Gallery Crawl and Santa Pics

TGIF! Its finally not raining and its warm today in NoDa. The perfect night for a Gallery Crawl. As usual the girls will be here until 9:30 and we have lots of incredible sales going on. You will find jewelry from 15% off, ornaments 30% off, and some clothing 50% off to name a few. You may want to stop by the Boulevard first and buy a hat because its gonna be windy. Check out this write up on our San Diego Hats http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/klepto/2008/12/11/hats-off-at-the-boulevard/. I'm also attaching a great photo of some of our furry friends and Santa from our party last Friday!

-XOXO Shop Girl

Countdowns make me nervous

So, I won't state the obvious how many days until Christmas because it just makes me nervous! We had a great party here on Friday night and I hope everyone was able to attend and make a big dent in their shopping needs. We had live music and Santa was here to pose for photos with our furry friends. If you did miss us on Friday night you still have plenty of time to stop by and visit us and don't forget about Gallery Crawl this friday. The Boulevard will be open until 9:30!

Just to update all of you dedicated shoppers our holiday hours are as follows:
December 24th from 10:00-2:00 p.m.
December 25th CLOSED
December 26th CLOSED
January 31st from 11:00-2:00 p.m.
January 1st CLOSED

Our regular business hours will change for the winter months starting in January:
Wednesday thru Saturday from 11:00-5:00 p.m.
Sundays from 12:00-4:00 p.m.

-XOXO Shop Girl

Hangin' in the 'hood tomorrow

Tomorrow will be a festive Wednesday in NoDa that you won't want to miss. Get comfortable because there are several events and I'm going to tell you all about them. Let's plan the evening, shall we?...
-NoDaRioty is presenting the All Arts Market at the Neighborhood Theatre from 6:00-10:00p.m. Its FREE to get in the door and inside you will find a plethora of local emerging artists with their treasures for sale.
Visit their website for more information www.neighborhoodtheatre.com

-We are going to extend our hours here at The Boulevard tomorrow evening so you can stop by and do some extra shopping until 9:00 p.m. We have some great sales going on with select vendors. Very worth it!

-For a little more late night fun head over to The Evening Muse and hear one of my very favorite bands Jukebox the Ghost, among others. The doors will open a around 8:00 p.m. for a look at their calendar visit www.theeveningmuse.com

So if you need to do a little catching up on your shopping, but (like me) refuse to go to the mall on a weekend in December, then use this Wednesday evening to leap ahead. Round up a couple of friends, grab a pizza from NoDa's newest restaurant, Revolution Pizza and Ale House (get the cucumber mojito, trust me) and then shop until you drop people!!

-XOXO Shopgirl

Get out, party, and SHOP on December 12th!

Hello! I wanted to go ahead and get everyone prepared for The Boulevard's holiday celebration night. On Friday, December 12th from 6:00-8:30 the place will be buzzing with good cheer, live music, tasty refreshments, and Santa Paws. There will be a professional photographer on hand to take a picture of your friendly pooch or your kids, or YOU with Santa. This night is not a scheduled gallery crawl night, it is special for you. Please join us to celebrate and shop!

-XOXO Shop Girl

Relax this Holiday

Whew! Thanksgiving is now past and its time to get serious about buying gifts. Some of you might already be finished if you stuck to my plan of buying gifts every week since September. I confess that even though I have done some shopping I did not quite stick to the plan. I'm not worried though because I can get everything here at The Boulevard and still continue my quest to support small business owners.

Of course you know that the holidays always involve lots of parties and dinners that in turn involves hostess gifts or maybe secret Santa. Look no further than The Boulevard! Our cutting board collection by Milkweed is the perfect option. We have tons of styles featuring original art work from local artists. So go ahead and relax this holiday. The Boulevard has every gift you need, a parking lot, and relaxing environment far away from the mall!

-XOXO Shop Girl

A blast from the (super) past

Yesterday I went to the Pompeii exhibit at Discovery Place. I highly recommend it to people of all ages. What I found to be the most interesting thing was how much our modern day existence resembles the everyday life of Pompeians 2,000 years ago. They had fast food, dry cleaners, they wore make-up, perfume, and JEWELRY. To my surprise, the jewelry they wore looks a lot like what we would consider fashionable today. I was even comparing it to pieces we have in The Boulevard and some of the rings reminded me of the rings sold by Endia Ink (see picture). Endia Ink is a new vendor here and not only does she sell these classically beautiful rings that she designs herself, but also greeting cards of her original art work. Learn more about her at http://www.endia-ink.com/. I know you probably already planning to stop by during the crawl tomorrow night so make sure you have a look at what Endia Ink has to offer!

