Shopping News for January

STOCK UP

Lady Butterbug has come to Grapevine. The shop is the fourth opened by Karla Ritchey, the area's only licensed "Stockist" of the much sought-after Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Sloan's paints redefined the painted furniture market -- and a whole lot more. Trained as a painter in England, the Australian-born artist eventually turned to decorative work. In 1987, she wrote The Complete Book of Decorative Paint Techniques, followed by more than 20 others. She opened her Chalk Paint shop in Oxford in 2000. The paint was developed for wood pieces, but as Ritchey says, "It can be used on any surface -- literally." On walls, it has a soft matte effect; waxed, it looks like polished plaster. You can even use it to paint floors. In her workshops, Ritchey teaches how to layer colors, distress or wax the paint to create an Old World patina, as well as how to use it as a wash. Workshop dates for beginning and advanced techniques are posted on the website. Lady Butterbug at Grapevine Antique Mall, 1641 W. Northwest Hwy., 817-329-2124; www.LadyButterbug.com.

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ANTIQUING IN ARLINGTON

Chris and Bette Sheidler, owners of the Montgomery Street Antique Mall in Fort Worth, officially open the doors of their new antique mall in Arlington this month. Located at 4905 S. Cooper St., the 53,000-square-foot Cooper Street Antique Mall features more than 75 dealers, including familiar favorites from the Fort Worth mall. Judy Phillips, manager of the Montgomery Street location, says the new mall will operate just as the Fort Worth version does -- selling only antiques. Phillips says with the addition of the Arlington location, the Sheidlers are hoping to arouse the interest of new dealers and customers in Arlington. For more information, call 817-557-6215.

GRANDER GRANDEUR

Grandeur Design is expanding south, to Fort Worth. The well-loved Decatur-based design and decor company is opening a retail space filled with its one-of-a-kind, original-designed (and Decatur fabricated) line of fabrics, furniture, floral pieces, art and accessories, created exclusively for the store by owners Brenda Blaylock and Susan Semmelman. There's something in this store for every style and every possible direction your design project could take, and a few more besides. And if that weren't enough, Grandeur Design will offer custom design services, as well. The grand opening is scheduled for mid-January. 821 Foch St., Fort Worth.

THE NONSMOKING SECTION

The Wild Valley E-Cigarette Co. is a swanky new lounge on Blue Bonnet Circle where electronic-cigarette users can "vapor" in style and nonsmokers won't go home smelling like cigarettes. Owned by Fort Worth native Parker Daniel, the space was designed to resemble an old cigar shop. Plush leather seats line the wall as a place for patrons to relax, and a wooden cigar-store Indian sits behind the counter (a symbol of tobacconists -- though you won't find any tobacco here). The store's biggest draw is its liquid bar, where customers have the opportunity to sample the vast assortment of eLiquids. The eLiquids are nicotine solutions used in e-cigarettes to create an odorless vapor much like real smoke. A second location will open in February in Burleson, the owner says. Wild Valley E-Cigarette Co., 3462 Blue Bonnet Circle, Fort Worth, 817-888-1801.

HOWLIN' GOOD FASHION

Around the corner from Loft in the newly developed block of Sundance Square that used to house Billy Miner's, a gem of a boutique called Coyote has just opened. The name is a nod to owner Brooke Mitchell's American Indian heritage (she's part Ponka), and rustic touches like hand-hewn furniture and Southwestern-motif carpets fill her expansive, serpentine space. There are even coyote mounts in the window. When it comes to Mitchell's collection of clothing, jewelry and handbags, however, the rustic ends and the funky begins. She's got the hottest reversible coated jeans from Bleulab (yes, the ones you always see the Kardashians wearing), along with brands like Ella Moss, Habitual, Splendid, T-Bags and BB Dakota. Prices run the gamut, too, from $268 for the Bleulab jeans to $68 for faux-leather cropped jackets. Mitchell is also using her space to promote local artists. Several pieces of hand-dyed woven textiles are on display, with more works on the way. 317 Houston St., 254-396-4811.

KICK-

STARTING A BOOT LINE

Pecos Belle is the newest boot line in town, and the company is based in Fort Worth. Founder Matt Milliorn created the line for fashion-forward women who want a bit of Western flair. "Fashion Western boots have become mainstream after crossing over from country wear," he says, "so I started making extremely comfortable hand-fashioned boots for women to wear every day, from casual to dressy." The line includes 17 boot styles, made from premium leathers and hand-finished by craftsmen in Guanajuato, Mexico. Find the entire line at www.pecosbelle.com and select styles in Fort Worth at Chicks Off The Bricks (4919 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817-735-9989), Pinkies Uncommon Treasures (115 W. Exchange Ave., 817-625-7465) and other local retailers.

