Holiday Shopping: Gifts from the North Pole
No need to buy on-line, in big-box stores, at soul-sapping malls, or in a glamorous-but-exhausting nearby city that shall go nameless. Every gift you need for the holidays can be found right here at the charming, sophisticated, fun-to-browse shops in-and-around our own enchanting towns and villages. When you buy a gift from a locally-owned business, you are actually giving three: one to someone you love, another to a community you love, and a big, fat one to yourself, since shopping here is such a joy. Local merchants are friendly, attentive, knowledgeable, and patient. Can anyone say as much for Bloomingdale’s? Best Buys? Amazon.com? Find everything from baby shoes so cute you want to talk to them, to two lumps of very chic coal for the naughtiest person on your list, to a toy that will satisfy even a squeak-i-maniac dog. This report covers Berkshire and Columbia Counties. For gifts from the South Pole (Dutchess, Litchfield), scroll down. And for an additional 100 gifts for under $100 in Hudson, visit our friend Sam Pratt’s blog.
Leather shoes, $25, crocheted booties $13, bunny slippers $11 at Museum Facsimiles, 429 North Street, Pittsfield; 413.499.1818
Sheepy fleece pjs and robe; $34 (top), $34 (pants), and $70 (robe); Deeply Dark Orange Chocolate Sauce, $6; Back to Basics cookbook, $35, bundled Hot Chocolate and Homemade Marshmallow mixes, $32, and likewise Outrageous Brownie and Decadent Fudge mixes, $25.95, all by Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa at Pine Cone Hill, 55 Pittsfield Road, Lenox; 413.637.1996.
Whimsical, hand-felted cushion and creatures, $16 - $72 at Twin Hearts Handworks, 137 North Street, Pittsfield; 413.499.0021; “Nell” dress, $59 at deMarchin’s Cote Famille, 621 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.828.1391
Michael Devine’s signature home accessories collection, $35 - $120; tree ornaments (or jewelry); oak leaf, $20; peapod, $40; and wreath, $20, at Michael Devine, 10 Broad Street, Kinderhook; 518.758.1355.
Paris Flea Market pillows, $24 (plain), $36 (ruffled) at Traditions Outlet, 29 Route 9H, Claverack; 518.851.3975; fabulous vanilla extract, from $8.96, and other flavor extracts from $3.95 at Charles H. Baldwin & Sons, 1 Center Street, West Stockbridge; 413.232. 7785
Decoupage cubes, $125, and boxes, $400, by Thomas Malic at Gris, 614 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.828.1611; Vintage table linens, some never used, ranging from 52"x52” worked damask cloth, $20, to a dozen worked damask napkins, $75, at Gypsies, 624 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.858.2229.
Ellen Grenadier’s large fern platter, $300 at Ferrin Gallery, 437 North Street, Pittsfield; 413.442.1622; large terra cotta bowl, $95, Le Gamin, 609 Warren Street, Hudson, 518.828.2885
Orange-and-ginger scented candle, $28, Casa Urbana, 525 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.828.2690; Leather-and-marbelized-paper-bound photo albums, wine journals, guests books, etc. $46 - $115 at Mistral’s , 7 Railroad Street, Great Barrington; 413.528.1618
Barbara Patton’s naked raku pots, $100 - $200, Berkshire Museum Shop, 39 South Street, Pittsfield; 413.443.6769
Leaf-shaped salt cellars with tiny spoons, $20 each; set of 4 pewter salt spoons, $20, Classic Country, 2948 County Route 9, East Chatham; 518.392.2211; Exploring the Berkshires just-published coloring-and-guide book by Gifted Child toystore-owner Randy Austin at The Gifted Child, 72 Church Street, Lenox; 413.637.1191; and 28 Railroad Street, Great Barrington; 413.528.1395
Italian, Florentine-finish fluted-bead necklace, 18k gold, with large, 4.38k pave diamond ball clasp, $14,200, and Coral and 2.25k diamond clip earrings, $8,500, at Jewelz, 51 Church Street, Lenox; 413.637.5022; Fairy costume, includes halo, wand, wings, skirt, and hair accessories, $19.95, at Imaguration, 59-63 Main Street, #4, Chatham; 518.392.8108
