Carr Mill stocks up on crafts

Here's an interesting item for those of you on the hunt for unique toys this holiday season.

The Emerson Waldorf School has opened a new branch of its Woodland Shop in the Carr Mill Mall for the holidays.

The shop sells handmade wooden toys, craft kits, art supplies and other items meant to bolster the imagination.

The store is an extension of the Woodland Shop that has operated on the school's Chapel Hill campus for a decade. This is the first actual retail shop.

The store is open seven days a week in the Carr Mill Mall, at the corner of Greensboro and Weaver streets in downtown Carrboro. It will be open through December.

Several businesses are new in Garner: Garner Karate-Do is open at 105 W. Main St. teaching martial arts; Oh Boy, Go Girl!, which is a Web-based children's consignment shop, is opening a physical store at 103 W. Main St. next Friday; and Custom Cabinets is moving to 101 Rand Mill Road in early 2009.

At Cameron Village in Raleigh, Dewey's Bakery opened a holiday store in the former Talbots Kids space. And The Peanut Roaster has opened a holiday store in the former La Di Dogs space. La Di Dogs moved three stores down from its former spot.

There is also a Dewey's in Crabtree Valley Mall on the lower level near center court. ... Also at Crabtree, Brio Tuscan Grille, the third of the three new restaurants, will open Tuesday. ... Varia Designs will open next week, selling jewelry next to The Cheesecake Factory. ... Also opening next week: The Eye, selling Carolina Hurricanes gear on the lower level near Belk, and Celik Fine Art on the lower level next to White House/Black Market.

At Triangle Town Center in Raleigh, Heavenly Ham and Young Plantations have opened a joint store on the upper level near Barnes & Noble. Heavenly Ham sells ham and other holiday food and gifts. Young Plantations sells pecans, pecan candies, pecan pies and other confections.

OTHER ITEMS: In Raleigh, Physios Salon has moved to 904 New Bern Ave. The salon has been in various locations downtown for 16 years, most recently on Tucker Street. ... In Clayton, Shelton's Furniture, at 425 E. Main St., has closed.

Finally, a note about last week's column. I heard from dozens of you who took issue with the contention that the recently opened Pauper's Books & More is Johnston County's first bookstore.

Tops on the list of stores mentioned by readers was Orchard House Booksellers, which has been open for roughly a year at 117 N. Third St. in Smithfield.

When I called Orchard House owner Becky Kinkade, who operates the business and the neighboring shipping store with her husband, Chris, she was quite gracious about the whole thing.

But here's my public mea culpa.

Other stores that were mentioned included The Book Cellar at the Carolina Premium Outlets and Source of Truth Christian bookstore at 388 Venture Drive. I've started a list of Johnston County bookstores on my blog. Feel free to add your favorite.