New twist for familiar Main Street shop

With a familiar shop with a new spin, Main Street again has a one-stop-shop for greeting cards, gifts, collectibles and much more.

The Byrd's Nest, located at 300 W. Main St. in the former Hallmark store, is taking the same basic premise of the former store and sprucing things up in hopes to keep regular customers coming back while also attracting a younger audience. The Byrd's Nest will still offer greeting cards, small gifts and collectible ornaments during the Christmas season, but the new owner is looking to shake things up with new products and ideas.

"I had been a stay-at-home mother and wife for four years, and my husband and I had talked about opening something. We looked into the tanning business and several others, but you had Downtown Tanning that was coming so we kept looking," said owner Joie Byrd. "I always loved to shop at Hallmark. I love the store, love the atmosphere and we just decided that this was something we wanted to do."

After talking with Hallmark, Byrd and her husband decided to look elsewhere for products, especially cards, and settled with American Greetings. In addition to the switch to AG, Byrd decided to make some changes to the inside of the store.

"I've always liked to come to Hallmark, but it was a little crowed. So we decided to open it up a little," Byrd said.

Byrd said while the store still carries many familiar brands and products, such as Arkansas Razorback and St. Louis Cardinal collectibles, she has been personally searching for new lines and items. Some of the new products available include the new line from Romero Britto, a Brazilian designer out of Miami. The Romero Britto Collection includes everything from purses and luggage to teddy bears and trinkets, each having its own unique design. Britto also does a great deal of charity work for St. Jude, which was one of the big draws for Byrd.

The Byrd's Nest is open from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday and is closed on Sundays.

cpinkard@blythevillecourier.com