Shopping in Cornelius

Like many women and retired manikins, Salice Boutique owner Kristen adored fashion, but wanted affordable, flattering styles she could really wear. She began selling apparel by indie designers out of her spare bedroom, but the business became so popular she decided to open up a true storefront. Her airy boutique, nested inside a white clapboard house, stocks feminine fashions in hard-to-find brands such as Miss Me Jeans, Tulle, Karlie Clothing, and Joyous & Free. Dresses in bold, vibrant prints can go from casual to glamorous with the change of a Lindsay Phillips sandal strap, and handmade jewelry by Lori Snyder brightens outfits with colorful beads, stones, and petrified rainbows.

Sprawled across more than 200,000 square feet of retail greenhouses, Painters Greenhouse shelters nearly 700 varieties of flora, all cultivated start-to-finish by a staff of knowledgeable green thumbs. Retiring from their 320-acre farm in Pennsylvania a few years ago, owners Brad and Deenie Owen sojourned to North Carolina to helm Painters Greenhouse, where they aim to increase the production of native plants, vegetables, and water garden plants—all with sustainability in mind. Their vast inventory of perennials, annuals, herbs, and shrubs is joined by an impressive variety of native species—plant life that occurs in the area naturally and is beneficial to the local ecosystem. Blooming baskets and potted ferns mingle with decorative planters and space-saving gardening containers, while aquatic plants provide good hiding spots for squirrels scuba-diving inside Painters' decorative fountains.

With 150 years of experience behind them, buyers at WMF Americas Inc source top-notch kitchen wares that end up on the stoves of professional and home chefs. Like a copy of Ulysses etched into stainless steel, their products blend quality and style and include colorful pots by Silit, nonstick bakeware by Kaiser, and glassware by Spiegelau.

Youngsters who have outgrown their gear and adults picking up a new sport can outfit themselves with selections from Play It Again Sports, the largest sporting-goods resale franchise in North America. In its stores, brand-name equipment—from popular makers such as Adidas, Nike, and Wilson—shines in displays alongside gently used wares. This gear helps equip competitive athletes playing sports such as soccer and golf as well as noncompetitive sportspeople who just want to fill golf carts with soccer balls for fun. Patrons can also trade in or sell their equipment, provided that it is still in working condition, and put that money toward new gear.

Ten years ago, Amanda Carroll opened Bead Boutique, the seedling that would eventually blossom into Sage Jewelry Arts. Noticing the need to expand, Amanda moved across the street, expanding the contents of her original 10’x10’ kiosk into a spacious 1,200-square-foot facility. She also hit the road, traveling the country and taking workshops from some of America’s top jewelry instructors. The journey once again awakened Amanda’s desire for expansion. This time, it wasn’t just about space. Amanda had a grander notion: opening her own full-scale jewelry-making academy.

Hence the birth of Sage Jewelry Arts, Amanda's newly revamped studio in which instructors lead jewelry classes for students of all ages and skill levels. Classes touch on subjects ranging from simple stringing and finishing or bails and wire twisting to more advanced jewelry techniques such as trapping your mood in a crystal. The studio also host parties, jewelry-enthusiast clubs, and open-studio time during which students can finish projects. Watched over by displays of work by local artists, the studio’s expert jewelers can also repair or custom-design pieces to clients' specifications.

Alta curates a collection of current, high-end fashions for women to wear for any occasion. Designer dresses and tops from brands such as Cape Madras, Ya, and Escapada gussy up gals whether they’re headed to work or to meet friends for a night on the town. The boutique’s staffers pride themselves on their uncanny abilities to match shoppers with pieces that complement their personal style, body shape, and propensity for shape shifting.