Card cases and wallets of every style imprinted with Gainsborough’s Margaret and Mary or Miro’s Mistress Mills, $50 - $150, Shooz, 44 Housatonic Street, Lenox; 413.637.1118; penguin squeaky toy with 16 individually-pocketed squeakers, $11 (small), $14 (large) Dogs of Hudson, 355 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.822.8242
From Paris, fringed mohair scarves, $35 - $65 and small leather shoulder bags, $35 at USBluesware, 141 North Street, Pittsfield; 413.442.5533
Axel Vervoordt’s Timeless Interiors, $75 at MIX, 438 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.828.1707; Kuhn Rikon 6.3 qt. pressure cooker, $199.99; The Pressure Cooker Gourmet, $16.95, at Different Drummer Kitchen Co., 374 Pittsfield Road, Lenox; 413.637.0606
Set of 4 Gothic dessert plates in melamine, $32; gray Swan Island blanket, $575 at Rural Residence, 316 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.822.1061; two large lumps of Pennsylvania coal, polished and turned into bookends by Jim Zivic, at Foley & Cox, 317 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.828.3210
Make-up services from a pro such as Tony Markham: 20-minute lip repair, $20; 45-minute makeup application, $60, private or small-group lessons, $90 - $220; at Face Stockholm, 401 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.822.9474; down-filled bird cushions, $195, at Hedstrom & Judd, 401 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.671.6131.
Microcotton blouse, $202; cuff links, $65 - $115, both at Casablanca, 21 Housatonic Street, Lenox; 513.637.2680
Italian gift basket, $155; French, $110; as shown (may be customized with cheeses, salami, pate, etc.). Olde Hudson, 434 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.828.6923
Hosta-leaf spoons, silver-plated copper, $18 each; gold-plated, $20, at Lili and Loo, 259 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.822.9492; Italian copper sconce with ceramic shade, $440, at Tres Belle Decor, 22 Walker Street, Lenox; 413.551.7091
Blanket, $75, and hot-water bottle, $14 at MIX, 438 Warren Street, Hudson; 518.828.1707; “green,“ toxin-free terra cotta cooking pot by Piral, $59.99 at The Chef’s Shop, 31 Railroad Street, Great Barrington; 413.528.0135 or 800.237.5284.
Atlas snowshoes, model 1125, $209.98 at Arcadian Shop, 91 Pittsfield Road, Lenox; 513.637.3010; large selection of Thomas Train wooden toys, $11.99 - $49.99, Clocktower Toys and Gifts, 1 Main Street, Chatham; 518.392.5588.
Trompe l’oeil rubber mats printed with a photo-image of a rustic farmhouse’s worn painted-plank floor. $42 - $175, Hammertown Stores, Pine Plains, 518.398.7075; Great Barrington, 413.528.7766; Rhinebeck, 845.876.1450
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Posted by Marilyn Bethany on 12/06/08 at 09:00 AM • Permalink
Holiday Shopping: Gifts from the South Pole
Holiday cookies ($3 and up) that taste as good as they look. Sweet William’s Bakery, 100 Main Street, Falls Village; 860.824.8180
Handpainted votives from Paris by Geraldine Gonzalez ($30) and beaded handbag ($139) at Paper Trail, 6423 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck; 845.876.8050
Gypsy T-shirt with tribal design for guys with good muscle tone ($130), Changes for Men, 6422 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck; 845.876.1345; Vintage and rare books under $50 are now 50% off and volumes under $300 are 30% off at Johnnycake Books, 12 Academy Street, Salisbury; 860.435.6677
A tissue box made of vintage-style Santa paper and trimmed with copper ($48) from Shandell’s Routes 22 & 44, Millerton; 518.789.6603; one-of-a-kind dog beds ($70 - $100) by Kate Carty, 5 Main Street, MIllerton; 518.789.4785
Cheerful enameled indoor/outdoor thermometers made in France ($20) at Basic French, 5 East Market Street, Red Hook; 845.758.0399; Handmade honeycomb ceramic dish ($24) and gold-metallic teacup ($24) by Dana Brandwein of Sharon and local honey ($7.50) from Meili Farm at B. Johnstone, 4 North Main Street, Kent; 860.927.1272
Seven Smooches toddlers’ sweaters ($106) made from recycled materials at The Firehouse, 15 East Shore Road, New Preston; 860.868.6838; White Christmas Tea ($8.50) and Holiday Tea ($7.95) in keepsake tins from Harney & Sons, 13 Main Street, Millerton; 518.789.212.
