Gift Store Shopping Montrose Style!

’Tis the season to “shop ’til you drop” and have fun doing it. It’s guaranteed in the Montrose Shopping Park. One of our customers described it perfectly. She said, “Montrose really puts me in the Christmas mood. My friend and I had lunch at Portabello’s. As we dined, we watched the horse-drawn trolley go by and enjoyed Christmas music from the band out front. Then Santa came by and gave us a candy cane. There’s no place like Montrose!” The woman raved about her lunch at Portabello’s and how much she enjoyed shopping here.

The inspiration for this week’s article came from the two women pictured. I met them at Mountain Rose Gifts where they were purchasing a vintage looking wall mirror with candelabra attached. They were laden with bags and boxes and as I looked I saw bags filled with beautifully wrapped gifts from La Perla Design Gallery and Victori-Ana, with a Revelation Tops Christmas bag thrown in. It’s a confirmation of the variety of our “one of a kind” stores and the joy of shopping each of them. So let me follow these lovely ladies lead and tell you a bit about our fine gift stores in the Montrose Shopping Park.

If you haven’t taken the time to check out La Perla Design Gallery (2315 Honolulu Ave.) here are lots of reasons to put them on your list. They specialize in fine gifts from artist Michael Aram and lines like Vietri. You’ll see those timeless pieces that others would love to receive as a treasured gift: shiny silver trays, tea sets, ornate glasses and extravagant picture frames. This is also the place to come for trendy, good taste jewelry. Pomegranates are a key theme here with key chains and fragrance. Your gift is luxuriously wrapped in rich brown paper with sparkling gold ribbon adorned with a teal sticker. On Friday, Dec. 7 and Saturday, Dec. 8 La Perla is hosting a holiday open house with food, drink, music and fun. They are also offering a seasonal promo of $15 off when you spend $75 with discounts increasing with your purchase.

Victori-Ana (2311 Honolulu Ave.), just a few doors from LaPerla, is the home of Marilyn’s impeccable good taste and graciousness. It is filled with lush offerings of fine ornaments, decorative pillows, sachets, and irresistible bath and body products that any woman would love to find under their tree. I will never tire of writing about Marilyn’s gift wrap. It simply cannot be duplicated and is a marvel to behold. This year she is enrobing your box in gold brocade paper with a Christmas red ribbon. Inside you will find your gift cradled in what I call tissue paper art. They also have a big event going on Saturday, Dec. 8 with artist “Lynda” and her retro chic jewelry.

Mountain Rose Gifts, just around the corner at 3808½ Ocean View Blvd., was voted Best Collectables by the readers of this paper. Here the fine gifts take on a form of whimsy that matches the unique gift wrap. You will find all of the latest good taste figurines of Santa, snowmen, elves, and their friends. Gourmet food gifts and unique wall art add even more variety. Your gift will be placed in a white craft bag with colorful tissue darts, accented with a variety of ribbon streamers, sparkly garland, and finished with a fun Christmas mouse label.

Join us on Facebook (The Montrose Shopping Park) where I will post pictures of these fine stores and their fabulous gift wrap.

Thank you for reading, shopping local and soaking up the atmosphere at the one and only Old Town Christmas in the Montrose Shopping Park.

  Mary Dawson