By RINDY METCALF

Staff Writer

Beehive Jewelry Company, located at 1901 N. Service Road, Suite E, keeps customers buzzing in and out with unique costume jewelry, runway style accessories and super-low prices.

Brent and Amy Bernard, co-owners of Beehive, opened shop in November 2002 with a space that was half the size it is now.

"Two reasons we started an outlet store were to get customer feedback and to be able to put excess goods out on the shelf," Brent Bernard said.

He said they distribute their self-designed goods to about 2,500 stores nationwide.

The Bernards travel as far away as Indonesia and Thailand to get design ideas for their trendy and edgy customers.

"By going to these places, we get to see things other people don't get to see," Amy Bernard said. "We try to bring different ethnic influences into the marketplace."

Brent Bernard said their ethnic-inspired collections and their low prices are not the only things that make their business unique.

"We create our own one-of-a-kind lines that come from original thought," Brent Bernard said.

He also said their collections all have names that tie into the name of the store.

"The Crazy Daisy, Little Bee and Bella Bee lines tie into the initial thought of Beehive," Brent Bernard said.

Steven Black, manager of Beehive, said their merchandise does not stop at jewelry.

"We also have wedding gifts and inexpensive decorations, like silk flowers to decorate a first apartment," Black said.

Black said they had to knock down walls to make room for more merchandise.

"We added on every month until May 2003 as the amount of merchandise grew."

Black said they are always finding new things to add to their collections.

"We want to add small pieces of furniture later on," Black said.

Women of all ages come in droves with their gal pals to comb the shelves for that perfect little item that would make their outfit complete.

Mandy Mosley, a freshman nursing major, said she heard about Beehive from her friends who are always wearing the company's merchandise and decided to take a look for herself.

Mosley said the accessory shop has a lot to look at and lower prices than she has seen in any store like it.

"They have everything anybody would want color -wise, and their stuff is in style," Mosley said.

The stock of initial purses, sparkling jewelry and neon flip flops is enough to make a girl run out of the store with her eyes closed to preserve her pocketbook.