01:00 AM EST on Sunday, December 5, 2004

One of the most popular features in LIFEstyles is our Browsing column, which each week features an area store or service. Today, in the spirit of holiday gift-giving, we bring you a roundup of the places we've featured in Browsing in the past year. We hope this makes your shopping more fun!

Rare chance at local art

This month you can browse inside DEW CLAW STUDIOS, which is group studio space for some 15 potters who share the use of several kilns and wheels in a two-floor factory building in Providence. Founded by potters John Mitchell and Kris Pederson, it offers classes and workshops in pot-making and sells pottery-making supplies. Twice a year, it offers studio sales for its artists and painters, as well as other local weavers, jewelry makers, glassblowers, toymakers and woodworkers. Its Christmas sale is today and Monday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Dec. 10-13, 10 to 10.

Dew Claw Studios is at 95 Hathaway St. in Providence (take the Roger Williams Park Zoo exit). Call (401) 461-2069.

Pampering for large women

Jan Tanury opened BOTTICELLI, a boutique featuring winning styles for large women because at 6-foot-2, she'd always had a hard time finding clothes that she loved that also fit. Now her store offers sizes 12 and up, as well as plus-size petites. Shoppers will find everything from suits and dressy lace tops to fleece coats and mother-of-the-bride dresses. Botticelli also sells accessories, including hard-to-find plus-size tights, pantyhose and trouser socks, and one-size items such as funky handbags. "If a woman leaves here feeling pampered, I've done my job," says Tanury.

Botticelli, 1375 Mineral Spring Ave., North Providence, (401) 353-0074. Holiday hours are Mon.-Wed.-Fri 10-6, Tues.-Thurs. 10-8 and Sat. 10-5.

Stylish clothes for expectant moms

The philosophy at the store called 9 MONTHS is that "you don't have to sacrifice your look because of pregnancy." The shop, in Providence's Wayland Square, is owned by sisters Wendy Rodger and Katie Tagliavia, and it brims with fashionable, even edgy, maternity outfits. Expectant mothers will find clothes for any occasion from office to dressy, as well as accessories, infant wear, nursing products and pampering oils, creams and shampoos for mothers and babies. Liz Lange, Cadeau, Meet Me In Miami and Japanese Weekend are some of the names on the clothing labels.

9 Months, 182 Wayland Ave., Providence. Call (401) 455-0745. Open Mon.-Sat. 10-6.

Ride the waves or the streets

When surfing guru Peter Pan closed his surf shop, THE WATERSHED, his son Ted opened 'Gansett Juice -- which refers not to fruity drinks, but the power of waves. The new shop carries anything that surfers and skateboarders (Ted has been skateboarding forever) might need, including the lifestyle clothing that has been heading mainstream in youngsters' wardrobes. Shoppers will find rash guards, the lightweight suits that protect against rashes but also against sunburn, in a variety of sizes including kids'; wet suits; and travel bags for those taking boards to warmer climes. You can even sign up for surfing lessons. The teacher might just be Peter Pan -- because Ted has to mind the shop.

'Gansett Juice is at 74 Narragansett Ave., just up from the Narragansett Town Beach. Call (401) 789-7890 for hours or visit www.gansettjuice.com, which also offers surfing conditions and tides.

Upscale food, and sneakers to walk it off

A day trip to Massachusetts can result in two kinds of savings. One involves your feet, when you visit the NEW BALANCE FACTORY STORE in Brighton, where 50,000 pairs of running, walking, tennis and trail shoes ranging from extra wide infant shoes to men's size EEEE are 25 to 30 percent less than suggested retail price. These are factory seconds or last season's models; they also carry Dunham boots. Further discounted sales are frequent, and there's a large selection of athletic wear such as fleece tops.

The second savings involves your stomach. TRADER JOE'S, a trendy food store that became a hit on the West Coast by carrying upscale goods at bargain prices, has 13 stores scattered around Massachusetts. The Newton branch is one of the closest to Rhode Island. Among the bargains are imported brie, New York style cheesecake and exotic chocolates. A sampling station allows tastes of some unusual offerings. The store is also known for good deals on wine, with Two Buck Chuck its most famous offering. That's a line of Charles Shaw wine that sells for $2 a bottle in California and $2.99 in Massachusetts.