An exquisitely restored vintage Vespa scooter ($8,500) at Privet House, 4 Cornwall Road, Warren CT; 860.868.1800
Handmade one-of-a-kind ceramics ($250 - $500) and Buffalo China bud vases ($85) all designed by Frances Palmer at Dawn Hill Antiques, 11 Main Street, New Preston; 860.868.0066
Boys T-shirt with attached thermal sleeves ($38) at Three Monkeys and Me, 7 Fulling Lane, Kent; 860.827.4549; Lola & James boys shirts made from recycled sweaters and concert T at No Sugar, 47 East Market Street, Rhinebeck; 845.876.6040
Handblown pear ornament ($50), tumbler ($55) and white wine goblets ($105) made in Millerton at Gilmor Glass, 2 Main Street, Millerton; 518.789.8000; Hypoallergenic bamboo T-shirt ($50) at Agapanthus. 329 Main Street; Lakeville; 860.435.8900
T-shirts for readers ($15) at Oblong Books & Music, 26 Main Street, Millerton; 518.789.3797; Montgomery Row, Rhinebeck; 845.876.0500
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 12/06/08 at 07:00 AM • Permalink
Post Thanksgiving Mega-Sale: A “Traditions” Tradition
Traditions founder Pamela Kline with her long-time colleague, her daughter-in-law Shari Kline.
If you love luxury linens, you already know Traditions, though you may not realize it. The drool-inducing bedding in the Neiman-Marcus, Orvis, Charlotte Moss, and Horchow Collection catelogs? Traditions. The irresistible matelasse coverlets on the shelves at Classic Country in East Chatham and at all the Hammertown Barn stores? They’re Traditions, too. Traditions is also the stuff local interior designers such as Sandy Klempner Antiques and Interiors in Canaan, Mary Kirwood Designs in Rhinebeck, and Lilypad Interiors in Pleasant Valley rely on to dress the beds in the fabulous houses they do, the kind of beds that, despite how awe-inspiring they look, make you long to crawl right in.
Founded in 1972 by a Claverack antiques dealer, Traditions remains headquartered in the town where it all began. Aesthetically, however, Pamela Kline, its founder, has orbited the earth several times since then. “I started out specializing in Amish Quilts and textiles,“ she says. “The Amish would give me gifts for my children—dolls, quilts, folk toys. Customers would ask, ‘Can you get me one?‘ So we started producing them and selling them in a little national catalog called, ‘Traditions.‘ “
Items from the Charlotte Moss “Sultana” line will be on sale, as will the range called “Picnic Stripe.“
Soon stores were clamoring to buy her products, and Kline began reaching for inspiration well beyond the bundling board. She quickly discovered that she has a knack for the finer, more luxurious things in life. Eventually, the demand from retailers was so great, it forced her to choose, so she eliminated the catalog aspect of her business. Ever since, she has been a wholesaler who manufactures and imports luxury quilts, towels, sheets, blankets, pillows, rugs, table linen, duvets, sleepwear, and baby gear.
Kline started as a specialist in Amish quilts, but quickly discovered she had a knack for luxury. Her crewel-embroidered velveteen duvet-and-sham set will be on sale.
