All-American endeavor

Everything sold at a new general store in Barrington has one thing in common. All merchandise is made in the United States.

Norton's USA carries everything from jam to environmentally friendly mosquito repellent.

Deborah Leydig of Barrington Hills opened the shop at 400 Lageschulte St. earlier this summer based on a theater production that she starred in several years ago.

Leydig, a professional actress, played Barbara Ehrenreich in "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America," at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. The production is based on Ehrenreich's book that questions whether anyone could survive on minimum wage.

"The answer was no," Leydig said. This prompted Leydig's research and political interests.

Leydig believes that when big discounters drop their prices so low, they are forced to keep wages low and manufacture overseas.

Leydig is attempting to prove that this isn't the way it has to be.

For the past four years she has been searching the Internet to find American-made merchandise. "I keep pounding," she said.

It's her goal to keep prices at her shop moderate. "This is not a high-end gift store," she said.

A top-seller at the store so far has been the Anchor Hocking glassware. A covered cake plate with domed glass ranges from $20 to $25. Drinking glasses are $1.99.

She sells Homer Laughlin china, blankets, brooms, artwork, cards and lotions.

The entrepreneur also makes some of the merchandise herself, using previous career experience. She hand screens wrapping paper, makes dog beds and children's playhouses in the shape of teepees.

After graduating from the Art Institute of Chicago, she worked as a fashion designer in New York in 1978. She started her own business and designed her own dress line. When her children were born, she got into graphic design and in 1982, she launched her own line of wrapping papers.

In 1989, she launched her acting career.

Her new shop, which opened in June, is open four days a week so Leydig can keep up with the merchandise demand. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

The business owner grew up in Arlington Heights and graduated from Arlington High School. She has been married 30 years to attorney Bruce Pfaff. The couple has two children, Liza, 29, and Sam, 26, who are both scientists.

"The store is a lot of fun. There's so much stuff," said Leydig, who named the store after her dog.

She serves soda, candy and ice cream to kids who often come to visit on their bikes.

She said, "We sell the world's best potato chips -- Ole Salty's. They're made in Rockford."