Studio 9 re-opens in same spot

Cresco - Studio 9 gift shop is now open for business in its original location on Highway 9 (109 2nd Avenue Southwest, next to Tin Ceiling Antiques) but while the building may be familiar, the shop features a wide variety of wares and some new surprises.

Owners Barbara Billings and Rose Miller had retired when they realized they missed the hustle and bustle of the gift shop and its clientele.

“I just missed the people, and Rose and I realized we couldn’t just sit at home. We have a great time together and we try so hard to make this store fun,” Billings said.

Miller said, “I retired but this job is fun, and it’s nice we are back here. I told Barb, ‘It’s like coming back home.’ We have fun here; it’s helping us to stay young.”

They re-opened Studio 9 earlier this year adjacent to Liza & Co. at 103 8th Street East on Highway 9, but realized over time that they were running out of space.

“We ran out of room,” Billings said. “So, the lease was up and this was a fast decision, but we felt like we were back home. We did so much work in here before, so it’s a good feeling to be here and it’s working out well for us,” she said.

At its present location, customers will find Studio 9’s newest features: Plants appropriate to give for funerals and other events as well as fresh-cut flowers.

“We have flowering plants; we order them for funerals. Sometimes people like to give plants instead of flowers. We also have cut flowers. We try to keep roses, carnations and lilies fully stocked. We have balloons and we do deliver. Customers can call and order because we do take credit cards. If they don’t like something we have here, I can have a request here the next day. We have had a lot of response about how long the flowers last,” Billings said.

She continued, “We want to be able to provide a lot of different items, and we try really hard to think of things Cresco doesn’t carry. That is why we go more into the boutique clothing. The boots seem to be something everybody is interested in. We try to carry name brands and we put them at the lowest price possible. We wanted the store to be very affordable and we’re doing the best we can,” she said. “We’re open to suggestions from customers about what they would like to see us feature in the store.”

Another unique feature to Studio 9 is its collection of designer perfumes and colognes.

“We order designer perfumes for people. They are the real thing; Macy’s carries them. Here, they are going to pay about half of what they would at a larger store. It’s a good deal. We have a Coach set that retails for $120 and we have it for $69.99 and sometimes we have it on sale. We also have men’s cologne.”

Billings says Studio 9’s selection of women’s dress boots, boutique clothing items, primitive home décor and original perfumes and colognes continue to be a big draw for customers.

“The home décor is popular. We have quilts and do also have more trendy items.”

Studio 9 also showcases scented candles, gifts for any occasion, farm-style home décor, purses, scarves, greeting cards and more. Each holiday season brings forth a variety of specialty items to decorate the home.

Billings encourages customers who are planning their weddings to consider creating a registry with Studio 9.

As they settle into their store, Billings says she is looking forward to visiting with customers and helping them find the perfect gift for loved ones or to enhance their own homes.

“We want to be a place where people can go have fun and find things at a reasonable price. We try to keep a sense of humor and really accommodate people. If they say they won’t have the money until next week, we’ll hold an item for them. If someone comes in and wants a cup of coffee and visit, they can do that,” she said.

Studio 9 is open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Their phone number is: 563-203-0321.