Crazy Mary adds exotic fun to Steveston

On June 5th, 2010 at 4:15 PM, I finally gave in to my curiosity.

I had to find out why Sara’s Ice Cream’s twin sister shop had such an unusual name.

The “Crazy Mary” sign - with its pair of curly-lashed eyes and green pig tails had intrigued me since I first spotted a couple sprucing up the shop for business.



So I crossed the street, determined to unravel the mystery.

Upon entering the door, I was immediately drawn to the boldly painted walls - swaths of bright orange, green, and burnt earth. You can tell the owner is not intimidated by a palette that others might find too aggressive.

I liked Crazy Mary already.

A slight young lady with sleek brown hair sat behind what looked like a work table. In fact, with the exception of a white couch, the back of the store resembled a design studio. How wonderful it would be to actually walk in on an artistic work in progress, I thought.

I found the layout of the store very conducive to browsing - with the collection of jewelry, accessories and gifts spread out in an arc that starts from the front door and circling counter clock wise back to the entrance. People were milling about their displays, in the windows, on the counters, and locked inside display cases.






The young lady is actually Mary's niece. They hailed from Brazil where I know, from personal experience, that people exude warmth and friendliness and speak as though they are caressing you with their words.

I asked her why her aunt had chosen such an unusual name for her shop. She laughed and explained that in Portuguese, "crazy" denotes a positive quality. Crazy Mary is someone is who is happy and fun-loving. I would have liked to continue our chat but some customers approached the till to have their purchases rung up.

Perhaps one day, I will be able to meet Mary in person and we can have a crazy good chat. Until then, welcome to the neighbourhood, Maria Maluca, and boa sorte com as suas compras!