Providing a serene escape for women in Millstone
Kathy Waters opens a new boutique on Millstone Road
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff At the Blue Waters Boutique in Millstone Township Christi Hart (top left) shows a customer an orange pearl necklace, while Melissa Dunner-Porter (right) looks for a new handbag and Nancy Kaminski (bottom) teaches Trai Gozzi, 8, how to put together a scrapbook.

In the midst of Millstone's rolling farmland, Blue Waters has started to pool women's interests.

Kathy Waters, a Millstone resident for the past 14 years, has created a small seascape in the Perrineville section of the mostly rural town. A farmer's wife with an affinity for the beach, Waters decided to open a boutique for women that's reminiscent of a calm and soothing ocean.

In a seaside setting, the Blue Waters Boutique offers custom-made jewelry and accessories. Along with designer products, Waters sells various items made by Millstone women.

"There are a lot of talented women in the area who can't get out and start their own business," Waters said. "I want to support the women in town and their talents."

For Waters, the boutique is a natural extension of her life on the farm where she started throwing children's birthday parties and women's home shows about 10 years ago.

"It's an extension from doing birthday parties on the farm," Waters said, "but now I'm also doing parties for women so they can get away from their busy lives and get together."

The boutique offers a variety of parties and instructional classes for those ages 5 and up.

"Instead of the rustic farm atmosphere," Waters said, "girls can come here for pajama parties, teddy bear parties and beading parties."

Blue Waters employs five instructors who provide differently structured classes.

One instructor offers a beading class where participants learn how to make a bracelet from start to finish. The cost of the class is $35 plus the cost of materials.

Another instructor offers a beading class for those who would like to design their own bracelets or bookmarks but want the instructor to complete the project while they and other party-goers enjoy each other's company. The cost for this class is $20 plus the cost of materials.

The boutique offers a scrapbooking class where participants learn to make a scrapbook layout using paper, stickers and other embellishments. Another class allows individuals to create a seasonal or celebration banner out of patchwork and appliqués.

"Women can make beautiful things for themselves or as gifts," Waters said.

Throughout the parties, women have the opportunity to browse through the boutique, which offers Swarovski beads, Chamilia charm bracelets and charms, Italian woven scarves with silk trim, handmade lunch bags, seashell purses, silk-screened bags from Hawaii, American Girl dresses and matching doll clothes, Douglas Paquette pet accessories and Melie Bianco handbags.

Millstone artist Jaime Schrank also has paintings for sale in the store. Schrank helped Waters implement the oceanside theme in the boutique and even painted a mural of the ocean on one of the walls.

"We're going to have a gallery showing of all of Jaime's work here in May," Waters said. "That's just one way of supporting her.

"This whole venture started by trying to support other women in the community who wanted to do this," she said, "and it continues to grow from there."

For more information about the Blue Waters Boutique, call (732) 851-6813.