Gisele's

giselesparis.com

Babies, birthdays and weddings provide a great time to "shop local."   So many delightful little places....where to begin?

The quest for a favorable present led me to several gift shops, but it was Gisele's which had the gift I chose.   (I guess I was in a French mood after seeing "Midnight in Paris" at the Hi-Pointe this week.)

Like most boutique style shops Gisele's has a dazzling assortment of gifts, clothes, and accessories with a nice range of prices all with a Parisian style. 

Brenda has owned and operated Gisele's for 6 years. It has always been in Maplewood, but in the last year she moved from a side street to Manchester Road, next to Scheidt's  Hardware.

I love the story of her inspiration for the store.  While living in Belgium Brenda's husband traveled a lot, so to ward off loneliness she and her neighbor, Gisele, would visit markets, tour museums, and review it all at a sidewalk cafe.

After returning home, Brenda used her natural decorating ability and lots of energy to create a piece of Europe right here in St.Louis.



At Gisele's you will find

jewelry,

purses,

cute things for children,

soaps, lotions, and perfumes, and

clothes that are, oh, so Parisian.



So all wrapped in pretty paper

Jalie and Todd will find these softest little booties for their soon to be born little girl.

Aw, say it ain't so!!

I was reading today that the mega "stuff mart' stores intend to take down even more locally owned businesses by opening smaller stores in more places.  Sounds like a wolf in sheep's clothing to me, trying to be something they are not.  

I suspect they are reading this blog and are nervous because we are revealing the temporarily forgotten truth that small and local is better ;-)

read article here

Bill's Birthday Celebration

federhofersbakery.com
cravingsgourmetdesserts.info

mcarthurs.com

claytonsbakeryanddeli.com

teddrewes.com

Bill is a very extraordinarily, wonderful husband, father, and man.  A few days ago it was his birthday.  And we who love him wanted to have an extraordinarily, wonderful party for him.  The party was last night and, because of the presence of so many people who make our journey on earth a bright one, it was one of those magical times we want never to end.

With such wonderful family and friends the party would have been great no matter what; but it was the dynamic of small businesses that made it exceptional, I think!

I spent much of the day going to four of St. Louis' finest bakeries.  Can you think of a sweeter exploration?!

From each one I chose a cake of a different flavor.  So you want to hear what we came up with?
  Here is the story.

First stop was Federhofer's Bakery on Gravois in Affton.  This resilient little bakery has been serving the area since 1966 when Bill Federhofer opened the shop to offer high quality baked goods in a wide variety.  And 44 years later they are still using many of the same recipes their customers have loved for all this time.

I think it is worth the drive to Federhofer's just to see their sign which is a nostalgic example of
 vibrant neon art.

The chosen cake at this first stop was German Chocolate.  It was delectable

Next stop: Cravings in Webster Groves on Big Bend.  Cravings has been in operation for 25 years and Tim Brennan has won many awards for his outstanding desserts.

Isn't that a classy logo?

This carrot cake was amazing in every way, though a sudden stop on the drive over caused an unfortunate shift on the plate.

Third stop: McArthur's Bakery in Kirkwood.  With three locations McArthur's is not really small but it is local and a fine example of  hard work and good management bringing success.

With a serious chocolate and a substantial carrot cake, we needed something light and summery to balance the offerings, so at McArthurs the chosen cake was lemon.



Fourth stop: Clayton Bakery on Manchester in DesPeres.  This bakery is named after its owner and had been Schmeimeir's bakery for many years until Mr. Clayton assumed ownership 10 years ago.





For a little more lightness I chose this angel food with strawberry filling

and a delicious 5 layer red velvet cake to complete our variety of cakes for the party.

And what is cake without ice cream?
So one more stop, for some Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in South St. Louis.



Now, where to go with our yummy assortment of St. Louis treats?

Well, the Hi-Pointe of course!



Mr. Ross, the clever, long-suffering, and generous manager of St. Louis' finest theater has recently added tables, chairs and  umbrellas in front of the theater....which created the perfect place to meet with friends



before going to see a great movie.



As I conclude this post I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all the folks who joined us to celebrate Bill, they truly brighten our lives.
And I'm also thankful to all of those hardworking bakers and ice cream makers and a very kind theatre manager for making it all possible and so much fun!

B and B Aquatics

bbaquatics.com

We are back home and back in the non-routine of summer;

for the McDonald family that always includes swim team.

Micha's need of a new suit for swimming provided me another point of research which led to 

B&B Aquatics in Kirkwood.

While shopping I actually met Barbara Archie, founder and owner of this store which has everything any swimmer could need, young or old, competitive or recreational.

This endeavor started in Barbara's home. She was busy raising 5 daughters who loved swimming and saw a need for high quality suits and accessories.  It was a need she decided to address.

In 1980, the business had grown beyond what she could do at home and she opened a store in Kirkwood. Although the store has expanded to include the neighboring area, B&B Aquatics still occupies the original Kirkwood retail space.  There is even a second retail space in Chesterfield.

Goggles and toys,

flip flops or mesh bags,

suits in basic black or vibrant tropicals

are to be found 

in abundance.

And, as I've learned from Micha, there is a very real difference in swimwear and accessory quality.

The goggles from B&B actually work and the jammer (swim suit) lasts and lasts.

So whether you swim or someone you love swims, check out B & B Aquatics 

And feel good knowing you've supported a local St. Louis business!

