The Savvy She Shed opens June 4
By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
Fans of Cheryl Heller’s Savvy Chick boutique rejoice: Heller is returning to Baldwinsville’s business community with The Savvy She Shed, which features an eclectic offering of handmade gifts and decor made by local artisans.
Heller closed The Savvy Chick in 2018 to spend more time with her family.
“My husband had retired and the shop, as it was, was taking up a lot of my time. It seemed like it was time to step back,” she said. “For two years I tinkered here and there and we did some traveling. And then I realized I really missed being in the business community.”
Despite her semi-retirement after The Savvy Chick closed, Heller continued to sell her creations at craft shows. She also focused her efforts on A Cause to Celebrate, an organization that brings Baldwinsville businesses together to support a different nonprofit each year. The 2020-21 beneficiary is the Cpl. Kyle R. Schneider Foundation, which supports military servicemembers and veterans. While at the gift gathering reception for this year’s now-postponed gala, Heller ran into Shelley Hoffman, a real estate broker and champion of B’ville businesses.
“Shelley Hoffman came up to me and said, ‘Hey, I don’t know if you’re considering coming back into the business community but I have a piece of property I think you should look at,’ and the rest is history,” Heller said.
Between Hoffman’s tip and reconnecting with a high school friend at a craft show, Heller’s yearning to reenter the business reignited. As with its predecessor, The Savvy She Shed is a cooperative model featuring the work of various local artisans. Among them are Bill Heller’s Hellures (handcrafted fishing lures), Darlene Cashin’s Life Celebrations (signs and throw pillows with witty sayings) and Tamara Crowley’s Wired for Fun jewelry.
“I am trying to offer a nice variety of things that you aren’t going to find necessarily in the other shops,” Heller said. “Things may change from time to time. An artist may come and go or an entrepreneur may come and go.”
Heller and her stable of artists also take custom orders. She recently made favors for a virtual baby shower that the family could mail to the would-be attendees: bags of PopSecret popcorn adorned with pink bows and a onesie tag that read, “It’s no secret — Hannah’s about to POP!”
Once health officials deem it is safe to do so, Heller would like to host make-and-take craft nights and promote events taking place elsewhere in Baldwinsville.
“There’ll be things coming down the pike,” she said. “Not only is the county opening up in phases but the She Shed is opening up in phases too.”
The Savvy She Shed takes its name from the State Farm commercial about a woman named Cheryl (played by Chicago-born actress Nicole J. Butler) who complains to her insurance agent that someone burned down her “she shed,” a trendy, refurbished backyard structure popularized by crafty women like Heller.
Heller’s shop features a wicker love seat rescued from her garage, a faux weathered fence, an antique ironing board and other shabby-chic-turned-Savvy-Chick details. Bill Heller built a sales counter out of wooden garden fencing.
“I wanted to make it look like a garden shed that had been turned into a boutique,” Cheryl Heller said.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, shoppers may only enter The Savvy She Shed two at a time or by appointment. Face masks are required, and Heller has ultraviolet light and steamer equipment to sanitize items and surfaces between shoppers. Customers will also be able to order items online to ship to their homes or for curbside pickup.
Heller said she is hoping to greet her friends and customers with hugs when the pandemic is over, but for now, they will have to settle for Hershey’s Hugs and Kisses at The Savvy She Shed.
“I’m excited to share it with everyone,” Heller said.
The Savvy She Shed is located at 60 Oswego St. in the village of Baldwinsville and will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. For more information or to schedule a private shopping session, call 315-416-1000 or visit thesavvysheshed.com or facebook.com/TheSavvySheShedBville.