The New Balance Factory Store, 40 Life St., Brighton, Mass. Call (877) NBFSTOR for directions and hours.

Trader Joes, 1141 Washington St., Newton, Mass. Check the Web site, www.traderjoes.com, or call (877) SHOPTJS for the nearest location.

Make your own cards and boxes

The dollhouse-sized CHICA INK in Wickford is a bonanza for those who love to make their own cards, stationery, invitations and boxes. Owner Susan Charbonneau has thousands of rubber stamps. She takes custom orders for stamps made with a name or with a couple's initials. A machine called Accu-Cut comes with more than 100 dies that will spill out little designer boxes that brides have been snapping up for favor boxes. There's plenty to decorate with, including inks, pens and ribbon, as well as classes for those who need some inspiration.

29 Phillips St. Call (401) 295-7471. Hours change seasonally but are currently open Tues.-Fri. 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sat. 10-5 and Sun. noon to 5.

The '50s are back

ROCKET TO MARS is a treasure trove of mid-20th-century items that owners Dennis Cooper and Jennifer Ricci love. The store, painted avocado green, at any time might boast a pink Trimline phone, a sunburst-yellow Formica-top table, aluminum-and-Bakelite canister sets, rocket-shaped salt-and-pepper sets, and more. There's a good selection of vintage clothing for men and women. Cooper says he loves the era's good design and bright colors, and confesses that his home looks just like the store.

144 Broadway, Providence. (401) 274-0905. Open Wed.-Fri. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. noon to 6, Sun. noon to 5.

Stitches in time for holidays

Gina Campbell, owner of Wakefield's KNIT ONE, PURL TOO! says people are finding knitting so soothing they're calling it "the new yoga." Campbell opened her store to put more supplies in South County, and customers have found their way to buy her yarns, which range from cotton for simple projects to novelty yarns which might sell for $36 a ball. She carries the popular eyelash in many colors, self-striping yarn that forms the stripe for you, and 500 kinds of buttons. Knitting lessons are offered, and a clothesline stretched across the store through Friday holds handmade donations to keep clients of the Women's Resource Center cozy in a cold New England winter.

The store, 406A Main St., Wakefield, is set back from the street. Hours are Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (401) 783-8883.

A wide world of cosmetics

When Sherry Brice moved to Newport, she found it makeup-challenged. So she opened COSMETIC COSMOS LLC, a shop at 387 Thames St., modeled after a department store makeup counter, but, she says, with lower prices and a larger selection as well as a spalike environment for makeovers. Among the offerings are a collection of private-made and custom-made products from Europe, including German eye and lip pencils, Italian lip glosses and French perfume. Skin products for men have proved popular too.

Hours are Mon.-Sat. 10:30-6, Sun. 12-5. Call (401) 842-6950; on the web at www.cosmeticcosmos.com

Specialty foods at special prices

This is where the chefs shop: In the bottom of a factory building in New Bedford, luxury foods from all over the world are displayed in bins, on shelves and in chilly refrigerated rooms. This is the retail arm of the international restaurant supply business SID WAINER & SON, which supplies fresh produce, spices and a wide range of specialty gourmet foods to thousands of restaurants and hotels throughout the country and abroad. Local foodies come here to sample the goods and fill their carts with lobster mushrooms, goat milk butter and pistachio oil. The produce, such as mache, dozens of mushrooms and baby vegetables, is superb. The gift-minded can pick up a ready-made basket or have one custom-made.

Gourmet Outlet, Sid Wainer & Son, 2301 Purchase St., New Bedford, (508) 999-3665. Open Mon.-Sat. 9-5.

Elegance with an Irish flair

The idea of being warm and cozy in a slightly different look is what appeals to her customers at IRISH IMPORTS, says Ginny Greenblatt of Cambridge, who opened the store in 1976 in Newport's busy Bowen Wharf. All the clothing and gifts come from Ireland, including dramatic tweed sports jackets for men ($475) and long flowing opera capes with hoods for women ($495). Call it elegance that never goes out of style. There's a wide selection of men's hats; the knitter's name is on each of the store's handmade sweaters and scarves.

Winter hours Mon.-Wed. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thurs.-Sat. 10-10 and Sun. 12-7. Call (401) 847-3331.