Twice a year, Traditions holds a sale, one in July in a tent at their warehouse, the other, the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving at their outlet store in Claverack. “I have been doing this sale for thirty-two years,“ says Kline. “Loyal customers wait for it.“ Little wonder. Included are many one-offs—samples made to be photographed for catalogs. Though Kline promises at least 50% and up to 75% off retail, some discounts are even steeper than that. “Something that was priced to sell for $1000 will go for $100,“ Kline admits. “It’s painful for me. I know how much I paid.“
Traditions Outlet Sale
29 Route 9H (just north of the Route 23 traffic light); Claverack; 518.851.3975
Friday & Saturday, November 28th & 29th; 9 - 4
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Posted by Marilyn Bethany on 11/16/08 at 02:42 PM • Permalink
Shop for a Cause: Hammertown Gives a Damn Plus a Percentage
Money is infamous for burning holes in pockets, but there’s something else money often does that isn’t bad at all: It makes the person who has a little or a lot more than he needs want to give some of it away—not recklessly, but effectively, so that suffering of one sort or another is relieved. Sometimes the potential donor has a specific, perhaps slightly eccentric goal in mind—say, he wants to make sure no one in his community goes without warm gloves and hats in winter. As often, the desire to give is unaccompanied by a specific objective. In either case, how does the would-be benefactor proceed?
The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is dedicated to making the dreams of donors come true, no matter how specific or vague, no matter how little or much they have to give. For the philanthropist who wants to hand out gloves, BTCF finds a more efficient method than standing on a street corner with a box of cold-weather gear. For the direction-less donor, they connect him or her to a cause or program that resonates. They also analyze the needs of the community and create funds and initiatives to address them. And they take a pro-active role in bringing neglected issues to light.
Which are just a few of the reasons why Joan Osofsky, owner of the Hammertown stores, is so bullish on the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Currently, she is working with the foundation on an on-line silent auction, and on Saturday, November 15, she will host a festive reception at the Hammertown Barn in Pine Plains, where live bidding may continue until the final hour, when winners will be declared. The items on auction range from the sublime (a private garden tour and lunch party for the winner and eleven friends in the conservatory, above, at Bunny Williams‘ extraordinary Falls Village property) to the ridiculous (four tickets to John Stewart’s, “The Daily Show”), with lots of equally imaginative stuff in between. In addition, from November 15th through the 23rd, 10% of the proceeds from all sales at all three Hammertown stores will go to the Foundation’s Funds for Columbia County and Northeast Dutchess. “I’m going to raise $40,000 for them,” she speculates with such resolve it leaves no room for doubt.
Despite all the talk of belt tightening that goes on these days in households across our region, somehow, as always, the holiday spirit will chip away at our resolve: We will buy gifts. Here are a couple of ways of taking the edge off the guilt.
Shop for a Cause
Hammertown Barn
Reception: Saturday, November 15, 5 – 7
3201 Route 199, Pine Plains; 518.398.7075
Open 10 – 5 daily; Sundays, 10:30 - 5
6420 Montgomery Row, Rhinebeck; 845.876.1450
Open 10:30 – 5:30 daily; Sundays, 11 - 5
325 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington; 413. 528.7766
Open 10:30 – 5 daily; Sundays 11 – 4
Closed Wednesdays
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Posted by Marilyn Bethany on 11/12/08 at 11:24 AM • Permalink
Saperstein’s: The Store That Time Forgot (Thankfully)
Lew Saperstein is a hand-on, old-school merchant
If you’re old enough to remember when Jimmy Carter was president, then you probably remember shopping for Levi’s and Duofold long underwear at a store like Saperstein’s. One of the mainstays of Millerton’s Main Street, the store is anticipating, counterintuitively, a robust holiday season. “I am pretty optimistic about Christmas” says owner Lou Saperstein, whose father opened the original Saperstein’s down the block in 1946. “I sell basic merchandise. When the economy turns downward, people will buy necessities as gifts rather than gadgets and toys.“
The shelves and racks at Saperstein’s are literally overflowing with essentials such as flannel shirts (“in sportweight, heavyweight, tall and XXL sizes”), workboots and New Balance sneakers, American-made ragg wool socks and gloves, rain ponchos and traditional yellow slickers. You can find Cub Scout and Girl Scout uniforms as well as flannel nightgowns, mittens, boys’ blue blazers and clip-on ties.“I have a lot of inventory because otherwise people will go somewhere else or shop online,“ says Saperstein, who volunteers that he will gladly special-order any item from his regular suppliers. “I carry lots of hard-to-find sizes like jeans with a 36 inch length or a 60-inch waist.“
Saperstein’s is an egalitarian emporium: “I treat everyone the same—the guys who cut grass for a living and the Hollywood stars who shop here but whose names I won’t name.“ While no-nonsense Carhart work clothes are his best-selling brand (“You won’t flannel-lined jeans for a better price than $39.95,“ he swears), Saperstein has mixed in some more upscale items (Muck Boots and Merrells) to keep up with Millerton’s gentrification. Neverthelessl, the soul of Saperstein’s is its old-fashioned values. Customers with modest means can buy Christmas gifts on layaway with ten percent down and pay weekly installments. “Certain people don’t have credit or don’t want to use credit,“ he says empathetically.
