Shopping in Williamsburg

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.

Apricot Lane Boutique will help you update your weary wardrobe for the fresh sunshine season with a wide variety of reasonably priced apparel, jewelry, handbags, home goods, and giftable goodies. Apricot Lane carries women's fashions from popular lines including denim from 1921, Miss Me, Makers of True Originals, and Fidelity ($70–$180). You'll find apparel from Whish, French Connection, Fumblin Foe, Boy Meets Girl, Spanx, and more ($30–$180). Top off your new outfit with edgy jewelry made from guitar picks, a modernly elegant necklace from Diana Warner, or another adornment from the array of accessories ($10–$130).

A Guild Commended Framer, Frame Nation employs certified framers who match existing frames and create special projects from scratch. Behind the shop's brick storefront, staffers help customers to make selections from more than 2,000 frame samples, including acrylic, steel-welded, and wood options. Combined with glass, museum-quality practices, and a tiny flux capacitor, these protective casings preserve everything from diplomas to wedding photos.

To find inspiration for their own creations, visitors need only view the artwork lining the walls. Frame Nation regularly displays the handiwork of local artists; one ever-present exhibit includes a collection of frames and three-dimensional collages crafted from recycled materials.

Miniature humans are stylishly outfitted with bedding, transportation, and accessories at weebsworld, a boutique store specializing in "hip gear for cool babies." Friendly staff members offer numerous services, performing complimentary baby-gear consultations that help parents pick out baby bags, blankets, and high chairs. Technicians certified in child-passenger safety supply customers with weighted, life-size baby dolls to try out strollers and car seats, and a storewide stroller track lets them test baby chariots or train for upcoming carriage-pushing marathons. The staff will also assemble strollers purchased in-store or online free of charge, allowing parents and their pride and joy to wheel out of weebsworld in their stylish new ride.

Melanie "The Bead Empress" Bentley established her commonwealth of creativity after years teaching aspiring artists how to work with metal clays. Within her 3,000-square-foot embellishment emporium, Murano glass from Italy, hill tribe silver from Thailand, and Swarovski crystals fill shelves from floor to ceiling. Polymer clays, sterling silver, stringing materials, and Czech fancy glass that Melanie handpicked on a recent trip to the Czech Republic round out the store's stock and arm patrons with the materials necessary to line their family's treasure chest.

But Melanie goes beyond filling the supply boxes of local jewelry makers. She also aims to expand the crafting community by welcoming beading newcomers and showing those who don't believe in their creativity that there's an artisan inside everyone. Along with her fellow specialized jewelrysmiths, Melanie leads more than 45 classes per quarter, providing her customers with a means of acquiring jewelry that’s guaranteed to be free of curses.

Baby Genius's award-winning children's products teach babies and toddlers essential skills through the power of music. Based on a bounty of research, the company's DVDs enrich the learning experience by merging classical pieces and familiar songs with vibrant images, keeping kids entertained for hours. Parents can sit back while animated animal educators teach pocket-size pupils better motor skills, dictionary-defying vocabularies, vampire-free counting, and nap-inducing dance moves that ready little ones for kindergarten and beyond.