Queen City Emporium

What We're Looking For - Fall/Winter 2010

We've been open a few months now, and the store has evolved greatly from what we started out to be.  We have a major announcement upcoming, too!

Here's an updated list of what we're looking for/interested in:

Bath & Body (1 or 2 openings) - Body butter, soaps, soaks, lip balm, etc.  Winter pampering and possibly gift sets?  Don't forget about manly soaps & bath & body items.

Perfumes

Candles (1 or 2 openings)

Fashion Accessories - Headbands, hair accessories, ear warmers, scarves.  items that can be used for photo props, as we are located in an area that is frequented by photographers, as well as having multiple studios in the district. Belts, belt buckles, cuffs, hats - both functional and decorative.

Sewn Accessories - iPod covers, iPhone covers, Kindle covers, coffee cuffs, makeup brush rolls, baby booties

Clothing - Ladies, Mens, Kids, Baby.  Also - larger sizes + older kids.  Skirts, tops, dresses, etc for ladies.  Bodysuits, tops, pants skirts for kids.  We have many customers asking about boys items and holiday wear.  Slippers & Pajamas for the whole family.  Baby booties

Purses & Wallets -  All sizes and styles.  Customers are looking for evening bags, very large bags, makeup brush rolls, iphone cases, and kindle covers.  Also, weekender/overnight bags and daytime totes.  Small card cases, wallets, and makeup bags/pencil pouches.

Totes & Messenger Bags

Home Accessories - Furniture, woodworking, pottery, art glass, quilts, childrens, baby, pillows, buckets, baskets, etc. 

Art - All types and styles - originals & prints

Kitchen -  Potholders, Trivets, Napkins, Linens, Coasters, Placemats, Table Runners, tablecloths, tea towels

Stationery - desk sets, pens, greeting cards, notepads, journals

Jewelry - Fine jewelry (upscale & fine silver/gem/pearl/gold), Casual, beaded, longer necklaces, bracelets.  Also, alternative metals (gunmetal, bronze, brass, goldtone, etc)

Stuff for Men - They want nice things too!  Manly jewelry, hats, scarves, wallets, ties, t shirts, clothing.  We have a fairly large male clientele.  Don't forget about manly soaps & bath & body items.

Holiday - Cards (singles + sets), ornaments, stockings, advent calendars, seasonal decor, seasonal t-shirts.  Includes autumn, Halloween, thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New years.  Also - Thank You cards and holiday-themed invitations (party, open house, etc)

T Shirts - Hoodies, long sleeves, short sleeves for the whole family.  Feminine prints are a plus for the gals. 

Knits - Hats, shrugs, scarves, mittens, cowls,  ear warmers, slippers for all.

Food/Spices/Candy/condiments - herbs, spices, mixes, finishing salts, mustards, sauces, etc.

Anything else that might be interesting.  If you think it’s great, contact us!

Betty Has Friends!

Real, live friends!  None of this weird talking mannequin stuff...

Chelsea is wearing the cutest dress ever!  No, really, that's what it's called.  Created from upcycled materials and vintage kimono silk, it's fab for going out during the day or at night.  

Cutest Dress Ever: $59, from Cajun Moon

Fish Wristlet: $28, sold, from Pete & Paul.

Octopus Necklace: $26, from Crave. 

Total cost: $113. 

Checking In

Loooong time, no post.  Rather than double post, I'm gonna link to the Beckandcallgirl blog.

You'll see that I'm lackadaisical in blogging, there, too. 

JoeJoe the Schnauzer pup is available for adoption, too.  See details on the other blog. 

Lookin' Sharp!

Yeah, bad puns are intentional here.  I have professed my love of t-shirts before, and this is a great dressed up one! 

This may be my new favorite date outfit!  You might even see me rockin' this look around town. 

Today, (actually last week)  Betty is/was wearing:

Scissor T-Shirt from Circular Accessories - $30.  A great design on a super soft, slightly distressed shirt.   cute, and would look great with cut-offs, capri pants or a denim skirt, too.  

Skirt Detail

Ribbon Skirt from Rollick - $55.  A great slim fit cotton/lycra skirt with slightly distressed ruffle detailing.  The ruffles are sweet without being sugary.  

Large Hammered Hoops from Mu-Yin Jewelry - $30.  A great size of hoop earrings.  Fab for a trendy outfit, but really, a wardrobe staple.  Oh, and did I mention that they're hand-hammered sterling?  

Large Hammered Hoops

Total cost for the look?  $115 

Knowing no one else is wearing your outfit?  Priceless.

Steppin' Out

It's time for the second installment of Betty's Fashion Corner.  Someone asked me why we called it that, and here's the true, honest answer - she's located in the corner by our door & our front windows.  

Today, Betty is wearing:

White silk/cotton halter dress from ChykShop - $39.  Yeah, $39 for an exquisitely sewn dress from an independent designer.  

Flower Brooch from Realisation Creations - $33.  Created with with luxe fabrics in similar shades and a vintage glass button for an upscale feel. 

White Liar extra long necklace from Sparkle Candy - $35.  Made with vintage Japanese glass pearls, the super-long length makes it a fabulous wardrobe staple. 

