Did you see the movie, Manchester-by-the-Sea? I did and though I think the movie was more about the people of Gloucester, it was a terrific movie and Manchester-by-the-Sea is a beautiful town. My aunt was visiting with me over the holiday weekend, and today she helped me work on a floral display that my friend, Sue, designed for an exhibit on estate gardens opening tonight at the Manchester Historical Museum.
After we finished helping Sue and touring the rest of the museum, my aunt and I went for a stroll through the charming, flower filled downtown of Manchester-by-the-Sea.
Though my aunt typically says she hates shopping, I guess she likes browsing because we hit just about every boutique in town. At the wonderful gift shop, Mimi’s, I picked up an adorable heavy plastic glitter spoon with a crown on top for $7 from the brand Sabre. Every glitter girl needs a glitter spoon to stir her coffee or to serve caviar. Don’t you agree?
Next, we stopped into the brand new shop, Cuddlefish, at 11 Union Street that just opened on Saturday.
What an adorable and affordable shop!
Owned by recent Vermont transplant Erika Curtis who has the most gorgeous and mesmerizing blue-green eyes, Cuddlefish is a fabulous store that just about everyone including me can afford to shop in.
Erika’s inventory is an amalgamation of:
- casual and comfortable women’s clothing from new-to-me brands like Survival and Salaam
- super-cute baby and toddler clothes
- fun jewelry
- fabulous vegan tote bags and purses
- straw summer hats
- soft soft workout, sleep and lounging attire
- cruelty-free, natural, better-for-you bath, body and skincare products from brands like MyChelle, Dr. Hauschka, Pacifica, and Vermont Soap.
I could’ve spent hours and hours in this fabulous shop. I found an adorable cotton 3/4 sleeve sweater from Survival for $28. I’m waiting for it to come in in fall colors like deep purple and black. In the meantime, I picked up a bottle of natural, DEET-free bug spray that I needed desperately. My aunt bought a birthday gift for her daughter, my cousin, whose birthday is coming up. The gift was a stylish vegan leather tote bag/purse/pouch combo priced at $40 – I couldn’t believe it.
I don’t believe that Erika and Cuddlefish sell online right now, so you have to come to Manchester-by-the-Sea to shop here. But it’s worth the trip! Plus you need to stop at beautiful Singing Beach. Let me know if Massachusetts is in your summer plans. I’d love to meet up!
I don’t think I’ll be heading to the US anytime soon but if I ever do then I would absolutely love meeting up with you, Allison!
Shireen L. Platt recently posted…THE OLD VS NEW Edition: Ecotools Powder Brushes
Same here, Shireen xo
I still haven’t seen that movie! Everyone keeps talking about it but I just can’t stand Casey Affleck. I heard he’s amazing in it but I can’t bring myself to see it. 🙁
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Casey Affleck certainly is a controversial person so I can understand your hesitation in seeing it. He does give his best performance to date, other than the Dunkin Donuts commercial on SNL.
That glitter spoon is adorable! I love little shops that sell handmade bath and body products. And anywhere that sells hats or bags always sucks me in!
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I feel the same way, Julie, about hats and bags!!! I want ’em all
I really like the decor of the store.
The decor is simple but definitely cute. I discovered that I have the same piece of furniture in my bedroom that she has as a display piece in the store 🙂
Cuddlefish would intrigue me too. I love shops that carry unique items that you won’t find yourself coming and going in. The spoon is so cute.
MarciaF recently posted…Luxury in a body cream: The Jojoba Company Tuberose and Clementine Body Souffle
I was amazed that her inventory was actually affordable!! Yay!
Sounds like a fun day and an adorable shop! I love poking around little towns.
Cindy (Prime Beauty) recently posted…Urban Decay Naked Heat Vice Lipsticks!
Me too, I love small town boutique browsing because you can often find unique things!
I still want to watch that movie. I’ve heard so much about it! That glitter spoon is right up my alley and so is that shop! How cute! I love strolling along cute towns like that!
Manchester-by-the-sea really is a movie worth seeing in spite of Casey Affleck not being a great guy in real life. My aunt and I definitely had a fun time in these adorable shops. I was amazed that there were so many affordable things to buy in this pricey town.
Cute spoon. I think it’s just begging to be a novelty brooch, so I’d probably stick a pin back on it. The other just opened store sounds like a nice place too and I wish them the best of luck! I’ve gotta say that now I’m even more sad that I’m not headed back to MA soon. Though I’d probably just be distracted by my family on the cape again and still not see anything else, hahaha. Favourite relatives will do that to ya! I am hitting Maine this autumn at end of season, but don’t have enough time off to do a combo trip. 🙁
And I have seen the movie and I liked it, though it was very sad.
The spoon is loooooong so it would be a very big brooch, but I like the way you think, Rach 😉 I wish you were headed back to MA, too. My friend from Atlanta is headed for Cape Cod (Orleans) this weekend for a week, and she had asked me to drive down and visit. But accommodations are so expensive down there, and with the horrendous traffic, driving down and back in one day isn’t possible. Basically, it’s almost impossible to go from Cape Ann to Cape Cod. But I’m glad to hear that you’re going to Maine. Will you be spending any time in Portland? I haven’t been there in years, but I hear the museums and the restaurants are top notch!
The East seems so interesting to me, I’m kind of fascinated by anything not of this region. lol
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Come and visit some day!!!
I love visiting quaint towns and browse small boutiques as well! Good to know you have some nice shops there that offer affordable clothing and accessories
I love to shop at privately owned independent stores when I can. Manchester-by-the-sea is such a cute town (I live in a cute town also but we don’t have any stores!).
That spoon is so freaking cute!! That store sounds great too!!
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Thank you! I adore that spoon. Now what to use it for??
I finally saw the movie last week and to be honest, I was disappointed. I get the whole “slice of life” appeal, but personally, I don’t watch 2hr movies to see ordinary lives of ordinary people. Sometimes it’s entertaining if those people are weird or funny, but the characters in this one were just plain boring. I waited for something interesting to happen, but it never did.
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I love that fab spoon that you bought! What charming town, and I could have done some serious damage in Cuddlefish!
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Thank you, Helen! I know you’d love Manchester-by-the-Sea; it’s so beautifully New England! I am so happy to find an affordable boutique in this otherwise pricey town!
What a cute little shop. Id love to spend an afternoon browsing there.
Katie Nystuen recently posted…Sinful Colors – Get Bright Back to School Collection
It’s a lovely place to hang out for the day! Come and visit!
What a wonderful article. I would sure love to visit there.
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Thanks, Shelley! Come and visit!
Saw the movie – Casey Affleck is amazing! This shop is adorable – I would have gone wild with the soaps & I love those little tanks.
Kristi V BeginNails recently posted…Lantern and Wren: Marianne Nails No. 77 Plate Review (Continued)
I wish I could wear those pretty tanks! They are sooooo soft and affordable too. This shop is such a find!
That store looks awesome!
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