-XOXO Shop Girl

The Boulevard

Photobucket Album

Funky Vintage Birdcages

I've always wanted a bird in a rusty decorative cage. Everyone keeps telling me that birds are too messy so I keep talking myself out of it. I just think it would make me feel a little more like royalty when I came home. Of course the cage has to be pretty and in a perfect world someone else would clean up after it for me! Well, The Boulevard now has the perfect cages for this fantasy. There are lots of sizes and each one is unique. The prices are affordable too! I can imagine so many things to put in it (other than my Finches) like wouldn't twinkly lights look cool in there or a Barbie doll swinging in the middle? I could even put a fake bird in there and cover it with glitter! Oh the possibilities...

-XOXO Shop Girl

What to get a man for Christmas?

I don't know about you, but I have the hardest time picking out gifts for my dad! Its very tough to find just the right thing that isn't nose hair trimmers or a hot pink tie. Well, look no further than The Boulevard this year. One of our newest vendors, Ponel, sells the perfect thing...succulent plants in handmade planters. These are great because the maintenance is very low and some of them will even bloom flowers! The planters are all in very organic, earthy tones that will go with any body's decor. You also will not believe the affordability. Ask a shop girl to point these out next time you stop by. In keeping my trend of supporting small businesses I will be buying a couple of these so you better get here soon!

-XOXO Shop Girl

G Diapers at The Boulevard

Two posts in one day! Gosh you are lucky. I just have so much to share. This Saturday (November 1st) The Boulevard and NoDa Kids will be hosting an event with G Diapers form 11:00-1:00. There will be demonstrations and lots of question and answer time. If you don't know about these earth friendly diapers that are all the rage with celebrities right now, then I will expect to see you there!

-XOXO Shop Girl

Nifty fabric use

Next time you are in The Boulevard ask the shop girl to show you these fabulous bowls and vases by Vessel Vixen. They are bright, funky, and totally functional. These little beauts are such a great example of re purposing. Hope, the artist, uses a special hardening solution to make the pieces water proof and virtually unbreakable. Also, the animal print makes a bold statement! Who can't think of someone in their life who would LOVE this?

-XOXO Shop Girl

Friends and Family are more valuable than ever

KaDee Kay, a popular vendor here, will be hosting a friends and family night at The Boulevard on Friday, October 24th. These hand-blown decorative bottles are just some of the products this mother daughter business has to offer.

Right now in America times are uncertain, but one thing you can count on is your family and your friends. The people closest to us are the most valuable thing we have right now. What I love about the KaDee Kay girls (Karen, Danielle, and Kelly) is their commitment to a quality product and to each other as family business owners! If you are supporting the emerging businesses this year, it doesn't get better than this.

-XOXO Shop Girl

Nest Bags Patio Show

Stop by The Boulevard during Gallery Crawl this Friday and check out the patio show! Kim, the owner of Nest Bags will be showcasing her quality and original bags on the patio behind our building. I've personally had my eye on a few of these beauties and I can't wait to see what else she brings on Friday. Her line is not only purses, but also slippers, and make-up bags in bright colors and perfect sizes. The girls at The Boulevard hope to see you here supporting your local small business owners!

-XOXO Shop Girl

Robin and Daughters handmade jewelry

I have my eye on this beautiful necklace from Robin and Daughters. The colors are great for Fall, but versatile too. Robin, the owner, makes all of her jewelry by hand with quality stones and metals. Make sure you stop by her booth on customer appreciation night or the next gallery crawl. I am making it a point during this unfortunate economic time to support people and artists who own their small businesses. The big corporations don't need our help. Join the shop girls and buy better quality from business owners who care about every customer. Stay tuned to the blog and I will showcase more and more of the fabulous things you can buy from The Boulevard's business owners! There might even be sneak peek of the door prizes for Friday night.

