Shopping in Chesapeake

In 1998, Lisa Ziegler’s passion for home gardening inspired her to found her own small business, staking claim to an acre of farmland where she began growing field-cut flowers destined for Virginia’s vacant vases. Nearly 15 years later, Lisa’s single acre nearly quadrupled with the blossoming success of The Gardener’s Workshop, where she continues to woo flowers into maturity using completely organic and sustainable practices.

Her all-female team, which proudly shares its gardening wisdom with patrons, cuts 8,000–10,000 stems during each week of growing season, which yields a kaleidoscopic array of lilies, sunflowers, snapdragons, and ready-to-adopt Cabbage Patch Kids. The Gardener’s Workshop supplies flowers to local farmers’ markets through a subscription service and via a garden-share program, all powered by each lady’s powerful green thumbs and John Deere equipment.

Though the laughs and smiles were what inspired the opening of Smash Elite Entertainment PhotoBooth, the business is anchored in more than just fun and games. Each booth is equipped with top-of-the-line technology, including an external monitor and a DNP Fotolusio or Fujifilm sub-dye printer that can print photos onto 4”x6” cards within 8–14 seconds. The booths also offer 40 different strip layouts, customized logos, and an automatic share option that loads photos onto social-media sites as they are taken.

When it comes to expressing who you are, naked toes are just the beginning. That’s what owner Heather Gaertner and her staff at Flip Flop Shops, guided by the motto "free your toes," believe anyway. They round up flip-flops and other closed-toe styles with unique traits to go with unique individuals: some are made from recycled yoga mats, some have built-in bottle openers, still others have heel airbags or 3-inch platforms. With dozens of styles to suit all occasions, the novice flip-flop shopper may feel the choice anxiety of a grizzly bear in a meat locker. To hasten decision making, the team of shoe experts helps customers hone in on the brand and style that works best for their feet. For sheer fashion, for instance, they may guide shoppers toward Roxy’s collection of beaded and embellished wedges. But if shoppers need arch support, podiatrist-recommended OluKai sandals feature contoured foot beds and a generous toe box. In addition to flip-flops and sandals, Flip Flop Shops also stocks footwear to suit cooler months, such as boots and Sanuk sidewalk surfers.

As he explained in a local ABC News feature, Players Sports Nuts owner Keith Carter, a displaced St. Louis Rams fan himself, wanted to create a business that catered to sports fans of all stripes, whether they rooted for local franchises or teams from across the nation. With memorabilia representing all major sports leagues and an emphasis on the NFL, the shop equips fans with trinkets such as logo-emblazoned shot glasses, player bobbleheads, and team toothbrushes. In-store autograph sessions with stars such as Percy Harvin allow fans to sign their names on their favorite players' foreheads in the hopes of increasing their value for future contract negotiations.