Lehigh Valley InSite

Boutique shopping in Lehigh Valley

I work dangerously close to Shuze - as in, I can hear the UPS truck departing after making a delivery of new goodies at the SouthSide Bethlehem boutique. I love shopping there, because there's always something new and, because of their relationships with local jewelry designers, always has the of-the-minute accessory you didn't know you were looking for.

Shuze owner Jennifer hand-picks every item in the store and can give you the back story on it. She's also effortlessly fashionable herself and has a great eye for style. And like a real friend, Jennifer will give you an honest opinion. I am tres jolie about the new pair of knee-high black leather boots that she suggested and am wearing them any chance I get.

I got a similar vibe at Boutique To Go (522 N. 19th St. Allentown). I was recently exchanging some tickets at the Civic Theatre box office across the street from Boutique To Go, and since I had a few extra minutes, I wandered in and looked around the store. Despite the fact that the other patrons in the store were old enough to be my (very fashionable) grandmother, there were many, many items that are very much "this season," if you follow these things, including:

• Chainmail and mixed metal, multi-strand bracelets and necklaces
• "Statement" pendants 
• A huge wall of handbags including jewel-toned totes

The mommies-to-be in my life (Jill, Kim, Kristen, Jessica) should drop some serious hints about this place - it's definitely a baby gift zone. Nothing essential, just fun, designer baby blankets, toys and decor. The prices at Boutique To Go were more than what you'll find at Target, but still not outrageous (and there's a sale going on now).

So for that unique piece for yourself, a one-of-a-kind gift or the satisfaction of supporting a local small business, both Boutique To Go and Shuze should be on your short list.

Have you been to either of them?

This post was written by Lehigh Valley InSite guest blogger Megan Santucci, who also writes the Lehigh Valley Transplant blog.

Fine photos on display at Dakota Ridge Gallery

I like to think I have an appreciation for all types of artwork, but my favorite has to be photography. This is one of the reasons I am a fan of Dakota Ridge, a fine art photography gallery located in the northern Lehigh Valley locale of Jim Thorpe.

Dakota Ridge is run by photographer Dan Hugos, a friendly man who you'll meet when you first set foot in 9 West Broadway Street, located right across the street from the Mauch Chunk Opera House. He'll gladly let you peruse the various gallery rooms in which the works displayed without a word - the whole purpose behind Dakota Ridge is to provide a location where people can appreciate the art of photography which isn't easy to do if you have someone talking you ear off. But after you've looked, if you want to talk about photography or the picturesque town of Jim Thorpe, he'll be glad to chew the fat for a while.

Last time I visited Dakota Ridge, I was particularly drawn to the work of Matt Dallos, whose featured works in the gallery focused on Pennsylvania forest-scapes. I find that nature shots, particularly of water, are incredibly soothing to me - Slipstream quickly became one of my favorite photos in the entire gallery. Then I saw the quiet majesty Matt captured in his photo of Mount Nittany shrouded in fog (and for which my beloved Penn State Nittany Lions were named for). If only I had the wall space ...

Before I left Dakota Ridge for the day, I noticed some very intriguing photos filled with sparks and fire. They were photos taken of the late, great Bethlehem Steel plant while it was still in operation. The Bethlehem-based photographer, Peter Treiber, even put out a book (which Don did have at the gallery) of these iconic images.

Don's Web site for Dakota Ridge is being updated as I write this, but the basic info like hours still holds true.

Do you have a favorite Lehigh Valley art gallery?

Pumpkin Picking in Lehigh Valley

Fall has arrived and Halloween is just around the corner. Casey and I have just moved into our new house and she can’t wait to give out candy for Trick-or-Treat and to carve out a jack-o-lantern to put on our front porch. (I will have to miss Trick-or-Treat because I have tickets for a Pearl Jam show at the soon-to-be-closing Spectrum, but don’t worry, Casey will be joining me for the second show.)

Even though it'll be the first in our new house, this won’t be our first pumpkin carving. We have done this the past two years. On Saturday we will be making our second trip to Strawberry Acres to pick our pumpkin. 

Strawberry Acres has a great atmosphere to it. It is a working farm, so there are animals running around and other farm-like things going on. It is a perfect place to go if you have kids, with its hayride, little playground, and an area to pet the farm animals.

Last year we skipped the hayride, but I hit up the playground and we both were petting the animals. The playground actually has a radical tube slide.

On the way out, don’t forget to grab an apple for the ride home. They probably have the most delicious apples ever.

Whitehall's Best Buy = Best Shopping Experience Ever!

