LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES

LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESS

The Cross Eyed Owl Gift Shop

3143 US 9, #8, VALATIE | 518.758.6755 | CROSSEYEDOWL.COM

318 DELAWARE AVENUE, DELMAR | 518.439.9993 | JOYELLESJEWELERS.COM

Patricia Varga of The Cross Eyed Owl What inspired you to open your own gift shop?

I opened the shop back on October 1, 1993 to sell my own floral designs and other local handcrafted items. I never imagined that I’d still be doing it 29 years later. The Cross Eyed Owl Gift Shop is an extension of who I am and all the things I love. Having grown up in a retail environment I probably should have seen it coming!

What’s the most rewarding part of running your own business?

Getting to know the folks that walk through my door. Employees, customers and all the other people that it takes to run a business—we’re all one big family at the Cross Eyed Owl.

Do you have anything new going on that your customers should know about?

We look forward to adding in-store events to our calendar in 2023! For now we continue to host live shopping events weekly on our Facebook page (@CrossEyedOwl) to show what’s new in the shop!

Joyelles Jewelers

Mary Vail of Joyelles Jewelers Why did you want to open a jewelry store?

I have enjoyed working with metal and gemstones ever since I took my first jewelry course at Skidmore College. I knew I wanted a career in the creative and artistic field, and I purchased Joyelles in 1990. When I had my daughter I knew that I wanted the freedom to bring her to work and grow a company that hopefully she takes over one day.

What’s the most rewarding part of running Joyelles?

It’s very rewarding to be a part of people’s special celebrations. I love helping customers choose the perfect gift or engagement ring, or repairing family heirlooms that are very special to them and have been in their family for generations. I especially love when customers come in with stories of how they received a special piece, showing us pictures and allowing us to work with them for years to come.

Do you have anything new going on that your customers should know about?

My goal in the future is to continue providing great customer service and building new customer relationships that will keep them coming back for all of their jewelry needs. I hope to keep up with all the trends and always have a little bit of something for everyone.