Flora Good Times 197 Main Street Beacon, NY 12508

Flora Good Times

197 Main Street

Beacon, NY 12508

(845) 219-5434

https://www.floragoodtimes.com/

Open: Sunday-Monday 11:00am-6:00pm/Tuesday-Wednesday Closed/Thursday-Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

Flora Good Times at 197 Main Street in Beacon, NY

On a recent tour of Downtown Beacon while I was weaving in and out of stores, I came across this unique and quirky shop with a clever name, “Flora Good Times”. What caught my attention was the outstanding window display with its contemporary signage and selection of potted plants and flowers so nicely organized.

Flora Good Times at Christmas time in 2021

It looked more like a boutique than a traditional flower shop. There are handmade pots and gifts, a wonderful selection of exotic flowers and plants all nicely displayed.

The inside of Flora Good Time with its beautiful displays.

What I discovered when I walked in was the original way they display their potted plants and arrangements. The color scheme is juxoposed and the plants were arranged in a way that gave it a colorful and distinctive look about the way a customer would buy them. The shelves were loaded with all sorts of potted and hanging plants that fit every décor.

Handmade gifts and plants

I came across a shelve of smiling face pots by artist Calfinn and thought it made a novel way to display the plants. Not just were the plants showcased well but the smiling face back gives a positive spin on the merchandise. They were so novel and whimsical and I had never seen anything like it before.

Pots by artist Calfinn-The Collection is called Lil’ Friends

The Handmade “Victory” Pots that have their own personality

What was nice about Flora Good Times is that they will create the most special bouquets and arrangements for the customers. Their approach to flowers gives them a personality all to its own and is the perfect housewarming and host present. I thought the arrangements I saw in both the store and online were colorful and very original in design.

The flower arrangements are very beautiful

They also have a nice assortment of potted and hanging plants that line the walls and a selection of gift items that come from artists all over the country. I thought it was good business not just to support local artists but artisans all over the country.

The service is very friendly and welcoming. The afternoon that I was visiting the store the gentleman working at the counter could not have been nicer and offered to help with anything that I needed. In the Era of COVID, it is a pleasure to to think that proper, personal attention to customers is still alive and well.

Flora Good Times is more than just a retail store. It is an experience.

History of Flora Good Times:

(Store’s website page)

Founder Corinne Bryson inside her shop

(Store Facebook page)

https://www.facebook.com/events/hudco/plant-power-hour-with-flora-good-times/1968667929950643/

Who we are:

A brick and mortar shop and floral studio on Beacon’s beautiful Main Street specializing in unusual houseplants and unconventional flower arrangements. Founded in 2019 by Corinne Bryson, a florist and #1 fan of all things green and growing. Corinne has cared for and loved thousands of houseplants throughout her life and has no plans to stop loving more.

Flora Good Times is proudly woman-owned. We contribute a portion of our sales to fighting for justice in food and farming systems, human rights initiatives and local community building. We believe in science and equity.

The plants and painting in the back of the store

What we do:

Houseplants, flower arrangements and delivery, weekly flower subscriptions for the home and business, full service weddings and celebrations, floral window displays, fresh cut flowers, dried flowers, greening services, plant consultation, plant care advice, pest diagnosis and control, workshops, events and beyond…oh and producing some of the freshest air on Main Street (don’t believe us? just come and visit).

Why we do it:

We believe that plants aren’t décor, they’re a relationship. That’s why we want to always send you off on the right path to nurture your new companion. Education is the most important thing and online advice is endless. We want to help you weed through it all to know what really matters, so that you and your plant friends can take a deep breath and enjoy each other.

The fun loving painting in the back of the store

Flora was built with a focus on supporting local in every way possible. We source flowers locally whenever we can from a smattering of beautiful local farms (check out our “friends” page for more information). The products in our store come from local and national makers for everything from our pottery offerings to our home goods offerings. We believe that a rising tide lifts all ships and by looking to individual small farms and makers, we will rise.

