Day 5

Today we double back a bit to a few stores that were closed on Monday and/or Tuesday when we were over on Antique Row. I went into the Sanford & Son Middle Merchants today and found so much fun stuff in there! I also saw a few vacancies in the Middle Floor Merchants mall so if you're thinking of dipping your toe into brick and mortar retailing this might be a good place to get started. After that I popped by Luna and Goldie's on Broadway where I found even more great things for you to buy! 

In case this is your first time checking out the Duchess of Downtown blog, what you've come upon is Day 5 of 12 Days of Christmas Shopping.

You can catch up here:
Welcome Page
12 Days of Shopping explanation
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4 

OK, let's get into Day 5! And if you are following in my footsteps please let the stores know that The Duchess of Downtown sent you. Also, please forward this blog to your friends. If we work together, we can help bolster our local economy and keep our community vibrant. For more information on why you should shop local, click here.

Sanford & Son Middle Floor Merchants

As I mentioned above, there is a very quaint little mall inside Sanford & Son Antiques. The store itself has 3 floors, one on Broadway, one on Commerce and one in the middle. That's where you'll find all these shops.

Here's a listing of upcoming events at Sanford & Son.

Blue Octopus 

This store was not open but I grabbed a couple of snapshots through the french doors to give you a peek inside.

Collector's Den

Brand new to Middle Floor Merchants, this tiny store had several cute items including another vintage phonograph and various antiques. These were the things that caught my eye.

Chess set

Giant gold pirate ship.

A very happy donkey.

Chinese lion

Sweet's & Stuff 

This store wasn't open either but here's a peek.

Crystal Web

At first I didn't want to barge into this shop because the shopkeeper was in the middle of giving someone a psychic reading. I waited a few minutes and then came back. I always ask permission before I take pictures because they look at you suspiciously if you don't and of course I don't want to do anything that they're not comfortable with. So far everyone has said yes.

Really pretty crystals

Fertility statues? Yes, those are my hands in the reflection. 

Sage: you light it on fire and the smoke from that is
used to clear the energy of a space and remove bad juju. 

The Tea Works

A Little Touch of Magic

I found some really cute things in this shop and found out that in addition to their regular sizes, they also carry a lot of plus size clothing there. She said the plus size is a big seller so they have a few racks dedicated to it. Several things in the store are locally produced including jewelry and dolls. She said they will soon be getting a lot of prom dresses in stock as well.

This could be considered goth or steampunk.

This necklace was made by a local artist.

They also have some fabulous shoes in any size you need.

How cute are these babies!

Skull cameos

Serenity Garden Design

This store wasn't open today either. Here's another sneak peek through the door.

Kathy's Charm

This shop was a mixed bag of used items for adults and children. She had a couple of racks of clothing and a lot of toys which seemed to be gently used. 

This caught my eye right away. If they made these for adults I would totally buy one.
I think it would really help with PMS.

I wonder if these ladies have ever been invited to a Mad Hat Tea party.

This remote control truck looked pretty fun. I'd totally give it a spin.

This is a monster. The shop owner told me that he plays football.
I think she meant in some TV show. He costs $40.00. 

Now, back out to the street. We're on the Broadway side near 9th. 

Luna

Sadly I learned that Luna will be closing for good after Monday so if you like something you see here you should hustle down there or contact Bo Chambers the designer at the contact info provided below.  I just discovered this store so I'll be sad to see it go. Bo Chambers is a clothing designer and she makes some truly innovative coats, hats, scarves and other clothing items. She recently made a Santa's Helper costume for me from a scribble I drew on a piece of paper. She's amazing.

This is Bo Chambers. You can find her on facebook or by phone: 253-304-5517

Goldie's

Say hello to a little bling-a-ding-ding. If you like rhinestones (and who doesn't?) you'll find some great stuff in here. She also has some jewelry that she designs herself but she didn't want me to photograph it so you'll have to go down there to see it for yourself. Here's some vintage costume jewelry she had on display: 

 

I'm so glad to see broaches coming back in style. I love adding a little sparkle to my hats and lapels. 

I don't know about you but I'm totally seeing a cake under this lovely thing.
She said its meant to protect food from insects when you're outdoors. Its a really beautiful thing and I'm not sure the picture does it justice.

She has several dish collections that are to die for and she displays them by color. These remind me of my Mother's dinner parties. My Mom liked to decorate the table by a theme and have the dishes, the food, the cloth napkins and the centerpiece all matching.

This set was simply gorgeous! And she has plates, glasses, dessert dishes,
water pitcher, punch bowl and candle holders to match. She said it was called
Kings Crown, Thumb Print, Ruby Flash.

In the back room she has clothing. I found some more Bo Chamber's creations. How amazing are these hats?

And last but not least, I found this taxidermied rooster.
That'll teach that little loud mouth bastard to wake me before noon.
Once again, YOU'RE WELCOME. :)  

Alright kiddo's. That's it for today's shopping excursion. I hope you enjoyed seeing all the pretty things. Make sure you check out Days 1-4 and click the "Join This Site" button at the upper right corner of this page. At the end of Day 4 there's some important information about free things being offered to people who shop downtown. Make sure you take advantage of that when you come down.

Please help me help our local independent businesses by sharing this blog with your facebook friends!

XOXO,
Duchess of Downtown


PS. If you are enjoying this series, please consider making a contribution to the cause.