By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKTON — Retired history teacher Lisa Abbas has always found a thrill in discovering an antique or vintage item and figuring out the perfect place for it in her home.
Now, she’s lending her eye for unique home decor and other gifts to potential customers of her new store, Ric-Rac Embellishments & Gifts, 109 W. Main St., in the village’s quaint downtown.
Inside the small storefront you’ll find home decor, clothing, vintage goods and gifts that come from both local makers and other distributors.
“Our house looks exactly like this,” said Olivia Goral, Abbas’ daughter. “She has this weird knack for finding the most unique things. Her favorite thing is to just go out flea marketing, and she’ll come back with the most unique thing with the most unique story.”
Among the local makers whose goods are sold in the shop are hand-made mittens that Christen Schmid creates from old sweaters. There are also sustainable candles from Wood + Wicks Handcrafted, a company run by Lindsay Daves of Poplar Grove, and goat’s milk soaps from Gretta’s Goats in Pecatonica.
Abbas said she tries to work with local vendors, women-owned businesses, companies that source their products ethically or otherwise do business with purpose.
“Not everything has purpose like that, but I do want to make sure that I’m sending that message because I’m a teacher by trade, and so my nature is to support and promote growth and hopefully bring a little joy,” Abbas said. “We do have a lot of one-of-a-kind things here; once it’s gone it’s gone.”
Abbas taught for 35 years in Rockford, where she still lives. She spent 14 years at Flinn Middle School and an additional 21 years at RESA Middle School. She retired amid the coronavirus pandemic, and found a second home working at Home on Hayloft, a farmhouse-style boutique that occupied the space where Ric-Rac is now.
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When Alex Krahl and Connie Davison decided to close Home on Hayloft this summer, Abbas took the opportunity to open her own store.
“I think it made a lot of their regular customers feel better knowing that there was still going to be something here, and that they would still be able to come in and chit-chat and relax a little bit and maybe just find a respite from the crazy world for a few minutes,” Abbas said. “That’s what I’m hoping will continue.”
The store marked its grand opening Friday with a ribbon-cutting with the Stateline Chamber of Commerce. Cheryl Peterson, who had met Abbas before the store opened, was one of the first customers to stroll through.
“I love the clothes she has. I love everything,” Peterson said. “I couldn’t wait to come today. She’s so nice. You walk in the store and she’s really, ‘hi there.’ She’s got so much personality.”
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Ric-Rac is one of two stores in downtown that market its grand opening Friday. Across the street is Inkwell Books & Threads, 106A W. Main St.
“They add more atmosphere. More hometown feel,” Peterson said of the two businesses. “Rockton needs this to get more people in.”
At Ric-Rac you’ll also find sweaters, shirts, cocktail sets, pillows, picture frames, hats and all sorts of other merchandise to add character to your home. There is also a back patio area with lights strung along the fence that could be used for future small event space.
The combination is meant to create a homey feel for customers.
“I want them to feel like they’re coming into my house, but they can buy something and walk away,” Abbas said.
About | Ric-Rac Embellisments & Gifts
Where: 109 W. Main St., Rockton
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday)
Contact: ricracgifts@gmail.com
On the web: On Facebook here
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas