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Date: 5/10/2022
MONSON – “The Mermaid and the Mariner,” a gift shop and craft cottage owned by Elaine and Mark Fuller, plans to welcome customers with its upcoming grand opening.
Although the physical building located at 245 Palmer Rd. in Monson was ready in early December, Elaine said they have not had an “official grand opening” yet. As of press time, a date has not been determined, however, the Fullers are hoping to open their doors in either May or June.
Elaine, a retired Palmer High School teacher and Mark, retired Air Force, live on the lot adjacent to their new shop. Since 2015, the couple has hosted pop up booths and attended vintage markets to share their repurposed furniture, crafts and more.
Mark said, “We [even] had tent sales in our yard,” prior to consolidating everything within the cottage. “It was a lot of lugging,” he said.
Since retirement, Elaine said she can now devote herself full-time to the business.
“Headboard benches are our big thing,” said Elaine. They also sell gnomes, home decor, painted signs, nautical-style items, jewelry, aprons, candlestick holders, children’s clothes, among other goods. One of the most popular items right now are birdhouses with copper roofs, she shared.
“We pride ourselves in variety,” said Elaine. “Everything is handcrafted.” She noted that local artisans assist with these crafts.
For each holiday, Elaine said they have an abundance of goods to choose from. Inventory changes weekly.
The Mermaid and the Mariner also takes custom orders.
Their current hours are Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are also open by appointment, as they live on the premises.
Once the cottage opens, Elaine said she plans to have a “free library” in the parking lot for folks to enjoy.
“There’s an itch out there for stuff like this,” said Elaine. Her reasoning for opening a small business in town is because “people like this,” she said. “Everything is different.”
The Fuller’s encourage interested parties to visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mermaidamdmariner/. Once the grand opening date is determined, it will be posted on their page.
For additional information on The Mermaid and The Mariner, call the Fullers at 563-1860 or 871-8881, or email theenglishmermaid@gmail.com.