gift guide 2018

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CATCHING FIREFLIES, Berkley, Rochester, Ann
Arbor. Inside these whimsical boutiques, colorful
displays house hand-crafted, unique gifts and trinkets
you never knew you needed! The adorable fairy
doors are perfect for the little one who still believes.
You can mount this woodland door inside and leave
treats out for the tooth fairy who’ll no doubt enter
here forevermore ($15.95). The very popular Speks
Rare Earth Magnets are small, but mighty, and kept
our 9-year-old engaged for hours ($25.95). The stores’
walls are also decorated with an eclectic mix of wall art,
signs and clocks. We especially loved the sewing machine clock with its pendulum swinging
scissors ($64.95), and the personalized family signs that are made-to-order and one-of-a-
kind. If you can’t make it to one of the three locations, their website is organized by gift and/
or by recipient.

LIL’ RASCALS, Birmingham. .
This charming children’s
clothing store offers clothing
for the most fashion-for-
ward kiddos. Open since May y
2013, Lil’ Rascals carries a great
at
selection of gifts and clothing in
sizes newborn-8 for boys and girls.
Handmade barrettes and bows
ws line
the walls while the racks are filled
illed with
Chaser T-shirts, Joah Love dresses,
esses, soft bamboo
pants by Kickee Pants, Dori Creations’ lamé leg-
gings and a slew of vintage-style
yle rock tees. They
also personalize items such as s jewelry, blankets,
step stools and hooded towels.
s. We were suckers,
though, for the e cozy rock and roll
PJs by Rowdy Sprouts ($55).

THE DETROIT MERCANTILE CO., Detroit. Started by a fourth-generation
Detroiter, the Detroit Mercantile Co. has an urban vibe
and brims with vintage and new items that reflect the
owner’s love for Detroit. All items are either made in
Detroit, Michigan or the United States. We were in awe
over the Aminimal necklace — a street map of Detroit
cut into a 1.3” diameter on an 18-inch chain — and the
extensive selection of Detroit-themed T-shirts, sweatshirts,
totes and hats. It also has amazing one-of-a-kind vintage
art, flags and prints. Check back often as the vintage
pieces are always turning over.

TODD’S ROOM, Birmingham. Long known for its ability to
beautify the ladies and gentlemen of Metro Detroit, Todd’s
Room moved from its cozy Downtown Birmingham storefront
to a spacious stand-alone on Bowers Street seven months ago.
The mainstay beauty apothecary now carries a large selection
of gifts, jewelry and women’s apparel, in addition to beauty
and cosmetic lines. We loved Mistral, a men’s line of soaps,
gels and colognes — especially the manly Bourbon Vanilla
scented candle ($50). Other gems are Chando ceramic diffusers ($38 and up) and
wall-mountable ceramic succulents by Chive ($50 and under). Todd’s Room also
offers a stunning selection of both new and vintage jewelry, but our favorite gift, of
course, was a gift certificate for a make-up lesson with our favorite Todd’s Room
artist ($95 and up).

THE VARSITY SHOP, Birmingham. For the
Michigan sports fan, there’s no better place to buy
a gift than the Varsity Shop. Opened in Downtown
Birmingham in 1954, it moved to a new location
on Adams Road just three years ago. You’ll find a
large supply of Detroit Tigers, Red Wings, Lions
and Pistons gear, a hearty variety of U-M and
Sparty wear, plus tons of high-school apparel. The
Varsity Shop rolls out varsity jackets for more than
30 area high schools and has an outstand-
ing selection of sportswear for your high-
school athlete. We cheered for the colle-
giate panoramic puzzles, checkers, jerseys
and casserole dishes, but our favorites were
the Bad Boys T-shirt, the 2undr swingshift
underwear ($36) and the Franklin Uniform
set for our nephew ($49.99).

MODERN ART DESIGN STUDIO, West Bloomfield. While many
visit Modern Art Design Studio for custom invites, napkins and sta-
tionery, they will be pleased to find a gorgeous and unique selection of
gifts, too. Popular items include the beautiful diffusers lining the wall
( (which also give the store a spa-like aroma). Along with a delicious
assortment of Sugarfina candy and bento gift boxes ($28),
the store also sells an amazing selection of Mud Pie ceramic
serving pieces with kitschy sayings, beautiful crystal-en-
crusted NY Cake cake stands and Bella Firore frames. Our
favorites, though, were the custom-made “Real Housewife
of Bloomfield Hills” pads of paper ($20), Bey Berk
Humidors ($90 and up) and the Jonathan Adler “Mrs.” Jet
Set kit ($58), complete with travel mask and ear plugs.

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November 15 • 2018

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