Hello, hello my fellow book lovers! I will add to the list, my fellow plant and tea lovers. When we think of books, we do not usually think of books, tea and plants. Tea, sure, but plants??? However, I will say it is a pretty neat concept, and in my little town in the PA Appalachian Mountains, a friend of mine, Cara LaBrozzi and her friend from church, Hannah Kimmel joined forces to open up this unique, one-of-a-kind of store called, The Paper Garden Co. that features these three items.
This labor of pure love is such a creative, neat and fun store. It combines plants, books and tea. The whole store, which you will see in the photos, are beautifully aesthetic. It is relaxing. So what can one do in a plant, book and tea shop? Well, there are books for sale, tea to drink and a plant bar. A plant bar, you ask? Mrs. LaBrozzi has quite the green thumb. She used to grow and sell mini flower bouquets, but since it was very seasonal business and living in Indiana, PA where the growing season is not all that long unless you have green houses, it became a bit harder. She decided to move towards the house plants instead. This spurred the idea for a store, but then she remembered her good friend and sister in Christ, Hannah, had always wanted to open a bookstore. So, the combination of plants, books, tea became a reality.
As they started this unique boutique style adventure, they looked briefly for a store location and sure enough one came available, an old cross fit gym in a historical building in downtown, the old Rochester & Pittsburgh Coal Mine building. Now, this building holds a lot of history for the area of Indiana County in Western Pennsylvania. Coal mining was a big industry within these mountains. One town about 5 minutes north of Indiana, PA, Ernest, is where my Mom is from and where my late Grandfather worked for R&P for 51 years. It was the first ever company built town that all the other mining towns were based off of. It is also where the majority of coal came from for the better part of the early 1900's, helping the Steel Industry in Pittsburgh become the epicenter for the Industrial Revolution. It is also where a Coal Mine Memorial is being built for the remembrance of the sacrifice of the past, present and future coal miners. I cannot wait until it is finished, and yes I am the head of the committee! Anyway! They found the perfect spot within the old R&P headquarters building for Indiana County.
Everything just came together and with the various people, especially their husbands, the renovations and design came through to completion in a rather smooth fashion. While this was occurring in the summer, time passed quickly and they officially opened in November of this year, 2023. All their ideas and labor came to a temporary hold. I say temporary because there will ALWAYS be innovation and design additions etc. These two amazing women, are also mothers. As mothers, they knew how important it was to make the space not only a sanctuary for people and mothers who may need some down time, but also a warm and welcoming space for children. There is a play kitchen, kid table, books and toys to play with as the parents peruse the selection of books, plants and accessories, or simply sitting down reading a good book while enjoying one of the many teas they have in stock.
A plant bar. From what I see is that there are baby plants that have rooted, and they have little pots and the right soil for the plant of choice. Kids can even create their own little Faerie Gardens! How neat and fun is that!?! This is an especially great idea for a birthday party. Yes, they will start hosting events. They have a beautiful 8 person picnic table where people can sit and do their planting or host their events. They have add-ons to the plants like mini toadstools, faeries, frogs, and other cute little things. You add a bottom if you want for the excess water of pretty stones, then the soil, the plant and you can add colorful sand on top of the soil too if you would like. Then you spritz it with water and add your adornments. They truly are cute and super fun to make. All ages can participate as young as 3/4 year olds. My 4 year old had a blast helping!
As you walk through our quaint little town, known for being the hometown of known actor, Jimmy Stewart, be sure to take a walk on the side streets. You never know what kind of gems you may find. I'll say for certain, we are not short on cute boutique type stores, just may not be on the main street. Honestly, if you want a quiet place to hang out, Paper Garden Co. is the perfect spot and bring your kids as they will have just as much fun! Oh and they just added coffee from Commonplace Coffee too, a perfect little marriage of comfort and warmth. Enjoy our town of Indiana, Pennsylvania, but also the newest boutique and concept, The Paper Garden Co.!
Come on out to our lovely town and enjoy this shop. They would LOVE to have you come for a visit. While you are making your visit, be sure to also check out local eateries, and other shops along with some really neat events that are held all year long. We sure do know how to be a welcoming town. For now, happy reading and Happy New Year, my fellow book lovers.