Gifts to usher in Spring – Crescent Country Gifts & Antiques
By Eileen Majors
Spring is here and one good way to usher in the season is with a visit to a favorite gift shop, one that presents fresh, new displays of the season’s best finds. It will send you away with ideas and hopefully arm you with a few new products to inspire your journey into spring. We made our way to Crescent Country Gifts & Antiques for a look through timeless treasures of the old days mixed with the latest new arrivals for spring home decor.
Owner Lisa Forcino carries out traditions she and her mom, Barbara Tucker, started long ago, choosing artful antiques and a wide variety of unique accents for the home along with specialty clothing and accessories. Lisa carries an elaborate and fun inventory of quality goods, working with dozens of vendors, from local artists to national retailers. Her artistic eye for display ties the entire shop together; each of many displays, put together by color and theme, call out with ideas to take home.
There is no shortage of ideas, from a nostalgic line of retro linens that will take you back to Grandma’s kitchen, to vintage green milk glass, still produced by Mosser Glass, a company that’s been making the glassware for over a hundred years. She definitely has a knack for choosing just the right things to combine that bit of old with an ever-evolving selection of the new.
Drifting from one beautifully designed display to another, I am taken by each. It is obvious Lisa does, in fact, as she says, love her work. It shows, as does her ability to select items that one would consider timeless. Whether they are old or new, they have been well selected for their quality and value.
When it comes to bringing the work of local artists into the store, she is very selective. She has stayed with her vision for the store. She said, “I envisioned putting in pieces that are stylish and high quality that I’m proud to present to my customers.” Handmade goods are placed throughout the store. Beautiful knit vests by Josefina’s Fine Knits are sure to catch your eye. Shabby-Chic signs made by local artist Sandy Hampton come with a variety of sayings in a reminiscent style. A local company, Pine Blossoms, offers repurposed goods made of wool. From pillows and cleverly designed handbags to cute animals, wool is the secret. Several other artisans and antique vendors are on her list of key suppliers.
This shop has kept its customers coming back for over three decades with a selection of goods that appeals to multi-generations. “We’re now getting the children and grandchildren of our original customers,” Lisa explained. “The front door of the shop is literally 100 miles from Chico, Reno and Redding and it is not uncommon to have people come up for a day trip from these towns.” I understand why, as my mind and feet gravitate toward yet another intriguing display, this time a 1931 Cadillac picnic trunk, all decked out with a nostalgic display of picnic items available in the store.
I couldn’t resist buying a bright cotton tablecloth adorned with festive fruit in bright 1950’s shades of red, blue and yellow. On the center of the cloth was printed a bright, blue checkerboard and inside the nostalgic box were checkers made of shiny red and yellow buttons, and at just $24, I considered it a great buy.
Antique hand embroidered aprons still appear new and yet are just $30 each. Lisa explained, “I got a good deal. When I get a good buy, I always pass it on to my customers.” Her sentiment comes with heart, as does her desire to honor her mom’s memory in every corner of the shop. It shows in every well-thought-out display, in the welcome you receive when arriving at the door, and in the smiles of the friends and family that help her make the store possible. She credits her husband, her son and her good friends who add to the charm at Crescent Country. Located on Highway 89 between Greenville and Quincy, this shop offers for many, a tour down Memory Lane.
