Oh, Baby!

Treats for your little bundle of joy

by

The stork makes the most deliveries in the month of August. If you’re expecting a new little bundle or are an excited grandparent-to-be, find something extra special for that new special someone at Cela Baby in Cornelius.

One stroll through Cela Baby and you’ll see what sets it apart, including clothing and shoes for newborns through toddlers.

“I wanted to have classic, mostly Southern brands that are not necessarily available on the internet or Amazon,” owner Angela Long says. “We offer high-quality fabrics, monogram personalization and a lot of smocking, which is hard to find these days.” They also offer complimentary gift wrapping, a baby gift registry and can ship anywhere. Popular gift items include Kyte Baby sleep sacks, Angel Dear 100% bamboo clothing, Magnetic Me gowns and footies, Little Lovies (animal heads on blanket silkies) and picture frames. Her Jellycat books feature sweet stuffed animals of the stories’ main characters. Cela Baby also has a small corner of baptismal clothing and gifts. Throughout the year, Long hosts various events, such as a silhouette artist creating timeless portraits, a ceramic artisan crafting handprints and footprints on plates and ornaments, and a seasonal appearance by Santa.

She owned a gift shop in Concord before opening Cela Baby in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“We were then shut down on March 23,” Long says. She weathered the shutdown by selling online and offering local delivery or curbside pickup.

The shop’s name – Cela Baby – is an acronym that combines the first names of herself, her husband and two adult daughters. Early in her career, Long was a military contractor for the education division. She was stationed in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell. While there, she also fell in love with a soldier named Lou (now her husband), who brought her to Fort Benning, Georgia. They would live in a few other areas before eventually moving to North Carolina.

Although she is not yet a grandmother, Long is a master gardener who tends to her flowers and plants when she is not at Cela Baby. Also an avid traveler, she heads straight for the baby stores wherever she visits.

“I always drag my husband into them; I did even when we were in London. He is very aware of where all the baby shops are in Charleston.”

When you stop by Cela Baby, be sure to look for the shop’s “boss,” Jac, her precious senior toy poodle.

For more details, visit www.CelaBaby.com.