Never before has downtown Allentown served as a throne for a goddess.
Clockwise from top: Earth Goddess, a new eco-friendly shop in downtown Allentown, offers various eco-friendly products and information regarding the benefits such items have for the environment. A Kitras Glass Art “Tree of Enchantment” ornament hangs in the front window. Owner Sandy Loble of Allentown points out the recycled magazines used to make the mirror for sale. Entreating locals to use eco-friendly products that help protect the environment, Earth Goddess has just opened in the historic Imlay House at 28 South Main St.
“There are very few environmentally friendly jewelry and gift retail stores in New Jersey, and Earth Goddess fills an important need by providing an environmentally progressive alternative,” said Sandy Lobley, who owns and operates the store with her husband Rick.
Allentown’s Lobley family aims to evoke a green approach to downtown shopping by selling goods made out of recycled materials and products that reduce the burden on Earth’s limited resources.
“We’re excited that Earth Goddess is committed to providing our customers with a one-stop shopping experience that promotes the protection and sustainability of the environment,” Lobley said.
Lobley hand selects eco-friendly products made by artists from across the United States. The shop sells eco-chic fingerless gloves made out of bamboo, hand-painted silk scarves, nature-imprinted pottery, Envirosax reusable bags, Primal Elements glycerin soaps, healing scent diffusers, recycled glass nightlights, handmade paper products, and solar chimes. In the jewelry case, shoppers can find earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets made from traditional materials such as sterling silver, beads, and stones, as well as nontraditional materials such as twigs and coffee beans.
One of Lobley’s favorite product lines is English Retreads, which makes handbags and accessories from recycled tires. For those looking for more of a sheen in a coin purse, Earth Goddess sells bags made out of soda can tabs. The store also has Jane Marvel, Maruca and Hempmania bags, which do not use leather in their construction.
Customers have taken a shine to the recycled bottle cheeseboards made out of flattened liquor bottles, such as wine and Gray Goose and Van Gogh vodka bottles, according to Lobley.
“The boards are made in upstate New York out of melted glass bottles,” Lobley said. “I’ve sold six in two weeks.”
Lobley’s employee and friend Rosemary Keller, of Hamilton, said the shop wants to see customers leave happy with purchases that are different from what everyone else has.
“You can tell a lot of love and energy has gone into every product,” Keller said. “When we’re around these items, we feel the energy, and when someone takes something home or gives it as a gift, the energy goes on.”
The tag on the Kitras Art Glass Enchanted Tree of Joy hanging in the front widow of the shop reads, “Every small act of kindness can help make the world a more joyful place,” and Lobley’s motto is just that. She said she decided to promote eco-friendly products to do her part in helping the planet and sustaining its resources.
She and her husband will become grandparents in January, and they have three children— Rae, 30, Nikki, 28, and Sean, 21. The family looked at other local towns but decided to open the store in their hometown because they have enjoyed shopping on Main Street since moving into Allentown 19 years ago.
“We love it,” Lobley said. “It’s very quaint. There’s something about Main Street that makes people want to come to this town and walk from store to store. To come to a small town like this … is like heaven.”
For more information about Earth Goddess, call 609-223-23709 or visit www.shopearthgoddess.com.