The Happy Woman

The Happy Woman Seriously fun fashion....and hip and happy gifts. Located in beautiful downtown Suttons Bay, Michigan, we are lucky enough to live and work at the lake.

Permanently closed.

Which, according to a sign I saw recently, is "lucky enough"! Our charming boutique is packed full of fun stuff for women including pretty scarves and jewelry and handbags, comfortable and fun fashion, yummy perfumes, body lotions, and candles, sassy cards and gifts, and an inspirational section full of women-oriented art & books. We carry Mixture candles, Tokyo Milk & Melange fragrance, clothing

by Whitewash, Desigual, Lole, Synergy, Elisabethan, Allen Allen, Loco Lindo, Press, Inside Out, and Salaam. We love Erin Smith Art, Anne Taintor, and Shannon Martin -- and carry gifts and cards from all. You'll love our selection of affordable handbags, especially the fun designs from Espe, which sell out every season! We hope that you'll be able to come to beautiful Suttons Bay to shop -- the town is full of creative boutiques -- and would love to see you at The Happy Woman!

Howdy!  If you’ve been wondering what’s been going on in the old HW space, here are a couple of sneak peeks.  Bridget ha...
02/07/2026

Howdy! If you’ve been wondering what’s been going on in the old HW space, here are a couple of sneak peeks. Bridget has transformed it into an artist’s paradise with brushes, paints, sketchbooks - all high quality and the real deal. You can get there from inside .

Miss you guys!!

We’re officially out of this sunny, bright, cute as a button space.  Thank you Suttons Bay! Stay tuned for a new art sup...
12/17/2025

We’re officially out of this sunny, bright, cute as a button space. Thank you Suttons Bay!

Stay tuned for a new art supply store coming from Bridget, my next door neighbor . She’s so excited!

Merry Christmas and shop small!!

My last thank you goes to my parents.  My dad, who passed away in 2021, gave each of his kids a gift of money back in th...
11/29/2025

My last thank you goes to my parents.

My dad, who passed away in 2021, gave each of his kids a gift of money back in the 90s. I squirreled mine away for the speck of a business idea I had in the back of my mind. When the time came, I used that money to buy inventory and fixtures and pay rent. He was always very interested in how things were going with HW. He had owned his own HVAC business, so we often conversed about the numbers parts of business ownership. And when things were down, he encouraged me to keep going.

My mom whose nickname is Spike, for some reason we can’t remember, has been a source of constant encouragement. I have a little magnet that she bought me that says “take your dreams off the back burner”, which I looked at every day until I finally took the leap. She has been my best advertisement at her church where her lady friends ooh and aah over her HW clothes. She has picked me up when I was down and celebrated my successes. Every year on opening day, she sends me a huge bouquet from Forget Me Not. Back in the day, she wrote a cookbook called Spike’s Eats, and we sold it at HW. Even had a book signing! For years, she made cookies for every event I had. Once, when I was in the space in the back, she ran the store for a weekend so Steve and I could get away. And let me tell you, that girl can sell! I can’t imagine the store without her and I’m so grateful for her support.

Ok, now that I’m 😭, I invite you to our last day of The Happy Woman. I made some snickerdoodles (Spike’s recipe of course) and I bought some S*x (iykyk). I’m calling it Snix and S*x! Come see us if you can!

I have so much to feel grateful for on this Thanksgiving but these people, THESE PEOPLE, are on the top of the list!As I...
11/27/2025

I have so much to feel grateful for on this Thanksgiving but these people, THESE PEOPLE, are on the top of the list!

As I’ve stepped away from working behind the counter, these women have stepped and taken over like they were born to it.

They all have such unique talents that they have brought to the job and here are a few examples.

Kerry, who has been working at HW since 2011, is the Queen of Charisma, becoming so popular on Saturdays, that people ask where she is when she’s not there. Her sense of humor and her approachability are her secret sauce behind the counter.

Sue is the Zhuzhing Queen. Once I discovered her talents, she became the back wall and window changer and she often changed things around in the store without me asking. Her calm demeanor and background in nursing came in handy (yes there are stories) as she was always calm and kind under pressure.

Sharon, a former educator, is such a kind spirit. I often came in to find her having lovely conversations with people. She’s an artist too. Not only did she do her fair share of zhuzhing (with her own unique flair), she started selling her whimsical earrings in the shop and had a really great response.

Sarah worked here for 3 summers and shared so many of her talents with us! From her chalkboard signs that featured her incredible calligraphy talent to her creative and funny social media videos, she is a load of fun and joy and so kind and cheerful.

Nancy, our Window Queen, worked as a salesperson for several years, but most recently was responsible for all of the window displays. Her never-ending creativity was a wonderful thing to be around as she came up with ideas that would never in a million years occurred to me. They were always the source of compliments for the shop. She also sold her beautiful sterling silver earrings in the shop, with great success.

These are just a few of the positive things I can say about each of these humans. I’m so grateful that they wanted to work at HW - they are all amazing!

Address

309 N Saint Joseph Street
Suttons Bay, MI
49682

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Happy Woman posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category