There's a lot to be said about buying local - from the small business owner trying to make a go of it in this not-too-kind retail environment that tends to favor Big Box discount stores. I've always found individually-owned gift shops offer so much more in terms of unique items, so I was delighted to learn that Lauren Bade was opening her doors in my hometown. My first glimpse of Lauren's clever collection of clothing, jewelry and home accents was at her flagship store in the tourist and shopping mecca of the Texas Hill Country: Fredericksburg.
Here, she's taken a large space in our historic downtown, remodeled half to be the darling shop, while the adjacent half gets a facelift to be a wine tasting room. Perfect!
If you're in this neck of the woods, this is some eye candy you don't want to miss! Beautiful entryway with hardware: You have me at Hello!

Some of that gaga-producing merchandising

Embroidered cotton and silk tunics - Eenie, Meenie, Miney Mo!

Unique jewelry

Frame-worthy papers - too gorgeous to cut!

Precious goodies for the pint-sized among us

And of course, more yummy-ness for grown-ups! If there had been any way for me to lug this tole and beadwork chandy back to Brazil, she'd have gone into Isla's nursery {sigh}