Gardening with disabilities

Nobody, young or old, has to give up gardening, no matter what their disability, says Mary Beth Miller of Westport, who shares an arsenal of practical ideas with the public, caregivers, horticulturists, therapists and volunteers through her Web site, WWW.GARDENING4GOOD.ORG. Flower beds can be raised to waist- or wheelchair-height and ergonomically correct tools with non-slip, comfortable grips or long handles can help gardeners keep their hobby going. For tips, products and information about upcoming workshops, see the Web site or call (508) 801-8473.

'Artiques' with a dash of color

Julie Borden loves color, and that's apparent to anyone passing through Wickford and seeing her brightly painted cellos and seahorses and sculptures in the window of JULEEZ, a shop that serves as a gallery and a place to find "artiques." (In the summer, there's another location in Watch Hill.) Inside, there are painted serving trays, hair brushes (these made the stars' Oscar goodie bags), furniture -- even actual paintings. Borden's vivid designs have been picked up by national and international companies, and her career is taking a turn toward less direct retail; after Christmas she will move lock, stock and barrel to a studio in the Elmwood section of Providence.

Until Christmas, hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, Thurs., Fri. and Sat. until 9 p.m. Web site: www.juleez.com. Call 294-8546.

Hair care, fashions and even massages

Women, RGE is all about you: You can get your hair done, have a massage and browse through upscale and often exotic apparel all under one roof. Ronnie Golden Engle put this lively mix of hair salon, spa and boutique together, and her legendary shopping safaris to Europe, Brazil and Canada result in items such as skirts, shoes, handbags, sweaters and even ball-gowns you probably won't find anywhere else.

RGE, 1775 Bald Hill Rd., Warwick, (401) 821-5273, is open Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Sweet indulgences

Whatever the holiday, the outside of the tiny SUGAR SHACK in Wickford is decorated to look like the candy store you fantasized about as a child (this month its peaked roof is lined with peppermints). Inside are scrumptious chocolates, including Arndt's Fudge Harbor Sweets of Salem, Mass., candy from around the world, and retro candy like those little wax bottles with a drink inside and whistle pops. Don't leave without a scoop of Bindo gelato to savor as you stroll around Wickford.

The Sugar Shack, 11 Brown St., Wickford. Open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Call 667-0529.

For the birds (and the lawn, and the dog). . .

You don't need to own a farm to appreciate all that ATTLEBORO'S OLD BARN has to offer, including holistic dog food, custom-blended bird seed, and tips and tools for ridding your lawn of crabgrass and grubs. Soccer moms buy cow bells here to cheer on their kids. It's a full-service store for owners of horses and livestock (muck boots and hoof picks), but there are cages and foods for all kinds of small pets, as well as premium dog and cat foods. Homeowners can buy skunk and coyote traps, pest control chemicals and vegetable seeds by the scoop. But their most important offering might be advice from salespeople who know what they're talking about.

65 S. Main St., Attleboro; open Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Sat. 8-3. Call 1-508-222-0323.

Eco-friendly art and housewares

If you want to feel extra good about buying something new, buy it at WWW.ECO-ARTWARE.COM, a Web site that specializes in products made from recycled materials. But these bracelets, rugs and bowls aren't merely politically correct, they're fun, funky and beautiful. Check out typewriter-key bracelets, gorgeous bowls handmade in Africa by Zulu weavers using recyled telephone wire, and stepped bowls made from old vinyl record albums. You can sign up for the site's newsletter full of "green" news such as Office Depot's effort to offer eco-friendly office products.

Personalized fun in a barrel

If you're out of gift ideas this month, buy somebody fun in a barrel. You'll find it at BARRELS OF FUN, a gift barrel packed with a mix of nostalgia, whimsy, games and munchies tailored to suit any theme, interest or holiday. The barrels come in six- ($130), three- ($85), two- ($55) and one- ($35) sizes. The company began in 1990 by packing barrels for corporations to send to clients as thank-yous, but the idea quickly caught on with the general public. The most popular is the barrels for new babies, but a barrel of fun sounds like a great gift for a family.

Barrels of Fun, 47G North Plains Industrial Rd., Wallingford, Conn., Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Web site: www.barrelsoffun.com. Call (800) 536-7386.

