The store the merrier

from SVM_Carroll County Living - Fall/Winter 2022

The smile on Christie Rice’s face is the kind of smile she likes to see on customers’ faces when they browse through her Savanna shop, Sassy Stems. "I have a lot of people who come here because they said it makes them happy, just to come in here," said Rice, shown here with her granddaughter, Claire.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF SASSY STEMS

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

hristie Rice has called Savanna home for her entire life, so she has a pretty good idea of what people in her hometown want in a store— and it all stems from putting a smile on their face.

For a little more than a decade, Rice has searched far and wide to come up with picturesque flower arrangements, home decor, apparel, jewelry, purses, furniture, candy, and much more for her friends and neighbors. She’s got it all at Sassy Stems Floral and Gift Boutique, her elegant business inside a rustic two-story building at the edge of downtown.

Gifts of all kinds can be found throughout the store, so something’s bound to brighten someone’s day — and Rice prides herself on offering a place where even window shopping can make people happy. Sometimes, Rice says, customers will stop in every so often just to see what’s new in the store.

“I have a lot of people who come here because they said it makes them happy, just to come in here,” Rice said. “I don’t want people leaving here upset.” Having a happy haven in her hometown is something Rice is used to. Her mother, Kathy Carlson, once worked at, and later managed, a flower shop in town for several years, and Rice would get to see firsthand the positive power of the flower. In fact, it proved profound enough that mother and daughter dreamed of having a place of their own one day to share what they loved with their community. SASSY STEMS cont’d to page 22

Carroll County Living | Fall/Winter 2022 21

Carlson, however, wouldn’t get to see that dream come true. She died in August 2007, but the dream she shared with her daughter didn’t die with her. Rice was determined to make their dream a reality as a tribute to her mother. Sassy Stems opened in 2010 just a couple of blocks north of its current location at 700 Main St. After just 2 years, the current building was built and Rice got an offer to move there, with plenty of space to fill. “My mother’s dream was to have her own flower shop,” Rice said. “She fell ill and wasn’t able to do it. So I kind of did it. I went into it on my own. My other job was too much for me, and I thought, well, she wanted to start one and wasn’t able to, so I started it. “I felt like I needed to. I needed to do it for her.” Rice wasn’t alone in getting her store up and running, and the concept of a mother-and-daughter operation did, in fact, become a reality. Rice’s daughter, Kelsey Rice, has become a blossoming talent at the shop, working alongside her mom, doing flower arrangements. The benefits of blooms extend well beyond the smiles they bring. They’re sort of a one-size-fits-all kind of gift. Birthdays, anniversaries, congratulations, milestones, the circle of life from birth to death, saying you’re sorry or saying “I love you,” or just because … flowers can be a part of any event. Rice said she tends to shy away from the basic arrangements when she can, preferring to bring something a little extra, a little more creative, to her work. Customers can stop in to check out what styles are available, or find them on sassystemsfloralandgiftboutique.com, There’s a lot more than just stems at where arrangements, both Sassy Stems — the shop is en eclec- pre-made and customized, can tic mix of merchandise: home decor, also be ordered. Sometimes, clothing, jewelry, personal care prod- customers like a pre-made aructs and more. And if you see this female rangement, but want a few tweaks feline roaming the store, it’s the “shop kittty,” made to it. That can be done as well. Suzie, who helps Christie keep an eye on things. SASSY STEMS cont’d to page 23 24-HOUR SERVICE ON ALL BRANDS

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“You can be creative and do whatever you want,” Rice said. “It’s fun. Flowers make people happy, and there’s not much of that around — a lot of people don’t seem to be happy these days.”

If you’re looking for another type of gift, or something to go along with the blooms, the upstairs is a full boutique with women’s accessories, clothing and shoes, and the ground level has home decor, jewelry, lotions, soaps and silks.

Though Rice likes to bring her own touch to her store, she’s also keen on keeping customers happy, so keeps her finger on the pulse of what’s popular.

“I try to do what’s trendy and what’s in style,” Rice said. “I can’t buy everything that I strictly like because not everyone likes that, so I need to go outside of my box and say, ‘I need to try this.’”

Having a business in a town the size Savanna — with about 2,800 people — one can’t limit themselves to having just one thing to sell, Rice said. Stores have to diversify to keep customers from hitting the road for a bigger town and bigger store.

SASSY STEMS cont’d to page 24

“There were a lot of people who were excited to find out we had clothing upstairs,” Rice said. “Savanna doesn’t have a [new] clothing store anymore, and it used to have several.”

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While flowers take up a majority of the floor space, Rice keeps her other inventory fresh —there’s more than just stems at the shop. Sometimes customers are surprised to discover the variety that can be found behind the store’s doors. The apparel is one example: Sassy Stems carries name-brand clothes that you might be hard-pressed to find in nearby towns.

“There were a lot of people who were excited to find out we had clothing upstairs,” Rice said. “Savanna doesn’t have a [new] clothing store anymore, and it used to have several.”’ Even before they walk in, there’s something to check out at Sassy Stems. A deck out front offers a spacious space where people can have a seat and enjoy a treat. It’s not unusual to see customers at Shimer’s Ice Cream Shoppe next door come over and sit on the deck and delight in the colors of the flowers in the hanging pots, watch the cars go by, or gaze at the boats as they mozy down the Mississippi River on a lazy summer day. Rice has enjoyed meeting many new people who stop in to the Sassy Stems Floral and Gift Boutique, 700 Main St., in Savanna, is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Find it on Facebook, go to sassystemsfloralandgiftboutique.com, email sassystemsfloral@gmail.com or call 815-273-7668 for more information. store, whether they’re locals or newcomers to the city, and there have been more newcomers recently. Savanna’s profile as a tourist town has gotten a boost in recent years after being named the No. 1 “Best Small Town for Adventure” by USA Today. “I know a majority of everyone in Savanna and everything about this town,” Rice said. “People I went to school with have come back that I haven’t seen since I went to school. It’s kind of nice, and they’ll stop in and say hi.” Whether it’s old friends or new customers, Rice is happy to see them, and she’ll do her best to make sure they’re happy to see her too, because when Savanna smiles, Rice smiles. n