Maggie Engstrom & Phyllis Chamides

"W ill you be selling Christmas ornaments in the store?" the woman on the customer side of the counter asked.

At the exact same moment, with the same look of excitement on their faces and identical inflections in voices, Maggie Engstrom and Phyllis Chamides answered "Ooooooh." It was as if to say, "You better believe we're going to sell ornaments!"

Yes, Maggie and Phyllis are more in sync than a pair of Bose speakers. The two have been best friends since their hairstyling days in northern New Jersey. "We've gone through everything together," Maggie said. "Marriages, deaths, pregnancies, businesses..."

Maggie and her husband, John Engstrom, left New Jersey and moved to Westbury Park in Bluffton in June 2007. Phyllis and her husband, Bob Chamides, were unpacking their belongings in their new home in Sun City only nine months later. Today, Maggie is the co-owner of Sweet Bay, a permanent floral and accessory store, on Bay Street in Beaufort. Her sister, Mary Jane Bucci, also a Bluffton resident, is also co-owner. Phyllis is the store manager. Maggie said she decided on the location because she wanted the foot traffic and flow of tourists on Bay Street. 

 "There's really no downside to working with a best friend," Maggie said. "If there is a problem, you have to work it out because you don't want to lose your friend. If you're not good friends, you can walk away and quit." Their friendship began nearly 30 years ago on Stuyvesant Avenue in Lyndhurst, NJ Phyllis was a beautician at a salon that was across the street from a salon owned by Maggie. When Phyllis' boss discovered she and another stylist planned to open their own shop, the women were out of jobs. They needed a place to serve their clients before opening their business, Phyllis said. "So we walked directly across the street and told her (Maggie) our situation," Phyllis said. No sooner did Phyllis find a place to set up shop, the two became instant friends.

"We're kind of like on the same wave length," Phyllis said. "Frick and Frack. Lucy and Ethel." Maggie chimed in. "We'll do anything. We'll try anything. You name it, we'll try it."

There was the time they started a silk flower business when silk flowers were the rage. Another time, they were commissioned to create a floral arrangement at the winner's circle at the Meadowlands Racetrack. The women were hairdressers at the time. "If we could make extra money doing something that we had no idea what we were doing, we would still do it," Phyllis said, while enjoying a laugh with Maggie.

As the years passed, Phyllis became the manager at Maggie's shop. It happened during a time when Maggie was going through a difficult pregnancy with her only child, Marty Potozniak, who now is 27.

Five years ago, the two became long-distance friends, albeit for less than a year. But the move to Bluffton was a logical choice. Her husband, whom she met through Phyllis, was retiring from a career in machine maintenance. Maggie's two sisters, Mary Jane and Joan Carey, had been living in the area for years. Maggie was a frequent visitor, while Phyllis had never made the trip from up north. That all changed. "She (Phyllis) kept driving down and driving down and driving down," Maggie said. "Then she said to her husband, 'You have to come down. You have no idea.'  And he came and that was it."

Both women continued to work after moving. Maggie was employed at Branches Florals, Plants & Botanicals on Hilton Head and in Beaufort. Phyllis did the bookings and billings for Mary Jane, who ran her own interior design company. As the economy continued its downward slide, all three women found themselves out of work.

Their new adventure began in February with the opening of Sweet Bay, a name created by Maggie to reflect a personality trait of their customers and the store's location. Much like their years together in the salons, every day is filled with camaraderie, laughter and conversation.

And, yes, they're counting the days before the Christmas ornaments come out. "The second floor is ready to crash it's so loaded," Maggie said.

Up Close:

Arriving here:  Maggie grew up in North Arlington, NJ, and moved to Westbury Park in Bluffton in June 2006.  Phyllis grew up in Lyndhurst, NJ, and moved to Sun City in Bluffton in March 2007.
Families: Maggie married John Engstrom in 1996.  She has one son who is 27. Phyllis married Bob Chamides in October 2002.
Maggie describes Phyllis as: Glitzy, passionate, level-headed.
Phyllis describes Maggie as: Knowledgeable, creative, trustworthy.
Decorating tips: "Veranda magazine", which is their go-to publication for ideas.