STL Shop Local 365+: Gisele's

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Gisele's

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.

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A New Year, A New Look

It has been a year... a year of shopping, learning, meeting, and discovering; a year of new people, places, and routines; a year of sheer delight that I could never have anticipated when the adventure began March 1st, 2011. I've found it IS possible to shop economically and conveniently at smaller locally owned shops. What started as curiosity has concluded with deeper understanding and a commitment to a way of life. The independence of self-owned businesses seems to foster happier more creative people,which makes a better world for all of us. So let's continue, I can't think of a single reason to go back to the box stores, boring chains and internet.

About Jo

Hi, my name is Jo-Ellen McDonald. I like small stores, I truly do, though for years I've rarely shopped in them. I don't know why, really. I guess I was thinking it is more convenient and less expensive to shop in the big mega stores, and that someone else supported those little stores I liked so much.

Or was I thinking at all? Probably I was just doing what everyone else does.

This year I'm living differently. For 365 days I'm going to shop for goods and services only at local, independently owned businesses. I just want to try it. Will it be outrageously expensive? Or demand so much time as to be impossible to maintain? I don't know. But I want to try, because a lot of those little stores that I liked so much are gone, and I think that is pretty sad.

Some days there will simply be a quick journal entry, other days will feature a particular small business.

So come along with me and let's see what there is to learn this year. About the joys and struggles of small business owners. About whether or not there is a local place to buy computer ink cartridges or a broom. About how maybe we have saved a little in time and money but have lost too much in humanity and community.

STL Shop Local 365+