Gift-giving made even more fun
Muscatine, Iowa — There’s a different kind of gift shop in downtown Muscatine and the owner hopes to make make buying presents a fun, local experience.
Muscatine’s Tricia Brockert recently opened Second Thoughts Gifts and More at 128 E. Second St., as a way to venture out on her own and hopefully give people a reason to grin while they shop.
“Sometimes gift giving can be a drag; but here, people crack up as they walk through the store reading the different items,” said Brockert, 36. “A fun experience while shopping makes it more fun to give.”
Second Thoughts is a specialty store with a comedic twist. Party napkins, towel and pot holder gift sets, and aprons have sayings on them such as “You can’t scare me, I have children,” and “You have to believe in something. I believe I’ll have another drink.”
Other favorite funny adages include, “A clean house is a sign of a wasted life,” and “Every day I give my family two choices for dinner … Take it or leave it!”
“People always find something that reminds them of someone they know,” said Alicia Brockert, Tricia’s 12-year-old daughter. Tricia’s been helping around the store while on summer vacation. “The gifts are a play on words. It makes people smile.”
Other items include handmade jewelry by Alicia, sunglasses, fuzzy cup coolers made locally and coffee cups. Tricia orders handbags from across the country, but only one of each style so “you don’t see your style when walking down the street.” Also among the colorful gifts are novelty signs and retro-looking magnets with a plethora of sayings for the shopper looking for that perfect present.
Not into using a beach towel with martini glass print that reads, “I like it dirty”? You might try Rabbit Creek brand bread, muffins, fudge or party dip mixes for a taste of something new.
Tricia said the response to the store has been very positive and that business is steadily growing.