With the exception of witnessing the same guy sing karaoke all night long, watching a LOT of football, and practicing my pool game so I don't make a fool of myself at my first pool league match coming up, the past week has been pretty low key for me. But I did make a pretty significant purchase here in Lehigh Valley since my last blog post, and it turned out to be a really pleasant shopping experience.

A month or so ago, I found myself without a TV. After picking my friends' brains with the age-old question, "LCD or plasma?," I decided that yesterday was the day to buy my new TV, so jumped in the car and drove to Whitehall.

Now that Circuit City is gone, the only electronics store I could think of was Best Buy:

I decided to see just how helpful these Best Buy folks really were.

After a quick scan of the DVD section (DVDs for only $9.99!), I headed over to the wall of TVs. I'd seen plenty of blue-shirted Best Buy associates who were pleasant and certainly not pushy, my biggest pet peeve about shopping.

I made a swoop through the TV section before I was approached by a very well-dressed Best Buy guy. I explained I wanted to buy a TV and that I really didn't care about pixel size or gaming output, hoping he'd catch my drift not to try to sell me on the 65" deluxe home theater model.

Surprisingly, he steered me toward the 32" LCDs and he gave me the rundown on the best brands for your buck. I asked him about plasmas, and without the slightest hint of irritation at my question, my Best Buy guy told me the pros and cons of plasmas versus LCDs.

I left Best Buy with a brand new 42" Samsung plasma TV and realized that was probably the best shopping experience I've had and that Best Buy actually does live up to its advertising.

Have you had a similar shopping experience in Lehigh Valley?

Antiques and Gifts on Broad...it's new!

Ok, "new" and "antiques" normally aren't used in the same sentence, but I recently discovered Lehigh Valley's newest antique store in historic Bethlehem called Antiques & Gifts on Broad. As the name implies it's on Broad & Main Streets, just across from American Hairlines Salon & Spa and Edge Restaurant.

I have to admit, I could get lost for hours in stores like Weil Antique Center in Allentown or Eagles Nest Antiques on the Square in Easton, but don't let the smaller size of Antiques & Gifts on Broad fool you; it's packed with goodies. I stopped in twice (so far) and already made two purchases!

A lot of the charm Antiques & Gifts holds has to do with the proprietor, Judi Rae. Her wonderful British accent along with her keen sense of style and absolute passion for the items she displays makes you feel like you're visiting a long lost friend when you walk in her shop.

I need to tip you off to a really cool gift idea she offers: You bring in a bottle of your favorite wine, champagne, port, brandy...whatever, and Judi will whip up a truly unique gift basket incorporating antique glassware to match your beverage of choice. I've seen samples and they will be my housewarming gifts from now on.

Well, I've named three great antique stores in the Valley...what are your favorites?

Home & Planet for all your "quirky" shopping needs

I like quirky things. On my desk at work I have a silver cat with a slinky for a body and a clock in its chest. Next to it is a cat made out of nuts and bolts and copper wire. Usually, I buy said quirky things when I'm traveling, but I've found just the place to get them right here in the Valley - Home & Planet.

Home & Planet has been nestled in South Side Bethlehem for nearly 10 years now, yet I only discovered it last year when it was mentioned in a blog postright here on Lehigh Valley InSite. (Once again, even as a lifelong resident of Lehigh Valley, I'm finding new places to go in the area.)

Anyway, Home & Planet is all about funky yet stylish earth-friendly home decor and gifts. I'm not talking about an old cable spool being used as a coffee table - I'm talking about truly classy art, like a pop art portrait of James Dean made out of recycled license plates.

So far I have only purchased one thing from Home & Planet - a pendulum clock made from recycled bicycle parts. My problem is, the things I like the most always seem the most expensive (although the folks at Home & Planet try their best to keep a variety of priced merchandise in stock). Therefore, I consider Home & Planet truly to be my guilty pleasure shopping spot.

Here are some of my favorite Home & Planet items ...

Lehigh Valley's newest store ... it's more than the name implies

My mom and I needed to get out of the house this weekend. We had so many choices to choose from: Das Awkscht Fest, DCI Eastern Classic and Musikfest, among others going on in the Valley. So what does she want to do? Shop!

Whenever possible I try to stay clear of the malls. They are nice and all, but it's usually not my kind of shopping. So the first thing that popped into my mind was Lehigh Valley's newest store, Christmas Tree Shops in the Airport Center Shopping Plaza.

