Shopping in St. John's

Professional shutterbug Kim Goodyear snaps artful photographic portraits, turning candid moments into treasured album fodder or portfolio-bolstering modeling shots. During one-hour photo shoots, solo sitters pose inside Goodyear's studio or on location next to a majestic tree or beloved grain silo while a photographer carefully strives to capture cheese-sayers' unguarded, individual personality. After the session, clients get a disk loaded with all the high-resolution images snapped during the shoot. They also walk away with variously sized hard copies to frame, share, or trade with myopic baseball-card collectors.

Wicker Emporium’s product buyers scour lands near and far to find elegant home accents for their customers. The practice of travelling to different countries began more than 35 years ago, when the company’s heads joined the crew of a pirate ship to pay off a gambling debt. Today, in 20 stores across Atlantic Canada and Ontario, customers can still browse pillows, quilts, mirrors, outdoor accessories, and shelves imported from local manufacturers and international crafters.

Artist Marge Rosebrook creates spun-glass replicas of Latter-day Saints temples from around the globe, channeling 30 years of glass-working experience to perfect the crystalline sculptures. Drops and swoops of glass become recognizable versions of each temple, whether the originals are located in Albuquerque or in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The angel Moroni atop each can be coated in 18-karat gold upon request, and the various sculptures come in four sizes, including small temples that make excellent Christmas ornaments or wedding-cake toppers. Glass domes can encapsulate the temple and connect to walnut or mirrored bases to protect temples from dust and keep them sparkling.

Winston Churchill once said that we shape our homes and then our homes shape us, and House to Home supplies shoppers with everything they need to put their thumbprint on their environment. The inventory ranges from shower curtains and rugs imprinted with abstract designs to tableware and placemats for packing into lunchboxes so kids won't be laughed out of the cafeteria. Patrons can stock their kitchens with elegant wine glasses or opt for quirky vessels such as the Redneck Margarita glass, designed with a mason jar mounted onto a glass stem.

Gi Gi's staff has been crafting custom gift baskets since 1989, brightening up special events from birthdays and anniversaries to housewarming parties. In addition to their creations, they load baskets with a carefully selected array of goodies based on your theme and preferences, made-to-order. Depending on the occasion, the staff might load baskets with a stash of toys for a new baby, wine and cheese for a budding sommelier, or gourmet cookies for a highfalutin Cookie Monster impersonator. They'll search high and low for the perfect accoutrements to fill any request, if given enough time, and can further personalize gifts with a corporate logo or a recipient's favourite bottle of wine.