Well ladies, another store has bit the dust. If you watch the news, you may already know that the Limited boutique has closed its doors. The only Limited that was still in our area was in South Hills Village. Reportedly, 250 Limited stores have closed and thousands have lost their jobs. If it hadn’t been for a co-worker letting me know about this, I would have missed out on some great bargains. It wasn’t the clothes that I went there for, it was the store fixtures.
A store that is going out of business is the best place to obtain store fixtures. On my first visit, I bought beautiful wooden fixtures that were used to display necklaces. They look like pieces of art. A week after I bought them, I heard through the grapevine that the store was still open so I went back on the last day of business, but I was too late they had closed their doors for good. I peeked in the window and it seems that the final markdown was 95 percent off. I hope someone got some good bargains.
Before I left South Hills Village that day, I stopped in a store that I had never heard of, it’s called Oil & Vinegar. The store is billed as a gourmet culinary gift shop and is outfitted with over a dozen glass globes of imported oils and vinegars, ranging from the sweet pomegranate pulp vinegars, to the savory basil and tomato oils, to the earthy grapeseed oils flavored with herbs and spices. Next to packaged hors d’oeuvres, sits dishes of the liquids and breads to sample. This is a store for a true “foodie.”
“These products are so unique and exclusive,” said co-owner Todd McMasters. “For example, these Bonsecco olives and this type of olive oil, they’re only available in our stores, or from the estate it grows on in Italy. And nearly everything is made preservative-free, and is a quality, healthy food product.”
The item that caught my eye was what the store calls their surprise bags. The price of the bags was reasonable. The one I purchased was $30 and I was guaranteed to get about $60 worth of items in the bag. These bags would make a great gift. My bag included a Honey Thyme dressing; a cranberry vinegar; Biologico, a mild fruity Italian organic olive oil, something called a dipper which is a mixture of herbs and spices; and a small dipping plate. I loved my surprise bag. Also, before I left, I tasted some of the vinegars. They were wonderful and so unusual. My favorite so far was the cranberry vinegar. I look forward to using it in dressings and other recipes.
For next Christmas, please put a visit to Phipps Conservatory on your schedule. I went on one of the last nights and witnessed the beautiful holiday light display. I had not been to Phipps for several years; what a treat!! My only caution is watch where you park, I got a $99 parking ticket.
(Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com)
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