Saperstein personally orders every item in the store and monitors sales as he restocks the shelves. “My inventory is not computerized,“ he says. “I count everything myself and that is how I know how much to order next year.“ However, Saperstein does rely on a computer to place many of his orders. “Levis used to send three different salesmen to visit me and now they send none,“ he says. “We order through the Internet or 800 numbers.“
Saperstein’s loyal employees (such as 20-year veteran Barbara Snyder, left, who was his childhood babysitter) think of Lew as their Santa Claus. He provides them with health insurance and a pension plan. “I am interested in their welfare and they are interested in mine,“ he says pragmatically. “They stay with me for a long time which makes my life easier. I can rely on them. They point me in the right direction about what merchandise to buy.“ Is there a secret to the store’s longevity in the Wal-Mart era? “Customer service, good products at a fair price—that’s my niche,“ he says. Yes, Saperstein’s is a time capsule— would you want it any other way?
Saperstein’s
41 Main Street, Millerton; 518.789.3365
Monday - Saturday 9 AM - 6 PM; Sunday 10 AM - 3 PM
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 11/06/08 at 11:36 AM • Permalink
A New Museum Shop at Clermont
Our faithful correspondent, interior designer Carey Maloney, partner, with architect Hermes Mallea, in M (Group), fills us in on the holiday shopping potential of the new museum shop at Clermont.
No one appreciates a good museum shop more than me. I have to fight my assorted demons to hold out until after I’ve seen an exhibition to shop. In fact, I was recently in the Cooper Hewitt’s, and I confess I toured the shop before I toured the show…(The show is a good one—House Proud: 19th-Century Watercolor Interiors from the Thaw Collection. My favorites are the “reality” interiors, with newspapers and dogs strewn around the Russian palace. How people, even tsars, really live…)
Margaret Beekman Livington, of the “welcoming” steely gaze; Pancho sniffs out the landmark sign
Last weekend the new gift shop at the Clermont State Historic Site in southern Columbia County opened. I was bicycling past on my way to Tivoli to get the papers (with Pancho crammed in the basket), when a new sign grabbed me. Must’ve been something in Margaret Beekman Livingston’s steely gaze that drew me down the driveway to the site and into the new shop. Only the prospect of an unknown shop could get me down a hill that steep on two self-propelled wheels, knowing that getting back up would be hell, given the extra 14 pounds of dead weight in the basket, looking soulfully back at me, while I grunt.
The shop is installed throughout the carriage barn and stables. Built in 1850 and enlarged throughout the 19th century, it has the original stable floor, the stalls, board-and-batten walls, everything but tack. It exudes authenticity—a Ralph Lauren stylist’s bit ‘o heaven; our Hudson Valley reality.
