As Barbara Simmons approached retirement at the end of her 28-year teaching career, she gave a lot of thought about what she wanted to do after leaving the classroom.
She bought a sewing machine and in 2005 started monogramming for an upstart retailer, debec’s/Sew Be it, run by the mother-daughter team of Carol Anne Graves and Rebecca Greer.
“I bought a machine and started monogramming from my home. (Rebecca and Carol Anne) had gotten a kiosk in the mall their first year in business, and I did their monogramming for them there,” Simmons said. “Business did really good there. It was after that they asked me to join them at the store on Delaware.”
Greer and Graves opened debec’s in the spring of 2004, at a highly visible intersection across from the McComb post office.
“It’s worked out really well — us working together — we compliment each other and we share all the overhead,” Simmons said. “It’s a lot of fun to come to work. I’m doing something I love to do and it gives me a lot of freedom. I can work here and I can work at home. This is really like a second home to me.”
At debec’s/Sew Be It, shoppers can find a variety of personalized gifts this holiday season ranging from ceramic to-go coffee mugs, jewelry, baby bibs and nap-rolls — mats for kindergarten-age children to sleep on.
“We offer free gift wrapping and we do a lot of special orders for hard-to-find gifts our customers need,” Simmons said. “We strive for great customer service and do everything we can to make our customers happy.”
The ladies have artistic and creative talents that add to the store’s gift selections, and that gives shoppers endless possibilities for individualized gift giving.
Graves sews stockings, desk bags, Bible covers, checkbook covers and nap-mat covers for Debec’s that can be personalized with monogramming, which starts at $5.50.
Greer does a lot of art deco painting on items for customers, such as picture frames and small pieces of furniture. She also has made stocking hangers of painted blocks with hooks that can go on a mantle, shelf or counter-top.
The store also has Christmas tree ornaments with large-script initials starting at $9.95.
A new family tradition can be had with The Elf on the Shelf, an elf who helps “monitor” children’s behavior before Santa arrives. The gift box includes an elf and story book.
The store also has a variety of jewelry that can be personalized with initials and special-ordered, as well as a unique collection of Stamps watch bands and faces. These come in a variety of prints, colors and textures for creating watch sets for under $70.
Other offerings include large, colorful printed bags and overnight sacks and small snap clutches for cards, money and photos.
A baby registry is available so baby and mom can have a collection of personalized accessories such as bibs, blankets, jumpers and diaper bags.
A traditional themed collection of toys, “Melissa and Doug,” are made of brightly painted and printed wood. The toys are attractive and well made. And there also are stamp kits, jewelry art kits, learning toys, arts and crafts for little hands, and scratch boards for little artists starting at $8.95.
Simmons said debec’s will have a kiosk with many of their personalized specialties at Edgewood Mall beginning Nov. 18.
