Downtown gift and craft store opens with new location, new name

Downtown’s unique pottery, clothing and gift shop, Mud-licious, has moved shop to a new location.

Right next door, to be exact.

Besides bearing a new name, there are a lot of more new — and old — items in store for curious customers.

Located on Front Street inside the old store front of the Tipsy Gypsy, the new store, named Rosy Tomorrows, offers a wide range of women’s fashion, such as clothing, shoes and jewelry, along with home décor, repurposed furniture, candles, soaps and handmade pottery from local artist Michelle Stambaugh.

“We’re sort of expanding on the concept of the Tipsy Gypsy and our old store,” said owner Claudia Zebell. “We’re continuing to sell the same kind of apparel while offering new items as well.”

The new store is the latest business venture for the Dowagiac resident. After working part-time with Stambaugh at Mud-licious for nearly a year, Zebell took over the business end of the shop in July in order to give the artist more time to spend on her crafts. A few weeks later, she took over the space at the recently closed Tipsy Gypsy, giving her business some additional storefront.

Despite only moving a few feet away, transferring the existing inventory and furniture into their new digs was an exhausting process, Zebell said. However, the new location allows for not only additional room for inventory, but also for a new in-store studio for Stambaugh to create her pots, mugs, signs and other crafts to sell inside the store.

Looks aren’t the only thing Zebell has changed up since moving in, though. She added a water fountain to the front of the store and posted a number of inspirational quotes to establish a calm, smooth atmosphere. The new name of the store reflects its owner’s own optimistic outlook on the future.

“Even if today’s feeling hard, I feel that a better tomorrow is always waiting,” she said.

Zebell said that she is constantly updating the store’s inventory; one of the big additions she is planning is on the store’s collection of Swan Creek Candles, which are especially hit among her male shoppers.

“It’s sort of an eclectic mix of old and new things for sale,” she said. “We offer something for everybody.”

While she is still just learning the ropes of running her own business, the Dowagiac woman said that running the store has brought her closer to her family, as her daughter and husband help out on a regular basis. It has also given her the opportunity to meet people from literally all over the planet, as she has met tourists from as far away Australia, who come in to browse her shop.

“I love the city of Dowagiac, and I love the opportunity to meet more of the people who live or visit here,” she said.