Residents of the oft-maligned state of New Jersey know that it offers so much more than the gritty…read moreindustrial scenery of the Hydro-Pruf factory and gas storage tanks seen in the opening credits of the Sopranos. New Jersey features a diverse landscape that ranges from from the factories of Paterson to the 9,800 farms covering 790,000 acres of farmland in the state.. with a unique and rich tapestry of upscale and blue-collar towns across the state from Montague in the north to Cape May in the south. Just Jersey is a store that celebrates it all. Just Jersey is a independently-owned and -operated retail outlet in Morristown that features carefully curated, locally-produced, and reasonably-priced products that celebrate the rich culture and history of the Garden State. It's a one-stop shop for all things Jersey - high-quality, handcrafted art, jewelry, and clothing products as well as shelf-stable food products produced by local artisans - that make thoughtful, decorative, functional, and tasty gifts for current or former New Jersey friends and family as well as wonderful decor for home or college dorm room to remind family and friends of the culture and attitude of the Garden State and their hometowns. What's more New Jersey than New Jersey-shaped pasta or a "Jersey Girls Don't Pump Gas" keychain or a decorative sign with your zip code or town's name crafted from decommissioned New Jersey license plates? Paul Miller and Tina Bologna, Just Jersey's co-owners and shopkeepers have created a special place in Morristown that serves as a hub of the local community and supports more than 300 New Jersey-based small businesses. They seek out locally-produced products that are uniquely 'Jersey' and produced by New Jersey-based small businesses to stock in their store and website. Every product in the store and website comes with a story that Paul and Tina are happy to share. They also host periodic launch parties in the store to celebrate new vendor and products added to their inventory. To celebrate the recent Small Business Saturday, my shopping companion (.. in full disclosure, a Jersey Girl through and through who lured this then-New York City resident to relocate out to her home state ..) and I stopped in to Just Jersey to pick up her weekly fix of Cape May Peanut Butter Company's Natural Peanut Butter produced in a facility at the Cape May County Airport. We wound up eavesdropping on a conversation between Paul and a local politician on the town/township's political history and buying my shopping companion a beautiful sweater knitted by Paul's wife which she'll wear proudly she's supported a New Jersey-based small business. We will definitely be back! PRO TIP #1: If your small- or not-so-small New Jersey-based business needs to thank its customers for their patronage whether for the holidays or just to say thank you.. why not celebrate the state your business calls home while supporting the local economy? Just Jersey has plenty of experience with creating and shipping corporate gift baskets full of locally-sourced products from small businesses. PRO TIP #2: Just Jersey does not have a private parking lot, but there is plenty of paid on-street parking on South Street or Maple Avenue. Bring change or use the ParkMobile app for the meters ($1 per hour) Monday through Saturday from 8am til 6PM; all street meters are free Monday through Saturday after 6pm and all day on Sunday. If you can't find a spot on the street, paid parking is also available in the Morristown Parking Authority Lot #8 (@ 10 Franklin Street) and Vail Parking Area (@ 110 South Street). FREE on-street parking is located on MacCulloch Avenue, just two blocks from Just Jersey.

Was walking around Morristown and saw this shop which I had noticed the last time I was here…read more Popped in and it was a cute Jersey themed store. People inside were so nice and provided snacks to a dog which I thought was really cool. After browsing I got salt water taffy from Atlantic City and a Jersey hot sauce. They have everything from food items, mugs, clothes, etc. definitely coming back next time I am in Morristown.

Signed up for knitting lessons. When I got to my first lesson the instructor asked if anyone was…read moreleft handed and I said I was and the instructor told me that I had to learn right handed which was not working for me. If I had known this was going to be the case I would have never signed up. When I went back to return my unused yarn and complained they provided me with another name to call - I have already out $148 - no thank you very disappointed.

I know absolutely nothing about yarn or knitting. However, I needed to pick up a gift for a friend…read morewho is *very* much into it so I dropped by The Blue Purl while visiting Madison. I am very happy I did! The Blue Purl is a beautiful shop. It looks like you're hanging out in someone's beautiful den (who just happens to LOVE knitting with TONS of yarn on shelves). Here's the brilliant part: The Blue Purl has several preset kits you can buy as gifts. Each one includes all the yarn you will need with a card or paper inside with color photos showing you what the end product will look like. This was *perfect*! I wound up finding a set and it made for a super easy purchase. One more fun thing: the shop owners will also wind the yarn for you at no additional cost. This is probably old hat for knitters but for me this was a very cool thing to witness so I had some fun too! I highly recommend The Blue Purl if you need gifts for a knitter or need supplies for yourself.

I have a new favorite place for my spring flower planting needs - good stock, good prices, great…read morestaff. I bought 15 bags of mulch for a little more than I'd have spent at Home Depot, but let's face it, no one at Home Depot is loading mulch bags onto the hard to manage cart, no one at Home Depot is hauling the mulch to my car and loading the 15 bags into my car in a geometric pattern so they'd all fit! I saved a trip to Rt 10 AND the flats of flowers' prices were better than at the Farm. I hope the whole community supports this great place! They are wonderful!

We hosted our son's third birthday at Creekside this spring and it was wonderful. The family who…read moreruns it is kind, helpful, and incredibly accommodating -- they made the day feel special from start to finish. The kids and parents had a blast, the brand-new play area is perfect for all ages, and the table areas are gorgeous. A truly seamless and stress-free experience (is that even possible with a kids' party?!). We'd do it again in a heartbeat and highly recommend it for any local outdoor party or school event.

The staff is knowledgeable and the class is interesting and the yarn is versatile and above all the…read moreplace is clean

I had gotten into Summit on Sunday and was excited to buy some of their yarn. The lights were on…read moreand the door open when I passed the store, but when I walked in an elderly woman with a wedge haircut informed me that the shop was closed. As far as I could see, before I was abruptly shown the door, the yarn selection was a lot of cheap and tacky Cascade product. Save your money and go to a yarn store where the management actually wants to make money.