Eight years ago, Terri Wischerath opened a small gift shop in Mt. Pleasant’s Belle Hall Shopping Center. Since then, the shop has been so successful that in 2013 it was named one of the 25 Most Gifted Retailers in the United States. Why the accolades? It has everything to do with the energy and passion of Wischerath and her collaborators—husband, Joe, and daughter, Kelly. They’ve combined their eclectic tastes and uncanny sleuthing abilities to gather merchandise that keeps people coming back season after season.

Zinnia’s shelves hold gifts and temptations of all sorts: picture frames, greeting cards, handbags, jewelry, handmade wooden toys, fine ceramics and more, ranging in price from $20 to $2,000.

A rush of creative energy and lightheartedness greets every customer who walks through the door. Wischerath’s mission is to offer “something new, something different.” And that means she is constantly looking for products her customers are unlikely to find elsewhere.

The work of Oregon artist Christopher Marley makes the cut. His wall-worthy shadowboxes showcase the patterns and brilliant colors of exotic moths and dragonflies.

Then there’s British designer, Orla Kiely, whose simple, cheerful bags [pictured left] are perfect springtime accents.

Zinnia also offers authentic American turquoise jewelry. American turquoise, according to Wischerath, is the best in the world. “My daughter, who lived out West, noticed that it was being collected by people in the East and rightly determined it would be popular here.”

The best thing about the boutique is how much fun it is to browse. Wischerath is more than willing to give you the backstory on every treasure—where she found it, who made it and why it’s special.

So for a great afternoon, visit Zinnia at 644-O Long Point Road or online at shopzinnia.com.

—Arden Cone