STORY AND PHOTOS BY LaVerne Stevens
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The hardest task for a shopper can be in the selection. Is the purchase personal or a gift? How much to spend and where to shop? Bellissimo! Art and Gift Gallery is located at 222 East Stuart Avenue in downtown Lake Wales, set among the numerous gift shops and art galleries that fill the historic buildings along Stuart Ave. It is a precious little shop, trimmed in a pretty gold storefront. Even though it is the attractive appearance of the store windows that draws the shopper off the street and into the store, it is the array of goodies displayed inside that keeps the shopper coming back.

Owner Susan Connors has filled the interior shelves with unique and decorative items from around the world. As a international flight attendant with Delta Airlines, Connors has flown more than fifteen million miles, and filled multiple passports with entry stamps in visiting more than forty countries. Susan uses her ongoing ability in traveling to shop for exotic gifts from around the world. She is a power shopper and brings all her stock back home on her return flights. “I take two suitcases,” said Connors. “I fill my returning suitcase with shop purchases. On international flights we (crewmembers) have 24 hours between arrival and departure. That gives me 12 hours to shop and 12 hours to sleep,” she said. So off she dashes with shopping list in hand.

Bellissimo! is filled with Murano glass from Italy, jewelry featuring semiprecious stones from Brazil, silver from Argentina, hand-woven scarves from Peru, purses and totes. Many of the items are handmade. At least nine local artists’ works are sold. Those items include pottery, wine accessories, jewelry, porcelain, paintings and prints. “Because of the personal element that I have dealt with some of the same people for so long, I am able to purchase at a savings. That savings I can then pass along to my customers,” she said. “That allows my customers to enjoy a reasonably priced art object.”

She also keeps up on trends by not only checking magazines, but also the runways and garment trends of big cities of Rome, Milan and Paris. “I look at magazines to see what is big and, oh look, she is wearing a large glass necklace,” said Connors pointing to a model on a magazine cover. “I also keep track of what is trendy in the large cities in Europe. Usually those items will be trendy in the states in about six months.” She says she has a dream career. She travels in her work and can shop until she drops in cities around the world. Thinking the traveling would be enough for anyone, Connors shared the reason for opening her shop six years ago was attributed to her husband.

“He had a Web design shop and wanted to fill the vacant windowed front with a shop of some kind to make the street appearance attractive. He began by showing artwork. But after a woman has decorated her home, she is usually done with decorating. So what does a woman do then? She begins decorating herself with accessories and jewelry,” said Connors.

Once a storefront opened up on Stuart Avenue, their shop was moved to its present location. She began filling it with unique items from overseas that became a natural extension of her international shopping lifestyle. “I have been told I have good taste,” said Connors. “People would come into my home and ask where I obtained a piece of artwork or an object, and would encourage me to open a shop and sell those items.”

They recently added the Wine Corner in the rear of the store. It is stocked with wine selections from Italy, Argentina, Spain, Australia, South Africa, and even California. The Connors offer free wine tastings and encourage the public to call for the next tasting at 863-679-3673. Bellissimo! is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the third Friday of each month until 9 p.m.