Betty J's Mercantile

09/02/2023

Progress on the former kitchen to laundry transition on the 2nd floor! Maybe no laundromat next week?

09/02/2023

We want to thank EVERYONE for sharing our Facebook posts! We are very humbled by the community support and cannot wait to open our doors and house to you! Words cannot express how much love we have experienced so far! We are grateful for each and every one of you!

09/01/2023

Our sign is up! Opening November 1st if not sooner (we hope)! Please look for updates on our page.

08/31/2023

Our first shipment of merchandise has arrived! We cannot wait to introduce our products to you as a vendor of Fair Trade. Our first shipment consists of leather journals and metal jewelry boxes! Yay, so excited to OPEN!

08/31/2023

And we are on Day 2 of kitchen to laundry conversation!

08/31/2023

The conversion of a former apartment kitchen (the house was a 4 plex in the 50’s) into a 2nd floor laundry has begun! Maybe no laundromat next week?

08/30/2023

We have a finished product! Yay! We are very happy that we went with a local contractor who showed up everyday and did an outstanding job and service in building this from scratch!

08/30/2023

What are some new products/merchandise selections you have been looking for but cannot find in boutiques? Open to all suggestions! Please feel free to comment.

08/29/2023

Deck progress is a great thing…

08/29/2023

The deck construction begins….

08/29/2023

We are in the paper again! This time back in Ottumwa under our former store name Big River Fabric & Gift Company.

Thank you for the votes Southern IA. We hope to bring our Best of Southern Iowa to Newton, IA and show this area what we we can do through Betty J's Mercantile.

Hat's off to our fellow supporters!

See the winners of the Ottumwa Courier's Best of Southern Iowa reader's choice poll.

08/28/2023

New ceiling and new lights installed in the fabric area by yours truly! A new adventure for me!

08/28/2023

Here is the article :)

Former Lemon Tree Tea House to become Betty J’s Mercantile

08/28/2023

The unexpected surprises found while rehabbing. Yikes.

08/28/2023

Amen, this is why we love working with local artisians. Collaboratrion is key if trust is presented first. Love this!

Collaborate, cross pollinate, promote, refer others… we can all make it if we share the love.

08/25/2023

We have hit the papers! Much appreciation to Christopher at the Newton News on this fantastic article with great background information. We are humbled for the support and look forward to serving the Newton and surrounding communitities with Fair Trade merchandise and fabric.

((The article is on two pages (pg 1 & 2))

08/25/2023

We are loving our transition into Betty J's Mercantile and the support the Newton community has demonstrated this past month. We are proud to call Newton home and and cannot wait to welcome to community into our home! Thank you!

08/24/2023

A fresh coat of paint, new white trim and shelves going up in our fabric area of the shop!

08/23/2023

Introducing Sobremesa! This item is new to Betty J's Mercantile and we are excited to present them to our customers.

Sobremesa by Greenheart is a fair trade lifestyle brand inspired by a gathering of great friends and the lively conversation that accompanies a delicious meal. Made by blending traditional techniques with a modern aesthetic, each handcrafted product is designed to sustain both the environment and the skilled artisans who made it.

08/22/2023

Do I spy some color in the fabric area of the shop?

08/21/2023

Today we start transforming the retail space of the home into Betty J’s!

08/20/2023

We are happy to announce that we will be carrying the full line of Seedy Cards. We offered a small sampling of them at Big River, but we have decided to bring the entire line to Betty J's Mercantile! They are a whoot and and one-of-a-kind!

Here is a little information about the artist. She is our kind of gal!

Hello there! My name is Mari and I am the creator and maker of Seedy Cards. Back in 2008, the Pacific Northwest endured a winter snowstorm that left me stuck at my home in the woods for two weeks. With Christmas near and no way to know if I'd be able to see family and friends, it was the perfect time to try out those rubber stamps and make some greeting cards. What a wonderful way to generate some holiday spirit! Each cut and fold was infused with love and joy, and I knew the recipients would feel it when they opened the envelope. It was then I decided I wanted to make stationery for a living. Not long after, my mom excitedly told me about a bar of soap she had, and how the box would grow flowers when planted! Yep, those were the cards of my dreams. I found several seed paper makers, and I cut, folded, and planted many papers. The winning paper was beautiful and could be printed with an inkjet printer. Seed paper is much thicker than standard paper, causing the ink nozzles to overlap and print dark lines through colored artwork. Black ink printed great, and that's how the Seedy look was started. Just a couple months later, I began selling at a busy local farmers market and people absolutely loved my plantable cards. For more than a decade, I had the opportunity to market directly to consumers and learn what sells. Thanks to a new printer, the cards took on some color, and thanks to a "Plant Me" sticker, the cards sold themselves. So excited to see where we grow from here!

08/16/2023

A little of after and before…this is just the beginning.

08/15/2023

It's so refreshing to be apart of a supportive Main Street USA community that supports is local Farmer's Market and artisians.

We tried for 1.5 years to have Main Street Ottumwa and Wapello County Farmer's Market to hold the market downtown Main Street, but we were laughed at then told, "don't try to change things, you are not from here."

Ahh the Newton Community "gets it!" We cannot wait to OPEN and take part in these amazing and refreshing events.

And this is why businesses are either going out of business or going elsewhere other than Main Street Ottumwa!

08/15/2023

Our tentative OPENING date is November 1st with a refreshed inventory of Big River Fabric and Gift Company with many new suprises! There is a ton of work to be done inbetween now and then on the house. We look forward to opening our doors to the Newton community and surrounding areas. See you in November!

08/12/2023

We now have an official address plaque! As well as some antique decorative trim and a welcome sign painted from an antique dresser top! Waiting on the door!

08/11/2023

Say goodbye to camp chairs! We now have a sofa!

08/11/2023

Morning accomplished! Cool hidden blade ceiling fan installed by yours truly! Highly recommended!

08/10/2023

Our new wall color! Out with the yellow and burgundy!

08/09/2023

Hmmm this sounds all too familiar and why we left our last community of Main Street Ottumwa! This is so true and a lesson learned.

Be cautious...or better yet - just don't pay them one ounce of attention!!!
We had a HUGE response to our social media audit post so I created a FREE guide for small businesses to get started and audit their social profiles!!
You can get it here: https://www.smallbusinessmoms.com/socialmedia

08/09/2023

My body is not agreeing being on the floor all day painting trim!

08/08/2023

Did someone say white?

08/08/2023

1st coat done to bring this ceiling back to life…

08/06/2023

Oh what did I start? You know where to find me….

08/05/2023

Picked up this beauty today at the What Cheer Flea Market! It’s hand made and will be the new fireplace mantle.

08/04/2023

Added a little back to Mother Earth today at Betty J's Mercantile.