Home again

We were at Maximillian's Christening party;

Patti C and I were talking about the sameness of most cities.  

Think about it: if you were dropped down on one of the parking lots of one of the huge lengths of huge stores that are the same in every town, you could never guess if you were in St. Louis, Dallas or Memphis.

When we have guests in from out of town or we are visiting a new city, where do we go?  To that parking lot? Never. 

On  those special occasions, we search out the small, the unusual, the local, because times of travelling and visiting with good friends are important and deserving of exceptional places that represent the best of our community.

Of course, those little shops need to be supported all year, not just when visitors are in town.

And I'm finding everyday is more of a celebration when shopping locally.

Travelling Locally - Fourth Stop

Copper Oaks 

Bed and Breakfast

 www.copperoaks.net

It was time to begin the trip back home to St. Louis.  We couldn't leave until mid-afternoon, so making the trip in one day would be impossible.  All we needed was a place to sleep. My first thought was to find a typical mid-range hotel for the evening, old habits die hard.  

Second thought: let's find a Bed and Breakfast!  Lindi was ready for the new experience so while I drove, she called several places listed in the Oklahoma tour guide.  Our hopes dimmed because she was getting answering machines.  After all, it was a Sunday afternoon, we were calling the day of the needed service, and these are real people sharing their homes.

 What is the likelihood someone can arrange to receive guests with only a few hours notice?

Once again we experienced the "over and above" service of small businesses. Of the several messages she left all returned the call within the hour.  It was terribly hard to decide, since they were all very welcoming, but we could only stay at one place so choose we must.

We settled on Copper Oaks Bed and Breakfast just outside of Tulsa in small town Sapulpa, OK.

After driving down a quiet lane, Bob and Millie not only left the light on for us, they were waiting at the door with a warm greeting and hands to help carry suitcases.

We soon learned that this is the house that Bob built! Nestled amid vibrant green oaks, not yet copper, Bob and Millie cleared the land, and with the help of students from the local high school carpentry class Bob built this lovely home.  (Tireless is the word I think of, they did all this while Millie worked in the finance department of the school and Bob taught math. Oh yes, and they also share their many talents with the local shelter for battered children.)

After a brief visit and tour of the rest of the house, Millie escorted us to the upstairs bedroom with private bath.  As we lounged in the adjoining parlor and relaxed in the quietness we were convinced we had made the right choice.  

Rested and refreshed from the long day of travel we were eager to see what Millie was fixing for breakfast.

It smelled wonderful!

Although this isn't our actual breakfast (I forgot to take that picture), ours was just as extraordinary!

Fresh sliced peaches, bacon, maple-nut pancakes with warm maple syrup and orange juice.

Mmmm, thank you Millie.

While we feasted on the sun porch,

we talked of coming back with the whole family and time to walk through the woods and enjoy the swimming pool and the fishing pond.

Bob had encouraged us to stay as long as we could, but we needed to get back on the road.

Before leaving town though, we had to take a few minutes to see Millie's other job.  She also owns a consignment shop for children.

Of course, we found something for our favorite new babies Genevieve and her cousin, Maximillian.

Of all the things I love about "shopping local", meeting such delightful and dedicated people has to be my favorite.

Travelling Locally - Third Stop

Homestead Heritage

homesteadheritage.com 

I left Pilot Point to travel further south.  Here to meet with college friends for a few days of renewing the connection we have enjoyed for so many years. Debbie is an amazing planner and had such a list of sights for us to see.

We browsed several little gift shops in Salado, Texas the first day and had lunch at a quiet and charming tea room, the perfect place for us share our stories since we were last together.

The next day the plan was to have lunch at the Homestead Heritage before touring the Dr. Pepper factory in Waco, TX.

However, Homestead Heritage became our final destination for the day.  Dr. Pepper would have to wait for another time. There was much to see, and we were so intrigued, we stayed until we could stay no more.

The folks at Homestead Heritage have taken "shopping local" to a whole new dimension and they do it well. They not only shop locally but create locally much of what they use and sell. They explain their endeavor like this:

"Our Traditional Crafts Village showcases a community of craftsmen who have returned, not to the past, but to the enduring values exemplified in handcraftsmanship. True craft requires more than skill: it expresses the craftsmen's care and concern, their personal investment in everything they do."

We felt like welcomed guests as we strolled through the village,

from the Woodworking shop

to the pottery shop.

Along the way we savored some pizza made in this brick oven

with flour milled in this grist mill.

 I considered that much of what I've called pizza, frozen and overly processed, should not 

carry the same name as this delectable delight I tasted.

The gift shop displayed an array of crafts made throughout the village:

soaps

candles

brooms

and dresses of the finest workmanship I've ever seen.

So who are these folks who have chosen to live life so differently than most of us in this 21st century?

Several years ago a group of people grew weary of the hustle and bustle and frenetic pace they were living.  The more weary they became the more they dreamed of living in way that allowed time to create things of beauty and utility, time to bake a pie and share it with people they loved.

Thirty years later Heritage Homestead is the manifest outcome of this dream.

People in town say if you want something done well, call the craftsmen at the Homestead. I've read that is just what President Bush did when he needed a house built on the ranch. 

We had enjoyed our day of walking in and out of shade and the Texas sun. We had enjoyed the inspiration of doing simple things with excellence.

And after a dish of homemade sorghum pecan ice cream, we drove home to visit some more.