Where it all began

Welcome to our little blog. We hope you enjoy what you see and read here. With so much going on in all our lives, we thought that the blog might be a fun way for you to get to know us and our shop. To start off, let's give you a little history ....

Cheryl (aka Mom) has always had a knack for decorating and entertaining, but until about 10 years ago, it remained mostly a hobby for her. Once her kids were out of school and fairly self-sufficient, she decided it was time to take her skills to the next level. She enrolled in design school and used the skills she acquired there to start a small retail business in a co-op outside of Philadelphia.

Allegra's (aka the daughter) favorite pastime as a child was to play "store." She'd price all the items in her mom's living room and then help "customers" with their purchases. Her least favorite pastime was washing all the dishes her mom dirtied in putting together her famous soirees. While she hated the dish-washing part, she loved the entertaining aspect, and it stayed with her into adulthood. After planning the ultimate soiree -- her own wedding -- she started a part-time wedding planning business. She found that while planning weddings and other events (she was an event planner for an ad agency in a former life), she was constantly consulting with her mom on decor, food, flowers, and more.

Fast forward a few years to when Cheryl and her husband purchased property in Habersham, a new-urban development in Beaufort, South Carolina. When Cheryl heard about the plans to build a Marketplace there, an idea hatched in her brain ... we'll get Allegra and her husband to move here, and we can open a shop.

Allegra and her husband only had to think about it for about 30 seconds once they saw the beauty of this lovely coastal town and the views around the neighborhood. After a few minor delays (and a kid), we finally made it down here.

Joli was born in October 2007, from the hard work, passion, and dreams of a mother and a daughter. Their tastes are compatible yet different enough to make for an eclectic shop filled with everything from original oil paintings to jewelry made from recycled bottle-caps and dominoes.

In Joli, we've created a shop filled with unique home decor accessories, artwork, furniture, gift items, candles, jewelry, and more. We strive to purchase items that you won't find everywhere and items you can feel good about purchasing (recycled glassware, Fair Trade products, products which donate to children's charities).

We hope you enjoy this blog as much as we enjoy writing it. Here we will be sharing design and entertaining tips; providing you with additional information about our great products; and letting you know about upcoming events. Enjoy!!

The Shopgirls