Christmas is a time of giving and receiving, but the former may prove challenging – especially when you need financially friendly ideas. Even when it’s the thought that counts behind a gift, you still need to look like you’ve thought about it, and socks don’t always leave that impression. To make this Christmas challenge a bit easier, The Sacramento Press looked at local stores in Midtown that have some fun options, each of them under $20. The Beat Location: 1700 J St. Store hours: Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. The Beat is an independent music store that sells all genres, new and old. Here, a unique gift can be bou

Black Friday: To some, it’s THE day to kick off the Christmas shopping season and snag unbelievable deals on high-end items, even if it means camping overnight or cutting a Thanksgiving meal short. To others, it’s a day to avoid shopping centers at all costs. The Sacramento Press asked locals to share their Black Friday plans, strategies and experiences. Here is what they had to say: Ramona Powell, a 54-year-old transportation consultant from Sacramento, said she plans to do some shopping on Friday. “I’ve looked online at what Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Target, JC Penney’s and Macy’s have,” she said. “My tradition has been to go out at about 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving and camp out.” She said h

Looking for retro prints, vintage dresses, concert tees, tailored suits, fedoras, one-of-a-kind jewelry or even a hand-sewn dress from the 1900s? The search can be satisfied right in the heart of Midtown and downtown Sacramento. Vintage shops and boutiques pepper the city, and shop owners are constantly on the lookout for interesting, in-style and hard-to-find secondhand or even generations-old pieces to reintroduce to the public. The Sacramento Press searched the streets of Midtown and downtown to round up some of the vintage stores offering unique, vintage goods and fashions. Crimson and Clover 1617 16th St. 442-1800 Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday noon - 8 p.

From Manhattan to Milan, Atlanta to Australia, the after-hours shopping extravaganza Fashion’s Night Out is counting down to its September 8, 2011 debut.  Celebrities, designers, and stars will perform and mingle with shoppers as they take part in the FNO-exclusive event to snap up special designs. The 2011 edition of the fashion party will be even better this year heading locally to boutique shopping mecca, Pavilions on Howe and Fair Oaks. Check out all the ways to shop and have fun on this flier. Highlights include Celebrity DJ Joel Madden spinning tunes for fashionistas.  Also, there will be a special appearance by Mayor Kevin Johnson.  Pavilions will provide live music throughout th

With trends and fashions changing week by week, going shopping and staying in style can be a difficult, time consuming and expensive task. Low cost options are on the rise in the form of thrift stores offering low-cost secondhand clothes, unique vintage apparel and other knick-knacks and accessories. With more than 50 different thrift stores in the greater Sacramento area, figuring out where to go for such thrifty finds can become a overwhelming scavenger hunt throughout the capital city. The Sacramento Press hit the streets of downtown and Midtown to round up a few of the local stores making their marks in the thrift shop scene. This ‘n’ That Thrift and Gift 2590 21st St. 457-1877 Ho

Wellspring Women’s Center announced today they are launching a new fundraiser to raise money to support the organization and its mission to provide community services to women and children. Wellspring’s first annual Girls’ Night Out event will be held on June 16, 2011 at Plaza Five Fifty Five at 555 Capitol Mall in Downtown Sacramento from 5:30pm to 8pm. Event attendees will catch the latest in hot summer fashions with a fashion show courtesy of local Sacramento area boutiques like Serendipity Boutique, Sequels Consignment Boutique, and Runway Boutique. “We are very excited to introduce a new fundraising event to benefit Wellspring Women’s Center,” said Sister Judy Illig, Executive Direc

In these tough economic times, everyone is looking for ways to save money. From cutting back on the daily lattes to at-home “staycations,” people are getting more and more creative in the ways they choose to spend – or not spend – their money. One trend that seems to be really taking off lately is couponing: clipping out and saving up those little 20-cents-off and buy-2-get-1-free offers that grocery stores put in the inserts of the Sunday paper. Recently, TLC network aired a new reality show about this very topic, “Extreme Couponing.” This isn’t your momma’s coupon-clipping, however. In “Extreme Couponing,” we get to see folks who are crazy-good at saving money on their groceries. (Or

You may have seen the phrase “gluten-free” on products in your local supermarket, but do you know what it means? If not, prepare for a quick refresher course on nutrition and biology. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and malts. It’s that special something that gives the ingredients in foods like bread, crackers and cake their ability to stick together. It is commonly referred to as a “binder,” and it can be found in a wide variety of food items. For most people, consuming gluten is no problem. However, for the estimated 10 percent of people in the United States who have a sensitivity to gluten, avoidance becomes a full-time task. This is especially true for people with cel

When searching for holiday gifts, local shoppers often think of malls and neighborhood retailers.  However, hidden treasures and unique items are available at various museums and historic parks throughout the Sacramento area as well.   Outlined below is a gift guide sampling of some of the unique, quality items waiting to be discovered at a few favorite historic destinations around town. California State Railroad Museum California Poppy Necklaces & Earrings -- Made exclusively for the Railroad Museum Store, fashion necklaces and earrings are available that showcase an elegant floral design taken from the Santa Fe Railway's "California Poppy" china pattern. This china pattern was used fo

Apple's App store features thousands of apps that iPhone and iPod Touch users can download daily. One app in particular that will mostly likely only be viewed around Thanksgiving is titled: "Black Friday", an event shoppers go bonkers for. Well now they'll have the perfect guide to plan out there day as they bounce from store to store.  The morning after Thanksgiving stores open hours earlier than usual and have multiple items on sale throughout the store. Stores such as Best Buy have lines wrapping around the building full of eager shoppers waiting to rush in the store and grab everything they can just because it's a big sale that only happens once a year.  Last year, Tilly's, the cloth

