Feel that chill in the air? It can only mean one thing: It’s holiday shopping time. Starting tomorrow and again Friday, December 4th, the merchants of Mt. Washington Mill will host “Around the Mill.” From 5-8 pm, shoppers can relax with wine, refreshments, and special discounts at all the Mill shops (Holly G Boutique, Gore-Dean, Home on the Harbor, Amazing Glaze, Whole Foods, Starbucks, Mt. Washington Wine Company, and the just opened Dogma- Life with your pet.) Pick up a mill pass from any of the participating stores and get it stamped from each one as you visit. (You don’t have to pay anything to earn a stamp.) Leave your pass at the last store and one shopper will win a $250 gift basket chock full of goodies from all participating Mill merchants. —Rebecca Gregg

WHAT: Local fashion boutique Urban Chic will showcase their fall and holiday styles Thursday at the American Visionary Art Museum . Lots of food and drink plus music by Baltimore’s Blackout Studios. Proceeds from the evening will benefit AVAM’s new exhibition “LIFE, LIBERTY & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS,” which celebrates the best of individual expression. Following the show, an after-party will be held at Federal Hill’s Taverna Corvino from 9-11.

WHEN: Thursday October 15, 6-8 pm.

WHERE: American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Highway Baltimore, MD.

TICKETS: $25 at BrownPaperTickets.com/event/84413.
—Rebecca Gregg

Shopping without guilt is always a bonus. Running Thursday through Sunday, the shops at Green Spring Station will host Style at the Station, a three-day event chock full of fashion fun, entertainment, and wallet-friendly discounts. Shoppers and window-shoppers alike will enjoy, among other things, free up-dos from UNO Salon (Thursday and Friday only), champagne at The Pleasure of Your Company, caramel apple tastings at The Nut Farm & Creamery, a Friday night free, live performance by the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, and a Saturday evening fashion show to benefit Komen Maryland. Participating merchants will offer discounts and deals for shoppers. Among the big events: Essentials by Panache will host a trunk show for Hammitt Los Angeles luxury handbags. (Seen on well-known arms like Angelina Jolie, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton.) And Friday, Wee Chic will host a trunk show for popular baby line Tea.

And the best part? It’s all for a good cause! For every dollar spent during the event, participating merchants will donate a portion of sales to such charities as the Mildred Mindell Cancer Center, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Priceless Gowns Project, The Nikki Perlow Foundation, United Way of Maryland, Animal Rescue, and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. For more details: www.greenspringstation.com. —Rebecca Gregg

While it might be difficult to imagine starting a new business venture in the midst of an economic crisis—Gold & Citrus has grown thanks to two entrepreneurs with roots in Baltimore.

The jewelery company is the brainchild of MICA alumni Richard Combs and Sara Rossbach. Based in downtown San Francisco, Rossbach describes their jewelry as “about luxury, fun and versatility. The pieces can be worn with anything from jeans and a t-shirt to a cocktail dress, and some take the concept of versatility even a step further and can be worn in multiple positions.”

So why begin a business now, of all times? “Living and working in San Francisco, there is just this entrepreneurial spirit in the air that we have grabbed onto,” explains Combs.

According to Rossbach, it was only a matter of time. “Through high school and college it felt like we were always coming up with new business plans. Everything from screen-printing t-shirts, to buying old lamps and things from thrift stores and refurbishing them.”

And what better way to stimulate the economy than investing in it? “Looking back to the great depression, I think we can be thankful for those who started businesses through such economic strain,” says Combs, “Although these current economic times are not nearly as strenuous, we hope the launch of our new company will make a contribution, no matter how small it may be, to the healing of our economy.”

Gold & Citrus’s first line, “We’re Golden” is unique. From traditional beaded and gemstone infused pieces to the more experimental (feathers and studs and sequins, oh my!), Combs and Rossbach’s creations echo their chic and innovative style.

“The name Gold & Citrus breaks down into the character that we envision for the brand,” says Combs. “Simply put, it is luxury and fun.”

