By JoAnn Lower

Quiet music, soft lights and the scents of lavender and eucalyptus greeted me as I entered North Star Garden & Gifts. Strolling the aisles of this magical space with its vast collection of fine furniture and specialty items, gardens of blooming flowers, plants and trees, my decorating imagination went wild! And, much to my surprise this eclectic shop, owned and operated by artist, Bryn Pangburn, is tucked quietly between the North Star Car Wash and A&I Auto (north off Highway 65) in Northwood. Featured at North Star is high-end statuary from Chicago, clay pottery from Ohio and teak from Indonesia. But Pangburn's exquisite selection doesn't stop there. Melodia wind chimes, stunning red, spun bamboo vases, elegant garden chandeliers and clocks accent each room. A particular garden globe catches my attention. "It's a solar gazing globe," says Bryn. "Morphing through all the colors of the rainbow, it puts on an incredible night show!" Guarding the back room of this quaint shop is a teak bulldog. Also in the line of statuary are a graceful pagoda and a charming angel clutching a rose, appropriately named the Rose giver. Tall, slender evergreen trees, deer topiaries, and lighted water fountains surround the teak dining table where Bryn and I relax drinking flavored coffee from large mugs. Glancing around the room, I learn that Bryn is also a photographer. Displayed on the walls in elegant black and white is her two-series set of photographs called "The Farm Wife." Leisurely walking through the front of the shop, I can scarcely take it all in - whimsical rain gauges, primitive, antique reproductions of sheep and pigs, plus a rooster pitcher sure to make you smile. There are unique birdhouses, a hummingbird feeder resembling a martini glass, American flags, a one-of-a-kind Indonesian root bench and a garden statue of a little girl carrying a solar lantern. Now that she's thoroughly whetted my appetite for home and garden decorating, I see that Bryn also carries a complete election of grass seed, fertilizer and weed killer. And then there is the greenhouse that calls out "spring is here!" Filled to the top with colorful hanging baskets, annuals and perennials, trees and shrubs - a parade of blooming gifts for Mother's Day! Previously an old chicken coop, turned wood-working shop, Pangburn purchased Doyle Boutelle's store four years ago, turning it into the year-round gift shop that it is today. Bryn now has more plans: To create an outdoor courtyard in the back of the shop where she will serve refreshments and desserts. In the future, food will be served and the space rented out for graduations, showers and wedding receptions. Upon asking this remarkable woman from where her talent came, she answered, "from my Dad." Born and raised in Northwood, Pangburn graduated from the Northwood - Kensett schools and went on to Austin Technical College. She then entered NIACC where she majored in offset printing and graphic arts. Wanting to further pursue her art, she then enrolled at Iowa State University. Quite an accomplishment for a young mother of three! "It was through circumstance that I stayed in Northwood," Pangburn remembers, "but later I became passionate about my hometown. Northwood is a special place to be – full of wonderful people and that is why I spend every ounce of my being here. I want Northwood to survive and grow to its fullest potential." Bryn fondly remembers being a little girl and riding her bike to the swimming pool and the Ben Franklin store. "Our community has always looked after each other - a safe feeling – so important for a child!" By living in Northwood, the Pangburns feel they have given their children full, rich childhoods. "Our small town provides good citizens for the world." Bryn smiles as she speaks of her children: 27- year-old Nigel Millard, a medical doctor, is completing his first year of residency in Mason City; 20-year-old Grayson, a college sophomore, 17-year-old Paige, a junior in high school; and six-year-old Peyton, who attends kindergarten. It was about seven years ago that entrepreneur Bryn talked her husband, Donnie (owner of North Star Car Wash, also employed by Kraft Foods), into building what has become an amazingly successful corn maze on their place outside of town. This September, the maze will feature a Civil War reenactment. For a unique, unforgettable shopping experience, visit North Star Garden & Gifts. Bryn Pangburn's welcoming smile will draw you in; her reasonable prices will keep you coming back again and again.