Gifts galore on the south side of town at Sweet Ruckus
06 Sep 2017
Subtle humor abounds at Table Mesa shop
By Florence Connally photos by phil mumford Finding the perfect gift can be hard, especially when the nearest gift shop is clear across town. Tania Petrulis hopes to change that for south Boulder residents with her store, Sweet Ruckus, located in the Table Mesa Shopping Center. The store carries a variety of women’s and children’s accessories, paper goods, jewelry, and items she describes as curiosities. Petrulis is no newcomer to the gift business. For more than 20 years, she worked on the wholesale side selling gift items to other gift shops. Sweet Ruckus gives her a place to highlight the products she’s come across over the years. “I see things that I love and buy things that I love,” says Petrulis. Then she adds with a laugh, “But the really crazy ones don’t always sell!”
The Perfect Present—Even with a Goat
Originally from Boulder, Petrulis still lives in town and in the same neighborhood where her store is located. She saw firsthand the need for a gift store on the south side of Boulder, because “it’s harder to get across town these days.” Since opening the store, she has become even more connected to her part of town. “What I didn’t know was the connections I would make with all the people in the neighborhood. I love the comings and goings of people,” Petrulis says. It’s these connections that help make the store, whether they’re with a dog and owner she remembers meeting on a trail, or with Sweet Ruckus gift recipients who come for their own gift-giving needs. That was the case when a neighbor came in to search for a gift for a goat-themed birthday party. Petrulis happens to stock farm-animal pillows ($44.75), including one that features a goat. After receiving the present, the recipient came in to buy the exact same pillow for someone else. Shoppers may even get a chance to meet Petrulis’s own pets—Otis the dog and Saphie the super-social cockatiel. Saphie loves to see people and isn’t caged when he hangs out in the store.
Sweet Ruckus (303-494-5131; www.sweetruckusgifts.com) is located in the Table Mesa Shopping Center at 607 S. Broadway, Suite F, Boulder 80305. It’s open Monday-Friday from10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.Petrulis also strives to carry items made by Colorado businesses. These include Rosy Rings candles from Denver and the beautifully packaged Lollia bath products out of Englewood. Yes, there may be a few shoppers who are daunted to find themselves in a store that “just has the things my wife would like,” as one browser remarked. But they need not worry. Petrulis has them covered with gift cards and a wish-list service, and loves “to help people find something special that will make other people happy.” There truly is something for everyone, and to top it all off, Sweet Ruckus provides complimentary boxes and ribbons to wrap it up with a bow.
Florence Connally is a freelance writer who lives in Lafayette.
