From kooky to glamorous

Clever shop in Kingston has locally made gifts and decor to suit a range of tastes.

KINGSTON — Until now there wasn’t a one-stop shop for pirate treasure maps, shabby-chic furniture and pickles that yodel. Now however, Kingston’s Clever gift shop fills that local- and tourist-desired niche.

Hand-crafted beach signs, northwest-inspired jewelry and “want-a-little-drinkie-winkie” aprons hang in the shop located in the heart of downtown Kingston.

It is the first shop on the Kitsap Peninsula where customers can purchase elegantly crafted table runners, Kingston postcards and Grow-A-Boyfriends (or girlfriends) that expand in water.

From the kooky, off-beat purchases to the thoughtful, romantic gifts, the store is filled with “clever” ideas for the home and everyone’s favorite goofball friend.

Store owner Stacy Patrick, who also owns Kingston’s Lucky Star clothing consignment and Pine Cone Gifts, said the store was named by current clients of her two stores.

“It was named for the fun things people come up with — everything that everyone hand made. It amazes all of us,” Patrick said, adding all the customers would exclaim “oh that’s clever,” toward the locally crafted candles, cards and even dish scrubbers.

Patrick currently sells items from more than 200 local artists and crafters.

Before she opened Clever, Patrick said Pine Cone Gifts was getting too crowded and customers were overwhelmed with too much to see.

“But everything was so cool I had to fit it in,” she said, laughing.

That all changed once the downtown storefront became available.

“It’s nice to have the identities of both stores,” Patrick said. “Clever has the same concept as Pine Cone but it’s more beachy-trendy, more shabby-chic and modern, whereas Pine Cone is very outdoorsy, lodge-like, more for the hunting and fishing types.”

Clever, which officially opened back in July, saw a lot of summer traffic, Patrick said. Its location, paired with its offerings of locally made Grounds for Change coffee, CB’s Nuts and Mirracole Morsels’ granola fit the bill and tourists ate it up.

“The summer was great with the tourists. They are taking our locally made products around the world,” she said.

Patrick said when customers request items in her store she tries to find someone on or near the Kitsap Peninsula who makes it.

Currently, she said she’s looking for a new soy candle maker because hers recently moved to New York to expand the product line.

“I try as much as possible to get it local than buy wholesale. It’s just not as special then,” she said. “I really appreciate the support the community gives us and everyone is shopping local. They come here and try us first and that’s why we are doing so well.”

The store opened more than a month ago and Patrick is planning on expanding the store’s products to include convenience items for tourists and boaters.

Clever is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.