Bargains beyond the beach

Think Port Stanley and I'll bet you think sunshine, sandy beaches, GTs and Mackie's orangeade and famous secret sauce.
And you'd be right.
But what many don't know is this Lake Erie fishing village has a treasure trove of hidden gems, just a few steps off the beach.
After surviving our Arctic winter, who could blame you for making a beeline to the sand and staying put till it's time to head back to that always several degrees hotter city?
But if you're a fan of ridiculously affordable designer labels, unique gifts like roses that light up in water, vintage jewelry from mom or grandma's day or greeting cards with outrageous punch lines, it's time you gave the shops a whirl.
Some shops are seasonal and a few close Monday and Tuesday.
I live in Port Stanley and as a Sarnia native, I've come to love my adopted lake as much as Lake Huron, a place where I can indulge two of my passions, sunbathing and shopping.
Step into Boutique Re-Vert on the main drag leading into Port and you'll have a flashback to those glory days when the London and Port Stanley Railway brought the likes of Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and the Dorsey Brothers to the legendary Stork Club.
Owner Jeannine Catt, sewer, artist and lover of vintage clothes, often has big band music playing in the background of her eclectic shop.
Re-Vert (French for green), reflects her dedication to recycling everything while covering the other meaning, revert - as in back in time.
"I carry vintage, gently used, designer resale, and everything from the very crazy to the very classy," says Catt, who also sells her own paintings upstairs.
Tiffany Richter, owner of the Chique Shack boutique, offers 25% vintage and 75% new in a shop featuring steals on an entire outfit, from shoes to accessories.
Richter swiftly picks up on clients' tastes. Her womenswear isn't organized by size but by colour. Customers gravitate to what suits them, then try it on to see if it works. Richter, a new mom, is salesperson extraordinaire. Rarely have I left her shop without a purchase, because when she says, 'I've got something I think you'll like,' she rarely misses the mark.
When it comes to gifts, novelty items and reproduction posters of Port's heydays, Stan Portley's is a place to browse for hours.
Owner Ann Nicol, a London native who danced to Louis Armstrong (live) at the Stork Club as a young woman, first came to Port as a child but could never quite get the name straight. Hence the unique name of her antiques and gift shop - a nod to a childhood memory that brings a smile to shoppers.
Her shop's customized posters have been sent around the world and her gurgle jugs must be heard to be appreciated but if you need incentive to get your child to drink their milk, here's your ticket.
At Country Bliss, a Port Stanley stalwart where you'll find the Country Home candles that give the shop the scent of an upscale spa, the more you look, the more you love.
Owner Jennifer Jones has a knack for collecting the unique, the charming to the outrageous.
Her line of Anne Taintor greeting cards will have you howling with the formally clad 1950s era women on the front with a greeting you'd never expect inside.
Brambles is a home decor store with great gifts and prices. Old-fashioned kitchen clocks with a timer, replica old mail boxes, those glowing roses that will add the wow factor to your dinner party are found here.
At Waterspots, owner Annette Giles has never met an object she couldn't transform into a planter. Coffee pots, purses, and for a special birthday request, she even elevated the lowly bed pan to a floral masterpiece.
This is the first summer Port can boast a shop for plus size women. Silk Woods Boutique has expanded its online operation to a popular store that's filling a niche.
And you don't have to be plus size to find the right purse or accessory at Silk Woods.
Apropos holds a special place for me.
Owner Lorraine McElroy made an impression long before she expanded to her hugely successful Apropos and Apropos After Five.
The original Apropos opened 15 years ago in tiny quarters but what McElroy lacked in space, she made up for in inventory and sheer enthusiasm. Shoes with clear heels, crystals woven into clothing, she had styles I'd never seen before.
On my first purchase, she took my number for her file. Soon, she'd come to know I was one of 10 kids and when we drew names for Christmas, she got familiar with my sisters' tastes.
One year she called to say if I had Laurie's name, she thought she had the perfect gift. Her disappointment was palpable when I broke it to her I had brother, Phil's name. (Five boys, five girls - it was bound to happen one year.) But that sums up Port Stanley.
You can keep your malls. We've already got the free parking.
But we've got something you can't put a price on.
It's the personal touch.