In Downtown Sanford, our collection of cool, independent shops grows each year, but we at Sanford365 must admit that we have a perennial favorite when it comes to one-stop-shop holiday gift shopping. You can find something perfect for everyone on your list at Boxelder, Sanford’s only dedicated gift shop, with some of the best gifts in Sanford at affordable prices and with exceptional service.
“I would love for Boxelder to become known as a place to pick up gifts of any size for any occasion,” says owner Kyle Perry. “One can grab a card and small gift here for under $20, completely wrapped or gift bagged along with Fedex shipping for out of town friends and family.”
Of course, the elegant presentation of the shop (including delicious scents and stunning design all around) will make any shopper feel stylish and smart, no matter their budget. Claudia and I find it near impossible to walk into Boxelder without touching everything, from beautiful barware, to jewelry, to clever kitchen gadgets. I love looking around, letting my eyes rest on an item and immediately thinking of someone who would love that potholder, candle, or delicious gourmet spread.
When I tell most people about Boxelder, they immediately ask, “But where is it?”. Boxelder is located just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Rabbitfoot and Celery City Craft, at the corner of 3rd and Palmetto. The building itself was lovingly restored by owner Mickey Searcy, and currently houses her interior design firm, Lawrence David, along with Boxelder. The visual impact of this combination is dynamite, and the two entities have created an airy, sophisticated atmosphere filled with beautiful natural light, which is perfect for showcasing the goodies Boxelder has to offer.
Boxelder’s Top Gift Picks
In case you’ve never been inside Boxelder, Kyle has picked out his particular favorites this season to give you some idea of what awaits you!
Denver CO’s Rosy Rings produces some of the best quality soy candles and reed diffusers on the market, and we’re thrilled to have them again this holiday season. Scents like Red Currant & Cranberry or Bay Garland provide scents that embody Christmas and make a great gift for anyone who appreciated fine fragrances.
Candles (85 hour burn time) – $37
Botanical Reed Diffuser – $57
Cape Hatteras, NC’s Stephanie Kiker creates beautiful silk-screen prints that are transferred to textured, tempered glass cutting/serving boards in a variety of primarily coastal-themed works.
$30
Ridley’s House of Marbles has been manufacturing a great collection of traditional games/toys in fun retro packaging over in the UK since 2005. Relive or introduce some of these great games to a new generation. Choose from board games such as Backgammon or Chinese Checkers as well as others such as Cribbage, PickUp Sticks, Jacks, Labryinth and of course Marbles.
$6.50-$20
NY’s Two’s Company Picture Frames make a great gift with a photograph of a memorable special event you want to preserve.
$22-$43
Maine’s Stonewall Kitchen gourmet products have been with us for just a few months but are a tremendous hit. Manufactured using only the best ingredients minus additives/preservatives since 1991, taste for yourself and you’ll see why Stonewall Kitchen is considered a top-of-the-line producer of gourmet food items. Check out our wide selection of individually packaged jams, dressings, sauces and more (8.75-$9.95) as well as their holiday gift sets ($15-$54)
Denver CO’s Crawlspace Studios creates some fun graphics on varying mediums which include these great cocktail glasses. Our fave, the Sparrow with Headphones.
$11 each
Sharon Springs, NY’s Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge purchased a goat farm back in 2007 which unbeknownst to them would snowball into producing one of the top lifestyle brands in the US. After a short stint with their own cooking/lifestyle shows on The Cooking Channel and Planet Green they appeared on the 2012 season of The Amazing Race, which they surprisingly won after never winning a leg of the race. Thanks to the $1,000,000 winning proceeds, they are now full-time farmers producing a wide variety of bodycare items such as their crowd-favorite Honeyed Grapefruit Goat Milk Body Lotion.
$15-$25
Seattle WA’s True Fabrications produces a wide range of stylish and innovative products for entertaining which includes their Freeze line of glasses that stay cold for hours after freezing. Available in sets of 2 which ranges from Martini glasses (pictured) as well as best selling wine glasses, beer pints and whisky glasses.
$25
We love the contribution Boxelder makes to Sanford’s retail scene, providing another great reason to shop local. “I don’t see shopping ‘local’ a trend as much as it a new awareness of how economics work in terms of your spending dollar,” Kyle says. “Having 25% on average of your dollar spent stay local when shopping online or with a chain versus 60%-80% on average with a local independent makes good business sense in terms of helping your community thrive.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! We hope you’ll pop down to Boxelder to meet Kyle and shop for gifts, because it is truly a treat. Boxelder is also helping the Downtown community this month by sponsoring the Sanford Selfie prize of $100 Selfie Dollars, so submit your selfies to win! (Of course, Boxelder is the perfect place to spend those $100 Selfie Dollars as well!)
Boxelder is located at 278 S. Palmetto Ave, Sanford 32771. Visit them Mon-Fri 10-5 and Sat 10-4.