Re-Post: Meet Danny K Handbags...Fabulous for Fall!

     We've just restocked our Danny K Handbags by introducing two new patterns.  We are also still stocking the two other patterns that have been in demand and selling strong since Spring.  Enjoy being reintroduced to Danny Kong, Handbag Designer, with this blog re-post from February 14, 2012.  Stop by and check out all the patterns and pick up a bag perfect for all your Fall outfits!
     February 14, 2012: Meet Danny Kong, or Danny K, the designer and handbag engineer we met at market in January.  His fabric handbags are a study in engineering like nothing we'd ever seen.  He laughed when we told him he'd have to come to the store just to demonstrate all the pockets, hidden zippers, the versatile strap systems; not to mention the gorgeous fabrics.  He amazed us with his ingenuity and attention to detail and had us laughing at his humor!

     Born in Thailand into a family of shoemakers, Danny Kong worked as a shoe designer in the family business while attending college.  After detouring into interior design he returned to his first love of accessory design. Adding to his early experience making shoes, Danny K. sought additional training in pattern making and has established a reputation for handcrafting the highest quality handbags. He meticulously hand cuts the fabric in every bag to highlight the beauty and design of the fabric. And to make this story the best ever...each bag is handmade in the USA!  How cool is that?!

Come by the store to see the actual fabrics we stock

      Danny K. has sent bags to customers in every state in the US and his bags have been sold at high end shops coast to coast...from the Luxor Hotel (the big black pyramid on the Las Vegas strip) to the National Gallery of Art (in Washington, DC). 

These are just a few of the styles we have!

       We couldn't get photos of the new fabrics for Spring or for the bag styles we stock in the store...sorry...that just means we'll get to see your smiling face when you come by and check them out for yourself.  Good deal for us!   

Coin Purse

Cell phone holder

Bathed in Luxury!

     "Fresh florals, Crisp fruits and Aromatic garden extracts"...these are the essential ingredients in fine soap making.  No one knows this better than Greenwich Bay Trading Company...another great Haj-Paj Boutique find!  Located right here in our fine state of North Carolina, Greenwich Bay Trading Company has been making exquisite toiletries since 1962.
     The Raleigh based company is a family owned and operated business that produces made-to-order items sure to meet all your bathing needs.  They supply some of THE most distinctive hotels, bed and breakfasts, resorts, and boutiques all over the world.
     If you shop with us and follow our blog, you are well aware of our attention to details when we seek out new products.  These Greenwich Bay Trading Company soaps checked off all our boxes!  They are made in the USA and all of the raw materials are domestically sourced. Their ingredients all come from natural sources such as vegetable oils, olive oils, almond oils, and shea butters.  Their exfoliants come from oatmeal, bran, apricot seeds, and cocoa beans. Greenwich Bay Trading Company is environmentally sensitive stressing that all of their "products are free from animal testing" and they print with soy-based inks on post consumer recycled paper.  ALL of this goodness, all in beautiful packaging, and all so affordable!

     Haj-Paj Boutique is proud to carry a huge selection of soaps in some of the most captivating fragrances you've ever had the pleasure to smell!  The french-milled individual shea butter soaps are offered in a 1.9 ounce mini soap square making them the perfect teacher thank-you gift, an excellent choice for an add-on gift, a superb stocking stuffer (it's that time of year, ladies) and let's not forget ourselves...they make an ideal addition to our our guest and master bathrooms.    

We all deserve to feel luxurious, spoiled, and pampered . . . Greenwich Bay Trading Company knows this and Haj-Paj Boutique knows this.  You and your gift recipients will soon know it too!  Stop by and see AND smell these soaps the minute you can as we've already sold out of the Lavender Chamomile Botanic!  Call 336-940-5501 with any questions. 

Splish, Splash!

     As we've discovered in this business, many of our favorite vendors have owned gift boutiques of their own and Amy and Brent Bernard, of Beehive Wholesale, are no different.  After having the odd jobs of swimming instructor and watermelon "salesman" and college students, the Bernards found themselves in Nashville, Tennessee and far a way from family in Louisiana.
     So they packed up and moved home near Louisiana Tech and opened a gift boutique.  Their customers could rely on this young couple to "provide them with quality products at a low cost along with the friendliest service around".  They learned what worked in the gift business and what didn't.  The Bernards knew first hand what customers wanted when selecting a special gift, a unique item, or the perfect accessory!
     As they grew to be fantastic business people, they knew that they wanted to take the retail gift business to another level and sold the boutique.  In 2000, they started Beehive Wholesale and are providing retailers like us with the best products on the market and from around the world.  They know what we want because they've been there and done that!

