Sweets for your sweetheart
By Kim McCray Sentinel writer

Sentinel photos by Kim McCray From bakery sweets to great gifts and cards, it is not too late to get your valentine a valentine at Phillips & Lloyds.

Elizabeth Rybecki of the Phillips and Lloyd Book Store moved to Hayesville in 1987. Elizabeth was born in Fort Worth, Texas. She has moved several times to different parts of the U.S and spent eight years in Europe where her husband was stationed.

Rybecki moved to North Carolina in 1987 and was a CPA for 24 years. She did not settle here in Western North Carolina until 1998. While here she meet up with some friends who were writers. From that she got the idea of opening her book store up on the square in Hayesville. Elizabeth said, "Books are one of my great loves."

She first started out on June 30, 1999 in the old Clay County Progress building. By the end of January, 2001, she moved to her present location at 66 Church Street, Hayesville. Her store has a very comforting and relaxing feeling.

She carries children's books, mystery, gardening and romance. She likes to carry a variety of local writers so that she can have local color in her books.

Elizabeth has so many cute gift ideas for everyone ranging from mountain made gift baskets, local photos and art, a wide selection of handmade jewelry, music for soft listening and soy candles.

Rybecki orders books weekly so that she has the most recent books in stock. For Valentines Day for the sweet- heart in your life, she has a wide selection of pop-up cards, three different sizes of chocolate candy and Valentine gift bags beautifully wrapped and ready to go.

Two of her top gift sellers for locals as well as visitors are the stuffed Black Bears and Possums. She also has honey from Tusquittee.

Her store makes for a wonderful setting to come in, read a book and have a cup of coffee or tea. She wanted her store to have the atmosphere of a library - and all the art and wall hangings give the store a "warm felling."

Rybecki supports many local organizations. She belongs to the Good Shepherd, where she participates in many different church activities and is in a prayer shawl ministry. She is a member of Travel and Tourist board and Clay County Chamber of Commerce.

Her closing statement was, "It took 11 years to get here - but we always knew this is where were we were headed - and here we are to stay."