Pause A Dog Boutique 6423 Montgomery Street, Suite 3 Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Pause A Dog Boutique 

6423 Montgomery Street, Suite 3

Rhinebeck, NY  12572

(845) 758-4330

(The store has related to Rhinebeck, NY from its location in Red Hook, NY)

https://www.pausedogboutique.com/

https://www.facebook.com/PauseDogBoutique/

Open: Sunday 11:00am-5:00pm/Monday 11:00am-5:00pm/Tuesday 11:00am-6:00pm/Wednesdays Closed/ Thursday 12:00pm-5:00pm/Friday and Saturday 11:00am-5:00pm

*Review was written when the store was located in Downtown Red Hook, NY

I love visiting Red Hook, NY. It has the nicest downtowns filled with great little stores, unique restaurants, a quaint old-fashioned feel about it and at Christmas time has a colorful Christmas tree to light up the downtown stores.

Many stores have made the cut on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com here. Little Pickles at 7505 North Broadway is a great children’s store and the Equis Gallery at 15 West Market Street is great for horse themed art works. Village Pizza III at 7514 North Broadway has some of the most delicious Italian American cooking with a delicious red sauce to top everything.

Another great store I came across in their downtown is Pause at 10 East Main Street, a unique little dog boutique with the nicest merchandise and a friendly staff (the store has now moved to 6423 Montgomery Street Suite 3 in Rhinebeck, NY just south of Red Hook, NY). What I liked about the store is when I walked in was the smiling face of a dog who looked like he was happy to see me. The store has a very welcoming feeling and is airy and filled with unusual merchandise that you won’t find in many pet stores.

Pause is now located at 6420 Montgomery Street

The whimsical merchandise at Pause on Halloween

The display windows at Pause are really engaging on Halloween

They have the nicest lines of American made goods especially in foods for dogs and special treats. I like the packaging for the Bocce’s treats that were all natural and The Honest Kitchen for all-natural dog food.

Bocce’s Bakery Treats

The Honest Kitchen Dog Food

Some other items that I found unique to the pet market was their line of birthday products for dog’s birthdays that included hats and doggie bags.

Who would have thought hats for a dog’s party?

They even have little gift bags and presents for dogs:

Party gifts for dogs

Since they moved to their new location In Rhinebeck, the store now has a whole wall of all natural chew toys and doggie treats for the discriminating pooch. There are lines of leashes of all colors and sizes, doggie toys and a section for large bulk purchases of dog food. The items are held in clear bins so that the patron can see the quality of the item before buying it.

Doggie jackets and blankets

There is a new line of belts, coats and sweaters that the store is now carrying in all sorts of designs and colors. So that your dog can relax at home in comfort, the store now carries all sorts of pillows and puffy throws for you dog to relax on. The walls are lined with all sorts of toys and chew items to keep any dog amused.

Doggie leashes and collars

What I like best about Pause is the friendly service that the store has when you walk into the store. It is a pleasure to walk into a store and people greet you with a smile and a friendly hello. They also are willing to help you pick out the right merchandise for your pet.

Doggie Treats

Doggie grooming

Holiday Promotions in the former Red Hook, NY store:

The store also hosts all sorts of special events at the holidays like Christmas, Easter and Halloween that include both our furry friends and their masters. I liked the pictures of the dogs with Santa and the Easter Bunny.

The owner of Pause has a sense of humor.

Great idea!

Pause creative Christmas windows

Pause Christmas windows in 2022

Pause Christmas window in 2023

Pause Christmas window in 2023.

Colorant 146 Main Street Beacon, NY 12508

Colorant

146 Main Street

Beacon, NY   12508

https://www.facebook.com/colorantofficial/

https://www.thisiscolorant.com/

Open: Thursday-Sunday 11:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

Colorant on Main Street in Beacon, NY

I was visiting downtown Beacon, NY because I had been Upstate to take a tour of Bannerman Island (see VisitingaMuseum.com) and wanted to see if there were any changes in the businesses in the downtown area. It seems like the town is going through a second wave of business ownership.