Glenda Law (left) with Friends of Clermont Chair Tracie Rohzon; Audrey Reifler, Board Administrator for Friends of Clermont, tags dangling, à la Minnie Pearl
Anyway. Tracie Rohzon, the dynamic chairman of the Friends of Clermont, has made the new shop her pet project. My motive for descending the hill, knowing that ascending lay ahead: If this works out, Hermes and I can shop for the holidays virtually next door to our country house. So I was extra hopeful. And I wasn’t disappointed.
Tracie has commissioned Millerton’s Gilmor Glass to hand blow beautiful large water/wine goblets and very chic tall thin tumblers that say “champagne” to me—but what do I know? I don’t drink. She’s sussed out baby linens from Pamela Kline’s Traditions in Claverack, and letterpress papers from various New York makers. There is a good selection of books on the Hudson Valley and the Livingston family, along with the recent Clermont publication, Bob’s Folly; Building America’s First Practical Steam Boat, which celebrates the 200th anniversary of the “Clermont,” pet project of one of the many Robert Livingstons. Books, linens, china and glass—excellent gifts or self indugences.
Check it out; the holidays approach with a vengeance.
The Shop at Clermont State Historic Site
1 Clermont Avenue, Germantown; 518.537.4240
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Posted by Marilyn Bethany on 10/22/08 at 03:47 PM • Permalink
A Tag Sale With A Plot Twist
Okay, so a lot of the stuff is kinda hideous. What tag sale isn’t? On the plus side, there is a certain éclat that accrues to any object that appears as a prop in a major motion picture, particularly one directed by the estimable Ang Lee. Even if that object is, when looked at with perfect objectivity, kinda hideous.
Taking Woodstock, the movie the Academy-Award-winning director has been shooting in Columbia County since July, has wrapped, and most of the crew have left town. All that remains are the props and a couple of people to oversee their dispersal. Whether there is something there for you depends a lot on how you feel about 1950s/60s furniture of inauspicious provenance and the sort of camping equipment that might have been the dernier cri in 1969. There are gun racks and the kind of outdated refrigerators that jack up the electric bill. But there is also a mildly intriguing bench, a few little end tables that might not be bad with a coat of paint, a couple of sinks that could have some potential, if you squint. Hey, you never know. Which, of course, is why we go to tag sales.
1033 Route 20, New Lebanon
Sunday, October 26, 9 - 4
Monday & Tuesday, October 27 & 28, 8 - 4
All items must be picked up by Wednesday.
No trucking provided.
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Posted by Marilyn Bethany on 10/22/08 at 07:06 AM • Permalink
Atelier Renee, A Framer in Red Hook
Our Rural Restoration Blogger Carey Maloney, an interior designer who is a partner, with architect Hermes Mallea, in the M (Group), expounds on why Atelier Renee, in Red Hook, is such an outstanding place to get art, maps, and pictures, especially old ones, framed.
Many of the framers we’ve worked with over the years have had fine arts backgrounds. Renee Burgevin (below in her studio), a painter and printmaker, brings that sensibility to her work as a framer. She says she loves that her career allows her to work with and enhance other artists’ work. Her shop, Atelier Renee (formerly called One Art Row), is in The Chocolate Factory in Red Hook, the town where Renee, a Rhinebeck native, currently lives.
We love her work both for town and country. She has excellent corner samples—off-the-rack profiles and finishes. From the pictures above and below, you can see we tend to go for her distressed, subtly-aged wood and metal frames.
In the master bath in the city, I have a collection of photographs of classical sculptures all framed by Atelier Renee. (Clockwise from the large image at top left): Mercury/Hermes in an old wood frame with “old” rolled glass. I liked the original, discolored paper mount on the Adonis (upper left), so no matte and the frame is old copper. Next, Laocoon with his sons framed in oak with lots of grain. This next one is David framed in old giltwood with no matte, which accentuates the arched mounting. And finally, another David, this one framed in distressed veneered walnut, with the original paper mount and no matte.
