EASTHAMPTON — With Nashawannuck Pond just a few feet away, the name of Pat Foster’s new shop at 20 Cottage St., The Water’s Fine goods + coffee, practically suggested itself.
“This beautiful location on the pond was really attractive,” Foster said on a recent morning. “I thought it was the perfect spot to create the atmosphere I wanted,”
The shop, which opened in November, is fragrant with the scents of candles and essential oil diffusers blending into the earthy smell of roasted coffee and espresso.
“It creates a welcoming place to be,” said Foster, a Florence resident.
Among the most popular options at the coffee bar are the “golden milk” — steamed milk with turmeric, ginger and other spices — espressos, and a London fog latte, Foster said.
There’s also a pantry full of spices, goat’s milk caramels and cookies.
Most of the shop’s space is dedicated to the gift area, which features books on nature, cooking and women entrepreneurs. Also for sale: locally made jewelry, mud cloths from Mali and vintage gadgets re-purposed as lamps, plus candles, lip balms, creams, beard oils, body washes and air plants.
“I am very specific in choosing items that I think are beautiful or fun or quirky or delicious,” Foster said.
Foster said she had her eye on opening a shop in Easthampton for several months before landing a lease in June for the storefront of the former Easthampton Variety store.
When looking at postcards from the 1920s and 1930s, she came across one that would inspire her shop’s name.
A postcard depicting a woman in a pink dress delicately touching her toe to blue water is headed with a simple message. It reads: The water’s fine at Easthampton, Mass.
“I thought, ‘What a perfect name,’ ” Foster said. “The water’s fine, come on in.”
In 2015, the National Rural Water Association declared Easthampton’s public water supply as the best-tasting in the nation, a distinction that also makes her shop’s name seem appropriate, Foster said.
Foster makes T-shirts and hoodies printed with designs based on vintage postcards from the same era to benefit the The Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee, a group dedicated to preserving the pond.
After working for 30 years in marketing and sales — she’s had a hand in designing, brand development, and putting on national and international trade shows — Foster decided she wanted to open up a small retail store.
She said that her past work experience has translated well to opening up her first shop and she enjoys meeting the residents, artists and city employees who regularly stop by.
“It’s a nice mix of culture between Northampton and Easthampton,” said Foster, who added that she’s working on boosting her online reach as well.
“I have a Facebook page for the over-40 crowd,” she said, “and Instagram for the under-40.”
Luis Fieldman can be reached at lfieldman@gazettenet.com