Moonstone and Tourmaline Earrings, also from Realisation Creations - $44.  Lovely large faceted moonstones topped with heaps of multi-colored tourmaline stones on hand-forged earwires.  Oh, and did I mention all metal is Sterling Silver, too?

Total cost for the look?  $151

Unfortunately, that's the last of these dresses we have - it's a medium, best fits a 6-8.  We do have other dresses from ChykShop that are in the same price range in a wide array of styles and sizes.  The brooches are available in other colors, as well as in a haircomb.  The earrings are one of a kind. 

Not in Springfield, MO?  No problem!  We do mailorder, as well. 

CandyBox Has Arrived!

It's a new month, and you know what that means - it's First Friday again!  This month is a two-fer.  

First, we're hosting the CandyBox from SparkleCandy!  It's their new trunk show and we have a ton of great pieces of jewelry that are funky and elegant, with a wide appeal. 

Eclectic sophistication is the style.  Unique jewelry items made from vintage and modern components in a wide array of colors and styles. 

Each piece is handmade in very limited editions.  The pieces appeal to tweens to boomers and beyond!

Second, it's also the pet stroll!  There's a ton of fun stuff going on, plus there's going to be lots and lots of animals out and about. 

Ain't Your Momma's Tie Dye

Well, it really isn't tie-dye at all!  It is, however, all hand-dyed in a myriad of techniques. 

Dye Diana Dye

Dye Diana Dye specializes in Shibori,  Shibori is the ancient Japanese technique of creating resists for dye. I use hand-stitched resists, such as ori-nui (running stitch over folded cloth, for spirals, stems, and other lines and curves), hira-nui (running stitch on a single layer of cloth, for lines), maki-nui (chevron lines), awase-nui (intersecting arcs, for leaves), ne-maki (little circles), maki-age (bound fabric within a shape for flowers), and mokume-nui (parallel rows of running stitch, for wood grain like striations). 

Diana loves color and texture (who doesn't?!) and all of her items are one of a kind. 

Foconuts

Foconuts creates hand-dyed & hand-painted kids clothes.  They use the shibori technique, too, but in a totally different way.  Instead of creating an all-over design, she creates a picture - like a giraffe, flower, or hot air balloon -  then dyes the rest of the item in a solid color.  It's really quite a nifty effect!  

Nancy's Naturals

Nancy's Naturals is a mother/daughter team that creates tie dye with a modern edge.  Using figure flattering cuts, modern styles of blanks, and a fun use of color, they've brought a new level of sophistication to traditional tie-dye.  Their items easily transition from running errands to the pool or lake to a summer evening out.

Betty's Fashion Corner - ME-OW!

This is something that we bandied about for awhile. We do a new window every week - sometimes more often.  Should we do a 'Look of the Week' kind-of thing or not? 

I voted yes, so here it is.  

You've all seen her, whether she's (ahem) modeling on the interwebs or if you've come down the street.  Now it's time to meet her.  Betty is her name, and she'll be showing her latest ensemble here.  Today, she's wearing:

Frisky Kitten skirt - $33, from Priscilla Dawn.  I know, right?  It looks super-cute as a top, too. 

Cotton Jersey Shrug - $24, from Patricia Valery.  How can you resist?  Great for all summer long.  Super soft. 

Flower Brooch - $13, from You Are My Sunshine.  A great accessory at a fab price. 

Now, you'll still need a top (or bottoms) but the total comes to: $70! 

We have all items available in a large range of sizes in the store.  The shrugs and brooches are also available in other colors.  Not in Springfield, MO?  No problem!  We do mailorder, as well. 

Circular Accessories + Kira Yustak + Red Boots Design

One of the staples of anyone's wardrobe are T-shirts.  However, there's no need to have a cookie-cutter shirt that you see on everyone!  As an added bonus, with a slightly different cut, you can kick your style up a notch without sacrificing comfort.  

Circular Accessories

Allison from Circular Accessories hand-prints everything on a tabletop press!  I love the feminine styles and designs without them being over-the-top frilly!  We also have dresses and jersey scarves from Circular Accessories.  

Kira Yustak

Kira Yustak is a NYC artist with a style best descibed as a sort of comic realism that she has developed over the years. Her work has been exhibited throughout New York City and the United States.  Her shirts are from her original carved linoprints. 

Red Boots Design

Based in Bellingham Washington, Erin is a one-girl-show. She does all of her designs and printing herself, using American made, sweatshop free clothes whenever possible. Erin also recycles and uses soy based cleaners in my shop. Red Boots Design is inspired by everyday things all around them (her).  And we love all the Bike-theme items from her (them?)

Plucking Pendants + Nashville Fret

What a combo! 

Ashley from Plucking Pendants creates really great jewelry items from recycled guitar strings.  Totally original and available in gold, silver, and copper! 

Nashville Fret makes amazing belt buckles and pendants that look just like a fretboard from a guitar!  Their items are made from exotic hardwoods, real guitar fretwire, and mother of pearl inlay.  How great would one of these be for a Graduation or Father's Day gift?