EMIKO RETURNS

Emiko Fabrics and Couture has reopened off the bricks on Camp Bowie Boulevard. The new, bigger space is brimming with bolts of French lace, colorful Italian silks and other imported fabrics, and mannequins stand throughout, dressed in sample gowns that show off owner Emiko Poot's considerable skill. For more than a decade, Poot has been a favored couturier among Fort Worth's society set, and she often outfits entire bridal parties, including the bride. Although she can construct any garment, she says she loves making gowns in particular, working with silk and draping chiffon. Most clients come to her with pictures from magazines, and she takes it from there. 4109 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817-377-2773.

STYLE SKILLS WORKSHOP

Fashion expert Susan Huston's popular Girls & Style/Girls & Beauty Workshop returns to introduce girls ages 8-16 to grooming, etiquette and modeling. Registration is open for the annual four-week workshop that begins Feb. 9 at North East Mall in Hurst. Each Saturday, students will learn such life skills as wardrobe coordination, hair and skin care, nutrition and table manners, and modeling skills to project poise and self-confidence. She will also offer an advanced modeling workshop for young women ages 12-16. Students in both classes will participate in the mall's spring fashion show March 23. For more information, call 817-833-3600 or visit www.susanhuston.com.

NOTES

The founders of Jewelry Nut Auctions, a locally based Facebook jewelry auction site that gained more than 35,000 followers in about a year, recently launched Style Nut Auctions, offering fixed-price "of-the-moment" women's fashions and home accessories at fair prices. Fort Worth "mompreneurs" Meredith Miner and Victoria Wise hold auctions on Facebook at 8 p.m. every Wednesday. The launch comes on the heels of their success with Jewelry Nut, recently surpassing the $1.4 million mark in sales and expanding from their homes to an office suite with a staff of 18. For more information, visit www.jewelry

nutauctions.com.

Whatchamacallit Fashions is hosting a Sherri Hill trunk show, Jan. 18-21, featuring the label's showstopping gowns and party dresses. 4601 West Freeway, Fort Worth, 817-377-1141.

Valentino will be sending a stylist to Neiman Marcus Ridgmar on Jan. 23 to showcase the Italian label's latest looks. No reservations are required. 2100 Green Oaks Road, Fort Worth, 817-738-3581.

Peruvian Atelier opened a second location last month, taking its cozy Alpaca sweaters, infinity scarves and stylish career separates, in addition to home items like rugs, vases and candles, to Dallas' tony Highland Park neighborhood. Find the new store at 4260 Oak Lawn Ave., 469-759-6600.

Russell Ross and the Intuitive Design Group in Richardson (featured in "Reflection of Morocco," Page 48) have created a virtual-design genie in a bottle, well, actually on the Internet, that allows you to tap into their 30 years of experience with color, style, fabrics, materials and scale -- but without a full-scale commitment to working with a designer. They've created four Intuitive Packages -- from offering answers to a few key questions with the Bronze package ($125) all the way to the storyboards and plans of a complete design Platinum Package ($2,000-$4,000). Log on and start the process next time you find yourself pondering the color of the kitchen at midnight. 469-774-4749, intuitivedesigngroup.net.

The Star-Telegram Bridal Show, the premier bridal event in Tarrant County, returns to Will Rogers Coliseum on Jan. 13. Brides (and grooms, too) can meet with caterers, photographers, florists and even fill out a passport application. The show runs 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and the bridal fashion show will kick off at 2 p.m. Admission is $8 (cash only), $4 for Star-Telegram Press Pass members. Parking is $8 per vehicle. For more information, visit www.star-telegramweddings.com.

Roger Thomas, probably best known for his hotel interiors (most notably the Bellagio in Las Vegas), is bringing his fanciful, theatrical and oh-so fabulous point of view to STUDIO A with a lively expansion of his current signature collection of mirrors, carpet, green sustainable lighting and furniture. STUDIO A was founded by Dallas-based Global Views in 2005 to provide unique, handcrafted high-design items from around the world. Rolling introductions of The Roger Thomas Collection for STUDIO A are slated to begin in mid-2013. www.studioa-home.com.

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