Community Corner

Treasure Hunt in Belmont

The Friday Patch Passport shows you where you can find trinkets in town.

No journey is complete without scouring the local stores for unique trinkets or picking up a gift or two for friends and family back home. Today, get out and explore this unique local store and all they have to offer. See what treasures you can discover.

63 Leonard St. 

Find out what's happening in Belmontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

617-484-0093

For anyone coming to Belmont, the prospects of finding that special gift, card or trinket were greatly improved with the colorful addition of Marmalade in April.

Find out what's happening in Belmontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Belmont Center is sparking up a little bit, getting a little more color in its cheeks and with the additional space, we will be able to carry the stuff that I love, like more jewelry and stationary,” said Leigh Standley DiBernardo CEO and creative director of the shop's parent company, Curly Girl Design.

A bright kaleidoscope of whimsical cards, jewelry and eclectic gifts, Standley DiBernardo compares the shop that showcases her artistic design roots to the women’s chain boutique Anthropologie.

“It’s like a mini Anthropologie turned up for accessories,” she said explaining the unique patchwork of fun gifts. “The whole idea is that you could spend an hour in here; take a deep breath and have fun walking around.”

Originally Marmalade served as a space to showcase the products of the wholesale company, Curly Girl Design, that was founded by eight years ago. Focused on personalized greeting cards and small gifts, the shop outgrew itself and expanded to the location that housed An Elegant Affair, the Center's only other gift shop.

DiBernardo said the impetus for Marmalade started with the Curly Girl Designs greeting card line for which she designs, the bulk of which is distributed throughout New England.

The cards are a collage of personalized messages with individualized designs and images, carrying messages that speak first to the receiver and then to the moment in their life.  

“All of the cards are made for the person not for the occasion … they carry original sayings on the front, ones that are original to us,” she said.

The new space consists of 1,200 square feet that she will fill with more cards, but also expand to new lines in housewares, jewelry and paper related products from various vendors.

The store space also includes a basement which DiBernardo plans on finishing for future use, likely to be dedicated to personalized workshops and community and holiday events, such as hands-on sessions with bookbinders, jewelers and artists to create holiday cards as well as themed events like trunk shows.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Belmont