Shopping in Oswego

Though there are few online user reviews for Calico Gals, more than 410 Facebookers are fans. Featured in the spring 2005 issue of Quilt Sampler.

Buzzillions reviewers give SallyeAnder Soaps “No-Bite-Me” cream an average of 4.1 stars. SallyeAnder Soaps have also been reviewed favorably on The Greenists and Examiner.com.

At Kathy's Cakes and Specialty Treats, artistic confectioners whip together an array of made-from-scratch sweets to sate cravings for classic or fruity tastes. Cupcake flavors include vanilla, chocolate, almond, and marble alongside colorful treats such as lemon, orange, and pineapple. Customers can choose to have their cupcakes filled in the middle with a dollop of strawberry cream, raspberry cream, whipped cream, or frosting that's as sweet and alluring as a chocolate-covered love letter. The three tables at Kathy's let partakers of dessert sit as they dip into their delicious rewards, and the nearby Oswego River makes for a relaxing place to fuse the cupcake-eating experience with a stroll, some fresh air, and a session of bare-footed water skiing.

Stacey, the proprietor of Stacey's Permanent Solutions, first opened the doors to her own salon 25 years ago. From humble beginnings, the business has expanded to a 1,000-square-foot salon with four additional stylists. Stacey's philosophy of “beauty from the inside out” and her own allergies undergird the salon’s use of natural, organic JKS, Holistix, and Retrohair salon products instead of harsh styling methods employing heavy-duty chemicals or belt sanders.

Stacey believes that her job isn't just about cutting, coloring, and conditioning hair. “It’s psychology, too,” she says, describing her way of setting clients at ease with conversation and soothing essential oils as she transforms their appearance. Her conviction that everyone should have the chance to both look and feel good has even inspired Stacey to offer at-home services for clients with special needs.

"Never, never, never give up," is the driving mantra for David Oreck, who flew combat missions with the US Army Air Forces in World War II and returned home to build a business empire from scratch. He set out to design a machine to lighten hotel employees' load, making a lightweight vacuum cleaner as opposed to the traditional bulky, burdensome commercial cleaners. Naturally, the domestic market began clamoring for his high-powered yet easy-to-handle devices, and soon Oreck vacuums could be found in homes throughout the country.

Today, the company continues its tradition of innovation, simplifying household tasks with Steam-Glide mops for hard floors, HEPA-filter upright vacuums, and stain-killing cleaning products. Oreck's commitment to clean sends it headlong into the future, with high-tech air filters that react to their environment with automatic sensory controls, filtering odors, allergens, and curse words.

On the top floor of Innovations Salon & Day Spa’s tranquil facility, the technicians at Laser "Solutions" for Hair and Skin perform advanced beauty treatments with intense-pulsed-light—IPL—lasers. Using a handheld wand, technicians target follicles with broad-spectrum light to permanently reduce unwanted hair on men and women. The laser can also fade brown spots, tattoos of baked beans, and pigmented lesions during foto-facial treatments, banish spider veins, or fade away fine lines during E-Matrix treatments.

The Costume Depot garbs men, women, and kids in comic-book-, fantasy-, sci-fi-, and celebrity-themed outfits for Halloween parties or other costumed events. Strike fear into the hearts of evil-doers with a deluxe muscle-chest Green Lantern disguise ($54.95) or prove leadership credentials to unconvinced house cats with a full pharaoh ensemble ($26.99). Ladies decked out in a Lady Gaga tuxedo or coffin-queen get-up ($57.99) fit in with masquerading ghouls, and trick-or-treating little girls charm candy barons with a child's Cinderella costume ($19.95). Costume Depot's staff members stalk the store's aisles, eager to help patrons locate a desired costume or accessory or achieve a proper zombie accent by cramming their mouths full of raw turkey.