      That gives us at Haj-Paj Boutique the opportunity to allow you to benefit from the expertise that the Bernards have cultivated. One of their fabulous accessories for this fall is their Rain Bops rain boots.  Not only are they cute and funky, but they are a must-have for those wet fall and winter days!  There's nothing worse that stepping in a cold rain puddle and wishing you had the right boot.
     We are currently stocking 5 styles of the Beehive Rain Bops.  We have these wildly colored ones to the upper left and these super sweet cowgirl rain boots in this awesome pattern. The other three styles are three colors in an embossed croc pattern; black, red, and brown.  These are in addition to the 2 styles of wedge boots we already are stocking.

     Brown Embossed Croc with a teal and brown hounds-tooth patterned lining with the treaded bottoms.







  Red Embossed Croc with black and white polka dot lining.  Nice treaded bottoms to keep you safe on slippery surfaces! 

     Black Embossed Croc with turquoise patterned lining and those perfect treaded bottoms! 

     We have two styles of the wedge rain boots; the plain, matte black and the faux Coach pattern.  Now not only can you keep you feet dry and warm, but you can look ultra stylish at the same time in these wedges.  And we all know how comfortable a wedge can be!  You'll be wishing for rain!

     One thing that the folks at Beehive do is think through the details!  What a girl needs when she stomping around in the cold rain puddles is socks inside her boots to keep her feet snugly warm.  In addition to our Rain Bops we are stocking the Fleece Bop Socks in 4 colors (pink, white, brown and black) and 2 sizes custom made to fit our boots.  How adorable are these?!  Stop by or call us at 336-940-5501 to try on all the combination of colors of socks with the functional boots.  See you soon! 

These Boots are Made for Walkin'!!!

     This week's post is a letter from Heather Martens, Founder and Co-Owner of Haj-Paj Boutique, about our latest, best find and one of our HOTTEST announcements yet!!

Now that's a pair of boots that will turn heads this fall!

Dear Friends,

     In case you haven't heard or noticed...Cowboy Boots are making a HUGE

fashion-comeback!

     However, as a Colorado native,

I've ALWAYS loved a classic pair of boots, whether worn with a casual summer dress, cutoff shorts, or a great pair of jeans.
     I have long wanted to offer Haj-Paj customers a fabulous boot line, but I am a tough customer myself, and I wasn't going to settle for a foreign-reproduction of an American Classic.  Unfortunately, almost all of the "BIG brand name" boot lines on the market today manufacture most of their boots in factories outside of the USA! 

     This breaks my heart.  The Cowboy Boot is an American Icon, and by golly, it should be Made in America...And that's just the way it is!   :-)

Great color!

     So, when looking for the PERFECT Boot for our customers, we made a list of "Must-Haves" and"Non-Negotiables". 

     Topping the list (to no surprise), the boot HAD to be MADE IN AMERICA. Next, it had to be REAL LEATHER, with all the elements of a CLASSIC boot, yet STYLISH and, dare we say it... even a little sexy. And finally, it needed to be of the HIGHEST QUALITY, and yet, MORE AFFORDABLE than all its "BIG brand name" competitors.

     Finding the PERFECT boot wasn't easy, and took longer than we expected, but we believe it was well worth the wait!  Abilene Boots is everything we wanted, and more!

     Their patented Air-Ride Comfort System makes their boots FEEL as good as they look.

Two tone...too cool!

Short and Brown

     So, we invite you to stop by and check out Abilene Boots.  We have 9 styles to choose from, including several CLASSIC shades of Brown, a GORGEOUS Black, and a HOT Red.  

Red and Black...what a statement!

A little bit worn and a little bit awesome!

 

    







     We told you it'd be our best announcement to date!  If you can't stop by and try on a pair, please give us a call at 336-940-5501 and we'll tell you what we have in stock!  If we don't have the size or style that you need, Abilene Boot company is waiting for our call! 

