On a rainy day in downtown Excelsior, shoppers showed up for the opening of The Bee Cottage, a new occasional store in a quaint old home just off Water Street. It was easy to see why: owner Jennifer Finlay and partner Nancy Koch clearly have keen eyes for pretty objects of desire, old and new, and an ability to display them artfully, which adds to the appeal. Finlay also owns Jennifleur soy candles in repurposed wine bottles. Koch was a buyer for Dayton’s Paris Flea Market. The two met selling their goods at Guild in St. Louis Park. They’ve brought together some of the vendors who used to sell in this Excelsior space and found several new artists and unexpected lines to round out the mix of accessories, home decor and furniture with a vintage, romantic charm. Blink, and you’ll miss it: the store will be open the second Wednesday-Saturday of every month (additional dates between Thanksgiving and Christmas) and every month, Finlay and Koch plan to reinvent the two-level store with a new batch of lovely goods. 421 Second St., Excelsior
Tags: excelsior, Guild, Jennifer Finlay, Nancy Koch, occasional store, The Bee Cottage
© 2008 MSP Communications, Inc. All rights reserved