Shopping in Millcreek

Frustrated with the ill-fitting choices at department stores and the time-consuming work of online shopping, Brittney Hanks decided to take swimsuits into her own hands. Seeing the tasteful results of her sewing, friends and family cajoled her into crafting hundreds of suits that fit and flatter the female form. Brittney's suits were so popular that she was eventually forced to outsource the work and focus on designing suits that fit every body type. She specializes in tankinis and one-piece suits of armor; her nylon-spandex creations contain waist-defining ruching, fashionable high-waisted and boy-short bottoms, and a variety of skirts that show off assets without baring too much skin.

Winchester Gardens' veteran landscapers and nurserymen stock locally cultivated species of tree, shrub, rose, and ground cover known to thrive in the harsh Utah climate. The shop's ever-changing supply of ornamental grasses focuses on drought-tolerant varieties and dowsing rods for locating underground aquifers. Winchester Gardens' clients may also take advantage of the staff's aesthetic expertise to settle upon the perfect combination of foliage and garden décor such as water features and rocks.

In the comics, several superheroes—Captain Marvel and The Flash, among others¬—wore the symbol of a lightning bolt¬ as a signifier of their heroic identities. In the same vein, an unassuming storefront donned the iconic symbol to become Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection, harbinger of comics, toys, and games. Scattered across the store, comics and books hold the legendary tales of Superman, the X-Men, and Spawn, chronicling their feats throughout the ages. In addition to classic tales of the time the Batmobile lost a wheel, are new issues abound with contemporary characters from serial issues of Dr. Who, Nightwing, and Gears of War. The shelves also seem to disappear under the sheer magnitude of the shop’s toys, card games, and miniature figures or the drape of heroic logo shirts hanging from the shops numerous racks.

Local quilters’ pinwheel and patchwork creations adorn the walls of Floyd and Lizzie’s, their kaleidoscopic colors and patterns enlivening the high-ceilinged space. It’s the most conspicuous sign of the shop's mission to foster a community of quilters within their spacious environs. In addition to proudly displaying patrons’ finished pieces, they offer a diverse class curriculum that equips crafters of all ages and levels to confidently embroider patterns, operate sewing machines, and free hopelessly tangled kittens from balls of yarn. Staff members can also help customers sift through hundreds of fabrics, including a vast selection of intricate batik patterns, and hone in on Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff, and Singer sewing machines.

A fluffy cat and an elephant stand side by side opposite a terra-cotta warrior who sternly glares at an Asian sea dragon. A scene like this can only exist in Hunter S. Thompson’s dreams or at Cast in Stone, where cast-concrete garden figures arrange to form whimsical, imaginative lawn scenes. The artistic concrete smiths shape and sell each product at their retail facility, creating wondrous, durable works in the shapes of animals, religious icons, and classical figures. Molded benches and planters can make a backyard more welcoming to guests, and fountains and birdbaths can provide an alternative place to bathe when the shower is in use.

As a plant grows, West Side Nursery's now expansive facility also grew from a small seed. Over its three decades in business, the nursery nourished its modest selection to transform into a now flourishing assortment of specimens that rarely find shelf space at smaller nurseries or big-box stores. As its first claim to fame, West Side Nursery highlights its colorful variety of trees, though more than 120 varieties of shrubs edge in on the spotlight as well. The personable staff members also take the time to talk gardening tips with their customers, from discussing the proper time to water new blossoms to the proper time to take an aging maple for its daily walk.