Post-Season Clearance on TOMS

     The TOMS Winter and Spring Collections have now officially retired, and while we hate to say "Au Revoir" to these particular styles (some of our all-time-favorites), we must clear the way for the
New TOMS arriving this Summer.

While size selection is limited on the remaining stock,

if we do still have your size, you're in luck!

     Take advantage of these HUGE Post-Season Savings, and at the same time, help improve the lives of children around the world!
     For every pair of TOMS Shoes you buy, TOMS will put a new pair of shoes on a child in need... One for One.
     Thank you for your support of our Local Business and of the TOMS Philosophy...

Together we can create a better tomorrow!

     Please feel free to give us a call to check size availability and/or to complete your purchase by phone.

336.940.5501

A better TOMorrow...one shoe at a time!

     In July of 2009, we went to the Atlanta market and first learned about  TOMS shoes.  We came back feeling hopeful, inspired, empowered, and charitable...all from meeting TOMS founder, Blake Mycoskie! He makes you believe what he believed so strongly just a few years earlier when he founded TOMS. 

Blake Mycoskie, Founder of TOMS

     Years ago, during his travels, Blake realized how many children around the world were living without shoes, even though they needed to walk long distances for food, clean water, adequate shelter, school, and medical attention. 

     Unfortunately, these children are so often denied the opportunity to improve their lives simply because, without shoes, they cannot make the journey. Their little feet are constantly bruised and cut, which often leads to much more serious conditions. The diseases in developing countries are spread primarily by parasites that penetrate the body through open-sores, especially on the feet. 

     These innocent children are continually at risk of contracting these terrible diseases, many of which are extremely debilitating and life-threatening.  A pair of shoes could make all the difference in the world for these children.  So Blake started TOMS in 2006.  The concept is simple: One for One.  For every pair of TOMS shoes that is purchased by you, TOMS will give a pair to a child in need.  So far, TOMS and their customers have given well over a MILLION pairs of shoes to children all around the world!  These children now have so much more than just a new pair of shoes; they have a chance for a better life. 

Together, we can all help

TOMS shoe drop

make a better tomorrow,

TOMS shoe drop

one pair of shoes at a time

TOMS shoe drop

     Haj-Paj Boutique is one the very few retailers in the Winston-Salem area that have the privilege to sell TOMS shoes.  This gives you...our customers...the unique opportunity to help these children from all parts of the world.  Our partnership with TOMS brings you the latest in shoe fashion and worldwide social responsibility right out your front door! Who would have thought that a simple pair of shoes could evoke such powerful emotions, and change so many lives? 
     Here are just a few of the styles we currently have in stock:

Ash Dot Canvas

Just in for summer!  Black Crochet

  

Corbel canvas

Youth Navy Canvas

 TOMS are a simple-chic shoe that proves that fashionable can also be casual, comfortable, and charitable. These well made, easy-to-wear shoes has made TOMS a hit among ALL age groups. We carry Women's canvas, burlap, crochet in many different styles and colors.  We also carry Youth and Tiny TOMS in many different styles and colors.  We receive new TOMS shipments monthly so plan to stop in or give us a call to check stock and sizes!  Please join us in our quest to help put shoes on kids around the world! 

 

Just in for Summer...TOMS black wedge

 With TOMS, you will LOOK good and FEEL good, from your heart to your toe.

Mother's Day...Rich in History

Goddess Isis

     The tradition of celebrating Mothers has roots in early Egyptian, Roman, and Greek times.  During these times "mother" Goddesses were commemorated in street festivals and with various celebrations involving cakes and flowers.  The Goddess Isis was commonly regarded as the Mother of the Pharaohs.
     Fast forward to Early Europe and the Christians who had a holiday to honor Motherhood which fell on the fourth Sunday of Lent.  That day was initially used as a day to honor the church in which you had been baptized, known as your "Mother Church".  On that Sunday, each place of worship was decorated with jewels, flowers and offerings of food.

