House of Cramel

Okay, don't be alarmed! I know some of you are like "Where are you taking us??" But have no fear, there is fabulosity here! I do have preferences but I also have an open mind. If you want to find one of a kind pieces you have to visit one of a kind places! Junkman's Daughter is definitely one of a kind. Self proclaimed as "Atlanta's Alternative Superstore", Junkman's Daughter definitely stands up to its name. You'll find all kinds of things here, everything from costumes, gag gifts, and some rather interesting home decor items. Aside from all that, there are also clothes, shoes, and accessories. And believe it or not, styled the right way, a lot of it is very cute! Look at these items I spotted.

Not convinced? Well let me show you the real treasure at the Junkman's Daughter. Right after you pass this:

You go up the stairs and you will find yourself in somewhat of a shoe heaven (literally because its at the top of the store). If you want a unique, one of a kind shoe visit Junkman's Daughter. Be brave enough to walk in and you'll be glad you did because your probably walking out with something no one in your circle has. They also have a great selection of what I like to call "stripper" shoes, military boots, and other interesting footwear.

Junkman's Daughter was actually started by a real junkman's daughter. Her name is Pam Majors. Believe it or not she started this store back in 1982 with an accumulation of her own parents "junk". Majors store has attracted the likes of celebrities like Bono, Betsy Johnson, Usher, Lenny Kravitz, OutKast, Cee Lo Green and more! So dare yourself, in the name of FASHION, to visit the Junkman's Daughter! It located in Little Five Points of Atlanta. Exact address is 464 Moreland Ave Atlanta, GA 30307. There is also another store in Athen, GA affectionately named the Junkman's Daughter's Brother. You may also visit the website for more info at www.thejunkmansdaughter.com .

(I forgot to mention I discovered after I got upstairs that I wasn't suppose to take pictures for fear of negative press on the internet. So Shhh! Don't tell anyone, but I do this for my BOUTIQUE FREAKS!! Enjoy! XOXO!)

Alright BFs (Boutique Freaks) I've got to admit I was a little off my "picture taking" game ( it's not photography because I'm HARDLY a photographer!). But I'm going to post the pictures I did take anyway. I was actually very distracted by 1) the chandelier 2) the clothes and 3) the young lady that helped my friend and I. The picture of this beautiful chandelier is in Bill Hallman Flaunt at Little Five Points in Atlanta. Chandeliers and boutiques just go together, but I digress! Bill Hallman has three boutiques in Atlanta that sell Women's and Men's Apparel and Accessories. However this particular location only sold items for women. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience there. The sales associate greeted my friend and I when we walked in. The minute she heard us gawking over some of the dresses she offered us a fitting room to began trying on the clothes. So it was only natural that I tried on a couple things :-) I like Bill Hallman because the merchandise flows with today's trends, but at the same time they've chosen pieces that can still be worn from one year to the next. They seem to focus on not just what hot for today, but rather just on what's hot! Period! You can find some of the latest designer collections here as well as Bill Hallman's own collection. Here's a quick shot I took of some necklaces I liked. I really like the woven chains on the right!

As we were about to leave my friend was suddenly "shoe struck" by a pair of some of the hottest wedges we'd seen this summer! Needless to say she snatched them right off the mannequin! Aren't they cute?

Like I stated earlier, Bill Hallman has three locations. There's, of course, Bill Hallman Flaunt in Little Five Points, Bill Hallman Original in Virginia Highland,and Bill Hallman Studio in Buckhead. For specific addresses to these locations you can visit http://www.billhallman.com , you can also shop there! But I recommend you go in the store!  You can look forward to great clothes(in design and quality), pretty reasonable prices, and great service (you know I love great service!). So stop by Bill Hallman, tell them Boutique Freak sent you!

If you ever visiting Little Five Points, you can't help but see a bright RED building in the center of everything. You can't help but walk past and say to yourself or someone else "What's that red building?". Well I went in. Its called the Clothing Warehouse. The Clothing Warehouse is a vintage shop, but that's not the first thing I noticed when I walked into the store. I couldn't help but notice how open, organized, and thoughtfully merchandised this place was. In previous experiences in vintage stores I've always gotten what I like to describe as a homey or "really big closet" type feel. This isn't a negative thing, most of the time this is the fun in shopping at vintage or consignment shops. Searching through the racks, waiting to uncover a lost treasure. However this is not the case at the Clothing Warehouse.

The merchandise in the Clothing Warehouse is all organized by style and color blocked. In my opinion this is a nice change for a store that specializes in vintage. Don't get me wrong, I still love the setting and ambiance of vintage shops like Poor Little Rich Girl, thats what makes it unique. The experience is part of what makes shops like those special. But the exact opposite is part of what makes the Clothing Warehouse great. You'd never know that this business was started by a "a skinny farm kid from Ohio" named Jim Buckley. There are still hints of decoration throughout the shop that remind you that you are shopping classic vintage. There are the styled mannequinns over head around the store and the aged art that decorates the concrete walls.