Everything you need to grow

In the cold of winter, Sue and George Handy will be planting in their greenhouses, so by spring, FINE FARMS in Attleboro will be bursting with reasonably priced flower and vegetable plants, as well as the 10-inch hanging baskets that have customers flocking to them for Mother's Day. Because they grow what they sell, the Handys can provide advice on everything from planting and caring for the different flowers and veggies to which will work best in a customer's yard. Get there early -- the locals tend to empty them out by the end of May.

Fine Farms, 353 Smith St., Attleboro (508-226-0616, www.finefarms.com) is open daily 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in growing season.

Plenty to put on a party

At THE PARTY SHED in Wakefield, themes go extreme: matching paper plates and napkins are just the beginning. You'll find everything you need for a party, including miniature figures to decorate cakes, costumes such as grass skirts, themed cake pans, more than 100 balloon styles, pinatas and even lollipop sticks so you can bake cookies on a stick.

603 Kingstown Rd., Wakefield, open for the holidays Mon.-Sat. 10-9, Sun. 12-5. Call (401) 789-6668.

Kicky clothes at mild prices

Sultry and seductive are the hallmarks of the fashions at TROPICAL GANGSTERS, which has been a fixture in Newport but now has a store in Providence as well. The fluffy chiffon miniskirts, kicky dresses and off-the-shoulder tops are aimed not at an age group but at "lifestyle and body type," says Yehjong Son, who owns the stores with Steve Cundy. The trendy clothes are moderately priced so you can afford to be trendy.

5 Traverse St., Providence (401) 714-0334 and 375 Thames St., Newport (401) 847-9113.

Baby your little one

Kim Macomber started making children's clothes when she couldn't find a hat to stay on her baby's head. Now CORKY & COMPANY, headquartered in Fall River, sends its coats, mittens, car seat cozies, swimsuits and all kinds of moderate- to high-end children's clothes to more than 1,800 retailers, including Nordstrom's, Teddy Bearskins in Barrington, Wickford and Mystic, and Marisa Roberts in Cranston. She specializes in interesting textures, including layers of patterns, faux fur and appliques, as well as using home-decorating fabrics and fringes.

Trendy togs for junior sizes

California designs are the inspiration behind VELVET CRUSH, a boutique at 33 Broad St. in Westerly, whose owner DeAnna Hayden aims at "very edgy and trendy." Her goal is to make her junior-size customer leave her store in an outfit that is totally her own. She carries sizes 0 to 10. A dressy new clothing line added this fall is XOXO, and the store is full of trendy cropped corduroy and boucle jackets, rhinestone brooches and ponchos.

Holiday hours are Mon.-Wed. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thurs. Fri. and Sat. 10-8, Sun. 11-4. Call 348-0525.

Furniture to finish your way

THE MILL STORES, founded in 1958 on Cape Cod, opened its 14th superstore of unfinished furniture, woodenware, crafts and garden items this year at 5493 Post Rd., North Kingstown. This store is the chain's largest, with 70,000 square feet filled to the rafters with unfinished tables, benches, arbors, sheds, rockers, swing sets, computer armoires and window boxes. Finishing supplies and instructions are available here, as are knobs, brackets and, sometimes, classes.

Hours are Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sun. noon-6. Call (401) 885-0176.

From newspaper to books

After Robert Utter sold his family newspaper, The Westerly Sun, to another family, he moved on to another adventure in print: He opened THE OTHER TIGER, an independent bookstore with his wife Constance Kilgore and his sister, Katie Utter. They rehabbed a 200-year-old house overlooking Westerly's pretty Wilcox Park. They now stock books of all kinds as well as other items such as jigsaw puzzles, candlesticks and local art. In the Gardening section, you might find gardening gloves for sale, and a few cooking utensils next to the cookbooks.

90 High St., Westerly; (401) 596-2200. Open daily 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., except Sunday 10 to 5.

Furnishings for tots

INFANT INTERIORS specializes in luxury, moderate- to high-thread-count baby beddings (starting at $100), heavy-duty stylized painted furniture ($450 for a toy box with a lid) and wall art ($55 and up). Owner Roselle F. McConnell scours the Internet and trade shows to find products that are the softest, sturdiest and thickest. The look she favors is "shabby chic," with new products that are well made but look as though they've been around for years. The store boasts 12 lines of linens and chunky painted furniture from Bradshaw-Kirchofer. The store's Web site features a gift registry.