Where do you go when you want to buy or shop for a car? A car dealership obviously. But that’s the point, you GO to the dealership. That’s not necessary anymore. Planet Automotive Group in partnership with Hyundai have opened a new type of store, a car store, THE car store. The Hyundai Store. The only store of it’s kind in North America, not even the Mall of America with its roller coaster and such has a store where you can walk in, test drive and purchase a car. They will even accept a trade-in if you got one. Starting Monday, Nov. 22, the Hyundai Store is officially open for business in the Westfield Downtown Plaza. Employees were still polishing up the store as the days first customers

First Person – 43rd Annual Antique Peddler’s Fair What do a vintage gas station sign, a metal Coca Cola tray, old wooden chests and treasure-hunting, bargain-loving people all have in common? All were congregating in Folsom Sunday for the 43rd Annual Antique Peddler’s Fair. In February, however, there was some concern that the event may not happen. The promoters were expecting between 10,000 and 15,000 people along with 150 vendors to attend, so it was imperative that they received the help from the community that was so desperately needed. The city of Folsom, the Folsom Chamber of Commerce and Teichert Construction all stepped up and made sure that, during the yearlong Sutter Street r

This weekend, September 17th-19th, local shoppers can look forward to great deals and steals at the Midtown Sidewalk Sale. The Midtown Boutique District in conjunction with the Midtown Business Association are sponsoring the semi-annual event that will feature 28 stores and terrific savings. So grab your comfy walking shoes and be sure not to miss this exciting shopping opportunity that begins at 10am on Friday morning and lasts until 8pm on Sunday night. Whether you are a shopaholic or a just out to find a bargain, you will be sure to come across something that meets your fancy. If you are looking to fill your closet with new fashion items for the fall, Bows & Arrows (1712 L Street) is d

One big fat Greek festival offers all you need for Hellenistic acculturation. Fortunately for Sacramentans, the Sacramento Convention Center will host the 47th annual Sacramento Greek Festival this weekend to make this possible. Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church’s Mike Dariotis has been involved in the event for 15 years and said his favorite part of the weekend is, first, the food; second, the folk dancing and then of course working together with the church community and fellow parishioners. In recent years, the event has served around 10,000 people over the course of the three-day festival. So what is it about this event that brings both Greek and non-Greeks out? The answer is simple

When I wrote Sacramento: Then and Now I wanted to show some images that were missed in other local history books, but were immediately recognizable by people who lived in the neighborhoods portrayed. I chose the image of the grocery store at 17th and Capitol because it was just this sort of place: ordinary, but recognizable and essential. At the time, it was still Rick's Uptown Market--one of the hazards of a book titled "Then and Now" is that the date of publication immediately becomes a new "Then." The building is about 100 years old--I am pretty sure, but not positive, that it was constructed in about 1910. It was constructed as the Perkins and Company grocery store, selling food as we

Sacramento defintiely has it's own unique fashion sense, and the local fashion scene lately has really been coming into it's own. More and more people are making due with less money, and second-hand and re-purposed clothing have become a popular option on adding flavor to one's wardrobe without too much strain on the pocketbook. Thrift shopping seems to have become a local custom, and local business are sprouting up everywhere catering to those who prefer funky, one-of-a-kind "pre-loved," second-hand clothing to the bland, blend-in-the-crowd, mass produced options found at the nearest mall. Artists and designers have been getting in on the action too, re-making new fashions out of old vint

I feel compelled to confess this simple truth: I love Target.  My Wife and I shop there all the time, not to say we shop excessively. We both think of ourselves as modest and frugal, and we rely on their affordable prices to get the products we need regularly: food, clothes, and household goods.   We loath Wal-Mart, and at the same time, I realize it is completely hypocritical to give Target a free pass,  since they too are a large faceless multinational corporation, easily vivified.  I also realize that this is not a perfect world, and we’ve all got to make our own way in it.  That being said since I heard that a new Target Store was going  to be built in walking distance from my front do

Chances are you’ve heard of Etsy. It’s the world’s most expansive marketplace for handmade and vintage items. With neighborhood networks and a shop-local function, Etsy is revolutionizing the way people shop online. I spoke to artist and team leader of SactoMetro Etsy Street Team, Marianne Bland, about her team of local artists and craftsmen representing the Sacramento area on Etsy.com   Tell me about Sacramento’s Etsy Team SactoMetro Etsy Street Team has soap makers, painters, people making spiritual items, fine art…just a huge variety of items. We have people doing it to supplement jobs, full-timers, mothers at home school… It's an interesting group of people trying to help each other

Arden Fair Mall sported well-behaved crowds today. Last night a midnight sale for the new Air Jordan athletic was cancelled when potential shoe buyers rushed mall doors and started pushing others. That sale was cancelled. This afternoon the scene seemed like a normal, bustling shopping day right before Christmas: Parents and kids endured lines waiting for Santa pictures to be taken, shoppers traversed escalators and stores,lovers sneaked kisses, clerks and delivery persons carried on. Here are some scenes:                           SacPress Photos | Kati Garner          

 I was expecting chaos, crowds of procrastinating shoppers rushing about in a total frenzy. Instead, it seemed like an ordinary day at the Downtown Plaza, except with fewer stores than I remembered. With lower anxiety than anticipated, I imagined all sorts of people would be willing to let me in on their last-minute shopping adventures. Most of the people I asked were not Christmas shopping, or at least that's what they told me. With that said, I did manage to talk to a few interesting shoppers. The first people willing to share was an engaged couple, relaxing on a luxurious green velvet couch in the furniture department in Macy's. They were shopping for their parents. His dad is getting