Rossbach, on the other hand, reveals a deeper meaning behind the name. “The citrus also has personal meaning for us. Conceptually, the citrus fruit is divided into three parts: the skin, the fruit, and the seed. The skin plays the same role as a piece of jewelry or a piece of clothing. It is a layer of protection shouting out to the world who you are and what you are all about. The fruit hides away underneath, and may or not be about the same things as the skin, but that is who you really are. The seeds are what last forever. Once the fruit is gone, the seeds go on and create. The seed is your soul.”

You can check out Gold & Citrus’s designs or read Richard Combs and Sara Rossbach’s blog, at goldandcitrus.com.

—Rebecca Gregg

WHAT: The Junior League of Baltimore will host Baltimore area’s premiere boutiques for the semi-annual Boutique Warehouse Sale in their brand new headquarters located in the heart of the Govans neighborhood. Sales will include end of season merchandise marked down to impress every recessionista. Proceeds are used to fund projects of the Junior League of Baltimore and further our mission. Junior League of Baltimore community programs provide members with opportunities to mentor women at risk, work with elementary schools to increase parental engagement, educate children on nutrition though our annual Kids in the Kitchen event, and bring the Larks choral group to Senior Care Centers, churches and organizations.

WHEN: October 3rd, 10th, and 17th 2009 10 am- 5 pm. Special Preview 8-11 am on October 3rd.

WHERE: Junior League of Baltimore, 5902 York Road Baltimore, MD

There is a little boot shop called A. M. Kroop and Sons in historic Laurel that is, in my opinion, a hidden gem. At this shop Randy Kroop, the current owner, makes custom leather riding boots and dress shoes by hand. She’s a friend of my family, so she took me on as a quasi-apprentice, and I’ve been working there every Monday in exchange for a pair of boots.

Working at the shop is one of the coolest jobs I’ve ever had (except for interning at Baltimore Magazine, of course.) Every Monday when I go to work I feel like I’m stepping into the early 1900’s. Randy’s grandfather started the business in 1907, and the process he used when he started making shoes is still used today. Many of the machines are also original, and few of them are less than 70 years old. All of the old tools line the shelves and work desks, and the back wall is covered with wooden lasts.

Throughout the summer I have begun to learn the process of making boots. It is a lot of hard, detailed work. From cutting the leather to stitching pieces together and punching patterns in the toe cap, making boots is certainly an art.

My own pair of boots might not be the best—I’m doing them all myself, so some of the stitching is wonky, the lacings might be a little off-kilter, and I have yet to discover how I will get the soles on the boots. But Randy is an old hand at making boots, and the ones she turns out are beautiful. She makes everything from English riding boots to Oxfords to baby shoes. In addition to making standard sizes, she also makes custom-fit shoes.

Randy’s also a bit of a celebrity in the jockey world—she made the boots for the movie Seabiscuit because her grandfather had made the boots for the original jockey. Carly Simon and Madonna each have a pair or two of her shoes as well.

All in all, it’s one of the most unique shops I’ve ever been in. Definitely worth it to check it out. —Jamie McCoy

On August 22nd, Hello Craft will be kicking off the first of its Field Trips at Baltimore’s own Biggs and Featherbelle (www.biggsandfeather.com). Hello Craft is a non-profit trade association for indie crafters, says Kimberly Dorn, executive director. For $30/person, Biggs and Featherbelle co-owners Kelly and Kasey Evick will give a tour of their Hampden warehouse and studio, teach the different stages of soap making, and let attendees create their own body scrubs. The sisters will also answer any questions about how to turn a craft interest into a thriving business like their own. “We wanted to create a fun, exciting, and crafty product in the natural care industry,” Kasey says. “All of our ingredients are purposeful, beneficial and therapeutic.” There are two Field Trips sessions available at 10 am and 2 pm. At 6pm, all are invited to Hampden’s 13.5% Wine Bar to talk shop and unwind. Register at hellocraft.com. —Maddie Thomas