174 Bellevue Ave., Suite 316, Newport; open Mon.-Fri. 9-4; Sat. 10-5; Sun. noon to 4. See www.infantinteriors.com or call (401) 842-0010.

60 years of clothing Rhode Islanders

Even men who don't like to shop might be persuaded to spend an afternoon strolling Wickford Village if they know they get to go to WILSON'S OF WICKFORD. This family-owned men's and women's clothing store, in business for 60 years, offers an easy to browse atmosphere, a blend of casual and formal attire, and a few items exclusive to Wilson's -- such as a small-patterned tie features Rhode Island's Independent Man standing against a backdrop of the state's outline ($29.95). The Wilson family has a whole line of clothing for men and women called the Rhode Island collection that includes golf shirts ($35), caps ($23) and cotton sweaters ($80). You'll get free tailoring and gift-wrapping, and a water view too.

Open Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sun. 11 to 5. Call (401) 884-8090.

Keep track -- literally -- of your teen

We're not sure whether this is a present for parents or for a teenager, but a new program called TEEN ARRIVE ALIVE uses high-tech gadgetry to help parents monitor their teen's driving. First, a Decal Program (based on the successful "How's My Driving?" campaign used by the commercial industry) bears a toll-free phone number that concerned citizens can call to report a kid's bad driving habits and parents (and the teen) are notified by e-mail, voice mail or phone. Second, the GPS program provides real-time GPS tracking capability so parents will know a teen's location, driving direction and (wow!) speed. A third option combines the two plans. For information, see www.TeenArriveAlive.com.

Art under foot

Meg Little creates high-concept one-of-a-kind, hand-tufted wool rugs overflowing with color. They are pieces of art meant to be displayed on floors, and, the artist insists, to be stepped on. She creates them in a barn-turned-studio in Middletown called ON THE SPOT, then sends them off to businesses and homes around the world. For $110 per square foot, she makes small rugs and rugs so big she and her staff have to climb up and down ladders to tuft them. Generally, samples are displayed at high-end craft shows, galleries and the December and May Rhode Island School of Design alumni shows.

On the Spot, 260 Turner Rd., Middletown, (401) 847-6899. Little will have a booth at the RISD Alumni Holiday Sale Saturday at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A Manhattan boutique in Providence

When customers tell SOCIAL EXPRESSIONS owner David Chianese that his Providence shop reminds them of a Manhattan boutique, he's pleased. He strives to offer pampering and comfort items that aren't so widely available, and has done well by stocking items Oprah Winfrey features on her talk show as O List Bestsellers (look for put-in-the-microwave Dream Time Foot Cozys $57, the Bed Head cashmere flannel pajamas, $128, that Deborah Messing wears on Will & Grace, the Lollia bubbly foaming baths and candles). Shoppers will also find desk accessories and high-end toiletries for men and women; Chianese says he's the only retailer in Rhode Island carrying the bath and body care line by L'Occitane, the innovators of mixing shea butter into its products. There's even painted furniture by former Smithfield resident Jean Marie. We're sure Oprah'd love it!

295 South Main St., Providence, just off downtown. Hours are Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun. noon to 5; Dec. 20-23 open 'til 8 p.m. See socialexpressionsri.com or call (401) 831-1000.

Therapy for body and mind

Sharon McMahon opened ROSE OF SHARON so residents at the "bottom" of Rhode Island could find "aromatherapy, natural bath and beauty products, music for relaxation, and other products I couldn't find without going a couple of towns away." Her store on Boon Street near Narragansett Town Beach offers massage rollers, scent diffusers, books on mediation and spiritual topics, and sarongs, as well as suggestions on how to use them as coverups or window treatments.

Winter hours are Tues.-Fri. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat. 11-4. Call 783-1322.

Where everyone can get just rewards

It's called WORLD TROPHIES, but you don't need to be a coach to appreciate what this store offers: everything from medals and trophies for sports teams to personalized plaques, clocks and crystal for individual gifts and corporate awards. The company also offers custom mounting, matting and framing to help show off a treasured memento, such as a police officer's badge, an athlete's shchool "letter," or a wedding or anniversary photo or invitation. But the bulk of the business is still sports, and they've got the latest trends, including bobble-headed trophies.

World Trophies, 275 Silver Spring St., Providence. Open Mon.-Fri. 8:30 to 5 p.m. and Sat. 8:30 to noon. Call 272-5846. Web site: www.worldtrophies.com.