"Mother and Child" by George Hatsatouris

     Sometime during the 1600's a clerical decree in England added real Mothers to the celebration and that day became known as Mothering Day.  On that day, a one day reprieve from Lenten fasting was provided so that all could enjoy a family feast where mothers were the guest of honor.  They were presented with cakes and flowers as well as visits from beloved distant children.
     Push that fast forward button again...when the first English settlers came to America, they discontinued the Mothering Day tradition.  While the Mothering Day holiday lived on in England, an American Mother's Day was conceptualized many years later by the woman who had written The Battle Hymn of the Republic, Julia Ward Howe. Howe wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation in 1870 in response to the overwhelming deaths of young men in the Civil War.  She was calling on all mothers to come together to celebrate peace and motherhood.  She had initially proposed July 4th as the new date of Mother's Day as a symbol of peace in our nation, but eventually June 2nd was settled on.

Anna Reeves Jarvis

That date was celebrated for a few fledgling years, but it took a West Virginia woman named Anna Reeves Jarvis to bring us to the Mother's Day we know today.  Reeves began an adaptation of Howe's holiday which called for mothers to re-unite families and neighbors that had been divided by the war.  This new day was called Mother's Friendship Day.  After Reeves' death her daughter, Anna M. Jarvis, petitioned the church where her mother had spent 20 years teaching Sunday school, to honor her mother with a day of celebration.  On May 10, 1908 the first official Mother's Day took place at Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia and in another church in Philadelphia.  Jarvis' favorite flower, the white carnation, was given to each mother.
     In 1912, West Virginia became the first state to officially recognize Mother's Day and in 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed it into national observance by declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.   

Mothers' Day postcard 1915

            Haj Paj Boutique is fully stocked with gorgeous gifts to let those special women in your life know that you appreciate them and thank them for their tireless dedication to motherhood.  We have special discounts on all of our fashion jewelry and a fine sterling silver jewelry.  We are overflowing with home accent gift items, Spring scarves, adorable Summer sun hats, and the wildly popular Lindsay Phillips sandals.  We even have Gullah Gourmet meal mixes to help you make that special dinner for her!  And never forget that we are an official retailer of TOMS shoes.  We will be well staffed this week and weekend to aid you in choosing and wrapping the perfect gift.
     Mothers have been honored for centuries...don't delay in honoring yours TODAY!!

A few Spring Musings!

     April and May in North Carolina is a magical time...warm daytime numbers on the thermometer, cool nighttime temps, beautiful flowering trees, and flowers popping up out of the ground!  Not so much...our Spring weather has been up and down with the temperatures, we've had a few late frosts and freezes, and the mountains have had late snows.  Then the hot comes...one minute it is a flashback to winter and the next it feels like summer.  Just a few days in the mid-70's, please! 
     ------------------------------------------------
     April ended with a fervor last weekend when we participated in a fantastic weekend show where we traveled to a local country club and brought the "store" with us! 

     The traveling Haj-Paj Boutique was a show stopper and gave us the unusual opportunity to meet and mingle with our customers.  Thanks Mocksville Women's Club for such an awesome day!
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     The first weekend in May also brings the Kentucky Derby to our modest boutique in North Carolina...only because one of our employees (Lousivlle, KY native) insists on it!  Wear your hats, ladies! (or your sombreros since it's also Cinco De Mayo)  The bigger, the flashier, the featherier (yes, that is a real word) the BETTER!
          --------------------------------------------
     THE most important thing that happens in May is Mother's Day!  This year Mother's Day is Sunday, May 13th.  It's the time when we show our Mothers, and/or those that have mothered us, how special and significant they have been to us.  Whether you choose a personalized piece of jewelry, build them a charm bracelet, select a scarf or handbag, or even a simple card...you can show how much you care and appreciate all their love and support.  At Haj-Paj we are fully stocked and prepared to give you all the help you need in choosing the perfect gift for Mom...after all we're the experts!

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     And last, but certainly not least, our GRADUATES...the future presidents, teachers, corporate moguls, environmentalists, doctors, nurses, accountants, mechanics, artists, moms, engineers, lawyers, electricians, dads, and of course, boutique owners...will be counting on us for gifts that are sure to launch them in the right direction!  Graduation gifts say "thanks for your hard work, thanks for your dedication, and Good Luck!"  Stop by today and let us help you tell your Graduate how you feel!  Happy May!!!