Apr 3, 2008

Local Store Offers Unique Custom ItemsBy Summer KelleyDadeSentinel.com

The business is inspired. Inspired by creativity, originality and a desire to give people in Dade County a local place to purchase these unique items.

Polkadots is located on Highway 11, near the square in Trenton. The store is a joint venture for Careyee Bell and Beth Chilton.

Bell said she had been thinking about having a store that carried gift items for a while when she came across a place called “Laughing Moon” in Madison that she said inspired her. According to Bell, Laughing Moon was the type of store she wanted to have. In August of 2006, Polkadots opened.

Bell, who describes herself as a professional shopper, and Chilton, who Bell said held jewelry and purse parties as well as other events, made a good match for the venture. Besides owning the store, Bell is a realtor with Venita Smyth Realty in Trenton and works for a law firm in Chattanooga.

Chilton and Bell’s store carries candles, lotions, sunglasses, calendars, baby items, collegiate items, costume jewelry, some clothes, tote bags, and luggage among other things for women. For men, there are collegiate items like mugs, golf balls, watches, signs, and trailer hitches.

“Eventually I would like to get into some children’s clothing and some men’s clothing,” Bell said.

For those looking for unique, custom gift items, Polkadots offers custom gift baskets and monogramming. The store also delivers gifts within Trenton city limits. All gift items are put in a gift bag with polka dot paper and tulle ribbon.

Bell said she and Chilton find a lot of their items for the store in Atlanta where they go to different shows.

At the shows the two get introduced to people and the products they offer. Originally the store carried big screen TV’s and other large items, but lack of interest in the items led the store to stop carrying them and move to a smaller location next to Foxfire Realty. One of the problems Chilton and Bell have run into is balancing the products they carry with the prices people are willing to pay.

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