A service to write home about

If you like practical gifts, how about buying someone a new mailbox -- and having it put in for them? When Robert Pearce of Adamsville retired as a product engineer, he started a one-man business consisting of building and installing mailboxes. He orders the mailboxes, in various styles, from Ohio, builds and paints the posts, also available in several styles, and letters the box according to the owner's wishes. His business is called STREET SMART. Prices range from $159 to $379, complete with delivery and installation.

Street Smart, P.O. Box 403 Adamsville, (401) 625-5777. On the Web: www.streetsmartonline.biz. You can see samples of Street Smart mailbox styles at Bill's Sales, 1960 East Main Road/Route 138, Portsmouth; Choppy's Garden & Nursery, 379 Market St./Route 136, Warren; Mancini Hardware, 225 Tower Hill Rd./Route 1, Wickford; Briarbrook Farm, 2693 South County Trail/Route 2, Exeter; and Cedarcraft, 555 Nooseneck Hill Rd., Exeter.

Cross your Ts with a quilt When runners Jack Cunningham and Ann Walsh decided to make a quilt of all their road race T-shirts, other people like the idea so much that the couple launched a business, ROSSCOMMON QUILTS, from their Boston home. Send them your event T-shirts (or kids' sports uniforms, golf towels horse race bandannas, Hard Rock Cafe sweatshirts, or even patches) and they'll fashion them into a quilt: prices range from $159 for a standard 12-shirt quilt to $600 for some larger and custom-designed ones. They take four to six weeks to complete.

RossCommon Quilts, 15 Fairfax St., Boston MA 02124; call (617) 436-5848 or 800-T-KWILTS. Web site: www.rosscommon.com.

R.I. landmarks in porcelain

THE TOWERS OF NARRAGANSETT is the signature building in a series of porcelain miniature buildings being offered by collector Duke Marcoccio, who lives near the seaside span. He hatched the idea to help the ongoing restoration of the towers, with a portion of the proceeds going toward that effort. The replica is $119. Each is 10 inches long, 9 1/2 inches high and 5 1/2 inches wide and can be lit up. He's now considering other Rhode Island landmarks such as the Haven Brothers Diner.

Available at Ephraim Doumato Jewelers in Wakefield and Greenville; Edgewood Gallery in Cranston; All Seasons Gifts in Exeter; the Friends of the Tower in the Towers (open next Sunday noon to 5 during the Festival of the Lights and Wed. evenings; call 782-2597 or e-mail www.thetowersri.com). Call Martoccio at 800-776-3853; order on the Web site: www.mylittletown.us.

Precious metals and stones to wear

One of the artsy shops that makes Lower Thames in Newport so much fun to shop is ERICA ZAP in the purple building at West Extension Street. Jewelry designer Zap's major collections are metal mesh ($24 to $300), plated in six colors then combined as strands to create various effects, and freshwater pearls in subtle hues from soft gray to rose, and colorful stones. A handy innovation is a front-closing magnetic clasp that is part of the design of Zap's necklaces. There's also an eclectic international collection of tabletop and decorative items with an earthy look.

477 Thames St., Newport. (401) 849-4117. Web site: www.ericazap.com. Open Mon.-Fri 10-5:30, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-5.

Baskets of Rhode Island faves

BASKET CASE, a tiny cottage at 212 Main St., Wakefield, is jammed with Rhode Island items, because the original idea was to make baskets with local wares. But soon Joanne Austerlitz and her daughter Erin Arnold went beyond baskets. Humorous luggage tags, black and white polka dot cleaning gloves and maribou-fringed flip flops join authentic Rhode Island staples such as Kenyon's Corn Meal, powdered Del's Lemonade, candles from the South County Candle Company, and chocolates that look like beach pebbles. They will make customized baskets and ship them out or deliver them. Coming soon: clothing and accessories when the second floor is ready.

Open Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. -- possibly later in December. Parking is at the rear. Call (401) 284-1551.

