Business is cat’s meow
Find feline-embellished gifts and home decor at Palmer Park Mall
Americans’ love for cats is obvious — from the ever-expanding selection of cat food, toys, carriers and accessories, to the cute and funny cat videos that spread like wildfire on social media.
It’s not exactly clear how many cat-owning households exist in the country, with recent surveys by the American Pet Products Association and American Veterinary Medical Association saying nearly 43 million and 32 million homes have at least one cat respectively.
But one thing is for certain: Americans can’t get enough of their furry, feline friends.
So, it’s no surprise that a new Palmer Park Mall business, selling a wide array of clocks, candle holders and other gifts and home decor embellished with cat silhouettes, has quickly become the cat’s meow.
Flatcats, which opened a few months ago as a kiosk (near Jimmy Jazz), features the original handpainted works of self-taught artist Shirley Shaffer.
Shaffer, of Forks Township, is a lifelong painter whose talent was first recognized as a teenager, when she was chosen to study art at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Institute of Technology.
She’s sold her original fine art, primarily landscapes, seascapes and other outdoor scenes, for many years at local craft shows. But it wasn’t until 2016 when a family member suggested that she paint some cats on magnets that customers really took notice and began buying her work in droves.
Along with her husband, Gary, Shirley then began setting up stands at regional cat shows as well.
“I enjoy the reception of it all,” Shirley said. “I want people to appreciate the artwork, and if I can make them smile in the process, I’m thrilled. It’s all about the smiles for me.”
“We had cats for many years, and so I understand people’s great affinity for them,” Gary added. “They can turn your whole day around when you’re feeling down, and they truly become a part of your family.”
Working from home — “Studio A” is an old pantry and “Studio B” is the garage — Shirley paints cats on a wide variety of items. These include flower pots, spatulas and tissue boxes, as well as wooden crosses, seashell necklaces and holiday décor like pumpkins, Christmas trees and glass ornaments.
Top sellers include magnets, trinket boxes and patriotic items like wooden American flags.
“She’ll paint cats on just about anything,” Gary said. “I joke that one day I’m going to wake up and find one on my head.”
The kiosk, which will be open until at least the end of the year, also sells Shirley’s paintings of flowers, countrysides and other nature scenes on canvas, slate and wood.
Kiosk hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Info: 484-541-6692; facebook.com/flatcatsbysas.
Easton news
From cats to confections, gourmet cookies combining s’mores, churros, sea
salt caramel pretzels and other decadent desserts will take center stage at a new Duchess Cookies location, expected to open in mid-July at 247 Northampton
St. (former Metro PCS spot) in downtown Easton, creator and president Sofia Demetriou said.
The New York-based cookie shop chain, which has garnered more than 50,000 Instagram followers since its founding in 2017, is known for its unique creations like cinnamon oatmeal cookies featuring a warm apple pie center, and sugar cookies filled with creamy cheesecake and dotted with plump, dried blueberries.
Demetriou, a former interior designer who ventured into the baking business about 15 years ago, is continuing a long family tradition, as her grandfather and great-grandfather also operated bakeries.
In establishing Duchess Cookies, she aimed to create a “portable way to have any type of dessert” by merging cookies with confections like cheesecake and fudge, as well as flavors paying homage to other sweet treats like pancakes with maple syrup, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
The chain offers around 130 rotating flavors, including unique seasonal varieties like strawberry lemonade and pecan pumpkin cheesecake, along with around a dozen staples, such as churro Nutella,
funfetti and Cookie Monster (chocolate chip cookie encased in a blue sugar cookie).
The company wholesales its cookies to a few partner cafes and shops in the New York Metropolitan Area, and it also has five of its own locations in New York.
The Easton store and three other locations are set to join the line-up in the coming weeks, and about 35 other locations, including outposts in California, Florida, North Carolina and Texas, are expected to open over the next two years, Demetriou said.
The Easton shop also will sell coffee and soft-serve ice cream. Info: duchesscookies.com.
A few blocks away from Duchess Cookies’ forthcoming location, The Yellow Balloon Consignment Shop, which opened in October 2019 at 1702 Washington Blvd. in Wilson, is set to move to 135 N. Third St. in downtown Easton in July, according to a post on the business’ Facebook page.
The store, owned and operated by Erica Fisher, offers new and gently-used fashions for babies, children, teens and women, along with home decor, sporting gear, toys and more from about 30 consignors.
Fisher, a mother of three young children and a former environmental
educator, believes in re-using top quality goods to help the environment.
