November 23, 2016

Shop with a conscience

Girly fashion illustration print

Working at Pier 1, I had odd hours, but I have to give them props that we never worked on holidays- Christmas Eve + New Year’s Eve, sure. But I was always done with plenty of time for Midnight Mass for the former and champagne on the latter. This year, rather than bringing you Black Friday sales (hint: they’re everywhere!) I’m bringing you stores that support their employees by staying C L O S E D on Thanksgiving. It’s so important to be able to have that family time, and I so appreciate the stores, including my Pier 1, that do so.

If you’re looking to shop small this year rather than head to a typical retailer, you might want to check out some of my favorite Etsy shops:

  • Harp and Squirrel– not only can you get custom illustrations and original prints done by one of my favorite artists (I love the whole Bruckner family, really), they also have some adorable baby stuff
  • The Trendy Sparrow– Chic apparel & gifts for the fashionable boss lady, I would wear/ use just about anything from her! Plus I adore Lindzi!
  • Tees And Tank You Shop– Quirky graphic tees, tanks, and sweatshirts. I own two.
  • Tints Shades Fine Art– Minimalist prints for a TON of different fandoms, also customize-able.  Kendall and I have a lion king print in our living room that artist Jocelyn changed the background color for and added text.
  • Celebriscents– Creative Scented Soy Candles for Special Occasions. I’m all about scented candles and it’s always nice to find scents I love for a bargain. These also have fun names. So far my favorite from this shop has been It’s A Boy (baby powder scented). These make great stocking stuffers!
  • This isn’t Etsy, but The Pretty Pink Rooster is a boutique a chic online boutique that showcases the most stylish jewelry, all for under $50.00! You may remember this shop from the #wcw post I did on their founder, Alexandra.

If you want to shop LOCAL this year:

  • Zen In A Jar– Luxury Care for the Mind | Body | Space
  • Whistle & Wild– A Boutique that caters to the one who doesn’t have a “fixed look”. Whistle & Wild carries an array of bohemian pieces as well as polished date-night looks. Most of (if not all) of the pieces that Amanda carries are made in the USA!
  • Trade Roots– a Fair Trade gift store and coffee shop located in Arlington, Virginia specializing in eco-friendly fair trade gifts from around the world.
  • Cherry Blossom Creative– Funny enough, I first heard of them when my sorority sister in Wisconsin sent me a beautiful map of Georgetown as a housewarming gift when I first moved into the city. I love the idea of hyper-localism.
  • Violet Boutique– the Washingtonian woman’s go-to shop for fun, trendy looks that easily go from work to weekend – and most for under $100.
  • For lots of local vendors at once, be sure to check out Streetmarket 2016: A Curated Holiday Pop-Up (Thursday, December 15, 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m) +
    Downtown Holiday Market (opens Friday, November 25, and will run continuously through Friday, December 23.  Hours will be from Noon to 8 pm each day.)

Don’t forget that if you want to skip the Black Friday madness all together and shop in your pajamas from your couch, you should really sign up for ebates. You can earn cash back at so many places, and it’s super easy to sign up and start earning right away!

I’d love to know of more places staying closed on Thanksgiving, your favorite small shops, and best local treasures! Let me know in the comments, and have a very safe and happy holiday weekend!

 




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