Christie Harris is making a name for herself with the names of others.

"It seems as soon as you put someone's name on something, it becomes the perfect gift," Harris said.

If someone buys a friend a plain T-shirt, she said, they might wonder why.

"But you put their name on it or their monogram, and suddenly it's the most special gift under the tree," she said.

Her store, Stitched and Stamped, which began as an online business seven years ago and now has its own storefront in uptown Jackson, is filled with those "perfect gifts."

Christie Harris, owner of Stitched & Stamped, stands outside her retail store Tuesday on East Adams Street in Jackson.Laura Simon

Harris, through embroidery, hand-stamping and vinyl applications, can personalize just about anything.

Stocked with clothes, jewelry, blankets, handbags and other sundry items, her store allows customers to choose their own canvas for Harris to place her -- or someone else's -- mark.

The embroidery, she said, is always popular, but the holidays have brought an increase in hand-stamped jewelry.

The products personalized with vinyl are usually less expensive, she said, making them a good option for parents seeking gifts for a teacher or small businesses looking for convenient but individualized gifts for employees.

Most personalization work can be done within two or three days, she said.

Harris was always a crafter. In her teens, she would sew her own dresses for formal dances.

She also had an entrepreneurial spirit.

"That was something that was always in me," Harris said.

In eighth grade, she made a purse, brought it to school and received quite a bit of positive feedback.

"So the next day, I came into school with a notebook with all my fabric samples taped and stapled to it, and I took orders," Harris recalled.

She continued crafting even as she began work as an accountant in St. Louis.

When she inherited her first commercial embroidery machine, which she still uses, she began selling personalized clothing and gifts in an Etsy store during the weekends and her off hours.

After her daughter was born, the "work hard, play hard" lifestyle of a CPA wasn't ideal, and her side business was doing well.

So she resigned and refocused.

"My last day was April 16, 2010, the day after tax day," she said. "So far, so good."

Her focus was first on embroidery, until surgery rendered her temporarily unable to run the machines.

"I got stir-crazy," she said, and began hand-stamping jewelry because she could stay seated and keep her hand tools within arms reach.

"It's kind of like embroidery: What embroidery is on fabric, the hand tools is on metal," Harris said. "They're both very tedious, but that's how my brain works, so I enjoy it."

Stitched and Stamped is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

New Dollar Tree store being built

A new Dollar Tree store is under construction next to Hobby Lobby at 201 S. Kingshighway, according to a construction permit issued by the city of Cape Girardeau.

A message to the property owner for more information went unreturned.

Two assisted-living sites are expanding

Capetown Independent Living by Americare unveiled plans to expand its independent-living campus.

From left, Jeff Branch, Mike Landawee, Megan Steimle, Clay Crosson, Morgan Beasley and Mary Eaves break ground on an expansion of Capetown Independent Living.Submitted

Four additional cottages mean the community soon will have 24 cottages and four patio homes.

Also, construction is underway for The Arbors at Capetown, a residence dedicated specifically to memory care.

From left, Mike Landawee, Jeff Branch, Morgan Beasley, Mary Eaves and Clay Crosson, president of Americare, stand in front of The Arbors of Capetown development.Submitted

The Arbors at Capetown is a 16-unit residence that will cater to people living with Alzheimer's disease and other memory impairments. Most resident studios are private, and all have a private bath.

In a news release, administrator Morgan Beasley said the common space in The Arbors incorporates aspects of home, such as a welcoming kitchen.

"We designed a space that resembles that family kitchen with a big island and seating for eight," Beasley said in the release. "And we know from our sister Arbors community that it will be the hub of activity and fellowship for our residents."

The facility will also include a recreation and wellness area, a sensory stimulation room and an outdoor living space with a garden and walking path.

The Arbors at Capetown is scheduled to open in the summer of 2017.

Codefi expansion party set for Tuesday

Codefi will host an expansion party on Tuesday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. to celebrate its expanded workspace in the Marquette Tower.

Modern Woodmen rep honored

Kelly Darby, a financial representative with Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial, was named Life Application Leader in the Missouri East Region in November.

Darby, from Jackson, Missouri, has been with Modern Woodmen since November 2010.

New York Life rep earns coveted spot

Eric R. Marquart has been named a member of the 2016 President's Council of New York Life. Members of the President's Council are among the top 5 percent of New York Life's elite sales force of 12,000 licensed agents.

Marquart, a New York Life agent since 1987, is associated with the company's St. Louis general office. Marquart, who resides in Cape Girardeau with his wife, Karla, is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University with a bachelor's degree in business management.

He has served on the board of directors of the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Kiwanis Club and worked with other charity organizations in the community. According to a news release, he also is a qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table, the standard of excellence for life insurance sales performance in the insurance and financial services industry.

Business licenses

An ownership change has taken place at Zoomin' Groomer Mobile Dog Salon. The business, once owned by Stacy Busch, now is owned by Ashley Hahs.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

105 East Adams, Jackson MO