This new plaza is located right off Route 22 and Airport Road in Allentown. Currently there is a Five Guys Burger & Fries, Golf Galaxy, Target, Carter's, Famous Footwear, Wachovia, a mattress store, a craft store and a few others. 

When we walked into Christmas Tree Shops, we weren't exactly sure what we were going to find. Judging by the name, we thought we were going to be doing some early Christmas decoration shopping. Well, the name definitely doesn't match the contents of the store!

The store had a wide variety of items from dishes, pictures and yard items to food, toiletries and toys. Their prices seemed very reasonable. I ended up buying some tiled artwork for my kitchen for $3.99 each! Nothing Christmas-y about the place. Wonder how it got its name? 

We will definitely be heading back closer to the holidays to get some inexpensive gifts for friends and family. Have you checked the store out yet?   

Plaza Growers' Market is a Wednesday lunchtime hit

Each and every Wednesday (June through October) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the city of Allentown comes to life with the Plaza Growers' Marketlocated at 9th and Hamilton Streets in front of PPL Plaza. There's live entertainment and plenty of vendors selling fresh vegetables, meats, cheeses, flowers, baked treats, soaps and much more. Since I work directly across the street from the market, it's an easy jaunt to find a healthy lunch or pick up some fresh groceries.

My favorite vendor is Balasia. Chef Wendy, who runs the stand, used to have a restaurant in Emmaus but is currently offering in-home cooking and catering only. The food Wendy brings to the Market is not only vegan but also organic, which gives me a couple of options to choose from for lunch. I have been stuck on her black bean and tomato sweet and spicy chili served over brown bismati rice. The sweet and spiciness really make the dish! She also has vegan ice cream which I have yet to venture, but doesn't cashew cinnamon sound like an awesome flavor?

Why not sneak out for lunch? You won't be disappointed! Make sure you stop by Wendy's booth and try some of her specialties.

Shopping in Lehigh Valley

It's a good thing I don't work in retail. If I did, I'd receive a bill every week instead of a pay check!

When I'm out and about in Lehigh Valley during the course of my week visiting attractions, restaurants and shops, I often spend more than I make in a day. Let's just say I do my fair share of stimulating the economy.

Last week I had the best excuse to shop, Don's birthday! I knew just where to go ... Main Street Commons in Bethlehem. Earlier this summer I spotted a great gift for Don in The Blue Cactus, a frog-shaped table fan. Not the sort of thing he would buy for himself, but perfect to set by his favorite chair in our screen room.

Main Street Commons, with its beautifully restored facade is a gem in Historic Bethlehem. There you can find really eclectic gifts at shops like The Blue Cactus, The Foo Foo Shop, and Girlfriend's Boutique then stop for something to eat at the Bethlehem BrewWorks or Marco's Pizza followed, of course, by ice cream at Heavenly Hedgehog! Another favorite stop for me is the Franklin Hill Vineyard retail store since I don't get up to the winery in Bangor as often as I'd like.

I know there are lots of really cool shops in Lehigh Valley and I've only named a few. I'll leave you with two questions...what are your favorite shops and what do you think of the fan?

Wow! 100 vendors at Nazareth's Arts & Crafts Festival

I'm hoping Saturday's weather is good and not just because I'm off - I'm planning to attend the annual Arts & Crafts Festival on the lawn at the historic Whitefield House in Nazareth. (If the weather's a wash, it relocates to Nazareth Area High School.)

I like these kinds of community events because they really help me feel connected to my Lehigh Valley. Plus, this one's a fundraiser for the Moravian Historical Society, which means I'll be supporting my Lehigh Valley too. 

The free event is slated to feature more than 100 vendors selling everything from crafts made of wood and cloth, to silver and beaded jewelry, to fine art and pottery. It starts at 9 a.m. and goes until 3 p.m. which doesn't sound like enough time to make it to all of the vendors, but I'm up for a challenge.

The Nazareth Community Band and the Nazareth Big Swing Band will be performing, which is my kind of music - it's almost like they were thinking of me when they booked the entertainment ;)

When I'm in the mood for a little nosh, I'll have my pick of hot dogs, barbecue and some traditional Moravian sugar cake. Better yet, every food purchase I make will directly benefit the local service clubs and non-profits who are selling it as their own fundraiser.

If I have a little time, I might even explore the museum exhibits inside Whitefield House, since admission is only $1 all day.

Parking is on the street only which means I might have to circle the block a couple times to get a spot. But it sounds like it's going to be worth it. I'm looking forward to it.

Which summer arts and crafts festivals in Lehigh Valley are your favorites?