Local Charm, Simply Yours & Where Holiday Giving Begins
Photographer / Jubilee Edgell
Walk through the corner doors at Michigan and Garro in downtown Plymouth, and you’ll feel it right away. The space is warm and easy to wander. Tables are set with seasonal finds, shelves hold Indiana-made treats, and a display of engraved gifts suggests a story behind every item. Owner Sandy Saenz greets customers like neighbors, remembering who loves Chala handbags, who collects lake-themed décor, and who visited to discover the perfect teacher gift.
This is Simplee Stated Gifts — where thoughtfulness and creativity greet you at every turn.
Sandy’s path to retail began with a talent for making people feel seen, along with a knack for creative artistry and detail. Years ago, she worked as an office manager for a construction company, where one of her many responsibilities was creating the company’s corporate gift baskets. The feedback was constant — everyone told her she should do it as a business. Encouraged by those compliments, she tested the idea with a six-week pop-up inside Martin’s Super Market in Plymouth. After finishing her day job in South Bend, she would drive to the grocery store, open the small shop by mid-afternoon, and stay until 9 p.m.
People noticed. Before long, a downtown shopkeeper invited her to become a vendor. The seed took root.
That location in downtown Plymouth has stayed constant, even as her role evolved.
“I tell people when I share my story that I have been in the same spot for 13 years, but it’s just been three versions: a vendor, a partner, and now a sole owner,” Sandy says.
In 2017, she purchased The Frame Shoppe, the longtime custom-framing business on the Michigan Street side of her L-shaped building. Today, Simplee Stated Gifts & The Frame Shoppe flow together as one welcoming experience with two entrances. One door opens to gifts and apparel — the other to the framing studio, where custom designs and memory pieces take shape.
Sandy’s creative streak started at home. She learned wood crafts and wreath-making with her mother, then turned that eye for creative detail toward gifts and displays. The store’s décor is thoughtful yet relaxed — each product helps tell the story. Four street-facing windows carry the seasonal theme throughout the year.
For December, they shine with Christmas charm, drawing passersby toward the sparkle within. Inside, customers linger on original wood floors and wander between women’s clothing and accessories, home décor, lake and cabin accents, children’s items, and a corner devoted to Indiana pride.
A feature wall labeled “We Are Indiana” grew from a simple question visitors kept asking: Do you have postcards or anything small that says Plymouth? That sparked a hunt for state-sourced and state-themed goods. You’ll find soup and cookie mixes from the Soup for Success Mission in Elkhart, salsa and jams made in Bremen, Ben’s Pretzels dry mix, Amish popcorn from Berne, and fudge and chocolates crafted in Nappanee.
Shelves also feature well-known gift lines including Chala handbags, Dr. Squatch, Inis fragrances, P. Graham Dunn, Warmies, Stonewall Kitchen, Leanin’ Tree, and Studio M Art Poles.
Customization has become one of the store’s biggest draws. Sandy added on-site laser engraving nearly six years ago and now personalizes an impressive range of items.
“I have a laser engraver here on site,” she says. “I have over 400 items that I can personalize.”
Customers bring ideas and leave with engraved mugs, tumblers, frames, cutting boards, ornaments, and plaques — each one ready to mark a milestone.
One memorable engraving story began when five sisters visited to shop for their eldest sibling’s 80th birthday. One sister had written a poem filled with family memories. When they discovered the range of items Sandy could engrave, the shopping trip turned into a mission. They secretly planned with her to etch the poem onto a plaque they’d found in the shop — one featuring a graceful tree that reminded them of their family roots. When the birthday celebration arrived and the honoree opened the gift, everyone cried tears of happiness.
Memories are preserved in many different ways at The Frame Shoppe. People bring in everything from concert posters and children’s art to military medals, farm photographs and quilts. Sandy listens to each story first, shaping a design that honors the sentiment and stays within budget. One of her most memorable projects came from a retired pastor who wanted to frame a portrait of his late wife.
He and Sandy planned the mat and moulding together while he sat comfortably, sharing memories as they worked. When he later picked up the finished piece, he was moved to tears. He told Sandy he has coffee with his wife every morning. Those moments remind her why custom framing matters.
When asked what stands out most about her business, Sandy shares that it all begins with connection.