Aside from their approach to merchandising, there is another thing I love about the Clothing Warehouse. The ACCESSORIES! Above is an example of a funky approach they've taken to show off the accessories. But in the middle of the store there is an island full of bangles, necklaces, and sunglasses that would make any accessory queen freak! Below is a picture of the piece I purchased, it was love at first sight. This necklace and I are now in an exclusive relationship as it was the only ONE in the store (Ahhh, the beauty of shopping boutiques!)

The Clothing Warehouse has locations in four other states. For more information about the store visit www.theclothingwarehouse.com or visit their facebook page. The location I visited is at 420 Moreland Ave Atlanta, GA in the popular part of town called Little Five Points. Go see it for yourself, tell them Boutique Freak sent you!

Every once in a while you come across something that just blows the competition away, something that takes what you thought was "on the level" and totally ELEVATES it. Let me explain. The picture above you see is of Wish, an urban shopping experience located in Little Five Points of Atlanta. The building use to be a Public Library which is historically noted on a concrete slab on the side of the building (Sorry Rae, it wasn't a bank but you were close). If you have any ounce of appreciation for art of any form, be prepared for those emotions to be provoked when you walk through the doors of Wish. The architecture is amazing, and the interior design is just as incredible, yet it manages to be understated enough to bring the focus to the merchandise. I read that the mission of owner, Lauren Amos, was not just to create another retail space, but an iconic destination. I'd say, mission accomplished.

One of things I found to be the coolest at Wish were the glass display cubes in the floor. My picture doesn't show them very well because photography and a vertically challenged person don't alway mix, but I did get a great picture of the standing display case. You'll find that Wish carries a selection of fashions by both reputable and emerging designers. Popular brands like Cheap Monday and Married to the Mob sit along side rising and unique brands like Cult of Individuality and Hellz Bellz. Wish also carries their own line of apparel and accessories. Wish appears to pride itself on exclusivity and originality. But, in my opinion, there is something a little more special about this place. Let me show you.

Downstairs in the belly of Wish is a sneaker head's paradise. Nestled in the walls of what looks like a tribute to the former public library is a selection of men's and women's shoes that would excite even the most judicious sneaker head. Displayed on lighted counter tops and shelves are brands such as Nike QS, Adidas Consortium, Android Homme, Vans Vault, Supra, and Jordan.

So if your looking for shoes that seem to be just short of an urban legend, you'll probably find it at Wish, unless your just too late. True exclusivity means its LIMITED! My suggestions? If your taking "sneaker-head 101", like myself, start by visiting Wish's website, there is a blog dedicated to products they will be and are currently carrying in the store and online. You can also follow on twitter @WishATL.  But if you want to dive right in, go for a visit and see what lies beneath the surface of this store. Wish Atlanta Boutique is located at 447 Moreland Ave Atlanta, GA 30307.

For those of you who take your shoe game so serious that you find yourself waiting for Footlocker to open a the strike of midnight for those Jordan's or scouring internet pages to find those kicks that everybody's already talking about, take your shoe game to the next level and try Wish. Your friend's aren't talking about some of these shoes because they're just not up on it. SHOW THEM WHAT THEIR MISSING! Then you decide whether or not to tell them where you got them :-) I've got to admit, I've had a few memorable impressions when visiting new stores. But by far, Wish is probably one of the most fashionably stimulating experiences I've had. I have to start making sure there isn't more than one level to any other place I visit!

Sometimes accidents are the best things! Here's what I mean. One of my best girlfriends and I met to go to lunch at Yeah! Burger. As we were walking the strap on my shoe broke! As you can imagine I was horrified! I loved that shoe and further more, how was I going to walk to Yeah! Burger with one shoe?? I told my friend "I need to find a store! I need a shoe! There has to be a boutique or something around here!" She said "There's a boutique right up here" She was referencing a store in her building. This is how I found Demure Boutique of West Midtown. I walked in to this beautiful store and the sales girls was ready to help. I informed her of my shoes crisis and told her what I needed. She led me to the CUTEST flip flops.

These are the shoes that saved my life on Howell Mill Road, cute huh? I know! Demure is a trendy boutique that sells unique women's clothes, shoes, and accessories. Honestly I haven't seen my shoes anywhere else yet and they were a pretty comfortable price. Two things that stood out to me about Demure during the short time I was there were 1) The accessories: The bags they have in there are "haute"! 2) The graphic tees: Snappy phrases, quality shirts. They also have a nice collection of sundresses right now. Based on the short time I was there I received some great service, saw some great items, and bought some great shoes. To top if off the place is set up really nice, they have a chandelier that gives the store ambiance something special.

Demure Boutique has two locations, these the location at 1016 Howell Mill Rd Suite B Atlanta, GA and there's also a location at 1230 Caroline Street Suite 110 Atlanta GA (This location is in the shopping center on Moreland Ave, just before you get to Little Five Points). You can also visit Demure at www.demureclothing.com , not online shopping available but it does showcase some of the clothes. Demure also has a facebook and follow them on twitter @DemureAtlanta.