Simply Flags and Gifts Now Open on Rt. 250

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Roger Gilmer in front of his shop, Simply Flags and Gifts, next to Gateway Market. Photo: Theresa Curry

Mild weather, ample drive-by traffic and curious neighbors have meant a good first month for Simply Flags and Gifts, the new shop in the building next to Gateway Market on Route 250. The shop, owned by Roger and Diane Gilmer, opened February 1, in time for customers searching for Valentine’s Day gifts.

By February 15, the heart theme was gone, replaced by a whimsical selection of garden art, bird feeders and accessories for outdoor games. Thousands of flags hang from walls and racks, with a good selection of St. Patrick’s Day banners to honor the upcoming holiday. No flag costs more than $20, Gilmer said.

Gilmer’s not only one of the owners, but the creator of many of the shop’s distinctive pieces. He works with metal, fashioning fantastical decorative pieces out of rods joined with teapots, salsa bowls, ladles and plates: whatever strikes his fancy at thrift shops and yard sales. Many have a function besides their good-humored ornamentation, serving as bird feeders or plant stakes.

The shop also uses words as art, with a number of large signs with hopeful messages, and small picture frames enclosing words of wisdom.

There’s also a good selection of pieces entirely made out of metal. There are wine racks and drink holders, including an ingenious drink holder designed to stabilize the drinks for a corn-hole team, allowing the competitors to sip without having to bend or reach. One sculpture pairs metal with china and clay in a four-compartment bird-feeder fashioned from plates, rods and cascading flower pots. “This is one bird feeder I guarantee,” Gilmer said. “I’ve often seen four birds at the same time feeding at once.”

Simply Flags and Gifts is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Roger Gilmer inside his shop, Simply Flags and Gifts, next to Gateway Market. Photo: Theresa Curry

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