BY SYBILLE C. DENNINGER

WELCOME ONCE AGAIN TO FEATURE FRIDAY

THIS WEEK WITH ROCKPORT'S

LA PROVENCE

I'm super excited that I get to write about one of my all time favorite Rockport shops La Provence today! Opening the front door of La Provence is like stepping into a beautiful country store in France...in the Provence region of France to be exact. 

Dawn Naves Noble has owned La Provence since May 2006. She is the quintessential local business owner, and the warm welcome, personal service and attention she bestows on every customer are the reasons why people choose to shop locally. With any luck you might even run into Dawn's little assistant, her vivacious daughter who clearly loves their shop as much as her Mom does.

Dawn has a real knack for merchandising, apparent in the thoughtfully selected original French table wares and linens, fancy soaps, music and much more, as well as in the presentation of these gorgeous items. Her window displays are always eye-catching and an asset to Main Street.

I'm in there frequently. So often in fact that my kitchen and dining room look like a La Provence outpost. Nothing dresses up your table for spring and summer like the stunning tablecloths Dawn imports. They come in various sizes, patterns and shapes, and some have a special coating which allows you to easily wipe off any spills. Of course there are matching napkins...and matching baguette or bread baskets. You can also get the lovely Provence fabrics, printed with traditional sunflowers, lavender and olives, as placemats and dish towels.

La Provence carries a line of dinnerware called Le Cadeaux which looks like expensive French porcelain. The colorful bowls, serving trays, plates and salad utensils are in fact made of Melanine which is durable and dishwasher safe. Nothing beats them for outdoor use but they are also a great every day alternative to fragile china especially if you have kids. Don't be shocked, I bought an entire set :-) For us real estate agents many items at La Provence are perfect for adding just the right decorative touches to a professionally staged For Sale property.

La Provence is THE place to shop for unique presents, fancy candles, high quality French soaps or luxurious Roger & Gallet lotions and perfumes, all while feeling like you traveled to France without the jetlag and language barrier.

Another remarkable aspect I would like to point out is Dawn's tireless promotion of Rockport's small businesses as well as her efforts to raise awareness of the fact that many stores in town are open all year. Dawn has been instrumental in implementing several very successful campaigns such as the "Shop Local" week during the holiday season, "Visit Rockport Year Round" and "Shop Rockport". Along with a group of other internet savvy business owners she dedicates a lot of time to social networking and marketing, not just for La Provence but on behalf of Rockport merchants in general.

Dawn's La Provence Facebook page is always worth a visit:

https://www.facebook.com/laprovrockport/timeline

La Provence has been nominated for a 2015 BONS Award from North Shore Magazine.

Stop in and enjoy all that La Provence has to offer, or conveniently shop online at:

http://www.laprov.com/laprov/LaProvence.html

Current store hours:

 Photos graciously provided by Dawn Naves Noble