Ahoy Matey

Did you think that red and white striped leggings were just for pirates? Think again friends. The Boulevard now carries this style (see pic). These aren’t average leggings though. They are called “Skids” and have many functions. They look cute, they protect little legs crawling on the floor, block out UV rays, and best of all they don’t have to be removed to change a diaper. Don’t believe me? Stop by the store and see for yourself.

-XOXO Shop Girl

Customer Appreciation Night and PRIZES!

The Boulevard will be hosting an exclusive shopping event on Friday, October 10th from 6:00 until 8:30. If you are following my advice about getting your Christmas shopping done early then you will need to be here. A lot of the vendors have been generous enough to offer discounts and best of all DOOR PRIZES! (the picture above is just one of many things up for grabs as a prize). Just think about how many people you can cover in one night, if you win you should keep the door prize for yourself for being such a savvy shopper! You go!

-XOXO Shop Girl

Send a heartfelt Note

I read somewhere that one of the keys to being happy is to send a heartfelt note to someone once a week. Sheesh! Once a week really? Well, I bend the rules a bit and send them when I think of someone or come across really beautiful cards (see pic) like we have at The Boulevard. Artists Mary Digby (a NoDa resident) and Kendra Baird keep us in good supply of blank cards so you have plenty of space to tell your roomie from college how much you miss her! Both artists use their original artwork, so it’s really more than just a card.

-XOXO Shop Girl

Go Team!

New collars and leashes are here!! I don’t know if anyone else has experienced difficulty teaching their dog to sing along with their team's fight song, but I can’t seem to get my rascal to hit those notes! Here’s the solution: collegiate collars from Meow and Fetch (see pic). My team is represented in full force now from the flag in the yard to my dog’s neck. Stop by and grab your team soon so you can maximize season coverage. If you don’t see your school here, the owner will gladly do a special order for you. Go team!
-XOXO Shop Girl

Green to Grow in The Boulevard

Okay, this is my last post for the day! I've got to get The Boulevard ship shape for the gallery crawl tonight. I'm just bursting at the seams to tell you about this cool product before I go. So my friend is having a baby and she doesn't want to find out if its a boy or girl until the little one makes an entrance. Well there goes pink frilly dresses and mini baseball uniforms. I've looked around for some really cool and different things that can go either way. If you are need of baby stuff for a gift or your own bundle of joy, look no futher than NoDa Kids here at the Boulevard. Not only does Monique (the friendly owner) have brightly colored clothing that looks good on every baby or child, but she carries a line of bottles called "Green to Grow". See picture. I'm going to buy the cute little 5oz with the purple fruit! Let me tell you why! The bottles are bisphenol A free and phthalate free. What?!! They sum it up best when they say "Just the milk, please. Hold the chemicals." Stop by The Boulevard and learn more about these bottles and other ways to keep your baby healthy! Thanks Monique.

-XOXO Shop Girl

Tonight is Gallery Crawl

There's a gallery crawl in the 'hood tonight. The weather is perfect and people will be in the mood for Fall. I've had my eye on this wonderful and very user friendly Jack-o-Lantern (see pic) for a while now. I'm sure someone will snatch him up tonight. He's made by Girls with Glass, a collaboration of mosaic artists headed up by Millie Norris here in The Boulevard. Get here early if you want a shot at this no mess, use it again next year pumpkin!

-xoxo Shop Girl

Couldn't wait

You know when you come across something really cool and there's only one and its your size and you know you should buy groceries, but you can't leave it behind? That happened to me yesterday in Lark & Key. I only meant to stop by and say "hi" and left with this awesome t-shirt by Supermaggie. See picture. It is very soft and I know I will wear it all the time!

-XOXO Shop Girl

Its not too late...

Hi there fellow shoppers! Believe it or not Christmas is upon us. If you're anything like me when it comes to the holidays, then you do all your shopping last minute and always break your New Year's resolutions. Well, I have found a way to make up for lost time and re-claim my 2008. Its not too late to re-visit those goals and adjust a little. So you didn't actually go to the gym four times a day 6 days a week, but you can decide that for once you will do your Christmas shopping early. Start now and buy two presents a week. Don't you feel better? I have already picked one for this week, sparkle mice in Christmas colors from Meow and Fetch for my step sister's cat. See picture. (Yes, our pets exchange gifts). Well, I'm off to see who is next on my list. What a success 2008 will be!

-XOXO Shop Girl