Sunday, May 03, 2009 | Life, In this Issue..., Style
Counter intelligence: Christie Harper

Christie Harper at Dabberdoo wows us with gifts galore, travel-friendly items and clever creativity

Photos/Spark St. Jude

By Alison Abbey

What she sells: What doesn’t she sell? Dabberdoo is chock full of eclectic and adorable items for the home (the Domestic Diva section is brimming with clever cookbooks, aprons, dishwashing gloves and other homebodied hardware), baby (monogrammed onesies and bibs), bride (the perfect stationary for thank you notes after the big day) and more.

How she came to Dabberdoo: Harper bought the shop in 2007. “I have always loved retail and wanted to own my own store, but never thought it was a possibility,” she admits. “I had been working with the previous owner for a couple years running the store, and it made me realize how much I loved my customers. There came a point when she was ready to get out, and I was ready to get in. I haven’t looked back since.”

Her biggest challenge: Being labeled a "gift store." “I love the fact that people know they can come in anytime they need the perfect gift for someone who is 4 or 40,” she says, “but sometimes that is a mixed blessing, because people don’t always think to buy for themselves. We all need to remember that sometimes the best gift you can give is a gift to yourself.”

Her favorite things: “I love our Bedhead pajamas—so luxurious—and our sentiment name rings. They are a special reminder of my kids and husband. For gifts, I love to give some of our products for traveling: Those are a nice treat that you might not buy for yourself but really enjoy using once you have them. All of our craft projects are a fun way for kids to express their inner creativity. And for baby gifts, I love our personalized blankets and our Pee-Pee Tee Pees; they always get the biggest laugh.”

What’s next: “We are focusing on our Web site. We are fortunate that we have a lot of tourist foot traffic and they all want to know if they can shop online. I think we are a little spoiled being in Atlanta, and take for granted all the great shopping we have. It’s nice for people who live in smaller towns to be able to still shop the ‘big city boutiques’ via the Web. We are also working on some of our own products and making those available on a wider scale.” SP
Dabberdoo is located at 1048 N. Highland Ave. For more information, call 404-815-6700 or visit www.dabberdoo.com.