessories, bedding, and gourmet dog food and treats are available for dogs of every size and temperament. Gift items are also available for the dog lover, and gift certificates are may be used for merchandise or training.

K-9 Biz is owned and operated by Krista Tucker and Claire Stabt.  The two, who both own dogs that work in recovery, met through search and rescue operations. The business is the offshoot of their friendship and mutual love of dogs and most things dog-related.

Behavior classes available at K-9 Biz include basic obedience to advanced obedience, tricks, and therapy.  Tucker stated that they will take obedience classes to any level desired by the owner. “We can go as far as the owner wants to go with his/her dog.”  Both Tucker and Stabt are certified trainers and they also hold trick-dog trainer certification. They also provide training for disabled dogs.

A unique feature to their business is that they offer custom embroidery and can personalize virtually any pet-related apparel, blanket, or scarf.  In addition to a pet’s name, items can be specially customized with an image of the pet.  A photo, however, must be provided in order for the image to be digitalized for transfer to the item. Paricord collars and leashes are also available, and may be customized to color and length.

Much of the merchandise available at K-9 Biz has been made by the owners. Scarves, bandanas, blankets, wooden beds, wooden feeding stations, and dog houses are all in-house products.  Additionally, the wooden beds, feeding stations, and dog houses can be custom built to the specifications of individual dogs or the owner’s taste. 

Realizing that not every dog resides in a secure home environment, K-9 Biz sponsors Paws Club which raises money for dogs in need.  Recent fund-raisers were held to help with a rescue situation. The Dexter Animal Shelter will receive donations from a Santa photo-op available in the store during the holidays.  

K-9 Biz is located at 38 East Stoddard Street in Downtown Dexter.  Their business hours are Tuesday through Friday 9:00 to 6:00, and Saturday 9:00 to 5:00.  You may call 573-225-7321 for additional information about merchandise or training.

Pictured above: Krista Tucker and friend in the photo area.

Dexter First Hubbard’s Jewelry By Nancy Nelson Vines

Hubbard’s Jewelry in Downtown Dexter has been a staple in the local business community for almost sixty years.  Opened in 1950 by James and Marie Hubbard, today the store is owned by their daughters Jamie Cook and Sheila LeGrand, with Jamie serving as manager.  

Originally, the business was operated at Stoddard Street and Highway 25, and was both a jewelry store and barber shop. Around 1960 the Hubbards bought a home behind the current location and built the shop out front, with the new building still housing the jewelry store and the barber shop.  “Daddy would barber, then come to the shop to work on jewelry,” Cook said, “but when the jewelry business became so demanding, he had to give up barbering.” 

The Hubbards continued operating the jewelry store together, until James passed away in 1976.  Marie continued until her death in 2015.  Since then, Cook and LeGrand have been determined to keep the business going.  “I’ve worked hard to keep our clientele,” Cook explained. “We have restocked and added lines—we now carry sterling jewelry in our mix, and also offer religious gift and jewelry items. We sell good quality merchandise and we stand behind our merchandise.”

In addition to wedding sets, anniversary rings, and right-hand rings, which were formerly known as dinner or cocktail rings, titanium and tungsten rings are also available.  “Men seem to prefer the titanium and tungsten,” Cook said, “but the size must be accurate on those, as they can not be resized.’ Swarovski crystals are also a popular item along with salt water pearls and fashion jewelry.

“I am proud to continue my parents’ legacy of honesty and dependability,” Cook said.

Hubbard’s Jewelry is located at 108 West Stoddard and is a full-service jewelry store offering jewelry repair, ring re-sizing, and watch battery replacement.  Lay-away is available and they accept all major credit cards.   

Pictured above: Jamie Cook displays a selection of lanyard necklaces, which are a popular fashion accessory.

Religious jewelry and gifts are recent additions to the Hubbard’s Jewelry merchandise mix.

  

#DexterFirst Locust Str Florist By Nancy Nelson Vines

Kim Norman grew up on a farm where being outdoors and digging in the dirt are a part of daily life.  Add to that a cherished grandmother who loved flowers and derived great pleasure from growing them, and the result is a florist whose passion is fresh flowers and floral design. “My grandmother would use flowers from her yard to make our corsages to wear to church on special occasions,” Norman lovingly recalls, “so I probably got my interest from her.”

Norman says after she graduated from Dexter High School, she tried college two or three different times, but she could not find an area of study that appealed to her.  “Finally, my mother suggested floral design.  I absolutely loved it, and once I had my degree, I never had to worry about being able to find a job.” 

 

Through the years Norman worked locally, but nine years ago things began to fall into place for her to be able to open her own shop. “First I bought the inventory; then, I had to find a place to put it,” she laughingly explains. She secured the space which once housed A Small Restaurant, moved in her merchandise, and opened the doors to Locust Street Florist. 

“I started with practically nothing, and today I own the building and occupy most of the space.” Locust Str is a full-service florist specializing in fresh floral design. A variety of services are available including custom home or business decorating, wedding planning, and cemetery dressing. They also carry an array of gift items and their custom gift baskets are among their most popular items. 

Locust Str Florist is located at 10 South Locust in Dexter. They are open 8:00 to 5:00 Monday through Saturday, with a 24-hour phone service available, as well.  

Shown in the photo above: Kim Norman and Santa invite you to visit Locust Str Florist during the #DexterFirst shop local promotion.

#DexterFirst The Jewelry Shop By Nancy Nelson Vines

The Jewelry Shop has been in business at 9 West Stoddard Street for 26 years. "I came from Memphis, where I had been in the jewelry business for 28 years," Lem Hubbard explains.  “I started with a booth at Old Timers’, but moved to this location a year later.”

Hubbard says he learned the jewelry trade from a jeweler in Memphis. "I was about 18 or 19 and working in a grocery store when my brother suggested I see about the jewelry store job. I have been working in jewelry ever since."

The Jewelry Shop is a full-service jewelry store, specializing in yellow and white gold 10 karat and 14 karat fine jewelry, diamonds, wedding sets, and fashion jewelry.  He offers both genuine and synthetic stones in many of his pieces. In addition to sales, Hubbard repairs all kinds of jewelry, sizes rings, replaces stones, builds prongs on rings, and sets diamonds and stones that have been cut. He also sells and replaces watch batteries.

Through the holidays The Jewelry Shop is offering select items at a 30 to 50 percent discount. The Jewelry Shop is open 9:00 to 5:00 Monday through Saturday.

The Jewelry Shop offers a side selection of necklaces and earrings.

Fashion jewelry is also available at The Jewelry Shop.  The Jewelry Shop is located at 9 W. Stoddard