Customers can shop clothing, including jeans, pajamas, coats and maternity items, along with footwear and fashion accessories such as belts, hats, handbags and jewelry.
The shop also carries books, DVDs and baby and children’s accessories such as strollers and diaper bags. June 27 is the business’ last day in Wilson. Info: 610-258-1200.
Q-Mart update
Fresh finds abound at the Quakertown Farmers Market in Richland Township.
The longstanding retail hub, known to locals as “Q-Mart,” over the past several months has welcomed around a dozen new vendors, with two more merchants set to open soon, according to Sara Hoadley, the market’s marketing director.
“The Quakertown Farmers Market is thrilled to announce our building is full!” Hoadley said.
New vendors include: Computer Realm, offering computer repair, cable cutting devices, computers and mini figures; Ruano F&S Flowers, carrying fresh flower bouquets, silk flowers, balloons and gifts; B&K Collectibles, featuring used furniture and collectibles; Cherry’s Wonderland, selling shoes and apparel; Stack’s Booksmith, a vintage bookstore with books, old photos, magazines, manuals, advertising, post cards and more; The Weathered Home Co., featuring home furnishings and decor; and Wicksquisite Candles, selling one-ofa-kind, 3D customizable candles.
Other new additions include: Expert Janitorial & Vacuum Supply, offering name brand vacuums, vacuum bags and belts, cleaning supplies, vacuum repair and maintenance; Enrique Alterations, carrying a wide array of casual clothing; The Quaint Thrift Shop, selling casual and formal clothing, shoes, jewelry, collectibles, furniture and home decor; Hillbilly Hooch, featuring more than 30 flavors of handcrafted moonshine; and JAE Store, carrying products from Ecuador, including clothing, accessories and souvenirs.
Merchants that are coming soon to the market include Rebel Hive Meadery, offering its own mead in flavors like Sweet Mesquitee (traditional mead), Rebel Lunch (peanut butter and jelly), Ceylon (cinnamon and vanilla) and Masala Chai (black tea and spices); and Chill Wills, offering skateboards and accessories. Info: quakertownfarmersmkt.com.
Pedro’s Cafe
Coffee connoisseurs, take note: Pedro’s Cafe, serving “fair-trade coffee and thoughtful foods,” opened June 5 at 318 Main St., just off the Emmaus triangle.
The business is run by Lower Macungie Township’s Bassett family — husband and wife William and Jaime; their daughter, Jacquelyn; and their three sons, Will, Dylan and Lane.
Jaime and Jacquelyn also operate the year-and-a-half old FD Market, offering sustainable and eco-friendly home decor, kitchenware, toiletries and more, about a dozen doors down in the triangle.
“We’re trying to be as environmentally conscious as possible, just like we are at the market,” said Jacquelyn, a 2018 graduate of Emmaus High School. “So, for example, we have a glass to-go program, where we serve your drinks in glass jars, and when you bring them back for your next order, you get a discount.”
Pedro’s, with seating for about 25 customers at a high-top counter, traditional tables with chairs and a cozy lounge area with a fireplace, fills the space previously occupied by another cafe that was run by the owners of South Mountain Cycle, which continues to operate in the same building.
Customers can enjoy a variety of coffee, including drip, cold-brew and French press, along with a wide array of specialty coffee drinks like cappuccino, cortado, lattes and macchiato. Kombucha, lemonade and loose-leaf, matcha and chai tea are also available.
In addition to offering 12- and 16-ounce, reusable glasses, the
Bassetts are also helping the environment by composting coffee grounds, coffee filters and food waste.
For its food and drinks, Pedro’s sources ingredients from a variety of Lehigh Valley area farms and vendors, including eggs and ice cream from The Nesting Box Farm Market & Creamery in Albany Township and seeded sourdough bread and puff pastries from Apple Ridge Farm in Saylorsburg.
Food menu highlights include breakfast favorites like oatmeal ($5.75) that you can customize with your choice of three ingredients, including seasonal fruit, granola, chocolate chips and honey; and breakfast sandwiches ($6.50) that you also can customize with your choice of three ingredients, including turkey bacon, avocado, tomato and cheese.
There are also smoothies such as mixed berry and espresso and date; toasts such as avocado and Mediterranean; baked goods such as raspberry chocolate chip scones and tomato basil turnovers; and salads and sandwiches such as the Pesto Power (artichokes, sun-dried tomato, roasted red peppers, arugula, mozzarella and pesto). Info: instagram.com/pedrosemmaus.