Fortunately, Renee’s Chocolate Factory workspace allows her to handle large pieces. Hermes collects maps, and Renee has framed dozens for him. On a recent visit I noticed a work-in-progress for another client that I totally admire— a map of Columbia County that is approx 48” x 48“. She is mounting it on a board that is wrapped in a beige silk, so where there are holes and damage, the silk will show through. For the frame, she’s using old distressed wood with a subtle gilded detail, which is appropriate to the age and quality of the map. An old schoolhouse poster-quality map like this should be framed more simply than a hand-colored ancient one.
Like any other trade, the results are a combination of the supplier’s eye and his or her insight into the customer’s point of view. For us, she has framed everything from $20 school maps from the 1950’s to 17th-century Dutch maps, using materials ranging from raw ‘barn siding’ to highest-end water-gilded slick profiles. For some old images, she has even indulged us by using restoration glass—hand-rolled glass—for that 19th-century look.
There’s a fine line between maximizing an image and over-framing. That said, a $200 frame can turn a $10 print into a treasure. —Carey Maloney
Atelier Renee Fine Framing
The Chocolate Factory, 54 Elizabeth Street, Red Hook; 845.758.1004
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Posted by Marilyn Bethany on 10/19/08 at 12:01 PM • Permalink
Shopping: Saturday Night Lights
Between the end of Day Light Savings and the @#%&! economy, we could all stand cheering up. And what’s more delightful than a charming town lit up at a time in the evening when most stores are usually dark. This Saturday, October 18, Millerton should be filled with shoppers in a festive mood. Stores have pledged to stay open until at least 7, and shoppers and browsers are welcome to linger over a sip of wine and a nibble or two of some local cheese, while they chat with shopkeepers and their fellow customers.
Of particular note is the grand opening of 7 Dutchess (photo above), a hybrid apparel and home furnishings boutique that’s on an unmarked side street (in fact, Dutchess Street) right off the main drag (behind Saperstein’s Department Store and right next door to Herrington’s Hardware). If astute shoppers look around and conclude that 7 Dutchess is a little like a cross between the Parlor, the late women’s clothing store, and the Hammertown store, only more Boho, it’s because the new shop is the brainchild of Mimi Harney, who used to own the Parlor, and her new partner, Joan Osofsky, who, of course, still owns the three Hammertown stores. With 7 Dutchess, they’re skewing their famous taste younger and hipper, and the results should inspire those who are (young and hip, that is) and make those who aren’t, wish they were.
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Posted by Marilyn Bethany on 10/17/08 at 08:55 AM • Permalink
Tent Sale Starts Thursday!
Every year, on Columbus Day weekend, the Pine Cone Hill Tent Sale, as close to a Marrakesh market as anything one is likely to encounter in these parts, draws thousands of shoppers spoiling for a steal. At the sale, Whit Selke (above right), co-owner with his wife Annie, reigns as the Grand Poobah of Bargains. So when you hear a fellow-shopper coo, “Oh, Whit gave me such a special price,“ think, lucky us.
Textiles: Handmade quilts, usually $248 to $395, now $45 to $140; Egyptian cotton 360-count sheets, $24 to $38 each; 200-count cotton sheet sets $28 to $42 per set; plush towels, usually $28 to $45, now $12 to $18; decorative pillows, $12 to $20; napkins, $2, tablecloths, $12 to $20; matelasse coverlets, usually $160 to $230, now $45 to $75 ; pajamas $22 and up; hand-woven wool jacquard shawls, $28; blankets, usually $94-$244, now $55 to $85 .
Tabletop: trough trays, usually $118 for 2, now $48 for 2; sleigh trays, usually $68 for 2, now $28 for 2; grand sleigh tray, was $84, now $36; nesting bowls, were $58 for set of 3, now $24 for set of 3; Fare pottery was $28 - $74, now $12 - $32
Rugs: 2’ x 3’ to 10’ x 14’, more than 50% off; 8’ x 10’, $150 to $425.
Pine Cone Hill Tent Sale
55 Pittsfield Road (Route 7), Lenox; 413.637.1996
Thursday, October 9 - Monday, October 13, 10 - 4
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Posted by Marilyn Bethany on 10/08/08 at 08:15 AM • Permalink
