The SaddleBrooke Gift Shop’s interior showing numerous gift items.
The SaddleBrooke Gift Shop exterior and entrance; photo by Russell C. Stokes.
Russell C. Stokes and Linda Whitehead
You may have shopped there for all sorts of handmade gifts, greeting cards, and books but have you ever wondered how the SaddleBrooke Gift Shop came into being? SaddleBrooke resident Kris Holmes has been there almost from the shop’s beginning. Kris, our resident “shop historian”, had served as Assistant Manager and longtime Bookkeeper and is currently a Member at Large.
Kris tells us that the Gift Shop got its start as a SaddleBrooke resident club in 1992 when Delores Brindle and Cathy Newman decided our community needed an outlet for its Artisan’s Handcrafted gifts. These club pioneers volunteered their time, wrote the by-laws, set up an inventory and the accounting system which we still use today. The shop opened in the spot where it now is, but was a tiny operation with just a few artists at the time. Back then, SaddleBrooke was a small community and MountainView had not yet even begun construction. The shop was originally open only three days a week.
As SaddleBrooke grew, so did this special little shop. Loren Love became the next volunteer manager and he was followed by Barbara Tidyman. The Gift Shop’s current manager and club president, Karen Lingelbach, has held the position for the last 17 years! Additional talented artists joined as the shop grew and it began staying open seven days a week. Today the Gift Shop continues to grow and has 36 active members, many of whom developed their creative skills after moving to SaddleBrooke. The shop is currently open seven days a week until Dec. 31, 2019. Beginning in January 2020 the shop’s days of operation will be changed to Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
All of the items available in the SaddleBrooke Gift Shop are made exclusively by SaddleBrooke residents. Many of these items are handcrafted and unique to our artisans, numerous creations are one of a kind. The shop is staffed alternately by member artists who volunteer their time to help ensure the Shop’s success. If you are looking for special gifts; including, clothing, fabrics, wood, books, jewelry, artwork, games, or greeting cards please stop by and browse our wares and visit with your resident artisan. The Gift Shop is located in SaddleBrooke One near the Clubhouse and next door to the fitness center.