“It has to be my customer service — the friendly atmosphere, one-on-one,” she says. “I might not know your name, but I’ll remember that you liked something in my store.”
She treats every customer like family and means it.
“You don’t ever, ever apologize for crying in my store. My store is a safe space,” she says. Sandy emphasizes how her business is very much a calling. “I know that I know that I know that I am where I’m supposed to be.”
When sharing life’s joys or struggles, many people find comfort in the safe, welcoming space Sandy has created — and in her listening heart.
Community has always been part of her story. As president of Discover Plymouth, the downtown merchants group, she helps plan collaborative events that bring people to the city’s heart.
When she first arrived as a vendor, empty storefronts were common. Today, those spaces fill quickly with new small businesses. Her next-door neighbor is Gather, a restaurant created by the Gather 2 Graze team. The two spaces share a wide interior opening, so diners can step through to browse the gift shop while waiting for their meal, then return for dessert — or a second look at that perfect item they spotted earlier.
Seasonal events at Simplee Stated Gifts are both festive and engaging. December brings “12 Days of Christmas,” a daily spotlight where one in-store item or category features a special price for that day only. The popular Red Envelope promotion begins on Small Business Saturday, the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Shoppers earn a sealed red envelope with a qualifying purchase. Inside is a coupon that might be 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30% off a total purchase, a discount on a single item, or even dollar savings.
Guests bring the unopened envelope back in January or early February, open it at checkout, and often stack it with clearance pricing during the semiannual sale. Two grand-prize envelopes include gift certificates for a full year of shopping. It’s a tradition that brings cheer to the quieter winter weeks and gives customers something fun to look forward to after the holidays.
Hands-on creativity thrives in the store’s make-and-take area. The newest favorite is a crushed-glass and resin art class. Participants choose a shape template, place contact paper, select from a wide range of crushed-glass colors, and pour resin for a luminous stained-glass effect. Because Sandy uses a quick-set resin, participants can take their treasures home with them — a handcrafted keepsake as personal as it is beautiful.
The reviews say it best. “This is a cool store to stop in and check things out,” writes Steven Wheat. “The owner is friendly and very helpful … it’s a great place to pick up gifts for different kinds of parties.” Jennifer Criddle calls everything “so adorable,” from jewelry to clothing to household items. Amanda Lawson praises both the prices and the kindness: “Sandy was such a gem … she made me feel so comfortable.”
Yvonne Comeno appreciates the engraving and value, while Pam Lee sums it up perfectly — Sandy is phenomenal at helping find the perfect gift and “does so much for Plymouth.”
Another shopper, Heather Banas, captured the experience this way: “The store is full of Indiana-made products, squeaky hardwood floors, friendly smiles, and treasures you didn’t know you needed until you found them.”
Sandy’s calendar reflects that same community spirit. She hosts a holiday open house each November benefiting Blessings in a Backpack, a nonprofit that provides weekend meals to children who might otherwise go hungry when school is out. She also helps organize downtown traditions such as the Chocolate Walk and a music-themed scavenger hunt where families match holiday song titles to participating businesses. The goal is simple — to bring people downtown, introduce them to local shops, and keep Plymouth’s small-town heart thriving.
The heart of it all still circles back to relationships. A customer once came in, quiet and weighed down by the recent loss of a son. She was preparing for a long-planned trip to Disney World with her other son and grandchildren but felt guilty about going. They talked for a while — about the trip, the grandkids, and the memories they would make together. Weeks later, she returned, saying the trip had been exactly what she needed. Before leaving, she turned to Sandy and said, “Thank you for making me smile.” It’s a moment that perfectly captures the difference between shopping small and shopping anywhere else.
At Simplee Stated Gifts & The Frame Shoppe, you’ll find engraved keepsakes, cozy home décor, women’s apparel, lake and cabin accents, Indiana goodies, and that hard-to-find something you’ll be so pleased and proud to give. Step into The Frame Shoppe next door for custom framing that treats your memories like art. Then stop by Gather for lunch before heading back to pick up the gift that caught your eye. You’ll leave feeling as if you’ve discovered something more than a store — something heartfelt, genuine, and worth returning to again and again.
Simplee Stated Gifts & The Frame Shoppe is located at 100 W. Garro St., Plymouth. For more information, give them a call at 574-936-5259 or email them at simpleestatedgifts@yahoo.com.
