A little Indulgence

WAITSBURG - For Karen Stanton-Gregutt, there's nothing better than a soak in her 1929 claw foot tub that sits in one of her Waitsburg Cottages. She loves that soak so much she has designed a new retail business around it called Bubbles & Chocolate: The Finer Things, set to open June 28.

The opening on June 28 will be a soft opening and the grand opening will take place sometime in July, Stanton-Gregutt said.

The shop, located on Waitsburg's Main Street in the Plaza Theater build- ing, will be open Thursday through Sunday, from mid- day through early evening.

"I want to be open at those times to support the existing activities in town," Stanton-Gregutt said.

She is excited to bring an- other retail option to Waits- burg and believes that there is a need for an upscale shop that sells high-quality indulgences.

It all comes back to that tub.

"I'm really going though the bath salts and bubble bath," Stanton-Gregutt said of her tub at the Waitsburg Cottages.

So, she will stock her shop with bubble bath, spa products and bath salts. Stanton-Gregutt based her inventory on other fine or luxury items she would enjoy while having a soak in the tub - chocolate and sparkling wine.

"These are the kinds of things I would like," she said.

The shop will carry world-class chocolates and exclusive, custom-made chocolates in the shapes of camels and carrots to honor the town's mascot, Izzy the Camel, and the treats he likes to snack on.

"The only place people are going to buy (camel chocolates) is from my shop," she said.

In addition to the choco- lates, which customers will be able to sample before buying, Stanton-Gregutt will sell sparkling wine and dessert wine, including champagne and other varieties.

The shop is small, painted in creams and grays. Stanton Gregutt said she drew inspiration for the deacute;cor from a 1940s illustration for a champagne company.

The look and feel of the shop is clean and modern, but is a perfect backdrop to highlight the brightly colored chocolates and bath products.

"I wanted something that really something that shows off beautiful things," she said.

Stanton-Gregutt believes there is a place for her shop in Waitsburg, a city that is full of beautiful, countrystyle shops. She said she will sell trinkets that represent the quality of the city that visitors will remember long after their trip to the small town.

Robbie Johnson, owner of the Plaza Theater and Etcet- eras, the gift shop across the hall from Stanton-Gregutt's new store, said he believes Bubbles & Chocolate "will be a fun, new addition."

Visitors and residents are always looking for new shops and restaurants in Waitsburg and they will be excited to find out what she is offering, Johnson said. And he said her merchandise will complement what is sold at Etceteras and provide more options for customers.

"It's all about choices," he said.

The cost of products will vary at Bubbles and Chocoalate to make sure there are items for every price point. Stanton-Gregutt said this will simply be a great place to stop in Waits- burg for those who just want to indulge.

"Just because people live in Waitsburg doesn't mean they don't deserve a really good piece of chocolate," Stanton-Gregutt said.

And, for men hunting for a birthday or anniversary gift for the lady in their life, Bubbles and Chocolate would be a fabulous place to start.

"Chances are, he can rock her world by coming in here," she said with a laugh.

In addition to her Main Street storefront, she plans to sell exclusive items on a website to be built and run- ning in the near future. She is even planning on offering gift basket options to her customers.

And while many busi- nesses close for the winter, she plans to stay open and have a holiday-time presence.

"Waitsburg is ready for something that exists truly to be beautiful," Stanton- Gregutt said.