'Handmade Goods With A Story': Meet Sea Cliff's Newest Boutique

SEA CLIFF, NY — Glen Cove residents looking for a new place to find gifts and various household items officially have a new place to shop. Artisan Jules recently opened for business on Glen Cove Avenue in Sea Cliff, near Glen Avenue.

Owner Kim Alfarone told Patch this week her store offers artist goods from all over the globe as well as "trendy treasures." Unlike many other stores, she wants her goods to offer something more.

"I try to focus on handmade goods with a story," she said. "So for example, I have these blankets that are ... everyone they sell they donate one to a local charity."

Customers will find towels handmade in Turkey, baskets made in Ghana, candles that were hand-poured in Colorado and handmade blown glass. Not everything she sells is handmade or from a work collective, but that is her focus, she noted. Alfarone prefers goods where artists are paid a fair share for their work.

"It's a way of giving back to them," she said. "Paying them fairly. They can do more in their own communities."

Alfarone also hopes to support more local artists down the road. She chose Sea Cliff because she wanted her store to be local. She knows a lot of people in the area and loves the neighborhood.

Artisan Jules had a soft opening this week and plans to hold a grand opening Feb. 8 at 1 p.m., complete with a celebratory toast, Champagne and chocolate.

In the future, Alfarone hopes feature a local "artist of the month" and have a "giving tree," in which people can donate a small amount of money to a local charity and put up a message on a tree mural.

"These are things I'm thinking for the future," she said.

Launching Artisan Jules has been a whirlwind for Alfarone. She decided to go forward with the boutique over the summer after receiving encouragement from family and friends in the community. The former nurse-turned-business-owner hopes she can inspire her kids and prove it's possible to try different paths. She always wanted to be a business-owner, and decided to make it happen.

"So I said, 'I'm going for it,'" she said. "I don't have a business background, but I'm passionate about figuring this out as I go."