In the middle of Main Street I came across Colorant, a clothing and gift store that prides itself on being environmentally and sustainably friendly. The clothes here are all made by the in house designer and store owner or are from vendors that manufacture the same way. The clothes are lightweight, all dyed by hand by all natural dyes and are hand-printed or hand-brushed making each piece its own work of art and technically one of a kind.

I saw this beautiful hand-print on one of the racks

The beauty of the clothes is their simplicity and form that is carefully well-made by the designer and by her counterparts. The clothes are displayed like art where a few pieces are put out for people to try on and make sure the correct fit is made.

Dying of the clothing

The construction of the clothes is very well-made and you can see it in the stitching and dying of the clothes.

This simple indigo dyed dress can be dressy casual in 2019

The owner’s new line for the Fall of 2019 is now in the store and carries a series of blouses, shirts and dresses that were made for what looked like a petite woman. There were also handmade shirts for men as well. The prices are reflective of the quality of the clothing from its handwork to the dying. It is not cheap when is quality cheap?

An indigo dyed men’s shirt at Colorant in 2019

This new tie die dress really wowed me along with their jean and sweatshirt collection in 2021

This dress by Po eM I thought was really nice

The store also has an assortment of gifts such as planters, soap dishes, mugs and some jewelry and cosmetics. All of the products are environmentally made and have their own artistic touch to them. Please check the above website as the prices do change.

Specialty lines at Colorant

The service could not be more personal. The young woman working there explained the way the clothes are made and constructed and a little story about the owner as a designer and how she merchandised the store. The store is designed with exposed walls and piping holding the clothes with creative display cases to showcase the gifts.

Colorant offers something for everyone

It is nice to see American made products displayed in a creative environment with wonderful service. This is something that Amazon can’t replicate.

History of the clothes at Colorant:

Colorant (established in 2012) is a modern line of apparel and accessories that celebrates the use of natural dye plants such as Indigo, Madder Root and Walnut in creating our vibrant palette. Like in nature, botanical colors have unpredictability depending on where and how the material was grown. Sassafras grown in northern regions will not yield the same orange as those from the south, which we here at Colorant embrace as the beauty of the natural dye process. Each season our colors are tested with our chosen fabrications to insure our colors will stand the test of time (Colorant History website).

The back of the store is painted beautifully and the clothing is so nicely displayed.

Each color has a story to tell:

Rich History:  Did you know the color purple was the most expensive color in the world? Roman kings were only able to wear it because it took 250,000 Murex Mollusks from the sea to extract enough dye to color a garment.

Earth Benefits: Botanical colors promote the harvesting of dye plants, creating a new agricultural market. Natural dyes are extracted from renewable resources offering a more sustainable option for the textile industry.

Pure Color: Nature provides hundreds of plant which yield vibrant colors. Many have been used for dying since antiquity and Colorant has preserved these tried and true methods.

(Colorant website)

Disclaimer: I credit the Colorant website for the company information and give them full credit for it.

Samuel’s Sweet Shop 42 East Market Street Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Samuel’s Sweet Shop

42 East Market Street

Rhinebeck, NY  12572

(845) 876-5312

Home

Open: Sunday-Thursday 7:30am-8:00pm/Saturday-Sunday 7:30am-10:00pm

My Review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g48486-d3641613-Reviews-Samuel_s-Rhinebeck_New_York.html?m=19905

I have visited Samuel’s Sweet Shop many times over the years from both living in Hyde Park, NY and visiting for Sinterklaas events.

