MELISSA SANDULLO’S dream of owning a bakery was off to a good start until a health issue forced her to close, as the work was too physical. “What I loved about the bakery is that it would light people up when they saw the cake they’d ordered,” she says. “I still wanted to create a space that did that. And where everyone feels like they belong.” So she switched to other passions: all-natural products and vintage clothes. She started paying attention to ingredients when her mother battled cancer. As for retro fashion, buoyant, playful cuts and patterns are just her style. Hey, Tootsie sells a line of chemical-free skin care (“Basically anything you’d find at a beauty counter,” Sandullo says) and home cleaning products. One room contains racks of new and vintage cloth- ing in sizes XXS to 3X. Back shelves are sprinkled with kitschy planters and leather cuff bracelets from Hoosier makers. Sandullo’s father gave her the big porcelain “shop cat” she asked her followers online to name. (Anastasia Beaverhousen won.) Hey, Tootsie—we feel the love.
3639 N. Raceway Rd.; Wed–Fri 3–6:30 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
