Coastal, cozy and chic

By Megan Smalley

Savvie’s Blue Shell Boutique opens as a new coastal gift shop in Solomons Island, Maryland, with chic styles and cozy finds.

Vickie Kite Milburn found a special way to celebrate her birthday this year: She opened Savvie’s Blue Shell Boutique as a new coastal gift shop in Solomons Island, Maryland.


“Instead of a traditional birthday celebration, I spent the day welcoming customers into the new store,” she recalls.


Savvie’s made its soft debut on April 30 to the Solomons Island community, with fixtures fully stocked with resort-inspired fashion, unique handbags and accessories, thoughtfully curated gifts and a large selection of Solomons name-drop apparel, souvenirs and seasonal items.


“We welcome visitors discovering Solomons for the first time, along with many local residents who stop in regularly to see what’s new,” says Milburn. “Since we’re always bringing in fresh merchandise and seasonal collections, there’s usually something new to discover with every visit.”


Savvie's highlights some sun hats along with beachy tees and sweaters.

The new store is Milburn’s second in Solomons Island — she has been running Blue Shell Gifts & Decor inside her sister’s business, Jacqueline Morgan Day Spa since November 2021. The spa store has much more than traditional spa-themed finds, as it’s full of coastal decor, jewelry, candles and thoughtfully curated gifts.


“I wanted that gift shop to be filled with beautiful things that I would love to receive or give as a gift,” says Milburn.


But as the store grew, so did customer requests. Many people came into the spa store asking for apparel and accessories. To meet the growing demand, Savvie’s opened earlier this year on a memorable birthday for Milburn.



Embracing opportunities

Milburn describes her foray into retail as a bit of an accident. She had worked as a mortgage loan officer for a long time and had spent more than 25 years publishing Southern Maryland This Is Living magazine. When her sister announced she would be opening a second Jacqueline Morgan Day Spa location in Solomons, she asked if Milburn would create and operate a gift shop inside the new spa.


“It sounded like a fun new adventure, so I said yes,” Milburn shares.


Then COVID hit, and plans for the store got delayed. But by the fall of 2021, the new spa gift shop was opened for business. The store became a spot for locals and tourists alike to find the perfect gift, souvenir, seasonal item or beautiful piece for their home.


One display is full of gifts with fish, crabs and other beach life themes.

“Looking back, I probably should have done more research before opening a retail store, but sometimes the best lessons come from just jumping in and learning as you go,” Milburn relates. “I realized everything I had done before prepared me for this. Publishing taught me marketing, photography, storytelling and building relationships. Those skills have been invaluable.”


And over the last few years, Milburn has noticed changing interests among customers at The Blue Shell. Since a popular dress shop in Solomons closed recently, more customers had been searching for resort- inspired apparel at The Blue Shell.


When Milburn learned that new store space was opening in town near the spa earlier this year, an idea for a new store sparked. She signed a lease for her second Solomons storefront in late February.



Envisioning the space

After she received the keys to her new storefront, Milburn quickly began preparing for what would become Savvie’s.


“I had a vision in my head of what I wanted the store to become — I’m a very visual person,” she says. “I wanted Savvie’s to feel coastal, cozy and chic — a place where people would enjoy wandering through the store and discovering something around every corner.”


Milburn painted the walls navy and white to remind customers of the water surrounding Solomons. She adds that she painted much of the furniture in the store herself, repurposing some fixtures from The Blue Shell and having a friend build her a display table from an old door she had been saving for years. Her husband, Scott, also helped in picking out furniture and arranging it in the store.


“Almost every piece of furniture has a story,” says Milburn. “Some came from my own home, while others came from my sister and niece, Facebook Marketplace, antique shops and generous friends.”


The new store’s name is also significant to Milburn.


A table is filled with coastal-inspired jewelry and accessories.

“When my great niece Maura was little, I thought she might call me ‘Gavi,’ for Great Aunt Vickie. Instead, she called me, ‘Savvie,’ and the nickname just stuck,” she says. “The name has always made me smile, so when I opened the new boutique, it felt like the perfect name.”


With fixtures in place, Savvie’s is carefully organized in a way that each area focuses on a different element or theme.



A growing presence

Savvie’s hosted a ribbon-cutting and grand opening celebration on May 8 with the whole community. Since then, Milburn says she has been excited to see customers shop her stores on Solomons Island.


“Many of our customers shop both stores, and that’s been especially rewarding to see,” she says. “They’ll start in one store, then stroll over to the other because each offers something a little different. Together, they’ve become a fun shopping experience for both locals and visitors.”


Milburn also hopes to see both The Blue Shell and Savvie’s grow while also staying true to their roots, with Savvie’s serving as a coastal fashion boutique and The Blue Shell being a coastal gift shop.


“Each store has its own personality, and together they offer a much larger shopping experience than either one could on its own,” she describes. “More than anything, I want to continue making both stores places where people enjoy spending time. Whether someone is looking for the perfect gift, a new outfit or simply wants to stop in and say hello, I want them to feel welcomed. If they leave smiling, inspired and feeling just a little happier than when they walked in, then I know we’ve done our job.”