I’m just back from a week away (sigh)—spent at Rehoboth Beach with my family. I love Rehoboth because it still feel quaint (despite the Starbucks, Five Guys & Dunkin Donuts) and there is no need to get in your car—everything you could possibly want is right there. The shops get better and better every year—and I was pleasantly surprised to see so many new ones and that some of my old favorites still doing well. If you are heading to Rehoboth at all this summer (or any of the nearby beaches) … stop by: vintagey Coco & Company, now taking up the old Tempest Fugit space, Bella Luna (probably my favorite shop) and their new green store Treehouse—filled with sustainable luxuries and the great tee line Little Fluffy. Sandwiched between them is the best coffee place in Rehoboth—The Coffee Mill (makes up for their grumpy attitude.) I love the Mod Cottage in the new Hotel Rehoboth. And Sole Kids (great organic dresses) and Sole Boutique. Blair Elizabeth is very modern preppy and has great (affordable) jewelry. And I’m also a big fan of Quiet Storm Surf Shop—which carries all the lines my husband loves.

A Q&A with Amaryllis (612 S. Exeter St., 410-576-7622) owners Ann Marie Fiume and Allison Wolf.

How long has the story been open?

Allie: Amaryllis opened originally at Owings Mills Mall in 1986 by my mom, Saralee. She moved to The Gallery in 1987 when it opened. Ann Marie was her manager and I worked for her part time. We purchased the store from her in the summer of 2000. After 22 years in The Gallery, our lease was up and we moved to Harbor East in February of this year.

What is your trick to being so successful?

Ann Marie: Amaryllis is a household name from locals to tourists. I think if we were just high end or just low end, I don’t know if we would have the mix of people and the mix of customer base. Also, from doing this 13-plus years, you get to know who you are buying for, even though it changes.

Allie: Also, our merchandising, the way people can look. I think our sales approach, which is fun, friendly, warm, and relatively low key.

Who is your typical customer?

Allie: Our average customer is a 35 to 70 year old professional woman who is buying something for herself to wear to work or to wear for fun or maybe both. We certainly have a lot of male shoppers who tell us, “I can always find something that she is going to love.”

What are your most popular lines or looks?

Ann Marie: Bracelets. Leather bracelets to wrap bracelets.

Allie: We do a lot of colorful stones. We sell pearls, which we get from a variety of people—funky and classic.

Ann Marie: Now we have people going for lighter layering pieces.

Allie: And less formal. If somebody gets a necklace they probably want to be able to wear it on the weekend, wear it out to dinner, wear it out to work. And so we try to, find more lines that are like that. And meaningful lines. We
carry Satya, which is Buddha inspired, so they do the tree of life, and lotus and symbolic pieces.

What is the hot trend you can’t live without?

Ann Marie: Selling wise would be Pandora—usually not a day goes by that we don’t sell Pandora. [The bracelets are designed to let you create your own personal and unique style. Using a patented threaded system, you can screw individual beads onto the bracelet segments, in any order you want.] Personally, black diamonds and leather.

Allie: What is really a great look now is blackened silver and gold. Pieces that are non-traditional, a Tahitian pearl on a leather strand.

Why is your store unique?

Allie: I think our longevity—that we’ve been in Baltimore for such a long time. I think we’re unique also because we only have one store in a world in chain stores. That we are a single destination spot. That we carry the amount of artists and the variety of artists that we do. And I think we present it in a way that is interesting and not a mish-mosh. We try to present it in a tasteful way. It’s vertical merchandising which is different from typical jewelry stores, where you look down in a case.

Ann Marie: A partnership really helps. It’s one thing to do it on your own, but it’s so nice when there’s your mirror right next to you.

—Toni Paterakis

I know we’ve written about them before—but I was reminded this week about Baltimore’s community bike shop Velocipede Bike Project. On Thursday (because of all the street closures for Artscape) I ended up walking by the shop on my way to the Charles. (Go see Food, Inc.) It’s a collectively run non-profit that collects donated, second-hand, and landfill-bound bikes to help provide transportation for people of low and moderate incomes, encourage healthy lifestyles, and decrease dependence on unsustainable fossil fuels. On Saturday, while wandering around Artscape, we realized one of our stroller tires was very low—and so we knocked on the door on the shop. They very nicely, manually pumped it back up. It’s a worthy project, and one worth revisiting. —JED