Shopping Is Peachy At Life’s A Peach Gift Store

By Nancy K. Crevier

“I’m small town born and raised in Wilton,” said D.D. Beckwith, and that is one reason that she spotted the living and business potential in Sandy Hook Center. At the time she moved to Sandy Hook, though, in the late 1990s, she was working as a corporate travel agent in the region. “The bottom sort of fell out of that completely after 9/11,” she said, and after supporting herself through bartending and other part-time jobs, she began to contemplate opening a business in town.

With her friends’ encouragement and belief in her ability to be successful, in November 2008 Ms Beckwith opened Life’s A Peach, a gift shop specializing in unusual and handcrafted items that might not be found in other area shops.

“I had had the opportunity [with my job as a travel agent] to travel a lot and see other parts of the world, and I always loved finding that funky little store. There are great gift shops in this area, and I didn’t want to copy them. Then all of the planets aligned, I guess, and I just held my nose and jumped into the pool in 2008. It was terrifying to open a business just then with the poor economy, but business has been good enough to keep me focused. I do see the light at the end of the tunnel now,” Ms Beckwith said.

Life’s A Peach is tucked into a cozy 485-square-foot space behind 100 Church Hill Road, one of several small businesses lining the perimeter of a large, off-street parking lot.

Inside the gift store, shoppers will find a variety of reasonably priced items. Handcrafted and mass-produced sun catchers and year-around ornaments sparkle in the front windows and dangle from a specially crafted ornament “tree” on the center display table. There, note cards featuring Newtown scenes can also be found, along with whimsical salt and pepper shakers, pottery from Washington state, glass and wooden cheese boards, and other small gifts.

Thinking Cap brand scarves and Solmate socks from Vermont, bottle covers with clever quips relative to Sandy Hook (“Lake Zoar Rocks!” and “Sandy Hookers Are Proud”), macramé and bead “barefoot sandals” from Bali, a wide selection of incense and incense holders, pewter bottle openers and candle snuffers, cheerful kitchen towels, and a rack of humorous gift cards are among the other offerings at Life’s A Peach.

Best selling items include the handcrafted vegetable oil soaps and soy candles from Soyshine in Kentucky, said Ms Beckwith. “The soy candles are very popular. They burn very clean and come in a lot of wonderful scents,” she said.

Life’s A Peach is a mecca for tie-dye aficionados, with colorful T-shirts, tank tops, and baby clothing sets — all hand-dyed by Ms Beckwith — brightening up one corner of the shop. Tie-dyed items can be customized according to size and colors upon request, said Ms Beckwith. “I’m happy to do whatever a customer wants if I don’t have the right color or size on hand,” she said.

Gorilla Sack purses are another reflection of Ms Beckwith’s support of eco-friendly items and items that support local crafters. The good-sized, multicolored bags are made from recycled billboard vinyl, with ten percent of the price going to support Gorilla Haven, a Georgia facility dedicated to providing temporary shelter to zoo gorillas in need.

As the recession eases up, Ms Beckwith hopes to add to her product lines, carrying even more area-specific gifts and handcrafted products.

“I find that the businesses in this area support each other. It’s not cutthroat. I refer customers to other businesses if I don’t have what the person needs,” said Ms Beckwith, “and I think others do the same. Sandy Hook is a wonderful little area. The more successful businesses we have, the better it is for the town as a whole.”

Life’s A Peach is located behind 100 Church Hill Road in Sandy Hook Center. Winter hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11 am to 5 pm, Saturday, 11 am to 3 pm. The store is closed Sunday and Monday. For more information call 203-364-9301.