The News Arts & Antiques in downtown Saline has closed, but not necessarily for good. Its owners, Lisa and Donna Southwick, still own the building and hope to renovate a space in back for a downsized version of their shop, either with limited hours or by appointment only.
“When we closed a couple months ago for some renovations, it was such a relief to finally have some downtime that we realized we needed to make a more permanent lifestyle change,” Lisa Southwick explains. “That’s what this is, a lifestyle adjustment.”
Lisa Roberts, who’s taking over the rest of the space, is still running hard. Roberts opened her Ann Arbor gift store, Rock Paper Scissors, in 2012. She and her husband, Ken, later added an online arm, Midwest Supply Co., based two floors above the Ann Arbor shop .
Pinning down Roberts for an interview this summer was a challenge, but it made sense once she revealed all she’s been juggling on a tight timeline–moving two separate businesses while also looking after two young children, ages four and eight.
“I’m so sorry I’m late to call, but we just got a huge delivery for the Saline store, and the driver made us remove everything by hand from the pallets!” she exclaims when we finally catch up by phone. Unloading the truck set her back but not by as long as one might think–she and her small but loyal staff got it done in half an hour. “We may not be strong in numbers,” she says, “but we’re strong in hustle.”
She’s excited to be in the middle of downtown Saline and to have room for both her businesses in one space. The timing wasn’t ideal, but Roberts made sure Midwest Supply didn’t miss a beat. “We sell to over a hundred shops around the state, many of them up north, and it’s a short season for them,” she explains. “I can’t afford to miss filling their orders.”
Affable, funny, and fast-talking, she admits to spending “all kinds of time” setting up a store display, only to realize that it would look better in a different spot. “I probably did that fifty-two times in the past few days,” she laughs.
Roberts grew up in Ann Arbor, but she and her husband are raising their children in Saline.
“I feel like I’m in both my little homes. I love getting to be part of both communities,” she says. One thing that’s different: The Saline location has plenty of on-site free parking.
Rock Paper Scissors, 106 W. Michigan Ave., Saline (734) 316-2412. Tues.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. noon-4 p.m. Closed Mon. rockpaperscissorsshop.com
