Make merry, shop well and keep calm as the holiday season creeps in.
Holiday shopping is more than finding the just right gift, it's taking in the experiences local retailers have to offer. Find warmth and cheer while checking off another cheery to-do.
Why not visit a trunk show?
Laura Hlavec,designer and owner of Temple of Fashionin Saint Paul, will be having a trunk show at Thrivefrom 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
"Our customers have really liked her stuff," said Jenny Daniels, Thrive sales associate, as she pointed out Hlavec's signature DNA seam.
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"Laura will bring down two or three racks. You can buy off the rack. She can make it for you with your measurements. It's a great time to come," said Deb Hanson, co-director and co-buyer at Thrive.
"It's like a workout material, but it's fashion. It's trendy, comfy, and cozy," Hanson said.
Good reasons to shop a trunk show with its designer present:
• Carrying an entire line of apparel from a designer is a challenge for any retailer.
• Designers are so well acquainted with the colors and flow of their line that they are able to make great personal recommendations.
• Special orders placed at Thrive during the trunk show will ship directly to Thrive. No shipping or handling charges will be passed on to the customer.
Busy local retailer elves
"I'm always looking for something," Hanson said. "Boutiques have to be different."
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She allowed me into her back office for a sneak peek of some great gifts that will soon be arriving in her store: boot socks and leg warmers by Grace and Lace and Tari Noir. The Miss Molly will is one of the Grace and Lace styles on its way to Thrive. And the Tori Noir boot warmers feature snaps and foot grips. "They are so well made," Hanson said.
Alyssa Preussof Herring Art and Framefound a jewelry line she had to carry while shopping for art: Ria Foster's Northwind Jewelry.
"He (Foster's grandson) came to show us the art and he had the jewelry with him and we fell in love with it," Preuss said.
Preuss introduced me to bird's feet pearls, ocean jasper mined off the coast of Madagascar, and other stones I had never heard of.
There were gemstones carved into animals and jade with patterns carved into it. In addition to the uniqueness of the stones used and the carvings, Preuss likes how the necklaces lay. "Very elegant," she said. "Definitely statement pieces."
Prices of the Northwind Jewelry line vary in price from $80 to $175, with pricing dependent on what the piece is made of.
'Retailtainment' is holiday fun
At Rochester's Apache Mall,Old St. Nick will be attending a special breakfast so he can meet with guests. The breakfast is presented by Gymboreeand Crazy 8in the Apache Mall Food Court from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Breakfast will be provided by Subwayand Caribou Coffee. The Teddy Bear Band will perform.
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Share holiday joy
Apache Mall's Sharing Tree Toy Collection, benefiting local families, begins on Friday and runs through Christmas Eve.
The Salvation Army Bandwill perform by the tree in the JCPenneycourt starting at 5 p.m. Friday. Toys will be distributed by the Salvation Army to less fortunate families in Rochester and the surrounding area.
