There’s a new shopping district in town.



Sure, the Stadium District has boasted Rankos Pharmacy, Tiki Lounge, the (now defunct) Space and the well established King’s Books, along with Franco the Tailor, several salons, Enoteca and Tacoma Wine Merchants, several restaurants, and Stadium Thriftway, but now, with the official opening of the new shop Calla Lily and the recent opening of My Petit Pea, the small chunk of land near Stadium High School is the kind of place you can get lost shopping in for hours.



It happened to me, just today as I stopped in “for a few minutes” and kind of lost track of time.



Calla Lily, which opened in Tacoma Sept. 4, has been an established business in Puyallup for four years.



The shop that initially began as a flower shop that offered wedding design and planning for special events evolved into a design shop as co-owner Patty Drotz’ reputation as a designer became established. Callie McCugh, co-owner along with her mother, explains, “Our goal is to help people love their living space.”



They do this through a combined approach, both with consultation services that range from in-house consultation/colorizing to in-store consultation and “counseling sessions … a good bottle of Merlot!”



“Half of our job is educating,” explains McCugh as she describes the sometimes rocky process of helping people put together their homes.



“We don’t focus on high-end clients,” she adds. “We go in and use what they have. It’s not always about buying new stuff.”



They’ll also consult for special event decoration. “That’s where our events background comes into place,” explains McCugh.



“There’s a little bit of something here for everybody,” Calla Lily employee Cindy Amidon enthused as I wandered through the shop.



She’s right; the store offers scents, décor, some furniture and friendly service that anyone could appreciate, but she was talking about the shopping area in general.



There, too, she’s right: in this afternoon’s stroll, I’ve managed to get some yummy items from My Petit Pea for the wee one’s school wardrobe as well as a onesie for my friends’ toddler that proclaims, “My parents call me no.”



I’ve eyed the toys and creative goodies in the toy section and almost wished myself a second baby looking at the items for the teeny ones.



Farther down the walk, I’ve found a great shrug at Tiki Lounge, now that the weather’s gone crisp, as well as a T-shirt that makes me happy, and will continue making me happy layered over a long-sleeved shirt. I’ve considered going into the Tacoma Wine Merchants and picking up a good bottle of wine, as I’ve considered nipping in to Kings and getting a concubine book sweet pea’s told me about — alas, my time has run out, being a woman of many obligations.



I do know this: Saturday will see me shopping at the Stadium district as Calla Lily, My Petit Pea and Tiki Lounge co-host a grand opening event Saturday, Sept. 22 from 10 am to 5 p.m. with a $5-off-purchases card redeemable that day only, as well as munchies and sips, and a chance to meet the faces behind the bright new shops that are bringing a new vitality to the area.



All I can say is, fun, fun!



[Calla Lily, 7 Tacoma Ave. N., Ste A, Tacoma, 253.627.5520]

[My Petit Pea, 7 Tacoma Ave. N., Ste B, Tacoma, 253.238.9246]

[Tiki Lounge, 17 N. Tacoma Ave., Tacoma, 253.593.5300]