Samuel’s Sweet Shop at Christmas 2021

Samuel’s Sweet Shop in the Summer of 2023

Samuel’s Sweet Shop is a unique and quirky little store of nostalgic candies, local vendor sweets, bulk candies, delicious baked products and coffees and hot chocolate. There are all sorts of gift items, bagged candies and sweet delights to choose from. The shelves are colorfully displayed with all sorts of candies, chocolate figurines, bags of gourmet mini cookies and boxed items at the holidays.

All the colorful bagged candies at Samuel’s

I have to admit some of prices are a little high with some nostalgic candies like Razzles or certain larger chocolate bars running around $2.35 but for a one time treat it makes a nice snack. There bulk and bagged candies are fairly priced with a selection of gums, jellies and wrapped items.

I think their selection of local products is interesting with honey candies from Upstate New York that run about $5.00 and mini cookies bagged from Vermont which run around $12.00. Again, these are a little on the pricey side but they make nice gifts if you are visiting in the area and you are supporting local small businesses.

The selection at Samuel’s Sweet Shop is extensive

What is really wonderful one night that I was there was a Cookie Dough Cookie (2.50) and a hot chocolate ($3.25) which really hit the spot on a cold night. Their hot chocolate is excellent. Thick and rich and with a dollop of whipped cream it really warmed me up. The cookie was a cross between a cookie and a muffin in that it had a chewy rich consistency. I was not sure who their vendor is on the baked products but they are nicely displayed and seem to sell out fast.

The selection of sauces, jellies and candies at Samuel’s Sweet Shop

On another recent trip to Samuel’s, I stopped in for a late breakfast treat and under a glass dome was the most amazing looking Glazed Doughnut ($2.00) which looked large and fluffy. It certainly was and sweet and delicious as well. This puffy delight must have just been made and brought into the store.

Samuel’s Baked goods

What I love best about Samuel’s is the merchandising of the store with the bright colors, small baskets of candy bars and chocolates and bags of bulk candies with the logo on it lined on the shelves in a colorful rainbow. The whole store screams “Buy Me”!

Delicious desserts at Samuel’s

The nice part of the store is the service. The staff here really seems to care about their customers and helping pick the right items to buy. The gentleman who convinced me to buy the cookie was dead-on with what I needed for dessert after a big dinner elsewhere.

The store was really busy during Sinterklaas

In a time when Amazon is dominating retail, Samuel’s Sweet Shop is one of those stores that shows us how beautiful merchandising, great product and excellent service bring us back to the stores in droves bringing back our wonderful childhood memories.

Gourmet mini cookies at Samuel’s

During the recent Sinterklaas Parade festival in Rhinebeck in 2021, the store was stocked with all sorts of bagged candies, pastries and Chocolate Santas for people to enjoy. The prices during the parade day were very fair and I have never seen a store with such empty shelves by the end of the day.

The History of Samuel’s Sweet Shop:

Samuel’s Sweet Shop was created by former owner, Ira Gunther, in 1994 after a visit to the town a year earlier and falling in love with Rhinebeck, NY. Having been exposed to ‘penny candy’ years earlier by his Uncle Samuel, he named his shop after him and all those wonderful childhood memories.

The business was a success and continued in its direction until Mr. Gunther’s sudden passing in 2014 and the store almost closed. With the investment of two longtime loyal customers, actors Paul Rudd and Jeffery Dean Morgan and their families decided to buy the store with another couple and current manager, John Traver.

Samuel’s Sweet Shop during Sinterklaas

Mr. Traver, who has been working at the store since he was 15 still continues to ‘curate’ the selection of candies, which focuses on nostalgic, locally produced and unusual candies and sweets.

Preparing for the holidays

The store continues to welcome customers to the Hudson Valley region with wonderful merchandise and excellent service.

Samuel’s Sweet Shop during Sinterklaas in 2022

Disclaimer: This information was taken from publicly that the store has provided online and I give them full credit for it. Please visit the store during its business hours to see its ongoing collection of candies.

Samuel’s Sweet Shop decorated for Sinterklaas and Christmas

Samuel’s Sweet Shop in the Summer months.