Think pink all year

During October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, lots of stores and designers and created THINK PINK! products (the symbol for breast cancer awareness support is a pink ribbon), with at least a portion of the profits going to the cause. Most products were a one-time-only release, but ANGELA MOORE of Newport's colorful line of handpainted pink-ribbon jewelry, ornaments and candles ($10-$98) is available year-round. Fifteen percent of the net proceeds are donated. See it (as well as the rest of Moore's fun jewelry, flipflops, vases and more) online at www.angelamoore.com or at the Newport store, 119 Bellevue Ave. Call (401) 848-9695; open Mon.-Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5.

Jewelry that comes home to roost

When Candace Sherman heard that the Rhode Island Red was celebrating its 150th birthday this year, something clicked about this chick. The Newport jewelry designer created a line of RHODE ISLAND RED JEWELRY -- earrings, bracelets, pendants (kissing chickens, $155), neck chains, lapel pins (a strutting bird is $75), blazer buttons, charms (Which Came First 14k, $75) and cuff links -- called the Chanticleer Collection to honor the Rhode Island Red. She uses 14 and 18 karat gold, as well as precious and semiprecious stones, pearls and uncut crystals. A caster produces her designs.

Sherman's Web site featuring the state bird and her other jewelry is www.clsherman.com. For information about orders, shows, or consultations, call the Newport studio, 846-7311.

No place like Abode for house goods

A sleek little housewares and furniture store on the West Side of Providence, ABODE has a philosophy that owners Dann Cady and Jim DeRentis describe as "modern, but also comfortable and practical." The store is set up with distinct areas for living, dining, office work and sleeping so customers can see how pieces such as a bright red sectional will work in a home, and everything is for sale, even the desk Cady uses in the store. Among the housewares are Jack Spade's line of well-designed industrial canvas messenger and utility bags (for the metro male as well as the in-disguise father of a baby) and neoprene wine totes ($15-$17). A design consulting service is also available.

713 Westminster St., Providence. Call (401) 351-2004. Open Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. 12-5. Web site: www.abodestores.com.

Biscuits worth barking about

Georgine Powers started baking all-natural dog biscuits eight years ago just as Americans' passion for pampering their pets began to rev up. Now the little bakery in her Smithfield home, TAIL WAGGERS, produces a line of six all-natural biscuits (orange, molasses, oatmeal/peanut butter, and low-fat carrot/applesauce, pumpkin and banana), as well as a peanut-butter birthday cake and ice-cream-type cones and cannoli for dogs (made with yogurt because most dogs are lactose-intolerant). Find them in pet boutiques throughout southern New England and at supermarkets such as Dave's, or order from the company (which offers special cookie shapes for holidays).

See www.tailwaggersri.com for locations, as well as a list of products and ingredients. Cakes ($10.25 on the Web site), cones ($2.25 each) and cannolis ($2) are carried only in locations that have refrigerators, such as Dave's and Brigido's. Customers may order those as well as biscuits (about $5 for 8 ounces, $8 for 12 ounces) from the Web site or by calling (401) 233-2733.

Form and function for your chairs

Have wooden rocking chairs or straight-back chairs missing seats or backs or both? Bring them to Laurindo Marques of Pawtucket and Ray Pontbriant of Cumberland. The men weave, tie and connect thick, flexible, wood-like threads, fashioning sturdy seats and backs so that the chairs are functional again. Repair prices begin at about $40. Marques and Pontbriant are the stars of a CHAIR REPAIR workshop run by In-Sight, a nonprofit company offering programs and services to people who are blind or have visual impairments. The duos deal with styles including corded fiber, known as Italian twist, medium, fine and superfine cane, natural and fiber rush, already woven press cane and basket weave. Chairs donated to In-Sight are repaired by the caning dream team, then sold in the workshop's lobby.

In-Sight's Industrial Workshop at 750 Narragansett Park Drive, Rumford, is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., (401) 434-1211 or www.in-sight.org.

The scent of England in Wickford

THE ENGLISH ROAD in Wickford is filled with such wares as imported antiques and toiletries, but owner Shannon Hoffer says the name was inspired by the stained glass she carries, encased in window frames. The glass, in various shapes and sizes, is from England. Candles such as Fresh Tomato Leaf, which smells just like one, sit next to the all-natural Caldrea line of dish soap and hand lotions, whose White Tea scent is especially popular. There are vintage Christmas ornaments, gingham crib quilts and handwoven rugs.

The English Road, 16A West Main, upstairs, in Wickford; call (401) 294-1045. Open Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. noon to 6. Web site: www.theenglishrd.com