Funky fun finds at Langley’s Star Store

By PATRICIA GUTHRIE

Special to The Record

The Star Store has anchored the town of Langley on Whidbey Island for over 100 years.

“There’s something here for everyone,” said employee Danielle Harper as she rang up a sale. “I love seeing people’s faces when they walk in. Some seem absolutely blown away by the selection.”

The old mercantile is many shops in one.

The main floor is a grocery, with a deli, fresh veggies and meat, plus a generous section of bottled wine, beer, cider and liquor. Wander through the boutique of clothes, jewelry, kitchen and home goods, kitsch, greeting cards, gifts and funky fun finds.

Follow the worn wooden staircase up to the second floor for a kaleidoscope of toys, puzzles, puppets, baby clothes, sensational socks, fluffy stuffed animals, cat purses and more.

Here are some of our favorite finds:

Kitty Key Light

Let this kitty cat help you get back home, or to your hotel room. It lights up. It meows. It helps you find your keys in the dark, $6.95.

Caramel Sea Salt Toffee

Made especially for the Star Store, these nuggets of Whidbey Island delight make a tasty gift, $6.95.

Roosters

Cuddly roosters to crow about. Aurora, a company that uses recycled materials, makes the stuffies, $9.95 to $29.95. Bunnies By The Bay makes a big rooster, $34.95.

Fake nose and glasses

Yes, they are still around — the ultimate disguise: fake nose, glasses, bushy eyebrows and mustache. The goofiest gag gift, $3.95.

Dinos

Dinosaurs roar upstairs at the Star Store. Pick from a variety of puzzles, books, hats, stickers, toys and a Dino Bite! hand puppet from Toysmith, $7.95.

Overalls

Functional and fashionable, soft yet durable and a farmer/gardener/artist/mom wardrobe de rigueur, by Lana Roux, $95.

Coffee cups

Sip from a reminder of your time on Whidbey Island, a place “so magical ferries take you there.” Choose from an assortment of cups and slogans, $15.95.

Hierophant Mead

Made up the road, Hierophant Mead is not your college roommate’s homemade honey-wine horror show. This Whidbey mead is delightful in tone, taste and variety. Surprising combos of northwestern herbs, trees, botanicals and honey fill every sip, $17.99 to $25.

RBG: Gone but not forgotten

The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is remembered by a few novel companies, including Washington’s Archie McPhee. Dissent Collar nodding doll, candle, coffee cup, book, $6.95 to $19.95.

Sea Salt Espresso Martini Mixer

Unwind and perk up with this mix from Stonewall Kitchens, $11.95. Add vodka, whiskey or bourbon to create an espresso martini or salted mocha or mix with milk for a frothy treat.

Drinking with Chickens

Southern California home “chixologist” Kate E. Richards writes about her adventures in mixology with backyard garden herbs and feathered flock. Rhubarb rose cobbler, blackberry sage spritzer and lilac apricot rum sour are some of the 60-plus recipes, $22.

Wear Whidbey

Fashioned like the varsity letter sweater you never wore in high school, these plush Whidbey hoodies made of “vintage fleece” are just the ticket for the island’s chilly marine air, $51.95.

IF YOU GO

The Star Store, 201 First Street, Langley

starstorewhidbey.com

This story originally appeared in Sound & Summit magazine, The Everett Daily Herald’s quarterly publication.