Shopping Coweta’s Best Boutiques: Gifts and children’s items galore
Written by JENNIFER LONDON | Photographed by SARA MOORE
This year’s Best Boutique categories in Newnan-Coweta Magazine's Best of Coweta awards feature some new winners and long-time favorites, plus the shop owners who are doing what they love: bringing unique items and well thought out, curated shopping experiences to Coweta County.
Best Gift Boutiques
1st Place, Gillyweed
Her sixth year winning first place in the Best Gift Boutique category, Gillyweed owner Valerie Dumas opened her store in downtown Newnan in 2012.
“I’m always grateful," she says. "There’s always tons of competition, especially with new stores opening up every year.”
Staying current with the trends is what keeps customers coming in, some weekly, according to Dumas.
“We just passed the strawberry phase," she says. "Strawberries and berries were everywhere. Going into summer, I'm seeing more – believe it or not – sardines! That’s the next big thing that you’re gonna see everywhere. I’m seeing it in jewelry, in dishtowels and plates.”
The fun and sassy cards in Gillyweed’s stationary department are their No. 1 sellers, says Dumas, noting that the store is rounded out with clothes, jewelry, baby items and more. The shopowner enjoys helping people find the perfect gift.
“You know how they have matchmakers? I feel like sometimes we’re matchmakers in the gift industry because customers come in, they tell me a little bit about the person they’re buying for or what exactly they’re looking for – or maybe something they’ve seen – and then we’re trying to do some investigative work,” she says. "I might have the exact same thing they're looking for, so that’s always good when I hit a home run for that.”
Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dumas has a business degree, was a travel agent for several years, and had always dreamed of opening her own store.
She carries fond memories of growing up going to charming boutiques with her mom.
“That would be our fun day together, mom-daughter shopping day," she says. "Those memories of sharing that time with my mom were very special and what made me want to open my own boutique to offer that special activity for future mothers and daughters.”
Also an artist, Dumas adds her own abstract art to the store, where she's created a niche: a beachy and coastal vacation getaway located on Newnan's Court Square.
2nd Place, Newnan Mercantile
Newnan Mercantile has been open for eight years in downtown Newnan.
“I always dreamed of a storefront, and I really wanted to have a career where I could take my children with me and have the opportunity to raise them,” says owner Rachel Hornsby. “So I started the business to be more family-friendly, to have a laid back schedule, and ultimately to provide for a community that was good to me. I thought it was a win-win both ways that I could have my kids with me and be able to network in a community that I love.”
With a background in interior design, Hornsby always loved decorating and first found opportunities to sell online, then moved to popup shops before opening her store. First carrying home goods and home decor, Newnan Mercantile expanded to feature furniture, gift items and women’s and men’s sections.
“We’re like a true mercantile that carries everything,” says Hornsby.
As for what’s trending, she says 2025 is the year of blues and greens in textiles, wide leg jeans for women, and lots of color with bright, bold patterns. She also reports that floral and embroidery are coming back. For furniture and decor, clean lines and wood in neutral and warm, earthy tones will be in demand, according to Hornsby.
3rd Place, Lee-King Pharmacy
Owner Mindy Leech bought Lee-King Pharmacy in 2020, making her the fourth generation of local Newnan ownership. Opened in 1906 on Court Square, it's one of the city's oldest businesses and has been at its current location for more than 50 years.
“Our gift boutique has grown and maintained its identity as a staple where you can find anything you need,” Leech says. “We’re proud of it.”
As a local business, Lee-King supports local artists and vendors by featuring their art and jewelry in the pharmacy's gift boutique.
“It’s a fun way to showcase some of the talent that we have in our city and county,” she says. “We have everyone from 10-year-olds to 85-year-olds coming to shop, and we try to have something for everybody."
Leech remembers growing up riding her bike to Lee-King to get a Coke and candy bar.
"And now I own it, and I’m watching my kids’ friends come in and do the same thing," she says. "It’s come full circle.”
Leech worked for former Lee-King owner Bobby Lee while she was in college, and when she moved back to Newnan, she asked him if he would be interested in selling to her when he was ready to retire. As they say, the rest is history. Not only do Leech and Lee have a longtime friendship; he still works at the store a couple of hours each week.
Best Children’s Boutiques
1st Place, Pink Flamingo Kids
First time winner and owner Amber Hinson opened Pink Flamingo Kids in downtown Newnan two years ago.
Moving to Newnan from Florida, where she had previously run a toy store, she knew she wanted to open one of her own. It took her about four months to find the spot, and in its two years, the store has grown from carrying 55 brands to 122. Hinson carefully curates her shop so that it's different from what one may see anywhere else.
People dropping by the store on their way to a party don’t have to worry; Pink Flamingo Kids does gift bag wrapping and caters to busy families. The shop features clothing from newborn to age 8 for girls and 6 for boys along with toys for children ages 0-14.
“I carry a lot of clothing, probably 35 percent clothing and the rest are toys," says Hinson. "I prefer wooden toys because I think they last longer, and they’re better for the environment and the kids.”
The toy selection features scooters, ride-on toys, Army toys and more, according to Hinson who says she invites children to visit and touch everything.
“That’s how kids learn, and that’s how they learn what they like," she says. "I try to make it a very open, friendly store. I have parents that come in, they’re like, 'Don’t touch anything!' But I say, 'Please touch everything.' It's a toy store; it’s supposed to be fun.”
A former teacher, Hinson has a degree in family and child studies and enjoys seeing children have fun in her shop.
2nd Place, M&G Marketplace
Born and raised in Newnan, Mandy McManious, owner of M&G Marketplace, does custom embroidery in the store she's operated for three years; prior to that, she sold her goods for six years at Newnan Market Days.
McManious supports local businesses by offering some of her Market Day friends spots in her store to sell their handcrafted items.
“Those people have my heart," she says. "I love them, and I appreciate what they do because it is hard work.”
Having a shop in downtown Newnan was always her dream, according to McManious.
"Ever since I was a little girl, we would come to downtown Newnan to go shopping," she recalls. "When Goldens was Kessler’s, I remember walking in and smelling the popcorn. Oh, it was so fun!”
As a child, she played store and wished for a real cash register from Santa.
When she was 15, she got her first job in retail and worked her way up to a corporate level. Eventually, she started a family and wanted to be home with her children; while using her embroidery machine to make things for her children, a career was born.
McManious embroiders just about anything and says bridesmaid and bachelorette gifts are popular, as well as trucker hats with phrases like “Put it on my Husband’s tab” or “Go ask your Dad.” During the back-to-school season, she stays busy making personalized backpacks, lunch boxes, nap mats and teacher gifts.
3rd Place, Ellie + Roo Baby
Ellie + Roo Baby owner Rachel Hornsby named her children's boutique for her two daughters. Opened in February 2023, the shop shares space inside her other store, Newnan Mercantile, in downtown Newnan.
Ellie + Roo Baby carries items from newborn to age 10 for girls and boys, including clothing and shoes, books, toys and a swim line. Hornsby says trends in children’s clothing includes prints and lots of camo for boys and for girls, too.
“We do a lot of floral and solids," she says. "Everything is school-friendly. I want to have stuff for the kids that they can wear all the time and not just for something specific."
On the first Friday and Saturday of each month, the children's boutique holds its warehouse event with discounted items 25% off; proceeds from the monthly event go to the Newnan Mercantile On Mission Fund.
“It’s our little fund that we use to go straight back to the community to help families directly,” says Hornsby noting that she gets emails suggesting families in need, and she checks in with Bridging the Gap to see if there are needs her store can help meet. NCM
